Crossing the country...

[catamount]

This summer, in "honor" of turning 30 and because I need to inject a little adventure in my life, I'm going to take a bunch of time off of work and cross (or at least try) the country on my Speed Triple.

Two questions for anyone who has done it or has done similar:

1. Could a trip of this size be comfortably squeezed into 4 weeks?

2. When is the best time to go? I want to avoid as much traffic & crowding at major sites as possible. I'm thinking about taking 4 weeks from mid-Sept through mid-Oct. I'll still hit the Labor Day crowds but I think the temperatures and tourists spots should be just right mid-Sept onwards? I'll head West across the upper 1/2 of the US and return along the bottom half (with warmer temps).

Any feedback from veterans?

[Tricky Mike]

I've done NYC-LA in a cage... We took a little over two weeks with a couple two-day stops... Also did Phoenix to Seattle... you tend to just settle into long hours and if you haven't seen many of these parts of the country it's easy to be fueled by how much fun you're having.
I bet you could swing it in 4 weeks no problem if you don't mind some long days. My take on it is that you'll want to keep motoring when there's not much to see and spend the most time relaxing in spots you really want to experience.
Sounds like fun.
I'd love to do it again on a bike.

[SSearchVT]

From my long rides I have a little to offer. Padded bike shorts are a good idea, an IPOD loaded with a ton of songs will help keep you from being lulled by the engine tone on long runs. Stop a lot... For your safety, and also to take in the sights. Enjoy, and good luck...

[capt1014]

My longest rdie was to ontario and stopping frequently was good, sites and stretch.

[Doc]

I did Seattle to Vermont in a Cage. Only took a week. We did stop and see some sites and I was ablr to stay at friends houses on the way but i would have loved more time.

4 weeks should be good. When you going? Maybe we can do a little "hand off" to get uou out of New England with company.

You had better plan on posting stuff up here while you are gone!

Wish I could go...

[catamount]

4 weeks should be good. When you going? Maybe we can do a little "hand off" to get uou out of New England with company.

I have a wedding to attend mid-September so I'm thinking mid-Sept through Mid-October. I'm just slightly worried about chilly temps on a fairing-less bike.

You had better plan on posting stuff up here while you are gone!

Oh hell yeah!

Wish I could go...

You can!

[Doc]

You can!

Nope, well at least not with you.... That time frame doesn't work and there is no way with the racing and Army stuff that my wife is gonna allow it. Maybe a 1 week trip...

Hmm... where can I go in 3 days?

[s a x m a n]

mad max (on odfu) did it 2 years ago and can provide alot of insight about it

look him up

[tonyd]

It all depends on you.

While moving in October 2001 I did a trip from Chapel Hill, NC to the Grand Canyon / Flagstaff, AZ and back to New Hampshire on the east coast. 6900 Miles in 11 days, camping, and riding a stock Bandit 600. I even took a day or 2 looking around the 4 corners area. I rode all day, everyday I was on the road, thats how I wanted to do it, you may be different. 4 weeks is time enough to get there and back and have plenty of time for sight seeing without having to do crazy milage everyday.

As for timing? That depends too. If you want to travel across the northern section of the country you are going to have some very cold weather in Sept Oct, possibly dodging snow in the rockies. If you are planning on staying further south you will probably be OK. Again, from my own travels in the rockies in Oct, I had to stay south of central Colorado on my trip because of snow in northern sections. Even then I hit snow heading over several passes in Southern Colorado, Northern Arizona, and Northern New Mexico.

Unless the wedding is yours, I would skip it and head out in late Aug, early Sept.

General advice:
Electric vest / grips are a must.
If your seat is not super comfy, spring for a corbin or similar aftermarket.
Waterproof luggage!
make sure bike is in order before you go, new rubber, good chain, etc.
Have a flexible plan and HAVE A F---ING GOOD TIME.

[tonyd]

One last thought.
The later into fall you wait the less daylight you will have to travel.
Daylight is your friend.

I found myself starting out at sunrise to maximize my daylight traveling hours but early morning is prime time for critters to be out and about and jumping into roadways. Better if you don't have to be on the road until a little bit after sun up.

Even and extra 1/2 hour of riding each day in daylight for 28 days averaging just 50mph on back roads is 700 miles you don't have to ride in the dark!

[nefarious]

My aunt did a coast to coast trip twice, the first time spanning 100 days, 17,000 or so miles and connecting with 38 states. Did it all on a old Honda interceptor

not the bike pictured

[richw]

Never on a bike

from Ohio to the Rockies no reason to have a bike straight and flat.

Mid summer some amusement going far north route.

Ship the bike to Phoenix or Albuquerque fly there go north to Canada Rockies then over and down to San Diego and the Sierras

PSST at thirty your still a punk ass so no hurry

[keet]

.......many moons ago...went on a GL1000 wing on a honeymoon trip....we left right after labor day.....and did a lot of sightseeing.....got caught in a snowstorm in Yellowstone...hit some very cold weather...but we camped pretty much where ever we wanted , because it was the aftersummer season....if u travel in the spring beware of tornado season..my brother and I went thru Kansas in May...we just barely missed getting involved with a couple of those....but...thats what adventure is all about,,,,,

[burnham]

I did from MA to Yellostone and back in 8 days in 01 (6000mi). I left the last week of September, and it was pretty friggin cold early/late in the day. +1 on what Rich said, from MA to South Dakota was one long field, boring as fuck. I did it on an 01 GSXR 1k, so the Triumph should be fine. Bring cruise controll, digital gear indicator, better seat, Ipod, oil filter and wrenches, and some rain gear. Do it.

[Mr Bread]

Sounds like an adventure. Looking for some company?

[catamount]

Sounds like an adventure. Looking for some company?

Seriously?

[Mad Max]

Like saxman said I did it two years ago. I left from Massachusetts and took mostly interstate highways. My destination was the US GP event at Laguna. I did that and then went to San Diego and then rode the coastal highway of california all the way into northern california and ended up in washington state. I stayed there for a few days with my brother and headed back home.

I was gone for 4 weeks, had a little over 9,000 miles. I was on my SV650 and I can tell you that interstate highways are not much fun on a non-faired bike, especially since the speed limits in many parts is 70-75 and traffic moves along at 80-85. I used cortech soft luggage. I had two saddle bags, a tail bag and two smaller bags I made that hung off of the frame in front of my knees. I also had a mini rack that aided in tying things down.

I spent some nights at campgrounds and some in hotels. If you don't already have one, decent tent if you are going to camp. On of the rods of mine snapped during a windstorm in wyoming. It was a cheapo walmart tent. If you are not going to be camping then it saves you the need to bring a lot of things.

In total I think I spent a little over $2,000

You'll enjoy it. The roads in California are amazing... even the unassuming run of the mill road is corner central.

Highway 1 in CA

[twrayinma]

Well, if you pass through Albuquerque, look me up.... I've got an '04 speedie.