Good Rides in Central PA

[Furbo]

Ok,

After 18 years in Italy they've made us come home. Will be in Carlisle, PA for the next year. Looks lovely so far - where are the best rides? Dealers? Meets?

Todd

[Rod]

Be sure to check out Bill's Old Bike Barn museum in Bloomsburg. Amazing old Guzzi collection. The ride up there should be nice. You are in a great part of the world for riding. I've only been through once but will go back someday.

[Lannis]

Here's some good ideas:

http://www.motorcycleroads.com/Routes/Pennsylvania_114.html

I can especially recommend PA 44 through one of their State Forests.   Rode a BSA through there, lovely smooth blacktop, and saw one vehicle (a forest service truck) the whole way.

Lannis

[Kev m]

PM Jay (Jay67) he's from the greater Harrisburg/Hershey area.... knows a ton of routes up that way.

[Markcarovilli]

Todd

so did you bring all the bikes back with you as well....

Mark

[Blueboarhound]

[chuck peterson]

I messed a lot with upper central PA. For tiny squiggly stuff with deer more common than cars......

I like a box bound by Rt6 to the north
219 on the west
I-80 on the south
US 15/501 on the east

That's basically the Susquehannock State Forest

One block west is the even more empty but flatter and broader roads of the Allegheny National Forest

Cherry Springs State Park is a designated "dark spot", one of very view on the east coast. I know this when I was carrying the guzzi flag with a pair of Bub mufflers at o'dawn thirty, and I woke up a crowd of 200 people that had stayed up the night under the stars to make observations in an open field next to the parking lot I used. Have you every seen 200 heads pop up out of sleeping bags and their looking at you......?

Seriously high target area for deer anywhere anytime

[Zoom Zoom]

I ws just in that area a couple days ago. Out of Carlisle, 74 running NW over the mountains is a fun road. I had things to do in a couple places in the state and Mechanicsburg was one of them. I was in my car but I have done some things to enhance the handling a bit. There is a ton of good riding there!

John Henry

[jkguzzi]

You agreed to leave Vicenza??

[PeteS]

Most of the roads north of I-80 and between I-79 and I-81 in the state forest lands are good, some great. 44, 144, 872, 555, 666, 414, 14, 120 and many smaller roads too many too mention. If you have a mid weight or lighter dual sport its even better. Literally 1000s of miles of gravel forest roads. Tioga County (Wellsboro) has 600 miles of forest roads alone. Go north young man.

Pete

[Furbo]

You agreed to leave Vicenza??

No, Army said it was time to leave.

[Furbo]

Most of the roads north of I-80 and between I-79 and I-81 in the state forest lands are good, some great. 44, 144, 872, 555, 666, 414, 14, 120 and many smaller roads too many too mention. If you have a mid weight or lighter dual sport its even better. Literally 1000s of miles of gravel forest roads. Tioga County (Wellsboro) has 600 miles of forest roads alone. Go north young man.

Pete

Pete,

love my Guzzi but have a couple dual sports as well. Where's the best info on the forest roads? Years back in Colorado I had a Gazetteer  that was awesome. Todd
 

[jas67]

PM Jay (Jay67) he's from the greater Harrisburg/Hershey area.... knows a ton of routes up that way.

jas67 (my initials, not name).

Anyway, from Carlisle, a fun loop is 944 West out of town, 233N. through Colonel Denning St. Park, 850W.   Turn right at 35 (17 can be used to make a smaller loop if you're short on time).   The section from 17 to 35 is really good.    Follow 35 to 333 at Port Royal, then 333 to 75 to 74 South, which you can take back to Carlisle.

It's really hard to go wrong in Perry County, lots of great small roads, that, while the surface might not be as god as the 2 and 3-digit roads, they have much less traffic.

Another, bigger loop, instead of turning on 233, stay on 944 to 997, then 641W at Roxybury.   When you get to the truck route, follow it, it is fun, like a roller coaster.   

You can follow 641 to 522, then take 522 north towards Mt. Union, look for PA103.   Then follow that to 333 and loop back as in the first loop.

Another really fun side loop, turn left off 522 onto 994 at Orbisonia.   Follow 994 to Raystown lake, then left onto 26 south.   Then turn left onto 913 East.  Left off 913 to 655 North, meets back up with 994.    You can stay on 655 N. until it meets up with 522, then take 522 South through Mt. Union and left onto PA103, and then follow the PA103 back to 333, 75, 74, etc.

For some bigger loops, from Port Royal take 35 East to 235 N, that's a great road heading North to 45.   Then you can take 45 East to Lewisburg (Kev M. and I found a cool pub in Lewisburg where we had lunch) across the Susquehanna River and head south at Danville, toward Shamokin to enjoy PA125.    Of course, from Lewisburg, you're not far from Bill's Old Bike Barn that was mentioned earlier in this thread.

For really long days, and multi-day trips, yes, as mentioned earlier, 44 and 414 through the Pine Creek area are fantastic, as are most of the roads that way.

US30 West of Mcconnelsburg (@ 522) is a fun way to head West.    From 30, you can take 220 south into West Virginia and find all kind of really good roads.     US33 and US250 down there are among my favorites.

[Tom]

Up along the Susquehanna for a sedate 2 up ride.  By yourself, over the state game lands.  Loads of fun roads.  As a reminder, look out for the black buggies with orange triangle.    They can mess up your ride when zipping along the countryside and watch out for the fresh horse apples.   

[Ncdan]

I've ridden to Landcaster PA a few time and all of that Amish country is simply beautiful ridding. Rolling countryside, covered bridges and two hundred year old farms. Stop In Intercourse and Eat at GOOD AND PLENTY restaurant. While you are there take a leisurely buggy ride through the country.

[Perazzimx14]

Living in the Chambersburg  for the last 40+ years I can tell you the best roads in South Central PA are the ones that get you WV the fastest.

Our best motorcycle roads aren't 1/10th of the ordinary roads in WV are.
 

[PeteS]

Pete,

love my Guzzi but have a couple dual sports as well. Where's the best info on the forest roads? Years back in Colorado I had a Gazetteer  that was awesome. Todd

I got a map in Wellsboro many years ago. Many of the sporting goods shops and gas stations have maps.
Google maps does a good job of showing many of the roads. If you have one of the small GPSes that hikers use it will have all the roads. You can get by with just a compass. Keep going in one direction until you hit pavement again.

This a favorite spot to stop. Hyner view located just south of Renovo off SR 120 seen below.


This place is on 414 between Waterville and Morris. Beautiful ride.

http://slaterun.com/atv-trails-pennsylvania.php

Recent Rider Magazine article.

https://ridermagazine.com/2018/04/02/a-ride-on-the-wild-side-carving-curves-through-central-pennsylvania/

Pete

[john fish]

Living in the Chambersburg  for the last 40+ years I can tell you the best roads in South Central PA are the ones that get you WV the fastest.

Our best motorcycle roads aren't 1/10th of the ordinary roads in WV are.

I was going to suggest the same thing. 

[Kev m]

jas67 (my initials, not name).

Yeah I know that.... Should have proofed it, damn auto correct. [emoji34]

[Furbo]

I got a map in Wellsboro many years ago. Many of the sporting goods shops and gas stations have maps.
Google maps does a good job of showing many of the roads. If you have one of the small GPSes that hikers use it will have all the roads. You can get by with just a compass. Keep going in one direction until you hit pavement again.

This a favorite spot to stop. Hyner view located just south of Renovo off SR 120 seen below.


This place is on 414 between Waterville and Morris. Beautiful ride.

http://slaterun.com/atv-trails-pennsylvania.php

Recent Rider Magazine article.

https://ridermagazine.com/2018/04/02/a-ride-on-the-wild-side-carving-curves-through-central-pennsylvania/

Pete

I understood that motorcycles could not use ATV trails? Was I mistaken?

[Green1000S]

PA has great fire roads and plenty of gravel, I'm running them up and down as often as I can.
North PA (north of Harrisburg) is great, nice winding roads.


This one just north of Renovo on RT44, Sandy Run Road.

[PeteS]

I understood that motorcycles could not use ATV trails? Was I mistaken?

That may be true for specific ATV trails but I was referring to the public roads that are gravel vs paved. Very little traffic on most of the paved roads and even less on the gravel roads. Not uncommon to go 10-20 miles on these roads and not see another vehicle.
Pics above are typical.

Pete