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Dec 11, 2009, 10:46pm

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X Route
« Thread Started on Apr 7, 2007, 12:49pm »
Have any of you thought about doing the 4 Corners in an "X"?

E.G.; San Ysidro, CA to Madawaska, ME, etc.

I ran it out on Streets & Trips and the mileage wouldn't be a whole lot farther; 10,424 (based on a route of San Ysidro - Madawaska - Key West - Blaine - San Ysidro; 13 days assuming riding 12 hours a day). vs. 9802 doing the perimeter route. I think it could be more scenic and you wouldn't get into the hot Summer weather (or at least not as much) going from San Ysidro to Key West.
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scup
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Re: X Route
« Reply #1 on Apr 16, 2007, 9:17am »
A different X route.

This is what I'm going to do:

One of the things I found interesting is no one, at least in recent history, has run from Madawaska - Key West - Blaine - San Ysidro. This, like the one the webmaster mentioned avoids most of the southern route (HOT) and most of the northern route (questionable weather in the Spring & Fall).

I also have other reasons = On the return trip vist my daughter in Phoenix, a freind in El Paso, and run the Smokies.

Josh
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mikelliott
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Re: X Route
« Reply #2 on Jun 11, 2007, 8:25pm »
My brother and I are talking about doing this next September (08). I never would have thought to do an X route until I saw it here.
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richardh
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Re: X Route
« Reply #3 on Aug 26, 2007, 1:33pm »
I live in South Africa – some distance away from the USA…!

As such, I have no knowledge of the road and weather conditions in US that would affect my choice of route, time and motorcycle. I normally ride a BMW R1200GS and this would be my first choice for any trip as it offers some off-road capability and is a great workhorse for solo riding. Alternatively, a R1200RT or a good used R1200RTP model would be a great choice, too.

I have two main objectives in such a trip – to visit the four corners in 21 days and to follow that with a more leisurely trip back through the piedmont region of Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia etc. taking in Deals Gap and the Blue Ridge Parkway. (I believe that it is stunning in the Fall.)

So counting backwards from the second objective, it would seem that my endpoint should be Key West somewhere between hurricane season and the end of Fall. Counting back another 21 days, where does that get me? Of necessity, I would be starting and finishing on the East Coast for my international connecting flights.
So it seems to be anti-clockwise starting in Medwaska, ME on to Blaine WA, down the West Coast to San Ysidro, CA and across the South to Florida. The X-route also would also appeal to me from ME to CA and up the coast to WA, crossing again to FL.

I would greatly value any input from veteran finishers and anyone else as I have little knowledge of the US and no GPS with maps. I do run a Garmin Zumo with UK, Ireland and Africa maps, but that’s another zone and I can’t run US maps on it.

By the way, our BMW Motorcycle club runs a similar ride challenge. Ride to the 4 extremes of South Africa in 21 days and you get a Gold Class badge. With no time limit the badge is Silver.

It’s a lot less distance, some 5000 miles /8 000kms, and one can comfortably do this in 10 days. We just like taking a little more time for photographs and talking to locals en route. And of course, there are the Cape Winelands to ride through as well and a biker gets warm and thirsty when riding there.

Three of our checkpoints are international border posts and one is the southern point of Africa. Photographs of the rider / pillion and the point in the background are required, with petrol receipts along the route proving start date and duration. Our Post Offices do not stamp any mail by hand – one would have to mail a registered parcel and get a receipt stamped. Perhaps you could consider alternatives to prove attendance and duration, such as GPS track files and such?

I’m planning to do the USA4corners in 2010 or 2011. I’d appreciate any inputs around a small group of four to six motorcycles doing this extended tour.

Thank you.
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greenmountainboy
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Re: X Route
« Reply #4 on Sept 3, 2007, 2:25pm »
That's a good idea, I just might try that next time. Because I live in N.E. I'd start in maine.
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mitcho
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Re: X Route
« Reply #5 on Sept 7, 2007, 10:43pm »
I was thinking of the X route as well and im glad there are people chatting about it
I hope to do my ride in May of 08
let me know what others think
thanks
Mitch
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kyboy
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Re: X Route
« Reply #6 on Nov 15, 2008, 4:02pm »
If you were going to do X route you might want to consider Lebanon Kanas as cross point of one leg. This is the geography center of continental US.

I have not done 4 corners yet due to enough time off work. I am considering doing each half in a year. I would plan on 2 weeks. Do you think this would be enough time without rushing each day.
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fletch6
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Re: X Route
« Reply #7 on Nov 22, 2008, 8:01am »
Kyboy
If I read your X route message right you are talking about doing the 4 corners in two years??
You have 21 days total to go to each corner. You cant do it in two different years to qualify.
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kyboy
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Re: X Route
« Reply #8 on Nov 23, 2008, 2:23pm »
I understand but I'm planning 2 years from now 2011.

Have to pay for trip.
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fletch6
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Re: X Route
« Reply #9 on Nov 23, 2008, 8:23pm »
It is possible to do in two weeks for the four corners. I did it this year in 9 days and with one day to get to the first corner and 4 days to get back home took 15 all together.
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markjnewcomb
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Re: X Route
« Reply #10 on Jan 7, 2009, 9:08pm »
I know this is an old thread, but I did the 4 corners in an X in 2007: Key West, Madawaska, San Ysidro, then Blaine.

The reason I wanted to do it was to end up in Washibngton with all the time I needed to visit.

When I laid out my route, I saw about 160 miles difference than if I had gone from Madawaska, then Blaine, then San Ysidro.

You can also make some really good miles on the Kansas freeway. ;-)
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rwenck
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Re: X Route
« Reply #11 on Feb 25, 2009, 1:25pm »
Here's another option: In the mid-1980s Don Osborne of Bryan TX set out on his BMW to do the four corners. 17 days later a group of us rode over to Calvert (30 miles from Bryan). In limped Don in time to have some coffee and ride home with us. He discovered that his bike had a flat tire in the parking lot, but someone loaned him a pressure can of flat sealer and he made it home OK.

The punch line is that he had taken pictures of his bike not only at the four corners but also at all 48 state lines.
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woodwork
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Re: X Route
« Reply #12 on Aug 24, 2009, 9:34pm »
Hello All:

New to the forum.

I was fairly pleased when I read this thread because my sons and I are going to do this ride in one year. Starting in LA, then ride Route 66 to Chicago, then to Maine to do our first checkin. Wife and daughter will fly in and we will ride (3bikes 5 people) to Florida. Girls fly home and the boys will ride to Sturgis (the week before the crazy week) Then through Montana to Washington. Then home to LA. I figure about 10,000 miles. Reading on Ironbutt they say probably no more than 400 miles a day will make it a 25 day ride.

Any experience out there?

Thanks,

woodwork
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