Epic Adventure Post Mortem
So here is the long awaited post mortem of my epic 16 day adventure from Toronto to California and back. Lets start off with the cost since it was the most asked question throughout my trip.
Cost
Gas- $630
Food- $300
Lodging- $550
Tires- $550
Oil Change-$50
Speeding Tickets- $375
Total: $2455
I estimated the cost of my trip would be around $1500-2000 so my estimate was pretty close. Would have been right on if it werent for the tickets. It wasn't really my choice to spend the $550 on the tires but I happened to get a flat in Salt Lake City and I underestimated how much mileage my tires could take. The Michelin Power Pures were down to the wear bars at 7000kms. I thought they would last at least 10 000kms since thats how much my Pirelli Diablo Corsa 3's lasted. But the extreme heat/cold may have played a factor in how fast my tires wore out. I also spent a lot of time going straight so the middle of the tire wore out a lot faster.
Gas is a lot cheaper in the states and it does make a difference in the long haul. Whenever I filled up my gas tank in the states, the total was more often than not $10. When I crossed the border and filled in Canada, it was $15. That's approximately 33% cheaper. I filled with 87 octane gas as that is all my bike needs but there were points I was forced to fill with 85 octane in the midwest as a result of the lack of gas stations. I even filled in an unmanned gas station in the middle of no where in Colorado where there was a sign that the next gas station was 80 miles later. I had no choice, but the bike ran fine.
Food was mostly fast food. By the end of the trip, I hated Mcdonals, Burger King, Arbys, etc. Every now and then I treated myself to a nice dinner at a sit down restaurant. It was lonely at times during dinner as there was no one to really talk to, and you were sitting at a table by yourself. Sometimes it was pretty awkward too...Case 1: Walking into a bar & grille in South Dakota to have the whole crowd of Cowboys at the bar turn around and stare at you. Looks like theyve never seen an Asian man before. Well, to be fair, they probably havent, it was cowboy country.
In terms of lodging, I mostly stayed at Motels. I camped out once in Monument Valley and that was an amazing experience. It was my first time camping, moreover, my first time setting up a tent. It was pretty much the middle of the desert, no facilities so I didnt get a chance to shower or brush my teeth. After a long day of riding, I'd want a nice shower and a comfy bed to sleep in. Thinking back, I'd still do the same thing and camp out, but after this point, I realized that camping wasnt for me. It could have saved a lot of money though.
Length of Trip
In the short time that I was able to travel, I visited most of the places I wanted to visit. The only place that I wasnt able to go was Pikes Peak since the gates closed 30 mins before I got there. The mountain wasnt open all the way up anyways so I dont think I missed much.
If I could, I would have spent more time out West. Once I got there, I never wanted to leave but I had to face reality that I had a life to live back in Toronto. I had a job to start and I desperately needed money so the length of my trip was set in stone.
If I had more time, I would have explored all the cool places I passed by but I have my whole life to go back and revisit my adventure. There were times I wanted to stick around and look around but I had to keep track of the time. As a result of being pressed on time, I picked up the speeds in rural areas and for the most part, there werent any cops on the sideroads. But I got unlucky and bumped into Wisconsin's finest going 24mph over the speed limit. I took a chance, and paid the price.
Electronics
iPod- Kept me entertained throughout the long boring stretches of road.
iPhone- good for wireless internet as there are hotspots everywhere. Didnt use data as the roaming charges are crazy.
Laptop- If I had more money I would have bought a netbook since the laptop took up a lot of luggage space
SPOT- was really fun to have GTAMotorcycle and ADVRiders follow along on my trip. I got some really good advise from forum members on nearby attractions and weather updates. I even received assistance from an advrider who thought I was stranded from the snowstorm that hit Colorado/Wyoming. It turned out that another Toronto rider posted a rescue thread in Wyoming who happened to be in the exact same town I was in.
GoPro- was great for capturing videos of scenic twisty roads. It was too bad that the mount on my bike was a bit shakey but still captured footage okay. I had a 32GB card and an extra battery which allowed for about 3 hours of footage before the battery died.
Canon DSLR- I'm very glad I bought this camera. I was advised by a friend to get one because I'd regret not taking pictures with a good camera when I decide to look back on my trip. I bought it used for $370 which included the body, lens, extra batteries, charger and bag, not too bad if you ask me. I kept it in my backpack if I was slabbing it and around my neck through scenic destinations. I ended up taking a lot of moving pictures as I didnt have much time to stop and a lot of them turned out very well. Unfortunately, when I wiped out in Arizona, it got covered in dirt. There still is sand in the lens barrel but it still works okay.
Gear
-I probably would have left the tent at home knowing that camping isnt for me. It took up a lot of space and it was uncomfortable to have the tent taking up half my seat.
-Saddlebags increased storage space and drybags kept clothes/electronics dry.
-Wearing a backpack was OK. Ideally I wouldnt have worn one but I needed the storage space.
-Bungee cords hold bags very well but they scratch the fairings .Since it was my spare fairings, I didnt really care too much. Rachet tie downs dont hold luggage down very well.
-Rain jacket is a must for rain+cold. I was able to ride in freezing temperatures+windchill with my rain jacket as it blocked out the wind.
-Textile jacket+Textile pants were good, saved my skin a couple of times throughout the trip. It felt really sticky in the desert heat though. Wasnt very fun but I'm sure road rash isnt fun either.
-Scarfs are highly recommended for cold weather
-Waterproof socks highly recommended as well. Wringing out socks and putting wet socks back on really suck, especially if its cold.
-Heated gloves are a must if traveling through cold weather. With a sportbike, there's no protection from the wind and will be the leading factor in stopping you in cold weather.
-4 T shirts, underwear, socks. 1 Pair of jeans, 1 Pair of shorts, 1 Hoody was good enough for my trip. Clothes take up a lot of space so I was limited to the amount of clothes I was able to take. I kept 1 clean shirt, underwear, socks for sleep and cycled through the rest of the clothes while riding.
Tools/Equipment
-tire repair kit was used during my trip and can be a lifesaver
-carried basic tools
-electric air compressor would have worked well if I didnt melt it on my exhaust after my crash. Luckily the advrider's house I was staying at had an air compressor that I used after I got a flat.
-Duct tape and Zipties are a must
-Disc lock=Good peace of mind. But sometimes the alarm went off when there was frost
-Jerry can: I never needed to use it but almost did in the California Desert. I ended up drafting behind a truck for 40 miles before I got to a gas station and I just made it in time. It didnt affect balance as you'd think and I had enough clearance to scrape my peg (yes it happened). It served as a good frame slider but in hindsight, it was probably pretty dangerous. I dont think I'd carry one again, I'd rather be a little bit more diligent on my gas stops.
Highlights
Fun Factor:
1) California
2) Arizona
3) Colorado
4) South Dakota
Scenery:
1) Colorado
2) Utah
3) California
4) Arizona
5) South Dakota
Police Presence:
1) California
2) Michigan
3) Nebraska
4) Colorado
5) Nevada
Tips
-Dont speed on Michigan/Nebraska highways. Cops are EVERYWHERE
-In Wyoming, cops will fly down the highway and sneak up on speeders. Its too late when you see them coming up behind
-Use lots of bungee cords to hold luggage. Bring extra!
-Keep mentally alert.
-Know when to call it quits whether it is weather related, fatigue, etc
-Ask locals for good places to eat. Sometimes they'll point you to a gem
-Couch surfing can save a lot of money and the best part is meeting new people
-If you're in California, know where the photographers are. Who knows, someone might capture a picture you'll be able to keep for a lifetime.
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