Calling all Utah riders. My "big" trip this year will be Utah. Planning to head up thru Colorado from New Mexico and then over into Utah then down thru Arizona to catch the Grand Canyon, then back home to New Mexico. This will be my vacation ride with the GF and we will have maybe ten days at most. We will spend the majority of the trip inside Utah wanting to see as much as possible. Have a route planned but just wanting recommendations as to WHEN. I know most any time is a good time but dont really have a feel for Utah weather. Is May to early? August just to hot? September to late? We can go any time, just wanting opinions when might be the best time.

thanks!

 

Mid September worked good for us. Here is my thread about our trip last year and some ideas for you.

https://www.hdforums.com/forum/road-...tures-too.html

 

I did that ride with a friend Sept 9 - 16 '09. Here's a vid that might "help" get you pumped (as if you need help with that!)

http://vimeo.com/9750307


AWESOME trip. We rode from Santa Fe...through the 4 Corners...across Northern AZ to catch the N Rim and up and back down through UT...Zion, Bryce, Moab/Arches, Canyonlands...then through Colo (Durango) back down into NM.

Here's a link to our original route. http://rideplanner.harley-davidson.c...r/share/259913
Due to some on-the-fly changes...we did not do the route between Hanksville and Blanding (bummer), but instead rode from Bryce up to Green River for the night....then down through Moab/Canyonlands from there. Made a few other changes along the way as well. You'll get plenty of good advice here...won't go wrong taking any of it.

Weather - we went Sept 9 and hit rain in NM...then again in UT after Bryce. Was told Monsoon season is typically August in UT, but that year, it came late just for us. Heat was quite bearable...I suppose in August it'd have been more brutal.

 

May would work, but be prepared for any and all kinds of weather. We've done a 7 day trip the third week in May for the past 2 years. Just happened to catch bad wind and weather both times. Still had a blast. Plan to base a couple of days out of Kanab and a day in Torrey. Lot so ride choices.

 

Go up the Moki Dugway. You'll never forget it.

 

Hey M.O. great video and great trip!!! Lived in Vegas for 13 years (where I got my first bike and learned to ride) and I've been through those parts many times and can't wait to go back again! Thanks for sharing!

 

Yep, Southern Utah is the best... Going through there again this year on my way to Sturgis.

Any time late may through early Sept. is great. The monsoon season is mid July through Aug.

+1 on the Mokee Dugway

 

Post Script...an time May-September you can expect blistering heat in the low canyons and leather-inducing morning temps in the altitudes.

Also, do you have a removable batwing on that Road King M.O.?

 

Yes, that's a detachable fairing on my RKC....DeadCenter. I love it...bike handles great, if not better, with it as far as moving wind and of course, I LOVE having music. I leave it on most of the time, but pop it off now and again for riding around Dallas...much prefer the look of the bike w/o it, but for touring, I'm sold on fairings.

We left Santa Fe on Sept 9. Being a Texan, I'm pretty used to heat, so we never got really hot...and by that I mean, that downright miserable heat that you can't escape even when you're moving. It was hot enough to want to shed your jacket when you were stopped, esp at the Grand Canyon and through Zion NP...the southern parts...but like you said, in the mornings and evenings, it was nice. We hit rain on Hwy 12 (FANTASTIC scenery...amazing road - it's one of the "great roads" per the HD Ride Planner) and it was COLD. We stopped at a restaurant to warm up for awhile because we were both getting hypothermic since our boots and gloves got soaked.

Oh yes, something else to think about...both of us have AT&T and had practically zero cell service most of the trip...esp while out riding. For 2 women traveling alone and in light of the fact we saw few other cars/bikes on the roads (after Labor Day...pretty much the only travelers were Europeans)...I started thinking about what we'd have done in the event of a breakdown or crash. I now have a SPOT Tracker as a result. Will be changing to Verizon this year, which may or may not make a difference...they have better service out west, but in the remote areas, my guess is any cell service isn't happening.

 

Late Sept. is great for the Fall color show.