What's the "Best" State to ride in?

[Chuck35]

If you could only ride in one State, which one would you choose?

Sobriety

 

[Bugnatr]

California no wait Utah, on second thought Wyoming but the again Montana is nice although Washington and Oregon have some great roads too however Nevada can allow one to open up the Feejeer. Looking forward to discovering WV and the Carolina's this fall at EOM with Northern Arkansas on the way home.

I'll go with the United states.

OK Speedy you won't give me that?

Without a doubt California Year round riding with it all. Deserts, mountains, coastal roads blah, blah blah

 

[Top_Speed1]

Humor is OK.

But if "X" State has the best twisties and adrenalin rush factor and "Y" State has the smoothest roads and least amount of traffic and construction etc...

What one would you favor if you had just 1 to pick from. This should not be this hard

but I know, there's some close one's.

 

[Bugnatr]

Really? This is like saying their is only one song for riding - impossible.

 

[LCB]

You could spend your lifetime riding CA and not cover everything it has to offer.

^^This^^

My early riding days began in the east. NC, TN, GA, SC, parts of PA & NY, WV, VA...

Then I went west. Once I rode parts of CA 5 years ago, I swore I'd go back every year. Each time I add parts of other states along the way... CO, UT, NM. All of them have been great and I'd go back again in a heartbeat. This year I'm planning the PNW via NorCal in Aug/Sep but I'm really hoping to get to Yosemite via NM, AZ, NV in May.

So, if I had to choose just 1, as the OP has asked, it would be CA.

 

[NightShine]

Perhaps the "best" state isn't bound by geography. Rather, it's a "state of mind"!

 

[Top_Speed1]

Really? This is like saying their is only one song for riding - impossible.

You can do it, hey I use to say the same thing about women. I've now settled got just one

 

[raitchison]

Granted I've only ridden in CA but I can't imagine a better state to ride in.

1. HUGE variety of roads to ride on, I've ridden on the coast, coastal mountains, canyons, inland mountains, desert, plains & ranch land ALL ON THE SAME DAY.

2. Year-round riding climate.

3. Bike-friendly laws (lane splitting) and generally relaxed law enforcement.

4. Large and diverse bike culture due to the above.

 

[wheatonFJR]

I refuse to be constrained to one state. I refuse to be constrained to one country.

This thread is a fail.

 

[Top_Speed1]

Granted I've only ridden in CA but I can't imagine a better state to ride in.
1. HUGE variety of roads to ride on, I've ridden on the coast, coastal mountains, canyons, inland mountains, desert, plains & ranch land ALL ON THE SAME DAY.

2. Year-round riding climate.

3. Bike-friendly laws (lane splitting) and generally relaxed law enforcement.

4. Large and diverse bike culture due to the above.

Having family out there puts this on my bucket State list, your notes makes it that much more

I refuse to be constrained to one state. I refuse to be constrained to one country.
This thread is a fail.

LMAO, Oh well then.

 

[Pterodactyl]

I'll put a nod to Alaska and the roads thru British Columbia to get there. If you like off road riding, then Alaska is a great place with many long dirt roads. On road riding is limited because there are just not that many roads and road surface conditions are often sketchy. I lived there for 16 years and after awhile it is like living on an island that has a 2500 mile driveway, but it is a ride that everyone should experience once. Funny, we moved out of AK three years ago and have ridden back twice and are planning to do so again this June.

 

[Bustanut joker]

If you could only ride in one State, which one would you choose?

Sobriety

Well that knocks out 65% here....

I'm with Ray, anyplace west of the divide.

 

[drc32-0]

Granted I've only ridden in CA but I can't imagine a better state to ride in.
1. HUGE variety of roads to ride on, I've ridden on the coast, coastal mountains, canyons, inland mountains, desert, plains & ranch land ALL ON THE SAME DAY.

2. Year-round riding climate.

3. Bike-friendly laws (lane splitting) and generally relaxed law enforcement.

4. Large and diverse bike culture due to the above.

Another vote for California,for all the reasons above plus great scenery and some good campgrounds.

 

[beemerdons]

Chihuahua Estado, it has the best paved road route in the World in Espinoza del Diablo (Devil's Backbone) plus thousands of kilometers of the best off road dirt trails in Barrancas del Cobre (Copper Canyon). Viva Mexico, Viva la Vida Loca ese!

 

[Fred W]

Although I have yet to make it there, I suspect my "Witless Protection Program" state would be Montana. It would be real easy to disappear into MT.

Of the states I have experienced it would probably be WV. Great riding and a nice rural, low key lifestyle. Kind of like a mini-Montana.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

You know this is not as easy as it seems. Excellent thread though.

The Gulf Coast States offer year round riding, we are almost never too cold to ride. That year round capability is a huge Plus. But, we don't have mountains so there are not a lot of twisty roads.

The NC/TN area is fantastic. Beautiful, nice climate, good roads. The average elevation is still low enough to not terribly affect power output of the motor.

NorthWestern Arkansas is an under rated gem of a location. Really, really nice, everything a Sport Tourer could want.

Oh, but once you have been Out West... Nothing compares to the Rockies. The Distance, The Height, The Majesty... It will forever change you. I know firsthand. Pop insists that the Best Riding is along the Continental Divide. Since I have not covered but a very small portion of Utah I cannot personally say it is the best even though I believe it. From my personal experience, I say Colorado. I did not enjoy the people there but the roads, the scenery, the on and off road opportunity are fantastic. I fully hope to return to Colorado this year.

 

[Fred W]

Sure Utah is beautiful, but man... you can't get a decent drink there.

I've heard that the Continental Divide gets better and better the further north you go. Since the question was for the United States, that would put it in Montana. I'm guessing it continues getting better north of the 49th.

 

[ionbeam]

My FJR has made this a complicated question. Since I've been riding my FJR the state of New England suddenly became small. We have really hit all the good spots so much they are getting real familiar. We have covered all the areas of New England that we wanted to see. While it is possible to find roads we haven't been on and bits of them may be fun we have essentially used up NE.

Is this a 'for the rest of your life in that one state'?

I would say that CA could probably entertain longer than any other state. It has the advantage that it is a 4 season state, no matter what the month you can find some place either warm or cool to ride. The majority of the roads are in pretty good shape, especially when compared to NE; the CA roads are 1. good 2. under construction or 3. high altitude and usually poor. It has the disadvantage of cars, cars & more cars. Then there are the Mother Nature adventures like earthquakes, fires, droughts and land slides. As soon as you get into some of the really nice roads, the kind with both scenery and twisties all the other things go away.

 

[SoCalFJR1300]

California no contest.

California has it ALL.

Ride up the scenic beautiful coast (Utah doesn't have one)

Ride in the curvy scenic mountains.

Like it hot? Ride Death valley or any desert region.\

There are also countless curvy twisties that are not in the mountains for warmer "winter" riding.

Like a lot of green forest, Northern Cal is for you.

Like it drier? So Cal roads are for you.

and ride all year long!

No other state has all the plethora of roads that California has.

Highway 33 just North of L.A. is one of the best roads in the state....along with Highway 36 in Northern Cal.

 

[Bugnatr]

Really? This is like saying their is only one song for riding - impossible.

You can do it, hey I use to say the same thing about women. I've now settled got just one

OK you have me there.

Thinks about it. The state is 800 miles long and at least 250 miles wide. Not many places in the US you can ride for 800 miles in one direction and still be in the same state. With the highest and lowest points in the US within 100 miles of each we have every US climate zone all within the same border.

Without a doubt California and not just the amount of roads we have but it's the weather. No matter what the season you can always ride to a better climate. Blazing hot in the summer? Head to the coast or above 6,000'. Rain and snow in the northern half of the state? Ride to the Palm Desert for perfect riding in the 70's.

Best part is we have as many great dirt bike riding roads as the street folks do so you can have your cake and eat it too.

Just avoid the large metro areas and it's the bees knees.

Come on out west and we will give you the Wheatie special tour