Hey Michigan riders.  (Ontario, Ohio and Indianna riders included as well.)  We've virtually met and chatted in the S.E. Michigan anyone? thread.  But I've yet to see any planning thread to have a meeting and ride some interesting place.

So here it is.  We need two things; a DATE and PLACE to meet and a ROUTE to ride.  (Okay, that's really three things.)

First -- the DATE.  I propose a Saturday -- August 12th to be exact.  Far enough out there to allow some discussion.  May not work for everyone so that's where the counter-proposals start.

Second -- the PLACE.  Best place to meet in the late morning I've found is a Donut or Coffee shop.  Of course, it's also dependent upon the route.

Third -- the ROUTE.  I'm all for ideas.  The best areas tend to be where there are hills or rivers.  Bonus if there are hills AND rivers. 

The best areas I know are red circled below:



But this is where personal experience comes in.  If anyone has a favourite route, please nominate.  As a guide I'd suggest these constraints:

• Within 90 minutes (60 miles) of riding to the start by most or all attendees. 
• The route should be rideable in 2 hours or less.
• The route should start at the meeting place, and complete at another rest area for final chatting, bio break and riding home.
• Riding home shouldn't be a whole lot farther than getting to the meeting location in the first place.

The days are getting shorter.  It would be great to meet some locals and chat about our bikes, ambitions and motorcycling in general.  So, what do ya say?  Wanna get together?  Here's your chance to plan something.

ride into canada 

I would be interested in coming up if you guys did something around the Lansing/Detriot area and if str8racin would let me spend the night.

I'm totally down for this. I'm in Alma again so I'm pretty much in the middle of the lower penisula. I also have a realatively large house to myself for anybody the might need a place to crash (AJ  ). I have been tentatively planning a camping trip the weekend of Aug 12th, but it's something that isn't a big deal if I miss. I am open every weekend between July 22 and Aug 5th tho. As to where we go I really don't care, I've heard that up north and the west side of the sate have nice scenery. That's about I'll I've got for now.

i live in west mi thats why it has the best riding.   along the west shore there is alot of cool roads.    but i think im up for just about any thing.   see y'all.

Up 22 to and around the Leelanau Peninsula is a kick-ass road, along Sleeping Bear Dunes.  Unfortunately it's a long haul for those in the lower latitudes of the state.

There's some interesting character to the roads between Big Rapids and Ludington, and also between Mason, Pinckney and Whitmore Lake.

Been up in the Au Sable area a few weeks back.  Nice roads but a long haul.

Anybody have any preferences, or some ideas of their own.  Time to break out the Microsoft Streets and Trips and look for curvey roads.   

I'm down for meeting in Lansing.  And thank you redshift  for finally getting some interest.  I know a few of you that came into the S.E. post seen my private messages and posts to try to get somehting going here.  I really hope we can get something really cool going. 

Few questions...

1. is it gonna be a one day ride?
2. if anyone is up for a BBq im sure my parents would be more then happy to host plus im located in howell decent riding area.
3. what is evryones tolerance for distance? (me personally i rode 300 mi in one day..total.. and that was about all i could handle.

I think that is about it for now...umm Well I didint get a chance to meet him personally or chat with him on here but it might be an nice idea for a rich memorial ride for those who did know him..just a thought and to show our support in GStwin fasion. 

1. My thoughts were to have a one-day ride.  I figure this would be a "get to know ya" event, so it would be best to meet and chat, then enjoy the roads local to the meeting location.

2. Very kind of you for the BBQ idea.  Although I'd have to get back to my family, others may be available.  Remember that it's dark by 10:00 pm.

3. Good point.  Not everyone has the stamina for for a 300 mile day.  If anyone has a hesitation for distance, please speak up and we'll try to take it into consideration in route planning.

You can be assured that those that have been here for some time will have Rich in our thoughts.  It would be a nice idea that we acknowledge his memory before the ride.

Quote from: st8racin on July 05, 2006, 05:10:07 PM
... I am open every weekend between July 22 and Aug 5th tho. As to where we go I really don't care, I've heard that up north and the west side of the sate have nice scenery. That's about I'll I've got for now.

I can probably offer July 29th and August 26th as alternatives.  Unfortunately I can't make weekends of July 23rd, August 5th or 19th unless I get a lawyer. 

Lots of interesting placed we could go.  We can even ride through Hell if anyone is interested.  Never been there myself, but would be interesting to be able say I'd been to Hell and back on my GS500. 

Hell is actually about 15mins from my house.  My house is about 2 miles off of m106 beautiful road.  I didint realize how cool it really was untill I rode down to MIS from my house.  Even in a car it was enjoyable.  I'm sure my gf got sick of me saying "man i wish i had my bike right now" 

  But m106 to M52 all the way down to irish hills, very cool trip.  Plus hell is only 5 mi from the 106 - 52 junction.

Oh and possibly hit 12 down there too.  st8racin would know how nice the area really is being its right near MIS.

Yup some nice roads down around MIS. When I went down there last month I was wishing I rode instead of drove. I think my vote goes to riding in that area since we might be able to get a few out of state ppl up to ride with us then.

I'm detecting a preference with you two.  (Per my original map, it's the lower right circled area.)

I've spent the last half hour looking at this area of Michigan:



There are a rats nest of roads in here, and almost none of them are straight for more than a mile or two.    Take for instance SR36, or North Territorial Road, anything that goes east - west really.  If we could plan a route that does a circle in the heart of this area, I'd say we have ourselves a ride.

Since Silverback and St8racin are locals, do either of you have some idea of places to meet, and preferences for roads to take.  Post some information (road names, directions, etc) and I'll plug it into MS Streets & Trips and post the results.

Dexter Trail from Mason to Stockbridge is an awesome road. I have no idea where it is on that map but it's a good road to ride. I pretty much always saw other riders out on it when I would take it. It runs right into 52 so it leads to other possibilites.

Sarah, I found the Dexter Trail in Streets & Trips. (I'll post an update to the map above with that road highlighted.)  Up close it seems there can't be more than a mile of straight section in the whole stretch from Mason to Stockbridge!!

I'm thinking there may be a way to continue from Stockbridge to perhaps to Dexter, then up to Brighton, then head south-east down towards Pinckney, on towards Jackson, then back up to Mason-Lansing -- in a Figure 8 pattern.  The roads don't seem to naturally go south-east, but maybe zig-zagging is where the fun is.

Will have to noodle on possible paths with Streets & Trips and get back to you all.

this all sounds good to me, im good for 300+mi's  see y'all

so who is up for august 12th for a tentative day?

perhaps a alternate day incase of rain?

rain sucks....

Okay, so here's what I've come up with:



The trip starts & ends in Mason.  We pick up the Dexter Trail (2) and meander to Stockbridge (3).  Pick up North Territorial Road (4)to Dexter (5).  Head up to Brighton (6), then left to Pinckney (7), through Hell ( to Gregory (9).  Through Stockbridge again to Pleasant Lake (10), then back up through Bunker Hill to pick up the Dexter Trail and back to Mason.

Streets & Trips says 120 miles and three hours (without stops).  I suspect we'll stop in Dexter or Brighton, then in Mason.

Too much?  Not enough? Any other ideas? 

I'm thinking that with stops and chatting we're talking about five hours, give or take.  At to it your travel time to and from -- pretty well the whole day is used up.

I offer July 29th, August 12th, August 26th or September 2nd as possible dates I can make it.

I can do September.

I like the route you came up with. I suppose we need a meeting place now huh. I know there is a meijers off the kipp rd exit of 127 (in Mason) and that takes you right to dexter trail.

Here's my open weekends...

July 22-23
July 29-30
Aug 5-6
Aug 26-27 (but is the weekend right before the semester starts)
Sept 2-4
Sept 16-17

Aug 12-13 is my tentative camping trip but can be cancelled if necessary

I suggest aug.5th and keep aug 6th as a raincheck...just in case

scratch that....forgot about your earlier post...lawyer?  interetsting.


also is this GS only...i know a few ppl with other sport bikes that might be interested