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| Title:
Summer on the Rivers |
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State:
Illinois
Submitted
By: JD & ThunderCat
Date Submitted: Aug 05
Motorcycle Type: BigDog '05 Bulldog
Motorcycle Road Length: 180 Miles
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Most
of the first 30% of the ride is typical farm country road
views of farmhouses and pastures. Occasionally, the small
town at 25-30 mph. Once across the border and into Beloit
and beyond, the view becomes pure Americana; from the enduring
beauty of the river-front life to the occasional small-town
local rural lifestyle. If you keep your eyes open, there
are plenty of types of architectural interests, made me
wish I could snap pictures while riding a scoot. A lot of
this ride is along riverside, making the temperatures a
little more tolerable and excellent for breaking up the
occasional monotony of the straights thru farmland. Once
you are 30 miles or so into the ride, you will notice the
twin smoking stacks of the nuclear power plant in Byron.
That's where you make your one real change in direction,
from West to North. There are plenty of sights in Beloit
and Janesville all ranging from old to new. I have to say
that it was hot weather in middle July, but certainly a
"top 3" ride.
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Motorcycle
Road Quality: 
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From
start to finish, the road quality is manageable and enjoyable,
even for novice riders. I have a low-rider, (maybe 4" ground
clearance at best), and never felt concerned about any bumps
or threats of bottoming out. Speeds can vary, I maintained
4th to 5th gear on the riversides only so I could enjoy
the scenery and execute my curves nicely. Any idiot can
ride the straights, the fun is in the curves and twists.
There's also plenty of road to haul ass and hit 95-100mph
if that's your thing, and opportunities for passing abound
in the event of the rare truck in front of you. The traffic
is light, and even when you are "in town" within Beloit
and Janesville itself, the stop lights and signs are minimal,
making the ride fairly continuous and safe. Until you hit
town, its mostly two-lane with a lot of bikers headed in
the opposite direction to wave to. If you have a passenger
or want to take one, it's a great ride both for scenery,
and road quality in terms of smoothness and balance control.
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Motorcycle
Roadside Amenities:
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Most
of the amenities necessary to most of us (gasoline, water
and bathrooms)are readily available in this ride. The points
at which one needs to stop are very well space apart, with
no need for concern regarding running out of fuel or finding
a bathroom if necessary. Just play it smart and carry your
map just in case. In terms of places to eat, I waited to
have lunch until I got to the destination (Janesville, but
can recommend that if you must, there are a few places to
chow down in little Byron, IL, about 15 to 20 miles before
you hit Rockford. I started out at 9am, and made about 3
stops along the way for gas and to stretch my legs. All
gas stations are large, air-conditioned and complete for
the traveler that needs to rest or get a drink. I have a
4 gallon tank and no fuel gauge, so I like to re-fuel often,
but a huge gas tanks may only have to stop 2 times at all.
I also own a low-rider chopped cruiser, so i need to stretch
out my legs and back more often than the roadsters.
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This
route makes a large 180 mile loop and you can jump on it
wherever it is most convenient for you. I happened to start/end
my route in Schaumburg,
IL and that is how I'm describing the route below. Starting
in Schaumburg, get on Rte 72 and head west through Genoa,
Kirkland, Davis Junction, and finally into Byron. This leg
of the route will lead you through miles of pasture, paralleling
the freight tracks, (It's great to ride next to the trains
about 1/4 mile to your left; feels like you're not moving),
then adjacent to the Rock River (also on your left). When
in Byron stop for gas and resume on Northbound Route 2.
Take 2 north up thru Rockford, (Loves Park, Macchesney Park,)
all the way to the IL/WI border, where you will see signs
for South Beloit, Wisconsin. Here in South Beloit, due to
construction, you will need to locate Rte 151, sometimes
still called 51. Take this all the way up to Janesville,
WI. Stay slightly West and maintain the local and smooth
road alongside the river, it's well worth it! Avoid taking
the toll way, (90/39) as it negates the pleasure of slowing
down to 40mph thru a nice part of upper Beloit/lower Janesville.
While in the Beloit/lower Janesville area you'll see large
houses on your right, and smaller river-front homes to the
left. They are very quaint, and unique to see, and if you
look on the river, you will see a large variety of water
sports and recreational vehicles enjoying the wide expanse
of water. It's truly a pretty place. Continue up into Janesville,
up the huge hill and past the Road Ranger and K-Mart. Make
a right at the intersection of routes 11 or 14, and around
there, you will see a ton of places to hang out. There's
a Hooters there on the left, ( I hate their food, but love
their beer) and it's air conditioned and across the street
from a big Harley dealership. There is also a test track
there where a lot of crotch-rocketeers are working out.
All in all, a lot of cool variety for any kind of rider/passenger
interested in a short 175 mile round trip day-trip. Now
its time to head back … coming back, take US Rte 14 west
all the way to state Rte 11 which you want to continue west
on until you get to Spring Prairie where you want to go
south on Rte 120 and take this all the way into Lake Geneva
for a beer at Skinny's on the water. Continue South on Rte
120 and after it crosses the IL border it will turn into
Rte. 47. Continue south on Rte 47 through Woodstock and
Huntley and when you intersect Rte 72 take that east back
to starting point of Schaumburg.
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