Planning a long Motorcycle trip!

[liveinxs]

Hello,

I am planning a trip from South Carolina to Pocono’s, Pa then to Boston, MA on my motorcycle. I am planning to go on the Blue Ridge Parkway and Sky Line drive. I am planning to stay off major highways and use scenic routes. I do not have a set schedule so I am flexible on being able to make stops as needed. I am planning to camp along the way.

I have a good luggage and rain gear. The bike is going to be tuned-up before I leave.

I have not done a long bike trip before. If anyone can give me some advice on what I need or need to know for a trip like this it would be helpful. Does anyone know any good scenic routes across New York and Massachusetts?

Thanks
Liveinxs

[Mass Tim]

Welcome to the RoadTrip America forum!

There are many scenic routes in New York and quite a few in Massachusetts (most of the Western part of the state, West of I-91, could be considered scenic, though that's not the only scenic area).

You'll definitely be able to pull this off without travelling on major highways, though this does depend on your available time.

I'll defer the motorcycle preparedness tips to our two-wheeled wanderers.

What is your planned date of departure?

[liveinxs]

My goal is to leave in a week and half. I just found Ur web site, that is why I had not posted earlier.

At the moment I'm not working, so I have time. I'm guessing 3-4 days for each leg of the journey. If it takes longer.... it just makes the adventure longer! :-)

liveinxs

[pashnit]

Does anyone know any good scenic routes across New York and Massachusetts?

http://geocities.com/MotorCity/Boule...187/roads.html

http://www.bamarider.com/east.htm

http://www.greenspun.com/harry/ne0.htm

http://www.ridemotorcycle.com/RoadsR...tml/Roads.html

http://www.mindspring.com/~hume/motorcycle/index.html

http://www.wildguzzi.com/Tips/RidingRoads.htm

If anyone can give me some advice on what I need or need to know for a trip like this it would be helpful.

For this, if Mark doesn't mind, I'd actually recommend the Pashnit Forum, which is highly specific to motorcycle travel and trip planning- ntm over 40,000 photos from motorcycle travelers around the globe.

Also, if you browse some of the thread titles in the Motorcycle Trip Planning forum, you may find the answers to some of your questions there too!

Have fun!!

[Mark Sedenquist]

This is a link to forum thread that the writer made chronically a memorial bike ride he made about his Mom -- wonderful photography and some great comments in the thread. It takes about 10 minutes to read the thread - -but worth it.

Mark

[Foy]

Hello liveinxs,

Being a native of the region I imagine you're aware of travel conditions on the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) and Skyline Drive (SD) at this time of year. In the event you're not, here are some thoughts:

The BRP is some 470 miles in length from Cherokee, NC to Rockfish Gap, VA. I think the SD, which of course begins at Rockfish Gap, is just over 100 miles in length. There is no point where the speed limit is > 45mph and plenty of 35mph and slower speed zones. Add lumbering RVs and understandably slow sightseers to the mix (and of course that's OK--it's why these roadways exist) and you're left with a very slow average travel speed. It would not surprise me to average <30 mph over the length of the BRP + SD, possibly as slow as 25mph if you take in many of the hundreds of pull-outs and short side trips which beacon you.

Also be aware each roadway closes where bad weather is present. No snow and ice removal efforts are expended so whatever section gets snow and ice gets closed temporarily. Some sections around Boone and Blowing Rock, NC (and perhaps other segments) get closed for weeks on end in the dead of winter, although not during your intended timeframe.

And before I forget, look to the BRP website for the detour between Boone and Blowing Rock. The fact is you're just as well getting off northbound at US 321 at Blowing Rock, follow that to Boone, thence US 421 to Deep Gap to get back on the Parkway. That avoids right many miles of detours, which take you to Boone, anyway, just on county roads instead of US 321's 4 lane.

If the trip gets to be more of a handful than you're happy with, by the time you get to, say, Floyd, VA on the BRP, I-81 is but a few miles west. Proximity to I-81 then remains quite close the remainder of the BRP and the whole of the SD, and from Roanoke to the northern terminus of the SD I-81 travels through the Shenandoah Valley, a great drive in and of itself. Admittedly, I-81 bears heavy truck traffic, but look at VA 42 roughly paralleling I-81 just a bit farther west. VA 42 traverses some really beautiful farm country in the Valley and could rate as a Parkway all its own in the Rockbridge, Augusta, and Rockingham county areas. From about the James River crossing, US 29 parallels the BRP and SD to the east and offers faster travel, albeit with urbanized areas at Lynchburg and for a good 10-15 miles in and north of Charlottesville.

From the northern end of the SD, I'd look at taking US 340 through Frederick, MD, to US 15 thence Gettysburg and Harrisburg, PA. At Harrisburg, you can pick up I-81 again and run it through the Poconos all the way to Scranton and I-84. The Poconos are very nice and the entire segment from Harrisburg to Wilkes-Barre and Scranton is scenic and rural. I-84 from Scranton into NY at Newburgh is quite nice and rural, too. It would be a fine route to take if you're headed for that part of Upstate NY or western CT or MA.

Have a safe and enjoyable ride.

Foy

[Mark Sedenquist]

Foy,

Great post -- although I doubt the original thread poster will see it -- I resurrected an old thread so I could post that link above -- but your information is excellent and will warrant some cross navigational linking I reckon on other posts.

Mark

[Foy]

Thanks Mark,

First, I didn't read close enough to realize the vintage of the OP. Then, I failed to realize a SUMMERTIME motorcycle trip was contemplated. That, of course, makes the observations about winter BRP and SD closures a moot point.

If only the OP had been in English, perhaps I'd have better understood it. Of course, it was, so I obviously just completely missed some key points.

Man, getting old can be a bummer sometimes.

Foy

[kevinb1450]

Hey,

I'm a new member here but just saw your post. I do MANY motorcycle trips a year, most are over 4-5000 miles. What specific information are you looking for? Feel free to email me directly.

[Mark Sedenquist]

I'm a new member here but just saw your post. I do MANY motorcycle trips a year, most are over 4-5000 miles.

Lovely to have your expertise, but if you look at the posts above, you'll see that this thread hasn't been active for quite a while.

Mark