Winter Motorcycle Plans?

[Hardwrkr13]

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The other nice thing about off-road is the extended season. I can comfortably ride trails at 2c but I won’t ride street at that. Plus I’ll take crashing in the trails over crashing at the track anyday.
Solid day of fun in the Ganaraska today in the big bike. New rear tire rocks. Leaves are starting to fall in there.

 

[adri]

I recently discovered I could legally purchase and own a vehicle in the USA... so now I'm trying to justify buying the shittiest little Honda minimoto I can find down there, a cheap one way flight, and going on a half-retarded adventure across the continent.

If anyone wants to be the Dumb to my Dumber, I'm recruiting.

 

[Lightcycle]

The other nice thing about off-road is the extended season. I can comfortably ride trails at 2c but I won’t ride street at that. Plus I’ll take crashing in the trails over crashing at the track anyday.
Solid day of fun in the Ganaraska today in the big bike. New rear tire rocks. Leaves are starting to fall in there.

You and I need to ride next time I'm in town.

I love big bikes and I cannot lie.

 

[mimico_polak]

You and I need to ride next time I'm in town.

I love big bikes and I cannot lie.

I can’t keep track anymore. You’re here, you’re there, you’re everywhere.

 

[PrivatePilot]

so now I'm trying to justify buying the shittiest little Honda minimoto I can find down there, a cheap one way flight, and going on a half-retarded adventure across the continent.

Why not just take your existing bike? If you're going full potato on an adventure across the continent, might as well start it on your own bike, no?

I have been given some options at work to take some unpaid time off (it's slow) and while sitting for my lunch I punched up "Long Beach, California" and was looking at the miles, just throwing jello at the wall in my brain.

2 Iron Butts and a 1000km day on day 3 and I'm there, could do a bucket list thing that I've been wanting to do for a long time (a night on the Queen Mary), and then reverse home via another route. 4 IBA rides logged (I'll move up in my Mile Eater status) , and home easily inside 9 days even if I take a different route home. Can't say that isn't stuck in the back of my head now....I just don't know what the WAF (Wife Approval Factor) would be if that were to tumble out of my brain and came out of my mouth.

 

[Mad Mike]

I recently discovered I could legally purchase and own a vehicle in the USA... so now I'm trying to justify buying the shittiest little Honda minimoto I can find down there, a cheap one way flight, and going on a half-retarded adventure across the continent.

If anyone wants to be the Dumb to my Dumber, I'm recruiting.

Not sure about every state, you probably need a US licence to insure. It will differ by state, but I owned vehicles in CA, and TX. To plate and insure my car in FL, I have to get a FL licence.

Getting a licence is easy - but don’t do an licence exchange if you plan on returning to Ontario. learner and full test route.

 

[Hardwrkr13]

You and I need to ride next time I'm in town.

I love big bikes and I cannot lie.

I’m always up for an adventure!

 

[shanekingsley]

Why not just take your existing bike? If you're going full potato on an adventure across the continent, might as well start it on your own bike, no?

I have been given some options at work to take some unpaid time off (it's slow) and while sitting for my lunch I punched up "Long Beach, California" and was looking at the miles, just throwing jello at the wall in my brain.

2 Iron Butts and a 1000km day on day 3 and I'm there, could do a bucket list thing that I've been wanting to do for a long time (a night on the Queen Mary), and then reverse home via another route. 4 IBA rides logged (I'll move up in my Mile Eater status) , and home easily inside 9 days even if I take a different route home. Can't say that isn't stuck in the back of my head now....I just don't know what the WAF (Wife Approval Factor) would be if that were to tumble out of my brain and came out of my mouth.

That more than 9 days. Once you get there there’s some much nice coast to ride and interior roads to explore. For sure you can iron butt there and back, but think about setting aside some time to meander along the coast.

 

[shanekingsley]

You and I need to ride next time I'm in town.

I love big bikes and I cannot lie.

Having ridden with you both - I can sense the bromance forming.

 

[PrivatePilot]

That more than 9 days. Once you get there there’s some much nice coast to ride and interior roads to explore. For sure you can iron butt there and back, but think about setting aside some time to meander along the coast.

I don’t meander well. Ants in pants syndrome.

I’ll save the meandering for when I’m retired and can’t spend a month or three doing it in any particular area, maybe I’ll be better at slowing down at that point. Probably not lol.

 

[Mad Mike]

Why not just take your existing bike? If you're going full potato on an adventure across the continent, might as well start it on your own bike, no?

I have been given some options at work to take some unpaid time off (it's slow) and while sitting for my lunch I punched up "Long Beach, California" and was looking at the miles, just throwing jello at the wall in my brain.

2 Iron Butts and a 1000km day on day 3 and I'm there, could do a bucket list thing that I've been wanting to do for a long time (a night on the Queen Mary), and then reverse home via another route. 4 IBA rides logged (I'll move up in my Mile Eater status) , and home easily inside 9 days even if I take a different route home. Can't say that isn't stuck in the back of my head now....I just don't know what the WAF (Wife Approval Factor) would be if that were to tumble out of my brain and came out of my mouth.

I’ve made that road trip a dozen times. 42 hours road time from Toronto to LA is my average, my best is 36 on the road, 48 door to door.

Long beach is nothing special. Id set my west coast destination as San Fran or SantaBarbara, then do the seaside canyons as you head south.

Return on some of the blue highways along the old Route 66.

9 days are plenty if your going beeline between here and the pacific . 3 there, 3 on the coast, 3 back.

 

[Lightcycle]

I can’t keep track anymore. You’re here, you’re there, you’re everywhere.

 

[PrivatePilot]

I’ve made that road trip a dozen times. 42 hours road time from Toronto to LA is my average, my best is 36 on the road, 48 door to door.

Long beach is nothing special. Id set my west coast destination as San Fran or SantaBarbara, then do the seaside canyons as you head south.

Return on some of the blue highways along the old Route 66.

9 days are plenty if your going beeline between here and the pacific . 3 there, 3 on the coast, 3 back.

This sounds like a plan I could run with.

I've been to the west coast and know that there's a lot of nothing, with pockets of things worth seeing, for me at least. I know some people enjoy the whole Route 66 thing, but having seen a lot of photos from people who have done it end to end, to me it looks like a lot of unnecessary small towns with little of note worth seeing that they're riding "just because route 66", mixed in with a lot of kitch. I can do the kitch-run when I'm retired and can ride for a month or whatever on whatever trip catches our fancy.

I'd stop on the corner in Winslow Arizona, get a photo with the pickup truck, and maybe a few other notable places, some of the decent roads through the mountains in Colorado one way, the desert through AZ/NM on the way home, and that's cool for me.

Grand Canyon probably on one way or the other, but that's a reasonably quick stop and take some photos thing for me tops, I'm not going for any day long hikes or anything lol.

I'd make a list of other stuff. Otherwise, make miles. There's a lot of nothing worth seeing with nice high speed limits. Rock and roll.

I like the idea of starting at the top in California and working my way down. I know there are some good roads and sights there worth slowing down and experiencing, and things worth seeing. Long Beach itself isn't more so a destination I want to see from the perspective of the city, it's just the Queen Mary - like I said, bucket list thing to spend a day and night aboard, I'm a ship buff.

Then zoom home.

Hmmmmmmm......

 

[Lightcycle]

I miss the track but I'm happy I gave it up for getting back in the dirt.

I thought I wouldn't miss the track.

Then we did Phillip Island and now I've been on FB Marketplace every day since, swiping right on every red bike I see...

*le sigh*

 

[Hardwrkr13]

I thought I wouldn't miss the track.

Then we did Phillip Island and now I've been on FB Marketplace every day since, swiping right on every red bike I see...

*le sigh*

Not red but has style still. Buy it before I put it in the corner of my garage.

 

[Lightcycle]

Not red but has style still. Buy it before I put it in the corner of my garage.

Nice 749!

I'm pretty picky about my 999s though.

2005+ (post facelift) 999R Xerox Edition is the target.

GP Bikes had a 999R on sale last summer, $12K, tastefully modded, but not Xerox, so I reluctantly passed on it.

 

[Wingboy]

Nice 749!

I'm pretty picky about my 999s though.

2005+ (post facelift) 999R Xerox Edition is the target.

GP Bikes had a 999R on sale last summer, $12K, tastefully modded, but not Xerox, so I reluctantly passed on it.

Colin at Apex has a collection of odd bikes that don't get advertised.

 

[PrivatePilot]

Dammit, now this cannoball to the west coast and back in a week idea above is jammed firmly in my brain and won't go away.

 

[adri]

Why not just take your existing bike? If you're going full potato on an adventure across the continent, might as well start it on your own bike, no?

... This is the thread about WINTER plans, right? And the question is why don't I ride my bike through salt and freezing temperatures for days in the middle of winter, before I eventually get some place warm? Uh... Because masochism is not a fetish we share, my friend!

Yes, I could put the bike on the truck, drive the truck to a southern state, unload the bike, ride to the west coast, turn around, ride back to the truck, and then drive back up to Canada.... That would probably double the duration of my trip though.

Besides, I'll be honest, the minimoto aspect that I mentioned is the real draw for me. I've already ridden my BMW GS across Italy twice in the past 1.5 years. I know I can comfortably tour on that. The real appeal to me is going across the southern states on a tiny 125cc motorcycle.

Not sure about every state, you probably need a US licence to insure. It will differ by state, but I owned vehicles in CA, and TX. To plate and insure my car in FL, I have to get a FL licence.

Getting a licence is easy - but don’t do an licence exchange if you plan on returning to Ontario. learner and full test route.

Very good info. I'll have to look into this more, thanks Mike!

 

[Mad Mike]

... This is the thread about WINTER plans, right? And the question is why don't I ride my bike through salt and freezing temperatures for days in the middle of winter, before I eventually get some place warm? Uh... Because masochism is not a fetish we share, my friend!

Yes, I could put the bike on the truck, drive the truck to a southern state, unload the bike, ride to the west coast, turn around, ride back to the truck, and then drive back up to Canada.... That would probably double the duration of my trip though.

Besides, I'll be honest, the minimoto aspect that I mentioned is the real draw for me. I've already ridden my BMW GS across Italy twice in the past 1.5 years. I know I can comfortably tour on that. The real appeal to me is going across the southern states on a tiny 125cc motorcycle.



Very good info. I'll have to look into this more, thanks Mike!

Touring on a 125 through the US might be tough with a top speed of 60mph or less. Your going to loose top speed as payload increases.l, and Mountains will also be challenging. 3000’ on a 6% grade, youll have a top speed 35mph max. Cross at a high altitude pass, you might see 25mph top speed.

Ive done quite a few multi day tours on small displacement bikes (XV250,TW200, Ex250). IMHO, 200cc is doable, 125 on North American roads is not.

For a couple of summers I’d ride my TW200 between Markham and Sharbot Lake once a week (260km each way). No problem. I tried it once on my Suzuki SP125 (like a VanVan), ran WOT to hold 95kmh, not a fun ride.

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