Motorcycle Grand Tour of Texas, 2025 edition.

[p6x]

Updated on December 23rd, 2024;

Here's the map with the 2025 edition 50 stops, 5 alternative stops, and the B option, named Republic of Texas "ROT" which seems like an unfortunate name.

 

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Edited yesterday at 04:01 AM by p6x

[PJPR01]

Hi P6X...

I'm going to review the video today and take a look...the territorial expansion of the Tour sounds intriguing!  There's a chance of a Colorado rally in September next year that might play nicely into this expanded Tour.  

Time to take a look at the tour stops, I hope there are a number of new ones!

 

Edited:  I see 5 stops outside today's Texas borders for Option B.  Although not necessarily stops I'd normally make having been to Rawlins and Roswell and the Colorado one before very nearby, but if I'm on an extended trip somewhere else, I'll detour to get them.  The new patch looks cool though, so who knows...I must just make an excuse for a ride anyway!

Edited December 16 by PJPR01

[p6x]

7 hours ago, PJPR01 said:

Hi P6X...

I'm going to review the video today and take a look...the territorial expansion of the Tour sounds intriguing!  There's a chance of a Colorado rally in September next year that might play nicely into this expanded Tour.  

Time to take a look at the tour stops, I hope there are a number of new ones!

 

Edited:  I see 5 stops outside today's Texas borders for Option B.  Although not necessarily stops I'd normally make having been to Rawlins and Roswell and the Colorado one before very nearby, but if I'm on an extended trip somewhere else, I'll detour to get them.  The new patch looks cool though, so who knows...I must just make an excuse for a ride anyway!

I have not yet mapped the stops outside of the current Texas state frontiers, to check how they tally milleage wise.

I think he is testing the waters. As he said in the news letter, for the first time this year, he ran out of 50 stops tour finisher rockers. Up to now, the people that completed the 50 stops were always below 100 out of 1000+ participants. I am guessing the tour is getting more exposure? although the number of participants seem to always be around the same.

[PJPR01]

Indeed...that was great to see in fact so many 50 stop finishers!   I'm sure we'll see most of them again in Bandera next year to pick up flags early again!  Let's hope it's not as cold this time around!

The 5 stops are quite dispersed, there's 2 that might make sense to grab in May on the way from or to the Cedar Vale Guzzi rally, while the other 3 would have to be a separate trip or maybe combined with a small National Park tour of New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming...but to make it fun would need to be at least 1 week to not just pound out miles and actually enjoy the trip up and back.  Colorado is worth a whole week in and of itself, I hate just rushing thru scenic places.

[p6x]

On 12/16/2024 at 8:06 PM, PJPR01 said:

but to make it fun would need to be at least 1 week to not just pound out miles and actually enjoy the trip up and back.

This is my current issue. I am squeezing too many stops within a very narrow time window. This year, if possible, I will attempt to spend more time in between rides.

[Pressureangle]

I'll register this year, as my bike is in Michigan and I have to get it back to El Paso. I may take a week, or two, and see how many stops I can pick up. April or May, most likely.

[PJPR01]

The stops are up now!  May have another participant recruited to join this years adventure on a newly acquired K1600 GT…

Edited Sunday at 12:11 AM by PJPR01

[p6x]

On 12/21/2024 at 6:11 PM, PJPR01 said:

K1600 GT

There is one for sale at the Wild West Motoplex, 21k miles, 2015, 13k USD.

It may be very comfortable, versatile, but it is very ugly in my opinion. The sheer size of it makes any maneuver a perilous task; I think. That being said, the clutch lever felt like there was nothing behind the actuation. I don't think I ever checked one that required so little effort to actuate.

I am going to start on the google maps for the stops.

Edited Monday at 08:11 PM by p6x

[PJPR01]

I’m thinking that a long weekend starting in Bandera for the flag pick up and then head out west may be a way to get the Big Bend and West Texas ones…weather permitting.  Easy pickings coming back to add another 10-15 stops.  Central and East Texas will be easy pickings in Springtime…

[PJPR01]

1 hour ago, p6x said:

There is one for sale at the Wild West Motoplex, 21k miles, 2015, 13k USD.

It may be very comfortable, versatile, but it is very ugly in my opinion. The sheer size of it makes any maneuver a perilous task; I think. That being said, the clutch lever felt like there was nothing behind the actuation. I don't think I ever checked one that required so little effort to actuate.

That being said, I am going to start on the google maps for the stops.

You would be surprised how easy to ride the bike is…even at slow speeds.  But aesthetics are important…no point buying a bike that one hates to look at!

[p6x]

2 hours ago, PJPR01 said:

You would be surprised how easy to ride the bike is…even at slow speeds.  But aesthetics are important…no point buying a bike that one hates to look at!

As you know, aesthetics are sometimes not the best criteria to help you decide. We usually learn to accept that something that may not have been the most "hit it off", can grow on you with time. But it needs to have something else that captures you and helps you forget the looks. The K1600 has that six cylinder engine that I always dreamed of, but it is not properly encased in the right ring. You may have the best diamond, pure and all, but if it is not properly cut, it loses its initial attraction. it needs to be cut to enhance all its properties.

I think the Goldwing flat six does a better job to properly fit the bike.

[guzzler]

Yeah, it probably is easy once you get it moving, but I reckon bikes just don't need to be this size......

I rode a mates Kawasaki VN 1700 cruiser with all the bells and whistles and jeezuz it's size was intimidating to start with, then the bloody feet forward riding position meant I was off to a wobbly ole start but yeah once you got going it was easier. Then an 1800 Gold Wing, bloody hell you felt ALL of it's 400 odd kilos getting it off the side stand.....Nah these behemoths are definitely not for me!

Cheers 

[docc]

3 hours ago, guzzler said:

Yeah, it probably is easy once you get it moving, but I reckon bikes just don't need to be this size......

I rode a mates Kawasaki VN 1700 cruiser with all the bells and whistles and jeezuz it's size was intimidating to start with, then the bloody feet forward riding position meant I was off to a wobbly ole start but yeah once you got going it was easier. Then an 1800 Gold Wing, bloody hell you felt ALL of it's 400 odd kilos getting it off the side stand.....Nah these behemoths are definitely not for me!

Cheers 

This is what I think of when the SpineFrame V11 is called "heavy."

[audiomick]

3 hours ago, guzzler said:

... these behemoths are definitely not for me!

I know exactly what you mean. I had some good years with the Kawasaki GTR 1000, and some great rides. Brilliant weather protection, brilliant luggage, great motor. But 290 kg means you think about where to park the bike and how you are going to get back out of there every time you stop. Getting it onto the centre stand without the luggage is hard enough. With the luggage full, forget it. The bike served a purpose valiantly for a time, but the time passed. It's just too heavy for me now.

[guzzler]

2 hours ago, docc said:

This is what I think of when the SpineFrame V11 is called "heavy."

Yeah mate, the fact that people think a 225 kg bike is heavy cracks me up....