[Efthreeoh]

OP, when are you leaving on this trip? Getting close to being cold most of the way even if you take RT 40 out west.

[overcoil]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

OP, when are you leaving on this trip? Getting close to being cold most of the way even if you take RT 40 out west.

weather factor is something I'm constantly analyzing.

2021 R1250GS's seem to be coming into showrooms at the end of October. 2021 Africa Twin not out till spring 2021.

Researching Gerbing heated clothing.

I wanted to spend two or more weeks riding locally before heading south and across. There is the 600 mile maintenance I need done.

I've been YouTubing how to lubricate and inspect final drive. remove wheels and fix flats.

The BMW definitely feels good and supposedly rides very well on the highway. Looks like out the door pricing is $26,xxx.xx. I just need to wrap my head around the expense.

No other bikes KTM (excellent off road), Ducati feel as nice as the BMW. Japanese bikes can't compare. I know all the complaints concerning Harley Davidson, but they are impressive but it's not the bike I want.

Anyway, waiting for dealers to call when bikes start rolling in and it won't be until I have to write the check that this will get real.

[plutnicki]

I'm a Harley guy, so my answer is going to be a Road Glide properly set up. I'm 5'7" and well, fat, and have no trouble moving one around. You can get a late model, used, low mileage one in the $20k range all day long. That's a great way to tour, period. And dealerships are everywhere so in case of a breakdown, there's never one too far away. There are good and bad dealers, but most will take good care of a traveller, it's the locals they beat up on.

I did NH -> Wisconsin and back, 9 days, 2500 miles on my 2012 Street Glide with a good seat. Was an awesome experience, and the bike performed flawlessly.

I had a 2018 BMW K1600B for a bit to try something new. Found it twitchy and unstable on the highway, moved around A LOT. Bags are hard to use. Tech is hard to beat though. BMW dealers are hard to find. Went right back to a Street Glide.

But at the end of the day, Goldwing is the right answer. Honda reliability, great tech, all day comfort. Of course, it sounds like a Civic, but....

[overcoil]

Originally Posted by plutnicki

I'm a Harley guy, so my answer is going to be a Road Glide properly set up. I'm 5'7" and well, fat, and have no trouble moving one around. You can get a late model, used, low mileage one in the $20k range all day long. That's a great way to tour, period. And dealerships are everywhere so in case of a breakdown, there's never one too far away. There are good and bad dealers, but most will take good care of a traveller, it's the locals they beat up on.

I did NH -> Wisconsin and back, 9 days, 2500 miles on my 2012 Street Glide with a good seat. Was an awesome experience, and the bike performed flawlessly.

I had a 2018 BMW K1600B for a bit to try something new. Found it twitchy and unstable on the highway, moved around A LOT. Bags are hard to use. Tech is hard to beat though. BMW dealers are hard to find. Went right back to a Street Glide.

But at the end of the day, Goldwing is the right answer. Honda reliability, great tech, all day comfort. Of course, it sounds like a Civic, but....

Will HD ever release the Pan American... I like HD, but I'm not obsessed with them like I am BMW. I'm hoping the R1250GS gives me the satisfaction my 2-Series BMW does.

Very interesting about the K1600, hmmmm, wonder what the wondering was all about.

Adventure street/off-road style bike I find more appealing then a cruiser or strict tourer.

[plutnicki]

Originally Posted by ScottSinger

Very interesting about the K1600, hmmmm, wonder what the wondering was all about.

The BMW forums initially told me it was normal and I was used to an 800lb lead sled, and the twitchiness was just a side effect of a bike that was also meant to go around curves. I think they changed the geometry or aerodynamics a bit from the GT and GTL (which were too tall to me) for the B. And it was fine at high speed on a back road, but on the highway, something was up. And with a passenger, which I do a fair amount of, it was worse.

Adventure street/off-road style bike I find more appealing then a cruiser or strict tourer.

A good friend of mine did a Saddlesore 1000 on a Hayabusa (1000mi in < 24 hours. I couldn't ride his bike longer than 15 minutes before back and wrist pain. You *can* tour on anything properly set up for you.

Best of luck

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by plutnicki

I'm a Harley guy, so my answer is going to be a Road Glide properly set up. I'm 5'7" and well, fat, and have no trouble moving one around. You can get a late model, used, low mileage one in the $20k range all day long. That's a great way to tour, period. And dealerships are everywhere so in case of a breakdown, there's never one too far away. There are good and bad dealers, but most will take good care of a traveller, it's the locals they beat up on.

I did NH -> Wisconsin and back, 9 days, 2500 miles on my 2012 Street Glide with a good seat. Was an awesome experience, and the bike performed flawlessly.

I had a 2018 BMW K1600B for a bit to try something new. Found it twitchy and unstable on the highway, moved around A LOT. Bags are hard to use. Tech is hard to beat though. BMW dealers are hard to find. Went right back to a Street Glide.

But at the end of the day, Goldwing is the right answer. Honda reliability, great tech, all day comfort. Of course, it sounds like a Civic, but....

So I was a young sport bike guy back in the day. My first real bagger was my '94 Concours. Did a lot of "sport" touring on it, 2-up. Then May 30, 1999, out on a day trip in Virginia/West VA, stopped in at the Honda dealer in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Asked to see the new Valkyrie Interstate. The owner of the dealership had the keys in his pocket. He just got back from riding over to Lake Anna. He threw the keys at me and said take it out for as long as you want. My wife and I saddled up, rode it for an hour. We came back, I traded the Concours on the spot, I wrote a check for the rest, and rode off on the new scooter; put in a 300-mile day.

I've never looked back. I've had it 21 years now. I was 37 when I bought it (i.e. still young) Once you get a real large displacement MC and tour on it, you finally understand.

[Meeni]

You could also go frugal with a KLR650 with extra panniers. It's not fast but it'll get you there.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Meeni

You could also go frugal with a KLR650 with extra panniers. It's not fast but it'll get you there.

So if the OP is desperate and needing to get a new job and it was in Arizona, AND the only vehicle he has is a KLR650, AND the company is not paying for his move, then that's when he'd choose to ride a 650cc 2,500 miles across the USA.

Just saying.

[overcoil]

Originally Posted by Meeni

You could also go frugal with a KLR650 with extra panniers. It's not fast but it'll get you there.

if I were smart something like a KLR would be a better fit in many respects.

BMW might have accelerated cam wear and final drive spline wear. Regardless of the expenses of owning the 1250GS from everything I've read and just seeing it in person the BMW could be one of the finest vehicles you can buy.

[macadamia9]

Originally Posted by ScottSinger

excellent info, have been researching the GS. Recently they had a Hayes caliper leaking recall. (one of the larger K's had a water pump issue ). 600mile first service, then it was 6000mile valve adjustment (recently a soft cam metal wear issue). I like the 2021's and in comparison to Africa Twin the BMW's wight down low and capability is very tempting. I want to buy new and I'm balking on the price, one model that starts at $18.xxx may still be too expensive for me.

Very good photos.

Thank you very much! For what it is worth, you could ride any motorcycle for your trip. Some will be more comfortable; some will just be adequate...

I did another long distance ride back in 2012 from San Clemente, CA to Edmond OK, to Peoria IL, to Hiawatha KS, to Beaver UT, to Las Vegas NV, and back to San Clemente. I did this trip in over three weeks stopping in each city above for anywhere from a single night (Hiawatha) to almost two weeks (Peoria). I did my first Iron Butt ride during this trip. It was the Saddle Sore 1000 (SS1000), which is over 1000 miles in less than 24 hours. I do not remember my exact time, but I do remember it was 105°F when I left Hiawatha, 38°F when I rode through Breckenridge at about 2am, and 115°F when I arrived in Beaver, Utah. That entire trip was done on a 2007 BMW 650X Challenge with no windscreen and no winter gear at all. The ride was a lot of fun. I rode on Route 66 from California to Illinois, then all freeway on the way back. It was very scenic, very fun, and very tiring. Luckily, I had a Garmin Zumo 665 GPS with the XM Radio antenna & I have a lifetime XM subscription. That made the trip much easier. I had my comms set up in my helmet so I could listen to the XM radio and make/receive calls if necessary.

The hardest thing about making a long motorcycle trip is to actually start. You can do all of the planning, packing, deciding, and choosing necessary, but until you are KSU (kick stand up), you are still waiting...

Attached are some photos from that trip. I had modified my motorcycle to have an aftermarket large auxiliary front gas tank that fed into the main tank located under the front of the seat, an aftermarket auxiliary gas tank that was mounted to the subframe under the back of the seat on the right side of the bike above the tire, and had a one gallon "emergency" fuel can attached to the back of my left pannier. I had 2 bottles of Gatorade on the back of the right pannier. The shots of me getting ready to leave were taken by my mom. I'm a firm believer in ATGATT (all the gear, all the time). And the photo of me riding with the GPS in the lower left shows the speed at the top right of the GPS screen: flat out with my fat ass and all my gear was about 80 mph with no wind. With a tailwind I could get about 85 mph. At one point after I left Edmond OK, I was riding into a thunderstorm and into a headwind. With all of the rain and wind, I could only go about 60 mph.

It was a very worthwhile trip...

[macadamia9]

Originally Posted by ScottSinger

if I were smart something like a KLR would be a better fit in many respects.

BMW might have accelerated cam wear and final drive spline wear. Regardless of the expenses of owning the 1250GS from everything I've read and just seeing it in person the BMW could be one of the finest vehicles you can buy.

I've owned six BMWs - 3 cars and 3 motorcycles. All of them were awesome and all of them had their quirks.

Remember, you can always trade up to another bike that may better suit your needs after you get something and figure out it's strengths and limitations.

[Efthreeoh]

The hardest thing about a motorcycle trip is fatigue.

[overcoil]

have a question, are you supposed to wipe down the front forks after a ride ? and what are you supposed to wipe it down with ?

[BigHunk]

I recommend S1000XR, it's sport touring bike, 480lbs, 165hp, very thrilling to ride.

[overcoil]

Originally Posted by BigHunk

I recommend S1000XR, it's sport touring bike, 480lbs, 165hp, very thrilling to ride.

I looked at XR online. The GS is such an iconic bike though.
The 2021 1250 GS’s are either boarding or on the ship now from Bremerhaven.

[overcoil]

Originally Posted by zx10guy

I have tons of Ducati stories but they're also related to their Superbikes. But Ducati does use the same engine in their Superbikes on other models. Things may have improved with their quality these days but here are a list of things I've had to deal with on my 2009 848:

Horizontal head gaasket
Clutch master cylinder
Immobilizer antenna
Bad turn signal LEDs on right mirror
Radiator (design flaw which Ducati fixed the next model year)
Plastic fuel tank deformation

And currently have it apart waiting on a new voltage regulator which is also a recognized issue for pretty much all Ducati bikes of this era.

But yes, the service intervals have been extended such as doing the timing belt and valve service.

I haven't ridden a Multistrada. Have been hearing from others that it's a great ride. I have done a short ride on a GS. I can see the appeal with them. As big as the 1200GS was that I rode, it didn't feel big once I got going. It wasn't that bad for me to handle at a stop as I'm 6'5". My friend that practically threw me on the bike because he wanted me to experience a GS isn't that tall either. I would say maybe 5'10.

ZX10guy are you familiar with Duc Pond ? what happened they are no longer a Ducati franchise.

I go to buy a R1250GS on Thursday and there is a stop sale on them. they really have no idea when the recall on the front caliper will be fixed.


Then I derive like 140 miles to go to supposedly the best Ducati dealership around and they aren't selling new bikes.

[to_riffic]

https://jalopnik.com/what-i-learned-...n-i-1845498538

[overcoil]

Originally Posted by to_riffic

https://jalopnik.com/what-i-learned-...n-i-1845498538

I read that a few days ago.

that distance on that bike is crazy !

[flybigjet]

I've put about 12,000 miles on my GS this year alone, and have 22 states (so far) under my belt. My last road trip (Solo, in September) was Denver-Lincoln, NE (SAC Museum)-Hannibal, MO (Mark Twain's Boyhood Home)-Springfield, IL (Lincoln's Tomb)-Portage, MI (Air Zoo Aeronautical Museum)-Kalamazoo, MI (Gilmore Auto Museum)-Dearborn, MI (The Henry Ford Museum)-Luddington, MI (rode across Lake Michigan on the SS Badger, the last coal-fired steamship in the northern hemisphere)-Manitowoc, WI (Wisconsin Maritime Museum and the USS Coiba, a sub from WWII)-Oshkosh, WI (EAA Museum)-Paradise, Upper Peninsula (Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum & Lighthouse)-Houghton, Upper Peninsula (Quincy Copper Mine & Museum)-Eagle Harbor, Upper Peninsula (lighthouse)-Copper Harbor, Upper Peninsula (another lighthouse)-Ironwood, Upper Peninsula (where my family's from, so did a lot of "When I was a kid there in the summer" stuff as well as the Plummer Mine Headframe and the Iron County Historical Museum)-Duluth, MN (Lake Superior Railroad Museum)-Grand Forks, ND (Minuteman Missile Launch Control Center Museum)-Denver. It was two weeks of fun (well, except for the cold rain in Ironwood for a few days) and just about 4300 miles.

So, here's my advice:

First: Head over to ADVrider.com and start reading. ADV's a forum that specializes in Adventure Bikes of all stripes, and there's a LOT of information and a TON of very, very smart people over there.

There's also a "For Sale" section.

Second: Consider used. I've owned 8-9 bikes over the years and have always bought used. If you do your homework, you can save a LOT of money. Look at the "For Sale section on ADV to get an idea on pricing- both with and without "farkles". I bought a 2015 R1200GS with seven hundred miles on it-- and saved close to 40% off of the dealer's price. And yes, the warranty transfers. At this price point, there are a lot of barely-used bikes that were bought as midlife-crisis mobiles, and they go on a few trips to Starbucks and then sit gathering dust. Of course, there are also bikes that get ridden the way they're supposed to!

As far as bikes. For a "single-arrow-in-the-quiver" bike, the GS is tough to beat (there's a reason it's BMW's best-selling bike). For used, I'd recommend a liquid-cooled 2015-2019 as you'd get the heavier flywheel, which makes them a bit more tractable, and since the "new" model is out, there are deals to be had. The GSA is of course an option, but that's a BIG bike.

You can also find them with a "Low" suspension, which may help if you're a little "height challenged", but they aren't as common, so are harder to find.

The "new" GS is basically the same bike as the 2013-2019, albeit with a few more bells and whistles, a slightly larger engine, and a TFT digital display. And the weeping Hayes brakes. (the LC's above come with utterly bombproof Brembo's). They are heavy bikes (about 500 lbs dry), but that helps in stability, comfort and rideability-- once I'm on the bike, I really don't notice the weight unless I'm trying to back it uphill or something silly like that.

Personally, unless you got the deal of the century and have money to burn, I wouldn't spend the money just to buy "new". I could've easily afforded a brand-spanking new GS with every bell and whistle installed on it, but after doing a bit of research, I found my bike-- less than a year old (so, two years of warranty still to go), no farkles, 700 miles on the clock (the seller had a baby was on the way), and in pristine condition. And I saved over $5000 from buying the bike new. I flew out, did the paperwork, and road tripped home from Tucson to Denver.

Additionally, you'll most likely want to modify whatever bike you get for purpose and comfort. Are you going to ride mostly highway, mostly dirt or a combination of the two? That makes a huge difference on the tires you mount (I highly recommend the Michelin Anakee Adventures-- it's a 90/10 tire that will work great on the highway, but allow you to hit a fire road once in a while as well). Windscreen? There are a bunch of options, heights and combinations that will make a HUGE impact on your riding comfort. Crash bars? (YES!!!-- you WILL drop the bike at some point in time). Different (wider/lower) footpegs for comfort or riding style? Soft bags or permanently mounted hard cases? Seat? (the BMW one's are.... adequate at best). You get the idea.

You can go just as crazy modding on a bike as you can on a car-- but more of the bike "farkles" are more purpose-driven.

Additionally, if you're going to ride in spring/fall/winter-- do yourself a favor and wire the bike for heated gear (my personal favorite is Warm and Safe)-- it makes an UNBELIEVABLE difference in comfort-- even on a "warm" mid-50's day, the wind blast will end up chilling your core over the course of a few hours. It's not hard (you just mount a coax plug) and being toasty while you ride in the cold and/or rain? Priceless.

And? Spend the money on GOOD riding gear. With armor. Something armored, gore-tex and comfortable is worth its weight in gold on a road-trip-- if you fall or get hit, you don't have the body of a car to save you (I recommend Klim gear-- its spendy stuff but worth every single penny if you go down).

Oh-- and earplugs. Wind noise will permanently kill your hearing and/or give you tinnitus for the rest of your life. Wear the damn plugs!

Feel free to PM me with any questions.

R.

[overcoil]

Originally Posted by flybigjet

I've put about 12,000 miles on my GS this year alone, and have 22 states (so far) under my belt...
Feel free to PM me with any questions.
R.

flybigjet,

Great post and beautiful pictures.

Pretty much everything you mentioned I'm familiar with other than the name of the heated gear and ADVrider.com site.

New versus Used, I usually like to eliminate any chance of hidden damage (bent frame) when I buy pricey items. I checked out A few used GS/A locally and was concerned by what I saw.

Thanks for the post. I'm learning a lot.

[flybigjet]

Originally Posted by ScottSinger

flybigjet,

Great post and beautiful pictures.

Pretty much everything you mentioned I'm familiar with other than the name of the heated gear and ADVrider.com site.

New versus Used, I usually like to eliminate any chance of hidden damage (bent frame) when I buy pricey items. I checked out A few used GS/A locally and was concerned by what I saw.

Thanks for the post. I'm learning a lot.

For the Warm and Safe gear, go here: https://www.warmnsafe.com/

I'd recommend getting the liner, NOT the jacket. That way, you an adjust your layering as required. The liners (pants, booties, gloves, top) all plug in and work together-- and best of all, they have a wireless controller. It's a little box that you just velcro onto the bike (I put it on the left brake reservoir)-- one knob controls top liner and gloves, and the other knob controls pants and booties. You don't need to wear the gloves or booties if you don't want to. The top and bottom are more or less like thermal underwear-- just wear them under whatever layers you want and you're good to go. I've had mine on at 12F while riding at 75 mph-- which works out to minus 18-- and I was toasty warm the whole time.

As far as damage to the bike-- if you do a good inspection (or better yet, spend a few bucks and have a reputable bike shop do it), you shouldn't have any issues. It would be really, really tough to hide the damage from a significant drop-- too many delicate pieces to scratch/bend (and the cylinder jugs on a Boxer engine will show damage easily-- hence the crash bars or cylinder covers).

I looked for a fair while, and it was pretty obvious to me which bikes were trashed/not taken care of and which had been well-cared for. But, I've been riding for a long time and have a lot of experience wrenching on a bike. But, I wouldn't have any trouble in my mind picking up a low-mileage 2019 bike-- it would be under warranty until about 2022, and you can get an extended warranty on it as well (RPM One for example) if you want piece of mind.

Good luck either way- finding "The Bike" for you can be a journey, but it's a lot of fun!

R.

[overcoil]

Originally Posted by macadamia9

Thank you very much! For what it is worth, you could ride any motorcycle for your trip. Some will be more comfortable; some will just be adequate...

I did another long distance ride back in 2012 from San Clemente, CA to Edmond OK, to Peoria IL, to Hiawatha KS, to Beaver UT, to Las Vegas NV, and back to San Clemente. I did this trip in over three weeks stopping in each city above for anywhere from a single night (Hiawatha) to almost two weeks (Peoria). I did my first Iron Butt ride during this trip. It was the Saddle Sore 1000 (SS1000), which is over 1000 miles in less than 24 hours. I do not remember my exact time, but I do remember it was 105°F when I left Hiawatha, 38°F when I rode through Breckenridge at about 2am, and 115°F when I arrived in Beaver, Utah. That entire trip was done on a 2007 BMW 650X Challenge with no windscreen and no winter gear at all. The ride was a lot of fun. I rode on Route 66 from California to Illinois, then all freeway on the way back. It was very scenic, very fun, and very tiring. Luckily, I had a Garmin Zumo 665 GPS with the XM Radio antenna & I have a lifetime XM subscription. That made the trip much easier. I had my comms set up in my helmet so I could listen to the XM radio and make/receive calls if necessary.

The hardest thing about making a long motorcycle trip is to actually start. You can do all of the planning, packing, deciding, and choosing necessary, but until you are KSU (kick stand up), you are still waiting...

Attached are some photos from that trip. I had modified my motorcycle to have an aftermarket large auxiliary front gas tank that fed into the main tank located under the front of the seat, an aftermarket auxiliary gas tank that was mounted to the subframe under the back of the seat on the right side of the bike above the tire, and had a one gallon "emergency" fuel can attached to the back of my left pannier. I had 2 bottles of Gatorade on the back of the right pannier. The shots of me getting ready to leave were taken by my mom. I'm a firm believer in ATGATT (all the gear, all the time). And the photo of me riding with the GPS in the lower left shows the speed at the top right of the GPS screen: flat out with my fat ass and all my gear was about 80 mph with no wind. With a tailwind I could get about 85 mph. At one point after I left Edmond OK, I was riding into a thunderstorm and into a headwind. With all of the rain and wind, I could only go about 60 mph.

It was a very worthwhile trip...

What kind of motorcycle do you own now ?