Red Rock Canyon

[Mojaveboxer]

Great report and liked the video... next time out visit the inlaws... the RUBICON will be going with us. Need to check out that dirt road now.

Thanks for sharing.

[Spartandude]

Excellent RR. Quite enjoyable. Thanks.

[poolman]

Originally Posted by patmo

Enjoyed the report. Was out there year before last and also rented a bike from BMW LV, mine was an 1100RT, so I didn't do any dirt roads. I did do Red Rock and really enjoyed it. Also went up to Mt Charleston and over into Death Valley on the bike. Did Valley of Fire in a car, wishing I was on a bike! Love riding in that area and hope to get back someday. Pics come no where near showing how beautiful it is outside the city.

As for the Strip area..........you can keep it, IMO a waste of space.

patmo,

You are right; pictures really cannot capture the scenery in this area. You really have to witness it firsthand (and preferably by motorcycle) to comprehend the magnitude of scale between the desert and the surrounding mountains. I highly recommend it!

Glad you enjoyed the report,

[poolman]

Originally Posted by kirb

Ahh, Bonnie Springs. The Bar/resturant (menu was glued to the bottles on the table)/petting zoo was interesting. They rescue animals from the area, so the place looks like the island of misfit toys.
We rented a bike and took a pavement tour of the area. I highly suggest this for anyone visiting Vegas that doesn't get into the strip.

kirb,

True, Bonnie Springs has a little bit of everything and does resemble an "island of misfit toys". Glad you got to enjoy the area by bike.

Thanks,

[poolman]

Originally Posted by Mojaveboxer

Great report and liked the video... next time out visit the inlaws... the RUBICON will be going with us. Need to check out that dirt road now.

Thanks for sharing.

Mojaveboxer,

The non-maintained road through Rocky Gap is perfect for a Rubican. Glad you liked the video.

[poolman]

Originally Posted by Spartandude

Excellent RR. Quite enjoyable. Thanks.

Spartandude,

Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for the positive remarks.

[Jarvis]

Great report, thanks! I'll check it out when I'm in Vegas.

[Maxacceleration]

Nice report, bring back memories.
I was born & raised in Vegas.
Raced through red rock, crashed in red rock & saw others crash and get killed in red rock.
Fun and dangerous.
The cut through to Lovell canyon can always be a challenge.
There is a 150+ mile loop around the Mt Charleston range which can include Lovell & Wheeler pass (Mtn Spring pass also). Very fun route and a long day (dual purpose or 4x4).
I have to tell my friends still living there how to do the route.
Find it!

[poolman]

Originally Posted by Jarvis

Great report, thanks! I'll check it out when I'm in Vegas.

Jarvis,

The Red Rock Canyon area is spectacular; it is so close to Vegas yet a different world entirely. I hope you get a chance to check it out.

Cheers,

[poolman]

Originally Posted by Maxacceleration

Nice report, bring back memories.
I was born & raised in Vegas.
Raced through red rock, crashed in red rock & saw others crash and get killed in red rock.
Fun and dangerous.
The cut through to Lovell canyon can always be a challenge.
There is a 150+ mile loop around the Mt Charleston range which can include Lovell & Wheeler pass (Mtn Spring pass also). Very fun route and a long day (dual purpose or 4x4).
I have to tell my friends still living there how to do the route.
Find it!

Maxacceleration,

Fun and dangerous sums it up. I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your fellow riders, but I'm glad you are alive and posting! I appreciate the route advice, but I think getting through the pass at Rocky Gap solo on a rental F650GS with no undercarriage protection was close to the level of risk I was willing to accept. However, there is always next time...

Cheers,

[BadWHooper]

Thanks for your input on my thread regarding two days on a rental 1200GS - the comments from the other inmates were helpful too. What month were you there for this trip? How were the temperatures? More importantly, did the rental company have any issue with going off road (I'll be renting from the same company)? Other bike rental shops I've dealt with had strict "no off-pavement" clauses in the contract. I didn't tell the one in Arizona that I slid their Road King down the Apache Trail.

I think I know where I'm going now - need to find a couple places to stay overnight away from Vegas. Thinking Pahrump for one.

RR will follow...

[poolman]

Originally Posted by BadWHooper

What month were you there for this trip? How were the temperatures? More importantly, did the rental company have any issue with going off road (I'll be renting from the same company)?

I think I know where I'm going now - need to find a couple places to stay overnight away from Vegas. Thinking Pahrump for one.

RR will follow...

Hi BadWHooper,

I did the Red Rock trip during the first week in February. Early mornings were chilly, but it was really comfortable (mid 70s) by mid-morning.

I don't think BMW of Las Vegas has any restrictions regarding offroad riding. I openly discussed my plan and they suggested, since the renter is responsible for all damages to the bike, that I take an F650GS that had a lot of cosmetic damage. It turns out I didn't drop the bike anyway.

I think you could get some advice regarding Pahrump in your trip planning thread. I stopped there on a later trip to Death Valley and encountered some drunk Native Americans who were looking for trouble.

Anyway, thanks for posting and have a great trip!


Cheers,