Featured Touring North America Tour 33 Days On The Road

Back in September 2024, a group of friends started planning a tour from Guadalajara, Mexico, to Hyder, Alaska.
We just returned, and the bikes collectively covered over 56,000 kilometers (with each of the four bikes logging over 14,000 kilometers). We came back with no incidents, lots of great memories, and a few extra pounds from all the delicious meals we enjoyed at the end of nearly every ride.

We left Guadalajara on May 10th, heading toward Mazatlán to catch the ferry across the Sea of Cortez to La Paz in Baja California. May 10th was an easy ride to Mazatlán, and we took the ferry on the 11th.

When we arrived two hours before departure, we were told our appointment was no longer guaranteed, and we might not board as the ferry was full. After passing the guard at the entrance and a bit of a scare, everyone got on board. The journey lasted from 4 PM until 7 AM the next day.

The cabin was small but comfortable. We had an excellent meal before boarding, as the food on board wasn’t great.
We enjoyed a good breakfast at the malecón in La Paz and then rode to Loreto, BCS. Next, we stopped in Guerrero Negro, San Felipe, and ended in Tijuana, right at the U.S. border. There, a BMW dealer serviced three of the bikes, and two had new tire sets fitted.

On the evening of May 15th, we crossed into San Diego and rode to Calexico.

Yeah I sold the Tiger 900 and replaced it with this beast



View of the ferry from the restaturant we ate lunch


Arrived to La Paz


On the way to San Felipe view towards the Sea Cortez

 

Crossed the border , stayed in Calexico
and rode towards Flagstaff using secondary roads,
the highlight of that was the Imperial Sand dunes






to be continued ...

 

May 16 arrived to Flagstaff around 7pm
May 17 left on route to the Grand Canyon arrived to the south entrance around 9AM
Stunning views , can never be tired of seeing it, this is my third visit


we drove the south rim until exiting the park and continued to page Az to see the horseshoe bend , while it has been photographed to death , these images are mine
about a mile round trip to walk from the parking lot to the bend




During the whole trip the bikes with Mexico plates will invite strangers to come and talk to us, always a welcome interaction

Ended the ride in Kanab UT, we arrived at about 7pm, rested for about an hour before going to the front desk to ask for a taxi... there are no taxis here, ok , ... get the boots on and ride to town to find out that only one restaurant was open so late at night, they graciously accepted us at 9pm, and stayed open until we finished our late dinner.

 

May 18
Rode to Zyon national park

Here we're waiting to go into the tunnel that is the entrance to the park


Then we took of on route to Bryce Canyon this arch is on the way


And a view of Bryce canyon


Finished the day in Torrey Utah, we learned the lesson and went to dinner with enough time before the restaurants closing time.

 

Why ? my Tiger had 70,000kms it took me 5 months to sell it, in Mexico the bmw GS dominates the high end market, they keep their value and are way easier to trade when it is time to get another one.

Other reasons, group pressure ? wanting a new bike ? newer and shiner bike ? no chain to maintain, better suspension, better handling, better turning circle, better wind protection, adjustable suspension height, financing made it really easy to get the new bike, fuel economy is similar to the Tiger, service cost has been similar to the Tiger, there are many BMW dealers in Mexico, and only 3 for Triumph, didn't notice it at first only I rode the Tiger again, but the lack of front suspension dive while breaking does make a postive difference in the handling, seating on the GS for hours is way more comfortable than on the Tiger, the seat on the GS is less hot, it is easier to lift the bike once you drop it, it is easier to filter through slow traffic.

Cons: it is heavy , the engine noise is ugly, looks are questionable, the quick shifter is crap in comparison to the one on any Triumph, no backlit controls, no heated seat, purchase price is way higher, I liked the color of my Tiger way better than this, everybody rides a GS while very few ride a Triumph.

 

on May 18 the last portion of the ride from Escalante to Torrey is absolutely magical like riding in another planet, a wonderful twisty road through red rock formations, I'll have to repeat it someday

May 19 Torrey - Mexican Hat- Arches National park - Moab
Took hwy 24 east, beautiful scenic and twisty route with many creeks and vertical walls along the route

Turned south on Utah state route 95 towards Mexican hat, we started to see a few snowed mountains


Much needed stop at a rest area in Fry Canyon


At one point the route becomes a dirt road with a steep incline and sharp turns, shortly after it starts the descend there is a viewpoint wher I took this photo towards the valley of the gods



and this one


At Mexican hat we filled up and then continued north towards Moab on route 191, quickly stopped to drop our stuff at the hotel and went to see the Arches National park






I loved this place

 

May 20
Went south from Moab on route 191 turn west on route 46, 141, 145 towards Telluride Colorado
This photo is before Telluride


Main street Telluride

Temperature was above 5° but below 10°, I found warmer globes that were urgently needed.

Arrived at Durango Co, we took the opportunity to do laundry , but some things can not be thrown into the dryer and the sun was out


There was a good pizza place across from the hotel with a nice bar.

 

May-21 Durango - Ouray - Glenwood Springs

When posible I would go for a walk early in the morning, here is a wonderful spot on the river in Durango


Stopped due to construction before arriving to Ouray on Colorado hwy 550 "million dollar highway"


A wonderful little cafe in Ouray


Ouray and the rocky mountains


Stopped to admire the views, the road becomes way more techincal after this with tight curves on steep inclines and no railings to prevent vehicles from going off the road tumbling down the mountain


Awesome view, not a viewpoint but traffic is almost non existant so ...


At the end of the day, we arrived at Glenwood Springs. Right next to the hotel is a Mexican restaurant. The food is close to authentic, and the waitresses were very happy to serve a group of crazy guys riding all the way from Mexico.

 

May 22
We planned to go through Independence Pass, but it was still closed,
so we visited Aspen, went to Vail, crossed Denver, and finished the day in Fort Collins.

Lots of highway. After purchasing a chocolate as dessert in Vail, we discovered it helped to combat sleepiness on the boring rides. After this day, we would always have some chocolate available to stay more alert, as it could get quite difficult to stay alert on long stretches.

Lots of traffic to go through Denver and all the way to Fort Collins. We were not sure if motorcycles were allowed on the express lane, but we started using it as the start-stop traffic was becoming too much. No one seemed to care, even when we passed a police car.

May 23
Rode to Pinedale Wy, on our way to the Grand Teton and Yellowstone

May 24
Now were talking , awesome landscapes, Grand Teton , Yellowstone is ok but to many tourist and traffic , ended the day in Livingston Montana

Stopped before getting to the parks to put more layers on as it was gettiing chilly, I was fascinated with the views






Made it to Grand Teton




In yellowstone we stopped to see the old faithful geyser ... I was overwhelmed with the amount of people and traffic... on the road we saw a small black bear up in th mountain, a fox, many bighorn sheeps, and some buffalo

Incredible dinner ! I'm now on a diet ...

 

May 25
From Livingston, MT, to Shelby, MT, the challenge was finding a place to eat. Google Maps recommended the same place someone mentioned at the hotel—a bowling alley with a restaurant. The food was decent, and they described themselves as the best place in Montana to have dinner. Hmm, the dinner in the previous town was far better. Anyway, we ate well and had a good night's sleep.

May 26
Crossed into Canada and slept in Calgary.
It’s a beautiful, modern city that feels calm, with very few people on the downtown streets. We had a great dinner.
Arriving in Calgary, we had to stop downtown amidst some traffic to reprogram the GPS to the hotel. The GPS directed us to a side of the hotel, leading us into an alley where trucks were coming and going. The lobby was around the block, and parking was underground, where the bikes were very secure. The bellboy, who had a strong French accent, was able to help us park, find the elevator, and carry all our belongings to our rooms upstairs.

Entering Canada


Arriving


View of the city


May 27
Spent some time to climb to the top off the Calgary tower before leaving towards Banff an easy 100km ride


From the top

 

May 26 - Continued from above
Arrived in Banff, a wonderful town at the base of impressive mountains. It’s touristy but easy to navigate and small enough to walk everywhere. The lady at the hotel lobby asked if we had purchased the park entrance pass. “Sorry?” we replied. “Oh, you need to get it; not having one may result in a hefty fine.” We went to the visitor center, where she also recommended taking the gondola to the top of the mountain. They have a restaurant and a bar up there. A bus took us to the base of the gondola, which carries four people per cabin. The views from the top were breathtaking. We had a drink at the bar, as the restaurant was already closed, then went back down to eat dinner and go to sleep.

Arriving






The view from the bar




And the next morning, views from the river on the side of the hotel

 

Thanks!

Just FYI, I’m already back from the trip, which took place from May 10 to June 14, but I’m taking my time to document it.

The bikes had service done in Tijuana, Mexico, at 20,000 km for mine, costing about $350. They were serviced again in San Francisco at 30,000 km for an oil change, front brake pads, and a rear tire, costing $1,200.

In total, we rode 14,000 km. When returning, the bikes were shipped via truck from Tijuana to my hometown, Guadalajara, which took 3 days. This avoided the extreme heat of northern Mexico and cost about 50% less than riding on the road. I took a flight, which was only 3 hours long.