Great Divide Route. Getting to and home from?

[riderddonald]

Starting to plan a 2011 trip to do the Great Divide Route with Big Dogs GPS route. My first challenge is how to get two bikes and riders from Ohio to Montana and then from New Mexico back to Ohio. I have very limited time for this trip so I have to get there and back as quick as possible. First thought was to rent a u-haul one way to Mont. and then another one back from NM but it will cost about $1,000.00 each way not including gas. Next was to ship and fly but that would be even more of an expanse. Now my thoughts are to load the bikes in the truck and drive to Denver or Cheyene and rent a u-haul to one end and then another back to my truck from the other. I really don't want to slab it a 1,000 miles each way on the bikes so I would rather rent a truck.

Has anyone from the east done this trip and if so how did you get to and from. Any help would be appriciated.

[BigDogAdventures.com]

Hey Riderddonald,

I share your pain----getting there and back tortured me---and it even tortured me more when we I rode the Western TAT.

Maybe you already know what I did when I rode the Continental Divide ride---but if not

We hauled our bikes to Colorado Springs, Colo. and left the tow vehicle there at a friends--------slabbed it to Antelope Wells---rode the CDR--then slabbed it back to the truck. This worked out really well and minimized time----although I was lucky and had all the time I needed.

I had no desire to ride my KLR across Kansas in the mid-summer heat.

It was perfect on the trail--and did the slab OK too.

Finding a place to store your tow vehicle is so easy-----I've done it many times and left the house with no prior arrangements--just got to a town and started asking---in no time I had found something. Storage places are a good place to start.

Twice last year I rolled into New Mexico towns with a population less than 100 and procured a place to store my tow vehicle within 15 minutes.

[tbirdsp]

Originally Posted by BigDogAdventures.com

I had no desire to ride my KLR across Kansas in the mid-summer heat.

What a wuss!

When we did it in '07 we rode from Omaha, NE to the start and home from the end. It added 2700 miles to the trip. The last 600-mile day across Kansas (started in Dalhart, TX) in July really sucked. Total mileage about 5300, time 15 days. The trip up wasn't *too* bad, as we went through the Nebraska Sand hills and the Black Hills in SD.

It took us 10 days to do the Divide portion. I'd say that's about the minimum. We had 4 riders. Maybe with just two guys of similar riding styles and not stopping to smell the roses you could do it faster - but that would be no fun.

We checked on rental trucks too and despite a bunch of reports of great deals, couldn't find anything cost effective. It depends on where you get the truck, but most of them have rules against carrying motor vehicles in the back.

That said, one of our guys ended up hauling his F650 Dakar in a truck he just lucked into in Dalhart (chain and sprockets shot). I don't know what it cost him though.

I'd say BigDog's plan is the best. I don't think I'd do it again from Omaha, and certainly not from any farther away.

Looking at you bikes in your profile, I'd say you're spoiled by that GL1500. Your Wee Strom should do fine on a little slab. Better than a freakin' KLR anyway One of my riding partners was on a DR-Z400S

[riderddonald]

Mark. I thought about slabing it but it's over 1100 miles to the canadian border. If I rent a u-haul we can take turns driving and get there quicker. If i had the time I'd ride the smaller highways to and from but Colorado Springs is over 1400 miles from home so that's a little over one day each way. Colorado Springs to Whitefish is over 1000 miles and I'm no iron butt rider so there's two more days and then from NM back to Colorado springs is 770 miles so theirs another day at least. I'm losing too much riding time and I want to do the whole route in one trip. Working sucks, anyone want to buy a HVAC business so I can ride all the time? If I can get away with about $1,000.00 in total rental fees for a u-haul I'll do it.

If people like you wouldn't post ride reports with great pictures I'd be perfectly happy riding here in Ohio and West Virginia. Firts I gotta do The CDR and then the TAT and then down to Copper Canyon. Then it's off to Mexico, Central America, and South America. Why the hell did I have to find this site anyway? By the way I'll throw in a house with that HVAC business if the price is right.

[riderddonald]

Originally Posted by tbirdsp

What a wuss!


Looking at you bikes in your profile, I'd say you're spoiled by that GL1500. Your Wee Strom should do fine on a little slab. Better than a freakin' KLR anyway One of my riding partners was on a DR-Z400S

My son's going to be on a Dr650 but then he's young and his ass can handle it. I've got a Russell daylong saddle but I don't use it when riding the back roads so I'll be in the original saddle which is good for about 400 miles for me.

[tbirdsp]

Originally Posted by riderddonald

My son's going to be on a Dr650 but then he's young and his ass can handle it. I've got a Russell daylong saddle but I don't use it when riding the back roads so I'll be in the original saddle which is good for about 400 miles for me.

Yeah, I'm just giving you crap I rode the KLR up to the Black Hills in May '09. Kinda sucked on the trip up and back (600 mile day each way) - and kinda sucked the other way while trying to ride some difficult stuff up there. Next time I'll trailer my KLX250S

[riderddonald]

Checked rates for this year at about the same time of year for rental truck. Parking in Cheyene and renting both ways = $1,150.00 parking at NM and renting from MT to Nm = $843.00 getting better. parking at Mt and renting from NM to Mt = $674.00 which is cheaper than the Nm to Cheyene rate, go figure.

[jonz]

Worked for me. The initial quoted price from SoCal to north Idaho was around $1000. I showed up in person and said the vehicle didn't really matter too much as long as it fit 2 motorcycles - did they have too many of one type? Turned out this particular Penske had too many 12' box vans and the price dropped to under $400. Plus the Penske van was almost new and in way better shape than any of the Uhaul POS's I saw. Also, check neighboring cities. Places where people move to during spring/summer will tend to accumulate vehicles and maybe somewhere within a couple hundred miles will make you a better deal.

[riderddonald]

Right now I'm looking at driving to Mt and renting a truck in NM. That way if I have trouble on the way I can pull off anywhere and rent a truck if needed. Of course this all could be for nothing as my son is applying for a job with the National Forest Service in Colorado so hopefully I may be going straight to his place.