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"Life moves
pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss
it." (Ferris
Bueller) What better way to "look around" this great country than from the saddle of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
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|
"Life moves
pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss
it." (Ferris
Bueller) What better way to "look around" this great country than from the saddle of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
|
(click on picture for more)
For 25 years now, "Captain Unbound" (a.k.a. John Durning) has gathered a posse of friends for a motorcycle trip in search of that inner spirit and freedom that gets lost in our non-stop work and personal worlds. "Unbound" is open to a select group of friends, business associates, clients and friends of friends. The routes are designed to take you through National Parks like Yosemite and Yellowstone on National Scenic Byways and roads designated as "Scenic Routes" by Rand McNally to experience God's incredible handiwork.
The 7-day rides range from about 1,600 to 2,500 miles, with daily mileage ranging from 250 to 350 miles. This generally equates to about 5 or 6 hours in the saddle on back roads, scenic byways and mountain passes. That leaves plenty of opportunities for roadside stops to enjoy the spectacular vistas along the way.
You are responsible for making your own travel arrangements and making any bike rental or shipping arrangements. The cost ($1,600 r/t) and logistics of shipping a motorcycle to the ride make renting fairly attractive. Harley has pulled the plug on it's rental program in 2018 and turned it over to EagleRider at its Harley-Davidson dealerships. Rental rates average about $1,500/week for all big twins (including touring models) but insurance and surcharges can push the total cost to $2,100. NOTE -- While Harley had a very forgiving cancellation policy, EagleRider does not. Please check with EagleRider on rental terms and conditions.
There is no charge -- however, any contributions to offset John's out-of-pocket expenses to plan/scout trips; maintain the Unbound website; and/or offset the cost of the "chase vehicle" and the much appreciated services of the "Unbound Mule Driver" will be accepted and greatly appreciated.
Unbound dates range from May to September, depending on where the trip is based out of. Trips in the desert southwest are planned for May before temps hit the 100's while trips into the Rockies are planned for mid-June, as many of the routes take us over mountain passes that are snow-covered until June. Trips out of the Northwest, Canada and Alaska are held in July, based on historical weather data.
The trips are planned in the late Spring and early Summer so the mountains are still snow-capped, and the rivers and waterfalls are still charged with spring run-off. June and July also tend to be the driest months of the year in the western states.
If you plan on renting, most outfits require that you be at least 21 years of age and you must have a motorcycle license. Moreover, these routes are no place for a novice rider. And for those of you who don't ride but would like to join us on a particular ride, we always have an opening for a chase-vehicle driver (a.k.a. the "Unbound Mule"). Of course, any chase-vehicle driver is entitled to the usual photo-ops.
If you love to ride you'll love "Unbound" -- however, if your style is cruising the local bars, you might be disappointed by the nightlife in some of the small towns we overnight in.
Actually, it does have an origin -- kind of like the "33" on the back label of Rolling Rock Beer bottles. However, I prefer the definition provided by Webster's Dictionary -- i.e., "released from all shackles, ties and bonds; ...to set free".
If you're interested in joining us on an upcoming ride or have more questions, you can contact me by email at the following address. If you email me, make sure you include the word "UNBOUND" in the subject line so I can spot it amid the hundreds of spam-mails I get each day.
For more info you can email John at jsdurning@hotmail.com
This site was developed by John Durning