I'm taken the Harley for its first long trip this Saturday (09/01). I've had it since May and at has about 1200 miles on it. Me and a friend are driving from Spring, Texas to Wichita Falls, Texas, Springer, New Mexico, Parker, Colorado. We'll be spending most of our time in New Mexico riding all the best rally paths. I'm psyched. I bought a windshield, a luggage rack, and a travel bag that I can lean back into. I will have protective gear on. Most of my clothing will get there before me. My motorcycle is in my signature. It's an 07 Dyna Street Bob and has the 96" motor in it. If anyone is ever looking for a great first Harley, this one is perfect. It handles great at slow and fast speeds. Wish me luck. I'll try to post pictures during the week. This should put more than 2500 miles on it.
I was followed home a few weeks ago. I suspected someone was following me and I turned into the street before mine. The guy turned. I pulled in front of a house while it drive around me. As I was heading back the person was still behind me. I freaked out and jumped out of my truck and ran towards the car and then he took off out of the neighborhood. I know it seemed like a crazy thing to do, but I just did it. I needed to take my marriage out on somebody I guess. Keep an eye in the rear view at night. You just never know.
Nope The first day we'll be taking a route similar to this, but we will be avoiding Dallas , rather driving around FW. <iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=Spring,+TX&daddr=Henrietta,+TX&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=31.922255,70.664062&ie=UTF8&om=1&ll=31.94897,-96.80839&spn=3.7316,2.77818&output=embed&s=AARTsJqathOlJOUdTpiP_rmRFw5zvtgTEg"></iframe><br/><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=Spring,+TX&daddr=Henrietta,+TX&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=31.922255,70.664062&ie=UTF8&om=1&ll=31.94897,-96.80839&spn=3.7316,2.77818&source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left;font-size:small">View Larger Map</a> The second day we will be riding to Clayton, NM. We will spend most of the trip riding all the good places between Springer and Santa Fe. Our cabin is in Springer. <iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=Henrietta,+TX&daddr=Clayton,+NM&sll=35.451721,-101.57959&sspn=4.098446,8.833008&ie=UTF8&ll=35.424868,-101.491699&spn=2.6379,4.98839&om=1&output=embed&s=AARTsJoICFYJLteb6-AvOF1YFH7yRRk_gg"></iframe><br/><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=Henrietta,+TX&daddr=Clayton,+NM&sll=35.451721,-101.57959&sspn=4.098446,8.833008&ie=UTF8&ll=35.424868,-101.491699&spn=2.6379,4.98839&om=1&source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left;font-size:small">View Larger Map</a> We will then shoot up 25 and visit my sister in Parker, CO and ride up in the mountains west of Denver. <iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=Springer,+NM&daddr=Denver,+CO&sll=35.128894,-100.689697&sspn=4.114809,8.833008&ie=UTF8&ll=35.137879,-100.700684&spn=3.38892,0.59149&om=1&output=embed&s=AARTsJraxZUrN2XHLeLlx_zRNxVXBQ7VzQ"></iframe><br/><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=Springer,+NM&daddr=Denver,+CO&sll=35.128894,-100.689697&sspn=4.114809,8.833008&ie=UTF8&ll=35.137879,-100.700684&spn=3.38892,0.59149&om=1&source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left;font-size:small">View Larger Map</a>
Denton to Amarillo is a nice little ride. There is a rest area somewhere in the middle of that route that is simply top notch.
I took my first real road trip last September through Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma. I had a blast. Find some twisties and scrape the peg-feelers off that Harley. I don't want any chicken strips when you get back.
what's nice about it? I'll give you that rest area. there are actually two rest areas about 100 miles apart closer to Amarillo....both are quite nice, but otherwise, nothing special about that ride. i just did your trip in reverse from Boulder back to Houston last week. granted, I don't know how much time you have, and since its your first ride, how fast/slow you want to take it. but my advise would be to do more the first day, and that way you can move soem of the later parts of the trip to raods/towns with real great scenery (i.e. - NM / Colorado). You should be able to do Houston to Clayton in a day, no problem. Just have to leave around 6 am. You might even be able to do Houston to Springer/Raton, though there'd be some riding at night, which doesn't seem as safe. Then, if you have some more time available, you could take the next few days going through NM. Springer over through Angel Fire, Taos and up towards Chama. Then up towards Pagosa Springs and through the San Juans of southern Colorado...up to Gunnison or Salida, Leadville or Aspen or Breckenridge...then take 70 over to Parker. Just some thoughts. And you'd have to have the extra time. But even I-25, though enormously "prettier" than I-45, is really just a highway along the front range, so good views on your left, but other than a few parts in northern NM/southern Colorado (Raton, Trinidad, Walsenburg), it's not all that mountainous driving. oh...you could cut up to Canon City, CO at some point and see Royal Gorge.
That's where they had the first bungee jump. It was on the tv show Real People. I went there as a kid around 1980 and got my picture next to the sign that commemorated the spot.
I am back from the trip. It was such a great experience. I hope hope others have the opportunity to do this. I put 2800 miles on my motorcycle. I drove through rain, heavy wind and even hail up in the mountains. I saw places in New Mexico that were truly a gift from God. The weather for the most part was darn near perfect. I learned so much, I know it has helped my riding. I took these pictures while riding my motorcycle with a disposable camera. I managed to get a few decent ones. I hope you enjoy them. This picture was taken on the way to Eagle Nest, NM. <a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/9540/rideeaglenestsy2.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us"/></a><br/> This was taken from a gas station in Eagle Nest, NM. <a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/299/rideeaglenesttownoq8.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us"/></a><br/> This was taken on a very nerve racking 2 mile dirt road leaving Idahawk, NM. <a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/3649/rideidahawkdirtroadej8.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us"/></a><br/> This was taken after we had to pull over because of hail in the mountains. Very slippery. It was like riding on marbles. <a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/4263/ridejemezspringshailvh2.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us"/></a><br/> This was taken in the town of Red River, NM. I was riding behind my friend Bob. <a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/9995/rideredriverdf6.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us"/></a><br/> This was taken in front of the Echo Amphitheatre in Rio Arriba, NM. <a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/935/riderioarribaechoamphitsu8.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us"/></a><br/><a href="http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=503&i=riderioarribaechoamphitsu8.jpg"><img src="http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/935/riderioarribaechoamphitsu8.bb8cf72e31.jpg" border="0"></a> And finally, this was taken while crossing the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge in Taos, NM. <a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/1848/triptoasbobmebridgenn4.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us"/></a><br/>
u should keep two hands on the bike. If I was a cop, I'd mail you a ticket....to your clutchfans address of course.
That's beautiful, man. I'm itching for a good ride. P.S. The trick to riding on dirt roads? Stand up on your pegs. (You didn't move them too far forward did you?)
I was going pretty slow in that picture. You would have loved seeing me going 75 with no hands, putting my gloves on. Motorcycles naturally want to stay straight. I had to lock the throttle first though. Varying speeds is not good without hands.
