DEPO

My buddy Dan who most of you know, he is my Easy-Up mate at the .org days is having a kid soon and I want to get a two/three day ride in before his life gets a little crazy.

I am planning the trip and want to head out of Chicago NW to Madison WI, over to La Crosse. Cross the River in to Minnesota and down the west side of the river to Dubuque Iowa and come back through. The Lacrosse to Dubuque Route is worked out pretty well. I have found some recommended roads from Madison to La Crosee like 33 and several other roads.

I need some help up in the Rockford area to Madison and the Dubuque area to Stockton IL.

If any of you had experience in this area of riding or could stay on the lookout, I want to make this a great trip.

We only have two days (Friday Noon until Sunday Early Evening).

We are looking at about just under 600 miles.... Riding around 200 miles each day. All Two Lane County and State Roads.

Thanks for any help... I will guarantee that there will be a full report with pictures on this ride.

__________________
Welcome to the Dance!

gt702

Might want to give these guys a look

Ride the Best Alphabet Roads in Wisconsin

Unfortunately not a lot of good route information, but you might be able to ask for some. I know they have a pretty good time there ... might also ping Bake, he's been to that ride before.

__________________
Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.
Albert Einstein

Baketech

Some great roads up there...take a look on some of the HSTA websites, as there is most likely a contact there that can give you the "alphabet soup" that is Wisconsin...

HSTA - Honda Sport Touring Association

Edit:
Whoops...I'm late to the party as usual. What GT said...

Edit:
Forgot to mention there is a whipass hospital in Rockford that caters to wayward motorcyclists...

__________________
"Ten times more charming than that Arnold on Green Acres..."

gt702

I just take an earlier lunch

I checked Routmeister's site and didn't see a listing for any maps. Did they publish maps for TwiSTAR in the past?

__________________
Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.
Albert Einstein

gt702

Might try here. There are several listings for Wisconsin

North American Sportbike Road Registry

__________________
Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.
Albert Einstein

SheepOfBlue

Congrats to Dan and be sure to park one bike length away during the trip. When I get home tonight I will post up a sight that has recommended roads in all 50 states. It might be helpful though some of the recommended roads locally were a laugh and would be lame.

__________________
A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way

Baketech

They haven't published them in the past for liability reasons, even had to print the official routesheets on copy-proof paper to prevent gate crashing...

He should be able to find a local HSTA'er that can recommend some good roads...

__________________
"Ten times more charming than that Arnold on Green Acres..."

DEPO

Thanks for info so far......

If we are doing back two lane highways and making brief pic stops, lunch what is a realistic quantity of miles if we get on the road at 9:00 AM and plan to stop around 5:00 PM.

__________________
Welcome to the Dance!

Baketech

300-350....

__________________
"Ten times more charming than that Arnold on Green Acres..."

slickwill

I'd agree on that. I've done 250 in a lot less time than you are talking about and included stops.

__________________
If it has wheels, I've crashed it, and some things that don't skis, snowmobile, card board box, giant tube, sentra, dirtbike, lawn tractor, grandmas bread tray, kayak, canoe, raft, bicycle, waterskis, tobaggan, horse, ATV, Now my CBR (women)

CBR929RE

this might be the one Sheep is talking about MotorcycleRoads.US

__________________
if you can't fix it with duct tape, you haven't used enough.

SheepOfBlue

Yep and for things on the way

Roadside America - Guide to Uniquely Odd Tourist Attractions

__________________
A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way

Baketech

This site has been around for quite awhile, and has been close to the mark when I have used it for trip planning...

North American Sportbike Road Registry

Here's another that a touring friend of mine uses...I can't vouch for it though, haven't used it myself...

Find Great Motorcycle Roads, Motorcycle Routes, Motorcycle Rides, and Tours | OpenRoadJourney.com

__________________
"Ten times more charming than that Arnold on Green Acres..."

seamus

IMNSHO, Motorcycleroads.us needs some work. Either the people adding roads are sadistic or blatantly evil.

In TX and again in CO, the roads listed as great for sportbikes left me on ranch roads where I had to stare down TX cattle and rutted out gold mine roads where the ruts were so bad they were shaking fillings loose.

__________________
Ducit Amor Patriae

Richard Herald, The Gentle Giant

The nation that makes a great distinction between its scholars and its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting done by fools.
--- Thucydides

Baketech

Sounds like VFR country...told ya you weren't ready...

__________________
"Ten times more charming than that Arnold on Green Acres..."

gt702

My first thought reading the second paragraph was "cool, I'll have to look those up"

How true. I guess "It's a VFR thing"

Some of my strongest memories were taking the VFR (fully loaded in both cases ... tank bag, both GIVI's stuffed, and tail bag) down roads that should be only taken with a 4x4. You see and experience things out there that you just don't get where "everyone else goes".

One of those days started with taking 2 hours of serious "pushing onward", including fording, to get 20 miles ... but I got to see an immature eagle (bald before the head turns white?) up and close. Finished the day by riding from Copper Harbor in the UP down to Livonia MI (look it up, about an 800 mile day), then turning around the next morning and riding to southern Ohio to get a new helmet because the one I had was uncomfortable after 3 12+ hour days in a row.

Depo, sorry for the diversion to your thread, but your trip sounds great, and don't be afraid to take some of these little roads. They take longer but are usually worth it ... if you are open to it

__________________
Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.
Albert Einstein

DEPO

Once Again Thanks for the Information


As I stated we are heading from

Chicago to Baraboo (the Dells) This is hard to find a decent route, due to metro riding... so I am looking still.

Baraboo to Lacrosse (which I have figured out taking 33 there I guess through Wildcat Mountain State Park it is supposed to be some great riding).

Then Lacrosse to just north of Dubuque, still debating the East side or the West side of the river. If anyone has made any of this trip opinions appreciated.

Dubuque to Rockford, IL (that will be along Rt 20 with stops in Galena and Freeport)

The Rockford Home

__________________
Welcome to the Dance!

maxib

FWIW, Wildcat Mountain should not be missed on this trip. Lots of twisties and elevation changes, decreasing radius and some sweepers. The only problem is it is not nearly long enough in my opinion, so you might want to plan to ride it back and forward again (three passes) before you move on West.

I cannot say much about the Iowa region, but either side of the river when into Wisc or Minn is good. I personally prefer the Wisc side and the alphabets.

Have a great trip!

CBR929RE

the one thats listed near me describes it as twisty with tight hairpins. there are 2 decent turns on the entire stretch unless you include taking a turn at a stop sign or light. some people are just morons.

__________________
if you can't fix it with duct tape, you haven't used enough.

slickwill

All the roads in Iowa are just described as "scenic." They know no one will believe them if they try saying there is an actual curve.

__________________
If it has wheels, I've crashed it, and some things that don't skis, snowmobile, card board box, giant tube, sentra, dirtbike, lawn tractor, grandmas bread tray, kayak, canoe, raft, bicycle, waterskis, tobaggan, horse, ATV, Now my CBR (women)

Baketech

All of the roads in Iowa are curved...in the "A" axis....

__________________
"Ten times more charming than that Arnold on Green Acres..."