Pavement Ends...only Illinois (A 6 hour ride)

[Oddball]

Pavement Ends...only Illinois has to put up these signs since they paved what feels like 99% of the roads.


This is a Sunday day ride tripping photo essay.  I hope to come back and type more.  Yesterday I road with CDSR the top half of ADV Rider's 4-s-hsky's tracks in north western Illinois and today I did the bottom half.  Both rides are worth a go.

I think I may call a meet for the southern half.  It's 2 o'clock in the how long can it take?  Planning ensued and gravel starts 12 miles from home.  So I road it to see what it is like.  He is my day tripping report.  Highlights only and mostly pictures.







Plum River bridge rebuilt 1985

Lyndon, Illinois nothing remarkable other than a gas stop and bridge.









De Immigrant Windmill


Mississippi Lock and Dam No. 13



Thomson Correctional Center what a waste in governmental spending.  Sorry for the crappy picture, but the sun was setting and I had to take this with the phone.


So it was 240 miles and took me 6 hours, 45  minutes we stopped for gas, pictures or food.
Not really dirt, but a lot of gravel.

One last photo after riding a Tiger all weekend and loving it.

[Mac]

Very nice.  Love the pics. How is that Tiger on that kind of stuff?




I remember doing something like that in Ms. several years ago. The guy who mapped the TAT has a 150 mile dirt route from Jackson to Batesville, Ms. Very fun. I'll have to get another off road baike and do it again sometime. Hell, do the whole TAT while I'm at it!

[bomber]

Call it Odd -- I'd love to ride those roads again!

[Jetpilot5]

What do you mean there's nothing in Lyndon IL!?  It is the Crow Capital of the World.  I have family that farm near there.  Lot more scenic up in that part of the state. Looks like you had a nice ride.

[Oddball]

Mac - I really want to do a write up on the Tiger, but been riding it too much.  Let me just say that if I could only have one it would be the Tiger.  For years I've taken whatever I have been riding wherever I wanted.  Now I know what has been missing.  It has preformed things well over my skill level with ease.  Only in sand and loose fresh dropped dirt was there a concern.  But I would ride there again in a heat beat.

Last June right after I purchased the Tiger I road the TMOT to the STN National.  Years since I did any off road riding.  Made for a nice mix of riding.  Next year there is a group of us talking about riding the TWAT north to south in 24 hours just to make it more challenging.

It preforms admirably as a Sport-Tourer since I upgrade the rear suspension.  

Bomber in a few weeks I'm going to ride the route (north half) we did last Saturday only in reverse.  It had much more gravel and two track.  So it is the A route.

Jetpilot5 the only problem was that I started too late and had to cut it short at the end.  So really enjoying Lyndon as out of the picture.  The ladies at the gas stop did not even try convince me to go the bridge.

There were two forest rats that crossed the road from the right then decided to go back to the left just after I left Savanna.  Then the temperature dropped and the proper gear was at home in the right pannier.  Did I mention that I knew the battery was getting low in the camera and the spare was on a different motorcycle.

[bomber]

Odd -- let me know, and I'll be there with bells on . . . . .I'll also brief you on your plans for the 24-Hour TWAT Run, as I jhave some knowledge that may be of use ;-}