A weekend trip involving three sport tourers, hundreds of miles of scenic Southwest roads, and a desert spa just might rekindle one’s spirit.

(Click image to enlarge)

The bleakness of the Mojave Desert brings to mind these words of the poet so preoccupied with the state of our souls. They seem particularly applicable here on Interstate 40, as we roll east at speed away from Los Angeles. Riding across this seemingly endless landscape lends itself to this type of reflection and inspires speculation about the occasional signs of life we happen upon, about how and why these souls arrived where they are. Perhaps they found restoration and repast—temporary or permanent—in the midst of this vast, uninviting desert. Such is the goal of our party of six souls—three couples on three motorcycles—seeking a sense of renewal from a sport tour ride and from the restorative environment waiting at the CopperWynd Resort and Club outside of Phoenix.

Our trip includes an overnight stay in Sedona—New Age central and the land of the swirling vortex. The three bikes selected for the ride are the BMW K1200 GT, the Honda ST1300 ABS, and the Yamaha FJR1300. Each falls into the category of sport tourer, but some offer more sport than tour and vice versa.

	Photo by Chris Nugent. (Click image to enlarge)

The Mojave finally relinquishes its dusty grip on the landscape between Needles, Calif., and Kingman, Ariz., where we climb up to approximately 6,500 feet and enter Prescott National Forest, headed east to Flagstaff. It is a pleasant change of scenery, from the drab beige of the desert to the refreshing green of ponderosa pines and Emory oaks of the mountains. With a four-lane highway of inviting fresh black asphalt stretching out through the mountain valleys like some great Paul Bunyon racetrack, it is easy to push the ST1300 well over the ton mark. The HMAS front forks and ProLink rear suspension effortlessly glide over the road and absorb the high-speed turns, belying the weight of the 637-pound motorcycle (not including cargo and passenger). Without referencing the clear and simple analog instruments, accurately judging speed is difficult if not impossible. The Honda makes relatively short work of the freeway section of the mountains and arrives at Highway 89A just south of Flagstaff for the brief but spectacular ride south through Oak Creek Canyon and into Sedona, the land of red rocks.