48 in 10, August 2025

The bucket checklist “48 in 10” journey was one thing I would thought of for a few years and in honor of my sixty fifth birthday, I made a decision this was the 12 months. I’ve by no means posted about any of my rides, however this was an epic journey so improbable, I felt it was price sharing with the group if for no different cause than to encourage a few of you to strive it. It takes a number of cautious planning, some lengthy days within the saddle and a good quantity of endurance. I am usually a solo, “Blue Highways,” off the crushed monitor form of rider and clearly there was a number of slab driving right here. Not everybody’s cup of tea. However for these prepared to strive, it provides a number of the most spectacular vistas this nation has to supply in a single intense, hyper-focused, unforgettable journey. Most days have been kick stands up by 5:00am adopted by roughly 15 hours on the bike.

My one piece of recommendation can be to journey with somebody you understand very properly, somebody you want and somebody who has related driving habits…meal/toilet break frequency, early get up calls, driving type, temperament. Issues can get testy driving 800+ miles a day and the very last thing you want is to have a unpleasant driving accomplice midway throughout the nation. On this case, it was my brother. And though I’d by no means think about doing this journey on something aside from a K1600, he did it on a Harley Extremely Glide and appeared to be simply as thrilled by each single mile as I used to be. (He is a two-time Hoka Hey Problem Experience finisher, for these of you aware of that insanity)

After taking just a few months to determine on the route, we began out on August third from Woonsocket, Rhode Island. We took a counterclockwise route across the decrease 48. Here is a hyperlink to the route the place it’s best to be capable of zoom in on the map:

Hyperlink: Journey: 48 in 10

If the hyperlink above to the interactive map would not work, here’s a static route map

In some states we zipped over the border, received fuel, took a photograph of the receipt with the odometer and moved on (ME, MI, WI, NE, MN, WY, CA). In others we had a whole bunch of miles of superb roads (SD, MT, ID, AZ, NC, VA). Every state offered completely different challenges, completely different situations and amazingly completely different sights.

Day 1 – Rested and relaxed

Luverne, MN

NV Hwy 50 “The Loneliest Street in America”

Seligman, AZ

Monument Valley

Day 10 – 8,263 miles later

Apart from the dreaded 10 bar engine overheating concern on the few events once we have been caught in visitors on blisteringly sizzling days, the K1600GT carried out flawlessly. As did the brand-new Michelin Street 6 GT tires I placed on earlier than departing. For these farkle geeks on the market, I additionally assume my Sargent seat & backrest, handlebar risers, freeway pegs, AeroFlow windshield and wings, lowered pegs and grip puppies made an already superb bike much more snug and excellent for the lengthy days in retailer.

Extra of a quest than a journey, it was on the identical time exhilarating, exhausting, enjoyable, intense, therapeutic and difficult. At occasions it took all of the motorcycling abilities we had and it was one of the rewarding issues I’ve ever allowed myself to do. Most individuals assume we have been nuts. I learn in regards to the man who did the 48 in 10 just a few years in the past and when he completed, he instantly circled and did the precise route in reverse. That is nuts…

“The true journey of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, however in having new eyes.”