[arbezc]

Hello all,
I follow this forum on a semi regular basis but haven’t posted often. I’m hoping those familiar with the 4 corners area can provide some advice. The plan is to meet my son in Salt Lake City around June the 12th where he will rent a bike. I’ll be riding down for Vancouver on my R1100S. He has a week off to tour the 4 corners area. The theme for this trip is a mix of riding & site seeing, history, archeology, small towns, tec. Neither of us have been to this area & don’t have much experience riding at high altitudes.

I would rather omit destinations that are clogged with traffic or over touristy. Those might include Zion, Arches, Bryce & possibly Moab. Here’s a preliminary list of the main sites we thought of seeing.
• Capital Reef NP
• Canyon Lands
• Monument Valley
• Mesa Verde or Canyon de Chelly
• Million Dollar Hwy, #550
• Gunnison Canyon
• Colorado National Monument

We hope to link them with good motorcycling roads. These would be 2 lane state highways as much as possible. I’m planning to ride conservatively, no more than 6 hours per day, with maybe a rest day in the middle. We’ll have heated vests; rain gear & will be staying motels. Here’s a recap of my main questions:
1. What are the especially good motorcycling roads?
2. What roads & destinations could be avoided to avoid the impact of over tourism?
3. Is there special ring gear you would recommend for riding in June in June?
4. Would it be easier to rent a mid weight motorcycle (BMW, Bonneville, etc.) in Denver than SLC?

If these topics have been covered in the past, please direct me to the appropriate thread.
Thanks in advance, in return I’ll post a few observations & some images from our trip.
Charles