Planning a Motorcycle trip

 

When the open road beckons... 

 

 I love motorcycle trips (Even tho I've barely had a handful). I love the weeks of planning, the feeling of setting out for an adventure, being out on the road in a new and interesting place with your friends, and coming home with new memories and experiences. Many of you may be the “set out on your bike with nothing but an extra pair of socks and underwear” type, but some of us aren’t and need a little help with planning for such an adventure.
I’m a planner.

 Step 1: The Destination

Of course the destination. The first thing you have to think about when beginning to plan a trip is how much time you have and where you want to go. Take into consideration your previous riding and how many miles you think you have done/can do in a day, how often you will need to stop for gas or to rest, and then give yourself some wiggle room for when things don’t go as planned. The most I will recommend is 350-400 miles a day. If the entire distance is farther than 400miles, break it every 400miles per day.

Next, I like to look at what kind of places would be fun for the nights we need to stay somewhere between home and our final destination. You have to take into account the miles and hours you hope to complete the ride in and give yourself extra time to get lost, run to the atm to get money, queue at the atm or gas station, or just hang out longer than expected.

Step 2: Lodging

The first thing you have to decide when considering lodging for a multi-day trip is whether you want to stay with friends/family, or stay in a motel somewhere. Again, consider your personal riding history, endurance and abilities as well as the weather conditions when making a decision. As much as we all dream of sleeping under our bike and the stars, sometimes it’s simply smarter to book a room somewhere.

Regardless of which route you choose, the next step is to spend some time with your friend Google.  Depending on the time of year, things like pools, access roads, secure parking, and other amenities will become more or less important depending on what you want. The same rules apply when researching attractions you'd like to see. Keep in mind the audience you’re planning for and try and find a motel or attraction that best fits what you and your companions want out of your trip.

Step 3: Gas and other stops

This is another area you will need to take into consideration. You or members of your group might need to stop in certain time or distance intervals for gas or for a rest and you will need to find and plan places along your route accordingly (assuming your route takes you somewhere that the gaps between gas stations are more than a few miles). If you're travelling in desolate places, the Googles may not be up to date with hours of operation or if places are even open. If there's any chance that you'll be pushing the range of someone's smaller tank, I’d call ahead just to be safe. Carrying a spare canister of gas is always a good idea if you can find the room.

If you are like me and you want all of your road trips to feel like some movie where every place and person you experience fits into the quintessential road trip, you’ll also probably want to look into where you’ll find fuel for your body. I spend a ton of time asking friends for recommendations about different restaurants and bars that would be around or near my destinations. If winging it is your thing or you’re fine finding some bukateria you can trust along the way, this step isn’t necessary, but doing so usually leads to a better and more complete experience of the places I am visiting and to some of the most memorable parts of my trips.

Step 4: Maps and Roads

The final step is to place all of these locations onto a map. I like Google maps best, although I’m sure most other map sites have the same features I use. My first step is to click the “get directions” box and place the address we will be departing from in the start box. From there I just start putting in addresses in the order I plan to stop at them, clicking the “add destination” button to add the next stop until I have my entire trip drawn as one giant route. From there I can look and see if there are any special roads or routes that look like more fun and I can drag the purple line of my route so that it incorporates the change I want and the site makes all the necessary changes as I update it. Once I am happy and have a map that uses every road I want and stops at all of the necessary places, I share the route link with all other parties in case anyone is separated and we’re ready to set off on our journey.

Hopefully this little guide helps. If there is anything I forgot or that you would like to add, feel free to add them in the comments section. I imagine within the community that reads this blog, there is a wealth of knowledge and ideas I haven't yet discovered.