West Virginia ride advice

[south east okie]

I've a West Virginia ride planned for the middle of July . Planning on just ridding , wondering all over with no destination in mind. I'm hauling my bike to Louisville,Ky , sister-in-law lives there , and ridding from there. Planning a 5-6 day ride , camping in a motel . Looking at a map looks like a lot of 1 1/2-- 2 lane blacktop to explore and don't mind a few dirt roads.
I'll be riding a R1150R I have "messed" with a little to make it work better on dirt roads. Bash plate, GS pegs and mounts, and Shinko 705's.

Where re the cool places

 

[Punkinhead]

My favorite part of WV is the Monongahela Valley in the eastern part of the state. Tons of national and state parks to enjoy, beautiful scenery, and great roads. Southern WV is also beautiful.

 

[EGR]

If the good twisties are important then Butler Southern Mid Atlantic map has your answer.

 

[SandRdr]

If you can find the tracks, Blue Ridge Trail is highly recommended! You'll want to avoid walker mtn rd and iron mtn. Unless you're off road ready.

 

[Oldtrix]

If you go east, avoid accidentally crossing into VA. Your wallet will thank you later....Fuckin' staties prowl empty two-lane backcountry roads more than they do interstates.

We go every year for the Cass Rally, near snowshoe. Pick a squiggly line and follow it, it you can do the posted limit, you're doing good. Most locals are hard to keep up with, (dump trucks and school busses included) and if you prove you're worthy, will more often than not pull over to let you by. Many of the best roads are those oddly-numbered county roads. I can't remember exactly, but I think the signs with two sets of digits run through, while single row numbers dead end.

 

[EGR]

One of these days I’m gonna run 16 from Tazewell VA to St Marys WV on the Ohio river. WV, VA, NC and SC carry 16 number through. It is not a big highway. The WV double numbers are when two continuous numbers share a common roadbed for a distance. A grid number system with X crossings is not possible where nothing is straight. I can be Northbound on 16 on sections with the bike obviously moving South - twenty times a day.

 

[TravelinLite]

One of these days I’m gonna run 16 from Tazewell VA to St Marys WV on the Ohio river. WV, VA, NC and SC carry 16 number through. It is not a big highway. The WV double numbers are when two continuous numbers share a common roadbed for a distance. A grid number system with X crossings is not possible where nothing is straight. I can be Northbound on 16 on sections with the bike obviously moving South - twenty times a day.

That is definitely a good route but if you go a little further south and pick up 16 at Marion, VA, you will add a lot more fun to your ride. That will take you through Hungry Mother State Park and the "Back of the Dragon". The Back if the Dragon is a fairly technical ride.

 

[klaviator]

One of these days I’m gonna run 16 from Tazewell VA to St Marys WV on the Ohio river. WV, VA, NC and SC carry 16 number through. It is not a big highway.

I did that around 10 years ago. I rode 16 from south of Marion all the way to St Mary's. I rode the section between Marion and Tazewell both ways and camped at Hungry Mother State park.

 

[EGR]

Find us in HMSP all next week 😎

 

[south east okie]

Thanks all ... tentative plan is to 2 lane from Louisville to Bluefield , meander north thru eastern WV to Cumberlnd. Than meander back south thru central and western WV. We're planning 6 days.

My 33 yr old son and I are ridding together , I'm really looking forward to it. My son and don't get enough time together. I'm retired now, but when he was young I worked to much. Now he's grown and he works to much.

Earning a living sure can get in the way of living !!

 

[Yinzer Moto]

This road runs the VA and WV border. It is well groomed gravel, any motorcycle would be fine on it. It is one of my favorite sections of gavel in the state because of the limited access, and minimal traffic.

Dropped pin

38°37'09.9"N 79°09'04.5"W

goo.gl

North of there, Smoke Hole road is paved and very fun.

Canaan loop road is a good time but that would push the envelope of a GS.

 

[Punkinhead]

When we were kids we'd camp for 2 weeks every June at a primitive campground about half way between Upper Tract and Big Bend. The campground got washed away in a flood in the 80's. The road going up the mountain next to the general store used to be gravel. Its paved now but still a good way to get from Smokehole back to Seneca Rocks. I try to ride in that area at least once every year out of mastalgia. Last year I took along a fishing rod. There's excellent trout and small mouth fishing in the river downstream from Upper Tract.

 

[klaviator]

If you go over to ADVr there are a couple of ride reports that show a lot of the great out of the way riding in WV.

https://www.advrider.com/f/threads/chethros-wv-nearby-travels.1468688/

https://www.advrider.com/f/threads/pillion-viewpoint-pvp.1525703/

Lots of good info in those threads if you have time to go through them.

 

[south east okie]

th

If you go over to ADVr there are a couple of ride reports that show a lot of the great out of the way riding in WV.

https://www.advrider.com/f/threads/chethros-wv-nearby-travels.1468688/

https://www.advrider.com/f/threads/pillion-viewpoint-pvp.1525703/

Lots of good info in those threads if you have time to go through them.

Those are cool !!

I have only driven thru WV one time , and just drove straight thru. The only destination we have is Bluefield , we will probably ride from Louisville to Bluefield. Than just meander in a northerly direction up the east side of WV looking. We're going to spend 6 days just riding. We are "touring", (never thought I would use that word to describe my riding style), not really looking to do a lot of hooligan riding on this trip.

 

[TravelinLite]

Good luck on the trip. Enjoy! Our LEO'S here in WV are motorcyclist friendly and overall, a good group of folks.

 

[south east okie]

Update.

My son and I trailered our bikes to Louisville Ky. Rode down 460 to Gundry Va. than to Bluefield WV. From there we went up the East side of WV. Meandering up to Md. Came down the west/central part of WV. Crossed into Ohio , back to WV. Rode south into Ten. went west to Pall Mall to pay our respects to Sgt.York , than back to Louisville. We rode 1,983 miles. He was riding a '98 1100gs I was ridding a '02 1150R. We had a great ride.

 

[JimVonBaden]

WV is my all time favorite place to ride. I've done many thousands of miles there!

 

[south east okie]

WV is my all time favorite place to ride. I've done many thousands of miles there!

It was great!! We just couldn't stay as long as we wanted to.