California ride advice required..

Uhh, there's really not a pleasant way to go from LV to LAX, and avoid the freeways, as you are literally going through Death Valley (desert). A BMW or sport touring bike would be more comfortable (non of it will be FUN, but the weather will be nice).

Click this for the route chosen by g-maps that avoids highways.

http://tinyurl.com/2odyl2

I am not riding a BMW for this!!! How old do you think I am?

Anyway, it looks like I wasn't very clear. My route incorporates this Las Vegas - St Helena (just north of San Fran) - LAX. So, I'll be passing the likes of Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, etc... Really, I'd like to know if there are any must see roads or sites.

Cheers

Ahhh, in that case, make sure you go 'round Lake Tahoe, and enjoy the Sierras. If you were lanning to go straight from LV to LA, you might as well rent a convertible CAR & do it.

OTOH, since you want to ride in the right part of the state, I'll turn you on to this little gem:

http://www.pashnit.com/motoroads.htm




Happy mapping, and remember to take pictures with PEOPLE in them.

Just for the heck of it, you should ride a R1200S. This isn't the Gestapo's BMW.

My 2 cents:

I've done the Vegas to SF route via Death Valley. It's a LONG 1 day ride on a comfy bike and definitely a 2 day ride on a 600RR.

Reasons:
Roads through Death Valley & Yosemite are SH*TE and will beat the crap out of your legs & arms on the 600RR. Unless you get up & out of Vegas at 6am, you'll be going through Yosemite or Highway 50 after sundown & it gets pretty damn cold there. You're going to be fatigued from riding through D.V. and both routes (Highway 120 or Highway 50) are no picnic, either. Imagine roads eaten up by snow/ice/road salt from the winter. That's what you're dealing with. Do yourself a favor- take 2 days, enjoy the scenery. Stop and smell the roses. Err... desert cactus.

From St. Helena to LAX-
I've done this one as well. Again- another opportunity to really enjoy yourself. Highway one is great, but can get exhausting on a sportbike. The 600RR is a great tool for this trip, but you'll enjoy it much more if you're well rested and aren't pushing yourself to make it in one day.

It's really about an 8-10 hour ride if you go down Hwy 1. Wretched interstate 5 is more like 6-7 hours but it's a straight line/smelly cow-farm/boring as hell ride.

For this route, the Pashnit site will really come in handy. There's some great routes through the mountains by San Jose that are considered to be the best by many California riders ( in particular). Keep an eye out for the police, as they know this is a favorite route for motorcycles so they're on the prowl for speeders. Just keep it mellow and you'll be fine. People crash on that stretch a LOT and the local authorities have been urged to do something about it, so they're out in force these days.

Take that route and it will leave you pretty drained. Spend the night in Monterey or Santa Cruz, then take your time getting to LAX via Highway 1.


At least... that's the way I'd do it.

Enjoy the scenery & ride safe!

aannnnnddddd....if your even close to the date you should
check it out.

http://www.redbullusgrandprix.com/#s=home


First year I won't make it to Laguna since back in the US, but I will
be at Indy this year!

Thanks for the input. The Pashnit thing looks pretty good and I have decided to take 4 days (3 nights) to do the route.

My pictures will not have many people cos I'll be riding alone, but I'll see what I can come up with..

Will I have any problems finding fuel? I mean, out on a bike with a modest sized tank, I'm a little concerned that I might be driving for ages looking for a gas station...

MonkeyDuke nailed it. The best road in California is Highway 9 out of San Jose down to Santa Cruz. Don't miss it if you've got the time. I travel up there from my home at least once a year to ride it. I've seen cops up there, but normally there's enough bikes givning you the slow down wave to let you know where they are sitting. Ride it both ways... up and down. It's a blast. Be prepared to pass on double yellow however as it won't be any fun if you get behind a slow moving car. Most of the folks driving up there will actually move over and let you pass, but some won't and you need to be willing to break the law in order to enjoy the ride.

You're coming to America boy, gas stations on every corner. You won't have any problems finding gas. You might have a problem paying for it, but not finding it.

I forgot to add that once you're out of Santa Cruz, you obviously want to ride Highway 1 down the coast to San Luis Obispo and back to 101. Again, be ready to pass on double yellow. I've hardly ever seen cops on that road and ride it as hard as I can.