Got my Savage last week (my first bike) and took it up from Denver to a music festival this past weekend outside of Fort Collins.  It was about 200 miles round trip.  No record setter, sure, but it gave me the confidence for the real trip this next weekend: Denver to Badlands National Park in South Dakota!

I'm planning the route through back highways off the main interstates through Colorado, Nebraska, and South Dakota.  Sure, the route will include the exact opposite of twisties but I'm very excited.

I might have to do a diversion over to the Needles Scenic highway through the Black Hills while I'm in the neighborhood.

Has anyone ridden around here.  Anything I should make sure to see? I've been told I can give Mount Rushmore a miss which I'm inclined to believe.

My plans are: Custer State Park, Badlands National Park, Wounded Knee Memorial, and a whole lot of Nebraska nothingness which I'm even excited for too (straight roads leading off into the horizon with picturesque grasslands on each side).

Worth the side trip to the Greasy Grass Battlefield... Little Big Horn, but they do charge to get in. And don't spit at the black marker inside the fence up top of the hill, I'm not allowed back...  

That might make a better self-contained excursion, it is kind of in the middle of nowhere.

Rode thru Nebraska on my way back east from Portland Or on my 650. Those sand hills can be a killer because I guess it's always windy there. It was that way coming and going. I was riding the center line on highway 20 and leaning into the wind and it would blow me all the way to the white line on the other side of my lane. Nebraska a was a boring ride as far as scenery went but the rolling hills in the spring when I rode was tons of fun. What I did hate was the methane smell from all the darn cows! You get high on the methane.
(IN O'neil where I spent the night before going north into south Dakota on highway 281 a couple of guys asked me if I wanted to go to a methane party!  Seems like a bunch of people get together and go out to a pasture and cut the bottom off a large plastic milk jug and place it over a cow pie and take huge nose hits! I'm not one to pass on a party but you would have to hold a gun to my head before I was going to take turd hits!)
I took highway 44 across South Dakota to Rapid city and rode thru the badlands on a 95 degree day and almost had a heat stroke! Be sure and have a full tank and maybe a bit more because it's a long way between gas stations out there. I carried a small rubber hot water bottle with gas and had to use it.  I also  saw the monuments which I also thought was disappointing but the Black Hills is beautiful country and the monuments are close to Sturgess and Deadwood which I stopped and spent some time. You might as well go see the monuments just so you can say you did! I was there on Memorial day so tons of people and bikes. The monuments looked small to me but a great ride up to them. Be sure and go see the Rose Bud battlefield as it is so called altho it looked like a big ol pasture to me. South Dakota surprised me in it's beauty. At least in the Black Hills country. I think Custers national forest is in Montana if I remember correctly. too bad your not going there because the battlefield and museum at the Little Bighorn is very interesting and if your there you should go see Glacier National park. Prettiest country you will ever see. You can't ride more than 100 ft without having to stop and take a picture. . If you choose to ride highway 90 across South Dakota do not let the speed limit bother you. Posted 80 mph and everyone is going 90 plus. Ride in the right lane and you can go 50 mph if you want to. Not a lot of traffic and they just blow right by you. When I was forced to ride it I cruised at 65 and got in no ones way.
Hope you have as much fun as I did and be sure and take a good camera!

justin_o_guy2 wrote on 08/20/13 at 23:49:33:


It is the spot they found Colonel Custer on supposedly. Not a fan of his...

Hi.

It all depends on your cruising speed.

55-60 mph, you're doing about 4000 rpm, the bike should deliver about 20 Km/liter = 50+mpg; ensure 100 miles (about 2 hrs' riding time) between fuel-ups.

But more importantly, at decent speeds the engine will use less OIL !

Cruising at 55-60 mph you should easily be able to start with a well topped-up sump,. and ride back home with all the oil you need.
BUT
Ride like a banshee and you'll need to top up your oil 1/2 pint every 2
gals fuel !  

So, figure out and map out well in advance your route, and plan your stops accordingly.
Allow the bike to rest at least 10-15' (hot engine) before checking oil level.

My suggestion: ride, arrive at gas station, coffee, toilet, check oil, fuel up in that order.

Have a nice ride !

PS: Rider fatigue: sometimes even boredom may induce rider fatigue: I discovered that fresh fruit juice (orange, pineapple, the like)
will keep me awake and alert (and in a good mood) much more efficiently than endless coffees  

YUP ! Apparently it's not the caffeine that keeps you actually awake, it's the fluids and sugars.
Caffeine raises your state of alertness, but too much caffeine and not enough fluids and sugars and you may well become a very grumpy slowpoke !

deejaysham wrote on 08/21/13 at 17:48:32:



Your physical condition plays a part. Youdont fatigue easily. Youll do fine.
Pay attention to your body, take breaks if you need to. Dont get hurt