Circumnavigate the Continental United States

[crashcourse]

For a long time I've thought a cross country road trip on a motorcycle would be really neat. I realized a few months ago that if there was ever a time for it, it will be this July. I'll be out of school on break for two months, with hopefully some money in the bank. Here's what I have in mind:

I live in Utah near Salt Lake City. I want to go north to Spokane, WA to visit my family for a week or so. I can meet my Mom and brother in south Idaho, so I have a cage with me for a few hundred miles. Then from Spokane to Seattle to Arizona (through CA) I might be with my brother on his motorcycle. We'll stop for a few days in Arizona to visit my grandma. Then he'll head home, but I want to head east to Florida (all the way to Miami), then north along the coast to Quebec, making a stop in DC for the Smithsonian and maybe Fort Knox, and any other historical sites/cool museums I find along the way. From Quebec it's east and south back to Utah. A rough estimate from Google Earth put it at about a nine thousand miles round trip.

My bike is an '81 Special II with maybe 15000 miles. Seems to always run, gets about fifty or fifty five miles to the gallon. I've only been riding about a year, but I consider myself fairly competent.

The plan so far is to camp along the way, and eat stuff that I can carry with me. I know a few people scattered around the east coast, but not very many. I'm not much of a mechanic, so if anything serious breaks down, I'll have to hawk the bike and buy a bus ticket home.

Now here is where I need your help: This sounds to me like the greatest and stupidest thing I have ever tried. Either talk me out of it, or give me enough advice that I could live through it. Has anyone done this? Keep in mind I'll be solo for about eighty percent of the time, unless I find groups along the highways that let me ride with 'em. What places should I see along the way? What gear can I pack that you wouldn't be caught dead without? (Or, what would you leave behind that would cause you to be found dead without it?)

Any and all input is greatly appreciated.

 

[Travis]

Sounds cool. I would want a smart phone with bluetooth and a decent amount of music stored on it. Then stick bluetooth wireless speakers in your helmet.

You might also want to seriously consider spending what time you have in May to learn about he basic mechanical and electrical systems of your motorcycle. Bring some tools and maybe become a member of the AMA but get the membership that includes road side assistance for motorcycles. You'll want a way to charge your phone.. maybe a solar powered cell phone charger? Bring a credit card, a good pocket knife, and good rain gear. How do you plan to carry your clothes and things? Lots to think about.

There was a thread here not too long ago about what essential tools to bring on a long road trip. That would be worth reading.

Make sure your bike is in tip top shape before you head out with brand new tires.

I'm sure I'm missing about a million things. You'll need a map.. or even better a Garmin Zumo.

 

[blue900]

Sound like fun, but how far have you been away from home on it?

Ive been about 150 from home on mine and have had issues each trip. I was very glad I was close to home. It has not standed me. Some day I will get all the bug worked out. I ride mine alot but closer to home, the Highway seems to bring out the bugs.
I would Try a trip to South East Idaho and back (Stop by and say Hi) if that goes well then go for Washington then decide on the 9000 miles

That would be an adventure for sure, but I would work up to it, a mechanic on hand would be advisable.
That's a long trip on a 30 year old bike.

 

[retiredgentleman]

Install new brushes in the alternator prior to leaving. If you still have the original fuse panel with glass fuses, replace it with automotive blade type fuses...............much more reliable. Replace your clutch cable with a heavy duty type as sold by 650central.com. New tires and new brake pads would be wise.Carry a good tool kit, spare fuses etc.

Plan to change the oil every 1000 miles/1600 kms. With a trip that long, start with a new air filter.Its important to keep the air filter clean; remove and blow out the air filter every 2000 miles. Have fun!

 

[xsjohn]

The highway on long trips will seperate the men from the boys..........everyone laughs at my setup by little do they know.............have fun and gear it up tall at least..........and on the highway we still rely heavily on the pilots so have the mix screws rich enough to keep it as cool as possible...........not to over do it of course...............

xsjohn

 

[Teebs]

First and foremost, don't let anyone else discourage you from doing this. Bad things can happen anywhere, anytime. The only thing that could happen that might not happen close to home is the bike breaks down and leaves you stranded. Big deal. Find out how much a bus ticket costs from Miami or Montreal and try to keep twice that in reserve. If your bike goes down, at least you'll have a good story to tell.

In my travels, I have managed to hitchhike, train-hop (I don't recommend this), walk, drive and ride through the lower 48 states, 9 Canadian provinces and every country in central America. I can't imagine my life without those experiences.

It's dangerous, risky, uncertain, and at times might be pretty damn scary, but it's also something you will have that few others ever will. This journey will change your outlook forever. Don't do it and you will wonder for the rest of your life.

Be smart, keep your eyes open and your head up. Drive secondary roads but try to keep distances between larger towns as short as possible. Don't be in a hurry to get from point A to point B. The whole point is to see everything in between.

All good points from John, RG, and Travis (except for the Garmin.) Carry as many of the small, consumable parts as you can afford to carry.

 

[xjwmx]

Whether or not you take music depends on your particulars. I'm preparing to do the same thing, and as far as possible I determined to not take my world with me, but discover new ones.


P.S. If you aren't used to camping, take a couple of short camping trips first. Take one that lasts more than just a couple of days and covers two or three campsites in a big circle that takes you home. Learn how to keep dry, and what materials will keep you warm even when wet. If you like fishing, take a collapsible fishing rod. A hatchet is the most important camping tool. Without it you can't split wood that you buy or find so that it will light and burn well. You sharpen them with a good sharp file, pushing away from the edge. I always take a minimum tool kit and a foot pump and tire plugs. Change the tire if you have to plug it.

 

[Liftrat]

Go for it! Some of my best memories are cross country trips on my '75. All the above is good advice, too. I'll add a few things; a small multimeter, a laminated copy of the wiring diagram, a good tool kit (it's a good idea to use that tool kit to actually perform routine maintenance at home first, so you know you have the right tools), spare bulbs, copied pages from the manual for specs and procedures you're not familiar with, a small flashlight/headlamp, and a couple spare keys. Above all, enjoy yourself: you'll have a blast.

 

[crashcourse]

I've done plenty of light camping, and I was just going to keep maybe two changes of clothes in the saddlebags. Most of the space will be for more critical supplies, like what you've been mentioning. I did a cursory search for replacement breaker boxes but didn't find any. Could you point me in the right direction? And what does it mean to gear it up tall? My tires (and chain) are new this spring.

I'm also trying to get an idea of how much this will cost, in dollars per day. If I go at an easy pace, this will take anywhere from a month to a month and a half. Maybe twenty bucks a day for gas, food maybe ten, camping(?). Repairs as well. I would prefer to not carry cash, can I get away with plastic for most things? Seems like I should be able to.

And when I say I'm not much of a mechanic, I mean that it takes me three times as long as anyone else to do anything, but I eventually figure it out on the third or fourth try.

Also, I've never been to the east coast. Are there even places to camp over there? I mean, I've heard its just city after city. Will I have trouble finding places to sleep?

 

[nj1639]

Millions of people stretched from Augusta, Maine to Richmond ,Virginia.
Just get off the main corridor and you'll find plenty of camping (state parks and resort areas).
Watch out for Jersey girls. Wildwood beach in the summer time? a Utah boys eyes'll fall out of his head.

 

[Tech7]

Carpe Diem! No regrets! Now is the time.

 

[gggGary]

Do it. A windshield is de rigueur. East coast can get expensive for camping, east of the Mississippi the cheap or free forest service campsites get thin. Generally on an old bike like an XS650 I would avoid the large urban areas. (Salt Lake City doesn't count) Heck I tend to avoid them anyway but I am just a small town boy. Backup plan if the bike dies get online somewhere and post on craigslist for help with a help me fix it or buy it now ad. Take your title along. A long time ago I did a long trip on a naked XS650 and it did fine. Knowing what I know now though I would go find a 4 cylinder with touring gear already on it for a trip that long. doesn't have to be a fancy bike, but bigger is nice on the road. Enjoy and post an itinerary here, you have a lot of friends around the country (world) when you own an XS650. Gary in Wisconsin with a free place to spend the night. Take a lot of pictures. Talk to people about what you are doing. Ask questions about local things to do places to stay, many small towns have city parks with very cheap camping.

 

[CDNTX650]

a cb900 with the 2 speed primary would be stellar.

 

[gggGary]

It also fits my easy to work on old bike definition. (Air cooled, no V4's, not covered in fragile old plastic panels) Valve setting requires shims but is not bad to do, I have done it several times on this engine family. A local craigslist had one for $300.00 this week. Good runners can often be found for under a grand.
A long trip is also nice when most of your stuff is out of sight inside locked luggage. That is a real consideration. When on the road you can feel extremely vulnerable walking away from everything you own hanging out in plain sight. It can limit hiking or other excursions away from the bike. One nice thing about these old Jap bikes is no one wants them (except us) theft of the bike is not very likely no matter where you leave it.

 

[Liftrat]

gggGary brings up a good point about leaving all your stuff out in the open. For a little protection from prying eyes, a lightweight bike cover helps; even though I have lockable hard cases for my other bike, I still cover it and the camping equipment when I'm away for more than a few minutes. It also helps keep dew, rain, and "stuff" off the bike at night.

 

[azman857]

DO IT!! Years from now you'll have tales to tell your kids, grandkids, and the guys at lunch when your older and settled down. And make you smile when your old in the retirement home remembering when you were young at the sight of passing kids on their cycles. Don't ask how I know. LOL

 

[yamaman]

On a couple of big trips I've done, I carried a tankbag with a couple of changes of clothes & a back pack with a few more changes. Post the backpack 3 or 4 days ahead, when you get there, swap the gear over & post the back pack to your next checkpoint. Worked awesome for me, only carrying a light load, but everything you need! Enjoy the trip!

 

[crashcourse]

I don't have the cash for a new ride, otherwise I might consider it. How much can a tank bag hold? And I thought of wearing a backpack, but that doesn't seem too smart just cause you'd get tired wearing it. I get tired of wearing it just going for groceries.

And what is a reasonable per day mileage estimate? MSF course says six hours a day. If I spread it out, can I get more in safely?

I talked with my boss today; he said I could have the time off, but he didn't sound too happy about the month or six weeks of absence. So this might be just a coast to coast thing, but then I can stay in the northern rural areas.

 

[xjwmx]

I think the xs650 is a fair choice for camping. You won't see many hogs up Lulbegrud Creek at Eskippakithiki. And when you drop it at low speed, as you will in camping terrain, pick it back up and it's good as new.



Lulbegrud Creek:

 

[donmillerx]

Do it!!! What's the worst that could happen?
Just got back from a month solo in Southeast Asia... it changed my life. Best thing I've ever done. Best advise is pack everything you think you'll need then ditch half of it and bring twice as much money. I'd like a camera, an iphone and a small journal. Like Teebs said, "Don't do it and you will wonder for the rest of your life."