Touring strategies attempted and results obtained during Northwest USA Motorcycle Trip, May 15-31, 1999.

1) Don't tell them you are coming

Don't let any friends or relatives along the way know that you are coming. This is to avoid the pressure of having to go to a particular place, or worse, having to go to a particular place at a particular time. You must be willing to accept the risk that you may miss someone that you wanted to see.

Results: Except for my son, I had not told any of my friends along the way that I was coming, and my son didn't know when I was coming. This gave me flexibility as to where I went and when. I had no pressure to be any place at any particular time. In fact there were 2 additional friends on my list that I did not call on along the way, so their feelings were not hurt that I did not stop in because they will never know that I was there.

2) Carry camping gear

Carry camping gear for two reasons. 1) It provides flexibility to make do if for some reason you can't get a bed for the night. With a tent and sleeping bag you can always ride out of town and pull off of a side road to make an unobserved camp. 2) Camping and hiking in a national forest provides a more personal experience of the area than if you just ride through on the main road. If you don't carry cooking gear, camping does require a little forethought to eat or purchase snack food before heading into the forest area.

Results: I actually camped out only twice, of which both times positioned me for an early shot at some great roads. But the camping gear was also a benefit while staying with my son, as he had no extra beds. My ideal would have been to camp every other night, but there just wasn't that much national forest along my path.

3) Keep The Pace

Reference Motorcyclist magazine, November 1991. Stay within acceptable speed limits (7 to 10 mph over the stated limit) and observe all no-passing restrictions. On curvy sections, maintain a constant speed so that braking is not required between turns.

Results: I stayed with this program to a tee. It was wonderful never having to worry about a speeding ticket. And I had all the curves I wanted as fast as I wanted to go.

4) Avoid big cities and interstate highways

As most of us live in big cities, it is the little towns and back roads that are the novelty and the places where motorcycling is fun.

Results: I couldn't avoid San Francisco or Seattle because I visited friends there. These cities were tough and no fun. I did some significant interstate slabbing when the weather turned bad.

5) Always use ear protection

Wind and vehicle noise over protracted periods can damage your hearing.

Results: I kept earplugs in throughout the riding day. I am afflicted with tinnitus and my ears are sensitive to loud noises, so I must wear ear protection. I have tried the custom molded earplugs, which for me are worse than nothing for motorcycle noise. I always had trouble getting the foam earplugs inserted properly - especially in my right ear since that ear canal seems to be smaller. I have now learned to insert them by understanding the exact angle of the ear canal (by studying my custom molded plugs) and by continually moving the plugs around during the insertion process. I have also learned that if my hands are not clean, the dirt gets transferred to the plugs and they don't seat as well. I also need to replace the plugs after 2 wearings. Inserting the plugs by first washing my hands and then going through all the above mentioned procedures takes 5 to 10 minutes, so keeping the plugs in all day is the most practical method for me. The only downside is that I missed a few words during conversations. If I am not looking right at a person's face and they are talking softly, I probably won't get what they are saying.

6) Do hiking or waking each day

It keeps the mind and body tuned up and provides a personal experience of the places that you are visiting.

Results: I failed at this objective. I did do some town walking on my first night in Delta UT, but after that I didn't do any.

7) Mix with the locals

You don't really experience a place until you interact with some of the residents. Activities such as visiting libraries, eating in the local cafes, hanging out on or by the bike in a public place, walking the town, doing laundry in the local laundromat, visiting local bike shops and calling local cycle club members should promote local interaction.

Results: I failed at this objective. I did eat in some local cafes, but did none of the other activities and did not mix with any locals other than friends on my list.

8) Stay in modest ma and pa motels

This saves money, and the expensive motels seem to fill up first so it's easier to get a room at the cheap motels.

Results: The $20 motel in Delta UT got me off to a good start but the $40 Super 8 motel in Pocatello ID was cheap enough and nice enough to make me rethink the policy.

9) Gas up sooner rather than later

Worrying about running out of gas detracts from the enjoyment of riding, and stopping more frequently is good for the body.

Results: This was not a strategy that I had developed before the trip, but going on reserve in the Nevada desert suggested this as a good idea.

10) Hole up if the weather is bad

On an extended tour where there is no itinerary to follow, if the weather turns bad, take that as an opportunity stop in a little town and relax and mix with the locals until the weather is better for riding.

Results: This was a strategy that had probably crossed my mind sometime before the trip but was long forgotten during the trip. When bad weather hit I was on my way home and all I could think of was to blast on home and save the unused vacation days for some other time. It would have been a better trip if I would have hung out in Missoula on Sunday instead of pushing on as I did leaving 5 days unused that were allocated for the trip.

Equipment

Packing

-- Pete Skaates, Littleton Colorado