We have to get there somehow, right? And after all of the lists are checked twice, the truck and trailer are loaded and set, it’s time to head out.

The longest road trip thus far with the bikes was a trip to Utah in April of 2008. This trip out to camp and ride around the Kokopelli Trail on the HP2 was my first real adventure in motorcycling. It was also where I first heard the phrase “it’s not really a 2up trail, but Andrew, you’ll be fine.” It’s something I’ve grown accustomed to hearing from people.

I enjoy road trips, and this one was particularly fun as we were traversing the country from New Hampshire to Utah. We did it in three days, which meant there were a few days that met the “iron butt” limit of 1000 miles. Most of the trip was beautiful. Kansas was…flat. And empty. And it snowed so hard that they closed the highway:

Well, that's just not an encouraging sign

The weather can be a factor:

Snow and mud...

But we made it, and Utah was beautiful:

Yes, it is that pretty.

This trip was when I really started to appreciate the unique perspective provided by being on a bike instead of a car. When you go through a beautiful sandstone canyon on a bike, you aren’t missing any part of the view. You see a lot more than you do in a car, it’s like having sharper vision for a time.

Beautiful canyon

It’s also when we first started realizing the limitations of the HP2 as a 2up bike–we’d ride into Moab, fill up, then by the time we got back to the campsite, we’d need to fill up again. The HP2 is a great bike, but with the extra weight (me) and longer distances, we were spending a fair amount of time at gas stations instead of riding.

Note the backup gas canister on the HP2.

Road trips, and motorcycle rides on the other end–what an amazing way to spend a vacation! We’ve since taken other vacations where bikes were a major part of the fun. If you have a chance to bike around the Moab, UT area, do it–it is amazing.