Topic: Let's hit the road - around the country

[IAmCitizenMe]

So, here's the deal. This summer, I plan on taking on what is probably a really bad idea. Below is a map of the trip on which I plan on embarking. I am in the process of getting my '78 550 in pristine condition and, at the same time, learning as much as possible to reduce the risk of the certain and eminent disasters that will happen several times on the road. My question, for all you travel experts, is: How much would you allot for gas/other expenses? If you were going this trip, how long would it take you to complete it? I've taken some monster trips before in cars, but never anything this size on a motorcycle. I want to make sure I have a very comfortable buffer in my budget.

The map isn't precise. I want to keep my interstate travel to a minimum. Interstates are boring. So there will be a lot of state highway and back-road detours involved--plenty of sight-seeing. I am going to write about it and possibly get it published, but that's pretty ambitious at this point. Right now, I am focused on the trip. This is something I have wanted to do for a long time. I want to do it before I graduate from journalism school and succumb to a life of writing about high school football games for my community newspaper.

Let me add: I know people in just about every major city in which I plan on stopping, so I won't be completely alone for the entire trip, for those of you who were worried about my well-being.

So, how about it guys 'n' gals?



Also, any other advice would be warmly embraced. A travel tip, perhaps. Maybe the best snacks for mid-ride eating. Or, maybe a, "You dip#$%*! Don't do it!" All is welcome. I have a packing list that I have been adding and subtracting from for over a year now, but there is always something you don't think of.

[vanillagorilla]

If my bike is legal, I may be able to join you for the Dallas to Houston leg!! Big IF though... Hope it goes well!!!

[kslrr]

Since you have taken similar trips in a car, you should be able to figure it out.  Use a mapping program where you can enter vehicle milage, fuel capacity, types of road traveled and average speed.  It will tell you time to allot, where to stop for fuel, etc.  Ask yourself "can I sit on my 550 as long as I can sit in my car?" and other such questions.

[seaweb11]

I can't zoom in, but I would recommend the next Northern route East of Wash. Route #20
You dont want to miss this part. http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=56776.125

The spokane route isn't amazing, I did it too.

If you want to jump on a ferry in Wash and visit the "little Island Track" in Canada let me know

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Since you'll be in NW Wyoming you really need to ride Bear Tooth Hwy into Yellowstone then into Montana!

The Pacific Coast Hwy (1 & 101) is great. That will take some some serious time to do it correctly.

Your southern CA/AZ route will be EXTREMELY hot in the summer. I wondered why we didn't see any other bikers from San Diego east along the border. That was until we stopped long enough to realize we were the only fools riding in 120^o weather in August.

Take the Grand Canyon route then definitely ride through Monument Valley in Utah and through southwest Colorado (Telluride, Million Dollar hwy, etc) THEN back down to Albuquerque.

Your outline is a MINIMUM mileage you will do. Plan on +25% at least and at a minimum gas mileage rate plus plan on more expensive gas in many areas. Have a GOOD credit card. Plan on camping AND moteling when you're not hanging with buds. Don't forget to have cash for another set of tires. That's some serious mileage. Yes, you can eat cheap so don't budget big for that. Take your time and enjoy. Plan on bad/cold weather slowing you down with maybe 5 rain days to burn if you're lucky. You probably won't get to do this for another 30 years once you've grown up and gotten a job, family, and serious debt!!

7-10 days to the coast minimum, 10 days down the coast minimum (serious) if you want to enjoy it, week to NO LA, 4 days back to St Louis. A month would be great without any mechanical problems.

[super pasty white guy]

I just did a east coast to wyoming and back trip this summer.  I took a few day trips and decided what I could do easily and still enjoy some sightseeing.  I settled on ~350-400 miles per day planning on doing up to half of each day's mileage off the interstate.

As far as the bike, in my case the people on this board that said that these bikes really like to run were right.  It just ticked along without any problems, even though I'd planned on having to make repairs.  Do your maintenance before you leave and take care of all the wear items.

Consider using a GPS.  It's liberating to be able to go wherever you want and still get to your destination.  It's also great to locate gas stations, etc as you're running low.

Do it.  It'll be something you'll remember forever and who knows when or if you'll get to do it if you wait.

Oh, and do plan on the Beartooth.  Easily the most enjoyable section of road on my trip.

spwg

[Hasenkopf]

That almost looks like  "one lap of America"    I'm planning a NY to Alabama to Sturgis myself.

[Shenanigans]

Let me know when your in AZ

[andy750]

You dont mention the approx. mileage estimate in your map route but lets say its 5000+ miles. To give you an idea of how long it might take (comfortably) go with SPWG idea of 350 -400 miles day which leaves plenty of time for sightseeing along the way. SPWG did it on a 750 and so did I. Shenanigans did his long trip on a 550 so there is no reason why either bike shouildnt be able to do it easily. As others have said its all about maintenance and preparing the bike before hand.

When we did the 2004 Easy Rider Trip from LA to New Orleans (to Boston) we did it in 16 days. 3 of those days were solid interstate days. The rest were backroads and off-highway. Total mileage was 5500.

Another cross-country trip I did from Boston to San Diego via Eureka, CA (and going the Northern route) took 14 -15 days (again mostly off-highway) - ~4500 miles.

Gas costs - easy enough....how much does it cost to fill up your tank? How many miles per tank. Divide ((total expected mileage)/(how many miles per tank)) x (cost per tank). The Easy Rider trip cost $700 including gas/accomodation (mostly camping and sharing motel costs with the other 9 riders .

Approx costs - gas/expenses/lodging:

2 weeks ~$500-$800
1 month $1000 -$1400
2 months $3000 - $4000
6 months $10,0000 - $15,000 (RTW trip for example)

These costs will vary with mileage,level of comfort, alone or a group, how much you eat/drink etc etc.....

Most importantly - meet fellow SOHCers along your route!!! Its a great way to get local info, meet a friendly face, route tips etc....

Good luck in your planning! When I did the Boston-Mexico trip the only planning I did was to get out my Rand McNally map book the week before leaving and look for the squigly lines on the map....yeah it could have been better planned . Worked out ok though. Expect to get punctures! Spare inner tubes for both tires.

cheers
Andy

[IAmCitizenMe]

If my bike is legal, I may be able to join you for the Dallas to Houston leg!! Big IF though... Hope it goes well!!!

Keep me posted. Anyone who wants to share any/all of the trip, the more the merrier.

Use a mapping program where you can enter vehicle milage, fuel capacity, types of road traveled and average speed.  It will tell you time to allot, where to stop for fuel, etc.  Ask yourself "can I sit on my 550 as long as I can sit in my car?"

What sort of mapping program does this? Sounds handy. And yes, I can sit on my 550 for the rest of my days.

I can't zoom in, but I would recommend the next Northern route East of Wash. Route #20
You don't want to miss this part. http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=56776.125

That's exactly what I am looking for on this trip. Sights like that.

Since you'll be in NW Wyoming you really need to ride Bear Tooth Hwy into Yellowstone then into Montana!

The Pacific Coast Hwy (1 & 101) is great. That will take some some serious time to do it correctly.

Your southern CA/AZ route will be EXTREMELY hot in the summer. I wondered why we didn't see any other bikers from San Diego east along the border. That was until we stopped long enough to realize we were the only fools riding in 120^o weather in August.

Take the Grand Canyon route then definitely ride through Monument Valley in Utah and through southwest Colorado (Telluride, Million Dollar hwy, etc) THEN back down to Albuquerque.

I was born and raised in Wyoming. I know the Beartooth route all too well. It's one of my favorite parts of the country.

The 1 & 101 is one of the stretches I look forward to the most. I want to take my time on this trip and really be a sponge for a while. Just soak everything up.

I figured the heat would be pretty awful. I was planning on either cruising the desert at night and spending my days in air-conditioned bars or what-have-you, or taking the Grand Canyon route. I haven't seen the Canyon since I was a kid, so it would be nice to see the crack in the Earth again.

As far as the bike, in my case the people on this board that said that these bikes really like to run were right.  It just ticked along without any problems, even though I'd planned on having to make repairs.  Do your maintenance before you leave and take care of all the wear items.

Consider using a GPS.  It's liberating to be able to go wherever you want and still get to your destination.  It's also great to locate gas stations, etc as you're running low.

Do it. It'll be something you'll remember forever and who knows when or if you'll get to do it if you wait.

I don't know exactly what it is, but these bikes, for some reason or another, just tick right along, just like you said. The reliability of them is amazing. They BEG for the open road.

I considered getting a GPS, but part of the attraction of the road is just the wandering aspect. I don't even like cell phones, but I'm taking one for emergencies. I don't know. Maybe I'll change my mind. My friends call me a minimalist. I just like to keep it simple.

I WILL do it. Once in a while I get these little twinges of anxiety and I think, "What if I don't do it? What if something happens and it falls through? Like I find a stress crack in the calendars or something I can't afford to fix?" But then I calm myself down and tell myself I have plenty of time to prepare and get everything ready. I will do it, despite what everyone around me says. They smile and nod like I'm a kid saying I want to grow up to be and astronaut or something. Time will tell.

That almost looks like  "one lap of America"    I'm planning a NY to Alabama to Sturgis myself.

When are you planning this?

Let me know when your in AZ

You better believe I will. We'll go skate.

Most importantly - meet fellow SOHCers along your route!!! Its a great way to get local info, meet a friendly face, route tips etc....

Good luck in your planning! When I did the Boston-Mexico trip the only planning I did was to get out my Rand McNally map book the week before leaving and look for the squiggly lines on the map....yeah it could have been better planned . Worked out OK though. Expect to get punctures! Spare inner tubes for both tires.

cheers
Andy

Thanks for all the tips, Andy! I knew you'd have something to add on here.

I will definitely make it a point to meet some of you SOHC cats out there on the road. I really look forward to it.

I like your style of planning. That's the sort of trip I want this to be. I have all summer to spare and I have no other obligations to myself or anyone else.

[754]

Let me give you a tip..

 Ask yourself if you thought you had what it takes to go MC touring 10 or 15 years ago.. if the answer is Yes.. take the cost of the GPS and use it to buy another week on the road.. that will be priceless.

 The absolute Wurst part of our Bonneville 08 trip by truck... was watching my brother worshipping a borrowed GPS.. he maybe saw 10% of the road signs we passed.. it was uber-irritating..

 Would I have traded my ride this summer, for doing it with GPS.. not a f!cking chance.... map cost 4 bux in 87, used it for 4 trips down there...

[ofreen]

Let me give you a tip..

 Ask yourself if you thought you had what it takes to go MC touring 10 or 15 years ago.. if the answer is Yes.. take the cost of the GPS and use it to buy another week on the road.. that will be priceless.

 The absolute Wurst part of our Bonneville 08 trip by truck... was watching my brother worshipping a borrowed GPS.. he maybe saw 10% of the road signs we passed.. it was uber-irritating..

 Would I have traded my ride this summer, for doing it with GPS.. not a f!cking chance.... map cost 4 bux in 87, used it for 4 trips down there...

Man, I have to second this.  I am no Luddite, I have my share of gadgets, but GPS leaves me cold.  Give me a good map any day.  And the generally the best road maps are the ones handed out free by the states.  Stay away from Rand-McNally if you can.  Only good if you stay on the interstates and main highways, which is the same as saying no good at all.

[IAmCitizenMe]

Man, I have to second this.  I am no Luddite, I have my share of gadgets, but GPS leaves me cold.  Give me a good map any day.  And the generally the best road maps are the ones handed out free by the states.  Stay away from Rand-McNally if you can.  Only good if you stay on the interstates and main highways, which is the same as saying no good at all.

I'm pretty close to a Luddite myself (I'm happy more people are aware of the term).

Yea, I have heard that the free state maps are the best for detail. I think I'm going to get a good spiral-bound road atlas just to have, then get a new freebie when I hit each state.

******************

I've heard several suggestions about bringing spare tubes along, which makes sense given the certainty of flats, but I've tried chaning my tires on my own. I almost started Hulk-Smashing my garage floor out of frustration. Is there a way to change the tube without removing the tire? Or some kind of magical tool I've never heard of?

[BeSeeingYou]

    I did a 6000 mile trip by myself.  I was out a month with 14 travel days and also stayed with friends in several places.  Do it, you will never regret it.  One thing I found when traveling alone is that you are much more likely to meet and interact with other people.  When in a group of two or more it appears to outsiders that you are a self contained unit with little need of others.  I met and had interesting experiences with total strangers on my trip.  I would strongly recommend Highway 12 from Minneapolis to the coast in Washington. The interstate section on your map from Rapid City to Minneapolis is really boring.  The Highway 12 option from Minneapolis to Miles City is slower but better.  At a minimum try and work the section between Lewiston Idaho to Missoula Montana into your trip.  I prefer the Chief Joseph (Sunlight Basin) Highway over the Beartooth.  Never had a flat on my trip and come to think of it I have never had a flat in 30k miles.  This has almost all been on tubeless rims so are tube tires more prone to flats?
    Luddites unite! Don't need no electronic device talking to me and telling me when to turn left.   I personally hate machines that talk to me.

[seaweb11]

Ditto on the "Lose the GPS" just look at the map in the morning, ride and look up   

        Plenty of stops throughout the day to look at it again

[IAmCitizenMe]

Route 12 sounds pretty good. But I do have to make a detour to Riverton, Wy. to see some old friends. That and the Beartooth highway.

Yea, that's how I feel about GPS, as well. It would be different if I had a specific destination I had to make within a certain time-frame (and would therefor not be a trip of leisure). But the whole purpose of this trip is a spiritual thing, if you will. Just to be on the road for a while and see the country the best way you can without walking--on a motorcycle.

... This is going to be a long winter.

[andy750]

Never had a flat on my trip and come to think of it I have never had a flat in 30k miles.  This has almost all been on tubeless rims so are tube tires more prone to flats?

This is because I have had all YOUR flats as well as my own...in the last 40,000 miles on my K4 Ive had 7 flats...of course 5 of those were in Mexico...one in WY (at Devils Tower) and one on I-59 in MI (within 4 miles of my previous flat there 3 years before that - I hate that Interstate!!).

All tubed tires and not always the same inner tube and never the same place. I am just lucky I guess 

cheers
Andy

[754]

MY RECORD IS 5 FLATS IN 10 DAYS..
 BUT if I pack a pump AND tubes, I usually do better than that..

[andy750]

Ok Frank you beat me ;-).

[BobbyR]

I have been using GPS since 1996 and it ran on a laptop using Delorme Street Atlas USA. Still load it on all my laptops use it from time to time. I use the portables now. They are real handy if you have to go around traffic in an unfamiliar area.

I looked at your route and much of it looks boring. One Corn and wheat field looks like another and it gets old. You are missing the East Coast which looks entirely different than the West Coast.

You would find the scenery from Boston down through the Carolinas very interesting and very varied. This way you could mix the major Eastern cities in with Southern, Midwestern, and Pacific. If you are writing a book, you would find more diversity of people and scenery.    

I am sure this will piss some people, but I have driven through most of these States and some are just miles and miles of miles and miles.

[BobbyR]

MY RECORD IS 5 FLATS IN 10 DAYS..
 BUT if I pack a pump AND tubes, I usually do better than that..

My record is 1 flat for 5 hours and a case of the runs and no wiping material. 

[BeSeeingYou]

Never had a flat on my trip and come to think of it I have never had a flat in 30k miles.  This has almost all been on tubeless rims so are tube tires more prone to flats?

This is because I have had all YOUR flats as well as my own...in the last 40,000 miles on my K4 Ive had 7 flats...of course 5 of those were in Mexico...one in WY (at Devils Tower) and one on I-59 in MI (within 4 miles of my previous flat there 3 years before that - I hate that Interstate!!).

All tubed tires and not always the same inner tube and never the same place. I am just lucky I guess 

cheers
Andy

I should probably thank you for that.  What a guy, taking 'em for the team like that.

Thanks much.

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

MY RECORD IS 5 FLATS IN 10 DAYS..
 BUT if I pack a pump AND tubes, I usually do better than that..

My record is 1 flat for 5 hours and a case of the runs and no wiping material. 

Bobby WINS. hands down and he can keep the record too! 

[BeSeeingYou]

Don't get to caught up in a plan.  I remember on my trip the only plan was I had 1 month, with planned stops in Sturgis, Yellowstone, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, San Fransisco, Crescent City CA, and Boulder, Montana.  Some of the stops were visiting friends and I gave them a few days window of when to expect me.  Otherwise I flew by the seat of my pants and made route decisions sometimes at the last minute.  Maybe not for everyone.  Be flexible.

 I think it is easier these days just because of the communication technology.  You have an instant support group at your fingertips. 

Give me a heads up when you come through Minneapolis.

[IAmCitizenMe]

Some of the stops were visiting friends and I gave them a few days window of when to expect me.  Otherwise I flew by the seat of my pants and made route decisions sometimes at the last minute.  Maybe not for everyone.  Be flexible.

Yea, it doesn't take much for me to be comfortable. I could very easily sleep on the ground and I know people in a lot of places, so I'm not too worried about lodging costs.

Give me a heads up when you come through Minneapolis.

I will. As the moment approaches I will have a better idea of when I will be where.