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New Rider, need advice on getting a bike to ride from west coast to east coast

islemann said:
$1750 for a Ninja 250 or 500 or a KLR, spend another grand on GOOD gear including decent camping gear. Save that $250 left over 'just in case'. But - don't spend it. Ever.

Then - DO IT!

Don't let the nay-sayers dissuade you. They're all a bunch of pussies who wouldn't know a good time if it bit 'em on the dick.

I did a 15mo x 78k mile, rode in 48 states on nothin' but two-lane hiways and back-roads ride, in 2000 and 2001. I rode the snot out of 1 1/2 motorcycles. I rode the snot out of 10 sets of tires. I rode the snot out of a couple three dozen sets of underwear. I had more fun, met more people that I'd never have met otherwise, drank more free beer, ate more free meals, slept on more strangers couches and in their back yards, met some deputies and some sheriffs, met some bad guys and some good guys, got rained on, snowed on, hailed on, pissed on (once), bit by a dog, bit a dog, (same damn dog - fucker deserved it!), got sunburned, windburned, poison-ivyed and screwed a bunch of times by cute girls and couple more times by ugly ones.

I'd do it again in a heartbeat and I'd recommend doing it to anyone who has a beating heart in their chests.

You only live once. Live your life as if that dangles over you. Not as a risk taker - but with imagination, zest, curiosity and a willingness to step out of the box that society works so hard to put us into.

You'll meet the most amazing people. You'll be able to tell the best stories at the camp-fire. You'll have the best dreams, the best memories, the best experiences and the best adventures. Even when it all goes to shit in a hand-basket. Because life is what brings adventure to us.

Doooooo eeeeeet!
Click to expand...



And nothing is stopping him from doing all that next year when he's not some total boot to motorcycling.
 
Aluisious said:
Why is riding locally safer?
Click to expand...

Rescue squad nearby. Friends, family, a house with a ton of tools instead of on the road "just get me home" tools. Plus roads you know, instead of every mile being new. Turns you can memorize and practice on, pot holes you know to avoid and learn from.
 
And teh BARF Roadside Angel crew. Sorry, going out-of-state on a rescue is a no-go for me. :laughing
 
flying_hun said:
Do it. Seriously. It won't be easy. At times it will be scary, dangerous, uncomfortable, boring, hot, cold, wet, dry, dusty, humid, etc. Shit will break. You'll figure out how to fix it. Buy something cheap, fully depreciated, and robust. 250 Ninja, GS500, EX500, KLR all come to mind. It will cost more than you expect, but you'll figure it out.

Learn how to do basic maintenance yourself. I mean really basic, like put air in the tires, adjust cables, lube chain, change the oil (you should only need to do that once), etc. Get Ironbutt - who posted earlier in this thread - to show you the basics (I just volunteered you, Chad! :twofinger )

Get a copy of Lightweight, Unsupported Motorcycle Touring for Terminal Cases from Aerostich. Read it. Carry it with you. It's small.

Log into Horizons Unlimited and read the stories for inspiration. Lots of folks over there have stories that go along the line of "passed my test and rode to Capetown", or "passed my test and rode to Peru". Read about Sam Manicom, or Tiffany Coates, people who passed their tests, then promptly embarked on adventure.

Get some used gear, and maybe a cheap helmet. Fuck the naysayers. Seriously. You'll have stories to tell for the rest of your life. Adventures, rescues, guardian angels, free beers, great scenery. And you will have done something most people, and apparently most motorcyclists are too chickenshit to try.
Click to expand...

Fuck yes.
 
As a kid out of high school, I hitch-hiked through eastern Canada, down the east coast, and across-country, ending in San Diego. But taking on a motorcycle trip with little experience and very low funds in the peak heat months is, in-my-not-really-so-humble-opinion (IMNRSHO), not particularly well-thought-out.

Do it next year with more miles under your belt, with a bike you've owned for at least six months and which you've done the maintenance on, with a thicker wallet, and I'm OK with it. Without that basis of skills, I'd hope for a good outcome but wouldn't be surprised if there's critical failures along the way.
 
flying_hun said:
Do it. Seriously. It won't be easy. At times it will be scary, dangerous, uncomfortable, boring, hot, cold, wet, dry, dusty, humid, etc. Shit will break. You'll figure out how to fix it. Buy something cheap, fully depreciated, and robust. 250 Ninja, GS500, EX500, KLR all come to mind. It will cost more than you expect, but you'll figure it out.

Learn how to do basic maintenance yourself. I mean really basic, like put air in the tires, adjust cables, lube chain, change the oil (you should only need to do that once), etc. Get Ironbutt - who posted earlier in this thread - to show you the basics (I just volunteered you, Chad! :twofinger )

Get a copy of Lightweight, Unsupported Motorcycle Touring for Terminal Cases from Aerostich. Read it. Carry it with you. It's small.

Log into Horizons Unlimited and read the stories for inspiration. Lots of folks over there have stories that go along the line of "passed my test and rode to Capetown", or "passed my test and rode to Peru". Read about Sam Manicom, or Tiffany Coates, people who passed their tests, then promptly embarked on adventure.

Get some used gear, and maybe a cheap helmet. Fuck the naysayers. Seriously. You'll have stories to tell for the rest of your life. Adventures, rescues, guardian angels, free beers, great scenery. And you will have done something most people, and apparently most motorcyclists are too chickenshit to try.
Click to expand...

:thumbup This should should be the TOS...For Gods sake this is America, not some land where English isn't spoken. And where the other side of the road is driven.

Anyone that hasn't the backbone and spirit of adventure to do this trip, should face it...

They are Chickenshit to the core. Do we really want BARF to be known as Chickenshits R us?

I hope Stormy will use plenty of time, examining the world class scenery right here in our Western USA...
 
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flying_hun said:
...you will have done something most people, and apparently most motorcyclists are too chickenshit to try.
Click to expand...

islemann said:
Because life is what brings adventure to us.
Click to expand...

Both awesome posts.

When you're young, try hard things. You'll learn the difference between doing things that are hard, and things that are just stupid and destructive.

What to ride, if you do it: a used metric cruiser, one that nobody will love, and unlikely to steal. Bolt on a huge windscreen and find some cheap used hard bags. Take a few weekend rides, to learn what a long day on the bike is really like. Be honest with yourself about your reasons for taking such a long ride.
 
i agree with Z3n,

i suggest taking a close look at insurance statistics for new drivers/riders in the first 6 months.

the trip wont be less epic if he does it next year, however he sure as hell would be more safely aware of motorcycles - and the one major thing people forget - OTHER MOTORISTS and how even if you stare at the driver dead in the eyes - they manage not too see you.

they dont teach you that, and everyone think its absolutely absurd, no f'n way- until it happens to you,

in that specific moment, i would love to have had more then 3 months of riding under my belt and have the technique or vision to stop staring at the danger zone and execute my escape route.

id say talk to some commuters who ride on the daily, shit happens all the time, and its really up to your own reactions to save yourself, i have a few stories when i went moto only for 2x years, and this was on my commute that i rode everyday - routes that i memorized
 
TheRiddler said:
Rescue squad nearby. Friends, family, a house with a ton of tools instead of on the road "just get me home" tools.
Click to expand...

That's not safety, it's convenience. I'm a little dubious on the value of "turns you know," too. Everyone I know picks up the speed through those places, negating any safety advantage.
 
Gawdamn. I know that I can be a stick in the mud. But some of youse guyz make me look like a milled titanium, shot-peened conrod attached to a piston that's sucking in supercharged nitrous. :p



islemann said:
$1750 for a Ninja 250 or 500 or a KLR, spend another grand on GOOD gear including decent camping gear. Save that $250 left over 'just in case'. But - don't spend it. Ever.

Then - DO IT!

Don't let the nay-sayers dissuade you. They're all a bunch of pussies who wouldn't know a good time if it bit 'em on the dick.

I did a 15mo x 78k mile, rode in 48 states on nothin' but two-lane hiways and back-roads ride, in 2000 and 2001. I rode the snot out of 1 1/2 motorcycles. I rode the snot out of 10 sets of tires. I rode the snot out of a couple three dozen sets of underwear. I had more fun, met more people that I'd never have met otherwise, drank more free beer, ate more free meals, slept on more strangers couches and in their back yards, met some deputies and some sheriffs, met some bad guys and some good guys, got rained on, snowed on, hailed on, pissed on (once), bit by a dog, bit a dog, (same damn dog - fucker deserved it!), got sunburned, windburned, poison-ivyed and screwed a bunch of times by cute girls and couple more times by ugly ones.

I'd do it again in a heartbeat and I'd recommend doing it to anyone who has a beating heart in their chests.

You only live once. Live your life as if that dangles over you. Not as a risk taker - but with imagination, zest, curiosity and a willingness to step out of the box that society works so hard to put us into.

You'll meet the most amazing people. You'll be able to tell the best stories at the camp-fire. You'll have the best dreams, the best memories, the best experiences and the best adventures. Even when it all goes to shit in a hand-basket. Because life is what brings adventure to us.

Doooooo eeeeeet!
Click to expand...



Thank you Sir! :hail
 
Aluisious said:
Why is riding locally safer?
Click to expand...

Riding closer to home implies shorter trips and less fatigue (mental and physical). Shorter trips also allow more immediate and more frequent time for reflection on the recent events (riding) and that ideally would mean learning more quickly. Longer rides also tend to inspire a bit of 'get homeitis' where good judgement goes out the window.

A ride like the OP is proposing can be an epic adventure for sure. The risks are high, very high. Learning to operate the motorcycle correctly is a large task in such a short period of time, but is nothing compared to the judgement that he's going to have to learn to mitigate the risks he faces.
 
Sounds like an awesome ride! Do it, do it this year, have fun, and be safe. :thumbup

Learn basic maintenance as others have noted, take a lot of pics, then post them here.

I suggest you join AMA at least for the towing service - $45/year includes free towing up to around 30 miles. If you only need it once, it already pays for itself.

Riding a lot before the journey is a good idea, but I'd be more concerned with taking a few long-ish trips so you can find what works for you and what doesn't. After a couple 300-500 mile rides, you'll know if there's a critical upgrade to make (if the seat's stock, it'll almost certainly suck, you might want handlebar risers, if it's geared too low you might want to change sprockets, etc.). Pack the bike as if it's your coast-coast ride. I can almost guarantee you'll take less each time.

Some things are going to totally piss you off on your trip. That's part of the fun :teeth
 
palada said:
I suggest you join AMA at least for the towing service - $45/year includes free towing up to around 30 miles. If you only need it once, it already pays for itself.

Some things are going to totally piss you off on your trip. That's part of the fun :teeth
Click to expand...

^^ Good advice. :thumbup
 
Lemme call my sisters in the Havertown and Media area and see if they're available. :teeth
 
OP should go for it. Type of bike doesn't matter so much as getting something reliable. Just make sure you have enough money for a bus ticket home.

...and pack light

...and there isn't a test at the end.
 
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flying_hun said:
Do it. Seriously. It won't be easy. At times it will be scary, dangerous, uncomfortable, boring, hot, cold, wet, dry, dusty, humid, etc. Shit will break. You'll figure out how to fix it. Buy something cheap, fully depreciated, and robust. 250 Ninja, GS500, EX500, KLR all come to mind. It will cost more than you expect, but you'll figure it out.

Learn how to do basic maintenance yourself. I mean really basic, like put air in the tires, adjust cables, lube chain, change the oil (you should only need to do that once), etc. Get Ironbutt - who posted earlier in this thread - to show you the basics (I just volunteered you, Chad! :twofinger )

Get a copy of Lightweight, Unsupported Motorcycle Touring for Terminal Cases from Aerostich. Read it. Carry it with you. It's small.

Log into Horizons Unlimited and read the stories for inspiration. Lots of folks over there have stories that go along the line of "passed my test and rode to Capetown", or "passed my test and rode to Peru". Read about Sam Manicom, or Tiffany Coates, people who passed their tests, then promptly embarked on adventure.

Get some used gear, and maybe a cheap helmet. Fuck the naysayers. Seriously. You'll have stories to tell for the rest of your life. Adventures, rescues, guardian angels, free beers, great scenery. And you will have done something most people, and apparently most motorcyclists are too chickenshit to try.
Click to expand...

I got this far /thread

I cannot believe how so many motorcyclists have become so freaking conservative with respect to riding. I'm surprised half of you folks ever even had the nerve to throw a leg over and ride in the first place.
 
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