Fly-n-Ride, Tour de ‘Merica!

[Texas T]

SilverBullet is absolutely correct about all the great riding available in California.

Here's one...

ANYTHING in this area...

Anything within this block from I-5 / I-580 on the east over the mountains into the San Jose valley, but especially the highlighted route. Note the distance and the estimated time. There are TONS of small roads north of the highlighted route that take you into the mountains, but you'd need to spend some time on Google Maps to see what goes all the way to the Bay area and what is a dead end. The highlighted one is the only one I've taken all the way from east to west. I've flown over that area and there are lots of small ranches so traffic is minimal.

American flys non-stop out of Modesto to DFW so that would be a good small town to leave from. It's also the airport where I learned to fly so there's that too.

 

[Dahveed]

If you ride southern AZ again and take 85 south from Gila Bend you will bisect the Barry Goldwater range. If luck is with you, you'll see the Warthogs practicing on the range. They strafe east to west, u-turn back to the east and then they will u-turn again right over the top of 85. They will come over you so low you'll feel like you could throw a rock and hit them. Very fun to watch. There's no shoulder on the road in that section but with your bike you can just pull off the road and watch.

I rode 85. No Warthogs on that day though...

 

[Dahveed]

Here's one...
View attachment 253616




American flys non-stop out of Modesto to DFW so that would be a good small town to leave from. It's also the airport where I learned to fly so there's that too.

I stayed Wednesday night in Palm Desert and started my Thursday morning with that exact route. It was GREAT! I was tempted to wrap around and ride 74 back into Mountain Center and then head north again. But I was concerned that the storage situation wasn't going to be good and would require time to find another storage unit.

I really enjoyed California. I was concerned that I might not. The roads were nice, the people were nice. I don't care for the government and politics in much of CA, but that never came into play on my visit. Arizona was GREAT too, but I never had any doubts about that. Both states were clean. In Texas we seem to have almost a 3rd world mentality about trash on the sides of roads. In AZ, I saw crews cleaning up those roads. Which is how they stay clean. Maybe that's why the gas prices are higher? To pay for this?

The worse thing about CA was the vapor recovery things on their fuel hoses. And that's a really minor thing.

I can't stress enough the importance of staying away from the big cities. At least for me they only provide stress, but that's an individual thing. Others might be bored with some of the roads I rode and enjoy the buzz of the city. After the last day's report, I'll also write about the things I got right and what I failed on.

I'm going to check out Modesto. The good thing about being based in DFW area is many places are a straight shot to/from here.

 

[dcwilcox]

Hey Dahveed,
Glad you've got the first leg in the books and that it ticked most of the boxes you were/are trying to accomplish!

As we discussed, route planning is a great way to stay connected to your 'ride' when you are back at home and like posted by some of these guys already . . . the locals are almost always willing to share the best roads/routes in their area!

You'll learn tricks and such that what work for you (or don't) and you can tweak those as you go along. I think I've made 11 trips now and I still figure out things every time!

I can't even offer anything with regards to 'winterizing' your bike, but I think I would disconnect the battery and fill the tank (including stabil or alternative fuel stabilizer). Theoretically, a mostly empty tank encourages condensation which Ethanol gas does play nice with. Of course the storage facility and bike recommendations play a big role in how you handle theses. I've had gas spoil and a dead battery . . . and both are a PIA that I try to avoid.

Holler anytime if you have questions or wonder how I've handled a situation.

Dane

 

[Dahveed]

Hey Dahveed,
Glad you've got the first leg in the books and that it ticked most of the boxes you were/are trying to accomplish!

As we discussed, route planning is a great way to stay connected to your 'ride' when you are back at home and like posted by some of these guys already . . . the locals are almost always willing to share the best roads/routes in their area!

You'll learn tricks and such that what work for you (or don't) and you can tweak those as you go along. I think I've made 11 trips now and I still figure out things every time!

I can't even offer anything with regards to 'winterizing' your bike, but I think I would disconnect the battery and fill the tank (including stabil or alternative fuel stabilizer). Theoretically, a mostly empty tank encourages condensation which Ethanol gas does play nice with. Of course the storage facility and bike recommendations play a big role in how you handle theses. I've had gas spoil and a dead battery . . . and both are a PIA that I try to avoid.

Holler anytime if you have questions or wonder how I've handled a situation.

Dane

Thanks for providing the help and inspiration for doing this trip!

 

[Texas T]

I stayed Wednesday night in Palm Desert and started my Thursday morning with that exact route. It was GREAT!

When the wife isn't with me that's the route we take from Phoenix to Hollywood when we ride to Pink's Hot Dogs every November. We have to watch the weather because we've had snow on the side of the road sometimes at the higher elevations.

In AZ, I saw crews cleaning up those roads. Which is how they stay clean. Maybe that's why the gas prices are higher? To pay for this?

The exception will be when you are riding on the Reservations. Many of them are really trashed.
No, the gas prices are higher in the Phoenix area because we get our gas from the California pipeline whereas much of the rest of the state gets theirs from the Texas pipeline.

Try to make a point of going to Newcomb's Ranch on the Angeles Crest. I've only ridden TO the restaurant as part of a rally, but I'm told that the road beyond that is even better. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-may-19-me-crest19-story.html

398 Motorcycle Roads California United States

Overview Map of Great Motorcycle Roads California, United States for Motorcycle Touring and Motorcycle Travel

www.bestbikingroads.com

Are you familiar with Pashnit? There's no better source of good California motorcycle riding roads that I'm aware of. https://www.pashnit.com/

I'm also a big fan of the Butler Maps series. https://butlermaps.com/?v=7516fd43adaa

Have fun researching all that and then trying to whittle it down to just the few you'll have time for.

 

[Dahveed]

When the wife isn't with me that's the route we take from Phoenix to Hollywood when we ride to Pink's Hot Dogs every November. We have to watch the weather because we've had snow on the side of the road sometimes at the higher elevations.

There were a couple of shady turns north of Idyllwild that had some snow on the side of the road. The road was clear though.

Try to make a point of going to Newcomb's Ranch on the Angeles Crest. I've only ridden TO the restaurant as part of a rally, but I'm told that the road beyond that is even better. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-may-19-me-crest19-story.html

398 Motorcycle Roads California United States

Overview Map of Great Motorcycle Roads California, United States for Motorcycle Touring and Motorcycle Travel

www.bestbikingroads.com

Are you familiar with Pashnit? There's no better source of good California motorcycle riding roads that I'm aware of. https://www.pashnit.com/

I'm also a big fan of the Butler Maps series. https://butlermaps.com/?v=7516fd43adaa

Have fun researching all that and then trying to whittle it down to just the few you'll have time for.

One of this year’s Black Friday sales at Butler’s was 6 maps for $60. I purchased many of them and they were the bulk of my planning tools for this trip. There are SO many good roads. But also so many things I’d like to see. This trip is about 2/3s riding great roads and 1/3 seeing things I haven’t seen yet (Death Valley, Joshua Tree and Tombstone mainly).

The weather is dictating much of my route plans.


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[SilverBullet]

Staying out of the big cities is key. I flew out of San Diego and was glad to avoid the mess of LA. I’m looking for the next city to leave from. Something with affordable flights but not too big. Any suggestions?

Really will depend on your route but one tip is dont overlook smaller cities in other states very close to the border. Yuma, Reno, Medford, Oregon and even Las Vegas isnt bad coming directly from out of town. If you do unavoidably have to fly out of LA try Long Beach, Orange County or Ontario instead of LAX.

If the vapor recovery pumps really bother you enough I have a handy gadget you can borrow. It's essentially a portable 2" riser for your fuel filler neck allowing easy gas tank top offs. I seldom carry it except for the longest intra CA rides.

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[Dahveed]

Week 1, Day 7 - Jan 30, 2020 - Palm Desert to San Diego

This area of California is beautiful. In January anyway. I suspect its smoking hot in the summer. And a dry heat is still hot. I’ve spent the better part of the last week riding through the desert. I don’t think I had seen more than 3 trees together since Prescott, AZ, so the lush lawns of the Palm Springs/Indio/Coachella valley were a slight for sore eyes.

And my hotel was less than a mile from 74, a very twisty road into the hills SW of the valley. After the free buffet at the hotel (no waffles! Probably as a protest to NOT having a California shaped waffle iron) I loaded up and left looking for gas. One thing I noticed about CA is the gas prices can fluctuate significantly in a 4 block area. I mean like a $1.00 a gallon. So I used GasBuddy and headed off to the station. Once gassed, I hit the road.

74 (aka the Pines to Palms hwy) is a great road. The few cars I caught moved over and let me pass when the road allowed. I didn’t get any photos until later because I didn’t want to stop and then get behind these nice people again. So I powered on and enjoyed the twists and the views.

It straightens out a bit and when you get to Mountain Center, turn right on 243. Then it gets real! Curve after curve after curve. I saw snow in a few shady areas on the side of the road, but the road itself was dry. I stopped at the Indian Vista Scenic Overlook. Mainly I was hoping they had a restroom (nope [emoji3525]) and I had caught a car that wasn’t moving over for me.

I continued into Banning and headed west on I-10 for 3-4 miles and then headed south on 79. While there were more twisty roads in the area, I wanted to get to the storage facility with plenty of time to find a backup spot if I couldn’t get the motorcycle into the building. So I hit the button on the GPS and it took me the quick way to the storage unit complex by the airport. I wanted an outside unit, but all the had was inside units and none were a straight shot into the unit. I did manage to squeeze it in, but I had to struggle the bike around 3 90º turns inside the building. They did have a 10’x30’ outside unit for $650 a month. I’m paying $80 a month, so it was well worth my effort to get it in there.

I changed and packed my stuff and locked the door and call an Uber for the airport. I was at the airport 4 hours ahead of my flight, but I didn’t know what else to do while hauling around my luggage.


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[Dahveed]

Here is the entire route of week 1 on a map:

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[misterk]

Very nice!

 

[mlinkibikr]

Staying out of the big cities is key. I flew out of San Diego and was glad to avoid the mess of LA. I’m looking for the next city to leave from. Something with affordable flights but not too big. Any suggestions?

I think Southwest flies to Reno. That would keep you on the west coast and 20 minutes from the mountains. So a trip from San Diego to Reno could run up the mountains catching Kings Canyon, Sequoia Nat'l, and Yosemite Nat'l parks. Cross west to East over the pass from Yosemite (120), then run north on 395 to 108, head west over Sonora Pass to 49, north to 4 and back east over Ebbetts and Monitor passes, etc etc etc. I'm going down memory lane a bit ... love it up there.
Dave

 

[Dahveed]

I think Southwest flies to Reno. That would keep you on the west coast and 20 minutes from the mountains. So a trip from San Diego to Reno could run up the mountains catching Kings Canyon, Sequoia Nat'l, and Yosemite Nat'l parks. Cross west to East over the pass from Yosemite (120), then run north on 395 to 108, head west over Sonora Pass to 49, north to 4 and back east over Ebbetts and Monitor passes, etc etc etc. I'm going down memory lane a bit ... love it up there.
Dave

Reno is an good option depending on when I get back there. If I get back in March the mountains might be too snowy.


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[Boulder Ed]

I kept a bike in CA and flew in every few months during my long Colorado and Montana winters to ride. Always had my mom's place and friends garages to keep my rides in. Great option while you can afford it. I'll be making a May run out I imagine to visit my aging mom, but will have to (sigh) ride all of those 1900 miles out. Maybe I'll jump around and cover 666/191 in AZ, and highway 50 from Carson City to Utah for the heck of it. A couple rides that did time in CA....

 

[Dahveed]

I kept a bike in CA and flew in every few months during my long Colorado and Montana winters to ride. Always had my mom's place and friends garages to keep my rides in. Great option while you can afford it. I'll be making a May run out I imagine to visit my aging mom, but will have to (sigh) ride all of those 1900 miles out. Maybe I'll jump around and cover 666/191 in AZ, and highway 50 from Carson City to Utah for the heck of it. A couple rides that did time in CA....

Yeah, if you have family and friends out there, keeping a bike out there in their garage is a great deal. You should visit your mom before it gets too hot in the SW to ride that direction.

 

[Tim Scholz]

I see what this is. A way to have more bikes with less garage space

This may be an idea for you.

 

[Dahveed]

This may be an idea for you.

I'll be looking for that Jarrett thread soon...

Well, day 2 of being without a fast bike and I caved.

 

[TXDaveski]

Well, day 2 of being without a fast bike and I caved.

I wonder if that was the real reason all along?!?!
Nice new ride!

 

[Jarrett]

I knew it!

 

[Dahveed]

I knew it!

I’m going to store a motorcycle in every town.

 

[StromXTc]

I’m going to store a motorcycle in every town.

You're becoming a bad influence on Jarrett

 

[c_m_shooter]

I'll be looking for that Jarrett thread soon...

Well, day 2 of being without a fast bike and I caved.

View attachment 253787

Make sure you pull up on those bags to check that they are mounted securly, especially if you are putting them on the bike before leaving for work @04:00. I lost one twice, but only found it once.

 

[Dahveed]

Make sure you pull up on those bags to check that they are mounted securly, especially if you are putting them on the bike before leaving for work @04:00. I lost one twice, but only found it once.

Good advice. I took the bags off to "fix" the ugly assemblage that Yamaha seems to stick on the rear of nearly every bike they make. I'll check them when I reattach the bags.

Ugly assembly

Cleaner look of the new rear. And they’re brighter than the stock too!

 

[Crew Chief]

I had the sausage plate and it was good!

Aaron would be proud of that one.

That’s an apple fritter, a creme brûlée donut and a Nutella donut. Too much food, but they were good

After that, you might have a lot of salads in your future. Looked good though.

One of this year’s Black Friday sales at Butler’s was 6 maps for $60.

Wish I'd seen that one.

Glad tyou had a good time. I hope to hear more about it.

 

[Dahveed]

Aaron would be proud of that one.

After that, you might have a lot of salads in your future. Looked good though.

Someone else asked about what I ate on this trip. It wasn’t a culinary great trip for the most part. Since I was eating by myself, I tended just to grab what was close by and affordable. These were the highlights in the mornings. Lunches were snacks, dinner was what was handy. Best dinner in this trip was likely the burger I had in Tombstone.

Dinners were TexMex in Alpine, burger in Tombstone (The Crystal Palace Saloon - I went to Big Nose Kate's after and it was more popular), roller burritos from QT in Buckeye (long day), White Castle in Las Vegas, Del Taco in Barstow (another long day), and Whole Foods salad bar in Palm Desert. I could’ve upped my game in Las Vegas, but I had never eaten at a White Castle before. Won’t have to do that again. [emoji2957]

I’m in the planning stages for the next leg, I’ll probably try and pay more attention to my dining options. Since I didn't plan this out too much (to make allowances for weather) I didn't consider dining at all.

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