Motorcycle Bucket List

[Rustitution]

So this forum has some great member from all around the world so I ask you all for assistance I'm looking to come up with a motorcycle Bucket List of places I want to travel on 2 wheels before I die. It can be great/famous roads like Skyline Dr, Tail of the Dragon etc, to places of motorcycle history, places that are just cool to see on 2 wheels. I'm just trying to compile a good list.

[flitecontrol]

Cherohala Skyway is nice as is the Blueridge Parkway, and both have less traffic than the Dragon.

[Rustitution]

Originally Posted by flitecontrol

Cherohala Skyway is nice as is the Blueridge Parkway, and both have less traffic than the Dragon.

Cherohala Skyway in Tennessee and Blueridge Parkway in VA?

[flitecontrol]

Yes, the Cherohala is in Tennesse. The Blue Ridge Parkway goes from western North Carolina to Virgina. Lots of twisties and beautiful views. Caution; it is often covered in fog (actually clouds) early in the morning, reducing visibility, wetting the road, and eliminating the views. Try to plan on late morning or early afternoon rides to avoid this.

[Rustitution]

I just mapped it that looks gorgeous and it runs into Skyline Drive wow yup that's cool is there places to eat and fuel up along the route it's a lot of miles.

[Bigballsofpaint]

Ill be getting a big one out of the way next month. Riding a couple hundred miles of pacific highway 1 in CA, were also riding through yosemite and all the big redwoods, and napa valley.

Next year im looking to hit the dragon and that area

Would love to ride up to canada to the bay of fundi.

[Tennessee Budd]

Skyline Drive is beautiful--I was just there last month. Watch out for RVs & bicyclists, though!
Natchez Trace can be nice, but again, RV warning (and there's no twisties ). TB.

[NevadaWolf]

Here's some of the one's I want to ride...

Pacific Coast Highway, CA


Beartooth Pass, MT/WY


Stelvio Pass, Italy

[Desmoluci]

+1 on the BRP and the Smoky mountains, I went there last month. There aren't many places to eat, and no fuel on the Parkway, but you can get off and go to nearby towns for gas, it's not a problem.
So much great riding in the area and the locals are very friendly to motorcyclists.

Make sure to order the sausage gravy and biscuits when you're down there.

[Worldtraveller]

The Route of all Evil in Arkansas is on my list.

[adouglas]

Heads up that the Skyline Drive has a speed limit of 35 mph. It's scenic but you crawl the whole time.

VT 100 is a beautiful road, especially at this time of year.

A lot of "destination" roads can be a bit of a zoo. The Dragon, Mulholland Drive, etc. Around here it's Bear Mountain, near West Point and just north of NYC. Great roads but always jammed with other riders and lots of police.

Many magazines (both car and bike) do occasional "greatest roads" articles. Go dig some up.

Or, you can do what I did a few years ago. I had some time to burn and had just bought my Ninjette, so I decided to ride from CT out to Indy for the MotoGP race, then take a scenic route back.

I went to AAA and got paper maps for most places east of the Mississippi. Then I laid them out and started looking for squiggly lines.

Most of them were in West Virginia. So I went there.

And discovered heaven.

Paper maps are underappreciated. They give you the ability to get the big picture.


Another good strategy is to discover new roads near you. We are creatures of habit... we tend to use the same routes all the time. Next time you go for a recreational ride, take the turn you've never taken before. You might find something really cool.

[Rustitution]

Lots of good posts keep them coming. There are often sites and mags with the great roads and you're totally right the destination roads can be very crowded. I have some time off coming up (in like 6 months and just wanted to go and ride some roads so looking for ideas. Paper maps rock and are something that are sadly being forgotten.

[JohnnyBravo]

Nobody said Route 66... It may be a "car" road; I hope to do it on my bike!
You should find shady valley, up past Boone nc old highway 421... One way in one way out... Def worth the trip around if your riding the BRP and smokies anyhow

[Tennessee Budd]

adouglas, I've been meaning to take some time off & go ambling through WV. On my way back from Maryland on vacation, I ran back through WV just 'cause it's beautiful. They've gotta have lots of fun roads. TB.

[JohnnyBravo]

Ol west "by god" Virginia has some sweet mountain roads... Watch out for pot holes!!!

[NevadaWolf]

US Route 50 between Grafton and Aurora, WV

A good set of maps are the Butler Maps, they highlight and rank epic motorcycle roads. I haven't used them yet personally as they lack Nevada, but I've seen them in person for California and there's a lot of options pointed out.

http://www.butlermaps.com/

[salcuta88]

Originally Posted by Desmoluci

+1 on the BRP and the Smoky mountains, I went there last month. There aren't many places to eat, and no fuel on the Parkway, but you can get off and go to nearby towns for gas, it's not a problem.
So much great riding in the area and the locals are very friendly to motorcyclists.

Make sure to order the sausage gravy and biscuits when you're down there.

Welcome to my backyard Glad you had fun.

[Rustitution]

Originally Posted by NevadaWolf

US Route 50 between Grafton and Aurora, WV

A good set of maps are the Butler Maps, they highlight and rank epic motorcycle roads. I haven't used them yet personally as they lack Nevada, but I've seen them in person for California and there's a lot of options pointed out.

http://www.butlermaps.com/

I totally forgot about butler maps I will check them out, to bad they don't seem to have much for the northeast.

[NevadaWolf]

I'm trying to fiddle with their app, but its only on iOS at the moment and not seeing roads to create a route for... Hurm.

Their RidingSocial site sounds like a good idea.

[Qomomoko]

a friend did a moto tour of ecuador and another supervisor of me did moto cross from Ecuador to Colombia...

here is one link to the organizing group

http://www.freedombikerental.com/

[alex.s]

if in so-cal, visit palomar mountain (via highland valley road), and mulholland drive. fantastic roads.

[csmith12]

Route 22 in KY.

http://www.motorcycleroads.us/roads/ky22.html

I live here... I can tell you for 100%, it is just as much worth the trip as a Dragon run. Some of sections are longer and just as technical as the Dragon. The main difference is, it has some straights to recover in. If you ride here, lemme know and I might tag along if ya want some company.

[antiant]

Originally Posted by NevadaWolf

Here's some of the one's I want to ride...

Pacific Coast Highway, CA

Let's do this!!! I want to ride Hwy 1 as well on a motorcycle. Pacific Coast Adventures!

I just want to ride the world (the whole world would be my bucket list), I love traveling, so anywhere would be pretty awesome.

[Desmoluci]

Originally Posted by salcuta88

Welcome to my backyard Glad you had fun.

We are very lucky to live where we do!

If you ever come up to my neck of the woods (SW Pa.-W Va.), the riding is almost as good as yours.

[Nemy]

You can add the Badlands in South Dakota.

[Tennessee Budd]

I'll have to check out Butler maps. Thanks for the tip, NW! I've got several DeLorme atlases, but they're only easy to use in a cage. For travel you have to copy or cut them.
TB.

[Rustitution]

So many good roads

[jstrain]

Cherohala is great. Most of the roads around the Dragon are great and much less traveled than the Dragon.

PCH is amazing. Did it with my dad from LA to San Fran and back.

Blue Ridge is beautiful, but like others said, pretty slow between speed limit and traffic.

A bit (actually a lot) off the beaten path, check out the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia. Winds up around the northern peninsula of NS. Absolutely beautiful. Even further north, riding up the left coast of Newfoundland. No twisties, pretty much straight, but it's also beautiful.

Just saw you're in WC. I'm right down the road in Media.

[jstrain]

And as someone else mentioned, the Shady Valley area around Boone, NC. I've been through it and it was definitely less crowded than the dragon but just as awesome.

[SMman]

Originally Posted by jstrain

A bit (actually a lot) off the beaten path, check out the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia. Winds up around the northern peninsula of NS. Absolutely beautiful.

I make it a point to do the Cabot Trail every year and it is the only road that competes with riding on the track. My favorite sections are MacKenzie Mountain (seen in 2nd picture below) and Cape Smokey.

USA Today listed it #1 as the Best Motorcycle Trip:
http://www.10best.com/awards/travel/...torcycle-trip/

[Rustitution]

@jstrain thats right down the road no joke,

and Cabot Trail looks gorgeous that might just be the road to take me out of the country for.

[jstrain]

Originally Posted by SMman

I make it a point to do the Cabot Trail every year and it is the only road that competes with riding on the track. My favorite sections are MacKenzie Mountain (seen in 2nd picture below) and Cape Smokey.

USA Today listed it #1 as the Best Motorcycle Trip:
http://www.10best.com/awards/travel/...torcycle-trip/

Wish I was close enough to ride each year! I've done it twice, once with my dad on my R1 and his BMW and once with my wife on the back of my KLR. Didn't get a chance to do the tip up to Meat Cove though But I loved it both times.

Rusty, I'd invite you to go riding, but life is so busy that all I seem to have time for now is commuting. Can't remember the last time that I rode just to ride.

[Rustitution]

@jstrain I totally feel you with work and projects like my Ninja/XS11 in conjunction with being a new homeowner I don't really ride to ride. I have also lost most of my commuting capabilities due to carpooling on my new job

[csmith12]

Originally Posted by SMman

I make it a point to do the Cabot Trail every year and it is the only road that competes with riding on the track. My favorite sections are MacKenzie Mountain (seen in 2nd picture below) and Cape Smokey.

USA Today listed it #1 as the Best Motorcycle Trip:
http://www.10best.com/awards/travel/...torcycle-trip/

[Racer x]

The Isle of Man is the top of many lists. Bonneville speedway is the thin I am working on now.

[Rustitution]

Originally Posted by Racer x

The Isle of Man is the top of many lists. Bonneville speedway is the thin I am working on now.

yeah isle of man is one of the things I want to do, but would be tough to get my bike over there with me, being that there are some bodies of water in the way. but on the Bonneville Speedway note I'm totally with you on that.

[Racer x]

I went to the TT and spent two weeks there. I went a week early. I got to watch the practice for a week then all the big hoopla when the actual race starts. There is always someone that will lend you a bike. I spent most of the time drinking with Scottish blokes and did not see as much racing as I should have.
The best way to go to Bonneville is as a crew member. I pay my air and rent a car. But my hotel and beer and food is free.

[Ducati999]

If you are ever in the North East, New Hampshire has the Kancamagus Highway. Riding up in the clouds on a twisty road with a roaring river right along side of the highway is awesome but there are not many guard rails. We rode during late June and there was still some snow on the side of the road,

[Rustitution]

Originally Posted by Racer x

I went to the TT and spent two weeks there. I went a week early. I got to watch the practice for a week then all the big hoopla when the actual race starts. There is always someone that will lend you a bike. I spent most of the time drinking with Scottish blokes and did not see as much racing as I should have.
The best way to go to Bonneville is as a crew member. I pay my air and rent a car. But my hotel and beer and food is free.

Originally Posted by Ducati999

If you are ever in the North East, New Hampshire has the Kancamagus Highway. Riding up in the clouds on a twisty road with a roaring river right along side of the highway is awesome but there are not many guard rails. We rode during late June and there was still some snow on the side of the road,

@Racer x that is some clutch advice right there. I would like to tackle the event as a participant just to say I did it. And that is good advice for the TT a nice 2 week vacation on a beautiful Scottish island.

@Ducati999 that looks like a nice beautiful road do you think it would be better even later in the year july august time?

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by Rustitution

yeah isle of man is one of the things I want to do, but would be tough to get my bike over there with me, being that there are some bodies of water in the way.

Wuss. Just ride faster.