Go West My Son!

Good chance I'll be going to Sturgis this year. 'Talking with a friend who may make the trip at a slower pace(about 450mi/day). Anyone else thinkin' of being there?

What the????

Wanna go? Talkin to Dempsey about it.

Of course I wanna go. Going is the problem.

'Just in the talking stage right right now. 'Will talk with you soon

You two would cut diagonally across the states. I would need to ride due west probably alone about half way acroos the country in order to meet up with you. So it would be unlikely. I was thinking of going with the club to the HD 110 party but they are taking their time getting there (about 3 nights) which suits me fine, then they are blasting back taking only one night which wouldn't be fun. So I'm out of that.

If you do go, you definitely have to try and meet-up with FLHT and Maddog.

How did we wind up on this thread and not "Decisions decisions" thread???? Sorry we hijacked it!

:roflmao: Well, I hope you know by now why I couldn't jump on this thread earlier, JB!

As to gas stations - start looking at the 120 miles per tank level. DO NOT trust GPS on this. There are always roadsigns and billboards that will tell you about the major places for gas, and they're pretty reliable. I just don't believe anyone who says they're getting 50 mpg at 80 miles an hour, which is what you'll be doing on I-80. Plan on 40mpg two-up, bet your legs on 35. Headwinds can drop your mileage a ton, and so will the altitude shift when you get above 3000ft. The Rockies aren't hills. Heat won't help, either.

Physically, riding ain't all that tough. Mental fatigue is what can get you and your'n messed up. You have to remember your Hot Rider, too. A friend of mine had his wife fall asleep and slide off the bike when he was riding. Her foot (on one side) and sleeve (on the other side) caught on the bike, miraculously, or he be a widower (and happier - but that ain't for this storytime!). I'd plan on you doing 500 a day, and when you hit 500 you can talk about it. Anyone gets angry - you stop. Anger is fatigue's face.

Yes, I got your message.. :roflmao: Yes, but I have a small window to get out there so I am going to have push it a little. Hot Rider is a good rider and she will tell me if she needs to sleep or if she needs rest. I am going to stick with a goal of 650-700 per day, if I can do that, then we are on a good pace for everything else. Remember Red, we did 400 in less than 7 hours when you were up here so 7 hours of riding is a wasted day..... Just My Thoughts...

If you drop into Denver, you can take I-70 west all the way into Utah, then find your way to westbound US Hwy 50. I-70 through Utah is beautiful, but it felt like the least traveler-friendly stretch of interstate highway I've ridden - at that includes I-10 in west Texas.

I-80 through Wyoming is OK, but nothing near I-70 for scenery. I-80 is for getting miles behind you, as quick as you can. And in Nevada, I-80 cuts a path through the MOST desolate part of the state. Better to take I-70/Hwy 50 if you want to enjoy the ride. Just be very mindful of that shift when I-70 splits from also being Hwy 50 in Utah! Cost me a couple hours once!:gah:

:cheers:

That was my original plan was to drop down to Denver but that is going to add some miles that I want to save and get out to your place a little quicker. I guess for the scenery aspect of things, it isn't the most important thing as I really don't have the time to ride and smell the roses. The riding that I really want to soak in is when you, Hot Rider and I are side by side going down the road in as many twisties and hills that we can find..

Enjoy your whole trip. Take your time on the way out. You can make it up on the way back. Saving the best for last is only good in marriages!
:cheers:

JB sounds like you have plan, only thing I'd throw in is leave early in the mornings, I mean early, daylight or earlier. You probably won't need to shed your coats until the first gas stop, have a good breakfast when you fuel up and your good go. Listen to Red on the gas he's been there and I agree with him. When you're crunched for time nothing worse than running out of fuel.

Yeah I was planning on leaving at about 4am and riding until about 8-9pm. I realize that I am going to make sure that I have fuel just the same as the bike so all of that stuff is figured in. Yep, I think that I want to bring those gas cans that fit in the saddlebags.. Juust in case....

As of now my rout is fairly simple. I will head east from my place to hook up on Interstate 35, head south on Interstate 35 and meet up with Interstate 80 and head west. I may be able to hook with IronHorse and ride with him to the Utah border if time permits him to, but not for sure on that one. It is coming together, slowly but surely.

Part of my reasoning for leaving so early is so we can ride in as much cooler weather as we can. We have changed the date of our vacation so the weather possibly may be cooler. The leathers will definitely be on the trip with us.

Hot Rider is a GREAT rider and passenger. There is no other female that I would rather ride with because when it comes to riding, she is one of the most easy going person there is. Ask Red about when she was having electrical issues when us three went to Milwaukee. on a different trip, HR and I rode 500+ miles in rain, two up on her Suzuki and she didn't complain once and we were drenched almost the entire time, then when it wasn't raining it was about 90* out and very humid. So I guess I am planning the trip and the miles according to my experience with my wife as a passenger. I know what I can get away with and what I cannot. My wife will tell me when she needs something.