Wondering about cross country trips

I'm thinking about spending the summer and autumn traveling through the United States and Southern Canada. This is intended to be a partial circuit through most contiguous states, i.e, I start in Florida, ride through Maine, head through Southern Canadian provinces, targeting Seattle / Vancouver, then head down to San Francisco, and return to Florida through Texas. For a relatively inexperienced rider (3 years, 3k miles), I can see that this could present many challenges, but I'm willing to take risks, try new things, and abort if the going gets too tough. Is there any general advice on taking such a trip? I am interested in risk mitigation. Bad roads or excessive fatigue will, obviously, lead to death, and given the length of the trip, there's a lot that can go wrong. But for me, I'm not really planning to do much Stateside anymore, and I want to see the country I was born in before I leave. What better way to do it than on a BMW G650GS. Oh, it'd be better on a proper touring bike, but you ride with the tools you have, and the G650 is close enough.

A few tips...

1) Stay off the interstate highways and stick to the smaller, slower roads. Since the advent of the Eisenhower Interstate Highway System it has become possible to travel from one end of the country to the other without seeing anything.

2) A good cowboy takes care of his horse. Check tires, chain, lubrication and general condition regularly. Join a towing service.

3) Don't drive tired, drunk, or mad.

4) Stay hydrated. Eat healthy and not in excess.

5) Talk to the locals. Eat at their restaurants and stay at their motels.

^ All excellent points to which I'd like to add;
1) Don't be in a rush to get to point B, it's the journey not the destination.
2) Be flexible with your schedule and/or destination.
3) Don't overdo the miles per day and thus slowly build up your stamina for riding.
4) Don't fret about a missed turn/exit. Take the next one! You can always turn around when it is safe to do so. Too many people create accidents when they panic because of this.
5) Enjoy!!!

Some great points so far! I'd add

Listen to the locals. A solo rider invites more interaction with the public than a group. People who live in an area are more likely to offer sound advice - especially as your license plate becomes more "exotic" - in terms of places to eat and sleep (or avoid), scenic roads, off the beaten path spots to relax and cool off, etc.

Sometimes a smile and a simple hello will start a conversation that leads to some real gems.

And out west remember to gas up often...it's often quite a ways between stations.

I suggest avoiding large cities and metro areas. Use interstates to go around them if you have to. It does not hurt to have a small tent, etc in case you can’t find lodging. You must have a passport to travel in and out of Canada.

I agree with almost everything that has already been said. My lone exception is that riding interstates is wonderful--as long as you stay out of cities. They are the safest roads, have great sightlines, and offer terrific scenery. Out in the open spaces an interstate is great to travel on, just have a way to get off the highway and go around cities. At least that has been my experience in about 20 years and close to 200,000 miles of riding in all the lower 48 at least three times.

My only additional suggestion is: DO NOT OVERPACK OR OVERPLAN. On my early tours I always took more stuff than I needed and planned almost every stop of my trips. Subsequently I packed less each time and planned less each time. Nowadays I find I can be gone for an entire week or so with only a small duffle strapped on the saddle behind me. It has been amazing to discover how much easier--and more fun--a motorcycle trip is when I am thus unencumbered. Try it, you might like it also.

Good luck.

If you come to Vancouver

I wish you good luck. If you find yourself in Vancouver area, send me a message, maybe I can join you for a short ride or even show you around!

TC

A couple thoughts:

• Do your research first. Those that say don't worry about where you spend the night, have never tried to find a place near Yellowstone...unless it was in the winter when no one else wants to be there.
• What do you want to see? Some riders are interested only in the road. Others in what they can see on the road. Who are you? I'm heading up to Banff and Jasper in a couple weeks. You can bet I made my lodging reservations...last September. And I'll spend some time to find out what to see and do while I'm there. I just hosted a couple California riders through the North Cascades National Park. I took them to places they never would've seen otherwise. Their experience is far more than if you'd just ridden the length of Hwy 20. I can say I was at Banff last summer. But I saw nothing. The smoke from the fires was so bad, you couldn't see the wonders that God created there. The point is, you don't know when you'll ever get back there. So do the research....find out what there is to see for yourself.
• I find there's a balance between being totally carefree and unplanned...to being planned. If you're out in the middle of Americana...where no one vacations...then call at 5 pm for a motel reservation. If you're in the area of Yellowstone at 5 pm...I hope you know where you're staying that night.
• Sometimes when you go, you end up with a list of "bucket list" destinations that others would dream of seeing. Again, do your planning. You may never be back...what do you want to see? It's one thing to say I've been there...and another thing to say here's what I saw and experienced there.

Chris

If you are trying to stay around a popular place (park, event) the magic time is 06:00 pm. Many motel have a cut off time for no-shows. I was told they were full at on place and went out to get on the bike a someone came out and said they had a room. Then they asked "What room did I want ?" Single, double, suite ? It just turned 06:00 pm.

I come down on the side of less is more when it comes to planning. We generally have a rough outline instead of a detailed plan. We seldom make reservations as they tie us to a time and place. We've always found a room at the inn whether it be a motel or a camping spot. We've been to Yellowstone during the summer season at least a half dozen times in the past five years. Have always been able to find a room in West Yellowstone or Silver Gate or a camping spot/cabin at the KOAs or outside of the South Gate. In our dozen or so trips between the states and Alaska only one time did we make a reservation; at Ft Nelson at the height of the shale oil boom. We do not camp much on those rides and have always found a room. We've stayed in Jasper NP 4 or 5 times in the past few years and also have always found a room without a reservation. Comes down to what your comfort level is.

And, Yellowstone is a great place to visit in the off season. More animals than people.

Inst said:

Is there any general advice on taking such a trip? I am interested in risk mitigation...

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I would do a couple of 3 or 4 day trips in your own region, before heading out on the big trip. You'll learn a lot on each one.

And welcome.

Amazing! All the posts so far, and not one wise-ass comment to the OP!

When I do a long-distance trip, I plan a general route, noting what popular (read: Hi Tourism) spots I'll be passing through. Next, I check those spots' hotel availability for those areas, and make a quick stab to see if there are any special events scheduled for the days I'll be in the area. If there are lots of hotels/rooms available (and no special events that I can find out about), I won't make any advance reservations.

On "normal" days, without any hard plans for lodging, I'll stop for a break about 3pm, figure out where I want to stay that night, check the hotel/room availability (and restaurants/cafes/diners within walking distance, if I can), and make a decision based on lodging options (ie, reservations/no reservations). If I don't choose to make a reservation, I just drive to the day's destination area and choose a lodging that looks good, based on location, brand, food accessibility, and gut feeling as to safety in the neighborhood. Yes, I've stayed in a couple of hotels that I probably wouldn't have, if I'd been traveling w/my wife, but I've never had a bad lodging experience w/any motorcycle.

This method can save you from pushing too hard. For example, on my last trip, I stopped for lunch and stayed for about 90 minutes as Tropical Storm Alberto passed through the area. That was about 60 minutes I didn't ride that day. If I'd had a reservation made on up the rode, I would have had to push hard to make the day's destination and would have been overly tired that night, probably tired the next day, and wouldn't have time to do any "see and do's".

But as suggested, plan, but don't overplan, and be a little flexible.

I rolled into a town needing a motel one evening and checked-in. I thought the price was higher than it should of been and haggled a bit of a discount before running up against the clerk's rules of engagement. When I got to the room I checked Expedia on my computer and could have booked the same room the same night for $20 less. The difference would have bought dinner.

Now when I have no reservations, I stop at the nearest McD's and use the Wifi to book a discounted room at a motel I have selected. More than once I even booked it sitting in the motel lobby.

All of the previous post should /could be in Handbook on motorcycle traveling.

I say go solo and use a smile until it becomes natural. Speak to everyone as if they are your best neighbors.

You are gonna have a great time !

Let fear stay with those who stay at home with the cat instead of venturing out from under the blanket.
They are assured to be safe and comfortable.

Charlie

72r60/7 said:

Let fear stay with those who stay at home with the cat instead of venturing out from under the blanket.
They are assured to be safe and comfortable.

Charlie

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Until the cat gets fleas.

beemerphile said:

I rolled into a town needing a motel one evening and checked-in. I thought the price was higher than it should of been and haggled a bit of a discount before running up against the clerk's rules of engagement. When I got to the room I checked Expedia on my computer and could have booked the same room the same night for $20 less. The difference would have bought dinner.

Now when I have no reservations, I stop at the nearest McD's and use the Wifi to book a discounted room at a motel I have selected. More than once I even booked it sitting in the motel lobby.

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This plan works very well, but I suggest using the chain's own website, rather than one of the consolidators. I know too many people whose reservation didn't go through to the local hotel from the consolidators. This is more likely to happen when you're making a last minute (read: from the hotel lobby) reservation.

Of course, YMMV!

Thanks for the great advice. I get the feeling the Beemer club is even friendlier than the Honda folks.

@Rinty: what is a day trip? I think when I was in Massachusetts, I rode out to Western New York, then rode back. It was about 600 miles over 2 days. I'm not planning to ride a lot of miles per day, least because the G650GS is not a touring bike. On the other hand, I also rode about 100 miles in a short roundtrip to the next city.

Inst said:

...because the G650GS is not a touring bike.

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A "touring bike" is a bike that you are touring on. I have ridden 2,000 mile trips on my Yamaha scooter. I had a blast.

These are marketing terms, and don't have to define your use of them. Similarly, what is an "adventure bike"? Here is one...

Inst said:

… because the G650GS is not a touring bike....

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Almost anyone can tour on almost anything, you absolutely DO NOT need a specific type of mount. I toured the entire lower 48 on a Yamaha FZ1 with no modifications whatsoever. I simply bungied a small bag on the seat behind me. That bike was way more fun to "tour" on than the larger specific touring bikes I have owned.

One anecdote, I once spent the night in a motel in the Rockies and met a guy from New England touring on a stock Hayabusa. Made my back hurt just watching him get on that rocketship and blast off the next morning.

Another example: I know a guy tours the USA on a Vespa 150cc scooter. Looks like the Clampett clan (from the Beverly Hillbillies TV show?) when he leaves on a trip.

Good luck.

A few years back I met a lady who was touring alone while at the Dust 2 Dawson gathering in the Yukon. She was in he 50's, a correctional officer from Quebec and very petite. Her bike of choice was a Hayabusa with an extended swingarm and some other modifications designed to make it a better drag racer. She had fashioned hand guards out of clorox bottles and made several small wind deflectors out of cardboard and duct tape. She rode it over the Top of the World Hwy to get to Dawson with the full intent of riding the Dempster, but thought better of it. She said the Hayabusa was quite a handful on the TOW (imagine that). She came back a coupla of years ago on a F650GS thumper and rode the Dempster. She sure seemed like she was having fun riding and camping using a Hayabusa.

Then there was this guy. This is Malcom and the picture was taken at an overlook on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Malcom was around 6'6" and had purchased his first motorcycle, a Honda Rebel 250, in Chile. He then rode it to Ushuaia and was on his way to Deadhorse when I met him. He made it up to Prudhoe and then across Canada to New Hampshire. Sadly, he ran a red light in NH and was killed.