Summer Riding Plans

Since Dec. 2017 I have ridden to 17 states---probably go on to do 49 states this year and for sure James Bay Road again...when the snow goes away.

This year may do more light camping---probably cuts cost in half over motels....if you can find suitable camp grounds.   Much as I don't like it McDonalds eating works for me.

No gas or running out of gas for me in US or Canada---except James Bay Road, and for that will carry a one gallon gas can----my CB300F has 3 and a half US Gallon Tank, 65-70mpg fuel use.....maybe could by riding slow make the gas stop on the way to Radisson.....but chance not worth it to me....I hate walking.

Regardless of what I am riding, in strange country I try to stop for gas, or start looking at 100 miles, territory I know 150 miles.   Worked for me for many years--Once with Helix ran out in NM almost in sight of gas station---my cooking stove gas got me there!  In Japan, Kawasaki 90, top of hill in Hokkaido, ran out, coasted to gas station.  No memories of walking since 1955.

Maybe next week will do a 2 day trip on a part of the Natchez Trace---nice slow pace---before rode it end to end.

John,
Good luck with your riding plans ... but I do realize your plan is just a destination... you really don't make rigid plans, if i remember correctly.

But with all the distance riding you do, have you ever looked into fitting a larger gas tank to the Silverwing? Maybe replace the under seat space with a tank?

Mike

Bigger tank for SilverWing=NO, not necessary, I think James Bay Road just about only place in N America extra gas is necessary for SilverWing or my CB300F. Years ago, Germany, Heinrich tanks were popular on BMW's, up to 40 liters----only place really useful was in Italy when you wanted gas and statons closed for noontime nap and the big tank allowed you to go on until stations opened. I have never been one to run bike until tank is near dry. Delays can cost money or walking.

I tend to get off bike everyhour or 50 miles----get older or it gets colder to pee.

If you really want to lay down big daily miles, take a car.

I have no real plans on riding this summer. Just getting out on the trike as much as possible. I do have one trip planned on heading to northern MN to visit friends and relatives and bum around for two or three days. The only pet I have is a cat and he can be left for 2 or 3 days as long as I put down enough food and water and make sure his box is clean.

I'm hoping to get some more portable camping gear and do a little bit of touring this summer with the wife. Out current camping gear is a little big for the Swing. It'll fit, but it then limits what else we can take. We've been meaning to go touring for years but have never yet made it!

We've now got a years free pass to most of the various heritage sites in Wales, so might make a bit of a castle tour etc.

I've got no summer riding plans so far, and with the ever increasing prices of North Sea ferry crossings I could fly to numerous European cities and spend a long weekend in a quality hotel for about the same money that I'd pay for a return crossing for myself and the scooter.

Having said that I'm going on yet another trip to Germany's Harz Mountains later this month. I'll be using a town called Bad Lauterberg as a base, I've been going there since the Nineties and usually stayed at a biker's pension. That's been sold since I was there four years ago, so I've booked into a nearby hotel where I've always fancied staying.

As I'm familiar with the area I've no firm plans, I'll do the 'shamrocking' thing, go out and do a daily loop of the surrounding areas. The old East German border was only few miles away from Bad Lauterberg and I've always been fascinated by that part of Germany ever since I toured there on a MZ back in the Eighties.

Things have changed a lot over the years but there's still reminders of the past over in Thuringia, the pace is slower, and the population are generally older because young people go West to find work.

I'll probabably ride the Kyffhäuser road again, have lunch in Bad  Frankenhausen again, look out for old MZ's and Trabants again. Or I might not and do something completely different.

Then I'm spending three nights in Aachen, a city very near the borders of Belgium and Holland. It's another place I'm very familiar with, and like Bad Lauterberg it's somewhere I first visited on a Helix when I first started riding maxi scooters.

I'm happy just mooching round there, I'll do some shopping, eat currywurst, and search out my favourite kebab shop, maybe go to the famous Carolus Thermen spa and get my butt crack waxed. I like Aachen, I'm checking into a new hotel there too, my regular hotel which I used to like has had a couple of ownership changes over the years and standards have declined.

Then before I set off to Zeebrugge for the my return ferry, I might make a detour to the FC Moto store nearby Würselen. I've bought my Klim Overland suit and some other gear there on previous visits.

There's a new belt going on the Silver Wing next week, and no doubt I'll be needing to loosen my belt a notch or two before I get home.

Good luck sir, if our weather doesn't improve the following may occur again.

MONTHS THAT SHOULD BE SUMMER’S PRIME

SLEET AND SNOW AND FROST AND RIME

AIR SO COLD YOU SEE YOUR BREATH

EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND FROZE TO DEATH

As soon as the weather gets nice I will be heading to the Dragon Tail and other mountain riding.

As of now:
June or July=
East Tennessee to the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. I've ridden
all of the Blue Ridge Pkwy in No. Carolina and the Skyline Dr. in
Virginia just not the Parkway in Va. from Hillsville Va to Waynesboro
Virginia. Then to No. Va. to family- there to Eastern N.C. & Kitty Hawk
-to Columbia S.C.(friends) -Atlanta area family again. Up to Rome Ga.
Chattanooga area to Middle T. & back to East Tn.
I haven't figured miles but I figure about Two weeks will wear out the
OLD rear end... That's the plan now BUT I could go west to Pa.,West Va,
Ohio & Ky.====all depends on the medical outcome.
NICE to have a dream plan in place
JOE

09 Aprilla 200
09 yamaha 400 majesty
06 600 Silverwing x2 (1 abs & 1 std.)

Have had my National Parks Senior Pass for a few years and am itching to use it this year. You send for it ($20), but it gets you some free and cheaper entries to National parks. Example, the last time I rode on Skyline Drive, it cost me $10. With Senior Pass, it's free. Also Nat. Park campgrounds are about half price with the pass. Hope to ride Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge, maybe to Dragon Tail, Natchez, Pensacola. Now that I put it in writing, I may have to do it.

Bikerhiker thanks for the info. I have my senior pass and will use it. Thinks

Next month or two, hope to make it up to Arkansas. Ride Hwy 7 all the way up then swing over and come down on the pig tail. From there i will just travel on a whim.

Plans this summer: maybe ride my SW to work (3-4 miles) a few times, when I'm not using my bicycle to commute. WooHoo!

No big motorcycle trip as this is the summer for the college tours across a good bit of the nation for my daughter (and our exchange daughter from Brazil).

bikehiker wrote:

Have had my National Parks Senior Pass for a few years and am itching to use it this year.  You send for it ($20), but it gets you some free and cheaper entries to National parks.  Example, the last time I rode on Skyline Drive, it cost me $10.  With Senior Pass, it's free.  Also Nat. Park campgrounds are about half price with the pass.  Hope to ride Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge, maybe to Dragon Tail, Natchez, Pensacola.  Now that I put it in writing, I may have to do it.  

Bikehiker:
I've ridden the DRAGON and was'nt overly impressed with all the
twisties. The Cherola skyway is also a great ride. BUT due the some
medical issue that may be postponed. I also used the senior pass on
the Skyline drive. Very good thing to have-I heard the price was raised
last year. When I got mine it was $10.00. East Tn has a lot of roads to
enjoy. 30 miles from my home are State roads #33-66-70  are very
good. US 421 from Boone,NC to Bristol TN is also a ride to remember.
Coming Down I 81 drop over to Waynesboro Va and ride the BRParkay
south to Boone NC
ENJOY any Trip.

I don't do "Summer riding" I ride all year around just less miles in bad weather. Routes I take don't change much maybe some of my further routes I forgo in winter. I do think people are very adventurous when they go on these long summer rides and good luck to them. When I go on holiday I like a complete change, no riding, no driving. Just sit on a sunbed or visit places by bus whilst someone else cooks my food and makes my bed, works for me.

Bob and I are planning to ride out to Philly in early July for a family wedding. The weekend after the wedding we are planning on riding to Des Moines, IA for the BMW International Rally. Then in September we are planning on riding to the Maxi-Scoot Rally in Guntersville, AL. In between weekend trips up into WI and other neighboring states. If and when spring ever shows up here.

So many good roads so little time off. I have no plans just wing it in Sept. after summer cools a little.
5-6 days is a nice ride 8-1000 miles and see the sights. I ride on weekends all summer done some 300 mile days before.

I titled this wrong---Should be "Year's Riding Plan" I ride year around, regardless of where I am living. Just completed Mid-Winter trip from TN to CA and back--Honda CB300F. Secret is proper riding clothes, waterproof boots. I still have, after 62-63 years of doing this, have not completely solved the cold hands bit. Think heated grips, proper windshield would be nice, Handle bar muff kinda scare me...never had much luck with them.


Comment: on time off. One of the reasons I stayed in Air Force=30 days paid leave. They sent me lots of interesting places with nice riding. Germany was a lttile wet but you learn to live with it.

Think everybody should//could ride all year---I grew up in Northern WI, so know cold. Hate road salt.

There is more to life than endlessly and aimlessly clocking up miles on a motorcycle or scooter.

An example, yesterday Mrs M and myself went on the train from York to London and had Afternoon Tea at Fortnum & Mason in Piccadilly.  It was really enjoyable, impeccable service in a lovely dining room, champagne, beautifully presented and delicious sandwiches, scones, and cakes, and a pot of one of Fortnum & Masons famous teas.

We've had afternoon tea in quite a few famous places in the last few years and this was possibly the best... so far.

It was nice also to wander round the store and their famous Food Hall and buy a few items. Afterwards we walked through cold and drizzly ever changing London streets, up to and past St Pauls Cathedral to meet up with my step daughter as she finished work. She kindly showed us round the very modern and luxurious offices of the City lawfirm she helps manage, a very impressive and progressive place it was too.

Then we walked to a bar serving mainly Bavarian beers on draft, and serving a selection of very good German food. Had a nice time there, then said our goodbyes before setting off to get our train back to York.  

I'll remember that day a lot more fondly than if I'd gone out riding yesterday around the rural roads of North Yorkshire on an equally cold and drizzly day. I'd have had nothing more to show for it than a Silver Wing coated with dirt and road crap.

Remember in US, in most places we do not have trains that work for one thing. Having lived in both Tokyo and Seoul and Chicago....the last thing I want to do is wander around some city.

Riding is fun for me, nice to go places....you learn something. Also keeps you young.

John +1, near zero trains around our area for any human travel, the trains we have for that are excursion trips and not very far, mostly out and back. I'd like to do the Canada train trip through the Rockies but that would be a trip in itself just getting to it. We were brought up on auto travel vs train, that and air travel.

It's your loss then, York is important stop on the East Coast Line to London, York Railway Station goes back to Victorian times and the early days of rail travel. They used to built trains and carriages at the railway engineering works here, and the National Railway Museum is here in York too.

A very nice nostalgic Afternoon Tea harking back to the Golden Age of rail travel is to be had in the fully restored Countess of York pullman carriage on one of the platforms of the museum too.

We've got a few old steam trains taking tourists on various short routes here in North Yorkshire, including from Pickering Railway Station which attracts Harry Potter fans from all over the world as it's featured in all the films as the station The Hogwart's Express leaves from that magical platform?

Mrs M and myself have gone by train from Boston to Providence RI, and stayed at the La Pousada Hotel that was once used by rail travellers to Winslow, Arizona. We take train trips when on holiday in Germany, Italy, Austria, Sweden, and France. We've also used trains to get from various European airports to nearby cities.  

I find big modern Eurpean railway stations interesting places to visit too, there's all sorts of shops and eating places in them. Grand Central Station in New York is well worth a visit too.

As I said, it's not all about clocking up maxi miles.

Mrs. Bern & I rode the rails from Boston to New York (grand central), New York to Niagara then Niagara back to Boston. Fast train to New York then slow trains to watch the scenery change as 'the fall' progressed Northwards.

Hey Meldrew (hi bud ) have you had lunch at the Great Western Royal Hotel in Paddington station ? that's a place of supreme period architecture

Hi bud no I haven't, I had enough of London mainline railway stations during my squaddie years, I only started going back there after I met Mrs M to visit my new family and I like the way they've transformed them. As we use Kings Cross going to and from York we don't really go near the Paddington bit, and really we should because you tend to forget or ignore all that great architecture.

I've been to that big railway hotel next to York Railway Station since it was recently restored to it's former splendour and it's very impressive inside. Then they spoiled it by renaming it the Pricipal.