I understand the need for speed, but it ought to be a crime to ride a motorcycle through Arkansas and not get off the interstate. :icon_twisted:
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I understand the need for speed, but it ought to be a crime to ride a motorcycle through Arkansas and not get off the interstate. :icon_twisted:
http://www.motorcycleroads.com/Routes/Colorado_81.html
http://www.motorcycleroads.com/search.php?q=new+mexico
http://www.motorcycleroads.com/search.php?q=Utah
http://www.motorcycleroads.com/search.php?q=Wyoming
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Mont...!1m0!3e0?hl=en
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Mont...!1m0!3e0?hl=en
http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/...ing_roads.aspx
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Peyt...3161!3e0?hl=en
The best rides up here are the western part of CT and Mass. Only problem is that it's off the beaten path. If you have the time, try them out. Your route is all east. If you want places to see, not so much ride, they're all along the coast....Newport, RI,... Cape Cod, Plymouth, Boston, Salem....
That will be a trip of a lifetime. I congratulate you, five years ago my friend of 50+years and I planned a last ride thru Northern Arizona, Utah and Colorado. He was shipping his Valkyrie from Ohio to my home in AZ. He too was ill with Cancer, but it was very early and he thought we could still complete the loop. Sadly he passed just weeks before we were to leave. I was pretty crushed and I put the trip on hold. Last Summer I did the ride with a new friend, my Pharmacist actually, It was a great route, Northern AZ and Utah around Kanab, Torrey are not to be missed. But I still missed my old friend. Ride safe...
I don't know how you feel about bike shows and rallies but here's some ideas. Myrtle beach bike fest is Mid May then shoot over to the dragon follow I-81 north detouring to the Blue ridge parkway (a beautiful ride). Proceed up to Phil. if your interested in the historical sites there but remember Phil is a rough city.
Myself I would get off the Blue Ridge and follow some routes over toward Harrisburg, PA. There pick back up on I-81 N. Follow it up to I-80 E to the Delaware Water Gap (a large national park 29 miles long w/ federal camping sites along the Delaware river.) and the Pocono Mts. at your back.
You can then proceed up through PA. Rt 209 cars and bikes only a beautiful National Park road. Then once out of the park 209 will take you clean up to Albany, NY. From there follow the signs up to Lake George for Americade.
Americade is a large bike rally that's historically started as a Gold Wing family rally. It starts the first week in June and goes on for a week.
Not to worry if you get there early, there's plenty to do there including some of the most beautiful riding through mountains anywhere. There are plenty of campsites if that's your thing or motels. This is a summer tourist destination in late June, but your there before the season starts and the pricing inflates. There are old colonial forts to explore, plenty of museums and historical sites from pre-revolutionary times.
Note the one major fault I see in your plan is your spending too much time and mileage on I-95. You'll find that to be nothing but high speed boring bumper to bumper congested riding, not to mention dangerous.
If you like danger (just kidding) a week later they move everything from Lake George to near by Laconia, NH for one of the oldest more hard core biker weeks ( do a Google).
There's more great riding through the New England Mts. including a ride up Mt Washington where they'll give you a sticker proclaiming "this vehicle climbed Mt Washington".
Now whats your pleasure? On to Maine for a lobster dinner or maybe a quick ride to Cape Cod? Most of it's within a 4 hour ride
How do I know these things? I'm 70 years old been riding since 63; been there done them.
One year is such a short time I can only pray that you and your friend make the ride and enjoy every day!
If you need any specifics on what I wrote send me a PM I'll be only to happy to help.
I agree with Bob Penn regarding the mountains of NH. I've ridden from Maine to Fl and across to the Rockies and have experienced some amazing rides: Tail of the Dragon, Blue Ridge Parkway, RMNP, a ghost town in NM, the Badlands of SD, etc. The one ride that always defines what enjoying nature on a motorcycle means to me is the week I spent camping and riding the White Mountains of NH. Franconia Notch, Kancamangus Hwy, Mt Washington and many other roads that I can't recall the names of. Perhaps Yellowstone, the Redwood Forests or other future rides will displace NH as my favorite ride, but for all the places that I've traversed on two wheels, my mind always returns to the White Mountains of NH.