kreinke
New member
My V-Strom riding friend Paul and I took a Friday off work and wanted to ride the bikes out to the Mississippi and back. Our main goals were to go Cabelas in Prarie du Chein and Steigers in Lacrosse.
I'm going to kind of skip over the main popular highways and touch on a couple found on Eric's most excellent maps (which we kind of used as a basis for our route) that
We started out from Baraboo and on 136. This set of curves near North Freedom is a hoot. A sharp blind curve followed by a carousel. These are banked and smooth.
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=43.477097,-89.862499&spn=0.003994,0.008583&t=h&z=17&om=1
This, turned out to be just an appetizer for what was to come.
Highway 154 between Rock Springs and Loganville is also great!
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=43.466625,-89.979572&spn=0.067526,0.137329&t=h&z=13&om=1
The first 4 or five miles west fo Rock Springs takes your through some close bankes curvers. ItÔÇÖs hard to keep an eye on your apex when the scenery is soooo beautiful.
We then took the more conventional Highway 60 all the way to Wauzeka. There we got back off the beaten path on Highway N. You climb out of the Wisconsin River valley up on to a ling ridge. Google Maps doesnÔÇÖt show the other half of N running all the way to HWY35 but itÔÇÖs fun too. ItÔÇÖs really hard to describe in words how deceptively technical this road is. Seemingly EVERY curve comes after a blind hill. IÔÇÖm following Paul on his big Strom and very time his helmet disappeared behind a small rise and I crested it, the road changed course. The pavement is smooth and well maintained. Make sure you have all your wits about you when you try this road.
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=43.114769,-91.013145&spn=0.135836,0.274658&t=h&z=12&om=1
After drooling on guns and knives at Cabelas we then headed up 35. I was hot, dry, and hungry for a traditional Wisconsin Friday fish fry. I think I was the only motorcyclist I saw that was ATGATT. Even with my vents open on the coat and helmet it still was torture.
We ate at a really good restaurant in Ferryville that hat a HOOOOTTTTT bartender.
After kicking tires and marveling at how the new Kawasaki Z1000 is even uglier in person than in pictures, he headed back out of Lacrosse on 14/61.
Again, seeking to get off the beaten path we turned on to HWY N. This runs all the way to 162. ItÔÇÖs freshly paved but most of the tighter curves had more gravel on the pavement than the shoulder.
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.a...span></b></span>&cid=lfmaplink2&name=&dtype=s
IÔÇÖve never been to Coon Valley before but it seems like a nice town. Even nicer is taking HWY P out of Coon Valley. It disappears in the Google Maps picture where HWY X begins but trust me, it continues all the way to HWY 27 and gets more fun the closer you get to Westby!
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=43.704615,-90.920105&spn=0.13452,0.274658&t=h&z=12&om=1
From Westby we took 27 to Cashton then the usual route through Wildcat.
Not trying to be a legend in my own mind or anything but this was the first time I ever pushed it though Wildcat and didnÔÇÖt have an butt-puckers or mistakes. Every line and every apex I seemed to execute perfectly. I never touched the centerline much less crossed it, never dragged a peg. And it was also in this section, that my Vstrom riding friend (who had been leaving me for dead on the straights all day) had the tables turned. Turns out a big tall bike with a uber fuel tank mounted high up by the bars can be a real handfull when quick transitions are demanded.
The home stretch consisted mostly of Hwy 33 but at Hillsboro, Wisconsin, I got us off track again. If I can recommend a great 33 alternative, give County FF a try. This is a long succession of climbs and steep descents with continual curves. This is also fairly new pavement and was pretty clean with no gravel. It makes a good non-cop infested short cut for 33 users. ItÔÇÖs also a great road for a guy on a German motorcycle to lose a guy on a big Jap twin with 20 more horsepower with sheer good handling and superior riding technique. OK maybe my riding technique isnÔÇÖt that much better than PaulÔÇÖs but my point is that a Beemer (at least my Beemer) is so easy to ride and so user friendly that I have no chicken strips left on my new Avons.
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=43.661663,-90.273285&spn=0.067308,0.137329&t=h&z=13&om=1
We parted at Union Center and headed home. This was one of the most satisfying riding days IÔÇÖve ever had.
I'm going to kind of skip over the main popular highways and touch on a couple found on Eric's most excellent maps (which we kind of used as a basis for our route) that
We started out from Baraboo and on 136. This set of curves near North Freedom is a hoot. A sharp blind curve followed by a carousel. These are banked and smooth.
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=43.477097,-89.862499&spn=0.003994,0.008583&t=h&z=17&om=1
This, turned out to be just an appetizer for what was to come.
Highway 154 between Rock Springs and Loganville is also great!
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=43.466625,-89.979572&spn=0.067526,0.137329&t=h&z=13&om=1
The first 4 or five miles west fo Rock Springs takes your through some close bankes curvers. ItÔÇÖs hard to keep an eye on your apex when the scenery is soooo beautiful.
We then took the more conventional Highway 60 all the way to Wauzeka. There we got back off the beaten path on Highway N. You climb out of the Wisconsin River valley up on to a ling ridge. Google Maps doesnÔÇÖt show the other half of N running all the way to HWY35 but itÔÇÖs fun too. ItÔÇÖs really hard to describe in words how deceptively technical this road is. Seemingly EVERY curve comes after a blind hill. IÔÇÖm following Paul on his big Strom and very time his helmet disappeared behind a small rise and I crested it, the road changed course. The pavement is smooth and well maintained. Make sure you have all your wits about you when you try this road.
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=43.114769,-91.013145&spn=0.135836,0.274658&t=h&z=12&om=1
After drooling on guns and knives at Cabelas we then headed up 35. I was hot, dry, and hungry for a traditional Wisconsin Friday fish fry. I think I was the only motorcyclist I saw that was ATGATT. Even with my vents open on the coat and helmet it still was torture.
We ate at a really good restaurant in Ferryville that hat a HOOOOTTTTT bartender.
After kicking tires and marveling at how the new Kawasaki Z1000 is even uglier in person than in pictures, he headed back out of Lacrosse on 14/61.
Again, seeking to get off the beaten path we turned on to HWY N. This runs all the way to 162. ItÔÇÖs freshly paved but most of the tighter curves had more gravel on the pavement than the shoulder.
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.a...span></b></span>&cid=lfmaplink2&name=&dtype=s
IÔÇÖve never been to Coon Valley before but it seems like a nice town. Even nicer is taking HWY P out of Coon Valley. It disappears in the Google Maps picture where HWY X begins but trust me, it continues all the way to HWY 27 and gets more fun the closer you get to Westby!
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=43.704615,-90.920105&spn=0.13452,0.274658&t=h&z=12&om=1
From Westby we took 27 to Cashton then the usual route through Wildcat.
Not trying to be a legend in my own mind or anything but this was the first time I ever pushed it though Wildcat and didnÔÇÖt have an butt-puckers or mistakes. Every line and every apex I seemed to execute perfectly. I never touched the centerline much less crossed it, never dragged a peg. And it was also in this section, that my Vstrom riding friend (who had been leaving me for dead on the straights all day) had the tables turned. Turns out a big tall bike with a uber fuel tank mounted high up by the bars can be a real handfull when quick transitions are demanded.
The home stretch consisted mostly of Hwy 33 but at Hillsboro, Wisconsin, I got us off track again. If I can recommend a great 33 alternative, give County FF a try. This is a long succession of climbs and steep descents with continual curves. This is also fairly new pavement and was pretty clean with no gravel. It makes a good non-cop infested short cut for 33 users. ItÔÇÖs also a great road for a guy on a German motorcycle to lose a guy on a big Jap twin with 20 more horsepower with sheer good handling and superior riding technique. OK maybe my riding technique isnÔÇÖt that much better than PaulÔÇÖs but my point is that a Beemer (at least my Beemer) is so easy to ride and so user friendly that I have no chicken strips left on my new Avons.
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=43.661663,-90.273285&spn=0.067308,0.137329&t=h&z=13&om=1
We parted at Union Center and headed home. This was one of the most satisfying riding days IÔÇÖve ever had.
