• Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to register so that you can join the community and use the numerous features on the site. After registering, don't forget to post up an introduction!

East Texans Go West: The Great Arizona Redo

The scenes are beautiful. I lived many years in Arizona, stationed with the military, decades ago and wish NOW that I had "returned" to bikes as a method of exploring while I lived there. While I did do short hikes, I never even considered riding a DS motorcycle while I was there and much of that was due to job, TDY travel and all that career "stuff" that doesn't seem very important thirty years later. It will be one of those decisions I will always think about and will have to make up for while Im still relatively healthy.

There is just something about Arizona that is different from the other western states that I always find myself drawn to....

Gotdurt-you mentioned in one of the captions this might have been your last MC trip. I certainly hope it isnt.

Great photos!
 
Last edited:
There is just something about Arizona that is different from the other western states that I always find myself drawn to....
Agreed. Back in the late '90's I loaded my mountain bike on my van took a couple of weeks to make a loop through CO, UT, AZ and NM; I had never been west of TX, other than to a church camp in NM as a kid. There was something about AZ though that drew me back, so after a trip back with my (then new) wife, we decided to move there. Loved it, and seldom does a day go by where I don't think about it. I wish I hadn't left. I try to return at least once a year.

Gotdurt-you mentioned in one of the captions this might have been your last MC trip. I certainly hope it isnt.
Who knows. My bike and my gear are old and tired, and I just don't feel motivated to replace any of it. I have started the bike once since this trip... and have not ridden it at all. It sits, still covered in AZ filth, untouched. I also think the years of commuting may have drained me, and now that my commute to work is no further than down the hall from my bedroom, it sits. I've explored all that I care to explore in Texas, at least with the limitations of a DS bike. Funny, in Texas I feel limited by a MC, but in AZ I feel limited by an auto... guess it has to do with the size of the states and their land access situations; two very different places. I did enjoy my 4x4 (Isuzu Trooper) in AZ though, after I broke my wrist and couldn't ride for a while. I couldn't cover ground as fast, but it was much less of a hassle to stop for micro-exploration, or just to take it in, and I loved the convenience of carrying a cooler, camera gear, more comfortable clothes, etc... and not need a tent or motel. It was overkill for Texas backroads though.

The other factor is kids; my boys are finally getting to the age where I'd like to start taking them on these adventures, so I recently picked up the platform for another kind of DS:
p4736208-4.jpg


On top of all this, I have so many expensive and time consuming hobbies, and honestly, MC's have fallen lower on the list. It is also much easier to take my bicycle places, and frankly anytime I get the bug to get away, I ask myself, "would I rather take the DS or the MTB?" The MTB almost always wins. As far as trail riding alone is concerned, I've always enjoyed the MTB more, in fact this trip prompted me go to back again last month with the MTB.
p390559846-4.jpg
 
Last edited:
That's awesome. I was fortunate enough to see a good snow a while I lived there, it was pretty surreal. I have a pic somewhere of a white Four Peaks and the desert below. I remember every winter morning that we had a freeze and chance of precip, as soon as a I turned east on my way to work I'd eagerly look at the Superstitions to see if there was any white...
 
Wow, hard to imagine it has been a year now. Today I finally washed away the AZ dirt and took it for a spin around the 'hood... the first time I've ridden it since I parked it that last night at the Hotel in Mesa. Started right up without a fuss (first time starting since last fall). I guess that answers my question about selling it; anyone want a well used but loved DR650?

Maybe we can get Scott to finally post his photos when he gets back from Utah...
 
Well, I finally made it through all my photos from this trip. Casey has been guilting me hard since I did the Utah trip :lol2: I'll start posting them tonight. In the mean time, here are a FEW of the many pics I took...

IMG_9184.jpg


IMG_9196.jpg



IMG_9220.jpg


IMG_9287.jpg


IMG_9409.jpg


IMG_9426.jpg


IMG_9454.jpg


IMG_9507.jpg


IMG_9535.jpg


IMG_9591.jpg


IMG_9624.jpg


IMG_9665.jpg
 
Last edited:
Ha, it never looks as steep. The best part of that section, though, was at the end of the video where the big ledges are, before it bends to the right. Man, I wish I had the Gopro footage from that day :argh:
 
Last edited:
Great pics & vids. Looks like an awesome trip.
Tourmeister I need to visit with you about how your carrying all the gear you need for a trip like that. Still new to the DS world & wingin it best I can. Thanks for sharing a cool adventure :hail:
 
Dmux, there's more; in case you didn't catch it, his full report will be at the link he posted above.
 
Great ! I'll check it out..
Thanks to you also. What an amazing way to travel and see the country.
 
Nothing wrong with caging it sometimes, in fact I'll be there in August in a cage :)
 
I have to blame this thread, in part, for my recent move from Houston to North Phoenix. Now, who do I need to hook up with to get some of the routes from this marvelous trip? My dual sport is still in the bus, but I need to do some exploring. Badly.
 
And of course, my house is always open to any TWTEX'aners in the area. I have a guesthouse and 2.5 acres within city limits for anyone needing an RV spot or to drop trucks and trailers, and take it easy for a day or two.
 
You need to hook up with Casey's friend Drew. I don't have contact info for him. Casey "Gotdurt" does though.

There is also a Phoenix are DS organization. The lady where I left my truck and trailer is named Jo Smee. She lives in Gilbert and was an officer of the club when we were there. I do have an email for her, but I've not been in contact with here since a bit after the trip. I can PM that to you if you like.

I don't have actual GPS tracks for much, if any, of it. I do remember many parts though and might be able to recreate some of it. I'd have to look at the maps though as I wasn't paying a lot of attention to road numbers.
 
I have to blame this thread, in part, for my recent move from Houston to North Phoenix. Now, who do I need to hook up with to get some of the routes from this marvelous trip? My dual sport is still in the bus, but I need to do some exploring. Badly.

I've never been much of a GPS user, but I did put together some routes before the trip so that the guys would be able to navigate without me, just in case... but it seems like I remember there being a problem with them or something... I'll see if I can find what I did with them. They were still just a loose guide though; we deviated a bit. However, I made sure to include as many of the road and trail numbers as possible in the report, with turn-by-turn directions. If you sit down with some good maps, or even detailed GPS maps, and follow the numbers, it should all come together pretty well.

One thing I found before this trip that was really cool, is an app called "Avenza Maps", which used geo-enabled (gps) pdf maps; most of the Nat Forests in AZ have MVUM (motor vehicle use maps) pdfs available for download on their websites, and they are great, and you will know what is legal, and what is not. They are used offline on your phone, and are a great exploration tool; I'd print them out too, to carry just in case your phone dies. They update them annually with changes, closures, etc. I've always been a map geek, and geo-enabled pdf files are like the best blend of paper maps and GPS.

You need to hook up with Casey's friend Drew. I don't have contact info for him. Casey "Gotdurt" does though.

There is also a Phoenix are DS organization. The lady where I left my truck and trailer is named Jo Smee. She lives in Gilbert and was an officer of the club when we were there. I do have an email for her, but I've not been in contact with here since a bit after the trip. I can PM that to you if you like.

I don't have actual GPS tracks for much, if any, of it. I do remember many parts though and might be able to recreate some of it. I'd have to look at the maps though as I wasn't paying a lot of attention to road numbers.

Drew is more into MX and singletrack riding, although he'll be up for some shorter day rides like our first day. His bike doesn't have a headlight or anything though and he sold the super moto. He hasn't been riding much lately either (just saw him in Dec). My friend Dan Poole is the one to get in touch with, if you can, lol; he's been scarce lately, I'll see if I can get hold of him. He's good friends with Terry Zechman, aka "Nightstalker" on AdvRider... in fact Terry is another good one to reach out too, very friendly and knows a lot of good trails, and records track on most of them. Terry used to host rides pretty frequently, although I haven't been on AdvRider in a couple of years.
 
Last edited:
Man... I just rewatched the vids from the day we rode into Jerome and the day after when we did FR 413... It looks rough and steep in the vids and yet it still looks nothing like it did in person! Those two days of the trip were pretty incredible. And it has already been five years since we went. It was a great trip!
 
Man... I just rewatched the vids from the day we rode into Jerome and the day after when we did FR 413... It looks rough and steep in the vids and yet it still looks nothing like it did in person! Those two days of the trip were pretty incredible. And it has already been five years since we went. It was a great trip!
Haha, I got the threads confused when I got the notifications... see my comment on 5 years in the other thread... Yea, that descent into the Caynon was epic, especially for me since i had been dreaming for years about a theoretical connection from the rim to Jerome (or Sedona) without going around. It was so cool to find out it actually existed, and was such a butt-puckering adventure!
 
Last edited:
Thanks to all for the tips on people and maps in the area. I'll reach out later this month.

I really want to recreate this ride, or part of it at least, now that I'm living in North Phoenix, just a stone's throw from Prescott (1hr) Jerome (1.5 hrs), Sedona (2 hrs) and Flagstaff (2hrs). Problem is, I have no moto buddies in PHX yet.

If anyone wants to book a cheap Frontier or Spirit flight over a long weekend I have a couple extra plated wr426's, a ktm exc450, and a dr650 we can tear up the trails on. Just gotta make it happen before june heat hits in the mountains. With another couple guys I'm in.
 
Back
Top