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1320 miles up outa Las Vegas on Thursday crack O'dawn start time. Used 95 to Lida junction (NV266) West bound but instead of going all the way over Westgard pass to 395 I took the Dyer turn off (CA 264 turns into NV 266) to NV 10 west to Lee Vining. The last bit into Lee Vining was a great hour + ride of long sweepers in high desert changing to pine forest about 30 miles east of the Mono Lake area. Very scenic, good road, NO TRUCKS, not many cars either!
Then it was up 395 to Susanville.. not much to say about that other than it beats most alternatives. The weather was good and stayed below 90 which is all I could ask for. Many police so kept the STeed at +5 and marveled at 50 MPG. What a bike!
From Susanville to Klamath I used CA139. I love that road through the valleys of north eastern California. Its a series of little climbs into and out of small high desert valleys, mostly ranchs and hay farms. The small passes are hadled with seeping turns with great views of the exits. Fast road! and so hard to keep below 80 on posted 55. I again saw a few Police but they was looking for the Southbound folks aty that time of the day.. Lucky me!
A night at Klamath Falls at a small, old, CHEAP, and clean motel.. $35 bucks out the door. Certainly beats camping without a shower! Next morning I start to about 47 degrees but that changed as I got past Klamath lake on US 97. Soon as I was in the forest it dropped to 32 with dips to 28! YIKES :22yikes: I only had some "cool weather" gloves with me and I got about 1/2 way to Bend before needing to stop at a small cafe for coffee and toast. I took a good 20 minutes to unfreeze my hands. Another guy on a C14 was there for the same reason and we swapped stories, him going to Bishop on his new Kawasaki and me going up to Oak Harbor. We both headed out in the oppisite directions much warmer, fortified with good hot coffee.
Took the suggestion I got from "Lake Cle Elum" and stayed on OR 97 all the way to US 2 at Peshastin, WA. From Redmond to the Colombia River was a treat. A fast road sweeping through open prairie/palluse land. It dipped and swirled as it moved from hill tops to valleys. I had a great view of the Cascade mountains most of the ride. But the suggestion was that I go up to WA 20 but I'd done WA 20 earlier this year already. US2 wasn't to busy, except at the top, and it was cool and easy on the ride up and down Stevens pass. A whole bunch of police giving tickets tho. I had gotten lucky at the rest stop past Leavenworth, a BMW rider warned me of the ticket session going on. I kept to 3 over the posted and cruised the pass. Great scenery was good enough for me!
US 2 into the I5 Corridor was horrid, huge traffic in the early afternoon due to the Labor Day weekend starting up. But on to Whitbey Island and into Oak Harbor was fine... the Island is a calm ride, posted is mostly 45 so new hurrying allowed.
I stayed until Wednesday the 9th, leaving so I'd hit the Clinton to Mukilteo ferry around 0830. Ran through showers but they were expected and posed no problem for me or my bike. Windshield up and the great Olympia Jacket and pants kept me dry and warm.
I had friends in Tacoma to visit, making it by the direct route down I5 in intermittant light showers. I spent some time jawing with them and watching their two little girls play. Out the door at noon and back on I5 down to US12, turning east to Rainier NP. Great afternoon run through a green valley, up to the turn off for the park at WA 123, and hook up to WA 410 then up the ascent to the pass then down to relink with US 12. Gorgious scenery of course, a little bit of technical twisties and lots of fast sweepers through some old growth forrest. Not hard duty! I was linking up with my parents again in Ellensburg so at Yakima turned north for the quick but fun bit of I 82 over the hills there.
Another dawn start and back on down I 82 I go, headed for Pendelton. Wanted to get past Yakima before 8am and did the I82 to I84 to Pendelton quickly. Not so bad for a Interstate drive, early enough and going the wrong way to get alot of trucks. Good enough for me!
I turn off of I84 and head on down US 395 for the first time. What a nice clean, fun road, over ranchland and through some great small National forrest land. The passes between the valleys are full of technical turns and gracious sweepers as you follow a river threaded through the pines. There was a few bridge building stops but nothing that bothered. A traffic was very light and the truns and passing areas often enough to suit most riders.
I left US 395 at Burns and took OR 78 to US 95. Another nice road that was very fast in open prairie country, very flat for miles and miles. Straight road with sweepers as you go over the small passes between valleys. I liked it due to the very light traffic and clean roadway. great scenery if you like the prairie.
US 95 south is more of the same, straight and pretty flat, very fast. I posted my quickest transits, staying well above 80 all the time except through the reservation at the OR/NV border. Into Winnamucca and then turned east on I 80 to Battle Mountain for the night. Interesting small train / mine town. The eats at the Owl cafe are good. The rooms so-so but $35.
Up early again and trynig out a road I haven't been on. I took NV 305 to Austin then east over the pass on US 50 then turning south again on NV376 to Tonopah. Mostly more high desert/prairie but I think the mountains are beautiful in their ruggedness. The valleys are mostly sage, scrub grass, and such were it isn't ranched or hay farmed. I saw Round Mountain mine which has square miles of tailing piles, stacked up like Aztec pyramids. Amazing.
From Tonapah home on US 95 was just hot, fast, and... ho yah.. HOT. But home is home and I was glad to pullinto the carport. 1425 miles home.
Trip total 2745 miles in 5 days of riding. Longest day 717 mile in 13.5 hours
I say to you.. the ST is an amazing bike. it did everything I needed without any trouble. Ran hard or easy, wet or dry. I got no less than 43 MPG, best was 53. I road a coupla 3 hour in the saddle sessions, for me a first.. not a problem at all. The bike is a tank, taking holes and small branchs without a twitch, taking my mid turn corrections without a shimmy, and my badly timed braking without any thing but a hard slowing down, staying right on my line. A true turnkey motorcycle for long distance riding.
A pic proving I SAW Rainier! Man thats a hard mountain to get a pic of!
Then it was up 395 to Susanville.. not much to say about that other than it beats most alternatives. The weather was good and stayed below 90 which is all I could ask for. Many police so kept the STeed at +5 and marveled at 50 MPG. What a bike!
From Susanville to Klamath I used CA139. I love that road through the valleys of north eastern California. Its a series of little climbs into and out of small high desert valleys, mostly ranchs and hay farms. The small passes are hadled with seeping turns with great views of the exits. Fast road! and so hard to keep below 80 on posted 55. I again saw a few Police but they was looking for the Southbound folks aty that time of the day.. Lucky me!
A night at Klamath Falls at a small, old, CHEAP, and clean motel.. $35 bucks out the door. Certainly beats camping without a shower! Next morning I start to about 47 degrees but that changed as I got past Klamath lake on US 97. Soon as I was in the forest it dropped to 32 with dips to 28! YIKES :22yikes: I only had some "cool weather" gloves with me and I got about 1/2 way to Bend before needing to stop at a small cafe for coffee and toast. I took a good 20 minutes to unfreeze my hands. Another guy on a C14 was there for the same reason and we swapped stories, him going to Bishop on his new Kawasaki and me going up to Oak Harbor. We both headed out in the oppisite directions much warmer, fortified with good hot coffee.
Took the suggestion I got from "Lake Cle Elum" and stayed on OR 97 all the way to US 2 at Peshastin, WA. From Redmond to the Colombia River was a treat. A fast road sweeping through open prairie/palluse land. It dipped and swirled as it moved from hill tops to valleys. I had a great view of the Cascade mountains most of the ride. But the suggestion was that I go up to WA 20 but I'd done WA 20 earlier this year already. US2 wasn't to busy, except at the top, and it was cool and easy on the ride up and down Stevens pass. A whole bunch of police giving tickets tho. I had gotten lucky at the rest stop past Leavenworth, a BMW rider warned me of the ticket session going on. I kept to 3 over the posted and cruised the pass. Great scenery was good enough for me!
US 2 into the I5 Corridor was horrid, huge traffic in the early afternoon due to the Labor Day weekend starting up. But on to Whitbey Island and into Oak Harbor was fine... the Island is a calm ride, posted is mostly 45 so new hurrying allowed.
I stayed until Wednesday the 9th, leaving so I'd hit the Clinton to Mukilteo ferry around 0830. Ran through showers but they were expected and posed no problem for me or my bike. Windshield up and the great Olympia Jacket and pants kept me dry and warm.
I had friends in Tacoma to visit, making it by the direct route down I5 in intermittant light showers. I spent some time jawing with them and watching their two little girls play. Out the door at noon and back on I5 down to US12, turning east to Rainier NP. Great afternoon run through a green valley, up to the turn off for the park at WA 123, and hook up to WA 410 then up the ascent to the pass then down to relink with US 12. Gorgious scenery of course, a little bit of technical twisties and lots of fast sweepers through some old growth forrest. Not hard duty! I was linking up with my parents again in Ellensburg so at Yakima turned north for the quick but fun bit of I 82 over the hills there.
Another dawn start and back on down I 82 I go, headed for Pendelton. Wanted to get past Yakima before 8am and did the I82 to I84 to Pendelton quickly. Not so bad for a Interstate drive, early enough and going the wrong way to get alot of trucks. Good enough for me!
I turn off of I84 and head on down US 395 for the first time. What a nice clean, fun road, over ranchland and through some great small National forrest land. The passes between the valleys are full of technical turns and gracious sweepers as you follow a river threaded through the pines. There was a few bridge building stops but nothing that bothered. A traffic was very light and the truns and passing areas often enough to suit most riders.
I left US 395 at Burns and took OR 78 to US 95. Another nice road that was very fast in open prairie country, very flat for miles and miles. Straight road with sweepers as you go over the small passes between valleys. I liked it due to the very light traffic and clean roadway. great scenery if you like the prairie.
US 95 south is more of the same, straight and pretty flat, very fast. I posted my quickest transits, staying well above 80 all the time except through the reservation at the OR/NV border. Into Winnamucca and then turned east on I 80 to Battle Mountain for the night. Interesting small train / mine town. The eats at the Owl cafe are good. The rooms so-so but $35.
Up early again and trynig out a road I haven't been on. I took NV 305 to Austin then east over the pass on US 50 then turning south again on NV376 to Tonopah. Mostly more high desert/prairie but I think the mountains are beautiful in their ruggedness. The valleys are mostly sage, scrub grass, and such were it isn't ranched or hay farmed. I saw Round Mountain mine which has square miles of tailing piles, stacked up like Aztec pyramids. Amazing.
From Tonapah home on US 95 was just hot, fast, and... ho yah.. HOT. But home is home and I was glad to pullinto the carport. 1425 miles home.
Trip total 2745 miles in 5 days of riding. Longest day 717 mile in 13.5 hours
I say to you.. the ST is an amazing bike. it did everything I needed without any trouble. Ran hard or easy, wet or dry. I got no less than 43 MPG, best was 53. I road a coupla 3 hour in the saddle sessions, for me a first.. not a problem at all. The bike is a tank, taking holes and small branchs without a twitch, taking my mid turn corrections without a shimmy, and my badly timed braking without any thing but a hard slowing down, staying right on my line. A true turnkey motorcycle for long distance riding.
A pic proving I SAW Rainier! Man thats a hard mountain to get a pic of!
