Sgt Bilco`s USA Adventure Summer 2010
I will be bringing my 1100 back from the US in the summer of 2010 and will be travelling cross country from San Francisco across to Baltimore for shipping home.
So, my thoughts are to organise a proper tour with a bunch of you tossers. I’m more than happy to arrange shipping/insurance etc and put the trip together if there is enough interest. I`ll also act as a tour guide and lead the tour. It could well be the opportunity you`ve been waiting for to take that trip of a lifetime in the US
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My initial thoughts for the trip would be for a duration of 4 weeks and the following basic itinery:
San Francisco CA to Yosemite National Park
Yosemite to Las Vegas NV via Sequoia National Park and Death Valley.
Las Vegas to Monument Valley via Zion and Bryce Canyon’s, Northern Rim of the Grand Canyon. I have friends who are Navajo Indian so will arrange proper local guides for this area.
Monument Valley to Albuquerque NM via Canyon de Chelley.
Albuquerque NM to Denver CO up through the Rockies and some very high mountain passes.
Denver CO across the central plains to Tulsa OK.
Tulsa OK to Memphis TN via the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas
Memphis TN to Nashville TN via the Jack Daniels Distillery.
Nashville to Knoxville TN and Deals Gap which is one of the most famous roads in the US (318 curves in 11 miles).
Knoxville to the East Coast via the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Smokie Mountains.
Dip your toe in the Atlantic at the outer banks and up the East coast to Baltimore.
This route takes in all the famous landmarks and the big “must see” canyons, roads, passes and mountain ranges. This route is all road but can organise some light trails if anyone wants to.
I’ll design it so anyone on any bike will get a lot out of it. It will suit experienced and beginners alike but you must have a sense of humour and be able to do basic repairs to you bike as there will be no back up truck.
I have ridden most if not all of these roads and done many miles in the US. It’s neither a difficult or scary place to ride and is a lot cheaper than Europe by and large.
Accommodation will be motels unless anyone really feels the need to sleep under the stars. Bear in mind I’m looking to do this in the summer and it gets very hot and won’t probably dip much below 85 degrees anywhere and will get to 110 degrees plus in Death Valley and Las Vegas. No fun in a Tesco tent.
The big costs will be the Shipping and I would suggest the bikes are flown out and shipped back which will be the cheaper option but I will investigate all options. Dedicated US insurance is essential and I’m estimating this to be around £1500 all in. Other costs will be motels, fuel, food and cold beer. My estimate for the whole thing will be around £3000 minimum so it’s not cheap but it could be the trip of a lifetime and gives you plenty of time to organise a pass out from SHMBO and to fill the piggybank.
Total mileage will be around 5500 mile but it won’t be an Iron Butt rally and the longest days would be in the region of 400 miles with a few rest days. All bikes will be made welcome but would like to keep it to a maximum of 8 bikes.
Please let me know if anyone has any interest and I’ll start planning proper.