justbob said:
If your tour includes the area surrounding Yellowstone, including Red Lodge, Beartooth Pass and Chief Joseph Hwy I would say yes. If your tour is going to be inside Yellowstone I would say leave the bike at home. The stop and go traffic inside the park can be tiring on a bike and being confronted by large animals such as bear, moose bison and elk while in slowed traffic can be very scary.
I think this advice is dead on. I would also suggest there is great riding on the west side of the park. Although slow, riding up from Jackson to Yellowstone is very scenic as well.
The nice thing about Yellowstone is that when there is a bison in the road you can hug up right behind a car that is pushing past, for cover. Whereas, for instance, in Teddy Roosevelt NP I was actually turned back by one with no lead car to push past. Never the less, you may well pass within very few feet of one. Have the wife get the camera out and set up before you push past.
The Beartooth and Chief Joseph are "Must Ride" roads. The Beartooth especially. The Chief Joseph has some areas that were heavily tar snaked last year. Still worth riding.
Riding in Yellowstone itself, aside from the Bison, which truly are no joke, is hit and miss. In peak summer season it can be trying with hot conditions and very slow going. But, on the other hand, I have also had great rides through there as well. But, here's the thing, You are going to be stopping a lot at the pullouts. Gearing up and down all the time gets trying. When there is road construction in Yellowstone conditions may be unsafe for motorcycles. I haven't checked this year's schedule, but I would suggest avoiding areas of road construction on your bike. In contrast, road construction on the Beartooth has not been a safety issue for us in the last several years. In the park, different story. Slick as snot, pace car too slow (about 8 mph), piles of dropped construction material (loose dirt). May be ok on a SupaT, not fun on an RT.
