Your Favorite Roads

[1100Kat]

So I thought this would be a great place to talk about your favorite roads to ride. Last night I took the 1100 out to Ocean Parkway in Long Island. It's a 15 and a half mile dead straight 2 and 3 lane highway that runs parallel to the beach. There are almost no cops except for the occasion state trooper in a suburban but those are easy to spot in the flat grass with all their reflectors. Early morning a lot of bikers go out there but I went last night at around 9pm. The wind was really kicking but when I tucked in it wasn't that bad.

Here's the fun part....

What I love about my Kat is that it's like an old american muscle car (remember this is a 1990 1100), I can leave it in 4th or 5th, twist the throttle, and the thing just rips. This is my first bike and the sensation of accelerating with force like that really gets my adrenaline pumping. I also have an Audi S5 (V8 340hp, tonssss of torque). My friend drove this alongside and we did a couple rolling runs from about 30-40mph.

Obviously the kat smoked it but it was great to see these two black beastly machines just flying down a nice long straight into a dark, cool, night with the smell of the ocean. Truly a sublime experience.

If anyone lives in the NY metro area and would want to take a ride around there please let me know!

Heres some info on the road:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_Parkway_(Long_Island)

[ame="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dougtone/3230174272/"]ocean_w-scene5 | Flickr - Photo Sharing![/ame]

So when your going out for a joyride, where do you head?

[zuma]

This is Highway 285 heading *West beyond the Texas state line. To me it has great spiritual ramifications because it is taking me to the mountains. And it doesn't hurt that it also allows me to throttle up because old 285 is usually deserted and gives me a sense of ownership.

Nice idea for a thread, dude.

[Slofuze]

I usually take a ride along our Canada/US border ...... lots of fun and quite scenic.

[Kreylyn]

Hwy 151

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twwMiGKMSCY"]YouTube- ‪Blue Ridge Parkway - Hwy 151 - Great motorcycle road‬‎[/ame]

North Hwy 80

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqDDjJQ3FuA&feature=related"]YouTube- ‪Hwy 80 Marion to BRP‬‎[/ame]

Hwy 276 from hwy 11 to Ceasar's Head

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4gxiP0IJDQ"]YouTube- ‪Ascending Hwy. 276‬‎[/ame]

Hwy 276 from Brevard to the Parkway

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSKnY65EO50"]YouTube- ‪US 276‬‎[/ame]

Hwy 209...

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xg-pDqHpUsY&feature=related"]YouTube- ‪NC 209 Classic Motorcycle Ride.mp4‬‎[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iRWKXbq4dM"]YouTube- ‪Motorcycle-Hwy209 NC‬‎[/ame]

Hwy 63...

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLfQLnXGg6A"]YouTube- ‪Hot Springs Ride July '09 001‬‎[/ame]

Any one of my new found favorites (to me...) Wayah Rd...

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-Z4TLLCtGo"]YouTube- ‪A Ride on the Wayah Road‬‎[/ame]

and of course... the Blue Ridge Parkway...

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9atN1ZEh_h4"]YouTube- ‪Scenic Motorcycle Ride - Blue Ridge Parkway‬‎[/ame]

To name a couple or so....

Krey

[professa_riddler]

1100, I did a nice spin down that road early in April in the car and this Saturday I took a nice spin out there with my friend. I got to open my kat up to about 100mph and yes, the wind is always bad there. But be careful, I don't know if you see those signs that state Speed check by Aircraft...Well that is true, there are State PD helicopters flying checking your speed by radar and they will fly low and call in forces on the ground to give you a ticket.

We did about a 100 mile run on Saturday. Jones beach, Oeean Pkwy (to Giglio Beach) back up to the Wantagh, Northern State, GCP, Jackie Rob, Forest Park Drive (in Forest Park Queens, lovely twisties). Then back on the Jackie Rob to BK.

Then we flew down the conduit to the Belt to Southern State and had lunch at IHOP. Then we went to Oceanside to home. Nice run.

[Kevins_Black_Kat]

For any of you that have been to northern michigan to ride 119... it has to be the tail of the dragon in the mid-west. I had the pleasure of riding this 22 mile stretch of road hugging the coast of lake MI this summer. The best road I've ever ridden BY FAR. Below is a perfect little write-up of this spectacular ride.

Motorcycle Road Scenery:
This road hugs the eastern shoreline of Lake Michigan through a dense forest. On one side you get glimpses of old summer cabin homes tucked back in the forest and on the other side you get brief glimpses of the Lake Michigan shoreline. This is a very narrow and twisty road that runs through the dense forest of trees and is literally one of those roads that you always see photos in travel magazines that make you crave to drive down. You look ahead of you down the narrow tunnel of trees road and cannot help but wonder what will be around the next curve. If you are on 18 wheels it would be a nightmare, if you are pulling a camper it would be a hassle, if you are driving 4 wheels it would be wonderful. But, if you are driving 2 wheels, it is the road that you always kind of dream of finding.

Not the best picture of the twisties, but this is just covered in beautiful scenery.

[vonrapier]

Nice!!

[DClark]

My two favorite roads are arguably the most beautiful in the U.S. if not the world. I plan on doing at least one of them in a couple of weeks.
Here they are:

CA Highway 1- this road was carved out of cliff with make work $ during the depression. On one side are mountains, on the other side, 100's if not 1000's of feet down, is the ocean. Part of it goes through redwoods, there are some incredible bridges that you drive across too. You can stop and marvel at the Hearst castle or even at the seal lion sanctuary nearby. Highway one is spectacular.

Old Highway 101 Avenue in Humboldt County, CA. The road winds around the tallest trees in the world. Some of these trees are wider than your car is long, there are even a few that are carved out and you can drive through them. The trees are so tall that is always dark (they block the sun) and on a bike you can smell them too.If you are only used to those skinny stick like trees on the east coast, you need to come west and see some real forest. In Humboldt County, they have filmed Jurassic park II, Return of the Jedi, Outbreak and a bunch of other movies.
I have done both drives on my Kat 1100 and my modded '06 GTO.

[Psycho1]

My two favorite roads are arguably the most beautiful in the U.S. if not the world. I plan on doing at least one of them in a couple of weeks.

If you're going to be that far north, if you have time you should make a run up the Redwood Highway into OR, cut through Jacksonville, Medford, Shady Cove, then stop at the Natural Bridge on your way up to Crater Lake NP. Comming back from CLP, drop down the east side of the Cascades into Klamath Falls, then catch OR-66 Greensprings Hwy back to Ashland where you can hit I-5 again. Drop south acros tha Cali border and catch Hwy 96 and take that through Happy Camp, and turn west on 299 back out to 101 just north of Eureka. This would be a great overnight trip, or possibly even a 3 day weekend run, but well worth every minute scenery wise.

[Mattaua]

Hwy 151

YouTube- ‪Blue Ridge Parkway - Hwy 151 - Great motorcycle road‬‎

North Hwy 80

YouTube- ‪Hwy 80 Marion to BRP‬‎

Hwy 276 from hwy 11 to Ceasar's Head

YouTube- ‪Ascending Hwy. 276‬‎

Hwy 276 from Brevard to the Parkway

YouTube- ‪US 276‬‎

Hwy 209...

YouTube- ‪NC 209 Classic Motorcycle Ride.mp4‬‎

YouTube- ‪Motorcycle-Hwy209 NC‬‎

Hwy 63...

YouTube- ‪Hot Springs Ride July '09 001‬‎

Any one of my new found favorites (to me...) Wayah Rd...

YouTube- ‪A Ride on the Wayah Road‬‎

and of course... the Blue Ridge Parkway...

YouTube- ‪Scenic Motorcycle Ride - Blue Ridge Parkway‬‎

To name a couple or so....

Krey

I have to agree with the Caesar's Head ride!! But Krey, I can't believe you didn't list Hwy 9 up and around Lake Lure and Chimney Rock...thats an epic ride.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdGUUMOh0Uc"]YouTube - Yamaha FZ1 and Honda XR650L NC Hwy 9 Black Mountain to Lake Lure[/ame]

[DClark]

If you're going to be that far north, if you have time you should make a run up the Redwood Highway into OR, cut through Jacksonville, Medford, Shady Cove, then stop at the Natural Bridge on your way up to Crater Lake NP. Comming back from CLP, drop down the east side of the Cascades into Klamath Falls, then catch OR-66 Greensprings Hwy back to Ashland where you can hit I-5 again. Drop south acros tha Cali border and catch Hwy 96 and take that through Happy Camp, and turn west on 299 back out to 101 just north of Eureka. This would be a great overnight trip, or possibly even a 3 day weekend run, but well worth every minute scenery wise.

I had planned to go Eureka, then drive south all the way down, taking highway 1 to Pismo Beach. However, a part of me is also saying to do as you say, go north. I wouldn't mind going to Portland and go brew pub hopping. No, I am not an alcoholic, but I do love excellent beer and Portland has more microbreweries with better stuff than any other place in the U.S. Since I will be by myself (wife has to work) I won't hear those dread words from my wife at the brew pub ("Are you almost done yet???)
Plus, it is also a pretty place to visit!
Ideally, rather ride up there, I fly up to Portland or Seattle area, buy a new 2010 C14 (there are few for sale up there) and ride it down, but that looks a bit complicated at the moment, so I'll just stick with the big kat for the moment.
Where the 299w turns to 101 in Arcata- I used to live near it! That place was like heaven to me, wish I could live there again. Incredible roads to ride (I had a '80 GS550e when I went to Humboldt State U).Hell, in the 2.5 years I lived near, it never got old.

[Psycho1]

If by chance you do end up riding that route I posted in OR, if you run into any problems anywhere near Klamath Falls, let me know. I have a fairly large network of friends in the area still that should be able to help a fellow rider out.

[bob393]

There are so many but right now its Rt 218 between West Point and Cornwall on Hudson in New York. It runs along the Hudson River and is just beautiful! Rt 97 outside of Port Jervis is another. It runs along the Delaware River up into Sullivan County in New York and except it's a bit short, is also wonderful to ride.