Most of my adult life has been spent traveling, or at least dreaming of travel. Over the years I’ve navigated nuclear submarines, captained business jets, circumnavigated the eastern half of the U.S. in my little Nordic Tug, and traveled throughout most of the country on fly/drive business trips. I love it! The most exciting and interesting part of any travel for me is the pre-flight phase.

            I took delivery of my 2005 R1200RT in April of 2006, and immediately recognized it for what it is:  a near perfect cross-country traveling machine, albeit grounded. It’s my second bike, the first having been a 1999 R1100RT which lacked some features I felt were essential for long term comfort in all kinds of weather. With the new bike and some time on my hands, I decided to travel the country. My wife would have no part of it, but was supportive and encouraged me to pursue the dream while still in relatively good health and young 69! Here I am the day before departure on my 77-day adventure.

            The summer of 2006 was the warm up. I went to the rally in Burlington and parlayed that trip into a 27-state Iron Butt National Parks submission. I was hooked. The only state that I had never visited in my prior travels was Alaska, so I declared that as my goal for the summer of 2007. Since this is all about motorcycling, I declared a further goal of visiting the 49 continental states. My National Parks Passport would serve as a convenient record of my progress. Feeling rather selfish, I had a flash. Perhaps my wife would join me for the Alaska part of the ride. After all, she wanted to see Alaska, too, and since we had done a three-week bike tour of New Zealand in February, I was hoping she would accept the invitation if it was only Alaska that she would have to ride. She did, and we had a deal. Marty would fly round trip, Seattle, then via motorcycle to Bellingham, Washington, where we would do a round trip on the ferry to/from Alaska.

            I’ll break the story down into several segments: long range planning and information gathering, bike preparation, detailed planning, people preparation, logistics and contingency planning, and finally, the actual travel.

Long Range Planning and Information Gathering

I believe to this day that the longest pole in the tent is the obtaining of critical reservations. In this case, that included Alaska Marine Highway passage (phone 1-800-642-0066, or http://www.FerryAlaska.com) and hotel space for each night in Alaska. The actual dates of available sailings were the first decision point. From that point, the itinerary within Alaska could be woven. But, we didn’t have a clue about available resources in Alaska. For that the essential reference is “The Milepost,” published annually, and available directly from the publisher, Morris Communications Company, phone 1-817-737-6397, or http://www.themilepost.com. The information is not all inclusive, but appears to be driven by its advertisers. Nevertheless, it is an excellent reference.

            Other sources of information are the usual travel guides, National Geographic, and whatever you can find on the web. We found the planning magazines to be too bulky and heavy to carry on the bike, so we relied upon the work we did before leaving home, supplemented by tips from other travelers in Alaska.

            Just a quick note on the accommodations available on the ferry:  The earlier you book your reservations, the more choices you have. You may choose from no stateroom all the way up to a six-person stateroom. The number of people in your party does not necessarily correspond to the size of the room. We were just 2, but the only stateroom we could reserve in April for our passage in July was a six-person room. What overkill!

Bike Preparation

Timing of scheduled service and replacement of tires along the way are important. Although BMW dealers are very accommodating, it still pays to try to anticipate when and where you will require service. In my case, I had my major service (6K plus annual) done about two weeks before departure. This gave me some cushion for unanticipated work and obtaining necessary parts. I had forecast tire replacement at the next service, scheduled three months in advance, in Tigart, Oregon. The tires didn’t make it that far, so I had to request unscheduled replacement from the dealer in Las Vegas. They were overloaded with tire replacements the day I showed up, and the wait was not pleasant.

            The installation of special equipment (farkles) is something which really needs to be addressed early. Everything added needs to be thoroughly tested before departure. Also, it’s quite possible that something you order may be defective and require replacement. Complex new equipment should also be thoroughly understood, i.e. GPS programming and keystrokes.

My Farkle List

I ride with a 49-liter Top Case with BMW Luggage Insert. This combination works really well. We were able to pack both of our wardrobes into the luggage. For hotel stays, the large luggage insert and a small cosmetic bag were all that had to be carried in for the night. With the Top Case empty we could secure two full-face helmets, or one helmet plus one person’s outerwear. Because the luggage has its own shape and stands higher than the lower lip of the Top Case, it actually holds more than the naked Top Case.

            I also use a BMW R1200RT Tank Bag. Initially I did not think I would like the OEM bag. However, as the trip progressed I came to like it very much. Into it went spare gloves and glasses, and all manner of trivia that might be required on short notice, such as: sun block, insect repellant, clip-on sunglasses, memo book and pen, the all important National Parks Passport, glass cleaner, camera, and Autocom.

            My Garmin GPS 376C and XM Antenna require the external antenna to receive and process the XM entertainment channels and the weather data. It is a fantastic package! The GPS display unit can display NEXRAD near-real-time weather radar coverage for the whole country overlaid on the moving map display in whatever map scale you choose. Here is one such display which helped me decide whether to run or hide. I hid!

            I use a ZTechnik Windshield more for its impact resistance than for any changes in airflow. It’s a Lexan versus acrylic trade-off. My Wunderlich Oil Cooler Grill is there for impact resistance, as is the Cee Bailey Headlight Guard. For lighting, I use Hyper-Lite Brake Lights and Motolight Caliper Mounted Running Lights. The SmartTire Tire Pressure Monitoring System is the greatest peace of mind equipment. With it I feel no guilt for not gauging my tire pressures before starting out each day. It does it for me, and it does it throughout the ride. It also monitors tire temperature, and will alarm if either get out of spec.

            Finally, I use a fused 12VDC from the battery for heated clothing, an after-market saddle. My OEM farkles include heated grips, cruise control and an ESA computer/shock system.

Detailed Planning

This category is a bit of an oxymoron. Because each day has to be taken one day at a time, there is no way to detail in advance. What is most useful, however, is to use the Garmin GPS software on my home computer in conjunction with Google Earth to give insight into what’s ahead. It is almost as much fun as being on the trip. In Google Earth, one can rotate the view to see the land’s texture, almost in 3D. It is then easy to see where the twisties are located. By switching between programs you can then create waypoints to establish your chosen route, saving the route to your bike mounted GPS, and later, navigate that exact route. It is a fantastic convenience!

            The GPS is also useful while on the ride to search the database for whatever ahead that you might be interested in finding, i.e., a motel for the night (the phone number is listed so you call from your bike to obtain a reservation), or a fuel stop. This is a helpful feature, but it isn’t perfect. The road may peter out and become an unusable dirt road, the gas station may have closed, or the thing you’re searching for may not be physically where it is plotted on the GPS. Even using the most updated database does not assure accuracy, so always leave another option.

People Preparation

It goes without saying that you need to be in the very best physical condition you can be before undertaking a long, solo trip. Training at a motel that has an exercise room at the end of a day’s ride may be do-able, but, for me, it was all I could do to drag my butt to the shower. In the mornings I found stretching exercises to be beneficial.

            For clothing, I had to consider that I would be riding in possibly every kind of weather, and that I had to share the bike space with my wife. So I looked for the lightest weight and most flexible outfits. What I settled on proved to be quite adequate. The outer protective layer, or skid suit, was First Gear’s mesh jacket and pants. Under these were either Wickers under shorts or bicycling shorts. The shirts were always either long or short sleeve Dri-Weave synthetics. Most comfortable were the North Face Titanium line. They are light weight and quick drying. For the really hot, dry days I wore a water-soaked evaporative vest over the shirt and under the skid suit. This does not work well in humid conditions.

            Because I’m cold blooded I had to start almost every morning with additional clothing. First to be added and last to be removed were the sleeves I had from my bicycling days. They are stretch pull-ons and really keep the wind from my arms. Next was either a polar fleece or the Gerbing heated jacket. Then, if I needed to trap the heat and slow the wind chill, I’d add a Gore-Tex rain liner, sometimes inside but usually outside the skid suit, top and bottom. All this worked fine down to the lowest temperatures I experienced, which were the low 30s.

            With all the Gore-Tex lined equipment out there, it must be good. Hear me out. On another ling trip I once tried to wear the stuff as designed. It might have worked great for a one day ride from home. Traveling motel to motel, the skid suit would not dry overnight and the next days’ rides were very uncomfortable. My solution was, and still is, to wear the Gore-Tex liner on the outside. That way the skid suit stays (nearly) dry, and the liner dries easily overnight.

Logistics and Contingency Planning

I’ve adopted a lifestyle which supports long absences from home. All of my recurring monthly bills are paid automatically by the bank, which also receives my retirement checks for direct deposit. Most road expenses are charged to one VISA account which also automatically debits my bank account. Unscheduled payments can be completed via the Web, eliminating the need to carry envelopes and stamps.

            My health insurance is valid anywhere in the U.S., and to cover a catastrophic accident I opted to purchase MedjetAssist, which is available on the BMW MOA Web site. This will transport both me and the bike back home provided I have to be moved from one hospital to another hospital. It’s a start, but not all encompassing. For example, it will not cover an air-evac from the accident site to the hospital.

            Having a cell phone is pretty standard these days, but there are many areas that do not have coverage. I considered, and rejected based on cost and probability of need, both a satellite phone and a personal locator beacon. I won that bet this time, but if I decide to do much more solo traveling to remote areas I think I’ll at least buy a beacon.

Travel

Going to Canada? Don’t forget your passport! Use a digital camera, and take lots of pictures. I traveled motel to motel. After each day’s ride, I top off the fuel tank and clean off the windshield. This way I spared the motel’s washcloth some of the bugs because I used it only for final cleaning.

            What a great adventure! The motorcycle adds a little random variable which spices up the trip. It would not have been half the fun in a cage.

            To complete the western half of my 49-state sojourn I took a southern route to California, then went north to Washington to meet my wife in Seattle. Upon return to Seattle from Alaska I took a more northerly route back home to visit the states I still needed, including a visit to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

            Highlights of the trip included a three-night stay at the North Face Lodge in Denali National Park, a dog sled ride atop a glacier. Sightings of Mt. McKinley (Denali) and a host of wild creatures and flowers, not to mention two, three-day cruises through the beautiful waters of southeast Alaska.

            When I add this trip’s totals to last summer’s trip of 8,900 miles, 23 states and 2 Canadian Provinces I think I’ve earned the right to paraphrase Johnny Cash by saying “I’ve been everywhere…by motorcycle.”

By the Numbers

77 days

15,892 miles

327 gallons of premium fuel at a cost of $1,072.

48.6 mpg average

80 National Park stamp cancellations in 26 states and 3 Canadian Provinces