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The AMA has a nice article on it's site regarding tips for touring: http://www.amadirectlink.com/roadride/R ... ecrets.asp . You should take a look at that.

My friend Doc and I are planning a cross country trip for the month of June.
We figured around $1,000 just for gas.

I'm planning on getting sick of my unchanging geographical location and, after fixing a bearing or whatever that weird noise in my bike is...I'm gonna ride away, with no plans to return save making some bucks to keep going. This'll be on a 550cc.

Check out www.horizonsunlimited.com

It came recommended to me from a long distance tourer.

Too much good info here.

I used to do long-haul trips like this every summer. Never imagined anyone would actually want to "sponsor" my summer vacation. Nice work if you can get it.

If you haven't started riding yet, you're probably getting a little ahead of yourself. After you've been riding for a year or so, and done some regional trips, you'll probably have a better idea about the feasability of the trip you propose.

For a round trip, coast to coast run you should probably set aside a minimum of 3 weeks. That is, if you want to take the time to actually see the country that you're riding through. I only used secondary roads , so that tended to add significantly to travel time. The upside is that the scenery and the quality of the ride is usually many times better than an interstate highway.

I carried camping gear to reduce costs. You can set up camp just about anywhere in a National Forest for free (there's a fee for established Forest Service campgrounds). If you're not around one, many RV parks allow tent camping for a small fee. Not ideal, from a camping point of view, but at least you can take a shower and find something to eat nearby. About every third or fourth day or so I'd find a cheap Motel 6 type room to sleep on a real bed and take a real shower.

If you don't insist on fancy accomodations, you can travel pretty cheaply on a motorcycle.

finky45 wrote:repairs - fortunately my bike is still in warranty til 08.

are you planning your route so that you'll be in towing distances to an authorized Triumph repair shop?

if not, your warranty means jack dodo when you're travelling cross country.

I know a guy who went the southern route from New Jersey to California, up to Washington and then the northern route back to Jersey last summer. He did it in 5 days. That's right 5 DAYS! His grips melted in the desert and he had to have them replaced in Arizona.
To me that's not a ride but a Marathon.