A couple years ago the wife and I took I80 through Iowa and Nebraska on our way to loop through CO, UT, WY, MT, and SD. This year we plan to head for southern Utah and Arizona. We are doing everything we can to figure a route that keeps us off I80. If your idea of fun is flat, straight roads with cruise set at 80MPH then maybe I80 is just the ticket.
I used to have to drive I80 from Lincoln NE to somewhere west. Driving an equipment truck there were times I couldn't get above 55mph due to head or quartering winds. LOL. Keep in mind that part of I 80 was the Oregon Trail. Might I suggest a side trip (2hr) to Guernsey WY (up I-25 ) to view the wagon wheel ruts cut into the rocks. While there visit Register Cliff where these travelers carved their name in rocks. Think about going across NE at 80mph then remember those pioneers made 20 miles a day on a good day, if they didn't die. To me that is humbling. Stay at the Bunkhouse in Guernsey so you can say you did. LOL.
I'm with nachtflug. Driven and ridden back and forth across that route more than a few times, starting back in 1960, racing grain trains along US30 as they hauled the harvest to the Great Lakes terminals for shipment overseas. A little over twenty years ago, with a 48' semi-trailer chasing me everywhere I went, there were many trips from one end of I-80 to the other. You can't understand boring until you've had to cross the continent at 55 mph in a truck that is comfortable cruising at 80. But there were few places I found truly boring along that interstate. Northeast Ohio was one, 50 miles east to west of Chicago was certainly another. Crossing Nebraska, if there was no reason to hurry, I'd often jump off the interstate and follow old US30 anywhere between Grand Island and Ogallala. Still do that sometimes on the bike. To me, it's up to the traveler. If you are observant, there is always something new to see; new discoveries to make. West of Toledo I like to stay on old US20, especially when I'm on a motorcycle, at least until I'm west of Elkhart. Then, if it's the wee hours of the morning (the best time to get through the Windy City area) I'll take I-80 and zip past. During the day, sometimes I'll opt to cut south to US-30 and go around, other times I'll stick to the slab. But once away from that mess, it's all reasonably good. On one trip, I'd pulled out of a town a few miles east of Buffalo, NY in the morning; stopped to have dinner with friends in Toledo and left there around 10:30 PM; kept riding west and watched the sun coming up in my mirrors as I crossed the Mississippi the next morning. Kept going until I got into western Iowa, enjoying every mile of the ride. As mt800 suggested, a little detour along US26 from Ogallala through Guernsey, WY provides an interesting diversion. Did that back in '89 with three teenagers in the back seat of the Caddie (can you imagine traveling with 3 teenagers from Florida to Alaska?? ) and, believe it or not, the kids all enjoyed the history lessons as we followed the Oregon Trail. Originally from Toledo myself, my first sight of mountains as we pulled out of Cheyenne headed west on the Greyhound (as a teenager back in '56, kinda dating me ) was thrilling! Couldn't wait to be traveling through them. Part of the reason I moved to Alaska the following spring, right after graduating from high school. While I despised history in high school (who gives a rip what the Europeans were doing to each other 5 centuries ago?) a trip across the parts of the U.S. that I-80 covers gives you a glimpse of what the settling of this country entailed, and can bring our own nation's history to life in many ways. In the end, it's all up to you, and how much you want to see. Good luck, and ride safe. P.S. If it were me, rather than continue on to San Francisco, I'd turn around at Sacramento and head back east on US50 if you have the time. A worthwhile change of scenery.
80 through Indiana and Illinois just sucks, especially Chicago area. Iowa actually isn't THAT bad, nice rolling hills. Nebraska on 80 west of Lincoln is boring as hell, plus it will be hot and stormy (like tornados and baseball size hail stormy). If you can go north I'd get on NE Hwy 2 at Grand Island to Alliance. I went out to CO and back in 2012 and the construction was so bad I bailed off of 80. Took some of US 30, US 34. NE Hwy 23 (south of 80 between Holdrege and Grant) was a nice road.
Toledo to west coast is a 4 day trip. I last rode I-80 west bound and I did Sacramento to SLC day 1, 650 miles SLC to Kearney, NB day 2, 753 miles. Kearney to Peru, Ill day 3 with stop in Springfield at Lincoln Library/Tomb/Home, 569 miles Peru to Erie, Pa day 4 with stop in Clevland at BMW dealer, 516 miles Plenty of places to stay, start and stop early (6am to 6ppm), maybe see how progress is going at noon and then call ahead and make reservation. If you can make Reno in 3 days the worst is done (3 - 650 mile days). I usually figure 50 mph average with fuel/food & rest stops factored in even cruising at 80/85 mph. On Hwy 80 you will probably do better depending on how you ride? I would suggest going north on 395 at Reno to 49 to 89 to 36 to Ferndale, Ca. end of day 4, then day 5 ride the "Lost Coast Hwy" (Mattole Rd) south along the coast and thru the Redwoods. Then continue south along the coast staying on Hwy 1 to San Fran or take Hwy 158 or 116 towards Napa wine country. Head towards Yosemite (you will pass by my front door, stop for free place to stay end of day 5, (see the "tent space list"). Then to Yosemite over Tioga Pass, north on 395 (maybe visit Bodie ghost town) to Sonora Pass hwy 108 and go west up and over to hwy 49 (or back to my place for 2nd free night end of day 6). Then hwy 88 to 89 to Tahoe and pick up I-80. (Skip Sonora Pass if running behind schedule). I'd consider Hwy 50 (Loneliest Hwy in America) towards Cedar City, Ut end of day 7, south on 15 & 17 to Hwy 9 thru Zion, north on 89 to 12 to 24 to 70 toward Denver end of day 8 and 2 days left to get home. Safe Travels
Okay, don't do it. Seriously, don't. Other than being able to say you did it, all you'll get is a bunch of ass blisters and worn out tires from that run.
As Holckster said, you're going to average 50mph. It doesn't matter if you do 60 or 80; in the long haul, you'll average 60. I don't have any route advice. All I can suggest is try to be on the road before sunrise and travel until about 4-5pm. Make sure to get a good breakfast, stay well hydrated, and stop about every 140 miles or so for gas, pee, water, walk around.
What about flying into LA and renting a bike to travel up the coast? You could also fly out of another city (e.g., Seattle). For me, 10 days on superslab would be aggravating.
I guess it beats doing it in a car, but its about as boring a motorcycle ride I could think up. I can think of 100 other routes to take out west. I vote no.
Seriously? On a motorcycle? I-80 is maybe the most boring ride in America. I have done it in a cage, but on the bike, I'll take U.S. Hwy 50, 16, 52, 36, 6, 20, 16, 14, 212, 2...anything but the big truck slabs. I-80 is only slightly worse than I-40 or I-70 for a cross-country trip. Not sure what the objective is here, but if you're going to slab that much, take a look at the IBR runs you might be able to accomplish along the way. At least you will have something to show for the boring trip. Missing the Black Hills, Rockies, Big Horn, Yellowstone/Teton, Sawtooth, and Sierra along the way is kinda criminal. You know, you could ride through the Wind River range between Cheyenne and Rawlins, WY, and be within 50 miles of I-80? What a waste!
I don't know, I did it on the FJR a couple of years ago. As far as 76 when I turned into Colorado. Nebraska wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Actually Eastern Colorado on 76 was the worst for me. Hot as hell and boring. Like others have said, get up early and ride. My first and last day of the trip are usually my longest days. 700 miles usually, but that'll wear you out fast. Lots of breaks and water. Start out averaging 150 miles between stops, by the end of the day it is 50 miles. YMMV. 10 days isn't a long time. That's what my time off usually amounts to, and it ends up being nothing but riding and sleeping. With short stops for pics. If it were me I would save the coast for when I had more time. Just ride out to Colorado and spend some time there, lots to see and do.
Stop in at Ross' Restaurant in Bettendorf, Iowa. Just 3 miles south of I-80 after crossing the Mississippi River from Illinois. 24 hour breakfast and I own the place and love to talk motorcycles. We are right off I-74.
I had an 11 day break from school in August 1966 and I wanted to visit a girl in San Francisco. I lived in Chicago. So I packed a old Boy Scout back pack, strapped it to the tank of my 250cc Yamaha YDS3, and took off from Chicago at 4am. I got terrified at about 7 am in pea soup fog near the Iowa border, had a rear tire flat at 9 am going 80 mph in Iowa, got lost after missing a turn somewhere in Nebraska and did an hour and a half on gravel before reconnecting with I-80. I still made it to Grand Island Nebraska that night. I had no face shield and when I stopped for the night I was deaf from the wind noise. The next morning, my hearing had returned but my entire body was so sore, I had to struggle to get my shoes on. I almost quit, but decided to keep going. My next stop was Evanston Wyoming. When the sun went down, the temperature dropped into the mid 30's. By the time I stopped I could barely stop shivering. The good thing was that the awful body pain I had after the first day completely disappeared and never returned. The next day I made it to San Francisco. 2136 miles in 3 days on my 250cc 2 stroke on I-80. I spent 5 days visiting my girlfriend and drove back to Chicago in 3 days, again. I encountered rain on 5 of the 6 days I traveled. There were extremely high cross winds in Utah that had all the bikes I saw off the road except my 250 that just leaned into the wind while tracking perfectly straight. One day a bee got into a tiny opening at my wrist on my rain suit and stung me. The next day, a bee got into the same 1/2" opening on my other wrist and stung me, too. My wrist swelled so much from the second sting that my watch wouldn't fit around it. I lost 11 pounds in 11 days. It all sounds pretty miserable, but it was a great adventure for my 24 yr old self and I've never regretted my I-80 run.
Funny. I think I was on a detour from I-80 and I missed the link back on it. By the time I realized I must have missed it, rather than backtracking, I decided to head west, following the descending sun, hoping to find a road that looked big enough to have an interchange with I-80. I was really getting worried until I found a road headed back north and it did hook up with I-80.
When I ride my bike from Ohio to Oregon to visit family I usually take I80. I take I70 / 74 and catch I80 at the Quad cities. It's mostly boring as hell and FULL of trucks. But it's a good way to fold space and get west very fast if you need to be on the other coast in 3 days. That is 3 LOONG days of butt burn and fuel stops. edit add: Yup. Did that little diversion last summer, riding over the 11K ft pass at Medicine Bow. Beautiful, but it did add at least 3 hours to the day. I was so sick of interstate by that point that I gave myself that one, then cut from Rock Springs up to the Jackson / Tetons and across to I15 at Idaho falls. Made me a day late into Bend, but worth it. edit add: Agree about getting up early. I'm rolling by 7AM. Also want to suggest either planning reservations the night before, or finishing early as well. Out west the hotels can be few and none between. Even on the Interstates there are places where no decent hotels exist for 100 miles. Many of the hotels will fill up by 6PM, so don't assume you can just ride into town at 8PM and grab a hotel. They'll likely all be full, sending you packing another 50 miles to the next town. I like to hit the road by 7AM and finish by 5PM. If you have reservations then of course this is much less of an issue, but then you MUST make your destination that day no matter how tired you are. This gets dangerous if the weather sucks or you are hitting the wall.
