cscrawford

If anybody wants to take an extended weekend ride from Phoenix I'm heading to Denver Friday morning, 1/2 the trip that day, spending the night at a hotel, then finishing the trip to Denver Satuday. Surprise Birthday party for a friend at 6:00 pm Saturday, heading back Sunday and Monday OR Monday and Tuesday. If anybody wants to go....send me a PM. if anybody wants to meet along the way, same deal.
I just got my bike back together and need to "get back on that horse," and need to get out of the Phoenix heat Giddyup.

lazn

Sounds fun! I have been wanting to do this trip myself (only stopping in Boulder). However the 13th I am heading to CA for the weekend.

Are you taking the scenic route through Utah? Or the fast way on the freeways?

cscrawford

Iazn,

I'm definitely taking the scenic route. A friend highly recommends Hwy 145 into Telluride, but that doesn't exactly flow. I'll probably just play-it-by-my watch and keep it interesting. I spent a week in Costa Rica on a KTM 640 and any rigid plans were totally futile. We took 2 wrong turns and spent 14 hours on the bikes day 1 (road signs are rare there).

If I get tired of riding I'll take a straighter route, but time permitting will stick to the twisties. If you have a recommended route I'd love any suggestions. I want to stay off the main highways/avoid the troopers but as you know I can't go more than 100 miles without a gas station. Let me know if you ever do a track day in Chandler. I haven't been there yet but would like to get out on that track, I've only been to the Texas Motorsport ranch a couple times.
-Chris

Redone

A few suggestions. Phoenix to Denver is 800-900 miles, longer than I'd like to do on the SH in two days, especially with a party at 6PM, but I'm an old coot. For the ride out, this is a great, scenic, reasonably rapid route.

Phoenix to Flagstaff. 89 to 160 to 191. 191 north. Just past Moab, take the 128 cutoff to I-70. Not because it's shorter, but because it's deserted and mind bogglingly beautiful. I-70 to Denver, maybe the most scenic Interstate (once you get to Glenwood Springs, before that it's just really nice) in the country. About 825 miles. A slightly more scenic alternative is I-40 to 191, but it adds 100 miles.

On the way back, if you can take an extra day, you can get in some really fine Colorado riding. Good roads, scenic, not as crowded as some in tourist season. 285 from Denver to 50. 50 past Gunnison to 149 ( a 'hidden treasure"). 149 to 160 over Wolf Creek Pass (sing - http://straightwhiteguy.mu.nu/images/wcp.mp3) to Pagosa Springs. 64 south to Shiprock, New Mexico. Fill in the "etc". About 100 miles longer than the above route, and a good bit slower. No way is it my idea of a two day ride.

145 is also really nice. Don't get seduced into taking 550, the million dollar highway instead, in August it's slow motorhome city.

cscrawford

Redone, big thanks on information. The only I-70 I'm familiar with is on the Kansas side, flat and painfully boring, but I will look at the route you mentioned. Everything changes once you go West of Denver. Thanks again for the .02.

-Chris