Need helps with motorcycle traveling

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D

DaWhim

Lifer
Feb 3, 2003
12,985
1
81
I want to do a cross country tour on a motorcycle. the 1st leg will start in florida to los angeles via i-10, then 2nd leg will starts from LA to NY via route 66. I have 2-3 months for this trip but I think I can get it done within 2 months.

As for the budget, I can afford a used bike between 2-4k or i can finance a new one for 5-7k, don't need anything fancy, just one that's reliable. Other than that, i can set aside 2-3k for expenses on the trip. I plan to do couchsurfing as well.

I don't have a motorcycle endorsement nor a motorcycle yet. I have operated moped/motorcycle in foreign countries, so I actually how to drive on one, but still a newbie at this.

anyone has done this before? share your experiences?

What type of bike I should get? there are so many types, maybe a touring one?
 
FoBoT

FoBoT

No Lifer
Apr 30, 2001
63,084
14
81
fobot.com
take a class where they provide motorcycles for the class, where you also get your endorsement
after you ride whatever they have in the class , you'll have a better idea what you should buy
but motorcycle prices aren't what they used to be, your budget is kind of light for a highway cruiser. i guess you'll just have to get something older , maybe you can find an old bike with a rebuilt engine that has just been overhauled so you won't have to worry about breaking down
 
DesiPower

DesiPower

Lifer
Nov 22, 2008
15,299
740
126
DaWhim said:
wrong forum? I didn't know there is a traveling forum here!
Click to expand...

Well... your main question is about what kind of bike and any expert advice about riding and mechanics of a bike over long distances...

<----- Garage
 
D

DaWhim

Lifer
Feb 3, 2003
12,985
1
81
DesiPower said:
Well... your main question is about what kind of bike and any expert advice about riding and mechanics of a bike over long distances...

<----- Garage
Click to expand...

read the title again, the whole thing is about motorcycle traveling. :roll;
 
DesiPower

DesiPower

Lifer
Nov 22, 2008
15,299
740
126
DaWhim said:
I plan to avoid interstate highway as much as possible. it is just boring.
Click to expand...

Then you would be taking 90 from Florida to LA not I-10 as mention in OP :biggrin:

probably a combination of 10 and 90, near big cities you have to take 10 rest of the route you may take 90... in fact at several places 10 and 90 merge...
 
Last edited:
manimal

manimal

Lifer
Mar 30, 2007
13,559
8
0
That ride sounds like FUN!!!

Once this gets moved into the garage we can give you some great ideas on a long distance bike.


How tall are you and what have you found comfortable in the past? A trip like yours is going to need saddle bags and some additional storage so that of course means you cant really do it in a ninja 250 lol

Over at adventure rider ADV for short you can see soo many differnt setups that your head will get dizzy. Withing your budget however your going to be contrstained somewhat.

At that budget a KLR 650 with some mods and a bigger tank would be perfect. Its got good low end torque and can go on fire roads and true ADV riding so you can go more places. Its comfortable for most people unless your 6 foot 4 and built like howie long or the 600 lb lady that was on oprah.

Dont discount older gold wings. They are getting cheaper and are basically couches on wheels with reverse. A bit too disconnected for my tastes however.

You could also do it in style and get an older bmw and some bags and wear a leather jacket without looking too gay..


So many bikes to choose from. How about a used Ducati ST ? They are crazy comfortable and still very sporting. Used you could find one at the top of your budget.

So first decide if you wanna go stock or mod something. Then decide if you want to do 100 percent road or do some single track/trail/gravel/ hooligan style.


Personally I would really consider a dual sport. Too much fun and still very comfortable these days.

I drove a transalp with bags up and down the west coast for years and loved it. Could bunny hop a curb or subcompact if you had to :p
 
W

Whisper

Diamond Member
Feb 25, 2000
5,394
2
81
I've wanted to do this, or something similar but on a smaller scale, for a while now. Sadly, my current bike is a crotch rocket and isn't in running condition, both of which preclude a long-distance trip.

I don't have much useful to add other than to say have a kickass time.
 
C

chusteczka

Diamond Member
Apr 12, 2006
3,399
3
71
My impression is the planned trip is way too long for the scheduled time, especially with the desire to avoid the highways and ride the back roads. A motorcycle can do maybe 500 miles/day tops. After a few days of this, you are going to be exhausted.

In a car, you can move around when your butt gets tired. On a bike, you are in one position, all day long. If you want to stretch your legs, do so carefully. You might be lucky having a bike with the leg-stretching pegs.

Then add in the fact that you will be holding yourself upright against the wind all day, day after day, and you are going to be tired.
 
CZroe

CZroe

Lifer
Jun 24, 2001
24,195
857
126
Did it on my Ninja 250, which is easily in your budget even new. I even rode it 680 miles home from the dealer. :p

You will be VERY uncomfortable if you do anywhere close to the 1,000 miles a day I was doing, but it sounds like you plan to take your time. Good luck!
 
D

DaWhim

Lifer
Feb 3, 2003
12,985
1
81
manimal said:
How tall are you and what have you found comfortable in the past? A trip like yours is going to need saddle bags and some additional storage so that of course means you cant really do it in a ninja 250 lol
Click to expand...

I am 5'8, so pretty average. never rode a motorcycle in US. the one I rode on before was in peru, it was a made in china one with the whole bike falling apart.

i was actually thinking just use my 65 litter backpacking bag i have been using for traveling and strap it to the back of the bike with a rain cover on it. lol

the storage space on those saddle bags seems so small...
 
T

the DRIZZLE

Platinum Member
Sep 6, 2007
2,956
1
81
I did a 3600 mile half cross country trip on an SV650 two years ago so here are a few thoughts:

1. Get at least a sport touring bike if not a full tourer. Small differences in wind protection and ergonomics add up when you are riding 10 hours a day for many days in a row. Do this even if it means getting an older, crappier bike. You will appreciate it, especially if you do a significant portion of the trip on interstates.

2. Plan to take every 4th or 5th day off when you make your schedule. If your schedule is too aggressive it really takes away from the enjoyment of the trip.

3. Take a tent and split your nights between hotels and camp grounds. You don't really need up much camping gear. Every time I did this I just met families in the campgrounds who fed me and supplied me with beer. If you show up in a campground on a bike with a tent strapped to the back you'll attract plenty of attention, and people are remarkably friendly in most areas of the country. The one thing that I cheaped out on that I shouldn't have was a sleeping pad, get one of the small self inflating ones used for backpacking.

4. Make sure you test your rain gear before the trip starts.

5. Get a SPOT device. Its a GPS that can be used to check in with family and can call for help in areas without cell phone service.

6. Don't ride at night on country roads because of the deer and other wildlife.
 
Scotteq

Scotteq

Diamond Member
Apr 10, 2008
5,276
5
0
http://ironbutt.com/about/about.cfm

http://www.mctourer.com/

http://www.visi.com/~dalebor/

http://www.motorcycletouringpro.com/


On a sporty bike on back roads, my personal tolerance is around 350/day for vacation~type trips (NJ to Deal's gap, etc) On a long, long trip - You'll be stuck with Highways. Most interstates suck ass for scenery, though. For my tastes, county roads tend to be my best bet - those have a goal and more or less set direction. There's more to look at, and a good chance you'll find interesting things - great local food, etc...

I absolutely hate grinds, so 'slabbing isn't on my list of favorite things.

If/when you need to make time - consolidate Gas/Drink/Food/Pee stops, and don't dally.
 
Last edited:
Triumph

Triumph

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
15,031
14
81
Don't listen to these people, you can ride almost anything cross country, and you don't need the best, latest, most expensive bike to do it. Here's my 3 minute search of the dc area craigslist for bikes under 4k that I wouldn't hesitate to take across country, and they are not beaters:

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/mcy/2927393743.html
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/mcy/2924406272.html
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/mcy/2929053183.html
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/mcy/2931082468.html
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/mcy/2934368111.html
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/mcy/2934147158.html
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/mcy/2934102429.html
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/mcy/2932189286.html <--------- completely set up for you
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/mcy/2931937291.html
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/mcy/2914872239.html

That's in the first page of 3 pages of results. Bikers are like any other group, as we age, ride, and learn a lot, we get ornery and judgemental about what bike is best for what, and what we like to wear, and how we like to ride, and what weather we like to ride in, etc. and we forget about how when you're just learning to ride, it doesn't matter, just riding a bike across the country is a great thing. If you're up for an adventure, you can do it. If you're worried about the reliability of a used bike, then you need to enlist the help of a mechanic or rider friend to help you look through the used listings.

Bikes are disposable toys. You can snag deals allllll day long on great used bikes. Unlike cars, there are many reasons people must sell their bike. New baby, new wife, new house, lost job, etc. Motorcycles are the first thing to go. It's a buyer's market. You can find what you need with $4k to spend.
 
T

the DRIZZLE

Platinum Member
Sep 6, 2007
2,956
1
81
Triumph said:
Don't listen to these people, you can ride almost anything cross country, and you don't need the best, latest, most expensive bike to do it. Here's my 3 minute search of the dc area craigslist for bikes under 4k that I wouldn't hesitate to take across country, and they are not beaters:

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/mcy/2927393743.html
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/mcy/2924406272.html
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/mcy/2929053183.html
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/mcy/2931082468.html
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/mcy/2934368111.html
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/mcy/2934147158.html
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/mcy/2934102429.html
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/mcy/2932189286.html <--------- completely set up for you
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/mcy/2931937291.html
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/mcy/2914872239.html

That's in the first page of 3 pages of results. Bikers are like any other group, as we age, ride, and learn a lot, we get ornery and judgemental about what bike is best for what, and what we like to wear, and how we like to ride, and what weather we like to ride in, etc. and we forget about how when you're just learning to ride, it doesn't matter, just riding a bike across the country is a great thing. If you're up for an adventure, you can do it. If you're worried about the reliability of a used bike, then you need to enlist the help of a mechanic or rider friend to help you look through the used listings.

Bikes are disposable toys. You can snag deals allllll day long on great used bikes. Unlike cars, there are many reasons people must sell their bike. New baby, new wife, new house, lost job, etc. Motorcycles are the first thing to go. It's a buyer's market. You can find what you need with $4k to spend.
Click to expand...

He certainly doesn't need to spend a lot of money but some bikes are better than others for what he wants to do. I'm just saying he's better off getting a slightly older sport tourer rather than a newer sport bike/standard. As with anything else in life the right tools make things easier.
 
D

DaWhim

Lifer
Feb 3, 2003
12,985
1
81
thanks for some really great advice! I have been very busy doing some serious reading on advrider forum!

this one is a fascinating read...cross country with a honda cub 70 doing max 35mph!
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=716516

if this guy can do it, i am thinking about getting a moped for the trip.

I dont plan to ride more than 300 miles per day.
 
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