Posted: 8/4/2011 7:01:28 PM EDT
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I'm thinking about taking a road trip, up to Oregon, on my motorcycle. I'd like to go through Vegas, up 95, to Reno, and then on to OR.
How bad am I gonna roast taking 95 from Vegas, through Tonopah, and then to Reno? I'm thinking if I leave Phoenix early enough, I could be to Vegas by 0900 or 1000 at the latest. The trip through the desert has me a little worried. |
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I think you should be fine. Highs in Vegas look to be low triple digits but keep in mind that the heat of the day hits in late afternoon so if you are coming through Vegas in the morning it shouldn't be too bad.
Tonopah is up at 6,000 ft so it tends to be a little cooler. Reno has been beautiful lately with highs in the upper 80's and low 90's. If the wind isn't too bad, you should have a great ride. |
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Quoted:
I think you should be fine. Highs in Vegas look to be low triple digits but keep in mind that the heat of the day hits in late afternoon so if you are coming through Vegas in the morning it shouldn't be too bad. Tonopah is up at 6,000 ft so it tends to be a little cooler. Reno has been beautiful lately with highs in the upper 80's and low 90's. If the wind isn't too bad, you should have a great ride. Thanks, that's what I was looking for. Any idea what the speed limit is along that stretch of road? I'll be on my ZX12, so the higher, the better! |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
I think you should be fine. Highs in Vegas look to be low triple digits but keep in mind that the heat of the day hits in late afternoon so if you are coming through Vegas in the morning it shouldn't be too bad. Tonopah is up at 6,000 ft so it tends to be a little cooler. Reno has been beautiful lately with highs in the upper 80's and low 90's. If the wind isn't too bad, you should have a great ride. Thanks, that's what I was looking for. Any idea what the speed limit is along that stretch of road? I'll be on my ZX12, so the higher, the better! 70 MPH the whole way except for in certain sections, towns, passes, etc. |
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I just did 200 miles at about 3-6 pm last month, it was in the 110's. Drink plenty of water, you'll be fine. Not pleasant, but do-able.
When you hit the Mt Charleston exit (near the prison), do that loop, there is a nice lodge up there that is great for a bite to eat and a beverage. Not to mention a few nice twisties. Also, if you want a quick detour, head up the 15 to Valley of Fire. The limit is 75 there, and if you take the lake mead road, it's wide open spaces with fresh pavement. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
I think you should be fine. Highs in Vegas look to be low triple digits but keep in mind that the heat of the day hits in late afternoon so if you are coming through Vegas in the morning it shouldn't be too bad. Tonopah is up at 6,000 ft so it tends to be a little cooler. Reno has been beautiful lately with highs in the upper 80's and low 90's. If the wind isn't too bad, you should have a great ride. Thanks, that's what I was looking for. Any idea what the speed limit is along that stretch of road? I'll be on my ZX12, so the higher, the better! We just did a trip from Reno to Vegas and back recently and there was a lot of repaving going on on 95. Depending on the day of the week you are traveling on, you may have to stop for flaggers/pilot trucks a few times on the way as well. |
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at the speed limit with 2 fuel/ restroom stops it takes 8 hrs to drive from Las Vegas to Reno, so planning fuel stops is a must. just North of Hawthorne you can split and take 1 of 3 ways into Reno.....95, alt. 95, and alt. 95/ 50 through Carson City. it depends what part of town you want to see first or stop in.
advntrjnky |
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Hey Kev: One small piece of advice...........after you pass Walker Lake, be a bit careful with your speed. You'll be coming up on the town of Schurz, which is in "The REZ". Nothing them boys down that way like better than catchin' a white boy speeding through their little "non exempt" berg on a bike. I don't think they even have a real cop car down there, just a shitty old Ford pick-up with a flashing red light on the dash. Just a thought Pal,......... take it for what it's worth. |
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what gear are you wearing?
bare skin or mesh will be bad. ballistic nylon riding gear with vents will be better. FrogToggs makes a towel that you soak in water and it evaporates quickly from... so if you have that under your jacket witht he vents open it'll make a swamp cooler like effect. there are also cooling vests available. a Camelbak or similar would be highly recommended. perhapps one for warter and one for diluted gatorade or other electrolyte replacement. a few years ago my Jeep got wrecked and was in the shop for weeks... so i was commuting on my KLR. commute was 15 miles each way and i'd drink and fill up my Camelbak before i left. the 2L hi-viz camelbak was empty 2/3 of the way home every day in august. at least a Camelbak will let you drink while wearing a full face lid without stopping, taking the helmet off, etc. you need to be able to fix flat tires, broken clutch cables, and other stuff like that. some kind of plug kit and compressor would be wotth their weight in gold if oyu needed them, and while it's not the kind of thing you need ofetn on a stret bike, when you need it nothing else will do. check out www.advrider.com for all knids of good info. |
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I would recommend against taking 95 at night, especially on a bike. The critters you never see in the daytime are all out in the road once the sun goes down. Having broadsided a yote at 70 with 80,000 lbs on my side was quite an experience. About 4k in damage, too. I don't wanna think about the consequences of a 500 lb bike + 200 lb rider vs anything bigger than a cigarette butt. It's a scenic and interesting trip, though. I'd try to hit it as early as possible, maybe the crack o' dawn. And do be careful around Walker Lake & Shurz. Reno toward Susanville is nice. If you can, take the turnoff before S'ville and go through Alturas up to K Falls. Very nice scenery. |