Illinois to New Mexico

[braq attack]

I've had one priority on my mind for the last month or so. That is to ride my gs850 from my home town here in IL to my summer job in northern NM. I gotta be there on the 17th of may so every day it becomes more of a priority to get this bike road ready. it runs and I've just finished bringing the carbs back to life after finding them full of gunk.

the main things that it still needs is a new front brake master cylinder and an air filter. i have a shirt stuffed in the air box that keeps it running smooth. I did take it for a spin the other day and she actually runs quite nice. I still need to get my licence and a decently long day trip or two under my belt before I'm ready to go.

So I just wanna touch base with the people here about what advice you might have. I plan on camping 2 nights on the road. heres a map of my two route options

the Colorado option



the Oklahoma/Texas route





I like the OK/TX option more since ive never been in those states. that route literally just skims the north west corner of Texas. So what do you guys think? every day I think about this and get excited about it. I'm itching to get back on it but the other day the petcock seal went bust and all the gas leaked out. Ive got another one on order. as soon as its here I can get more practice in and get ready to test for a licence.

[850GT_Rider]

I admire your bravado. That would be a challenging ride for an experienced rider, with enough of a budget to get everything on the bike in tip-top shape. If you're struggling to afford an air filter, what else are you skimping on?

DO try to get a proper air filter installed, and all air leaks fixed, BEFORE setting up the carbs.

Without the proper preparations, choosing which route to take is like choosing between two different deck chairs as you board the Titanic.....

Good Luck!

[wkmpt]

End of last summer, I rode Cedar City (WAY south) Utah to Chicago. I used the 'Colorado' route you mentioned. It was really cool. Granted, the bike I was riding was in tip top shape, so I had no anxiety there.

My only suggestion, other than making sure your bike it 100% good to go, would be to make sure you leave yourself extra time (1/2 to 3/4 of a day or more) to get there. I dunno if you've spent much time in the saddle, but riding a motorcycle is very different than in a cage (duh) and can take more time as well.

Oh, and stay hydrated. You lose a lot more fluid than you think on a motorcycle.

[SqDancerLynn1]

Watch Kansas, their construction zones are radar enforced speed traps

[FLHGSRay]

I think if I didn't have a running bike or a license, and only 15 days to get there, I'd throw my tent in the car and leave now. Throw in the towel. But when I was younger, I'd have tried to pull it off just as you are. Go borrow another bike to test on. You'll never get it done if you wait around.

[tkent02]

I wouldn't even bother with that ride if I didn't have several days to enjoy the back roads.

Interstate travel on a bike is for the birds, or those Iron Ass idiots.

[Mattias44]

Got a fairing on the 850? I don't like riding mine on the interstate either. Anything over 60 is just too taxing on the hands/arms, and I'm 26 years old, 6'2" 195lbs, and lift weights 3-4 times/week.

One of these days I'm going to do a bike camping road trip, but I can tell you the travel will be state highways or slower.

[FLHGSRay]

Here's an idea. Trailer the bike to NM and work on it over the summer. You're welcome.