Crown King Dirt Bike Ride on Sunday 9/14, depart at 8!

Guys, this Crown King Dirt Bike Ride FJR Forum Event is now on Sunday, September 14. We will depart from the I-17/AZ-74 Chevron at 0800 hours and then ride up the Front Side with our Breakfast in Crown King. Then up the Senator Highway to Mayer, stopping for a soda and a snack there. If we can actually make it up the Senator Highway, with the most recent storms the road may still be impassable for our big trailie bikes!

Here is a suggestion from our Gary "Mudslide" Miller: "Don, I'm still in for something off-road. We'll see what develops from this. Maybe after Crown King from the front way, back across Bloody Basin & down to Camp Creek/Carefree. Don't know if there's been any rain damage to those routes."

https://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1004280 Here is what the August monsoon rains did to the dirt roads in the Bradshaw Mountains in Central Arizona!

I cross posted this to the YST Forum as well...see you then!

PLEASE NOTE: It'll be at least 100F degrees on the day of this dirt ride, at a bare minimum bring along 2 liters of drinking water on your motocicletas, ese!

See you at 8.

I am not sure what I will have going on the weekend of your planned ride but if I am free I may join you guys. The back way isn't that bad... I would be happy to lead a group up that way and meet the group going up the front way at Crown King. Doing it in the day time should result in a few less broken bones... ;D

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Brother Drew, Sounds Great!

On the Tonto web site the Senator hwy is closed from Crown King west, from a landslide.
Say the link on ADV

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This was posted on YST, so it seems like we may be coming back down the front side.

AVGeek said:

On the Tonto web site the Senator hwy is closed from Crown King west, from a landslide.
Say the link on ADV

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This was posted on YST, so it seems like we may be coming back down the front side.

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AVGeek, Thank You!

From Gary - Mudslide Miller: I haven't done Bloody Basin or Table Mesa Road, so I'm game for whichever one you think is better. Looks like the weather will be good (and still hot) for next weekend. Remnants of Norbert will be cleared out of here by then.

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Nice find Steve. I deal with those kind of wiring problems on A/C engines every day at work. It's the ones that have broken strands inside of the insulation without any external damage that are a bear to find. Glad that we will finally get to ride our XR's together, be it on an easy forest road. Are you up for doing Bloody Basin to Seven Springs on the way back? I just have to make sure I have the fuel capacity to make it from Crown King to Carefree. May have to carry some xtra.


Thx Gary. Yeah, I think coming back east via BB would be fun. The other possibility would be Table Mesa which is a bit more fun ;D On the fuel, worst case I have plenty, just need to xfer some. We'll work it out before the ride.

Hey Papa Chuy,
I'll see ya in the mornin!
~Bear

+1, Gunny! JSNS!

I'm in. See ya at the Chevron at 0800.

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+1, Gunny! JSNS!

Nice Crown King Ride Report and Great Photos from FJR Forum Member Gary "Mudslide" Miller:

Five of us had a great ride to Crown King yesterday. Don, Barry, Ty, Brian & Gary had breakfast at The Mill Restaurant out on the nice cool shaded patio and then 3 of us continued on back across I-17 to Bloody Basin Rd & on down Cave Creek Rd back to the pavement. The dirt roads were in pretty good shape considering the recent storms. Crown King Road had been regraded & Bloody Basin had a few rutted out areas but nothing major. The views were spectacular & the desert is pretty plush green right now after all the rain. Usually by end of summer it is burnt brown. I logged 65 miles of pavement & 105 miles of dirt. Fortunately the temps were tolerable, even after we got back to Cave Creek. Great day, great ride & great company. Thanks to Don for organizing.

View on the way to Crown King


View on Crown King Rd


Crown King Rd


Arriving in CK


At The Mill Restaurant




Barry & Don looking pretty hungry


Brian & Ty


Acorn woodpecker having breakfast


View from Bloody Basin Rd


Bloody Basin Rd


Bloody Basin Rd winding down the mountain


A nice green desert


A rest stop at Bloody Basin & Cave Creek roads


Brian & his Yamaha Tenere


Ty & his BMW F700

It was great to get out and ride more dirt than pavement! Though Bloody Basin Rd was a bit challenging heading southbound, I had to let the bike crawl down a good portion of it.

That was good fun Brian. Let me know when you guys are up for more dirt. There's tons around here to explore.

Mudslide Miller said:

That was good fun Brian. Let me know when you guys are up for more dirt. There's tons around here to explore.

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My Fellow Zonie Dirt Donks: How about a ride to Young, Arizona on Sunday, October 19 via the Apache Trail? Have a light breakfast at Tortilla Flats and then a late lunch at the Antlers and then make a big loop back to Phoenix through Payson. Any later this year and snow starts flying! jes' sayin' and nuff said, ese!

https://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=945131

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Antlers-Cafe-Bar/215070661894085

AZ Beemer and FJR Forum Motos ready to ride dirt. Great practice and training for our Mexico ride in March!



Our Chevron meet up and departure time was the same as the Phoenix Sport Bike Riders Club!



Gary "Mudslide" Miller enjoying his morning Smirnoff Vodka and Gatorade refreshment!



Papa Chuy Viejo's "Senorita Salma Hayek" snuggled in between two sleek Ducatis! Viva Italia, ese!



The Crown King Road was in perfect shape, Barry Beartrax playing "Hello Kitty" on his cellphone!



Great Day, Great Dirt Bike Riding and Great Motorcycle Companions: Doesn't get any better than this!







Just before a fantastic Breakfast at The Mill Restaurant, food was delicious and plenty of it too!



AV Geek - Brian's Yamaha Super Tenere is a good looking machine, he definitely rides it well ese!

beemerdons said:

Mudslide Miller said:

That was good fun Brian. Let me know when you guys are up for more dirt. There's tons around here to explore.

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My Fellow Zonie Dirt Donks: How about a ride to Young, Arizona on Sunday, October 19 via the Apache Trail? Have a light breakfast at Tortilla Flats and then a late lunch at the Antlers and then make a big loop back to Phoenix through Payson. Any later this year and snow starts flying! jes' sayin' and nuff said, ese!

https://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=945131

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Antlers-Cafe-Bar/215070661894085

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I'll let you know; that's my birthday, and if I have the weekend off, I may make my season opening trip to Glamis instead!

beemerdons said:

AV Geek - Brian's Yamaha Super Tenere is a good looking machine, he definitely rides it well ese!

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Thanks Don! It's been a learning curve getting used to dirt on this one; there were a few places on this ride, I was wishing for smaller bike!