Longer-post to follow below (waiting for flight home), but for those more inclined to a brief précis:
- Denver -> through Wyoming to Billings MT -> Beartooth Highway/Yellowstone to Coeur d'Alene ID -> south through Boise ID -> Steamboat Springs CO -> Co Spgs -> Denver
- trip was very good, esp. given the short planning phase. Many miles traversed (2,862 over 5 days).
- 2024 FJR was the bike of choice, seat was OK-ish (firm), cruise control essential, windscreen needed 2+ extra inches at full deployment, bike is a beast for gobbling up miles, loves sweeping curves at 85+ mph. Bike finished with a 50.4 mpg average, which is just stunning to me. Sat briefly on the (alternative) Tracer 9 GT+ (!!) and seat is worse IMO. A little too ADV for me maybe??
- WY and ID gusting winds are impressive and can blow you across half your lane. Care must be maintained around other traffic.
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Longer Form for the brave/patient, AKA "More than you would ever care to know"
Planning:
I dithered about before pulling the trigger on this, literally booked bike/flight 7 days before leaving. My gifts do not lie in planning such events. No hotel reservations ahead of time, and route was fairly fluid the entire time. Wish I had spent more time researching routes, but the goal was 1) get some miles under my belt and 2) have Coeur d'Alene (CdA here on out) be a destination point. It's been 3 years since I've had a good/long bike trip (Canada/New Brunswick/Nova Scotia). Given the short time I had available to be off (6 days), decided to fly west and rent a bike there. My high school buddy is in Denver, so I grabbed an evening with him (and 9 holes) before starting the trip proper. First 2 days were probably the heaviest, I believe 650+ each day. I tried to stay off slabs as much as possible, but to make some target destinations, they became a necessary evil. In the end, I got what I was after - I saw a bunch of the country, traveled decent distances, and definitely scratched my itch.
Bike observations:
As stated, rented a bike in Denver - Eagle Rider*. Had never used them (or anyone) before. They carry BMW, HD, Yamaha - maybe others? My personal choices were FJR or Tracer9 (yes, turns out it was the new GT+ model). Decided on FJR given the miles I had planned. Frankly, I've toyed with the idea of an FJR in my future. The looks of the Tracer9 (engine nothwithstanding) are not my favorite, too much like Transformers-the-movies IMO. My modern bike experiences are pretty few - my personal bikes are from '05, '87. Spent some time on my buddy's VFR too. I did ride a BMW F900 R in Italy for a day, that's about it.
* - bikes seemed all '24 models. They carried XSR900s as well! Would love to try that. My FJR had 16K miles when I started, 19K when I was done. I asked what happened to the bikes, was told they sell them, dealers get first choice. Would love to find out more about that. Do they churn all new models every year? It's possible.
At first, my _initial_ impressions of the FJR were not great. Felt really lackluster and very impersonable, kinda' soulless. Keep in mind that my regular rides (fz6, fzr1000, chinese scooter) are ALL about personality and quirks and oddities, so this was a pretty dramatic shift. What changed it for me was to move from "Touring" to "Sport" mode. MUCH much better. Touring for me smoothed everything out way too much, and it felt like it wasn't responding to my throttle adjustments. Perhaps I'm showing my age, but didn't love how it was smoothing things out for me - allow me to make my mistakes and adjust accordingly. I tried Touring for most of the 1st day, but then switched to Sport and didn't look back.
Yes the 2024 model has the 6th gear. Totally needed? (Shrug) Dunno, but with it I was around 4k rpm at slab cruising speeds. Rushing back to Denver on I-25, 85-90mph w/out breaking a sweat, she's a go-er. For all that has been said about the engine and power - it's true. Meant for the highway.
Cruise control was almost always used. Grips were a little small for me so right hand didn't last long on manual. Only issue was my transitions from breaking cruise smoothly... tapping rear brake and matching throttle (there is no Cancel button, only Set/Resume with incremental adjustments up/down).
Windscreen was electronically adjustable. I only used full-up or full-down. Full-down was great and I used this more than up. The way it went down AND pitches back, it almost gives an unencumbered view of the road in front of you. Wind blast redirects to my chest, below helmet, totally manageable. Full-up was mostly in the mornings or when I was chilled (protect chest). It either needed another 2-3 inches in height, OR having it pitched further forward, or both. I'm not tall (5-11), probably average torso, and the wind was still hitting my helmet. I could hunch/slump, or sit way way back, and it was almost good, but you can't keep those positions long-term.
Seat was firm. Had to shift around a bit. Probalby the first thing I would change if I owned one. Heated grips were quite good - Medium is decent with gloves (but not bare hands). High is only for Winter temps! Low was not noticeable at all. Never noticed the ABS. Did not adjust ride height (didn't even know I could until the end).
Having said all this, would I buy the bike? _Only_ if I was planning longer trips like this 3-4 times/year. I understand better what Scott has opined on previously. It's more Touring than Sport and it just doesn't quite fit the riding that I primarily do. But should that change and I do more long-trips, would absolutely be on my short list.
Trip/Locale observations:
I had fantastic weather. I only hit rain a few times on the first day, in Wyoming, where you can see the rain coming from 20 miles away, and it is pretty brief, and you pretty much dry out 15 minutes later. I took a rain coat/pants (Scott), never used them.
I did not plan on the winds. It was a pretty stark wake-up call on the 1st day. No idea how strong they were - weather app said 25mph+ and the flags at rest stops were fully-stretched horizontal and snapping sharply. It could blow you about 1/2 lane before you could react. At times it felt like I was driving at a 3-4 degree lean angle while going straight. Certainly kept you alert.
Northern ID has some of the tallest pine trees I've ever seen. Have to be 80-100 feet easily.
Wyoming seems more ranch/cow oriented, Montana and Idaho more farming oriented (lots more irrigation seen)
Wildfires... I smelled smoke and the sky was hazy several times during the trip, saw evidence (active-burning) below McCall ID, and I think one had recently started near Cody WY (I was chking bearings after being on US-120, had smelled/seen smoke to my west, and saw a helicopter take off from Cody airport, directly towards the smoke). Local in ID was telling me it was a pretty bad year for fires.
AND - on US-310, just below Rockvale, I put a roadside fire out! Driving by I saw two small spots of fire just starting out, pulled over _because_ and put my water bottle and Astar boots to good use. Nobody else pulled over to help, but at the very end, two women in a Polaris were helping by using the flat sides of shovels. Turns out they lived just down the road. Apparently it's not uncommon, what happens is tow-chains get dragged behind trucks, they spark, and start fires along the roadside grass. The ever-present and aforementioned wind just whips the fire right up.
CdA is beautiful! Worth the trip. If you are a lake-and-mountain person, it has real appeal (more lake/less mtn). The city has 2 boat launch/docks downtown!
During the WY traveling rainstorms, there was some lightning, including a strike that was pretty close. I swear I felt some tingling in my left-hand fingers during that close strike - is that possible? Ambient electricity (for lack of a better term)? Kinda freaky.
Route/road Highlights:
Beartooth Highway was pretty good (recommended by a buddy), on the WY/MT border (
https://maps.app.goo.gl/2ckRmtNKTBPn4vt9A ). That takes you into Yellowstone, which I was not aware of. Upside is I saw lots of bison. Downside it was much slower going, but hard to complain given the views/scenery.
Route 95 south out of CdA ID was lovely and unexpected. Rolling hills covered in wheat/lentils. Very striking.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/MsrB6sEgtEqj1Gqk7
US-191 through Flaming Gorge was nice... the northern part I practically had to myself, big sweeping turns, striking vistas
https://maps.app.goo.gl/vBXvMFzukJ8EUqm86
US-20 (Wyoming) through Wind River Reservation, from Shoshoni north to Thermopolis, was great (but short). Canyon road along river.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/UZdp4CvyEhQEs9UM6
I love any/all mountain passes. Continental Divide included.
Overall Highlights:
- My gear did really well, very pleased overall. RevIt GT-R Air jacket, (old) Dainese pants, Scorpion EXO-R1 helmet, Held Airstream II gloves, Astars S-MX 5 boots, and the occasional Dainese D-Mantle windstopper base layer for the mtn-chilled air, plus earplugs.
- Sidenote - amazing to me to see as many bikers as I did w/out proper protection. Maybe a helmet, lots of times in short-sleeves...
- Traffic/cars felt more respectful than what you get on the east coast - following distances, obeying small-town speed limits as you drive through, and road-construction limits. Very few a**holes. There WAS 1 incident where a car (oncoming traffic) was trying to pass and didn't get over soon enough, such that I was braking and about to move to the shoulder. Uncool.
- Yes most motorcycles did the 'wave'. More HD then GS' seen but maybe b/c of the roads I chose.
Regrets/downsides:
- Speaking to a local while gassing up, he told me about the "Chief Joseph Scenic Byway" - was not able to work that in, unfortunately, would have meant doubling back too much. Next time!
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ExwzP7UuLXT6vmFYA
- Lodging was hit or miss, given that I was not always sure where I would end up at the end of the day. Price you pay I guess. But it did cause some stress towards the end of the day, tired and hungry and not sure how much further you'd need to go.
- Missed turns! I was not using GPS/maps the entire time. Instead, my phone was on my small tank bag, and I would consult every so often. Day 1, I lost about an hour between Shoshoni and Lander, had to dbl-back. Almost did it again in CO. Both times the turn was at a gas station where I filled up, so I guess my attn wanders at those junctures.
If you are still reading, congratulations for your perseverance. This was written as much for me as it was for you. Three years from now (next trip?), I want to re-read and remember where I can improve. Future desired locales? Banff and Lake Louise; Vancouver Island; Alaskan Highway/Alcan?!; northern Iceland?
Have a great trip 
