About six months after switching to the XSR900, I went on a two-day tour through the Izu Peninsula in June. There wasn't really a strong theme. There was a road I wanted to ride and an inn I could stay at — that was enough.
Day 1 — Heading South Through Izu
I left Chiba, took the Shuto Expressway, and headed toward Odawara. If you catch the right flow, Tokyo passes by surprisingly easily. Past Odawara the terrain turns mountainous, and the character of the road shifts.
On the way I stopped at the entrance gate to the Izu Skyline, a toll road that runs along the spine of the Izu Peninsula from the Amagi Highlands to Mount Genga. I passed through this time, mentally noting it as a road to come back for.
Around Itō I stopped at Mount Ōmuro, a bowl-shaped volcanic cone about 300 m across, formed by a past eruption. A chairlift takes you to the top, and you can walk a full loop around the grass-covered crater rim. I had no idea a place like this existed in Izu.
For lunch I went to Izu Kogen Beer Honten at the foot of the mountain. I ordered a kaisen-don (seafood rice bowl) and the toppings were piled so high they spilled over the edge of the bowl. The volume threw me a little, but it was good.
I rode south down the east coast of the peninsula. National Route 135 runs along the sea for long stretches. With the rainy season showing one of its rare clear days, the color of the ocean was deep, and the ride was easy. Past Atagawa and Inatori, I rode all the way to Shimoda. Known as one of the ports opened to foreign trade at the end of the Edo period, the seaside town has a calm atmosphere.
From there I cut back to the west side of the peninsula. The inn was on the west coast. Seafood for dinner. For day one, that was enough.
Day 2 — The Ashinoko Skyline
The next morning I left the inn and headed north. From the base of the peninsula I climbed toward Hakone and entered the Ashinoko Skyline.
To put it plainly: this was the highlight of the whole trip. A high-altitude road along the ridgeline with one corner after another. Where the view opens up, you can see Mount Fuji. The clear day during rainy season helped, but even putting that aside, this is just a great road to ride.
Light traffic, no one breaking your pace. The pavement is in decent shape, and the XSR900's handling carries you through honestly. I wanted to keep riding this road forever, and I rode it to the very end.
After the Ashinoko Skyline, on the way home I stopped at Mikuni Pass, where Shizuoka, Kanagawa, and Yamanashi meet. Mount Fuji sits dead ahead. There were clouds that day, but the outline of the mountain was clear.
From there I took the Tomei and the Shuto Expressway back to Chiba. The ride home felt long, but it didn't feel bad either.
From Chiba, the Ashinoko Skyline is a bit far for a day trip. But staying just one night turns it into a completely different ride. The biggest takeaway from this trip might be the discovery of how much you can do with a single overnight.