usa tour with girlfriend.

ok guys as I see a lot of you guys are from usa, well me and the girlfriend we are in the uk by the way , are thinking of doing a usa tour so I was interested in any advice on bike hire etc , I don't want to rent a Harley or cruiser type thing I just don't like them , im looking more for a big adventure style like a bmw gs or similar , is it worth hiring a bike or would it be cheaper to buy one there then sell it, ive seen hire for about $4000 for 28 days , any advice welcome.

You can pick up a well-farkled used KLR 650 for the money you're talking about. I have one and wouldn't think twice about taking it cross-country.

As far as rentals go, most of them want you to return them to the original pick-up location. Are you riding cross county and back again?

Google Colorado or Utah motorcycle rentals. Fly into Denver or Salt Lake City. Then ride thru Colorado and Southern Utah for sure. If you've got 28 days then add the Grand Canyon or head up from Colorado thru Wyoming into Montana. You will will not find more spectacular scenery anywhere.

And yes, you can rent large bikes other than Harleys.

Though I should say, Harleys are the easiest to find and you can sometimes rent them in one place and drop them off at another which would help you maximize you opportunities.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Of course, If you do rent a Harley your girlfriend will be expected to lift her shirt when you pass truck stops. Just FYI.

Also, when you're in Arizona, don't mention the recent shootout between the Loose Cannons and the Devil's Disciples--it's too soon.

Have fun!

On a more serious note, you HAVE to ride through Zion's National Park. The highway is cut into the red rock cliff face. The views are ridiculous. When you are there, take the 3 hour "Angel's Landing" hike. I've never known a single person to have done this who didn't agree it was better than the Grand Canyon.

Also, if you happen into Arizona (which won't happen by accident--these are BIG places) you need to take a break and hike through the Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Sure, it's a long hot ride to Carlsbad, but it's always nice and cool in the caverns. Leave yourself at least 5 hours of hike time. The entire hike is underground--it's like hiking through a gigantic cathedral. it's also better than the Grand Canyon.

Trust me, I'm FROM Utah and I've lived all around the West. These are my two favorite places.

id like to visit the perimeter of groom lake and go to roswell and route 1 in California, hope its all possible in 28 days .

Get a bimmer.
Looks like you can pick up in one city and drop off in another.

http://www.eaglerider.com/bmw-motorcycle-rental.aspx

I'm an EagleRider dealer. I have a brand new (less than 250 miles) Super Tenere that I could probably let you have for 28 days for $4000....perhaps less, let's talk.
Unlimited mileage, OE Yamaha hard bags, new 2013, flat grey.

I am 10 minutes from CMH International (somewhat) airport, I'll come pick you guys up.

You could head straight south, do WV KY TN AR TX AZ CA then loop up and hit some cool stuff before heading back east.....You could make an EPIC loop in 28 days!

Let me know if you are interested.

scott@ironpony.com

Rusty Shovel wrote:

Also, if you happen into Arizona (which won't happen by accident--these are BIG places) you need to take a break and hike through the Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

Uh, Carlsbad Caverns N.P. is in New Mexico.

grw800 wrote:

Uh, Carlsbad Caverns N.P. is in New Mexico.

Whoops.

It was late when I wrote that.

My suggestion stands. The Carlsbad Caverns are amazing. You won't regret going, even if forget what state it was in.

The first ride on my VTX felt like I was trying to ride a tippy school bus with a foot position that would break my legs or eject me if I put my feet down at anything more than a dead stop. Then I went around a corner and scraped the pegs at what felt like slow (tight low speed corners are the worst on em). In other words, if you've never ridden a cruiser before I think you should acquaint yourself with it before taking off cross country.

oic0 wrote:

The first ride on my VTX felt like I was trying to ride a tippy school bus with a foot position that would break my legs or eject me if I put my feet down at anything more than a dead stop. Then I went around a corner and scraped the pegs at what felt like slow (tight low speed corners are the worst on em). In other words, if you've never ridden a cruiser before I think you should acquaint yourself with it before taking off cross country.

mate if you read the post you can see I said I don't want a cruiser, im looking at adventure type bikes, also after looking more online im amazed at how cheap it is to rent a car its under half the price of a bike.

flydnd -

gatorfan has it right, hit Colorado then loop out from there (here). You could spend 28 days in Colorado and been blown away but I have to say south/central Utah is also spectacular. Grand Canyon... of course!

http://www.houseofmotorrad.com

These folks are in Boulder, Colorado. 40 minutes from DIA (Denver airport). Boulder is beautiful and a perfect spot to jump out of - south, west or north - any of those directions and you wont be disappointed. They also will deliver the bike to you at the airport for $40. Follow the "Our Motorcycles" link for pricing.

I'm happy to give you information on local and area rides as well as places in Utah. Depending on your budget, camping is relatively cheap and easy out west (though certain areas during peak tourist periods can be all booked up - these are best avoided anyway)

Good luck!