Riding from NYC to SF (and back)

[rockaduc]

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.

[WetDuc]

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!

[NAKID]

That return trip looks really cool!

[EvilSteve]

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.

[RED]

WTG Dan! This is a great way to rub it in (   ) 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 and while you're at it you owe me a visit to see that see the scoot you ALMOST bought! 

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

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

[EvilSteve]

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.

[RED]

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!!  HA! 

[CDawg]

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

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

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~

[hankthe8th]

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  . 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

[EvilSteve]

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

[seevtsaab]

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

[EvilSteve]

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

[akmnstr]

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]

[EvilSteve]

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.

[Popeye the Sailor]

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

Earplug thread here: 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.