Best resources for planning a long distance tour

[bmwr1150rbmw]

Hey Folks, I'm planning a two week ride from the northeast, around the great lakes, into the Dakotas, Montana, then south through Wyoming, and then will turn east in Colorado toward home through Kansas and Virginia etc... I was wondering if there are any good websites to help plan a route that is off the freeway and good for motorcycles. FYI: I also plan to camp most nights. Thanks!

[towerworker]

If you make it thru Va---up Interstate 81 or so near Staunton Va----give a yell---coffee's on me! 540-294-3325

Wayne
04r

[RForestR]

Have you had a look at yahoo maps?
Little slow sometimes, but you can 'drag' your route off the interstates and onto the secondary roads.

Also, may want to check out this site:

http://www.harley-davidson.com/rideplanner

The folks in milwaukee have gone to great lengths to help in route planning with motorcycle emphasis.

Of course, there's always the best method... follow the squiggly lines on the map!

Best,
Chris

[brem]

I think this sort of thing is what you're looking for:

http://www.motorcycleroads.us/

A friend and I used it to locate Highway 421 from Lexington KY to Boone, NC that was damned excellent. I've also had a look at some of its recommendations in Idaho and Montana that I know are good and it's pretty accurate.

Safe trip.

[Biff's R]

If you are a member of AAA, get a couple of maps. I have the AAA Plus account(free maps), and use their website, and the paper maps. Get state maps for the states you plan to visit, and a larger regional map to keep everything in perspective.

Use the big map to pick your main points of interest, and then go to the state maps to find the nice roads. One option is to pick 3 places, and then explore out from them. Areas like Marietta, OH, or Marlinton, WV, or Marion, VA are good places to set up camp, and explore the local areas.

[Capt. Blackadder]

Check out Rider Resources on the AMA website and have a great trip!

[Ves]

Honestly... all the above sites aren't worth beans. The HD site and Yahoo are OK but dragging waypoints on their map you're never sure what you're going to get until you drop it. The best place to map a route is on Google maps. You can look at the map view and the satallite view and when you drag around waypoints on the map it shows you exactly where the line will drop, and it's relatively fast.

When it comes to camping, I use a combination of state or commercial web sites, like http://www.reserveamerica.com, and I also carry and atlas which shows state campgrounds on it... for those last minute route changes.

My GPS has a "scenic" "motorcycle" setting. But I'm never happy with the route it picks, so I just build it myself in google maps. But sometimes the route it pics is a good starting point. I find the GPS worthless for route planning because it's either not showing me enough area with enough detail or a small area with too much detail.

A lot of the routes I build have lots of waypoints (turns) so that's the purpose of the GPS. Program it in and go.

Have fun...

[orangeclocker]

Check out sites for the Lake Superior (and other Great Lakes) Circle Tour. You'll want to have your spots picked out when on the Canadian side of Lake Superior - Some of the campgrounds up there don't have places to eat near them...pack some food.

Bring some good maps but forget the GPS. Locals are the best way to find out where to go. I rode 6,089 miles (the last 89 were the hardest...wanted to keep going!!) over 26 days from MN to CA and back to MN with one crappy map and a compass. I relied on locals whenever I needed to find someplace good to camp or eat and was able to go the whole time without staying in a hotel room. Oh yeah, make sure to hit up family or old friends that live near your route for a place to crash - they love that.

Motorcycling is about the journey and you'll have more fun if the trip is unplanned for the most part. Enjoy!