Need a few opinons...

[krashdragon]

Leaving Sunday form a bit south of Cleveland, Ohio , riding to Elk Grove, Ca (near Sacramento) to see my kid perform with the Sacramento Mandarins Drum and Bugle Corps.... I fugure 5 days should be good...

Only took 5 days to go from San Diego to Ohio in April when it was friggin cold out... and that was on my Harley...

any roads I should absolutely avoid? Want to stay towards the north this trip....

I undeerstand I 80 in Nev and Ca is full of potholes, so I was going to take US 50 instead...

Or roads I simply have to ride on?

Kinda looking for a direct but not necessarily all interstate route...

I 40 sucks in the summer. Was on that last week. Driving... took a bunch of side roads instead.

thanks in advance

Mary

 

[Bugnatr]

Haven't been on I 80 west of reno yet this year but in years past I had no pothole problems. 80 in Ca is in good shape as they have repaved a lot of it. Stay close to the speed limit in Ca as the highway patrol is very active. Noticed a motorcycle cop using his hand held radar on a overpass, real sneaky.

Hwy 50 across Nevada is a great alternative to the interstate and you can ride 50 all the way to Sacramento. It is getting toasty out here, be prepared for riding across the desert (stay hydrated). Don't like to ride at night on Nevada hwys due to open ranges where cattle can be on the road - not a good thing to hit.

Shouldn't need rain gear once you get to Ca. Roseville Cycle is a decent Yamaha dealer northeast of Sac. if you need service. Lots of FJR riders on the forum around the greater Sac. area. Have a good time in Elk Grove

 

[airboss]

I rode I 80 from Council Bluffs to I39 last saturday, that sections in really good shape.

 

[exskibum]

Can't say much about I-80 east of Reno, but it's fine west of Reno, with exception of recent occasional "zero tolerance" speeding enforcement. If I were doing that ride, I'd find my way to Estes Park in north central Colorado (you're on your own with the flat prairie shit to the east). From there, I'd ride through Rocky Mountain National Park on 34 to Granby, then make a right on I-40 over Rabbit Ears Pass to Steamboat Springs, and on west into Utah on 40 until you get to Heber City. This part of I-40 does not suck. (Another excellent alternative would be to take 14 west out of Fort Collins through Walden until it hooked up with 40 just before Rabbit Ears Pass and continue as above through Steamboat.) From Heber City, you either go north to hit I-80 in Park City, or south through Provo to catch 6 on to I-50.

I don't really have a preference for 50 or 80 across western Utah and Nevada. Both suck in the heat. 50 may be a bit more "interesting" in its winding route through nowhere, but there are also fewer services. Either should be done out of the heat of midday, IMO, and if I were riding it at night, I'd feel better about the availability of services on 80. With all the talk about WFO routes, I'm sure you can pick your preferred route through the Sierras. I would probably go 50 west from Carson City through South Lake Tahoe to Sacramento, and then south on 99 to Elk Grove. If I came out 80, I'd jog south on 395 through Reno and take Mount Rose Highway (431) to Incline Village at Lake Tahoe. Then pick either north and west shore route or east and south shore route to get to 50 west out of South Lake Tahoe and Meyers toward Sacramento.

With the exception of 50 and 80 west across western Utah and Nevada, the above described routes would be a very enjoyable and scenic ride to me. Bring lots of water and a cooling vest for the shitty part, though -- it's long, boring, remote and way too hot.

Have a safe ride.

 

[OrangevaleFJR]

70/50 through Utah and Nevada is my preferred way to go over 80. I like 14 and 40 through Northern Colorado to Park City Utah rather than 80 through Wyoming. In Nebraska, I used to drive to Denver (my home town) from Fremont, through Midland to hook up with 80 mid state rather than taking that slab all the way through Nebrasksa. The concrete separators on I-80 in Nebraska used to be the worst...not sure if they fixed them in the last 18 years.

 

[evil_henchman]

I-80 from Sacramento to Salt Lake City is fine, I flew across it a month ago. Whoever told you that it's full of potholes is...well...mistaken. It is slab riding but the terrain in Nevada lends itself great radar detector performance and with the great road (it really is a great road) you can do some flying. 50 is a lot more scenic especially as you crest the Sierras and look down on Lake Tahoe. Utah is a reveune state and the cops use every means available to pick your pocket. Hwy 40 in Utah is a lot more scenic but usually packed with speed traps. If you have to spend the night in Utah I'd highly recommend Park City. It's an oasis of normalcy.