Touring the USA

Sgt Bilco · Jun 28, 2005

Well, gona jack it all in, step off the treadmil and get me and my bike over to North America for a 2/3 month tour. Just bought an Adventurer, the bug has hit and there is no turning back!!

Anyone got any advice on touring the States? i.e contacts etc. I have the shipping and insurance in hand.

:beerjug:

Paul Narramore · Jun 28, 2005

Chris

I went over to the US in 2002 flying me and the bike into Vancouver - cheaper to land in Canada than the US - and rode down the West Coast to San Francisco and the Mexican border, then up through Texas, Tennessee, Deals Gap, Blue Ridge Mountains, Washington DC, NY, Boston and Toronto. Please have a look at http://ukusers.com/USCoasttoCoastMotorcycleTrip2002

I'm returning next year for a three month East-to-West-to-East round trip, again on my Pan, shipping the bike by sea from Southampton to NY.

Possu · Jun 28, 2005

Ask same questions at www.advriders.com & read Mike O's thread on his USA Tour from last year.

Barrie · Jun 28, 2005

Motor cycling in the USA is good fun especially in the South West, like being in a movie.....
I have done Phoenix to Sturgis, South Dakota three times and that is a fab route.
I bought a bike in USA, 600cc XT Yamaha, I have some friends with plenty of garage space so I kept my bike there for 7 years, used it every year for a biking holiday, went all over the South West, California, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, etc then shipped it back in 1997 for about $450. Now it is the town hack.
Found this on line which is useful:
http://www.micapeak.com/~marcl/pages/shipbike.html
It is certainly worth looking into prices of bikes in USA as the dollar is not strong yet, so you might find a good deal on a GS, however flying your bike to Canada is also an option but I have no idea of cost.
good luck,
Barrie.

Barrie · Jun 28, 2005

More biking in USA this is N.Arizona, Valley of the Gods
Barrie

Paul Narramore · Jun 28, 2005

The cost of flying the bike out to Vancouver and back from Toronto with Air Transat in 2002 was (wait for it) £1700. When I return next year, I'll be using the Wallenius Line ro-ro ferry from Southampton to New York which costs about £1000 return.

Sgt Bilco · Jun 28, 2005

Thanks guys

I have the shipping costs covered at a very reasonable rate into New York. Benefit og being in a linked industry. It`s not what you know but who......

I`m very familiar with the US so have no bother with supersize portions but what I need to know is there anything I really should take or know to avoid hassle with police etc!

Also good stopover places and must see`s!! My route will be NY down the East Coast to KittyHawk. Across through Nashville, Memphis, Houston, Austin, Denver, Yellowstone, Zion, Yosemite, San Francisco, PCH to San Diego and finally to friends in Muriette Calif! Phew.

I guess a lot of it is learn as you go but fore-warned is fore-armed!!

Aurelius · Jun 28, 2005

Chris Biltcliffe said:
I`m very familiar with the US so have no bother with supersize portions but what I need to know is there anything I really should take or know to avoid hassle with police etc!

One thing you should be aware of is that lane splitting (what you blokes refer to as "filtering") is illegal in every state except California. In the event that you're stopped for some minor legal infraction, I imagine that your British accent will count in your favor because Americans generally view Brits in a positive light. If you had a French accent, things might not go as well.

Paul Narramore · Jun 28, 2005

During my 2002 US trip, I was stopped for speeding on Day 2, stopped for slowly riding up to the head of a queue of traffic at a set of road works on Day 3, and bollocked for riding without a helmet from one side of a gas station forecourt to the pumps on Day 4. I began to get a persicution complex. Fortunately the rest of the trip went without incident.

Some Yanks have a real problem with riders who filter, tooting their horns and shouting. Very odd.

When in the US, try Eggs Benedict for breakfast - sublime. Also when in bars, ask for microbrew beers such as Sierra Nevada or Samuel Adams. They have more than 2000 microbrew pubs.

When on the outskirts of Memphis, I asked for directions to the Days Inn motel near to Graceland. I was strongly advised not to park the bike anywhere in that area because of the almost certainty of it being stolen, such is the crack problem. Later five other people backed his story so we rode instead to another Days Inn just over the border in Mississippi. And with no buses or trains back to Memphis, we never did get to see Graceland.

Fanum · Jun 28, 2005

One thing you should be aware of is that lane splitting (what you blokes refer to as "filtering") is illegal in every state except California.

That's gotta be one of the most stupid and pointless law you Merkins have.....why on earth do you all tolerate it?

Seems like it takes away 50% of the advantages of riding a bike around town :nenau

Fanum · Jun 28, 2005

PS Aurelius....it's gonna scare the shyte out of you if I take you on a trip 'round London in September and you're not used to filtering

Aurelius · Jun 28, 2005

Fanum said:
That's gotta be one of the most stupid and pointless law you Merkins have.....why on earth do you all tolerate it?

Seems like it takes away 50% of the advantages of riding a bike around town

Fanum, you're missing a fundamental reality here. Do you have any idea what it takes to get a license in most states? You answer 50 multiple choice questions on the rules of the road, take an eye exam to prove you're not totally blind, then head out into the parking lot and show the instructor that you can do the basics, like parallel parking, K-turns, and navigate through a bunch of plastic cones without knocking them all down. Thats all! Now, can you imagine filtering through rows of cars being driven by tossers who barely know the rudiments of driving?

PS: its not our most stupid and pointless law. I believe there's still a law on the books in Florida declaring it illegal to discharge a firearm in the nude (wear a hat), and another declaring it illegal to have sex while riding a horse.

Aurelius · Jun 28, 2005

Paul Narramore said:
During my 2002 US trip, I was stopped for speeding on Day 2, stopped for slowly riding up to the head of a queue of traffic at a set of road works on Day 3, and bollocked for riding without a helmet from one side of a gas station forecourt to the pumps on Day 4.

That might have been the case years ago, but we've since done away with helmet laws in most states. The courts have ruled that doing incredibly stupid things is the God given right of every free American citizen.

Some Yanks have a real problem with riders who filter, tooting their horns and shouting. Very odd.

Not odd at all, when you consider that filtering is illegal in all but one state!

When in the US, try Eggs Benedict for breakfast - sublime.

It figures you Brits would like them. They're named after Benedict Arnold.

And with no buses or trains back to Memphis, we never did get to see Graceland.

Count yourselves fortunate.

half_empty1 · Jun 28, 2005

heres a great web site with loads of info on usa

http://usatourist.com/

im currently planning a trip to usa, 3 month tour, east to west and then on to australia if my immigration visa application is accepted( fingers crossed) hoping to leave in late may next year, depending on a few factors like selling house and waiting for operation on nhs.

are you shipping air or sea?

what insurance company did you go with for the bike?

Paul Narramore · Jun 28, 2005

Aurelius

In the UK, helmets must be worn when riding on a ROAD and since a gas station forecourt is a gas station forecourt, Officer Dibble's remark to my companion of "You wear a helmet in California everywhere" was wrong. But then again, I'm not familiar with Californian law.

When I said that I thought the reaction of drivers to filtering was odd, I agree that 49 states to one state isn't odd, but that many hundreds of thousands of riders do it elsewhere so why is the US behind the rest of the World on this. (There, and I didn't even mention greenhouse gases...)

Paul Narramore · Jun 29, 2005

For insurance I went to David Grist of H-C Travel (www.hctravel.com)

Aurelius · Jun 29, 2005

Paul Narramore said:
Aurelius

In the UK, helmets must be worn when riding on a ROAD and since a gas station forecourt is a gas station forecourt, Officer Dibble's remark to my companion of "You wear a helmet in California everywhere" was wrong. But then again, I'm not familiar with Californian law.

The officer was quite correct. Public parking lots are not exempt from the law here. Prior to the repeal of the helmet law in Florida, you could easily have been cited for the same infraction here. However, its also likely that a judge would find in your favor were you to challenge it in court on the grounds that the officer's enforcement of the statute, while technically correct, was not in accordance with its intent.

When I said that I thought the reaction of drivers to filtering was odd, I agree that 49 states to one state isn't odd, but that many hundreds of thousands of riders do it elsewhere so why is the US behind the rest of the World on this.

I suppose for the same reason Britain is "behind" the rest of the Western world by driving on the left.

sjwb · Jun 29, 2005

Chris,
If you are going to Kittyhawk (don't forget the Wright Brothers National Memorial) do ride down the Outer Banks (Cape Hatteras National Seashore) to Ocracoke Isand. Then get the ferry to Cedar Point NC. Most of the feries are FREE except the latter which is $10 and for a 2 1/2 hour trip, this is fair! I promise you that you will have a fantastic detour.
There's more; on your way to Tennesee, go over the Smokey Mountains from Cherokee to Gatlingburg - the towns are dreadful but the scenery sublime.
Have fun and if you need any help in NC email me.

Touring the USA

Sgt Bilco

Dream Maker

Paul Narramore

Guest

Possu

Registered user

Barrie

Registered user

Attachments

Barrie

Registered user

Attachments

Paul Narramore

Guest

Sgt Bilco

Dream Maker

Aurelius

Registered user

Paul Narramore

Guest

Fanum

Toubab

Fanum

Toubab

Aurelius

Registered user

Aurelius

Registered user

half_empty1

Registered user

Paul Narramore

Guest

Paul Narramore

Guest

Aurelius

Registered user

sjwb

Registered user

Similar threads