Modern Vespa

here are mine-

1.) Overseas Highway, US Route 1, from Homestead to Key West
2.) Mount Evans Scenic Byway from Idaho Springs to Mount Blue
3.) Blue Ridge Parkway

i'm curious what epic rides you have done or would like to do; things you might recommend. I'm looking for inspiration to see more of this great country and create a to-do bucket.

I have done #1 many times from living in SE FL. Best time is during the cool months of winter, early spring, late fall. Also, have done #3 a couple of times since I'm only a few hours away from BRP. I would like to ride Deal's Gap as the Tail of the Dragon can get too crowded/touristy. Then do the Cherohala Skyway while in the area.

Representing the West Coast I'd like to ride from Ventura to Prescott via the 40 then south to Phoenix to visit some relatives. My ultimate would be my normal trip to Cabo San Lucas and back. It's almost 2600 miles round trip from my house. I've heard of people doing it on modern scoots but never on a two stroke.🤔

i would like to do that Baja trip as well.

I know where to get gas, the best places to stay and where to eat. I'm riding down in May again on the motorcycle. While I'm down there I'll taylor a trip for scoots. I prefer crossing at Mexicali instead of Tijuana. It's a safe trip besides all the stuff you here about. Not for beginners but definitely one of the best rides I've ever done. I will definitely let you know when it's planned.

We road through Big Bend National park and the Chicos Mountains to Terrilingua. Tacos and coronas in Terrilingua and back. Some big hills/mountain roads to grind up coming and going but a ridiculously fun ride.

Would like to do the 3 Sisters in TX albeit some of the highway(s) are now 75 mph and tad dangerous for slower scoots. Weekday rides for sure.

https://www.ridetexas.com/the-twisted-sisters/

Damn, that sounds good

Many years ago my good friend and i did a road trip. Me on my stock P200 and him on his fairly stock 2005 PX150. We started in Portland Oregon, rode northwest to Astoria, then rode south on hwy 101 all the way to Eureka California in one day (over 500 miles). Camped in our tents overnight and then rode over to Redding California (to eat in-n-our burgers) and back to Eureka the next day. Camped that night once again in Eureka then went a little bit further south to the Avenue of the Giants, turned back north and the spent two days to ride back to Portland. Absolutely epic riding! I narrowly missed hitting a deer (by about a foot) at 70+mph while coming down a steep mountain range at about 11pm (so well after dark). Not too long after i swapped over to a hydraulic disc brake and a brighter headlight.

I've done the northern fifty miles or so of the Nachez Trace a couple times now and it's a great ride. Just a two lane, 50 MPH road winding through national forest.

Other than park-related stuff like overlooks and trailheads, there are no signs, roads, buildings, or anything else to mess with (no gas stations, either, so bring a can, but that's not really a problem). You can just ride at a scooter-friendly pace until you feel like taking a break.

Few recommendations from the Four Corners states:

US 550 - Million Dollar Highway, Ouray, CO to Durango, CO.

US 191 - old US 666, "Devil's Highway", between Alpine, AZ and Morenci, AZ.

AZ 366 - Swift Trail Junction, AZ to Mt. Graham, AZ

AZ 386 - Pan Tak, AZ to Kitt Peak National Observatory

Mount Lemmon Highway - Tucson, AZ to Summerhaven, AZ

NM 152 - From Santa Clara, NM to Caballo, NM

Utah Scenic 12 - Panguitch, UT to Torrey, UT (the Hogback between Boulder and Escalante is great downhill)

Utah Scenic 95 - Hanksville, UT to Blanding, UT. (first few miles are boring, but it gets good at the SR 276 junction, that's where it dips into Glen Canyon)

Some good rides there indeed Az!

I'd like to ride from Prescott, AZ to Sedona through Jerome on a scooter.

Also:

Hwy 1/101 south from Oregon to the tip of baja, but maybe break it up into smaller trips.

Avenue of the Giants - through the redwoods.

Go to The Dallas, OR and ride 395 south to LA

Yellowstone! Yosemite!, Glacier National parks

Crater Lake, OR

Hwy1 through Washington into Seattle

Just a few I've dreamt about....

Back in 2001 myself and three buddies rode from San Francisco to Cabo San Lucas in the Baja and back. Just about 5,000 miles total. It was an amazing life changing thing.

Steely Dan, what vehicles were you and your buddies riding on your Cabo trip?

3 P200s and an ss 180, built them up before we left. It was pretty amazing, not even a flat tire between the four bikes. Pretty good for some old Italian grocery getters.

Very impressive! I want to take my P down there too. My favorite spots are Bahia de Los Angeles and Mulege. Mulege Brewing Company has some great beer and the best fish tacos.

Mulege is amazing, we ended up staying there for quite a while. Quite an oasis in the desert after trudging through a vast stretch of nothingness.
La Paz was amazing too, they have a university there and at the time ladies out numbered guys 5 to 1 so it was a fun place for some kids in their twenties.

Its a fine line between too fast, too slow, too windy, not curved enough, etc.
Here are the things that I think make a great roads for reasonably tuned scoots. (read something capable of causing 60 comfortably, reaching 70 for short bursts).
My fave:
- Upper end blasting: Divided highway with 2 lanes both directions, big grass between directions.
- Hill country blasting - rolling two lane with low traffic and long up and down slopes through countryside (think ROM)
- Big sweepers: banked climbs and decent with 40-50 MPH sweeping curves and a view (Think Topanga Canyon Ca.)

Rode near Sturgis/ Black hills and found it kind of intimidating. Climbs a little too steep to be doing 60+ MPH with traffic. Down grades that ran too long for a two stroke to be comfortable.

Something about wine country that fits our scoots really nicely.
Did I mention ROM?
🙂

*makes note*

in 38 years of scootering a rally I went on in 2019 from San Diego to Ensenada was my favorite. Here is a write up did San Diego California to Ensenada Mexico

Hibbert you're definitely ready for Cabo.

I feel really fortunate to live in Vermont. It seems like there are infinite roads of all sizes to explore. I have a Vermont atlas that included almost every dirt road, shed and mud puddle. After living here a year, I am still able to find a postcard worthy view that I have never seen before within a 15 minute ride of my house.

I'm actually hoping to do some riding in Nova Scotia, Canada. Went camping there with my boys in the VW bus this past summer. My hope is to mount a motorcycle carrier to my bus and do sections of coastal NS, meeting up with the boys in a campground at the end of the day. My favorite ride are backroad boondocks with no traffic.

Damn, that looks like fun!
If you or anyone else organizes another ride to Ensenada, I would be interested

I'm into cooking meat. I've always wanted to cruise around Texas and try everyone's BBQ. I think the reason it hasn't happened is I'd be a glutinous 🐖 and get a severe case of gout and or a heart attack.

Next will be Miami to Key West but it might take a year or so. Gotta build up to it.

I think Highway 101 from Oregon to southern California could be fun, probably more so on week days.

I would absolutely town down for this! Maybe next February??

MJRally and I have been on 4 or 5 epic rides on some amazing California backroads, including one legendary jaunt from Monterrey down to Santa Monica. Highly recommend. Check out the "Ride Reports".

. Fen 2025 was the date I was mulling over. I'll be 60, what better way to celebrate!

PCH.
I walked, hitched and camped it from LA to San Francisco in 1967 as a teenager from Amherst, Mass. Would love to ride it.
(actually, started that trip from Ensenada.....at the time the farthest south into Mexico I could go without a visa. Or so I was told. Camped on the beach, or cliffside. Got rides with surfer's down from California)

Few months later I was off as a medic to Vietnam....so that road has special memories for me.
O.S.

If you start In Miami, head over to Calle Ocho. Best Cuban food in the state and you will feel like you are in Havana.

Never been there... pretty sure there are only about 6 cities, a big white house, rednecks with orange cars, guns & lots of aliens.

Hoi, what are you talking about guns for? On your side of the ditch all the police staff carry them as standard.

When amenable weather aligns with my days off, I'm going to do Route 66 from Tulsa to Edmonton. Not epic but getting my butt callouses going for better rides.

True, scared the crap out of me when I first shifted over from Hamiltron... but even worse was seeing a security guard with a side arm!

New ride to plan. The Texas Gulf coast. Has anyone rode it?