Touring USA in 2017 Need Ideas !! and feedback

[aussiebeemer]

I live in Western Australia and ride a 2007 K1200 S. I want to do an 8 week tour of the Southern East Coast and Mid West up to Montana. I Am thinking to start in Florida for Daytona Bike week in March or The Moto GP in April in Austin.? depends on a flights etc

I want to get advice on hiring a K (my current ride in Oz and I have the panniers ) Can you advise me on reputable companies or am I better off buying a second hand K outright?
Do dealers have buy back plans on bikes?
How difficult is it to buy a bike in one state and sell it in another?
What are the insurances I need or any tips that you think I need to be aware of?
When touring , where are the best places to stay? Do you have backpackers etc?
Where is the best place to search for good roads to ride? and events to go to? I see the MOA Rally is on in Utah

I have many questions but this will get me started, any feedback would be so much appreciated.

Thanks

Patric

 

[jsouth]

I live in Oklahoma and have ridden all over this area and car-toured even farther out. If you do indeed start in Austin and head to Montana, detour through Arkansas and do some riding in the Ozarks. If you like the twisties, it is hard to beat that area. Plenty of specifics in the Ride Reports forum or I'll be happy to make suggestions. AR is a four hour ride from me and I go there a couple of times a year.

There are indeed many places to camp (state parks, national forest campgrounds, etc.) all along the route, with varying levels of amenities. Some will just have primitive toilets, many will have showers and flush toilets.

It is not too difficult to buy in one state and sell in another. I have done it several times and can only speak to the specifics I have encountered. And I am a citizen of the US and a resident of the areas in which I have titled my vehicles -- that may be a vastly different proposition for a non-resident. But the system in each state is set up to handle it. The bigger issue would be -- is the used bike you purchase ready for a several thousand mile trip? Do you have the chops or finances to handle problems along the way with minimal dealer support (it's a big country with few dealers in the middle...)?

Sounds like a FUN adventure. I retire in less than five years and intend to do the same!

 

[Voni]

Definitely bring your Anonymous Book!

When problems pop up, or just for advice, there's nothing like it.

http://www.bmwmoa.org/general/custom.asp?page=abook

Voni
sMiling

 

[lee]

I live in Western Australia and ride a 2007 K1200 S. I want to do an 8 week tour of the Southern East Coast and Mid West up to Montana. I Am thinking to start in Florida for Daytona Bike week in March or The Moto GP in April in Austin.? depends on a flights etc

I want to get advice on hiring a K (my current ride in Oz and I have the panniers ) Can you advise me on reputable companies or am I better off buying a second hand K outright?
Do dealers have buy back plans on bikes?

Patric

It will be difficult to find a rental company that has a K1200/1300S so you can use your panniers.
Shipping your bike may be cheaper than renting one for 8 weeks.
I don't know if any dealers have buy back plans, but if you spot a bike you like on the internet I would contact the dealer to see if you can come to an agreement on a buy back plan.
One more vote for starting in Austin. See the races, ride the Texas Hill Country, Northwest Arkansas, then head west.

April is early to get over some of the high passes in the Rocky Mountains and you might have trouble in May.

Here's some Texas tourism info you can download. Austin is on the east side of the Hill Country.
https://www.traveltexas.com/en

 

[lkraus]

I was not sure any company provided nationwide one-way rentals, but I did find that Eagle Rider does offer that option, from some franchisees. I was happy with them the one time I rented from them for a couple days in California. At their web site, eaglerider.com, you can enter a few parameters and they will give you an online quote. Curious, I threw a some random dates and locations at it.

Pickup in Orlando, Florida on March 8, drop off in Billings, Montana on May 3, RT1200, unlimited mileage, "free" panniers, helmet, disc or cable lock, ~$9740 USD. Includes ~$500 for ten days of "Bike Week surcharge", and $595 drop off fee. One of several levels of insurance is additional.

The site shows a $18/day(!) fee to guarantee you receive the specific model of bike you've reserved. Otherwise they can substitute a bike of the same "class". I did not realize an RT was in the same sport touring class as a Triumph Tiger!

 

[lee]

Here's a rental company in Dallas Texas.
http://www.sportryderrentals.com/

Another one in Austin.
http://lonestarmotorentals.squarespace.com/

 

[Mark H]

I would strongly recommend looking into shipping your own bike.

My wife and I have now completed two motorcycle trips to the US from Australia (Sydney) and shipped our bikes each time.
We go for 5 weeks and the costs are dramatically lower for freight including all on-costs, than to hire a comparable bike for the same period.
First time the bikes traveled by sea each way, and the second they went air outbound and sea return. From WA to the East Coast US will be more expensive, but not a patch on hiring for 8 weeks. We are heading back next year and are going to look at air each way. Higher cost but they get there in 48 hours not 4 weeks.

Having your own bike is priceless, but more importantly there are so many less obvious costs and limitations when hiring.
Insurance is an important one, both for the bike but also for your travel insurance. We ride a little off-road (R1200GS) on our travels in the US, but on a K I guess that may be less of an issue for you.
If you do decide to ship, I recommend connecting with one of the local BMW dealers so that the bikes can be received and checked before you arrive. That way you spend less time on the handling and more time riding. We get our local dealer to crate the bikes here and one in Long Beach to uncrate on arrival. If you are not in a hurry, you can manage a large part of the shipping and receiving yourself and save more money.

However you get there and whatever you end up riding, you will have a blast. Riding in the US is such a pleasure with the diversity and quality of the roads, not to mention the amazing people.

 

[jswisc]

Seeing that you know your starting point, I would start by contacting BMW dealers in the general area and see what they have in K bikes used. You may be able to come to a deal on buying a bike/selling the bike. You get a bike you know is serviced and ready to go. With rental cost, I would think a dealer could accommodate you and save you a good deal of money in the long run. I've travelled extensively from Texas thru Montana and to the west coast. April can be quite nice weather-wise but lots of high elevation subjects you to a chance for snow as late as early June. If you're not on a tight schedule you can easily wait out that type of weather or re-route. Of course a southwest route from Austin would have great scenery/roads/weather that time of year. Good luck and travel safely!

 

[AntonLargiader]

Wow, that's pretty crazy. You can buy a nice used RT for $9740 and sell it for $8000 all day long when you're done. I would have to think that their long-term rental rates might be negotiable.

The time of year might be a bit early for cross-country touring. Daytona can even be pretty chilly at that time of year, and then heading north will just get colder. Here in the mid east coast, April and May are gorgeous but Spring in the Rockies is probably going to be a mess of gravelled and salted roads, if not snow.

Pickup in Orlando, Florida on March 8, drop off in Billings, Montana on May 3, RT1200, unlimited mileage, "free" panniers, helmet, disc or cable lock, ~$9740 USD. Includes ~$500 for ten days of "Bike Week surcharge", and $595 drop off fee. One of several levels of insurance is additional.

The site shows a $18/day(!) fee to guarantee you receive the specific model of bike you've reserved...

 

[classicvw]

Bottom line is you're going to pay a huge price (IMO cost prohibitive) to rent for that long of a period of time.

I would either ship your own bike or pre-negotiate a buy and buy back from a dealer, but IDK how you'd start and end at a different dealership?

Buying a bike and then selling it yourself seems kind of difficult to accomplish.
What if you have to leave for home and the bike isn't sold? What do you do with it?

 

[Mark H]

One thing to look into - as an Australian (alien) you may not be able to buy a bike in the US and certainly can't register it.
Last time we were there, we found ourselves at a dealership in Colorado and were amazed to see how much less expensive BMW bikes are than in Oz. The dealer was very clear however to say that he couldn't sell us a bike because we did not hold a local (US) address. It's also worth checking if you can get insurance for a bike you buy in the US.

When we take our bikes to the US we need to get special non-resident (alien) insurance which costs more for 2 months than anyone would pay for a year - but that's just part of the costs.
Insurance is a minefield in so many ways. We here in Australia have a simple definition for total cover called "comprehensive". In the US that word mean something different and doesn't include collision damage. Then there are the things like - no cover for striking animals (deer etc.), under insured driver cover, and it goes on.

It's all very complex but it is doable.

 

[Mark H]

Patrick,

Re-reading your original email, I also wanted to answer a couple of other questions that you asked. You sound a lot like I did when we were first trying to plan our original trip to the US.

Regarding accommodation - we stay in Best Western Hotels almost exclusively but that is not for everyone and not what everyone wants either style or cost wise. There is a range of camping options and I've heard great things about KOA. They have levels of accommodation from a patch of ground to small cabin style I think.

One thing to keep in mind and I think someone has already mentioned it, is at the time you are talking about (March - April) you will definitely strike issues with roads closed because of snow. Some of the most amazing mountain passes don't open until late May or June or even later some years. We timed our first trip to allow us to ride the Beartooth Pass and Highway in Montana/Wyoming and it was only open the day before we got there (late May). We have always had Going To The Sun Road on our list too, but it is never open early in the season. Just crossing the Sierra Nevada in May/June can be a gamble. Places in Colorado are equally tenuous earlier than June.
It's a fine balance though, if you leave it later in the season, then the southern and central desert regions can get prohibitively hot. On our last trip we rode Death Valley and across Nevada and it maxed out at 33C/91F but two weeks later it was 46C/115F on the same roads.

Regarding just how to choose which roads to ride, there are lots of resources. Butler Maps are a great resource (bit old school in that they are physical maps) but some people love that. Other things to try are the various web sites like Motorcycle Roads USA www.motorcycleroads.com/ (just search for "motorcycling roads in the US" and you will find others).
We use a combination of Google Maps, Google Street View, Butler Maps, various web sites and then the wealth of experience on this forum. Map out where you think you will go and post the link to this group and people will chime in with "great choice but swing past here", or "that's dead boring", or "detour around here". We go to great lengths to stay off interstates and are happy to venture onto little back roads. Unlike Australia, back-roads in the US are more often than not well maintained and a thrill to ride (no or little traffic).

There are lots of things to know and learn, but some of these you will only get after your first trip. Believe me, your first will not be your last so the first ride is like a test run for the ones that will follow.

 

[classicvw]

If you're riding out in the western U.S. you must prepare for anything on your ride, even on a nice sunny day! I was in Montana one June, and even though it was a nice sunny 45-50 degrees in the town I was staying in, When I hit the road it changed fast and changed often all day long due to the changes in elevation. Even though it was very pleasant in many sunny places, as soon as I climbed higher, I found myself in heavy snow squalls that were moving through. A big surprise and learning experience for this east coast boy!

 

[surfdad1060]

Buy a R1100s in Austin, probably $4000.00 US, watch the GP in April maybe Jack Miller will win. Ride the hill country, April is the perfect month for Texas. Then you have to back track north east to Arkansas and get up in to the Ozarks, find the Hogs tail ride it, go towards Missouri and find hwy 160 or stay in Arkansas and ride the 412 hard to lose in the Ozarks. Better to deal with a little cold than the tornado season. Assuming at some point you are headed west you are going to have to deal with Oklahoma or Kansas, both kind of flat but still pretty in there own way,especially in the spring. I would lean towards Oklahoma and go through the panhandle . Kenton Ok. is decision time, thats where you have to start looking at weather. I've done the Rockies in the spring, can be dicey maybe you should buy a GS. Bottom line is for the cost of a rental you can buy 2000 to 2004 oilhead which is relatively reliable and sell it or ship it home when you are done. Craigslist is in every town and if the price is right Oilheads go quick. Maybe check out the OA marketplace and buy a vintage airhead from a member and ship it back when you are done, it won't be worth less unless something catastrophic happens. I personally guarantee an epic ride. If you make it to Cali. give me call I'm in the big book. I was just looking at a map and remembering what an epic road hwy. 160 is through the Ozarks flat as Hell in Kansas but it ends in Durango Co. which will put you at the bottom of the Million dollar hwy. You will definitelly get some weather there but it is an amazing road.

 

[surfdad1060]

As far as buying a bike I don't think its a problem. I have bought and registered cars and bikes in other states I was working in without a problem but I had a mailing address. Do you have any friends or relatives in the states? How long are you here for? I bought a used bike from a dealer in North Carolina and they handled the paperwork, it was stupid expensive that way. I bought a car in Tennesee from a private party and did it myself and it couldn't have been easier. Living in Cali you get used to the seventh level of hell that is the Ca. dmv. Tennessee rocks,paid my 50 bucks and they handed me a plate and I was on my way. I drove that car in California with Tennessee plates until they expired. Citizenship never came up. Mailing address and insurance was all anybody was interested in. Most states have a period of time before you have to take care of transfer and registration,usually 15 to 30 days, if that coincides with your trip, buy the bike,enjoy the ride, keep the signed off title, bill of sale and most important proof of insurance close by, dont go faster than 85 mph and you should be OK. People buy and sell bikes across borders,state lines all the time, a lot of the time buy ride sell without ever transferring the title,not exactly legal but if you don't get pulled over not a problem and if you do just explain the situation to the local state trooper,he's not going to throw you in jail if you have insurance. I don't know how that works with an international license but in my experience lack of insurance is what gets you in trouble with the law.

 

[pglaves]

If it actually turns out you want to buy a bike and can't buy a bike and register it in the US, let me know. I will buy what you want and allow you to use it at a reasonable cost, insurance included. I am not in the business - just a guy in Texas, but if the beaurocrats, (I used to be one) make your goals impossible let me know. We will find a way.

 

[temesvar]

If it actually turns out you want to buy a bike and can't buy a bike and register it in the US, let me know. I will buy what you want and allow you to use it at a reasonable cost, insurance included. I am not in the business - just a guy in Texas, but if the beaurocrats, (I used to be one) make your goals impossible let me know. We will find a way.

That is very nice of you Paul!
Would be nice if they could find some riding
mates as well.

 

[dieselyoda]

I am in Canada and up to Nov 8th, I'm still welcome in the USA. Pending the outcome of this particularly entertaining US election process, I'm not sure that wall that some want built will be too much for me to hurdle.

On that note, Canada has all that and then some to make your trip equally fantastic.

GO CANADA!

 

[SeabeckS]

It will be difficult to find a rental company that has a K1200/1300S so you can use your panniers.
Shipping your bike may be cheaper than renting one for 8 weeks.
I don't know if any dealers have buy back plans, but if you spot a bike you like on the internet I would contact the dealer to see if you can come to an agreement on a buy back plan.
One more vote for starting in Austin. See the races, ride the Texas Hill Country, Northwest Arkansas, then head west.

April is early to get over some of the high passes in the Rocky Mountains and you might have trouble in May.

Here's some Texas tourism info you can download. Austin is on the east side of the Hill Country.
https://www.traveltexas.com/en

Just an observation on the comments on the high passes in the Rockies. I purchased my S from a gent in Louisville, KY in late April of 2008. Intended to pay a short visit with Iowa family which should have been a one day ride. Took me two days + to get there. After that my plan had been to do a direct ride back to the Seattle area. Blizzards reached from Canada nearly to New Mexico, took me 7 days (6 riding) to get home. Weather can be a problem....Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon, before getting back to Washington.

 

[classicvw]

If it actually turns out you want to buy a bike and can't buy a bike and register it in the US, let me know. I will buy what you want and allow you to use it at a reasonable cost, insurance included. I am not in the business - just a guy in Texas, but if the beaurocrats, (I used to be one) make your goals impossible let me know. We will find a way.

Amazing offer and solution Paul!