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New Rider, need advice on getting a bike to ride from west coast to east coast

dont get a cheap helmet. get something quiet and comfortable so that even with earplugs, you wont be as fatigued
 
DayDay said:
dont get a cheap helmet. get something quiet and comfortable so that even with earplugs, you wont be as fatigued
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This is really good advice. :thumbup

Being comfortable will how a long way in creating space in your brain to make good decisions. Basic maintenance and a AAA membership will do you a world of good. Your budget for everything needs to double.

Read Keith Code and sign up for ADV rider.
 
Thank you for all of your comments. They are all dwelling on me. I have to be aware and conscious of this choice... which I still want to do.

Thank you Sckego and flying hun for the great advice. My <$2,000 might be a little too low and with the amount of objections to this, I will ENSURE I this will be up'd. Safety first!

So guys... Now that we have the yes' and no's out the way, please feel free to add more bikes to the much appreciated list. Comfort for me is #1

Pre-gen Ninja 250 (198x-2007)
Goldwing
GS500
EX500
KLR
SV650
V-Star
Shadow
V65
And a good helmet :)

I hope to make a decision on a bike very soon. If you know anyone interested in selling a bike and that is a great option for my aspirations, please PM me!

I will be camping most of the time. If some nights get too rough I'll stay in a motel.
 
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Stormy said:
Thank you for all of your comments. They are all dwelling on me. I have to be aware and conscious of this choice... which I still want to do.

Thank you Sckego and flying hun for the great advice. My >$2,000 might be a little too low and with the amount of objections to this, I will ENSURE I this will be up'd. Safety first!

So guys... Now that we have the yes' and no's out the way, please feel free to add more bikes to the much appreciated list. Comfort for me is #1

Pre-gen Ninja 250 (198x-2007)
Goldwing
GS500
EX500
KLR

And a good helmet :)

I hope to make a decision on a bike very soon. If you know anyone interested in selling a bike and that is a great option for my aspirations, please PM me!

I will be camping most of the time. If some nights get too rough I'll stay in a motel.
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Make sure your seat is very comfortable, take longer rides before hand so you will know if you need to make adjustments - your ass will thank you otherwise it will be one "hell" of a ride.

If you are considering the KLR as a choice I really suggest joining advriders.com - lots of long distance riders and advice
 
Grissom said:
...I met a woman waiting out a rain/thunder-lightning storm under the overhang of a gas station outside of Arches National Park, she was on a cruiser type coming from the east coast back to San Diego - So be prepared for the un-expected - my .02...
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Bring some rubbers, is that what you are saying?
 
I say buy a pre-gen ninja 250 asap and start riding and getting as much practice as possible now. The ninja 250 is pretty comfortable ergo wise. It can be the perfect budget tourer.

Off the list so far , the 250 is the most comfortable in stock form(I ignored the goldwing as I don't think it's practical to get a trip ready wing wothout 4 times the budget). Modify the seat yourself to make it a bit more comfy. I found the stock foam to be too soft. Adding some more foam to the front part of the seat made a big difference for me. Also look into LD comfort base layers.

Just my opinion.

Again you need to start riding ASAP.
 
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Life is an adventure



It'll be more fun with a friend



/I know I'm not helping
 
So is your budget greater than (>) $2k or less than (<) $2k?
 
If you can ride a first generation Kawasaki concours go for it. They are cheap, reliable, bulletproof. It will easily go coast to coast.
RC
 
rogerc said:
If you can ride a first generation Kawasaki concours go for it. They are cheap, reliable, bulletproof. It will easily go coast to coast.
RC
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I recomend against such a big bike given the OP's riding experience. But OP can practice on a smaller bike before the trip and get a bigger bike for the trip before August. A ninja 250 can be sold within a week in August.
 
go for it... this is totally achievable

I'd recommend doing a couple long riding days (like 500 miles a day) well before your planned departure...

that'll give you a good idea where it's gonna hurt and what you need to buy/work on/change before the big trip.
 
I sold a ninja 250 for 1700 or so to someone who did pretty much exactly what the op is planning to do. He was a fresh rider, less than a year I'm pretty sure. I even helped him get it fixed up after a couple crashes (that happened pre trip but after I sold it). No real mechanical experience. He also did it in some ridiculously short time span- like 6 or 7 days. I thought he was nuts and would never make it, but he made it and sold the bike when he got there.

I still wouldn't recommend it though. But when I was in my 20s I probably would have thought differently.
 
Lots of nervous nellies in this thread.

If you're the adventurous type, and willing to accept if something goes out of plan, just do it.

The advice to buy a bike now and learn to ride it is good. It's a little tiring at first for many people, often due to tension because of unfamiliarity.

Buying a 2k bike is fine, but make sure you've got the $ left over to get a bus or a plane ticket from wherever if the thing totally craps out on you.

Weird that many people would say "yeah, join the Marines, it's great!" but a cross country motorcycle trip, oh god, you'll be uncomfortable and you might get stuck somewhere in an English speaking country that accepts dollars for food and lodging...???
 
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