Fridays Vermont Adventure

[08FJR4ME]

Well, all in all we had a great day. It ended up just being my friend from NH and I taking on the VT south to North route courtesy of New England Riders website. When we got to 89 we called it a day and headed back home. Yeah, I know we missed the best parts. I will save it for another day.



I left home around 7:00 A.M without a cloud in the sky. I could tell this was going to be a fun ride. While the tunes were playing in my head I just soaked in the experience of everything surrounding me. Traffic turned out to fairly light the whole day. Especially once we got off the beaten path.

Heading to the meat up location. I started hitting clouds towards the VT line.



More clouds on the horizon.



I followed this guy for about 10 miles through construction before I could finally get around him



Crossing the CT river I presume



We met in downtown Brattleboro VT were the route started.



And then it was off and it wasn't long before getting into trouble. FRED W would have been proud of us.



And then it got slowly worse.



The last 300 feet were the worse with a steep hill and washouts. If I didn't see the end on the GPS I would have turned around. This won't be the last dirt road of the day either. More to come.

Not long after disembarking from the off road adventure we stopped to regain our composure.





First of 2 covered bridges for the day. The other one we just past along the route. No pic sorry.





I did say traffic was light didn't I





A lot of these pic's were taken through the windscreen with my camera mount.



AAAAAAAAH YES time for lunch break. Sorry no food **** but I asure you it was good stuff.

I had the #2 with a corn dog with maple syrup on it UHMMMMMMM!!!! Good







Well back on the road again. Did I say the traffic was light.







After turning onto this next dirt road Jumpin Jill told to proceed for the next 7 miles "WHAT!"



 

After about 2 miles in we came to a T in the road. We were supposed to go off to the right which was nothing short of a snowmobile trail. I think NOT. It was then a truck pulled up and asked if we were following our GPS and we responded Yes. He then told us this is a class 4 road and you won't make it through on a motorcycle. He then gave us directions to get us out of there and onto route 107. I swear I heard some banjo playin coming

from the porch.



I did say the traffic was light eh! Back on tar thank goodness.



 

So we ended the ride when we got to highway 89 and decided to start slabbing it back. We got off in Henniker and proceeded down route 114 to Amherst. We said our goodbyes and after another quick coffee stop I slabbed it all the way home through Boston. I made good time and traffic was once again light heading in my direction. I think the traffic Gods took care of me this day. I logged a 485 mile day when I returned just short of the 500 I was hoping to hit.

My guess is this will qualify as a CBA ride.

 

Hope you enjoyed tagging along in cyberspace.

Dave

 

Here is a link to all pic's if interested.

CLICKY

 

[zig37]

Well, all in all we had a great day. It ended up just being my friend from NH and I taking on the VT south to North route courtesy of New England Riders website. When we got to 89 we called it a day and headed back home. Yeah, I know we missed the best parts. I will save it for another day.



I left home around 7:00 A.M without a cloud in the sky. I could tell this was going to be a fun ride. While the tunes were playing in my head I just soaked in the experience of everything surrounding me. Traffic turned out to fairly light the whole day. Especially once we got off the beaten path.

Heading to the meat up location. I started hitting clouds towards the VT line.



More clouds on the horizon.

https://rides.webshots.com/photo/2212891090105030702Jivvtd

[/URL]

 

I followed this guy for about 10 miles through construction before I could finally get around him

 



 

Crossing the CT river I presume

 



 

We met in downtown Brattleboro VT were the route started.

 



 

And then it was off and it wasn't long before getting into trouble. FRED W would have been proud of us.

 



 

And then it got slowly worse.

 



 

The last 300 feet were the worse with a steep hill and washouts. If I didn't see the end on the GPS I would have turned around. This won't be the last dirt road of the day either. More to come.

 

Not long after disembarking from the off road adventure we stopped to regain our composure.

 



 



 

First of 2 covered bridges for the day. The other one we just past along the route. No pic sorry.

 



 



 

I did say traffic was light didn't I

 



 



 

A lot of these pic's were taken through the windscreen with my camera mount.

 



 

AAAAAAAAH YES time for lunch break. Sorry no food **** but I asure you it was good stuff.

 

I had the #2 with a corn dog with maple syrup on it UHMMMMMMM!!!! Good

 



 



 



 

Well back on the road again. Did I say the traffic was light.

 



 



 



 

After turning onto this next dirt road Jumpin Jill told to proceed for the next 7 miles "WHAT!"

 



 

After about 2 miles in we came to a T in the road. We were supposed to go off to the right which was nothing short of a snowmobile trail. I think NOT. It was then a truck pulled up and asked if we were following our GPS and we responded Yes. He then told us this is a class 4 road and you won't make it through on a motorcycle. He then gave us directions to get us out of there on onto route 107.

 

I did say the traffic was light eh! Back on tar thank goodness.

 



 

So we ended the ride when we got to highway 89 and decided to start slabbing it back. We got off in Henniker and proceeded down route 114 to Amherst. We said our goodbyes and after another quick coffee stop I slabbed it all the way home through Boston. I made good time and traffic was once again light heading in my direction. I think the traffic Gods took care of me this day. I logged a 485 mile day when I returned just short of the 500 I was hoping to hit.

My guess is this will qualify as a CBA ride.

 

Hope you enjoyed tagging along in cyberspace.

Dave

 

 

Here is a link to all pic's if interested.

 

https://rides.webshots.com/album/580435725uZLqIxCLICKY

Dave

Thank You again for an awesome day and thanks again for buying me lunch. I had 310 miles on the speedo when I got home.

Although 300 is not a lot for me in one day I found myself really wipe out from trying to hang with you in the twisties

all day on my cruiser. I especially enjoyed the off-road adventures Thank God my radiator has no leaks. I know FRED W.

would have enjoyed the trail riding. I will always remember this ride as one of my best rides. Thanks again Brother.

Carl

 

[bluejag]

Great ride Dave Looks like you had a great day except for ALL that traffic..and the dual sport sections

 

[BkrK12]

Nice ride report, Dave. What options do you have to set on your GPS to make sure you find all those Class 4, 5 and 6 roads?

Dan

 

[Mr Bill]

Great ride report! Wish I were there with you.

 

How did the NERiders map routes work out? I was the one to convert everybody's suggestion to the gps format. Any issues?

 

Hope to do the Puppy dog late summer. You still have a dual sport? No not the FJR!

 

[Fred W]

Looks like fun, Dave!

If you guys want to do the Puppy dog, or maybe start on the Trans Mass Trail, I'm in. Just so long as it isn't right after a rainy spell. I'm not sure the V-strom could make it through a long section of the stuff shown by Bill above. Least not with the Anakee dual sports I have on there now.

I need to buy a second set of 'strom wheels and get some TKC's mounted up on 'em.

 

[FJRBluesman]

Very nice RR. Great scenery! :yahoo:

 

[Mr Bill]

If you guys want to do the Puppy dog, or maybe start on the Trans Mass Trail, I'm in. Just so long as it isn't right after a rainy spell. I'm not sure the V-strom could make it through a long section of the stuff shown by Bill above.

My pic was not trans mass or puppy dog. Just some roads around Northern CT.

 

Your bike will do fine with any tire on the Trans Mass and Puppy Dog. No knobbie needed.

 

[08FJR4ME]

Great ride report! Wish I were there with you.

 

How did the NERiders map routes work out? I was the one to convert everybody's suggestion to the gps format. Any issues?

 

Hope to do the Puppy dog late summer. You still have a dual sport? No not the FJR!

The route was pretty Awsome other than that second class 4 road. Yes I still have my dual sport and it is actually on the road this year. I have been swapping back and forth between the Feejer to get to work. On nicer days I take the XR.

I like the picture

Brings back memory's





Sounds like we should plan a dual sport ride. It will have to be on a weekend. The KTM, Manstrom and XR.

Dave

 

[Mr Bill]

[quote name=08FJR4ME' timestamp='1309713714' post='876293'

The route was pretty Awsome other than that second class 4 road.

Sounds like we should plan a dual sport ride. It will have to be on a weekend. The KTM, Manstrom and XR.

Dave

Do you mean the NERiders routes had dirt roads on it? I thought there was just one little stretch near the Lake.

 

Dual sport ride! Ya hoo! I have a loop starting here in Sturbridge Ma area and doing the Mass Trans Trail. I'm sure you have a lot of roads in your area too!

 

[08FJR4ME]

[quote name=08FJR4ME' timestamp='1309713714' post='876293'

The route was pretty Awsome other than that second class 4 road.

Sounds like we should plan a dual sport ride. It will have to be on a weekend. The KTM, Manstrom and XR.

Dave

Do you mean the NERiders routes had dirt roads on it? I thought there was just one little stretch near the Lake.

One section was about 3/4 mile and the other section we veered off on was a 7 mile section. We didn't do the whole route so who knows if there were more. Kinda a surprize for street bikes. Nothing noted that I remember either.

Dual sport ride! Ya hoo! I have a loop starting here in Sturbridge Ma area and doing the Mass Trans Trail. I'm sure you have a lot of roads in your area too!

Yes we have some areas to ride but none that are legal. From what I understand you can go all the way down the cape mostly on trails. Riding in sand gets tiring though and a good set of knobbies is required. I haven't done it and I don't think I am in the shape I use to be in.

I will check out the roads that you and Fred mentioned and give it some thought. Sounds like fun. I might have to throw the bike in the back of the truck to get to the start. A 150 miles on the XR can start to get painfull. Then again I have been spoiled.

Dave

 

[Mr Bill]

I will check out the roads that you and Fred mentioned and give it some thought. Sounds like fun. I might have to throw the bike in the back of the truck to get to the start. A 150 miles on the XR can start to get painfull. Then again I have been spoiled.

Dave

I'm too old to do a lot of sand too.

 

The hardest part for me is riding to the Southern part of the trans mass trail on asphalt. I've tried to map out back roads from my summer camp here in Fiskdale, but I need to do a better job finding some dirt along the way. I've just picked up garmin topo 24k that shows more dirt and trails so I'll work on that.

 

Do you have a gps mounted on the xr that can follow tracks?

 

[DE OPPRESSO LIBER]

Sounds like we have enough peeps interested in doing a DS ride... let's do it!! I've been wanting to do the Puppy Dog trail ever since hearing about it. Just picked up my new-to-me KLX last year. I've put a 13T front sprocket on to give it a little better temperament in the tight, slow gnarly stuff and am dying to give it a whirl.

I still have to get a GPS that would be better suited for trail riding than my Zumo. Anyone have a good suggestion? I know the etrac's and other handhelds are good for trails and topo, but do any have mounts for motorcycles or are rated to deal with the vibration issue of motosickles?

 

[DE OPPRESSO LIBER]

P.S. I got so excited about the DS ride thoughts I forgot to post my original thought! Damned ADD...... Dave, your second photo appears to be on route 2 West heading into G-vegas (Gardner). You were like ten minutes from me and you didn't beep? WTF?!

 

[VTFJR13]

Great ride report. It's a shame you missed some of the best roads in Vermont. route 73,125,17 and I don't know how much of route 100 you got to ride but it is a nice ride. Maybe sometime you'll have to return. I enjoy riding in Vermont and like you saw most of the time traffic is light.

 

[Mr Bill]

Sounds like we have enough peeps interested in doing a DS ride... let's do it!!

I'd be up for trans mass trail next weekend - either day

 

From here in Fiskdale it's a few hours to the Southern part and then a few hours along the Trans Mass Trail and then a couple of hours back to here in Fiskdale.

 

Anyone needing to park trucks or trailers you can do that at my summer camp here.

 

We could all meet up for breakfast in Brimfield at Hoo Yahs.

 

No knobbies needed.

 

Is you're bike a 250 or 450 klx?

 

[DE OPPRESSO LIBER]

It's a 250.

Hmmmmmmm, very tempting for next weekend . Sunday would have to be the day for me, as I have to sleep sometime between shifts but at least I don't have to work Sunday night (I think!). Let me check my schedule for sure, but as long as I get out of work on time, I could meet up with you in Brimfield for 9.

 

[Mr Bill]

It's a 250.

We'll put you in front because your not riding a pig! :lol:

 

I've got mapsource route out and then tracks for the TMT and ride back. If you want them let me know.

 

[Fred W]

I think I'd be up for it on Sunday. I need to check with the events director (wife) and also I'm not sure which day next weekend will be the Breakfast ride. The event director likes to attend those.

And, yes I'll be on the big(gest) pig (of the group) my Man-strom, so I'll just have to try and keep up with you li'l dirt biker boys. Trailers, shmailers...

Actually, the pictures I've seen of the TMT are pretty tame. One could probably ride the FJR up it!!

Anyone have a link to a well tested GPS file for the TMT and Puppy Dog? I have some old ones but I don't know how reliable they are.