3-Day Ride to the Great Salt Lake, Utah

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by frostbite

Finally, a picture of Spud! I thought you'd be taller.

My cover is blown! For the record, I am 6'-0" tall, Craig.

Spud

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by FastDoc

We stayed at that little $hithole in Snowville. We must have crossed paths many times.

I'm sorry I missed you, Doc! Let me know the next time you are coming my way; you can test ride my YamaZong and post your impressions on this forum.

Spud

[AZ200cc]

Those old trains in the background are awesome, You have a great state to ride in..........Might hafta move there in my geezer days.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by AZ200cc

Those old trains in the background are awesome, You have a great state to ride in..........Might hafta move there in my geezer days.

Thank you, AZ.

I am teaching a motorcycle rider safety class on Sunday; I will post my Wasatch Range photographs on Monday.

Spud

[Jim]

Does your school use any China Bikes?

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Jim

Does your school use any China Bikes?

No, Jim; Idaho STAR owns a fleet of Japanese motorcycles. My home training site uses Suzuki GZ250, Kawasaki BN125 Eliminator, Yamaha TW200, and Yamaha XT225 motorcycles. Another training site where I work uses Suzuki DR200SE motorcycles, instead of Yamaha XT225 bikes.

Spud

[Jim]

I always thought that Chinese bike dealers / distributors should target riding schools, offer them good bulk discounts and so on. Imagine Idaho Star with a nice shinny fleet of Qingqi/Q-link super motos. (or yamazongs :wink: )

[SpudRider]

After spending the night in Ogden, I left the next morning to ride in the Wasatch Range. Skyline Drive begins in Farmington, Utah, and ascends the Wasatch Mountains to elevations exceeding 9,000 feet above sea level. This first photograph was taken near Francis Peak. Looking west, almost 5,000 vertical feet below, you can see Antelope Island, and the Great Salt Lake in the background.



The next photograph looks down a nearby canyon to Antelope Island, and the vast Great Salt Lake Valley.



Here is a close-up photograph of Antelope Island, and the nearby towns of Syracuse, Layton, and Kaysville, Utah.



On the other side of the ridge, looking east, the city of Morgan is visible in the distance.



Many small trails branch off from Skyline Drive. Heading to the north a fun trail yields excellent views to the south of Morgan, into East Canyon.





Heading south from Francis Peak, you are rewarded with many beautiful views of the valley. In the next photograph the Promontory Mountains I visited the day before are visible in the distance, above the Zong’s mirrors. Hill Air Force Base, in Ogden, is also visible above the Zong’s luggage rack.



Many beautiful canyons extend into the valley below. Solar evaporation ponds west of Farmington provide a foreground to the Oquirrh Mountains, which extend from the south to the shore of the Great Salt Lake.



Heading south to Bountiful Peak, a fun little trail leads to slightly lower, but more intimate views of the valley below. The following photographs sweep the horizon from the Oquirrh Mountains, south of the Great Salt Lake, past Antelope Island to the Promontory Mountains, north of the lake.











Backtracking up the small trail, I headed for Bountiful Peak.





I parked the Zong below Bountiful Peak, and climbed several hundred feet to the summit. In the following photograph, Francis Peak is in the background, to the north.



At an elevation of 9,259 feet above sea level, Bountiful Peak is approximately 5,000 feet higher than the Great Salt Lake. Here is a view from the summit, looking north to Francis Peak.



Here is a view from the summit, looking to the east.



Here is a summit view, looking to the south.



Here is a view looking to the west, across the Great Salt Lake, with Antelope Island in the center, and the Promontory Mountains on the horizon to the right.



Descending from the summit, I rode south. Skyline Drive descends into the valley just north of the Mormon temple in Bountiful, Utah.





After an afternoon of great riding, I headed south to Utah's capitol city. In my next installment I will continue my ride report from downtown Salt Lake City, where I visited the annual Utah State Fair.

Spud

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Jim

I always thought that Chinese bike dealers / distributors should target riding schools, offer them good bulk discounts and so on. Imagine Idaho Star with a nice shinny fleet of Qingqi/Q-link super motos. (or yamazongs :wink: )

That is an excellent idea, Jim. However, it seems the Chinese communists fail to fully understand capitalist economics.

Spud

[Weldangrind]

Thanks for the amazing photos Spud.

Where is your trunk? How did your bike breathe at 9000 feet? 8O

[FastDoc]

Spud:

a) Do you get nervous being so far away from town in the hills on your won? I'd be concerned for breakdowns and injuries and no one to help. I frequently ride 'way out there' on my own and it occurs to me it's not such a good idea. I have my tools, handgun, and cell phone but still...

b) Wanna take me next year? I can take my Q there on my little pickup and we could have a grand time! Or, we can do the Cascade Mountains out here...

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

Thanks for the amazing photos Spud.

Where is your trunk? How did your bike breathe at 9000 feet? 8O

You're welcome, WG.

I left my travel trunk at the motel, in Ogden. After visiting the Utah State Fair in Salt Lake City, I returned to Ogden to spend the night.

After installing the FMF Turbine Core 2 spark arrestor/silencer, my Zong is running a bit rich, even at my home elevation of 4,400 feet above sea level. The Zong was definitely running even richer at 9,000+ feet above sea level, but the bike still breathed very well. The Zongshen/Yamaha TW200 airbox provides plently of oxygen for the tough little 167FML engine. China Riders member Madbare rides his Zong at 9,000 feet above sea level, in Colorado, and he has also installed the same FMF silencer on his bike. He has jetted down his carburetor, and I plan to do the same in the near future.

Spud

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by FastDoc

Spud:

a) Do you get nervous being so far away from town in the hills on your won? I'd be concerned for breakdowns and injuries and no one to help. I frequently ride 'way out there' on my own and it occurs to me it's not such a good idea. I have my tools, handgun, and cell phone but still...

After riding it for 19,000 miles, I trust my Zong's reliability. However, I carry the same equipment as you, whenever I ride "out back."

Originally Posted by FastDoc

...
b) Wanna take me next year? I can take my Q there on my little pickup and we could have a grand time! Or, we can do the Cascade Mountains out here...

I would love to go riding with you, Doc; the Pacific Northwest is a beautiful place to live, and ride.

Spud

[FastDoc]

Cool Spud. I'll put that on my list of stuff to look forward to.

As far as dangers go I was not thinking so much as a breakdown but a flat, broken chain, or broken arm or leg.

I'm out in places I'd have no idea how to tell someone to come and get me.

I usually carry a can of fix a flat with my tools but the constant vibration and shaking of the bike tends to blow up the can making a sticky mess.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by FastDoc

...As far as dangers go I was not thinking so much as a breakdown but a flat, broken chain, or broken arm or leg...

You make some excellent points, Doc. I am going to start carrying an inner tube patch kit, and two small tire irons with me. My Tsubaki 428HQR drive train is of very high quality. Also, I regulary inspect, tighten, and lubricate my drive chain; therefore, I trust its reliability.

I ride pretty conservatively, especially when I am in remote areas. Therefore, I am not too concerned about broken limbs.

Originally Posted by FastDoc

...I'm out in places I'd have no idea how to tell someone to come and get me...

I always bring my Garmin GPS and cell phone with me whenever I head into fairly remote areas. Therefore, once I obtain cell phone coverage, I am pretty confident I can always give someone my exact location.

When I lived in suburban Portland, Oregon, I used to belong to the Mazamas mountaineering club. On every hike we made, let alone every climb, we always carried the "Ten Essentials."

http://www.mazamas.org/your/adventur...zamas-and-aym/

I think I am going to renew that practice when riding my YamaZong.

Spud