• Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password.

    If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?

New member about to take off on a 3 month trip across USA and a bit of Mexico

mswieca

Mike21
Hi all! My name's Mike and a few months ago I decided to take 3 months or so to ride in the USA and a wee bit of Mexico. I leave Toronto October 28, 2013 and head south right away. I've got some routes planned out including a few obvious choices like Skyline Drive, Blue Ridge Parkway and Deal's Gap but a lot of the ride will just unfold more spontaneously. Can't wait to get out there and experience amazing rides, visit cool towns, eat tasty food, catch historical music sites and meet great people. I'll be sticking to the Eastern and Southern USA mostly and then cross over into Mexico from Arizona and ride a bit of the Copper Canyon. I'll get to Los Mochis and take a ferry to Baja California to chill out for a bit. Then into California proper, before heading back east sticking as low as I can to stay warm. All the way to Florida I go and where by the good graces of mother nature, I will turn north for the final push home...whew...

The timing of trip is as it is due to various circumstances in my life...cannot change that. So it means an interesting ride back north in the middle of winter. I have a back up plan though in case the weather should prove too harsh on the way up (a very likely possibility considering past weather during that time) that has me leaving my bike at a friend's place in Florida and flying back home.

I started riding 5 years ago and bought an F650GS which I am still riding and enjoying the heck out of. Can't wait for this big ride and look forward to hearing any comments, suggested rides, places of interest to visit or maybe even meeting up along the road somewhere to ride together. Happy riding!

Mike
 
Welcome Mike.

You are doing what a lot of members would love to be able to do: Ride for three months straight!

Please take lots of photos and give us a ride report when you get back.

Ride Well!!!
 
Welcome to the forum! It sounds ambitious and sounds like you can do it :D If you will have internet access you will be able to update us in ride reports- with any luck.
Have fun.
Gary
 
Meeting Forum Members

Mike, as you go along you should post your route for the next several days. That would give us Forum watchers an opportunity to make arrangements to meet with you if possible. That would be great for all of us.
 
Do you use a GPS?

And do you prefer staying on pavement or don't mind some interesting gravel roads?

Ian
 
Mike
Sounds like a fun trip :thumb

Be sure to check out the great roads in the Texas Hill Country, which is west of Austin, and don't forget to visit Big Bend NP in West Texas.
 
Welcome Mike.

You are doing what a lot of members would love to be able to do: Ride for three months straight!

Please take lots of photos and give us a ride report when you get back.

Ride Well!!!

Thanks Bud! I definitely plan on taking lots of pictures and may have a blog, undecided so far on that one.

Cheers,

Mike
 
posting routes

Mike, as you go along you should post your route for the next several days. That would give us Forum watchers an opportunity to make arrangements to meet with you if possible. That would be great for all of us.

Hi Mary, that's a great idea. I start in Cleveland at the end of October and I'll start paying routes around then.

Cheers,
Mike
 
I'd like to take three months off and ride but I'm afraid that after about two months, the people at my office might notice that I'm gone.

Fortunately I work at an office where everybody watches nothing but reality TV shows at home. They're pretty much mindless zombies, they won't notice a thing.
 
Mike
Sounds like a fun trip :thumb

Be sure to check out the great roads in the Texas Hill Country, which is west of Austin, and don't forget to visit Big Bend NP in West Texas.

Thanks Lee I will, I've heard it's quite beautiful. I will also ride The Three Sisters (aka The Twisted Sisters) which are supposed to be great rides.
 
gps

Do you use a GPS?

And do you prefer staying on pavement or don't mind some interesting gravel roads?

Ian

Hi Ian, no GPS. I like pavement for twisties, sweepies, etc. but would also like to ride some gravel, would love some off road too. I'm rocking Anakee 3s which are something like 80/20 or so, good to get me around most places.
 
Hi Ian, no GPS. I like pavement for twisties, sweepies, etc. but would also like to ride some gravel, would love some off road too. I'm rocking Anakee 3s which are something like 80/20 or so, good to get me around most places.

Well, most of the roads I'd show you aren't on the map, unless you're using a Delorme Gazetteer.

One suggestion, based on you mentioning the BRP and Deal's Gap... Parson's Branch Road, coming out of Cades Cove in the Smoky Mountain National Park.

Note: a fairly large section of the BRP is closed north of Asheville, NC, due to a slide. There's a nice little workaround... with camping along the way.

Both of these roads are unpaved.

Almost every road off the BRP in this area is very nice. :nod
 
Make sure you take your MOA annonomous book just in case you need some assistance. Lots of members always willing to give a hand. Enjoy and give us updates. Also, make some copies of your legal docs (passport, visa, license, insurance) and keep them in a separate place.

DW
 
Welcome, Mike. I assume you are new to the MOA as well as the forum? If so, have you received your Anonymous Book yet? It's worth the packing space!
 
Definitely take the Anonymous Book. It is the most important thing you can pack. Saved my buns more than once. I would recommend a GPS, if only for finding the nearest gas station. I've coasted in on fumes more than once. I can lend you my old Zumo 550 if you like. I've got the lifetime updates so the maps would be up-to-date.

My uncle did that trip on a '36 Harley back in the day. He had a ball. Then this little war broke out and he got to tour Europe instead.
 
docs

Make sure you take your MOA annonomous book just in case you need some assistance. Lots of members always willing to give a hand. Enjoy and give us updates. Also, make some copies of your legal docs (passport, visa, license, insurance) and keep them in a separate place.

DW

Thanks DW, got it covered. In my previous backpacking travels across Latin America and Asia I have found it indispensable to have many copies of all official and important docs, ID, cc's. etc. And of course the MOA anonymous book is my awesome new addition to travel essentials.
 
Anonymous Book

Welcome, Mike. I assume you are new to the MOA as well as the forum? If so, have you received your Anonymous Book yet? It's worth the packing space!

Hi Tracy,

Yep, new to MOA and yes I have received my Anonymous Book which was a big reason I decided to join MOA. Many of the comments have reiterated what you've noted...DEFINITELY MUST BRING!
 
Back
Top