Cross-Country Motorcycle Trips: The Basic Guide for Beginners

Have you always dreamed of going on a cross-country motorcycle road trip, but never made it? Thankfully, it does not have to be as expensive or as challenging as you thought. Many people are throwing their legs across their two-wheelers and heading out for epic cross-country trips, bearing testimony to the fact that it isn't as big of a challenge as you probably imagined. Check out this guide for beginners that will help you embark on a cross country road trip.

Research the destination

If this is your first time, make sure to are on the side of safety. Always research all the destinations and stoppages that will be crossing through to know everything that there is to know. How much money do you anticipate spending to complete the trip? What's the weather like at the destination? What are the road conditions that you were going to experience during the ride? Is there a particular stretch after journey that is unsafe for two-wheelers? Take your time and jot down everything that you can gather from fellow riders, as well as Internet forums. You can also approach a local motorcycle club and find out if they have any useful information to share with you. If you know somebody who has already made a cross-country trip before, make sure to meet that person and gather his or her personal insights on how to stay safe and enjoy the ride.

Going solo Vs. Going with a partner

once your destination research is complete come on the second thing that you need to worry about is whether you want to go alone, or go with a partner for stop riding solo is definitely more preferable if you do not want to be weighed down or pulled back by someone else accompanying you on the right to come about many riders prefer to Have a companion to share their experiences and also as a psychological support to overcome the challenge of riding across hundreds of kilometers – which can definitely get monotonous and challenging if you ride alone.

Handling emergencies

What is your exit plan? How do you plan to handle emergencies? It is a good idea to have at least 30% of the overall travel budget as an emergency fund to tackle out of pocket expenses that you did not anticipate while beginning the journey. Always ensure that you have a comprehensive travel insurance plan before heading out. If you ever get into the unfortunate scenario of being in an emergency, keep calm and look for solutions. The key to finding solutions to challenges is to know in your heart that there is an answer for every problem. Panicking definitely does not help.

Exploring safely

While embarking on a long-distance road trip that will take you to different human settlements, you should expect to meet people from different cultural backgrounds. The joy of going on a road trip is to explore all of those differences that make us so unique as humankind. However, it is highly recommended that you stay safe while exploring new experiences. Never veer too far away from your comfort zone and know your limitations. Always protect yourself by wearing the right motorcycle riding gears at all times. Wear a motorcycle helmet manufactured by the best motorcycle helmet brand.

Communicating with locals

Never shy away from the opportunity of interacting with the locals. However, when you do that, never give out personal information such as where you are staying for the night, or where you are heading out next. This is how travelers often get into the problem of being waylaid by nefarious criminals. While interacting with people, keep an open mind but always stay on your guard for people who might be looking for an opportunity to dupe you and make money! In some places, cultural stigmas may prevent people from opening up with strangers, which is why keep your opinions to yourself and do not get into unnecessary altercations if you do not agree with somebody's political or cultural views.

Staying in contact with home

Always keep people at home updated about your latest whereabouts. One way to do that is to use an Internet connection to make video calls and give them a clear understanding of your current position, as well as the upcoming plans you have for the next day. A good time to contact people back home is either at the beginning of the ride, or as soon as you end the right. Instead of making normal voice calls, which can be quite expensive when you are on a roaming mobile plan, look for free Wi-Fi hotspots that will let you make video calls using Internet telephony applications such as WhatsApp, Skype, Zoom or Google Duo.

Managing finances

Be very frugal with your finances. When you are at a strange destination, with strangers around you, hard cash is your only friend! Instead of spending unnecessarily on gifts or eating out at expensive restaurants, make smart frugal decisions and try to keep as much money way too as possible. Do not make the mistake of carrying a lot of cash on your body and insist on paying with debit cards, credit cards or money transfer apps. The cash that you have on you should be distributed in different places throughout your motorcycle luggage boxes and backpacks so that even if you happen to lose a portion of it, there is always a little bit left to get out of trouble.