First Cross Country Trip

[CETME]

Schedules are for mother-in-laws planning weddings.  Bring some money, your clothes, shove some earplugs in your ears and just go. Sleep on an abandoned bridge, on the side of a mountain, or in the back of a truck stop in Germany.

[trolland]

  All good advice. And when you come through Albuquerque give me a ring, I am right off I-40, about half a mile, and you've got a bed for the night and garage for your bike. Tom Rolland 269-7342 cell, and 889-3781 home. Tom Rolland
 
Go get some Pilot Road or similar sport touring tires that might last the trip, or nearly so.  Plan stops in advance when practical, and don't go the full tank of gas between stops (unless you do it on an MH900e like I did last time....only 90 miles per tank), but rather plan to stop every hour or hour and a half...it'll extend your riding day significantly.  Also, wear ear plugs and take a few extra sets if you use disposables.  Earplugs significantly reduce fatigue.  If you're going through areas with sparse fuel stops, there's no replacement for a reserve.  I used white fuel bottles designed for camping stoves...like these:

http://www.backcountry.com/msr-fuel-bottles

They don't leak and they beat the hell out of walking.  I used mine three times between Georgia and New Mexico last trip. (The MH900e that I was promised would get 100 miles per tank can be run dry in 89 miles at my typical highway speeds.)

Carry good rain gear, or wear watertight gear daily (as it saves space).  First Gear's rain tight stuff is excellent in my experience and is light enough to wear daily without its liners, so that's the way I roll.  Don't trust cheap rain gear (like Frog Togs or similar) as it's not suitable for a day riding in the rain.  Cheap stuff is OK for a light sprinkle, but it soaks through pretty fast in real rain, and nothing shortens a riding day like cold and wet!  Don't forget your hands and feet, either.  Held's watertight gloves work wonders, and Sidi's watertight boots really are watertight.  I also wore watertight socks on my last trip.  They're available at most camping stores and help when water comes in over the tops of your boots.  Nothing is 100% waterproof, but the gear above is about as close as I've seen.

A big tank bag to "lay" on helps sometimes.  Maybe not as big a deal on a Monster, but I've never ridden one too long, so I can't say.

Don't forget to lube your chain at the end of each day, as pennyrobber mentioned.  Check the air in your tires every morning, along with chain tension, and oil level.  It's the small things that bite you, so don't let 'em.

Don't plan more than you KNOW you can handle in a day, except MAYBE in the last day each way.  That distance varys for each of us, but you know what your tolerance for saddle time is.  Don't think it'll change because you need to get somewhere, 'cause it won't!  The last thing you want is to dread saddling up each morning, so take time and enjoy yourself. 

Few of us get the chance to undertake what you're planning, so make the most of it and leave room to get off the beaten path and see the country!  I envy you...even though I've done it before.   

If you're in the area (and you will be), don't forget to see the Cherohala Skyway.  If you'll post dates and a rough idea of your intended route I'm sure there will be several suggestions coming your way as to the coolest roads to ride in the areas you'll traverse.

Good luck, and keep us updated on your trip!

[Goodbrush]

If you plan to camp, note that in the western half of the country you can usually find a secluded spot to toss up your tent and get a lot more peace and quite then you'll get in an official camp site. It helps if you aren't averse to riding your bike down a dirt two track lane a bit.

Thats what I'd kinda hoped to do.  I prefer to just post up in the wilderness or on the side of a mountain. 

[bikepilot]

You can definitely do that and its what I do, just be respectful about it - tread lightly, leave no trace/trash etc.  Worst case really someone will tell you to leave I think, but I've never had that happen.  You can do it in the east too, but it gets harder as there just isn't as much open space.   I've had some of the most beautiful camp spots you can imagine by just riding along till I saw a nice looking overlook then figuring a way to get to it and tossing up the tent.   

[akmnstr]

When in the west on National Forest and BLM managed lands you can camp anywhere that is not posted "no camping" for free and it is legal.  On National Parks, most state parks, and of course private land camping prohibited except in campgrounds.  Native Americans also close their lands to general camping.  So, know where you are.  The notion that you can camp anywhere in the west is simply not true.  That there is a lot of public land where you can camp is true.  Not to get political, but the American notion of public lands is one of the things I love about this country. 

[bikepilot]

Good points.  Also, there is a difference between can and legally permitted.  I'm a bit of a holmsian in that sense I suppose 

[nicrosato]

I did 2500 miles on an '01 Monster last year in 8 days (6 actual riding days, two days of hangin'). No real discomfort and I'm 65 yrs old. Sargent seat was a biggie. The bike was serviced before the trip and was never a problem.

Check out "El Matador and Demolu's Excellent Adventure" thread here, or my "Yankees Invade the Confederacy" in the NMMR section of the Local Clubs forum.

[lazylightnin717]

Never been there on a bike but I used to do the hike via 4 wheels. I did it in 5 ten hour days or sometimes I just kinda wandered aimlessly and took weeks. You can never have enough time to cross the country though. There is so much interesting stuff to see, people to meet, and so many roads to take. In the words of our good friend John Steinbeck- "we find after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us"

[DrDesmo]

If you're heading through Colorado I can meet you at the border(ish) of Utah or NM, ride back to Denver, and you're more than welcome to crash at my place.  There are some fan-frickin-tastic roads in SW colorado.  [moto]

Cheers,
Adam

[DesmoLu]

When in the west on National Forest and BLM managed lands you can camp anywhere that is not posted "no camping" for free and it is legal. 

Really? Badass! My backyard is a huge ass camp ground that no one knows about! All along I thought it was just for sneaky atv fun times and shooting? As much as I hate BLM, that is cool and very good to know!

[Goodbrush]

Ok ladies and gents, I'm officially leaving San Francisco July 27th and returning (from upstate New York) August 8thish

[T!Mster]

So once I figure out my stupid computer and Photobucket I will get some pics to prove it, but.....

I just got back from a 32 day, 11,861 mile trans-continental ride on my 696. I camped out almost the entire trip. The only nights I got a hotel was when I got into rain or snow. Yeah, it snowed Memorial Day weekend in Yellowstone! That is awesome that you are gonna camp.... that is the way to go if you are on a budget. There are a few things I would suggest:

Ear plugs- its been said before, but its soooo true. It is a lot more quiet and you will definitely be glad for them around day 3-4.

Camelback- I took mine out of the back pack and put just the bladder in my tank bag. I left the hose where i could grab it easy. But make sure it doesn't leak out of the mouth piece. I had a wet crotch cuz of a leaking camelback bladder.

Compression sacks- You can pick them up cheap at any camping store. You can fit a lot of stuff in a really small area. The thing that the compression sack was best for was my sleeping bag. I got it down to about the size of a softball.

My Monster has a battery tender lead. It has the standard SAE plug. I bought a cig lighter with a SAE plug and threw it in my tank bag. A few zip ties to secure and you can charge your phone, iPod, etc. The battery is 12v and the tender is fused to protect the wiring. I had a iPod, iPhone, and a Scala G4 headset charging overnight and the bike started up fine each morning. Those type things don't pull much juice.

I know you are on a schedule, but try not to push yourself too hard. I started my trip with a friend who wanted to do 6-700 miles a day. And for the first 4-5 days we did that pace. But about the Grand Canyon he got burnt out and headed home (North Carolina). I rode the remaining 25+ days by myself at a much slower pace and I enjoyed myself much more. Fatigue is your enemy. When you get past the point of not enjoying the ride and then you get to the point you have to chug 1-2 Red Bulls at every fuel stop, well... its just bad news.

Enjoy it. There is a lot to see in this country and you will find yourself wanting to stop and check things out and take pictures. TAKE PICTURES!!

I started my trip with Pilot Road 2's on the front and rear. The rear tire lasted about 9,000 miles. It had a bit more left in it, but I was near a friends house and he knew of a good dealership and I went ahead and got a new rear. I got the Pirrelli Angel and i still am running it. The front is still the original Pilot.

I took a small tool kit with me in a small tool pouch that I bought from Wolfman Luggage. Really basic but it got the job done. The only specialty item I had was a large socket for the axle nut. I had to tighten my drive chain a few times. I had to buy a breaker bar from an Auto Zone in Durango, Co. to break the axle nut loose. The bar was about 3 feet long and stuck out of my tail bag. But it was nice to have at the campground in Montana when a pitbull came charging into my campsite growling and snarling at me.   

I wore a waterproof jacket (Olympia AST), Sidi boots and jeans. If it started to look like bad weather I would pull over and slip on rain pants. I saw other guys with full riding suits and they are nice. But it can get pricy. I know that jeans are kind of a false sense of security when it comes to the battle of jeans VS pavement...... but they are comfortable. I also wore Under Armor thermal pants under my jeans. They were real comfortable because the seams were in the right places. Not to get into too much detail, but boxers always seem to ride up and get really uncomfortable really quick. Boxer briefs are also good for longer rides.

I think someone else said it earlier, but you shouldn't get too bogged down in the planning. I agree that you should be prepared, but don't get worked up over it. If you have given yourself an extra day or two and you can easily roll with the punches then you should be fine. And there will be punches. Weather, traffic, finding a campground, etc. But if just keep the attitude that you are riding a motorcycle across the USA on a "once in a lifetime" type journey then all that other shit disappears. I was getting snowed on for about the 4th time in Montana and I just started laughing. Mainly because I thought about all my friends back working their boring jobs while I was out riding the Rockies! You will have a blast!

You say you are riding the Blue Ridge Parkway. Good idea! The end of the parkway in near Staunton Virginia ( about 15 minutes from my house) Then you start the Skyline Drive and it is tolled. $15 and the speed limit drops to 35mph. If I were you...... get off the parkway near Lexington VA. State Route 60 comes down the mountain and meets up with Rt 39 in Lexington. Fun twisty riding along some awesome scenery. The road follows a couple different rivers and Lexington is a college town with an all girls college. August+river+girls= scenery! Rt 39 will take you to 220 which heads north up into West Virginia and Maryland. 220 is an awesome road up through the mountains. There is some awesome riding in this area. But look out for whitetail deer. Quick little bastards!

I would definitely meet up and ride with ya, but I am out of town most of the days you will be riding. But if you have an questions let me know.

T!M

[Goodbrush]

So the time has almost come for me to embark.  I'm working on an loose itinerary using google maps. 

Any advice on how to get through Texas?

My route so far can be seen here

[Dirty Duc]

Any advice on how to get through Texas?

Just like you're doing it, spend as little space as possible in it.  Mostly because it is really, really big and it feels like you aren't getting anywhere.

[strat10]

If you can afford it, go with a Corbin seat, you will thank me later.