2,200 mile road trip on a naked bike

I'm going to school in Mass, but have a summer gig in Denver. I wasn't able to get my bike out of storage and preped for the trip, but my dad let me snag his 919 for the summer. I flew from Boston to south FL, hopped on the 919, punched my route into the Zumo and was off. I was on a kinda tight schedule so didn't get as many pics as I would have liked, but here's what I've got.

Somewhere in Alabama (I think) I came across a lost guy on a 'busa headed the same direction so we rode together for about 300 miles then he split off to go to Little Rock and I continued my way to Shreveport. After riding 1084.6 miles I arrived in Shreveport just before dark. I stayed the night there with a guy from Advrider which was awesome.




I left the next morning at 6am and made it to Benbrook (near Ft Worth) in time for an early lunch with my grandmother (dad's side).

Here's me parked in front of their house




Stayed there for a couple hours then struck off for Silverton (west TX) where my grandfather (mom's side) lives.





Jill proved a very able co-pilot


Cattle Trucks provided an authentic aromauke


I arrived in Silverton around 6-7pm I think, had a huge steak (I hadn't been eating on the road in order to save time), hung with my granddad and talked motorcycles and airplanes till after midnight.

The next morning we were up at 6am and at the airfield by 7am. My granddad just bought a new-to-him 1969 Aero Commander 100 which is a lot like a 172 (4-place, 150hp, O-320, high wing). I went up with an friend of my granddad's who is an instructor and flew around for a bit over an hour. We even got down in a canyon, really fun time!

My granddad and I with his plane

then after breakfast I followed my granddad to Amarillo where his wife was working to say hi to her.

After all grandparents had been visited I struck out for Denver. Crossing west TX was hot, windy and dry - no surprise there:laugh

As I started to gain altitude in NM things cooled off, the wind died down a little and the rockies were in sight!




then by the time I was in CO is was quite comfortable. There was noticeably less wind pressure at altitude in CO then there was at sea level. I also got better mileage despite running a bit faster than I had before (speed limit was higher:rolleyes)

When I arrived in Denver I went straight to a BBQ being hosted by a local riding group and hung there for a bit. I met a guy at the Q who was going to another party with some friends so I tagged along with him. The second one was a Hawaiian themed thing and quite fun. Eventually we went home and got some sleep - I was worn out after 600 miles of riding in 100+ degree heat and high winds across texas and two rather lively partiesirate

Cool! Post up some pics and a report from that trip if you have time


I'm planning my return trip now. I'm thinking I might head north from Denver and check out the Black Hills and Badlands, then make my way toward the tail of the dragon, ride that, visit some folks in NC, then point the ninner south to FL.

A few years ago I rode my TLS from DC to Toronto to Oshkosh WI and back to DC - that was a good trip too (each leg = one day)

Yeah, I-95 isn't the most fun ride. I've traveled it from south FL to Boston (though not all in the same trip) and there's not hardly one redeeming section of the entire road:laugh

Thats one hell of trip there mate, your lucky in america as its so vast, in england 2000miles will get ya from one end of the country to the other and back again :thumbup:thumbup

Dang Josh, you were within 28 min of my house. I could have ridden up and said, "Hey"
link

:banghead

You weren't in town that weekend I think - I know there was something that made our schedules not match anyway:banghead


BTW I did 1k miles this weekend. Rode down to Silverton TX and back from Denver to see my grandad (and of course took a spin in his airplane. Even stuck a landing myself without bouncing or bending anything:laugh).