Feasibility of a cross country trip on a cafe...

C

CaTacl1sm

hope your clubmans don't hit your tank
ok guys, heres the story...

after binging on a combination of the original mad max and browsing advrider.com, i want to try a trip of my own. The question is, how hard do you think it would be to ride from Rhode Island to San Fran on a cafe? I have limited space on the bike (its a cafe'd '82 cx500c by the way) so i would have to get creative with storage, and i need to find cheap/free places to stay between RI and Denver (from denver on I have friends scattered around).

As far as the route, what would the best roads to take, considering a combination of quality of road, minimum of traffic, and best sights along said road?
This route would best have some good moto shops nearby too, because seeing as my bike is older than I am, its bound to need some parts along the way (I'm pretty sure she's reliable enough, put about 2000 miles on her since july).

and I am also looking for people who want to tag along, even if its just for part of the way, always nice to ride with company ;D


Any help or ideas would be most appreciated!
 
If all goes as planned Ill be finishing my cafe project and riding it out west from chicago in the late spring or early summer. As for how feasible it is? I dont really know. This is the first bike Ive owned, but Im young and looking for and adventure. So fuck it, right?

What roads to take: Dont know much about east coast to midwest, but midwest to NorCal theres only one real option. Route 80. Is a dead shot to the west coast from Chicago. Runs through the Colorado Rockies, and will have nice weather in the summer.

Where to stay on the cheap: Id look into hostels, every big city has at least a few. Also you might want to look into buying a compact one man tent and just plan to camp.

Storage space: A tank bag and a backpack should do. A few change of socks/draws, a few shirts and a pair of pants besides the ones youre riding in should do fine.
 
Also....heading across 80...truckstops typically have good food and showers........in case your worried about those things if you plan on camping it.......
 
Do not forget about the mechanical aspect of a trip on an old bike... ask Tim and his pal about that.

Chances are something will break down, tires wear out... shit happens. If you don't have the budget for accomodations I'd be worried about parts and repairs as well.

Don't let this stop you... but you have to think about it.
 
yes, that is a concern of mine... tires especially. however i figure that if i replace all the seals, oil, and do a full tune up, the bike should be reliable enough to last the trip. currently i ride it about 70miles a day so this shouldn't be much different
 
First up you'll want to give it a go-over like the others and yourself have said. Oil, check plugs/timing/pads/tyres...etc. Anything you might think needs some attention.

Then take a few items you may need on the way. I'd recommend a gasket or two [head at least], some fuses, 2 plugs, some zip-ties or stiff wire, and a pint of oil if you can/think you might need it. This in addition to your regular toolkit. I'm talking from the Australian perspective here so take that in mind...there can be long distances between stops with harsh conditions so always prepare ahead! I'd vote for a rear rack arrangement, or at least finding a way of securing gear without having to fix it to yourself. This will get tiring after a while, especially if its a bulky pack. By all means use a hydration pack or small backpack to carry things you're likely to use a lot in, but don't use a large/heavy/bulky one as this will eventually give you the irrits. It'd irritate me, at any rate.

And as for the one man tent...you guys know what a swag is, right? If not, look into it - best things ever! Too bad some no-gooder nicked mine :'( Oh well, another opportunity to go gear shopping! ;D Look for heavy gauge zips, canvas over 10 ounces (preferably 12), and 'box consutrction'. Oh, and double-d rings instead of snap-lock fastenings to keep it rolled (snap-locks can bust easy and will UV degrade over time). Most importantly...try a few out if you decide this is the way you want to go - nothing worse than getting one way too big for your needs or too short/narrow. Mine was a simple box-construction affair with a 2" foam matress and 10.5oz canvas. #10 zips all-round. Weighed in at around 8~9lb. Throw in a sleeping bag, roll it up and you're away.

Sounds like you're gonna have a good time. Oh, and if its likely to rain invest in a small bottle of Rainex for your visor/goggles. Absolutely awesome stuff.

All the best, let us know how it goes - boingk
 
hmm... well here in america we dont have to worry about Toecutter and Bubba Zanetti.

i want to try to sleep indoors... 8 years of boy scouts kind of turns you off to camping ;)


Thankfully i have a couple months to plan this trip, i want to try to be at my families cabin in Lake City, Colorado for the 4th of July
 
Don't let common sense prevail.
If (big IF, here) I can find it, I will scan and email you an article I have about a young man who rode from Montreal PQ to Los Angeles CA in 1967. The trip was about 7000 MILES return.
I read the article in "Cycle Guide" magazine; it was a reprint from "Yamaha Enthusiast" magazine of around the same era.
His mount? A Yamaha Twinjet- which displaced 100cc...
Have a nice trip. Post some pictures upon your return.
Paco
Pacomotorstuff
 
yea, i loved bubba... def my favorite bad guy ever... no make that favorite movie character ever (tied with alex from a clockwork orange)

that blog is awesome.... we should turn this into a cross country DTT run
 
stay off I-80 or any interstate, that would suck and be hard on the bike trying to keep up at 75+ mph all day long. US 40 maybe.
 
Yeah, throw in a good mix of twisties...that'll keep you happy 8)

'I am the NIIIGHT RIIIDER! Ridin' at the speeed of niiight!'

Love that movie, hahaha...
 
Did a 1000 mile return trip last year on on cafe. The biggest issue I had was the backpack. It was killing my back after about 200 miles.
 
hmm.. now that I think of it, its probably a good idea to take detours off I-80 regularly, but theres some great scenery that 80 runs through so I wouldnt stray too far. Just find some points of interest along the way and plan your detours accordingly.
 
I-80 is boring as hell across Nebraska, but Omaha has great motoshops if you happen to need parts/tires/etc in the area.
 
Well Dont expect to ever stand, sit or piss straight again!!..
You will be permanently hunched over, you'll be pissin on yer own leg...
 
I'd buy you a pint upon your arrival. I recently drove from SF to Saint Louis alone in 3 days on route 70. super dull between denver and Stl, but from denver to SF it's all gorgeous. i have a friend who's thinking of taking the trip back on a CL 200... i'll keep you posted.
 
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