@Antihero
I love the journey and I want to do something similar in the summer time. I have some questions (anyone else who's done long distance 1000+miles on a sportbike can chime in
What do you pack?
- Swiss Army knife
- Strider Knife (folder)
- One pair of jeans
- One pair of shorts (to wear while I'm doing laundry)
- A few T-shirts, one long sleeve button-up shirt, one thin jacket
- 5 pairs of Socks
- 5 pairs of Underwear
- Helly Hansen undergarments
- Silk gloves (to wear under my riding gloves)
- Phone/laptop + charger (the capability to use your phone (or iPad) as a Hotspot saved my butt several times).
- Spare Brunton battery (for charging the phone while I ride just in case)
- Doc Martin Steel toed boots
- Zip ties
- Small tool kit (allen keys, screwdriver, a couple small open-ended wrenches for bleeding my clutch and brake, plus a small hose for that purpose, small container of Synthetic oil and a mini-can of spray chain lube).
- Medicine (aspirin, ibuprofen, tums, etc.)
- Heavy duty repair tape from REI
- Scarf or Baklava
- Earplugs (for both riding and for noisy hotels)
- Radar Detector
I don't really have any warm clothes. When it got cold I'd just put all my clothes on. I was cold and soaking wet more than once. (36-39 degrees + being wet + 80mph winds = frozen testicles).
Estimate cost?
Varies greatly depending on your accommodations and what you like to eat. I can fast like a stoic or eat like an epicure, so the end-result was that I spent about what I'd spend at 'home' on food. Airbnb.com and couchsurfing can range from free to expensive....and if you're fortunate (like I've been), people will put you up for a night (or 15).
Preparation?
Make sure your bike is in order. Make sure you have your emergency contact contact info written on your jacket, taped to the back of your phone or written on the back of your license (or better yet, get an emergency contact anklet).
What things you forgot to bring but would love to have for next trip?
I didn't forget anything. I knew I'd need stuff a long the way, though, and just bought it when I did (like a thin rain-suit).
Other things:
I worried about running out of gas in remote places, but never did. When you don't see a gas station every 20 minutes it's a good idea to fill up if you've hit the half-way mark.
I worried about people messing with my bike and worried about hicks wanting to .... with some dude from California on his hot rod jap bike (lol), but it never happened (other than Detroit). The bike and the story of putting solo distances on it brought out the best in everyone--from a meth head in Boulder (and two homeless ones in SLC), to an old-timer with no nose and no eye in Death Valley, a bunch of hayseeds throughout the midwest and some really backwoodsy people in Knoxville. Hell, even Harley riders are friendly once you get away from the coasts!
Don't plan too much. I rarely planned more than one hotel/room/house in advance and relied on people I met to point me in directions that they thought would be memorable. Often I wouldn't even have a place booked until the morning or afternoon of. (Even if you're standing outside a motel/hotel, it's best to call and make a reservation--often they charge you more if you don't have one.)
Get used to eating alone in restaurants. I've done it for a great majority of my life, but for people who aren't used to it feel like losers asking for a table for one (or a movie ticket for one). Don't shy away from even nice places--you'll miss out on some great culinary adventures if you just stick to Subway. (Yelp is your friend for finding the best places in town.)
