Topic: 2013 Adventure trip

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

Heffay, great would love to meet up. hey you have more than a year to finish the 400F...!

Looks like Andy750 is in for the whole trip and possibly some more.
Boxnife, you would be welcome for the US part of the trip, exact route is not 100% finalised yet but we have over a year to sort it out. As for my CB400F, it will be basically a std bike. will be fitted out with some Givi luggage, tank bag, fly screen.
The engine is std but completely rebuilt etc. all new electrics, up rated charging system (thanks Kevin for the info) Alloy rims stainless spokes, I am busy building the whole bike from frame up, a few lighter and TTR parts, some decent rear shocks etc. Will post some specs and photos when it's further along.  Boxnife looks like you have been getting around..

seanbarney41, thanks for the offer. nearer the time i will post the route and find out who of the SOHC crowd are on or near to where we plan to ride.

Kevin

Basically sounds like the bike I've done my trips on. I turned every bolt, replaced most of the unreliable bits, progressive springs front and back, rebuilt the motor. Looked stock, ran perfect. Honestly I'd be most interested in seeing what your trip around the rest of the planet looked like. If I can figure out how to ship the bike I would seriously consider heading over the pacific. The states are pretty familiar, I wouldn't mind a nice US ride, but I've got the worldly itch.

[RustyStuff]

I would try and budget in a few days to see some of the sites in the PNW( if your here in the summer time). Crater Lake, Mt. St Hellens and Mt. Rainier. I hear the rain forrests ni the Olympic mountains are great too. ( can you tell I like the Mountains?)

I can't go on your trip. But If you happen to be near me in Washington For a few days, and I have the day off. I wouldnet mind hearing about your trip over lunch or something like that.

[heffay]

Kevin,

I think you can get by for less than $125 per day in the US but I don't know if I'd plan for less.

What he's really saying, is that you'll probably have enough support from all of us that you won't have to buy your own lunch the whole dang trip. 

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

I would try and budget in a few days to see some of the sites in the PNW( if your here in the summer time). Crater Lake, Mt. St Hellens and Mt. Rainier. I hear the rain forrests ni the Olympic mountains are great too. ( can you tell I like the Mountains?)

I can't go on your trip. But If you happen to be near me in Washington For a few days, and I have the day off. I wouldnet mind hearing about your trip over lunch or something like that.

+1. I did Cascades Park Road on my 550 (the only road that actually crosses into Cascades Park proper). It was amazing. I did Cascades, Olympic, Rainier, St. Helens, Crater Lake, northern PCH... all that stuff. I know especially for foreigners there is an allure to Route 66, but truthfully it's largely unscenic. You have to cross that part of the country somehow so I wouldn't say avoid it, but if you make Route 66 your only stateside destination you may be dissapointed. I would at least head north in Albuquerque to Santa Fe, then do the Million Dollar highway in western CO, then cut through Utah on hwy. 12 to Bryce/Zion, then south to Gand Canyon.

I've gotten to the point where I don't even ride old '66 anymore; I catch rides in Uhaul trucks on Craigslist and skip straight to Santa Fe or California.

Also, depending on your riding style 125 could be too little/way too much. If you'll be camping you can do it for much less. Hotels in the states range from $50 - $150. National Parks pass is $80 and pays for itself after just a couple parks. National Forrest camping is free - $8 or so if you use their maintained sites.

[heffay]

All very good points, Boxnife... with 1+ years of planning, we all could set TTR400 on the ride of his life!

Route 66 doesn't really include CO, but it is a must if you're riding coast to coast.

[ttr400]

Good info guys, many thanks.
For this trip I won't manage to see all there is to see, that will have to be another trip. I'm sure I could spend 6 months touring around the US and still not see it all.
Would love to meet up with fellow SOHC members along the way.
You are probably correct in that route 66 is for sure a foreigner must do thing..!!
I am really looking forward to this and reminds me of the days when I lived to travel.

Some of the overland routes I have driven over the years. it's a bit rough as I could not make out the place names to good. Drawn on the map in black.

Kevin
 

[heffay]

Incredible.

[BeSeeingYou]

I would agree with Boxnife about 66.  It's pretty much faded into myth with bits of it here and there and is largely not scenic from Chicago to Albuquerque.  You still have to cross the middle but it is less dull the further north you go and the dullness is a bit narrower.   I would advise going west from Chicago to the Mississippi River and then follow that north to LaCrosse WI.  Nice scenic drive all the way.  From there you have a good non freeway route west.  Picking up 14 a little north of LaCrosse gets you across southern MN and on to the Badlands, Black Hills, and Devil's Tower in SD and WY.  On 66 about this time you would be slogging through Oklahoma.   Up north next up is the Bighorn Mountains and then Yellowstone.  On 66 the Texas panhandle.   From Yellowstone you have  many possible routes to San Fran, Seattle , or somewhere in between.  I would also fit Yosemite and Crater Lake into the route.

Route 66 was an all weather/season route to California back in the day before the interstate freeways thus it avoided most of the dramatic landscape along the way.  Other than the myth surrounding it not really a recipe for a grand tour IMO.

[Industrial Rat400f Killer]

I could meet you in LA and ride to Seattle. I'll follow this post to watch for dates and stuff.

[Duanob]

If you get the chance don't forget the Banff-Jasper Parkway. As much as I love the scenery in the Western USA there is absolutely nothing that compares to that. It's like Glacier National Park but 10x bigger with better roads and less restrictions.

As far as budgets go, plan on $5 gallon for gasoline. Our media is giving the oil companies free license to jack prices up for this summer. They keep saying it's going to happen almost everyday, like they almost daring the oil companies to do it!

[Kevin]

Subscribed :-)

Wish I could do the entire trip. I will try and meet up with you in Japan.

Kevin

[Industrial Rat400f Killer]

If you get the chance don't forget the Banff-Jasper Parkway. As much as I love the scenery in the Western USA there is absolutely nothing that compares to that. It's like Glacier National Park but 10x bigger with better roads and less restrictions.

As far as budgets go, plan on $5 gallon for gasoline. Our media is giving the oil companies free license to jack prices up for this summer. They keep saying it's going to happen almost everyday, like they almost daring the oil companies to do it!

I'm hoping to do the Banff-Jasper in July of this year on my HD with The WIfe on the back. I'll post pics if I do.

[RustyStuff]

If you get the chance don't forget the Banff-Jasper Parkway. As much as I love the scenery in the Western USA there is absolutely nothing that compares to that. It's like Glacier National Park but 10x bigger with better roads and less restrictions.

As far as budgets go, plan on $5 gallon for gasoline. Our media is giving the oil companies free license to jack prices up for this summer. They keep saying it's going to happen almost everyday, like they almost daring the oil companies to do it!

Mabey we need to shut them up?