10 Tips On How To Plan A Motorcycle Trip

There you'll find the best motorcycle roads in every state in America. We also provide links to the direct Google Maps motorcycle routes, and helpful motorcycle travel tips.
#motorcycletrip #motorcyclerides #motorcycletouring
In addition to 10 important steps for a motorcycle tour, we cover some motorcycle riding tips that will help you ride safe.

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0:00 - INTRO
0:44 - CHOOSE DESTINATION
1:20 - MILES PER DAY
1:51 - MOTORCYCLE MPG
2:27 - PACKING
3:03 - TUNE YOUR BIKE
3:37 - RIDE DURING DAY
4:03 - HOURS PER DAY
5:01 - TAKE A FRIEND
5:41 - PRESERVE PHONE LIFE
6:10 - BE ADAPTABLE

The motorcycle featured is a BMW #F800ST
1. Choose your ultimate destination. Have an ultimate set destination in mind, as well as set destinations for each night you’ll have for your trip. Some of our favorite destinations are motorcycle rides to national parks. These offer some of the best motorcycle riding America has to offer.
2. Decide how many days it will take to get there, and how many miles and hours you want to ride per day. This depends on your motorcycle and your stamina.
3. Figure your motorcycle's MPG and range on a full tank. Plan fuel stops well before your bike gets to empty. Reset the trip odometer every time you fuel up.
4. Pack your motorcycle bags selectively. Make sure you pack food, water, maps, flashlight and tire repair kit, as well as a physical map of the state you're riding in.
5. Tune your bike beforehand, and check tire pressure each morning.
6. Only ride during daylight hours. You’ll want to see the road clearly. Potholes, rocks or other debris will be much harder to see in the dark. Wildlife will also be much more prevalent at night.
7. Plan accommodations for 3-6 hours riding distance per day on Google Maps when figuring your motorcycle road trip each day.
8. Consider taking a friend. Solo rides are therapeutic, but you don't want to get stranded all alone. At the very least, tell someone about your motorcycle route itinerary.
9. Keep your phone off or on airplane mode while riding. Preserve your battery.
10. Be adaptable. There may be excessive traffic, road closures or extreme weather that could change your plans. Choose motels or Airbnb's that offer free cancellation.

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DISCLAIMER: All of our motorcycle routes, riding tips, and recommendations are based on our opinions alone and are only for entertainment purposes. We assume no liability for decisions made as a result of the information provided here. You are still completely responsible for your decisions, your actions, and your safety. Riding a motorcycle can be potentially very dangerous, and should be done with extreme caution.

[GreatMotorcycleRoads]

Join us on Patreon to unlock more features including Google maps showing where every route is located in the state, GPX files for each route, exclusive routes for each state as well as Alaska, Hawaii and Canada and exclusive videos!

[bigjim]

I am 72 yrs old, used to ride with a group and this past yr did a solo trip to BC and back, Best trip ever never had to wait for anyone, ate when I wanted and stayed in nice motels. Did 16 hours the first day (1200 kms), Going to do it again in 2024

[immortalnow]

In terms of where, exactly, I may go on a trip; I plan very little and love it that way: free to explore, have new experiences and meet great people. I say, don't plan a thing, and take all the time you want for best results. However, I pack with care; know the boundaries of my trip, how far I can safely push things; and make sure my bike is in excellent condition.

[markmath]

Been riding since 1972. Have three bikes: Valkyrie, BMW1200RT and Bonneville T100. Recommend using a GPS for route planning and the ride. Bring a pocket-sized air compressor and battery jumper. Plug a USB cable into your battery and mount phone to handlebar with RAM mount. Butler maps are great for route planning. Make sure your seat is comfortable and bike ergonomics are good.

[motogravel]

I've done one 3-day moto trip with some 8+ hour days in the saddle. What was surprising to me was that the most uncomfortable thing was not what I expected or what anyone else talked about in all my research. For me, it was the extra material in my riding pants, bunched up behind my knees. They're good pants and the proper size, but I'm going to work on them before the next long ride. A lesson for all could be to try a trip of several hours locally, all in one day, with a similar setup and see if there's anything surprisingly uncomfortable

[Lacko]

I plan about 500 miles per day. That is done usually in 8 hr with stops. At the end of the day I am not destroyed, and after a good night sleep I a ready for the next day ride. Also, if I do a week or longer road trip, I am always do a no ride day after 3 or 4 days of ride. It keep my spirit up, and let my body regenerate. The goal is to enjoy the ride, not to suffer.

[MG-xrgk]

I've done a few 9 hour days on the bike. My butt and shoulders were sore as hell, but it can be done. I agree about planning for 3-6 hours riding time when using Google Maps on the day's route. Great info!

[Burgie_productions]

Honestly, I did 15 hours, overnight, only stopping for gas on a 1200XL sportster. From Mississippi to New York, left at 9PM, arrived at 12PM(noon) next day. The key for me was multiple seating positions, wearing compression base layer/dressing in layers, earplugs in full face helmet to help wind noise/fatigue, staying hydrated with cup holders.

[coryfisher]

I did the saddle sore 1000 with a bud of mine I was on a 2009 Yamaha R6 and he was on a 2016 Harley V-rod. We completed it with 1091 miles in 20 hours 40 min.

[paineys]

I have done a few long trips and I always try and follow the same basic plan.
If not charging to get somewhere as quick as possible I do the following, leave my hotel about 8am and only have coffee, NO food, then ride about 100 miles and look for a. mommers n pop sorta place for breakfast and fuel top off, then do about another 100 miles and stop for lunch or stretch my legs, then do the final 100 miles to my destination, generally arriving around 4pm.
This gives enough time to rest and relax before doing the same the next day.
I followed this rough plan last September when I left Tampa and rode to Niagara Falls and then on to Maine before returning home via Dollywood, 4500 miles in 14 days (no interstate except the one long run between Boston and Washington DC, 500+ mile day)

The most I have done in one day is 800 miles in 13 hours, annoyed I didn't push on and do the 1000 for my iron butt bragging rights lol. But not a fun day, just blast, fuel up n ride sorta day, oh and Im no youngster, I was 68 when I did this...

[eliodimacali]

I like to fuel up before checking in to my hotel or campground. The next morning, I prefer to start my ride early and have anywhere between 100 to 200 miles before having breakfast. Something to be said about watching the sun rising, as you start your day of riding. Cheers!

[rickcarnagey]

Did a bunch of 14 hour days traveling between St Louis and Raleigh NC (930 miles). Only got off the bike for bathroom and food breaks so it was hard core riding. Did 17 hours on the same route doing allot of back roads and longer stops 1 time. I didn't enjoy the 14 hour hard core rides, I was conserving vacation days making the trip in one day. The 17 hour ride was actually more enjoyable with the more frequent stops and back roads. I'm retiring in a year and a half and intend to ride mainly back roads and stop whenever I want. I don't mind the long hours in the saddle, but I do swap out an airhawk seat cushion every time I stop. I ride till I need gas with it, toss it in the top case and ride without it then grab it again at the next stop. It really helps on your butt not getting fatigued changing out the surface your sitting on every couple hundred miles.

[del.]

Back when I lived in Texas, I did 840 in a day. We were beat to hell after that, I'm not as hell bent now that I'm older. I still do 5hr rides every Saturday and Sunday here in New England. Great tips very much appreciated. Great video.
Ride Safe

[motorcyclemike]

Accomplished 1, 500 miles in 36 hrs last weekend, 1st leg was 1, 100 in approximately 18 hrs. Finished the final 668 miles to get back home the following morning.

[MrJo]

One thing I would add, if you are riding with other people make sure they are like minded as far as skill, stamina and interests.
Some people wanna focus more on riding while others may want to stop off at different points of interest. Both are fine however if you are riding with more people and everybody has different opinions ask to what they do or don't wanna do that can really make things spur.

[hwy]

Doing my first long ride in April, 332 miles one way to a motorcycle campground near the N.C./Tennessee border. Staying 3 days for some mountain riding, then back home in a one day ride.

I ride a Triumph Street Scrambler 900, have my route selection on my GPS set to the “avoid freeways” setting. Total travel time says 4 hours and 34 minutes, very doable with rest breaks.

So far on my packing list:

- Spare gas cans (I bought small ones, gets me an extra gallon of fuel, which equates to 60 miles on my Triumph)
- Portable air compressor
- Rain Suit
- First aid kit
- Flashlight
- Travel tool kit
- water, power bars, etc.
- Spare motorcycle key

I also joined the AMA, which includes roadside assistance.

Thanks for the video, you do a great job with these.

[nicholaskennedy]

43yr rider here. This a great channel!
Pack light, If you need something you can buy it. Not too much stuff. Change gear early for temp swings.

[Maxim-EvanChouinard]

Solo ride on My FJR1300 6am to 2-3pm. Light breakfast, hydrate at every fill up, ice cream bar mid day. Late lunch mid afternoon once done for the day or early dinner at 5-6pm. Relax and sleep 8 hours! 800-1200 kilometers possible. I just don't do 3 sit down meals, takes too long and it's too much to process. Save a lot of time that way. The key is Kick stand up at 6am!!

[kathywilkinson]

I rode 450 miles on my naked Honda CB 750 Nighthawk with stock seat from Mississippi Gulf Coast to Camden, Tennessee, last year. It was a lonnnngggg day.

[letitrest]

I have a 2013 FJR1300a. Bought it in 2013 with less than 2900 miles on it. Now it has over 76, 000 miles on it. I'm 63 years old, and have taken several one to two day trips, and three multi-day trips on my FJR.
Since this is my 11th motorcycle, and I've been riding for what will be 46 years in August, I can reasonably say that for sport touring / traveling I think the FJR is hard to beat. There are more comfortable motorcycles to travel on, and of course with that I have to acknowledge the Goldwing, and v-twins from Harley and Indian, and maybe also a Star, or Kawasaki Vulcan, but I've covered 952 miles in a day and have routinely covered over 700 miles a day on the FJR. When it comes to covering distances that include twisting roads and high speed interstateineffable or Montana two lane highways at well over 70 mph, comfortably, and with competent handling, braking, and cornering, you can't beat the FJR.
With this machine you won't have a want for sheer mid-range power that let's you roll the throttle on in fifth gear on a tight mountain curve and just accelerate. There's also a top end that'll easily put you behind bars, if that's your thing. This FJR of mine has covered 80 miles of Wyoming black top in 45 minutes, to get to stopping place to camp, before dark.
I've also loaded it with 20 days worth of living on the road, and that was before I learned about doing it frugally. So extra, extra clothing, a four man tent for comfort, laptop, camera equipment, etc. Two large roll top bags, a 50 liter GIVI top box, a tank The FJR handled the weight, which includes 220 pound 6'1" me and provisions, and went down the road just like it was built for that, and it was.
Yamaha designed and built a great machine here, in the tradition of the famous sport tourer the FJ1200, which I owned two of.
I just can't give enough credit to Yamaha.
If you young folks that are out there tooling around on your naked bikes, or sport bikes, are starting to think of what's the best way to see the United States by a two wheeled machine, forget those lumber wagon V-twins and 900 pound Goldwings. Do yourself a favor and equip your helmet for sound, tune in to some good tunes, and take an FJR for a 1500 mile jaunt for a couple of days. If you don't come back and slap the dog stuff out of the Harley dealer that wanted $30, 000 of your money for a chromed up vibrator, it'll surprise me.