re: Across America on a motorcycle

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Anybody here ridden a motorcycle across the U.S.? I will be doing a solo trip from southern California to New York this summer with up to a month set aside for travel.

Advice, resources, thoughts on routes/must-see places? So far I have pins at the Grand Canyon, Escalante and the Black Hills.

Considerations: Minimal use of interstates. Also, I've lived in the southeast, Washington state, California, Oklahoma, and Colorado so I'd like to see other places. Have also previously done a week long motorcycle trip though Idaho, Montana, Alberta, and British Columbia.

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In my younger days I went on rides from Alabama up to the Dakotas and another ride out to Arizona, Nevada, and California. Rode up to to Niagara Falls as well. Here's my advice.

1. Don't go alone. These are really long rides and a lot can go wrong. Best to have someone with you.

2. Make sure you've got a good tent and a damn good sleeping bag. I can't stress enough how important a good quality sleeping bag will be. Even in the summer it gets cold as hell on the desert.

3. Don't over do it. You might be able to ride for 10 hours today. But can you keep that up for a couple weeks? No. Pace yourself and don't get in a hurry.

4. If you can avoid it, stay clear of interstates through unfamiliar cities, especially during rush hour traffic.

5. Before you leave, have a trusted dealer service your bike, go over it from back and top to bottom. Also, get brand new tires on your bike. And don't go cheap on the tires. Get Bridgestone or Michelin and make damn sure the date codes on the tires are nowhere near expiring.

6. Don't know if you plan on taking a pistol, but you need to look at the gun laws of each state you are going through. Some states honor other states pistol permits but don't do so for other states.

7. Take a pistol with you. Most of the time you'll be out in the middle of nowhere and thus on your own. Remember the old saying, "when seconds count, the cops are minutes away". Well there's plenty of places out there where "minutes away" means like half an hour.