trip to vegas, renting a motorcycle.... what to get and where to go?

I won a trip to Vegas October 16-19 through work. The only planned events Thursday and Saturday night, leaving all of Friday, and most of Thursday and Saturday free. It's winter in Alaska, so I want to rent a motorcycle and do some riding.

What should I rent? I'm probably going with Eagle Riders, and from what they have I'm interested in:

Triumph Bonneville T100, Harley Sportster 1200, Harley Dyna Low Rider, or...

Indian Chief Vintage

I'm leaning towards the Indian, I've ridden the other three in some form or another before but they're bikes I'm considering buying.

Second question, where should I go?

Definitely hit the Hoover Dam and think about the Grand Canyon. I have heard the Grand Canyon is a LONG run from LV, but how often will you get there.

DC

http://www.thelostadventure.com/great-day-rides-from-las-vegas

If I was going to rent a motorcycle in Vegas it would be to do this: Dirt bike tours

Normally I'm all about a good dirt ride, but I'm looking for an on-road easy scenic fun trip not a "beat myself up and pull cactus spines out of my ass for a week" trip.

NGTD wrote: Definitely hit the Hoover Dam and think about the Grand Canyon. I have heard the Grand Canyon is a LONG run from LV, but how often will you get there.

Unless you want to stop at the south rim and stay there overnight, I would advise against trying to get to the Grand Canyon. That's a loooooooong way away from LV.

BoxheadTim wrote:

NGTD wrote: Definitely hit the Hoover Dam and think about the Grand Canyon. I have heard the Grand Canyon is a LONG run from LV, but how often will you get there.

Unless you want to stop at the south rim and stay there overnight, I would advise against trying to get to the Grand Canyon. That's a loooooooong way away from LV.

As I understand it, it's about 350 miles one way, so yup that's a long ride.

I would ride to Zion National Park.

BoxheadTim wrote:

NGTD wrote: Definitely hit the Hoover Dam and think about the Grand Canyon. I have heard the Grand Canyon is a LONG run from LV, but how often will you get there.

Unless you want to stop at the south rim and stay there overnight, I would advise against trying to get to the Grand Canyon. That's a loooooooong way away from LV.

I might still be tempted - I've never seen the Grand Canyon except from the air. 350 miles is a good day trip if you rent a cruiser. How much could a hotel be for a night somewhere on the way back? Certainly not more than a 2nd trip to see the canyon some other time.

Valley of Fire is a good ride. You could also use that to go to Lake Meade and the Hoover dam, an alternate route.

Seeing as you only have day trips available, the Grand Canyon is likely out, I did the drive last year in a car, 5-6 hours of highway at 75 MPH, but we stayed out there for a few days so the drive wasn't bad. The Hoover Dam is reasonably close and a cool place if you are into amazing engineering feats. Red Rock Canyon is supposed to be cool, haven't been there though. We went to a little ghost town, Oatman, AZ that was fun, about 125 miles from Vegas. They have burros wandering around in the streets and some shops and restaurants, tourist trap kind of stuff. Most of the roads around the LV are flat, straight and boring but if you want to just cruise and not canyon carve you should find somewhere fun to ride. Laughlin is south of Vegas and they host a huge MC rally so imagine there is something to do there. Death Valley isn't far into CA, not sure it would be fun to take a bike there depending on the weather. You should be able to find plenty of things to go see and hopefully get a nice ride in. I'd opt for the Indian, it will be cool to explore on a "classic". Have fun.

Rent the Indian.

Go to Hoover Dam then ride up the west side of Lake Mead to Valley of Fire State park then back south to 'Vegas. That's a nice longish ride through great desert scenery.

The Grand Canyon is only two hours and twenty minutes from Vegas. On a Hayabusa.

Take the dam tour.

http://ridefree.com/

See if Wil can help you out. Tell him Curtis Kraft sent you.

Seriously. He's a great guy.

First the roads around Las Vegas are not mostly flat straight and boring, there are quite a few good roads; From the strip take the 215 east to Lake Mead Drive, just past the park entrance turn left on North Shore Road(loads of sweeping corners and lots of elavation change) it's over 50 miles to the Overton Logandale area, a small farm community, keeping going to you get to I-15, head west towards Vegas, after about 10 miles you'll come to the Valley of Fire turn off, ride through the Valley of Fire back to North Shore Road follow that back to Lake Mead Drive.

Take 95 north to the Mt Charelston turn off and head west up the hill, stop at the lodge then take the connector road that joins Kyle and Lee Canyon. This is a nice easy ride close to town.

Closet ride is Red Rock Canyon, 13 mile one way scenic route, back in the day it was lightly traveled and we rode through there likey it was our own personal Nurburgring........it's way to close to town now but still a very nice ride. Stop at Spring Mtn State Park west of Red Rock, when you're done there you can continue West to the Hwy to Pahrump, take a right and head up the hill to Mtn Springs Saloon........after that you can head back down the hill to town.

As Zion's; I-15 between Vegas and southern Utah is a mess it wll take you hours to get to Zion's, Grand Canyon is even further........scratch them off your list.

Laughlin and Oatman are OK rides but those do have long sections of boring road.

 Tom, 36 years in Vegas.

Feedyurhed wrote: Take the dam tour.

Rent the Indian, take the dam tour then get some dam bait and do some dam fishing.