So I am planning a cross continental road trip for the summer, and my wife says, "If you want to ride the bike, I will follow with the kids in the van."
This is a 6000 mile round trip.
You see her insight into my travel habits are this...on the bike I stop to see things, take breaks and enjoy the scenery. In the van I drive till I get I hit the destination. I have made this trip several times and have driven it in 58 hours (one way).
I woud love to do the trip on the bike, but this is my childrens first trip this far on the ground and there is so much to see and share along the way. The praries, lake land, the Canadian sheild, the great lakes, just to mention a few.
We have three weeks to make the trip, approx 14 days allotted for travel.
I fear if I take the bike my wife and kids would never forgive me for my self centered devotion to motorcycling. Or it could be her way of telling me that she couldn't stand being in the van with me for that long...
What to do?

 

Hmmm sounds like fun but IMHO your going to need a trailer or at least a bumper rack to load the bike on because I don't think you will be on 2 wheels the entire time!

If you have the trailer or rack this gives you option to at least ride with the family for some time to give your wife a brake from hauling the kids cross country and to make it a little bit more fair to her.

Otherwise your going to hear about this trip for years to come!

Now if it was me doing this cross country trip I would I would set up a route each day with a start and stop point and this would give you the opportunity to take off each morning after breakfast with the family.

You take off each morning ahead of the family and put some miles between you and them so you can stop and check out Historical Markers and tourist traps and you meet each evening at a set location.

On rainy or bad weather days you load the bike and travel with the family.

On good days you stand on it and have some fun, just meet up at the set points that you two determine and do not fail to meet at the set place and time each evening or your going to freak her out thinking your laying on the side of the road thoudands of miles away from home...

If your wife has plans that she is going to follow you from start to finish on your tail then I would leave the bike at home and enjoy a road trip with your family.

SIRR1

 

Hey, I love to ride......... but the wife and kids come first. leave the bike at home, take a good attitude and concentrate on her and the kids. The kids are only young once and you have plenty of time later for the bike. I think a trip with them following you would just make you all resent each other....... just my opinion......

 

I have a 3 rail motorcycle trailer for this reason here...Wifey doesn't like it when I'm riding and she's in a car because I go "Too fast"...So if we ever take a trip I either take my truck with my bike in the back or the durango gets to haul it...I also take my dirt bike a lot...

 

My dad worked a lot when I was a kid so he spent his vacation time with 100% focus on us 3 kids.... I would have been pissed since I didnt get to see him much and then if on vacation I wouldnt get to talk and build up our 'family relationship'. Just my 2¢

 

I do think the trailer idea is a good one. you can hang with the kids and ride as well. not to mention stop often and take pictures and breaks ect.