What Does it ACTUALLY Cost to Do a Backcountry Discovery Route? Full Washington BDR Trip Breakdown

How much do you actually have to spend to have an epic week-long trip riding adventure motorcycles and motorcycle camping on a Backcountry Discovery Route? In this video, I break down the actual costs of my recent Washington BDR trip, including fuel costs, food and drink costs, and all camping fees. I think you'll be surprised to find out just how cheaply you can get out and have an epic Backcountry Discovery Routes trip on an amazing route the the WABDR.

All told, the actual BDR trip costs for my Washington Backcountry Discovery Route expedition were as follows:
Total WABDR Fuel Cost: $199.85
Total WABDR Food and Drink Cost: $230.32
Total WABDR Camping Fees: $59
Total other Washington Back Country Discovery Route expenses: $35
Total Backcountry Discovery Route Costs: $513.17

Luggage I used on this trip:

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:25 My Washington BDR Trip
00:52 The True Cost of an Adventure Motorcycle Trip
02:00 BDR Trip Fuel Cost
02:43 BDR Food and Drink Cost
03:54 BDR Trip Camping Fees
04:27 Washington Discover Pass Cost
04:46 Total Backcountry Discovery Route Trip Cost
04:58 Other Costs of Adventure Motorcycling
05:21 BDR Trip Luggage Costs
06:37 Motorcycle Adventure Travel is Cheaper Than Other Trips
07:06 Support the Backcountry Discovery Routes Organization
07:39 Get Out on a BDR Trip of Your Own
08:07 Outro

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[michiganmoto]

Make sure you include an emergency budget for unexpected happenings. Mechanical issues requiring repair shop work, inclement weather conditions that may force you to seek unplanned hotel/motel accommodations, etc. This is money you will not spend but is a good idea to have in reserve.

[duanesmith]

I get to leave in a week for 30 days on a motorcycle . My GSA is packed. I'm heading west that's as far as i've Planned. I've been doing this now since nineteen seventy four. I drove my seventy three norton eight fifty commando from my basin texas all the way home to my mother's house in minnesota. I've been traveling around the country like that absolutely love it the freedom is incredible

[tylersandell]

Nice video! My daughter and I also did the WBDR from North to South in late July this year. It was priceless and once you're on the road, it's so inexpensive that I never even considered adding up the costs. (Prepping for it is another story and I was too chicken to add up those costs.. ;-) ) We camped every night for free and, other than one breakfast, one lunch and one dinner @ gas stop towns, we cooked all of our meals. I highly recommend this trip as a vehicle to bond with your son or daughter. I'll cherish the memory forever.

[JCrozier]

I usually do an after ride cost analysis like this. My 6, 000 mile loop from Indiana to Washington down to California and home was 2100 and that was with 10 hotels and four nights of staying with friends really not bad considering that being two weeks worth of time.
I think you did excellent cost-wise.

[Michael_Shay]

I just got my first bike this year. 2020 CRF250L Rally and I was so excited when I realized that all I would need to get to go motocamping is luggage. I've been into backpacking for the past few years and I already have full camping kit. Super excited to get out there next season or later this season if possible. Thanks for making videos being transparent about finances, I come from a lower income background and traveling always seemed like something I wouldn't be able to do. I know better now though :)

[toddgardner]

When I do motorcycle trips, I don’t include food as an expense… you have to eat somewhere anyway so that never gets included in my expense sheet… and I’d drink way more beer sitting at home anyway so there is a cost savings…
Here being excellent to each other…

[builtonabudget]

Me and my buddies are buying mini bikes ( kp mini 150's) and we are gunna do a ton moto camping and there 5 of us :) cheap fun and adventures 😀 here in Missouri

[Crittermoto]

Awesomeness!
Motorcycle travel is the only way to go!
My 21 day tour of Oregon and Washington, not a BDR, cost me just under $2000 including my hotel stays (almost half the cost) due to it being the wettest June-uary in history.
That doesn’t include my luggage or camp gear, that was ferry, fuel, food, camping.

[floydgoodrich]

Please talk more about the bikes on the trip, how they performed.

[rogerclark]

When you look at food cost remember to compare to what it would cost you to eat at home for the duration of the trip. Unless you eat every meal in restaurants there isn't a big difference. Cooking takes time but I see it as part of the overall experience.

[hmventures]

I did the trip solo. I only stayed at a "hotel" one night for $60, spent a little over $200 on gas, and ate a lot of snacks and freeze dried meals so restaurant bills were under$100. I'd roughly guess I spent around $350.

[fortheloveofknobs]

It's so rad that you enjoyed your time on the WABDR, the OG BDR! That's how we got hooked on BDR too! Just wait until you do other ones cause each has their own character that is so different from the others!

[TBayer]

It's important to also think about costs that seem general but are specifically due to off road travel. My Inreach plan is one. It's something I would not have if I stayed on pavement all day, so I tend to account for the monthly cost in trips. Another is a "fund" for unexpected repairs. I had to detour to a dealership to repair a fork leg on a BDR trip after a tip over in some rocks. To the tune of ~$300.

And once you start talking about really long trips (TAT, TCAT), things like tires, oil changes, general maintenance, heck even your phone bill start to mean something.

[guyonwheels]

Everything you said was spot on. I spend significantly less on a weeklong motorcycling trip than any other. Five days and four nights on the NEBDR cost me $72 for gas, $115 for campsites, $100 for freeze dried meals (my preferred way of traveling light), and $60 for drinks and cigars around the campfire. Compared that to the $20K spent taking the wife and grand kids on holiday to the Mediterranean. Which by the way is a Husky 701 with upgrades.

[JackLowry]

I rode the CO BDR with some buddies in Sep 2020. Expenses were similar to this. We had one motel in the middle of the ride so we could get showered and a yurt at the end so maybe and additional $20 - 30 each.
This year I plan on the NM, AZ, OR, WA and ID BDRs so see you out there.

[BigDaveTALKS]

Good Info. I am about to set off on the NMBDR and I will probably have to do some rerouting if the rain gets bad. I have saved a little over twice what you spent but it will be a total of around 3K miles + - when i'm done and I will probably have to get a hotel if the rain gets too bad and also on the ride home. It will be a 14 hr trip back home and you can always add 2 hrs for rest stops and gas, minimum. Whoo boy I am excited. My first BDR trip and solo at that. A couple friends and I went earlier this year but it didn't pan out as well as we thought it would. Time for round 2

[gmarides]

Dude. I have not done a Bdr yet but looking forward to doing so with my son. I did a 7500 mile trip cross country and man bdr is a lot less expensive and seems like more fun

[coney]

I live in NC and was thinking about doing the TAT end-to-end. I was really surprised when I was trying to add up the cost of the trip 😲. And reading what other people spent. Of course there are so many variables, like whether you use hotels, pay camp, free camp, etc.. It's right around $3000.00 to $4000.00. In that expense is shipping the motorcycle back at about $1400.00. Had to put off that trip😂.

[scottbroyles]

Luggage is only part of the cost when it comes to Adventure Camping Gear, I have spent a year gathering up all of the nits and nacks to go bike camping, tent, bag, cooking stuff, ...etc.. it adds up to another pretty good chunk of change.. and yes, can vary greatly depending on what you buy (I only bought stuff when it was on sale) but I'm likely still $1400-$2000 inside the luggage.. and it's stuff I will only likely use while bike camping..

But like the luggage, it's spread over time and divided each trip. So it gets cheaper with each trip you go on, right? RIGHT?!