| Author | Message | ||
     Sub65chris |
Here is the circumstances. 1 im in ridgecrest ca and need to get to jacksonville nc . 2600 miles total . Do i take the airline ticket and ship the bike or ride it and risk not making it in 6 days . thats 430 miles a day , totaly reasonable.(they might give me 8 days , so 325 a day) but then factor in gas at 40 miles a gallon , thats 195 dollars for gas . then hotels figure 80 - 100 dollars a night for 5 nights, 500 dollars ( on the high side) . so far about 700 dolars for gas and lodging . my next question is do any of you know a good company to ship the motorcycle with . Wow I want to ride but i need to check in on time and not be stranded due to weather. Im thinking that it would be a good oportunity to really rife for a few days but , by the time all is said and done i need to have a shipping plan ready in case my request gets denied. help , you all have a huge amount of information that will help and I would love tohear what you think later | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I would ride through colorado and ship from there. There is not much to see from Colorado until you get to the Appalachians. You have to cross the "Great American Wasteland" between here and there. Go half and half. Other option is to ship early. That way you have 7 days to ride in NC. There is at least one route you will want to take there. www.dealsgap.com/ www.cherohala.com/ | ||
| Daves |
Ride! For a backup shipping plan I have used Daily Direct for bike shipments before and had pretty good luck with them. It will be cheaper and more fun to ride than to pay shipping and a plane ticket. | ||
| Whodom |
Don't know about the rest of the country, but gas is much less than $3/gal in the southeast, so hopefully your gas won't cost you quite that much (at least once you get east of the Mississippi). I paid $2.19/gal for premium in middle SC last weekend. It's even cheaper in NC from what I've heard. | ||
| Nd_xb |
Get some rain gear and a tire repair kit, grab 2 Qts of oil, gather up twice as much money as you think you would spend, then look up a local masseuse about every 500 miles and RIDE!! (Message edited by nd_xb on October 19, 2006) | ||
| Nutsnbolt |
No dude, it won't be cheaper. Let TMO move your bike and get it when you get out here. I'm at Lejeune. For one, I took the haul out here in the summer. Usually more favorable conditions and it was a wild unexpected weather experience. You're from Dakota, so you're used to snow and what not, but Colorado is gettin hit pretty well. So is Nebraska and Iowa as far as cold and wet and not the best motorcycle weather. If you take the southern route, even the south is pretty unpredictable. Plus, you can have your TMO done direct instead of storage and you can stop home, take some time there, get here, check in, and be ready to get your gear. I have done this both ways, Ride it or TMO it. So far, the TMO thing is 1000 times better. You don't pay for a dime. I mean, the Marines are payin your way out here either way, right? Sit back on a plane, chill out, watch a movie, get to Jacksonville and hate life. No, kidding. Look, stress wise it's much easier to TMO. I had them crate my bikes and they did it. The guys who pack out of Pendleton are good, they are gonna tell you that they won't but just demand it and they will. They have to if you request it. It's your stuff. When you get out here, look me up, we'll go ridin Mark | ||
| Jlnance |
Ride.  You won't get many opportunities in your life to do this. | ||
| Ulywife |
Chris - when you get to NC (or now for that matter!) check out Carolina Corner Carvers. Love to have another Bueller in the area. Safe travels which ever way you decide to go! If you decide to ride, print down the RAN here on BadWeb. Better to have and not need than the other way around!  (Message edited by Ulywife on October 19, 2006) | ||
| Bcordb3 |
weather or whether or not you ride. Take a long look a the extended weather forecast. Whether the weather is on your side will determine whether you ride or not. Keep the site posted on your decision. | ||
| Irideabuell |
I just did 2500 miles in 6 days and didn't ride at all one of those days and only rode ~150 miles another day. Ride!! Any time in the saddle is an adventure. I did 900 miles the first day and felt great when I arrived at my destination in northern Virginia from Orlando, Florida. | ||
| Chris_in_tn |
This time of year, you may run into some pretty harsh weather. However, if you come across I-40, it stays well south and mostly tolerable. Like said in another post, this is an opportunity you may not get again for a long time. Trips like this is what many of us dream to do but due to work, family, bills, just is not possible. It will be easier, cheaper, more comfortable to ship and fly. But, it will be an adventure you will not soon forget. If you had to ship during mid trip for some reason you should be able to stop at any Harley dealer. Harley has a shipping service now for their bikes and any other make. Good luck and Semper Fi!!! P.S. If you pass through Nashville, I live just off I-40. I have an extra room and garage for your bike you could stay and save one nights hotel. Good luck. | ||
| M2nc |
I think I have a solution. Since I am in the area, I'll fly out to Cali and ride the bike back for you. That way if i get stuck by the weather you will not be late. ????? | ||
| M2nc |
Okay, seriously I say ride it. Like Jim said, you will not have allot of chances in life to do the dream ride! Oh and look us up when you get in the area. I hope to hook up with Nuts for a Jacksonville ride this weekend. | ||
| Roadrailer |
Looking at mapquest, it's 2,600 miles or so if you stick to the interstate almost all the way. Doing that kind of riding on a dedicated touring bike doesn't sound like my kind of fun, let alone on a CityX. Now if you had more time and could take a more adventurous route, I'd say do it. If your schedule forces you to cross the country on 40, ship it. There is not much to see from Colorado until you get to the Appalachians. There are lots of great roads to be found between the Rockies and the Appalachians, you just have to have the time to ride them. | ||
| Vortec57 |
If you end up deciding to ride let me know. I'm just off the interstate in Colorado, JUST before the mountains. Stop and rest, have a beer and start fresh. | ||
| Pwnzor |
Cut out the expense of the hotel, get yourself a hammock, good sleeping bag and small tent. Rough it. Who's going to smell you anyway, the buffalo? | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
There are lots of great roads to be found between the Rockies and the Appalachians, you just have to have the time to ride them.  Looks like fun to me! | ||
| Sub65chris |
well here goes . Looking at the map and really looking at my situation i need to ship the bike. weather and overall time restraints are going to suck and ruin the ride . it will be much more fun to ship all my gear home after i get out and ride back to north dakota from NC and ride some real roads all the way home . So does anyone know a good shipping company? | ||
| Brineusaf |
Nutsnbolt - I agree. They will TMO the bike, don't let them talk you down - they WILL DO IT, they are just lazy. IF YOU DECIDE TO TMO ... MAKE SURE YOU TAKE PICTURES OF THE BIKE BEFOREHAND, SO YOU CAN CLAIM ANY UNEXPECTED DAMAGES A friend had his R6 shipped here from Michigan (to Germany) arrived without a scratch, and when they deliver, they uncrate it for you too. Plus it doesn't cost a dime, but it will put you closer to your weight limit for TMO Goods. | ||
| Nutsnbolt |
Dude, you don't need a shipping company. Go to TMO, its in the 22 Area, set up a pick up date and let them pick up your gear and call it a day. No stress. I second, Brineusaf, though. Take a $*!tload of pictures. If you have your choice of companies leaving CA, pick either Mayflower or Allied. Just not COVAN. I am in the middle of a 5000 dollar claim with COVAN right now. Are you leaving a school, or a fleet duty station? Either way, it shouldn't matter. Go to TMO. I can get the building number if you need it. It's over by cash sales. Good Luck Mark | ||
| Roadrailer |
Looks like fun to me! You'd be surprised what you find when you get off the interstate. | ||
| Davidh72z |
Looks like fun to me! It was at 175 mph | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Roadrailer, I was born in Topeka and have family in Wichita. There are no surprises worth getting off the interstate. Kansas is the penalty for getting to go to Colorado. | ||
| Jlnance |
If you end up deciding to ride let me know. ... Stop and rest, have a beer and start fresh. This is exactly why you should ride  | ||
| Roadrailer |
Roadrailer, I was born in Topeka and have family in Wichita. There are no surprises worth getting off the interstate. Kansas is the penalty for getting to go to Colorado. I know Kansas sucks (I have family in Wichita as well), but Kansas isn't the only state between Colorado and the Appalachians, is it? Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri all have some excellent roads, if, like I said, you have to time to ride them. | ||
| Nutsnbolt |
Yeah, sure, theres' OK, TX, AR, MO, and all that happy junk, but if you were to ride out and actually go throuh colorado you would end up having to go through either NE, or Kansas, to either Iowa to IL, to Indiana to KY to TN to NC. OR you would have to back track just go the southern route. The only good states there are CO, KY, TN and NC. Southern route is just as bad. Besides, if you break down wouldn't you rather be in Iowa than Arkansas? It's been a while since I've seen Deliverance, but I just enjoy the Northern route. Stop in Lawrenceburg, KY and see Jimmy Russell. But this is all a moot point. The fact of the matter is, the United States Marine Corps kind of frowns on you if you are late. They don't care that you broke down or the weather was so bad, you waited it out for a day in nowhere Texas. Let TMO ship the bike, get checked in, meet other fellas on base and around the area who are into bikes and can show you round the areas, get the bike delivered to you doorstep, get gas, a base sticker, and get gone. Carlos (m2nc) is right. This group out here (C3) is a decent bunch of people. I can think of atleast 10-12 people that would love to show you round the area. Look, I enjoy the occasional Iron Butt adventure as much as the next guy, but I would say that you could get more enjoyment out of the 2 to 3 states near here and the mountains of NC/TN (Deal's/Blue Ridge/Boone, etc...) then all that SUPER SLAB that you would encounter from CA to NC. That's just my opinion, I could be wrong. When are you leaving? | ||
| Roadrailer |
Yeah, sure, theres' OK, TX, AR, MO, and all that happy junk, but if you were to ride out and actually go throuh colorado you would end up having to go through either NE, or Kansas, to either Iowa to IL, to Indiana to KY to TN to NC. OR you would have to back track just go the southern route. The only good states there are CO, KY, TN and NC. Southern route is just as bad. Besides, if you break down wouldn't you rather be in Iowa than Arkansas? It's been a while since I've seen Deliverance, but I just enjoy the Northern route. Stop in Lawrenceburg, KY and see Jimmy Russell. I'm not sure I understand your point about backtracking to take a southern route. Just head south, then west. Why backtrack? Regardless of which direction you go, You're eventually going to have to ride the flat and straight at some point. Can't avoid it. But you gotta pay to play. If I were to break down, I'd want to be near a dealer, regardless of state. I really don't even want to dignify your Deliverance comment with a response, but I will say some of the friendliest folks I've ever met have been in Arkansas. And I've not ridden in Iowa, but I'd put the spectacular roads in northern AR and southern MO up against anything in Iowa. Iowa??? BTW, Deliverance, IIRC, was set in Georgia. I do agree, btw, that in this situation shipping is the way to go. Good luck Matthias. | ||
| Nutsnbolt |
I guess you didn't find the intended humor in the Deliverance comment. What I like about the bad web is that you can joke around most of the time and poke fun at this, poke fun at that and still make some sort of contributing point or advice. As far as Iowa, that's my point. Whether you are in MO, Arkansas, KY, TN, OK, TX, NE, IA, CO, Oregon, where ever. You are most likely gonna be riding the big interstates or State Highway system. Unless you have a really good idea of which off the beaten path roads you are gonna take, people generally stick to the interstates. Otherwise your 2600 mile/5 day drive will turn into 3500 mile/ 8 day quest for fun. That's alot of commitment especially with what you can only pack in your backpack, or tail bag or buell side bags. | ||
| Sub65chris |
ok no tmo because my buddy brought the bike out here with his truck and he is going to stay west coast while im going back to the east coast . the harley dealer gave me a good recomendation . I am going to ride from NC to ND this next summer in august so i will post ahead of time to get some rides along the way lined up . Good chatting later. | ||
| Roadrailer |
But we're not talking about people, we're talking about motorcyclists!  Avoiding the interstate or federal highways is easy, just takes a little research. That's what sport touring is all about: Pack up whatever you can fit on your bike, plan the most interesting route possible, and go. If you have the time, that is, which goes back to my original point in this thread (don't ride unless you have time to make it interesting). I wouldn't dream of riding a motorcycle cross country if I had to stick to the slab. | ||
| Nutsnbolt |
buy the bike in ND, if you plan on buying new, the places out here by base are a joke and a rip off. You gotta really look. Try Craigslist or the lemon lot here on base. Marines always leave and deploy, so someone's always selling a motorcycle. Lotta Marine's getting raked for a 600 GSXR for twice what it's worth out here at the stealerships. Roadrailer, sounds like he might be taking a Northern Route in August. Might have to go through Iowa to get to ND. Contrary to popular belief most of Iowa and Northern Iowa is rather Hilly and rather interesting riding from one small town to another to get your way to the 29, to get to ND. When I say hill, i don't mean a miniature version of the Grand Tetons, either. Sub65chris, I just moved out here to Lejeune 3.5 months ago from Nebraska. I can tell you that the ride is amazing. You can't back road it the whole route, but who would want to? Especially when you are burnin up your leave days to get back home. I get it. But, thre are some rather killer places out there on the way from NC to ND. You got plenty of time to brood over it. But, Im serious about getting a bike out here. Look me up, I'll help you out if you need any. Good luck, my man. See ya out here soon. Mark | ||
| Sub65chris |
buy the bike in ND, if you plan on buying new I already have the bike and i will be in NC an the middle of november sometime. When i get there and my bike gets there i will look yo up . later guys | ||
| Joele |
Ship it - otherwise you will have to make 16 refuel stops under optimal conditions. Correction, that's 16 each way if the distance is 2600 miles each way. (Message edited by JoelE on October 20, 2006) |
