Andy says; Planning the ride west from the TTD event in Stecoah, NC went through a number of iterations based on prior experience and input from riders on the K1600 forum.
We wanted to keep the daily mileage in the 300–500-mile range in order to meet deadlines for when Damian and Brendan’s return flight to Australia, from Los Angeles leaves. As much as possible we wanted to avoid the Interstate Highways and take in the best motorcycle roads.
Most of this was based on our prior riding experiences but the Butler maps were also a valuable resource. As we would be riding in May only a few of the southern routes across the Rockies could be assured to be open. Although the emphasis was on the ride, we also wanted to visit as many iconic US locations and National Parks as possible.
We also planned rest days to allow for maintenance and any tire changes. From North Carolina to Arizona, I plotted the route in Basecamp, breaking it up into daily segments so we could transfer it into the GPS on each bike. Google Maps was used to share the route in advance with Damian and Brendan in Australia so they could review each day. I also published the route on the K1600 forum to encourage suggestions and allow any other riders to join the group for one or more days.
I also setup a SpotWalla page so interested people could follow the progress of the ride.
From Arizona to the California coast, John Parry took the lead in planning that route because of his extensive experience with best motorcycle roads in that part of the country.
This was the planned ride across America
Follow the Actual Ride on SpotWalla
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