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best rides in Florida?

C

calva

Guest
I just bought a 2007 k1200gt and live in south Florida. Any good rides hereabouts? Daytrips or weekenders.
 
I just bought a 2007 k1200gt and live in south Florida. Any good rides hereabouts? Daytrips or weekenders.

Sorry to say but after you've done the Keys a few times you need to head north at least a couple of hundred miles plus heading into the Carolinas' will put a smile on your face. That smile can be hard to come by in South Florida after you've been there a while. Making sure you have interesting restaurants to stop at can make the trip more pleasant.
 
Rides

East of Tampa there is an area that is riddled with phosphate mines. That area has some decent roads that will make you think you're having fun! Hwy 78 along the Peace river is kind of fun too. Just get out in the middle of the state and look for the most forsaken little roads you see. Take them!
 
There are many short rides around Ocala, Panama City, sections of A1A, The Old Dixie Highway from Rt 1 to Ormond Beach etc. Contact nearby Clubs to find out where they ride. There are many interesting roads south of Jacksonville even "GASP" some with actual turn and changes in elevation. Good maps like those from Delorme show topography as well as 2 lane/back roads. I'm sure that South Florida has many unique locations and venues of interest for motorcyclists.

RIDE SAFE
 
A couple of decent rides in Florida. If an east coaster, I like the ride down to Flamingo through Everglades Natl Park. A few decent back roads to take there.

One of my regular rides is up to Lake Okeechobee and the surrounding area---north to Sebring and Lake Placid. Wide open and some sights to see.

Of course, there's A1A along the beach communities---can be fun to ride, stop and enjoy the eateries.

I've taken the ride from SE Florida north through the middle of the state to Ocala Natl Forest but its a long way for a "C" quality ride area IMO.
 
as far as roads go, for my money you can saw off Florida straight across Highway 60 from Vero to Naples and let it float out to sea. Roads are straight flat and boring. if you're lucky you'll see a gator crossing the road. What the hey, it's Florida. We pay for the weather by having roads a tourist can navigate blindfolded.

North and West for you...

Check out Ozello for an overnighter. Trails End, Gobbler Dr., Withlapopka, Floral City area. Best you will find in the state. Ocala has some good roads on the west side if you look for them. The Skyway bridge down in St. Pete is fun for a few minutes.
 
Do not listen to all the sand yankees. There are lots of interesting back roads in Florida. Get yourself a MAP,and start riding the back roads. Learn them and ride some more. Some of us grew up without I-states,and have ridden lots of good roads. I can ride from Georgia to Key West and never ride an I-state. I've retired and moved to north Georgia,the rides here are....well I'd better not say or there will be more sand yankees up here.
 
Get a DeLorme Gazeteer for the state of Florida. Look for secondary roads like Rich said. Ride to the Edward Ball Lodge in Wakulla Springs, spend the night go home.
 
Do not listen to all the sand yankees. There are lots of interesting back roads in Florida. Get yourself a MAP,and start riding the back roads. Learn them and ride some more. Some of us grew up without I-states,and have ridden lots of good roads. I can ride from Georgia to Key West and never ride an I-state. I've retired and moved to north Georgia,the rides here are....well I'd better not say or there will be more sand yankees up here.

I rode my go-cart down the center of a section of Interstate 4 when it was piles of limestone under construction. That was the last time any interstate was fun. There are about 3 "good" roads in Florida. Hundreds of decent, passably pleasant, very scenic, riding roads. You can go 200 miles in any direction without using a limited access highway. But about 1/2 of any route over 50 miles will be straight, flat, and boring at best; clogged with traffic at worst, and will almost always force you to use a multi-lane highway of some sort. You North GA boys have a good life!
 
Nice roads even in SoFla

If the objective here is to ride, then you have a few good roads to choose from. Personally my main goal is always to get out of town and ride on roads less traveled. Can't stand in-town traffic too long. I happen to live down here in SoFla and there is not much I can or will do at this time to move away from it. A wise man once said:" Happiness is not to have the best of everything, but to make the best of what you have."

For one day rides there are limited options, I agree. There are about a dozen decent one-day rides south of Orlando. However, Florida is a great place to go riding for a two or three day weekend. Spend the night in a B&B somewhere, visit the other coast or stay inland; cool off in Central Florida by visiting the springs or go camping near Ocala NF. It's a big state and there are lots of empty roads.

I can highly recommend Mad Maps to explore mapping your own ride or go visit rider magazine's great rides page. Only you know which roads and sites you prefer. I like the open road when on the bike, clears out the cobbwebs so to speak. Cow pastures, prairies, rolling hills, sawgrass fields, pine forests, swamps and slaughs, it doesn't really matter. County roads is where I move; and stay away from crowded coastal areas.

Having said all that, I enjoy riding on higher grounds at least once a year. Just love carving the twisties and getting lost in the vistas.
 
Florida
Yeah, well, I did have to laugh about that.
Let me ask, what would be the 'good' prisons to go to?
Now let me say I only know about Florida from watching tv. And that my father spent his last 50 or so years there, part time, then full time for the last 30.
I think the best ride in Florida would be north. To Georgia, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, any place.
And don't turn around.
dc
 
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