Ducati Monster Forum

I'm going to be doing a road trip across the country in June. The route out is:

http://tinyurl.com/y9go8w7 (http://tinyurl.com/y9go8w7)

I got most of the route but google maps won't let me add any more points and live maps bombed out too. Anyone have a better way to draw up maps like this online?

I bought an '08 Sprint ST ABS for the trip which needs a new pipe because the D&D the previous owner had on there is just too loud.

I know, this thread is useless without pics, need to get some of the bike...  :-[

You already know, but we've got tools, workshops, lodging, twisties and beers at your turnaround point.   [moto]

Ye-ha... You'll have to figure a way to log it

Too much planning already. Pack bike. Head west until you hit the ocean (follow the sun if you don't own a compass). Stop on the Pacific Coast Highway and ask which way to SF? Go that way. Stop in and say hi.



Then, do the opposite to return.

Avoid the slabs.




And yes, that is how I rode from Mass to SF. No map here.

I assume there's a reason why you're planning on riding west through Chicago, because you really oughta follow the Appalachians south, then west across Tennessee and Arkansas, in my humble opinion.

Of course, you might get to San Fran and just decide to stay there. 

Have a great trip!

Looks like a great ride! Enjoy...

Thanks Warren. :)

Yeah, there is a reason we're doing it this way. My wife is driving the car with one of her sisters and one of her brothers. I'm riding. For the most part we'll stay together and we're doing various things along the way. It's planned out because we're doing stuff (like going Yosemite, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, Arches, Sequoias etc.) and seeing people we know (family & friends). I could have opted to go in the car by I don't really want to do that for 8000 miles. ;)

Once we get to SF we're heading north up the PCH to Oregon to visit family and then head east north east to Crater lake, Yellowstone, up around the great lakes, through Canadia and then back to NY.

We're probably going to get one of these to track: http://www.findmespot.com/en/ (http://www.findmespot.com/en/)

What a cool way to do a road trip with your wife and in-laws - it's a brilliant idea!  And if you can stick most of your luggage in the car, it'll be like having your own support team.

Glad to see that you will be putting on a few miles in Utah. It's a beautiful drive through and I'm sure it will be an even better ride. Enjoy!

that's a huge ride.  you should apologize to your ass in advance.   :o

ps. just do multiple mapquests. 

Bring liquor-it's hard to find in Utah  :P

If ya get up in Idaho lemme know, beer, food etc. Great roads too  ;D

damn if only i had a bmw touring bike that would be the kind of trip i would go on in a heartbeart.. your own support crew and all.. that is cool.

Dan,

Have you read the story/travel blog of Wan on Totally Ruckus?  Korean guy who rode all over US on a 50cc Ruckus...heart warming story.

That's the plan.  ;D

I'd actually prefer to do the road trip with my wife on the back but it's not going to happen. But I get to ride my new bike across the country with a support vehicle so it's all good.  [moto]

I haven't seen Totally Ruckus, I've been reading a bunch of ride reports but haven't seen that one.

Here's the return route (so far) open to suggestions that don't take too long or deviate too much. It's a limitation that I'm willing to accept.  [thumbsup]

http://tinyurl.com/yheehx2 (http://tinyurl.com/yheehx2)

Sounds like a really cool trip.  Good Luck.  BTW, 81 south from NY to PA just might kill you with boredom...there is nuttin there but 18 wheelers.

(http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2007/08/8-7-07-spot.jpg)
These are awesome.  I am buying one for my boat trips.
 
That's gona be a great trip and your body is going to tell you many things on the voyage!

That return trip looks really cool!

Yeah, I'm not expecting the ride out of NY to be any fun, the idea is to leave in the afternoon and then get to a cousin's place. It'll be getting dark and whatnot so I don't really feel the need to explore so much there. I can get to PA any time (although I don't enough).

Yeah, the SPOT things really do look cool.

WTG Dan! This is a great way to rub it in ( [evil]  [laugh] [laugh]) I know the fellow who makes those D&D's right here in Fort Worth, Texas. He'd love to give you some pointers on taming them here at the Eurosport Cycles MC shop on Hwy 121 and Riverside Dr., Fort Worth, Texas (google it up). He is friends with Tony, the Triumph/Ducati/Aprilia dealer who owns the shop. Let me make a suggestion. Modify the boring route you have planned out and head out south for better roads like going down the The Dragon then over towards Kentucky and through Arkansas. Talk about twisties! Map it at www.motorcycleroads.com (http://www.motorcycleroads.com) and while you're at it you owe me a visit to see that see the scoot you ALMOST bought!  [laugh] [laugh]

There's another couple on the THCM or the Houston board who made this same ride last summer. Check this link out:
http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=26965.330#lastPost (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=26965.330#lastPost)

I just wish I could come along on part of the tour.
RED

Hey Red, thanks for that. We were originally going to go down through the dragon and all that but honestly, we just don't have time. If you've had a chance to scan the roads we're hitting in Colorado, Utah, California and Oregon you might guess why. I can get to the Dragon relatively easily from NYC any time so I'm not all that worried about it. Plus the dragon itself is getting a little silly with the crazy low speed limits and traffic (I hear this from all over) so I'd need to be there at a particular time (v early) to really enjoy it and I don't think I have that luxury on this trip.

Seriously, if you could ask him about the D&D I'd really appreciate it. I rode to work today and the thing is just loud. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be putting it back to stock because I hate ear plugs and don't want to ride 8000 miles with that noise (not to mention annoying everyone around me).

You'd be welcome to come along for part of the tour mate. :)

One thing I've gotten from the H-D crowd is that loud is safe. I don't know the roads up there but here in the MetroMess people tend not to want to see you very well. But I have noticed on my bike too that if I come up on someone and they hear me it makes a difference. I do agree with you about doing 8000 miles on the bike. Muffs are not hard to take off and put back on. Hurry up damn it with the pics!!  [laugh] HA!  [thumbsup]

Here's a link.  It's not so much a which road to take, but more as a documentation of how kind and open people can be.  The thread is hundreds, it not thousands of posts but I found I could not stop once I started.

http://totalruckus.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=12143 (http://totalruckus.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=12143)

Here's an excerpt to tempt the DMFer

Hi guys~

my name is Wan

I'm from Seoul, South Korea

I want to cross the U.S with Ruckus

For this trip, I worked at the restaurant in Seoul for 1year to make money.

Finally I got the Ruckus today!

and all other things are prepared (camping stuff)

I will start on Next Monday

I'm Fayetteville, N.C now

my plan is

Fayetteville, NC -> Charleston SC -> Savannah GA ->

Jacksonville, FL -> Orlando, FL -> Miami, FL -> Tempa, FL ->

Tallahassee, FL -> New orleans, LA -> Houston, TX -> Austin, TX ->

El paso, Tx, -> Phoenix, AZ , -> Las veas, NV, -> Los angeles, Ca

It will take 3months or more

I know the US is huge and Ruckus is small

I need you guys' supports

I don't have any friend in the U.S yet

Please cheer to me

Thank you~

Might as well throw in my two cents: When you are leaving Yosemite on HWY 120, try and take a little side trip to my favorite little piece of local road, HWY 49. Have your family hang out at the fish hatchery at the intersection of 120 & 49, and then you can go do a quick 50 mile out and back on the Little Dragon  [thumbsup]. If they don't like feeding trout, Iron Door Saloon in Groveland on 120 is a nice place to get a bite to eat.

Map:
http://tinyurl.com/y9l4pdo (http://tinyurl.com/y9l4pdo)

Thanks for the suggestion hank. I'll see how that fits in with our plans. ;)

8000 miles without earplugs .... I'd reconsider

I've never worn earplugs, but I am reconsidering. Doesn't change the fact that the D&D is too bloody loud.

Peter Egan (my fav moto writer) wrote an article on planning trips in a recent Cycle World.  It is worth checking out.  He advised avoiding any large patch of yellow on a highway map.  Those yellow patches are the major cities.  I see that you have a few on your route, like Chicago.  But I see some great riding that you have planned for the left half of the map.  Have a great trip [moto] [moto]

Thanks for that. We have family from Australia travelling with us so we're going to the big yellow patches for urban touristy stuff. I think we avoid big cities for the most part but in some cases, we're going there as a destination.

Earplug thread here: http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=25518.0 (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=25518.0)


I can't recommend them enough. The custom ones are quite comfy.


Seriously-going deaf make the beast with two backsing sucks.

What?


Huh?

Looks like a great trip.  My suggestions are a Camelback, some electrolyte tabs to add to the Camelback bladder, and an iPod.  If you don't want to wear earplugs, these are excellent earphones that work very well in a helmet:

http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er6i.aspx (http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er6i.aspx)

Camelback is already on the list. I actually already own those headphones. :)

I'm planning on getting a bluetooth setup so I'm not sure headphones will work depending on what I get.

Forget about the "Dragon" Let me suggest a slight change in your route that is better than the Dragon. Less Cars. (30 miles of it... hardly any cars at all) 55 speed limit, unlikely to see a CHP, and its pretty much on your route. Oh, and you can ride though a tree at the end.

http://tinyurl.com/yjvfqyk (http://tinyurl.com/yjvfqyk)

That's a good suggestion.  

(http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8C15Mi_ppXE/Smv5H0xFLkI/AAAAAAAAADE/L5SPzc2YNs4/s1280/P1010453.JPG)

And eat any fried abalone sandwiches you happen across.  Not sure if it's on your route already, but consider taking 199 from Crescent City to Grants Pass, OR.  That's an amazing road. 

And a good time of the year to stop and swim In the Smith River.

A fried abalone Sandwich....I think I might whoop one up.

Thanks again guys, we're getting to a point where we're pretty happy with out routes but I'll see how this stuff fits in. I'll post up revised versions shortly.

So, if I find a fried abalone sandwich on the side of the road, you're suggesting I eat it?

The number of awesome roads is really amazing me, when you actually start looking seriously at the roads that are out there.

Nice Dan,

Sounds like an awesome time!

Good luck have fun and keep us updated.

 [thumbsup] [beer]

Abalone is the bacon of the sea. 

So that's a definite yes. [thumbsup]

Thanks Terry. :)

If you come by I'll make you one.

1st  [drink] on me when you get here!

Thanks guys, I'm not sure where "here" is but it sounds way more enticing now. ;)  [thumbsup]

SF  :P

heh

Looks like we'll be in SF on the 15th and 16th of June.

Mendo county.

27,000 N. Hwy 1

One of my all-time favorite sites to check out the scenery in Cali:

http://www.californiacoastline.org/ (http://www.californiacoastline.org/)

Excellent photography!

I understand the first part but....



why head back?  :P

[laugh] [laugh]

I have these things called "friends" which I would miss, from time to time. I'd make more of course but all the duct tape and newspaper is expensive...

It will be very nice to have a support vehicle to lug your stuff in. I would tell you to go a different route and do the BRP/Dragon, but you seem to have all that covered. The roads in Colorado are absolutely amazing, make sure you do the million dollar highway.

You should be able to find some helpful hints on what not to do on our excellent adventure thread.  ;)

Linky? Please? :)

http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=26965.0 (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=26965.0)

Cool, thanks. [thumbsup]

Keep in mind, Steve, that deluges follow Matador wherever he goes. YMMV

I'll know to avoid the dark clouds that seem to hang over nice riding roads then. ;)

+1 on the million dollar highway [thumbsup].  The most awesome road I've ridden.  When I did it there were too many RVs, so pick your time carefully.  Not really the place to rip it up.  Low side in a turn and go over a 500 ' cliff. 

So if you can't resist this sort of thing, put a camera in the chase cars windshield. Might as well live on as a horrible warning  ;D

Something we can all aspire to, thanks MrIncredible...

It took a while but here are some pics.
(http://photos.toshcroft.com/Bikes/2010-02-11-08-Triumph-Sprint/P1040041/786274979_DMbYL-L.jpg)
(http://photos.toshcroft.com/Bikes/2010-02-11-08-Triumph-Sprint/P1040043/786274513_6HMoD-L.jpg)
(http://photos.toshcroft.com/Bikes/2010-02-11-08-Triumph-Sprint/P1040046/786273991_LiQt2-L.jpg)

very nice, how comfortable is it? That has the same engine as the speed triple right? If so it will be a very fun trip  [evil].

Yeah, same motor, I believe it's tuned a little differently. It'd be a fun trip on a Vino... ;)

I use Microsoft Streets and Trips when mapping out rides.  It's a pretty good program once you get the hang of it.  Doesn't seem to have any limit on waypoints that I have ever found.  Check it out-->http://www.microsoft.com/Streets/en-us/default.aspx (http://www.microsoft.com/Streets/en-us/default.aspx)