Ride-Phoenix Sun Feb 10 ?

[PeterB]

Hey
anyone interested in riding Sunday 10th?

I fly into Phoenix via Toronto Sat evening, renting a bike from AZRide, and riding all day Sunday. This Cannuck has never been in Arizona, so looking forward to seeing the state, or at least part of it,,, and getting away from the northern Ontario winter I'm stuck in.
Go Giants.
Peter

[azpnshr]

Are you still plannin on coming out? I'm tied up on Sunday; I'm escorting a buddy up to Kingman where he'll continue to Nellis AFB and I'll kick it back home. If you can advise where your staying near, I can give you a couple of good rides in the area.

[PeterB]

Thanks! 07 25th,, nice ride.
Starting and finishing from Scottsdale, so I'm up at first light and hitting the road. Rented a 07 Concourse1400 and looking at putting at least 400 miles on Sunday. Someone suggested starting by heading to Payson.
Appreciate your suggestions

[azpnshr]

If you're looking to do quite a bit of mileage, you could run up to Payson, over to Young, down to Globe, Winkleman to Florence and back to Scottsdale (State routes: 87 to 260 to 288 to 70/77 to 177 to 79). I have not done this route but it looks like it would provide a lot of good twisties and the scenery is nice. Temps showing to range between 35's (low) and around 70 (high). There are some smaller rides to do; I'd probably talk to the guys you're renting from for some better insight. Good luck and enjoy.

[Gatekeeper]

Only problem with that route is Young is on a dirt road. A Connie 14 would not be the bike of choice.

Try Scottsdale to Payson and keep on 87 to 260 west to Jerome. Over Mingus Mtn to Prescott out White spar to Peeples Valley and to Bagdad and back through Wickenburg to Carefree to Scottsdale. If you take Yarnell Hill, be advised it is HEAVILY PATROLLED!!!

[squirrelman]

Above is excellent route...you can usually shortcut back on I -17 if you get tired. Rt 87 to Payson is great, scenic!!

Another day head out to Apache Junction and ride VERY twisty Rt 88 to Tortilla Flat.....

And watch out for sand or gravel.....the whole state is sand and gravel!!


IMPEACH SHERIFF JOE!!

[azpnshr]

Gatekeeper - thanks for the heads up. I've never been over that far so I didn't know (you'd think maps would be able to show road differences ). The suggested route you gave sounds really good; I am familiar with a lot of the area (Prescott down past Wickenburg)....got some GREAT twisties!!
PeterB - I went on another site and asked for suggestions. If you want to keep an eye on this thread, they may give you some other alternatives.

http://www.southwestrides.com/vbulle...ed=1#post54565

[PeterB]

Thanks everyone!
Thanks Rob, I am following the Southwestrides thread,, their azsportbikerentals link takes you to some ride/routes also.
http://www.azsportbikerentals.com/in...d=32&Itemid=30
Looks like possibilities are numerous. What a great state to ride!
It's 8 degrees and snowing here,,,, 48 and clear there,,,,hmmm

[Gatekeeper]

Gonna be in the mid seventies (in the Valley) Saturday and Sunday. I'll be out pounding the dirt on my little YZ.

[azpnshr]

Yeah, not to be rude by rubbing it in to those still fighting snow, but.....here's the forecast for the next few days!!


Today - Partly Clear
45°F at 6:25 am
Feels Like 48°F Low: 46°F
High: 72°F
Humidity: 76% Pressure: 30.07 in
Visibility: 10 mi
Wind: ESE 6 mph

Sat 50°F/76°F



Sun 51°F/75°F


Mon 50°F/73°F


Tue 46°F/71°F

[ZonaMan]

Shoot, didn't see this till now!

[PARedVFRRider]

PeterB,

Any chance we can get a ride report? I'd like to know what route you took, how the rental service was and what you would recommend for others who might want to head down there to do the same thing? I've been riding as much as I can this winter, put 4000 miles on the VFR since October 17th when I bought it, but I'm dying for some time to ride without the heated gear and the feeling like I'm stuffed into my riding gear....well some of the stuffed part is due to me gaining 10 pounds since October as well. This is due to me hanging up my mountain bikes since I got the VFR. Started riding the MTB again this past weekend. Got to get in shape for my first track days.

A Phoenix trip for some Motorcycle riding and MTBing might be called for if there any other folks out there with an interest in those two biking sports being combined? AZ is a great area for mountain biking as well.

[Gatekeeper]

AZmotorcyclerentals has a 5th gen VFR they rent. And Ducati's and FJR's and...

[PeterB]

Great Day Trip!
Sunday Feb. 10th, 50 deg at 8:30 am departure, back Scottsdale 5:30.
I don't have any heated gear, and you w'ont need any for any part of this 385 mile day trip.
H87 “Beeline” to Payson, straight ahead, 60-70 mph easy cruising to wake up. Keep on 87N,, and met up with 4 Phoenix BMW riders in Pine,, for the rest of the trip. Snow on the roadsides in the elevations,, no ice, great road conditions, little or no traffic, continue on 87 to 260 west trough Camp Verde, lots of nice sweepers, keeping it under 90mph on this leg,, fantastic scenery,, Flagstaff snowcapped peaks in distance, fabulous,, 260 ending at 89, then to Jerome. Jerome is a little postcard kind of place,, switchbacks up into town,, lots of history, artsy place,,, try the fudge,, 20-40 rides there at mid day, so must be popular destination for riders,, bar on the corner of downtown has great character,, walked around for maybe an hour. Stay on 89 climbing out of Jerome on Twisties, then descending towards Prescott. Great twisties, some sand in centre track,, road a bit chewed up from sand and snowplows,, but still great,, hardly any traffic so nothing to hold you back from having a blast! Sand will be non-issue after winter and rain washes it away. Into Prescott for a mid afternoon coffee,, Staying on 89 and back into twisties,, no sand this leg and road is great, twisties are cleaner>safer>more challenging>fantastic!,,, vehicular traffic picked up only marginally,, but still easy enough to get in front of 4 wheeled stuff. Out of the elevation back into some sweepers and then straighter stretches where we are cruising at 100, and at times around 130-140 mph for what seem like 10 mile stretches,,, the Kawi concours14 is running about 7500rpm in OD at this point,, but I'm not out here to see how fast it goes, but it definately goes,,, just keeping up with the lead bikes,, and after that well pretty monotonous heavily trafficked from Wickenburg to Scottsdale on hwy60, where I get my ride to AZRide by 5:30, total is 385 miles.
There are few places that rent other than Hogs Wings and big Beemers. Azride have a small fleet, but pretty good variety of rides, very proffesional and knowledgeable couple run the joint. 9 out of 10 recomendation.
Kawisaki Concours 1400 is a sweet ride. Ridding position is upright, but it is so stable that I almost feel that I let my guard down tracking curves,, it just wants to carve right in and back out and handles those twisties like nothing,, but feedback is there and it still lets you know you have to push on the bar.. Could have kept riding for hours,,, didn’t squirm my butt around in the seat once, no joint pains, not tired at all. At 650 lbs, the weight distribution makes moving the bike around dead slow, seem like it's a lot lighter of a ride. Power band is impressive, distribution is consistent rpm dependent,, so the only downside to this ride is heat generation,, which I only notice from Wickenburg to Scottsdale, riding at 55-75 mph in 75 degrees,, and yep it's giving it off.
For 160 dollars rental 400 free miles, plus gaz, insurances, etc,, it works out to a pretty cheap couple of hundred dollars to trial a great ride on a route that I think described above as offering, well,,, everything.
There is absolutely nothing here,, close by where I live,, that compares to what you have there for riding,, so I'm not envious,, I'm outright jealous!
This is a great route for anyone from outside of the area too. lots of hotels, great AZ hospitality, so come in to the area, ride the route the next day, overnight and back home.
There is a ton do do other than Golf in Arizona!
Peter.