This page is intended to give some guidelines about what you should bring on a trip like this. It might also be used as a kind of checklist.
First of all, you need a motorcycle, of course, although one might consider a car instead. There are some disadvantages in traveling by motorcycle instead of a car. Some of them might seem very obvious to you, others not. Here's what we think:
| Pro Motorcycle | Contra Motorcycle (what your parents will tell you) |
|---|---|
| Easy parking — there is always space for a motorcycle. | You're very weather dependent. |
| You always get on the first ferry — there will always be space. Sometimes you pay less than half what cars pay. | No music (unless you own a Gold Wing or similar) — sometimes music would be nice, e.g. when you drive through a desert for hours. |
| You are your own master — if you want to take another route than your partner or be alone for a couple of days, just do it. | You can get separated. This happened to us once or twice. Best solution: have a phone number where you both call and agree on a place to meet. |
| In California it's legal to lane-split — especially in heavy traffic you travel a lot faster. | Two motorcycles will normally be more expensive than one car. |
| We got told that it's harder for the police to get a radar on a motorcycle than on a car — because of the size. | Whenever you stop for an extended period, you have to find a safe place for all your luggage. |
| You meet a lot of other motorcyclists (and no, you don't meet a lot of other "automobilists" just because you drive a car). | Safety — if an accident happens, you are a lot safer in a car. Cars are also easier to protect against theft. |
It seems like one should definitely choose a car, since the cons weigh a lot heavier. So why did we choose motorcycles? I guess we didn't bother too much about the weather, the extra cost, the luggage trouble, or the safety risks. The trip would have been something totally different in a car.
Who gets more attention? The guy that does 34,000 km on four wheels or he who does it on two? Let's be honest and admit that we like getting attention, so that's another plus for "pro motorcycle."
Isn't it a lot more fun to ride the Pacific Coast Highway 1 on a motorcycle than to drive it in a car? Dumb question, right? I guess the bottom line is that our feelings were a lot more important than the cool facts. Don't let your parents talk you into a car — take the motorcycle and enjoy. :-)
Tough question. It really depends on what type of person you are. The following are just suggestions for what factors one might want to consider:
For most people, this will probably be the most important factor (lucky those where it's not!). Prices vary enormously. You can buy a small old used bike for $500 or go for a brand new Honda Gold Wing with every extra your heart desires for about $20,000 — or maybe a Harley Davidson Heritage Softail for even more astronomical amounts.
It seems like one can get a pretty decent touring bike (like a Honda CX500) for about $1,000. Basically you get a bit more luxury for every dollar you add: better gas mileage, less maintenance, more of a status symbol, a good seat, more space for luggage, stereo, CB, intercom, radar detector, cruise control, better acceleration, more protection against wind & weather, and more. 1995 prices — adjust significantly for today's market.
The older the motorcycle, the cheaper. But remember the money you have to put aside for maintenance and repair. And don't forget: every time you bring your motorcycle to a mechanic, you'll not only lose money — a lot of money; motorcycle mechanics in the US are awfully expensive (BMW in San Francisco charged me $62/hour!) 1995 prices — but also time. It might take days to get the parts you need.
I'm not much of a mechanic myself, so one of the reasons I bought a not-too-old, low-mileage motorcycle was that I wanted a vehicle where the probability of breaking down in the middle of the desert was rather small.
For a change, here size is important. In general: the bigger the engine, the better the bike is suited for touring. Why? Less vibrations and more power. Try riding 500 kilometers on a small bike (250–500 cc) and afterwards on a big one (750–1500 cc) — believe me, you will feel the difference.
I have talked with Gold Wing owners that have done 2,500 km (1,600 miles) in two days without feeling tired at all. And I have myself ridden a small 250 for only 200 km and felt like I'd been run over by a truck.
On the other side: do not start with a huge bike if it's your first time. It'll kill you. Literally! Lots of people start off with big 1000 cc's just to run into the first available wall. I would suggest nothing bigger than 500 cc for a beginner. My brother had never owned a motorcycle before, but he did very well on his Honda VF500F Interceptor (500 cc).
Motorcycles are often separated into off-roaders, naked bikes (no fairing), sport bikes (high performance, less comfort), touring bikes (much comfort, built for long distance traveling) and sport-tourers (hybrid). For our purpose the latter two categories are best.
The most famous tourer is probably the Honda Gold Wing. In the US you'll see a lot of those. The advantage: exceptional luxury — stereo, cruise control, CB, a huge fairing that protects against wind and rain, and a seat you want to stay on for the rest of your life. The disadvantage: they're not as easily maneuverable as lighter touring bikes. On twisty roads you'll probably have more fun on a Yamaha FJ1100 than on a Gold Wing.
Some people say a Gold Wing is a car with only two wheels. So what do you want? Interstate cruising with top comfort, or throwing your bike from side to side on those narrow twisty roads out west?
Things get even more complicated here. Some swear by Japanese bikes, others would never buy anything but a Harley, and I fell in love with a BMW. If you want pure status symbol and prestige, go for Harleys and Ducatis. If you want a good price/benefit ratio, the Japanese bikes are probably your best bet. For something in between (lots of prestige, a bit more expensive, high quality), the English and German bikes may be the best choice.
One of the major problems of a motorcycle trip is that you are pretty limited in what you can take with you. Saddlebags can be a valuable help. Best choice are those made of hard plastic. The two biggest advantages of hard bags versus soft bags: you can lock them and they are (mostly) waterproof.
My brother had soft bags and I had hard bags — no doubt, I was better off. Whenever we parked the bikes, Dirk had to find a place to leave his bags. He also had to wrap all his stuff in plastic bags against rain. The good thing about soft saddlebags is that they are cheaper and often hold even more than hard bags. They fit most bikes and are usually easy to install. Hard bags may not exist for your specific motorcycle — check availability before buying the bike.
A very important item for a longer trip. After you get lost for the third time and once again have to pull over to get the map out of your backpack, you'll be willing to trade a kingdom for a tank bag. Not only do you have your map right in front of you, you also get extra space for important stuff: camera, extra film, paper & pens, snacks, and rain gear. Last but not least, the handling of your motorcycle may improve because the center of gravity moves forward.
On a longer trip, you probably won't be able to fit everything in tank bag and saddlebags, unless you've got a Gold Wing or really don't need much. A big sport bag mounted on the passenger seat (you'll have to travel solo on your bike) with some bungee cords increases your luggage space dramatically.
It may be more fun to ride without a helmet, but it is for sure less safe and forbidden in most European countries and many US states.
Important wearing, mostly because of the gain in safety. An extra plus is the protection against wind and cold weather. I once heard that if you lose 10% of your skin (by sliding on asphalt for example), the doctors can't save you. I don't know if that figure is true, but I know there's a big safety difference between wearing gear and not.
To make sure there won't be misunderstandings: I have done lots of kilometers without leathers (some of them in just a t-shirt and shorts) and without a helmet, but I knew I was riding with an additional risk, and I was willing to take it because of the extra excitement and fun.
Without gloves your fingers will fall off in cold weather. Also important for safety in case of an accident.
Important for safety and comfortable in cold weather.
As far as I know, the kidney belt keeps your kidneys warm. I bought one but didn't use it too much.
Very important. If you get caught in rain without proper rain gear, you'll soon be ready to commit suicide. Riding a motorcycle in rain is not fun, but riding in rain without rain gear is horrible.
Three summers ago (1993) I went to Scotland with a friend. It rained more or less constantly for about 12 days and the only gear we had was some pretty thin stuff meant for walking and maybe bicycling, but not for riding a motorcycle. Rain got in everywhere!
Very important. There is a big variety of locks out there. Disc locks are easy to transport, cheap and pretty efficient.
I had some but barely used them. Others won't ride without earplugs. Find out yourself if you need them or not.
Handy for cold mornings and mountain passes.
Keep a bunch of rags under your seat. "Armor All," "Formula 2001" or similar is great for metal parts like the motor, exhaust pipes and wheels. Furniture polish is great for the painted surfaces. "WD-40" is good for lubricating squeaky problems and can also shine up the engine — spray some on after cleaning and it'll look like new (but will get dirty faster because dirt sticks to the oil).
A piece of foam rubber can be useful if something is loose and rattles. For something more permanent, use sealant. Hot spots that make noise can be "fixed" with steel wool. Bring at least a light bulb for the headlight and taillight. Some different-sized fuses might also be useful.
Most motorcycles come with a set of tools. If you don't have one, strongly consider buying one. The best place to find out what you need is the repair manuals by Haynes and Clymer. They are very detailed and explain exactly how every piece of your bike is repaired and maintained. An absolute must-have for everybody who wants to wrench on their own bike.
I chose to let professional mechanics do the work. Expensive, but you can be pretty sure it's done right. If you can and want to do it yourself, do it! Many people even think it's fun. Either way, you'll have to do some basic checking yourself:
The oil should be changed at least every 10,000 miles. Many people who really care for their bike change oil every 2,000 miles and at the beginning of every season. The air filter should be changed at the same time.
Let's Go USA (travel guide); books to read; notebooks for journals and letter writing; a pocket dictionary.