Ken summed it up above. We usually ride early during summer and are on our way back in by 1:00p.m. and loaded up already. You will love that you can ride nearly all year here without a jacket, I do. I have a few enduro jackets and have never worn them dirt riding. Then I can say I sort of still miss riding in the Central Cali woods east of Sacramento, Stockton and Lodi area and going to Carnegie outside of Livermore. That's where we rode all the time when I used to live up in the SF bay area and further inland. All and All, Arizona is way better all around riding though and is much more open. If I want trees I need only to go up to 5500 ft. that's just 30 minutes from here, Or a bit less to the forestry tree line considering which way we go. If I want wide open desert I go north, towards Tucson. Just about anything South of Tucson is still 2500 ft. elevation or higher until you get over into the Yuma area.
[ -Road salt; designed and engineered to destroy any kind of vehicle. -The weather degrades anything kept outside. -The roads are absolutely terrible and undersized. -The gun laws over here are ridiculous and absurd. -Good luck trying to get a pistol permit. Oh man, I hear you on the road salt! I live in Northwestern PA and they use that crap like it going out of style. It's ruined many of my vehicles. That and just the amount of rain we get, everything either rots or rusts if you don't stay on top of it. We've gotten so much rain the past 2 years, the trails around my house never dried out this past summer. I get real tired of constantly mud riding. That and the short riding season. 15 degrees at my house this morning. I'm fortunate to have friends in So Cal, I try to make out once a year for some epic riding. Driving through AZ, there seems to be a ton of riding there. I wish my job would provide me with an opportunity to move the anywhere in the southwest. I wished I had moved when I was younger. Almost too old to start over now
You want to move to where a gun is like daily dress? Southern California is way better at least it is civilized , of course if you have a john McCain tee shirt you'll be cool as a cucumber amid the paranoid and elderly in Mesa. Yikes. Southern New Mexico is way cool. It had to be said.
These guys always have good posts. http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1024779 Your list of reasons to get out of the east are much like my own here in NY. That would be central NY, you wanna talk winters....try out some lake effect! Family keeps me here....that and the fact that I don't know a soul in the west.
So, found this thread and thought I'd ask. I'll be around Parker for a couple days next week, then near Apache Junction for a few days. Thinking of bringing the 449 for me to ride some, but mostly for my honey to go mess around on while I'm working at a fly-in. Will the Cali plate work for exploring some dirt? I know the risk of getting shot at for having a Cali plate, but that's just par for the course any time you cross into American territory.
Looks like you are good to go... Are there any OHV Decal exceptions? A person may operate an all-terrain vehicle or an off-highway vehicle in Arizona without an off-highway vehicle user indicia (OHV Decal) if any of the following applies: The person is participating in an off-highway special event. The person is operating an all-terrain vehicle or off-highway vehicle on private land. The person is loading or unloading an all-terrain vehicle or off-highway vehicle from a vehicle. During a period of emergency of if the operation is directed by a peace officer or other public authority. All of the following apply for non-residents The person is not a resident of Arizona - and - The person owns the vehicle - and - The vehicle diplays a current off-highway vehicle user indicia (sticker/decal) or registration (license plate) from the person's state of residency - and - The vehicle is not in Arizona for more than 30 consecutive days. https://www.azgfd.com/OHV/FAQs#Are
Out of states plate's are OK and good to go. On Forestry Land the rangers won't really mess with you in my own experience. Down here where I live anyway. AZ MVD issues a standard appearing license plate with an off road compliant sticker. It doubles as the on road plate and vice versa. My BMW G450 does not have the Off Road/Hwy. sticker. It only has the street legal tags and insurance and I have never been bothered. I have both stickers on my FE501 and never get hassled off-road. So if an AZ. dirt bike is registered as street legal you can get the on-road sticker as well as the off-road It goes on the same plate, top right hand side for the street tag and top left for the off-road tag. Get stopped on the street though and like anywhere else you must have proof of insurance and a mirror, possibly a horn too. Depends on your location, attitude and the attitude of the Officer more than anything. US Forestry Service Rangers on public lands are all very cool so far about having either, or. They don't even ask. Then again I have been flagged down by my local Police Dept. on my FE 501 for lifting a barricade ribbon and going under it on the "International Hwy". Only 150 yds. from the "US Port of Entry" riding on the street making an illegal left turn over a double yellow striped line, under that ribbon, between barricades and he said that was a No-No. He chewed my ass a little right in the middle of a crosswalk from one of the duty free liquor stores located a block from the Border. Where people buy cartons of cigarettes and booze and have to walk across the line and come back through Customs. He asked me "where I was going"? I told him "back onto the dirt riding, right there"! and pointed the direction. My mirror was folded down and I have plates and tags and insurance, No horn. I told him that too and he didn't even ask to see the paper's even though I had just made an illegal traffic infraction. I wouldn't worry too much about riding with your bike in AZ. with CA. plates. Come on over and enjoy. Do it before it gets too hot to enjoy though.
I moved here in December and love it. Lots of great riding within 30 minutes. Realestate prices have bottomed. If you need a home loan I would like the opportunity to compete for your business and I also can connect you with excellent realtors that ride. ph 206 999 3426 em: russ@russfinanceshomes.com
I personally like Four Peaks riding area. Trails everywhere! It is about 45 minutes away from me Mesa/Chandler area. Better hurry though, will start getting too hot to ride. May begins to hit the 100's.
