Can some of you guys give me some tips on planning some rides for this summer. Its easy to rides interstates, but that sucks. How do you find those great little roads that stick in your mind?

 

I refer to this web site for one.
http://www.motorcycleroads.com/

I also have bought maps from MadMaps and also America Rides Maps.
http://www.madmaps.com/roadtrips/categories/
http://www.americaridesmaps.com/

 

Are you serious? Bud, I ride 1200 miles just to be in your area, NC anyway. I loved the BRP, Cherohala Skyway and Tail of the Dragon. You got great riding areas right in your own backyard down there. Just follow the road and get lost. I'm planning a return trip this summer.

You can always try this http://www.motorcycleroads.us/index.html. I don't think it is the same link as posted above.

 

I study Google Maps a lot. It's not hard to pick out the roads that are likely to be pretty good motorcycle routes. If I have a destination, I will enter the starting and end points and select "avoid highways." This keeps me away from interstates. The Harley Road Atlas (2008) is also a good resource. It highlights all scenic routes and also features several rides in different parts of the country. It also lists all the dealers in each state which is nice, although that might have changed some since 2008.

I have looked at motorcycleroads.com but I've found that there is a lot of crap on there. Anyone can get on there and list a route as being great for motorcycles, and I've ridden a couple of the routes and found them to be a complete waste of time.

 

ask here-
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/road-trips-23/

once you have a general idea what part of the world you want to be in- someone on these forums can 'tell you where to go"

Mike

 

Pick a destination or two or three. Look at a map. Pick some off the beaten path roads, and some routes that can be taken in case time or weather become a factor. Don't be afraid to take roads you know nothing about. Exploring is half the fun. Some time you find a gem sometimes your riding on a crappy road. I've found that when I've picked the later, my riding partners don't seem to care. It's all about spending some time on the road exploring with you friends.

 

I still use the Harley-Davidson Ride Planner to plan my trips and link to gps.

 

Open google maps.

Pick an area you want to ride in.

Do a search for restaurants, find one that isn't a chain and looks good.

Ride there using a paper map or your eyes. Throw out the GPS.

It works even better if you use the place as a meeting point for friends coming from different locations.

 

Simple, pick a direction and follow your front wheel. Hasn't failed me in 30+years.

 

What he said, just go get lost. Works for me.