Degree of planning for a long trip

Schneller

Schneller

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I am planning for a long trip in 10 months, as a retirement gift to myself. I'll be riding my 750K5. My route starts near Kingston, crossing into the US at Ivy Lee Bridge. Heading south to the blue ridge parkway, then over to Memphis. (I have a buddy there to show me the town.) From there over to the west coast, north to Washington state, then eastward through the US back to Toronto. 4 to 5 weeks is my timeline, based on financial considerations.


I'd like to be loosey-goosey as far as route planning goes because I have the freedom to do so on a solo ride, as a reaction to both my highly regimented school teacher job for 27 years and my family vacations organized by my wife who likes every overnight stay predetermined before we start. (Not complaining about this last part because with children it is probably a good idea.) On my trip, by not pre planning my exact route, I know that I will miss some good roads and sites, but I will also experience ultimate freedom from the tyranny of the itinerary and accidentally stumble upon unimagined cool sites, roads, and opportunities, by going with the flow of the universe, kind of like a Jack Kerouak journey.


I did something like this back in university days, driving a car for someone from Florida to Toronto. I simply headed north, largely staying off interstates, taking a side trip to New Orleans. When I came upon a town, I'd check a map just to see where I was.


So, what's your style of touring? Do you plan everything? What do you think about being flexible?
 
Go where the wind blows you....or me. :D Generally for up to one day rides I'll just meander - there are STILL some local roads I've missed even after 40 years of wandering the area.

For longer trips I'll go to an area and hit the highlights but solo I'll wander for sure. Highly recommended for this is TomTom app which is just "okay" as an app tho it does not require data.
However there is one aspect of the trip planning that is so cool and you can invoke it any time.
Call Winding Roads.....it takes your plain vanilla trip and finds the roads less travelled.
There are three levels and up north of Peterborough heading east there a few very sweet roads we would never have found and there's something neat about just following along with the app.

It will always get you where you are going and you can turn it off and on within a single route - there are three levels as well.
For that long hike I'd think money well spent.
Don't know if you are riding with music but the voice nav is fine through earphones and Ultimate Ears 500s are on sale for $25 - great combination. You might want to snag the better foam earpieces for a better seal and noise reduction.
http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Ulti...&qid=1377379135&sr=1-1&keywords=ultimate+ears

I wear a thin balaclava under the helmet ....holds earphones and earplugs in firmly and easier to wash than the helmet liner.
Being able to relax knowing the app will guide you without squinting at a GPS and good tunes.....hey - nirvana and with no need for data connection - you are never lost.
A companion is Forever Map which also gives you routing ( no voice ) with no data needed.

One note - I'd go over to the US via Wolfe Island Ferry and since you have time....why not visit Whiteface near Lake Placid as your first over night - some very good riding in that area.

Good shakedown and fun after the slab to Kingston.

This is our route next weekend
http://goo.gl/maps/v1cdD

Then head south through some pretty country to pick up the BRP.
 
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750k5 wow nice bike. is it a cb750 and year 1975??? take photos and post them here when done.
have a great trip!
 
More likely a GSXR. Pick a general route, ride until sunset, check into motel. Repeat.
 
I pack a week's worth of clothing and gear for most conditions. Some snacks and water and go. I carry a tent and camp as I go.
 
The bike is this one:

Top pic is in Enterprise, bottom in Campbellford.

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Hi MacDoc,


is winding roads part of the Tom Tom app?
$45 might be worth it

also, what can you tell me about iPhone use in the US? Roaming charges?
jailbreak worth it?
 
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RetroGrouch said:
Well I was wrong, it is a CB750. Takes ballz to tour on that. Hope you know that bike inside out.
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Why would you say that? Very simple times 4. No different than your bike. I rode one just like that for 10 years. I wish they still made them that simple. Rode mine to Jasper Alberta, didn't miss a beat. All on car oil of the day. Worst thing in 1981 was drive chains.
 
Winding Road is really one of the few things that makes the TomTom app worth the money.
With that and Forever Map you don't really need a data plan for nav.

There are several of these compendiums of top roads - useful I think
http://www.motorcycleroads.com

As for a sim card with decent data .....still looking myself. My iPhone is unlocked.

There are McDs all over the place and all have wifi plus most eateries everywhere. Login on those and use Skype for phoning in.

•••

I concur on the CB750 - I'm glad to see Honda returning to simpler times with the CB500x.

Those 4s are legendary. Keep the chain oiled and ride.
 
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The beauty of these old bikes is their relative simplicity and ease of wrenching. Tons of info/resources on the net.
 
Schneller said:
The beauty of these old bikes is their relative simplicity and ease of wrenching. Tons of info/resources on the net.
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Japanese quality and simple. Only other brand of that era I would ride across the country would be BMW. Everything else was garbage or at least very suspect. Number one reason I ride Triumph Scrambler now is ease of working on. Dead simple.
 
inreb said:
Japanese quality and simple. Only other brand of that era I would ride across the country would be BMW. Everything else was garbage or at least very suspect. Number one reason I ride Triumph Scrambler now is ease of working on. Dead simple.
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Cool. Please post a pic in the Got Vintage? thread.
 
You are gonna have a great time. Cool bike for the trip also.

I usually just ride until I feel I might want to stop in say the next hour or so and then find a hotel. I have done this with groups also and only once did I ever get stuck with a low vacancy rate and an expensive room. Actually I would have rode another hour that specific time but the other preferred not too, so that was still ok.

I find it nice when travelling in the states to stop at a state visitor/info centre. They have better maps than you can buy at the gas stations, are better than CAA maps and they are free. I still see no need for a gps these days. People have lost there sense of adventure sometimes I feel, or they lack the confidence as our world is becoming convinced we cannot live without electronics. No right or wrong, just an opinion.

At the same time the staff there can be very helpful as to where to ride, what popular and great bike roads are in their state, and they have the usual brochures.....plus when riding solo or in a group often someone ends up talking to another traveller and learning more. And it is a nice leg stretch time for a few minutes and washroom break if needed.

Lastly, the maps always work!!!! Lol. No power outlet on the bike required. No data plan required. Use the free wifi at many restaurants, malls, stores, visitor centres, motels.... to use Google maps, make local a or a long distance phone call via Skype, Ooovoo or some other app. Check your email them. I have yet to need a data plan when in the U.S..

There are gas stations everywhere down there 99 percent of the time so it really is near impossible to truly get lost these days for more than a few minutes. People are willing to help and give directions. I find this more so on the bike than when driving in a car and that is often when I discover some treasure not on a gps. Never go under approx 1/3 of a tank of gas and you should always have piece of mind and comfort based on my experience.

Relax and have fun.
 
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Schneller said:
So, what's your style of touring? Do you plan everything? What do you think about being flexible?
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To answer your original question, I like to pre-plan the route and where to stop for the night. There is freedom in structure --I plug in the route into the GPS and I am free from worrying about where I should go, where the stay etc. (although I don't usually reserve motels ahead of time). I try to research the best roads and sights ahead of time. That's not to say I don't have the flexibility of going somewhere different if I feel like it. I've tried not planning anything ahead of time, but then I spent a couple hours every evening planning a route when I could've been relaxing. But my road trips are only 1 week due to work so I try to maximize my time away.
 
While I am guilty of this too, I find that when I have a trip planned and a goal in mind then I concentrate on reaching that goal and might overlook interesting things on the way.

Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse had many quotes related to this, here are a few:

When someone seeks," said Siddhartha, "then it easily happens that his eyes see only the thing that he seeks, and he is able to find nothing, to take in nothing because he always thinks only about the thing he is seeking, because he has one goal, because he is obsessed with his goal. Seeking means: having a goal. But finding means: being free, being open, having no goal.
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What could I say to you that would be of value, except that perhaps you seek too much, that as a result of your seeking you cannot find.
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Of the many trips I've done in the past (on motorcycle, hitchhiking, backpacking, whatever) the ones that I had the best time on were not planned at all. I chose a direction and I went with it. If I met people along the way who knew of something interesting, I followed.

So if I were you, I would make sure the bike is ready, grab a credit card and go. Who cares where to, because not all that wander are lost.

I am going to do the same thing in September. I have a few weeks off and because of this thread I have decided I am not going to plan the route at all. I am just going to cross into the US somewhere in Michigan and head West.
 
Yes! This is the vibe I'm hoping for.
 
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