Road ride to Monument Valley and Bryce Canyon

So I went on a ride a few weeks ago... it looked something like this-

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?dofl....814031,-109.769897&spn=2.799145,5.817261&z=8

3 days on mostly backroads from Fruita, CO... destinations were Monument Valley and Bryce Canyon, plus the amazing Highway 12 in Utah.

I'm just going to let the photos do the talking...

Day 1-

Day 2-

Day 3-

Ended up coming home thru a big wind storm on Sunday, the ride from Green River, UT to Fruita, CO was insane.... I was getting blown all over the freeway. Final count on the odometer was just shy of 1000 miles. It was a great ride, I really loved the changing scenery. Highway 12 thru Utah was simply amazing, I can't wait to get back out there!

Good pics!

YOUKNOW said:

Good pics!

Click to expand...

Thanks, I wish I had a better camera to capture the scenery! Pics never do it justice though... but at least you get an idea.

Killer report

Looks like a good time thanks for sharing!

Do we have to live by you to take advantage of cool trips like this? Whats up?

Rot Box said:

Killer report

Looks like a good time thanks for sharing!

Click to expand...

Thanks Andrew!

YOUKNOW said:

Do we have to live by you to take advantage of cool trips like this? Whats up?

Click to expand...

I rarely plan much of anything... I didn't have plans to make this ride the day before I left! So it's not like I could have put any invites out, I like to fly by the seat of my pants and do what I like, when I like. That and I'm quite happy traveling solo... just something about taking your time doing what you want and not having anyone else you have to consider. Pretty selfish, but it's nice.

The Google Map link is at the top, more than enough info to plan your own trip.

Greg said:

I rarely plan much of anything... I didn't have plans to make this ride the day before I left! So it's not like I could have put any invites out, I like to fly by the seat of my pants and do what I like, when I like. That and I'm quite happy traveling solo... just something about taking your time doing what you want and not having anyone else you have to consider. Pretty selfish, but it's nice.

The Google Map link is at the top, more than enough info to plan your own trip.

Click to expand...

No prob, I just wanted to give you a hard time!:greg:

YOUKNOW said:

No prob, I just wanted to give you a hard time!:greg:

Click to expand...

Put together a quick slide show from the trip...

[YOUTUBE]tw1PtKHoeoI[/YOUTUBE]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tw1PtKHoeoI

That looks like a great trip! I guess I need to go through all of your trips and do some reading.

I'm thinking about getting a bike this fall. With a Paiute trail head in town here I'm thinking more dirt than street.

Any recommendations? I want at least a 600.

muleskinner said:

That looks like a great trip! I guess I need to go through all of your trips and do some reading.

I'm thinking about getting a bike this fall. With a Paiute trail head in town here I'm thinking more dirt than street.

Any recommendations? I want at least a 600.

Click to expand...

Thanks Scott, it was a fun trip. Nice & warm in Monument Valley, then almost chilly up at Bryce Canyon.

There are many options out there as far as dual sports go. If you're interested in 600cc+, that helps narrow it down. The problem is that most of them are quite tall, but just about anything can be lowered cheap & easy. Another thing is that the bigger bikes are also fairly heavy, which can cause some limitations when the trails get real tricky.

So do you want something that's a powerhouse? Capable in the dirt, but also street legal?

I would look at the Honda XR650R... water cooled with a monster of an engine. Some simple mods to get 55 HP, but the bike isn't street legal stock. It was the bike that won the Baja 1000 many years in a row. The thing is, it's kick start only. The Honda XR650L is totally different, e-start, air cooled, heavy & weak, pretty lame compared to a 650R. If the 650R came with e-start, I'd own one.

My dual sport is a Suzuki DR650... stupid simple, air cooled, e-start, lower seat height, street legal, reliable as can be. Not a lot of power, but it will run 80+ down the highway, then tackle some fairly difficult terrain. My DR has been very modified, I swapped on front forks from a Suzuki RMZ450 (MX bike) and the suspension is way better, 8 gallon tank and plenty of other stuff for big, back country rides.

I think my next bike will be a Husqvarna TE 610. 6 speed transmission which helps with low & high speed gearing, close to 55 HP, great suspension, decently light, compared to the other 600-650cc bikes. The newer ones are EFI, but I want a carbed bike, since you can get 5 gallon tanks for them. I want one bad...

The KTM's are amazing bikes, high-performance machines, but they also cost more.

So that's the basics... I'd highly recommend you do some looking, sit on a few different options, ride them if you can. If you have technical questions, do a lot of reading here - http://www.advrider.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=15

It's like Pirate for motorcycles, but better.

Thanks Greg. I have an older XL600 and I have had many other bikes growing up and I don't mind the kick start, its all I've ever known

I'd like to stay under $4500 if possible.

I'll probably look hard at the XR650R I've always had Honda's and it sounds like a great bike.

I guess its time to read.

muleskinner said:

Thanks Greg. I have an older XL600 and I have had many other bikes growing up and I don't mind the kick start, its all I've ever known

I'd like to stay under $4500 if possible.

I'll probably look hard at the XR650R I've always had Honda's and it sounds like a great bike.

I guess its time to read.

Click to expand...

Sounds like a XR650R fits the bill then! It would be easy to find & modify a XR650R for your needs and keep it under $4500 easy. Hit up Caleb for parts, he's a RMATV dealer and can help you out. Good luck!