Illinois Sport Bike Roads Illinois Sport Bike Roads | Start At | Finish At | Highway(s) | Submitted by | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alton | Grafton | Hwy 100 (The Great River Road) | J Goodman | Try eating at "Fast Eddies" in Alton or "The Landing" in Grafton. Editor's note: "Almost any ride along the mighty Mississippi is a good ride!" |
| Channahon (near I55 & I80) | Starved Rock State Park | Various (see text below) | John Yotko | See Note 1 |
| Rockford | Mississippi River near Dubuque, IA | Hwy 20 | Eric Miller | Great hilly and curvy cruise. You'll pass through Freeport and Galena, both nice small cities to stop/rest/eat/visit and possibly even Bed & Breakfast. |
| No Frames
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1. Starting in Channahon on McLindon Road head West to IL 47. Good twisties it follows the shoreline contour of the Illinois River. Watch for farm implements. There is one set of railroad tracks in a turn that can upset a line.
Go south on Route 47 to DuPont Road. Nothing to speak of.
Turn right on Dupont Road, after you pass through the first big dip the road becomes flat and straight.
At the end of the straight stretch the road begins to descend. SLOW DOWN. At the end of the straight stretch there is a set of railroad tracks that will serve as a ramp for anything over about thirty MPH. This puts you in a set of great twisties. Some are off camber. Watch out for the rising right hand turn crossing a bridge. the road rises up to the bridge and falls away leaving. I left the road the first time through here (damn that ZX-7 I was chasing). Watch for gravel. The road mellows out into a series of nice sweepers that puts you on a road leading into Ottawa. There are a few stop signs along the way.
Turn right at the light next to Ottawa High School going north to 71. Turn Left towards Starved Rock State Park. Heading out of Ottawa this road turns into the tightest set of turns going up the side of a hill this side of San Francisco. As you enter this stretch you will be heading towards a concrete wall. The turn at the end of the straight is a very tight 200 degree lefthander. If you can't see your rear tire going through these turns your not looking far enough. If you lose it here you will eat concrete. Watch out for slow moving cars. These turns are posted at 5 to 15 MPH. This section is best traveled at sporting speeds before the tourist season. The road straightens out and you are at Starved Rock State Park. Turn right into the park and take a break. Too many kids, moms, dads, horses and cars.
Total mileage is about 40 miles. The only thing bad about trip is that once your down there the only good way back is the way you came.
91ZX11 Scrapin' knees and eatin bees