Topic: Solo USA tour completed!!

[kegger117]

Hey guys:

Sorry I've been MIA since getting back on Sept 16th from my ride.  33 days on the road and it takes some time re-adjusting to real life and catching up on stuff.  Anyway, I completed my adventure, and of course it went NOT as I was expecting, which is a good thing.  Had I not broken down twice, I would have not met the people i did, nor had the adventure I had. 

It was a great experience going from Buffalo NY to the east coast, then down and across to the west coast, then turning and coming back.  A trip of a lifetime!  I got to see the America I've never seen, and there is so much more left that will require many more adventures in the future!

Again, thanks for all the support and ideas and information you gave me.  I didn't post nearly as much as I hoped to on my blog.  The days were really long and most of the time I was too wiped out to put together good entries.  However, you can still check it out here, and I may retroactively add entries to fill in the story a bit more.  It is at:   Thomsbigride.com

Also, I completed a video montage of the trip. It is on youtube at:
 
ThomsBigRide

You need to run it at 720HD quality or the pictures are lame.  If your system has trouble with that, then just pause it and let it buffer all the way out (might take 10mins), then hit play and maximize the screen.

Enjoy.

Thom

[Schnell]

Congrats on your trip! I'll be doing something very similar in the future. Any pearls of wisdom? What would you do differently?

[cabrala]

Welcome back, Thom! Sorry we didn't meet up in Boston, but I followed you as best I could during your trip. Glad you're safe and enjoyed the trip. Looking forward to some additional pictures and that video.

-Alex

[Magilla]

Amazing!!  Did you track everything and keep notes?  How much fuel did you go through?  Where did you stay at night?  How much did you spend each day on food?  What was the total cost of the trip?  All of this stuff would be interesting.

Very jealous.

[Stev-o]

Congrats. What was the high point?  Low??

I've done a 30 day bike trip, it is something you never forget.

[scottly]

Nice video Thom; reminds me of Boxknife's.
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=112595.0

[Kevin D]

Very nice video. Thanks for sharing Thom.

[70CB750]

Well done!

[luap]

Damn thats whats up AWESOME

[Bob Wessner]

Congrats on a trip of a lifetime! Looked good even on my Kindle Fire.

[camelman]

Good for you!  I hope the trip was as amazing as the video made it seem.  I'm supremely jealous right now! 

[sscardefield]

Great stuff man. Just a couple questions:

1.  If you wouldn't mind could you give a quick overview of costs?
2.  What (mechanically) were the two breakdowns?
3.  What would you say your average gas mileage was?
4.  Do you have a map of your route?
5.  What did you do for oil changes?
6.  Did you rock 1 set of tires? If so, how bad were they at the end?
7.  What was the breakdown of camping/hotel/stay with friends?

And 105 aint #$%*. Come back when it's 115!   

[drainge]

Video removed by user? Oh noes!

[DustyRags]

Oh man, what a great video and what a great trip! I recognized a lot of those places- Arches, Boyden Cave, the Anasazi ruins, various stretches of road... I really want to do a trip like this one of these days!

What were the breakdowns? Did you have to ship the bike home, or were you able to get back on the road?

[kegger117]

Hey guys, i edited the video and re-posted it.  You may have seen it not work for a few minutes, and now it has a new video thumbnail, but it should be working.

Thanks for the positive feedback.

thom

[Magilla]

You should write a book about your adventure.  I read books like that all the time. 

[Schnell]

Hey guys, i edited the video and re-posted it.  You may have seen it not work for a few minutes, and now it has a new video thumbnail, but it should be working.

Thanks for the positive feedback.

thom

Unfortunately can't watch it on iPad/mobile devices.

[Bankerdanny]

Great video Thom. I am so jealous. Hmm, I have a 50th birthday in a few years, maybe I should start planning.

[Old Scrambler]

I know you had a great trip.........I can see your smile in your words

+1 on hearing the details........and please tell us what items that you packed were actually used versus 'dead weight'

[Mcwilliams570]

Glad you had a great trip..Was nice meeting even though briefly..

Matt

[ccmclane]

Congratulations!  That is impressive!

[Magilla]

Tom,  We need details.  Everyone is begging for them.  You cant leave us hanging like this.

1:  Cost
2: Where/how did you do oil changes?
3: Where did you stay?
4: Weather?
5: Breakdowns?
6: High points?
7: Low points?
8: Gas milage?
9: how many tires did you go through?
10: Encounter any flats along the way?
11: Any good animal stories?
12:  Meet any freaky people on the road?
13:  Hook up with a greasy waitress that works the late shift at a local truck stop named the Gas-N-Joe?

14:  Spend a night in jail, in Texas, with three Mexicans that dont speak English and think that your an undercover cop sent in to get details on their people trafficking operations?

The best part of any road trip is the stories.  You need to share yours PLEASE.

[Lars]

Hey, great trip and thanks for sharing! Envy you!

Would like to know:
1. How did your bike perform, what kind of issues did you have...
2. Any particular part of the trip you would recommend?

Thanks,
Lars in Norway

[IndyFour]

Just watched the video.  Thanks so much for sharing!  I have dreams of doing something like this.  My 550 and I both turn 40 in a little over a year....been thinking of doing something special for the occasion. 

Congrats on a great trip!

[CoachDoc]

Awesome trip and great video. Great memories for you in years to come. Everybody needs to do this at least once.