Guys, sorry if this is not the right place, but I guess you are the experts on the CBR's. Moderator, please move if this should not be here.

I'm planning a bike travel from Los Angeles to Florida and I highly need some advice from someone who lives in America. I will take my work's PTO to travel to the US and do this trip. It's just a dream that I always persuited, it's probably the most common thing for you, but I have some personal reasons for this one. I'm planning on flying from my country to LA and get a bike there.

Im doing the map sketch (inicial planning), up to now I plan to take the bike on a rental dealer and head to Vegas, then Death Valley and on and on....till Florida.

Map with route: de Los Angeles, Califórnia, USA a Miami, FL, USA - Google Maps

I need advice in regards of good side bags for the CBR600 (planning on taking the less possible weight, mostly the gear and money), if its a good bike to travel (I know that a sport bike in general, for long trips might get us tired, but I just love the SS's), if I should avoid crossing any particular city/place, gas prices in US, road hotel/motel prices average, gas consume on the CBR, oil change intervals, brake pads change intervals and how long would it take you to do the ~3000 miles of this trip aprox.(not riding at night)? How many miles a day?


It would be a model ranging from 2007-2009 probably.

Thanks in advance for all the help you may provide.

 

Man, be careful heading across the west during the summer. Pack more water than you think you need, and watch your gas carefully. If you're taking the interstates, you should be OK.

On the interstates, I'd expect to pay between $3.75 and $4.50, but it could vary a lot in some locations.

 

motorcycleroads.us

^go there

 

Keep us posted on when you're coming thru - your leg thru Louisiana will take you within riding distance from my town - I bet I could manage to get a ride along.

As for as the bags - I'm looking at the Cortech Sport saddlebags and tail bag:


You can find all of them here:
Cortech Covers, Bags & Packs, Cortech Motorcycle Covers, Bags & Packs - Buy Now or Read Reviews

Most people that ride long distances also recommend a big tank bag that they can kinda lay on at times to take a little stress off. Usually the tank bags have a clear pocket on top you can lay a map inside, places for a drink bottle, cellphone and whatnot pockets.

Hotel prices can vary greatly, and making reservations would be hard for you since you don't know how far you'll go each day.

Don't forget some form of locks and security for your bike - never know what part of town you'll stop in. I'd look for hotels with an exterior door, so that you could possibly roll the bike into the room with you.

Oil changes should follow the typical maintenance schedule - if your doing 3000 miles, you should be good on one oilchange I would think. Oil the chain every couple of days, esp in the heat. Tire inflation needs to be checked regularly - 2x a day at least. Heat in tires build up pressure, overinflation will wear out the centers of tires.

Most of all, prepare well and enjoy your trip.

 

this sound fun. i might have to think about something like that in the future.

 

Someone's gonna have to do something drastic to get the coast to coast challenge moving along.

 

Welcome to the forum. I applaud your dream to ride coast to coast.

What is your timeline? Miles per day will depend on the time you have & the sights you want to see. Too, its going to depend on your comfort level, fitness level, etc. One day you may want to make major mileage b/c you have less to see on that leg of the journey…while other days, you may want to take it slower & see the sights. Basically, while you can plan on where to be at certain points, don’t tie yourself down to exact miles per day. Look at it per journey leg & build in plenty of time. Being rushed on a trip of this nature won’t make it enjoyable.

No doubt you’ve done research on routes, sights, etc. I’d suggest doing less interstate riding & more regional hwy. Example, on the route you listed, there’s a section of I-40 thru AZ, NM, TX. While you can make good time on the interstate, I can tell you from having traveled that entire section, you will miss seeing a lot that is not visable from the interstate. Just keep this in mind. Yes, there is access from I-40 to these areas but w/o planning that ahead of time, you’ll miss out. Meteor Crater is one of those sites that you can access w/a short ride from I-40. Additionally, are you planning on seeing The Grand Canyon? I can’t imagine anyone being that close to it & not going to see it. ;-) Of course, more touring & less super-slabbing will take longer.

Personally, I wouldn’t want to do a roadtrip of this nature w/o being able to make it a true experience & see more sights. I’ve done both kinds & the touring experience is preferred over long boring interstate rides. Alas, its not my trip though. ;-) Just giving my viewpoint & trying to help. ;-)

As for the CBR as a touring bike… If you are already a sportbike rider, you know the pros & cons of comfort vs spirited excitement w/ sportbikes. ;-)

As for maintenance… If the bike is properly serviced prior to the trip, you shouldn’t need to worry about changing oil, brake pads, etc. However, that’s not to say that you shouldn’t take precautions/supplies. A good tire repair kit is a must for cross-country trips, a length of duct-tape for quick hose repairs, a small tool kit, chain lube, Honda polish & microfiber cloth for cleaning your visor, etc.

The Coretech/Tourmaster bags already mentioned are good ones. I have them as well as the tankbag. There are various options to the setup to include a small duffle, etc. They are tough yet lightweight. They won’t require major setup or modification to the bike…just strap ‘em on the bike & go! Speaking of straps, I would carry extra straps to secure extra gear as necessary.

As for hotels/motels/lodging… While it may not be possible for the entire journey, I’d suggest couch-surfing or camping. This will severely decrease your lodging costs. There are websites you can sign up w/ to search for couch-surfing availability & to make prior arrangements. There are customs w/ couch-surfing but most folks provide lodging out of the goodness of their hearts & genuinely want to help. As for camping, there are campgrounds like KOA (Kampgrounds Of America) that have nationwide locations, although not always available. Or, you can often times camp at state/local parks. Again, pre-planning is a plus.

Lastly, hotels/motels are expensive, especially now w/ the economy. There are motel chains that do tend to be less expensive than others. Motel 6 is one of those chains that is coast to coast & tends to have outside door access (as recommended above).

One thing that I’d recommend is a touring creed…”less is more”…meaning, take what you need & nothing more. Make you lists & pair down to necessity only. You don’t want to be bogged down w/ extra gear & supplies that simply aren’t necessary. Since you’re coming from elsewhere to the U.S., I’m sure you’re already aware of that…just mentioning it. ;-)

I recommend a means by which you can be tracked…whether that is setting up a blog, etc, where you can give updates. That way, your loved ones will have a general idea of the route you’re going to take & where you’ll be in general. That way, if anything were to happen, there’d be a way to start a general search.

I love roadtrips! Would like to do this one w/ you if I could! Please keep us apprised of your planning, timeline, & progress.

 

Hi Buds!

Thanks from the heart to everyone who cared to reply. Every post made it's difference! Even the tip about the water, as I don't know the terrain. But for sure I'm researching, and this post in the forum is part of it. At this point I know that places like Death Valley can get ugly at the summer if I happen to have a flat tire!

Well there is a good amount of "timing" involved to get the trip going, but I would say that for now, there is a 75% chance of success. I'm waiting for my passport and therefore Visa to get it going for good. Also, that has to come in a time were I'm still in PTO. So to give you an idea of time, I would need to start my PTO on 1st of August if I don't make an agreement with the company to postpone it.

The only other problem on the equation is that unfortunately the bike will have to be rented. Of course lots of problems came to my mind because of this. Biggest ones:

1) How the maintenance of the bike was been handled up to now, mechanical conditions etc;

2) Miles per day limits...;

I consider number one as the biggest problem, but number 2 may turn the trip impossible if they charge too much for the extra mile. If anyone knows a dealer that would rent Sports with no mileage limits on California, please let me know as soon as possible.

Gotcbr, a special thanks for taking the time to write such a complete post.

It would mean a lot to me if I could exchange some messages with you on private if they turn necessary. I have lots of little extra questions that go from places to safety. Like what is the easiest way to get a cell phone line quickly over there, as a non resident etc; I might need to call emergency etc etc;


As you mentioned, feel free to point out places that I should consider visiting, thats exactly one of the things I need more help with.

Thanks everyone, Rebel, Tucson, Adrenanl, Scorpion and Gotcbr, every reply counts.


Ps:Any recommendations on tire repair kits?

 

You are very welcome. Glad to help. PM sent.

 

easiest way to get a temporary cell phone is to get a prepaid from probably either att or verizon. Not sure who has better service in that part of the country. That way your not locked into any type of 2 year contract.

I'm gonna stress again about the tire patch kit, water, emergency kits, etc. The southwest in August could easily become deadly. Just picture it like a desert and plan for that. lol

I wouldn't worry about reservations for hotels, Its not hard to find one with vacancy pretty much anywhere in the country. Just whenever you get tired start looking for one. Should have no problems there.