Modern Vespa

We have been in the Phoenix area for almost a month. We are here because this is where our daughter and son-in-law live... we volunteer in her classroom (they are both teachers) when she needs us. Also, my friend and music partner lives in another part of Phoenix, and he and I have been making music and recording. Fortunately, his wife and my wife both enjoy quilting, so they have been working on projects while my buddy and I make music.

It hasn't left a lot of time for riding. We get out for a couple hours here and there, but today was all about riding. We found a road that looked promising on "Arizona Motorcycle Roads" - here's a link to our day, in search of curves and desert scenery...

https://captnjim.blogspot.com/2020/02/desert-scenery.html

And a preview...

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hqQ7uHn6Vhs/XkyV-UBeeKI/AAAAAAAAuyQ/es7_q1lroscckU4U7cP89Od8gdAYRs_CACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/24Curve.jpg" alt="External inline image provided by member with no explanatory text">

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VmSfb_6PHHQ/XkyV-9VC2sI/AAAAAAAAuyY/HPq3DFgsBCkURdIzSbmh8BHZLQ4uVzN_gCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/23Saguaro.jpg" alt="External inline image provided by member with no explanatory text">

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_EeM1QqzoGI/XkyWH_biwXI/AAAAAAAAuyk/fRfr7Co9vAA5dw0MAhWNHrU2KJmTP9H_wCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/27JoanCurve.jpg" alt="External inline image provided by member with no explanatory text">

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kISuW0fcb1E/XkyW80vooJI/AAAAAAAAuzI/JCUu1pe83pojHKiLMyYhyg88qjmX5gi9ACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/31DesertScenery.jpg" alt="External inline image provided by member with no explanatory text">

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MCLjrHoRQyQ/XkyX8U5jj8I/AAAAAAAAu0A/pkKdLCBapbI4WwdQ7C2YZs_WIa4mcoRSwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/38Jim.jpg" alt="External inline image provided by member with no explanatory text">

A beautiful day: mid-70s and sunny.

Arizona has hundreds of miles of good riding, just not much around Phoenix. For a quick ride there is South Mountain, on S Central Ave. For a longer ride (and straight roads to get there) try the road to Tortilla flat.

Or, take 93 out of Wickenburg to AZ89 north. After a bit you have nice riding all the way to Flagstaff.

I recommend 60 east towards Globe. Follow 60 east through Superior and Miami. In Globe, turn south on 77 and enjoy Pinal Pass before hitting Winkelman. You'll know it by the Hayden Smelter Stack. You'll intersect 177, which will swing you back northwest through Hayden, Kearney, Kelvin and back up to US 60 in Superior.

There are services at Superior, Globe and Winkelman, so it's not a rough ride, unless you wait until mid-summer. The Burger House in Miami is a good stop for the "eat" part of the ride.

What is the quality of the roads in this area? I can't imagine you have tons of potholes.

... i dream of driving along Route 66 with my little tri thing ...

You might be surprised. I have an old picture someplace of my P200 stopped in front of a pothole that was larger than the whole bike and about 5" deep. While that is an extreme case, we do see a lot of erosion. Many older roads are riddled with tar snakes and many of the major streets on the south side of town show to damage one would expect from frost heaves. Having good roads in your area seems to be a very politically motivated thing in Tucson, but seeing how taboo the subject is, I'll leave it at that.

For the most part, the riding surface is good but keep a weather eye on the road surface, especially the farther you go out into the county.

I wish I could tell you the "Mother Road" is in great shape, but there are a lot of gaps in Route 66 these days, especially in the Southwest.

While there is a certain romance to the idea of cruising through the desert on Route 66, that feeling is quickly offset when you crest a rise in the road and find that the pavement fails in 200ft (61m) and there's an arroyo full of boulders in front of you. You're better off taking Interstate 40 from city to city and exploring the preserved sections in and around each city.

... even the historical tracks are disappearing from you ..?

Atillo,

Check out this site for more information on the topic at hand: https://www.drivingroute66.com/how-much-of-route-66-is-still-drivable/

Thanks. If you open this link in Google Chrome and use the translator you will find it iteressante, the ancient Via Appia is 6 km from my house.

https://www.romasegreta.it/rubriche/via-appia-antica/itinerario-sull-appia-antica.html

Thanks. If you open this link in Google Chrome and use the translator you will find it interesting, the ancient Via Appia is 6 km from my house.

https://www.romasegreta.it/rubriche/via-appia-antica/itinerario-sull-appia-antica.html

The bridge on the Via Appia that you will see in the video that I put, is more than 2000 years old and is still traversed by traffic of cars and trucks.

Those roads look like a lot of fun. And the desert so beautiful!

Do you ever get anxious about running out of gas riding through the desert?

I can't speak for Captain Jim, but in Arizona, your chances of finding fuel are much better in the proximity of a highway. If you're going off in search of small towns, I wouldn't recommend leaving without 100 miles of range in your tank or without carrying a fuel bottle.

My P200 would go about 75 miles on a tank, including reserve. Until recently, I wouldn't have been able to ride it to Las Cruces, NM because a critical fuel stop went out of business. There's a new station out there now, thankfully.

That ^^ My GTS 250 has me considering fuel at 125 to 140 miles; rarely takes more than 1.6 gal. I have run 160+ miles before the fuel light comes on. My mileage is speed and headwind dependent, ranging from 70mpg to 85mpg. When in doubt, top off the tank.

Or make it a loop. Turn NW onto 177 and end up back in Superior. I have driven this several times (car). Lots of bikers like this loop.