Total Motorcycle Community Forums

I want to go cross country on my Triumph Daytona 650.

From Connecticut, to Cali then either:

A) up the west coast to canada and cross canada back to us, on the eastern shore

-or-

B) back through upper US

-or-

C) suggestions?

i would document the trip very well and perhaps even make a DVD or something if it's good enough. but mainly i'd do it for myself. i haven't even started riding yet, so this is kind of crazy. i know it's a huge undertaking, but one that is amazingly rewarding as well.

i'm asking the experienced tourers out here, what do you think? how long would it take me? i plan on stopping by major places, like the grand canyon, i want to see the vast deserts of nevada.

is it crazy enough to not attempt? how much do you think it would cost me? please take some time and give me suggestions. i haven't done anything like this before. if i were to attempt it i'd have a few hundred miles under by belt and perhaps a few tours myself. i'm planning ahead though.


edit:

i bet i could get some sponsors as well.

Ummmm do you mean Suzuki DL650? I don't have any experience on touring... but it sounds like a pretty crazy undertaking for a new guy! lol I'm still trying to get up the nerve to do a weekend tour around Colorado!
Wrider

no, i meant Daytona 650, i edited the post.

How many miles have you put on that pretty yellow Daytona? (I'm partial to Triumphs ) How many miles total since you got your license?

Have you done an all-day ride yet? Ridden in the rain? Done several hundred miles in one day? If your answer to these is 'no', can I suggest you start with shorter trips and work yourself up? Bikes that were comfortable for the first couple of hours can feel a little different after the 400th mile or so...

Get a copy of Karen Larsen's book "Breaking the Limit" (Hyperion, 2004). It's about a 14000 mile trip around the US and Canada she took in 2000. The story itself is inspiring, and the book also shows how one person turned their trip into a publication.

If you want to come into Canada, make sure you've got at least a birth certificate on you. The borders have gotten stricter in the past while. Also note that a trip like that will be in the thousands, not hundreds, of miles. Are you planning on repairs, too?

I think it's a great goal to have, but you should know you're nowhere near achieving it. For a trip that size, you should really have at least two seasons and 10,000 miles under your belt, in good weather, rain, some snow and hail, windy weather, night riding, etc... since chances are good you'll encounter all of that on a trip this size.

If you really want to do it, write it down somewhere. Keep it prominently displayed somewhere and work to the goal. Here's a quick rundown on what I would do, from a newbie to that trip:

1. Take an MSF course or equivalent.
2. Get a starter bike (plenty of threads on this forum about a good starter bike).
3. Get good, well-fitting gear. Might as well go textile, since you're going to be riding in all the elements.
4. Get those 10,000 miles and two seasons under your belt. Towards the end of those, you should be starting to take longer trips. I won't say you have to do x number of miles in a day, but you should know what's comfortable for you to ride and plan your Big Trip accordingly.
5. Take big trip, take lots of pictures and report back.

great suggestions everyone, keep them coming.

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

i'm def. gonna pick up that book, ordering right now.

gas, food and lodging alone would cost me around 2500. "poo poo", i gotta start working/saving.

do you guys think if i went to company x and asked them if i used their product on a trip like this would they give it to me for free? they could use me as advertising and i could say - yes, this product works.

things to budget for for a trip of that length:

Tires - you'll likely have to change out the rear at least once
Oil/filter change - at least once
accommodations/food - budget $100 per day for these things, unless you plan on camping the whole time

Skier wrote:I think it's a great goal to have, but you should know you're nowhere near achieving it. For a trip that size, you should really have at least two seasons and 10,000 miles under your belt, in good weather, rain, some snow and hail, windy weather, night riding, etc... since chances are good you'll encounter all of that on a trip this size.

If you really want to do it, write it down somewhere. Keep it prominently displayed somewhere and work to the goal. Here's a quick rundown on what I would do, from a newbie to that trip:

1. Take an MSF course or equivalent.
2. Get a starter bike (plenty of threads on this forum about a good starter bike).
3. Get good, well-fitting gear. Might as well go textile, since you're going to be riding in all the elements.
4. Get those 10,000 miles and two seasons under your belt. Towards the end of those, you should be starting to take longer trips. I won't say you have to do x number of miles in a day, but you should know what's comfortable for you to ride and plan your Big Trip accordingly.
5. Take big trip, take lots of pictures and report back.

i agree with some stuff but not all,

i took the msf, and this is my first bike - a 650cc sportbike. a lot of people on here warned me about not getting one but i think it's ok. i'm a cautious guy. anyway, i don't want to make this into a debate about what bike type to get. to each his own.

when i start riding this spring more and more i'll get a better idea of what i might be in for. if i can get the money, i'm doing this.

right now i'm researching places to visit. it seems like east coast and mid-country don't have that many places to see . us easterners are boring people.

i dont think its an insane idea. i do think that you need to work your way up to doing a lot of miles a day. one, because you'll cchange your setup in gear, and bike setup in that time. i dont know how comfortable a daytona would be riding all day. I went cross country on an fj1200 and some people thought that was crazy, but i was plenty comfy on that bike so maybe you'll be fine. i do think the ergoes are more agressive on your bike. thats just another thing you'll need to sort out in your trips leading up to the bike one.

as far as sponsorship, it's possible, but it probably wont be that easy. remember, thousands of people essentially do what you plan to do every year. if you were crab walking cross country, or dressing up as forest gump and jogging, it might be different, but riding a motorcycle isnt that big of a deal really. that said, you might get some gear/support out of it. I did on my trip.

be as comfrtable with general maintenence on your bike. your warrantly doesnt help you when you need a chain adjustment in th emiddle of nevada, or you suddenly loose clutch pressure in the middle of texas. get one of those roadside assistance programs from AAA or something similiar. the one i have costs about $15 a month, they'll tow me for free up to 300 miles, and replace for free any tire that is damaged from road debrie.

there is no set amount of experience you need before you go on your trip but you just need to be prepared and do as much research as possible so you know what you're in for. the unknown and being unprepared will be major factors in causing your trip to fail.
so read up all you can, plan plan plan, ride as much as possible once we get some decent weather, and make sure you're as prepared as you can be.

read some blogs of people who have done the same and you can learn a lot there as well. feel free to check mine out, but i think you'll find totalmotorcycle.com and some of the other tour related sites really helpful too.

good luck and have a blast. maybe i'll pass you on my way to Halifax in the spring