I would anticipate the following items, and then start breaking them down one at a time....

Mileage (your gas mileage) and how far you will travel.
Campground fees (roughly $7-$10/ night
Food / day
Entertainment? (a movie, museum etc...)
A couple nights in a hotel to get a better nights sleep...

Then I would get roadside assistance from AAA or some other source, and set aside a couple hundred just in case you blow a tire or need some other mechanical work.

I would think if you went through these one by one, you would be pretty close on your estimate.

 

I'm bored...apparently

This figure could be drastically changed if you didn't travel as far, and visited a TON of family and friends for free room and board and a hot meal. But if you go all out and do a coast to coast and back...this is my guess.

Fuel - 300 miles x 22 days = 6600 miles total (coast to coast and back...BIG TRIP!) @ 60 mpg @ 3.00/ gallon
FUEL = 110 gallons = $330
___________________________________________________________
Food = Late breakfast @ $6.00 per day (30 days) = $180
Skip lunch or cheap snack (30 days) = $50
Dinner = $12.00 per day (30 days) = $360
FOOD = $590.00
____________________________________________________________
Hotel = $80 / night (4 nights) = $320
____________________________________________________________
Campgrounds = $9 average/ night (25 nights) = $225
____________________________________________________________
Entertainment = $150 roughly?
____________________________________________________________
Roadside assistance = $130 / annual with AAA
_____________________________________________________________
One oil change at a shop = $100

My guess.....$1845

 

_____________________________________________________________
One oil change at a shop = $100

Holy cow!.........for a hundred bucks they better detail as well..........:yikes:

Seems steep to me but i guess thats why I do my own. I would just pack a spare filter and some oil in my cases. Find an empty field, pull the plug and let the oil absorb into the ground. Insert new filter and oil and your out 30 bucks tops..... Okay, okay, all you tree hugging hippes can flame away. However; just think where the oil originated from.....:green_lol:

 

Just plan your oil change for the beaches of the gulf coast...BP can pick up the bill.

....that was uncalled for.

 

Just dont do it in Washington! Obama might want to screw in your drain plug and then tell everyone he plugged the hole.:mrgreen:

 

I'm cheep!
$125 fuel (5 day's riding out of 7)
$100 food (cook for my self)
$20 camp fees (6 nights bush camping)
$80 miscellaneous (beer & entertainment)
$300 a week repeat x as long as necessary(4 month trip round oz )
All prices in AUD:thumbup:

 

In 1997 I did 33 states and a couple provinces in 5 weeks. I camped every night, tried to live cheap and averaged about $42 a day. Gas was under $1.50 then.

 

Fuel - 300 miles x 22 days = 6600 miles total (coast to coast and back...BIG TRIP!) @ 60 mpg @ 3.00/ gallon
FUEL = 110 gallons = $330

This seem a little off to me, I would plan worst case. Only 300 miles a day that's not a lot of miles, especially if you do any slab time. I usually average 500+ miles. Also 60 mpg and $3.00 gas seems overly optimistic. I would figure 50 mpg and $4.00/gallon (again worst case).

So that gives you: 500 mile a day / 50 mpg = 10 gallons per day
10 gallons x $4.00/gallon = $40/day
$40/day x 30 days = $1200

So $1200 total for fuel.

 

Anyone done something like this care to share how much they spent for a trek of this sorts?

It comes down to you and your travel habits. Most folks find it easier to plan with a per diem cost. The cheapest I can get away with is about $50 a day, but I prefer to travel at around $100 a day.

My advice is to spend a few days on the road and figure your costs based on that.

 

My advice is to spend a few days on the road and figure your costs based on that.

My suggestion also. Split your month into two 2-week segments. Do one with the equipment you have and the suggestions that have been made. When you get back, make adjustments in your equipment from that experience. Then go do it again.

You may want to consider going in two different directions. This time of year WI, MN, MI (particularly the UP) are great places for riding and camping. Later, when the weather begins to turn cooler/cold up north, AR, MO, MI are nice.

Last, you may want to consider going to some motorcycle rallies in your general area. They are generally great value with two/three days camping and a couple of meals for minimal cost. Plus, they put you in contact with other cycle riders, some with tremendous experience. The fact that you ride a Wee doesn't mean you will not be welcome at a Beemer, a COG or a Guzzi rally.

Ride safe.

 

before I even venture out on a trip, I usually end up spending $1k-$1500 preping my bike with new tires, chain sprockets, brakes, etc

on the road, $75-$125 a day for fuel
eats $30-$50 a day
lodging $0-$100 a day

I would budget about $7500 for a 30 day trip

 

Thirty days across American and back doesn't leave a lot of time for rest days and poking around interesting places. If you meander at all you will have to cover 6000+ miles and that comes to 200+ miles/day, every day, more or less moving on down the road. That doesn't leave much time for leisurely, multi-day exploration of places like the Black Hills or Yellowstone, places which deserve 3-4 days each. Even the Grand Canyon deserves more than a quick drive-by.

Also, riding every day gets pretty old after a week or so and you will want some slow or rest days; and if you factor in time spent setting up and breaking camp and all that stuff your riding days will be shorter than you may think right now. I imagine you are thinking that you will out of the campground and on the road every day by oh-dark-thirty but it usually doesn't work that way. And the prospect of packing up a wet campsite and starting out soaking wet on rainy mornings may have you procrastinating more than usual.

Why don't you plan the other way: decide how much you have to spend and travel until half that amount is expended. Then turn around. Knock off for a rest day or two when the body tells you to. Take your time and enjoy your surroundings each day instead of being a slave to a fixed timetable or must-reach goal, which can all too soon become a nagging burden.

And go west.:yesnod:

 

2007 Albuquerque-Alaska-Albuquerque 30 days, wife and I
4 nights with friends, 2 nights in motel, all other nights in tents
We only found 1 campground for $10, all others were about $22-24
2 meals a day breakfast and dinner, we are light eaters
38 mpg average, Goldwing with trailer, high gas prices that year
I kept detailed records
Just under $3000 for total trip

 

I was thinking the $7 to $10 camping per night was quite optimistic. There is nothing keeping you from traveling up a forest service road and pitching a tent though.

 

...except bears and red-necks.

 

This guy put together a nice spreadsheet for figuring out travel expenses. I think the part that lets you figure out how much you're spending on tires, filters, chain, etc. is especially helpful.

http://www.atlasrider.com/?p=1159

 

I was pondering this just the other day, and came up with a 16 day trip (I was thinking 2 weeks vacation) from NJ to San Diego and back would run a minimum of $2000 in travel expenses if done with only frugality in mind. if you interpolate that to 30 days, with every other day a day of rest/recreation I think $3000 would be a good guesstimate. Add $1000 for bike prep and maintenance and fees for fun, and $4k is a basic trip.

Ordinarily I like to say "pack half the clothes you planned to and twice the cash", so add $1000 on top for a cool $5000 cash on hand for a basic 30 day trip.

Better to come home with extra money than to run short on a trip this big.

This is solo, camping, no camp cooking and staying in a hotel/motel every 3rd or 4th night.

 

Wow, I am suprised at the numbers being thrown out, haha..

5000+ Dollars for a trip?

Kind of depressing a long trip like that would cost about as much as the bike itself, I might plan a week long trip on a few hundred dollars not accounting for gas and gopher a few hundred dollars hidden away and try to make the trip as frugal and fun as possible..

If I was to camp it would be in national forests most likely, The thing I always loved about camping in national forests is when ******** do see you chances are they are driving around with a cooler full of beer and stop and drink with you, Been out camping many of times and ******** pass out mudding in the middle of the night and stop and share a brew.

 

Wow, I am suprised at the numbers being thrown out, haha..

Yeah sounds like some prefer to camp at the hilton and gourmet dine.

Here's my recent example for 7 days 6 nights at under $50/day.
TX, OK, AR, MO areas.
food $124 AVG ~$18/day
fuel $107 ~$15/day
Lodging $82 ~$12/day
Liquor $25 ~$4/day
wash clothes $5 ~$1/day

Total $343 ~$49/day
Total mileage was 1931 or 276/day.

avg mpg was about 53 and gas $2.80/gal

This included luxury camping 5 of 6 nights with water/electricity/hot showers etc, motel 1 night, lodging costs split 2 ways. 2 meals a day in roadside cafes + ribeyes and potatoes cooked in camp once, wash clothes once, 5th of jack.

Tire wear and oil not considered.

Since you're NF camping, -$82. Eat from the grocery store and - another $62. If you're relying on ******** to supply the drinks, -$25. The laundry service was provided at the one motel we stayed and included folding. You can wash yours in the creek, -$5.

This leaves a total of $169 or just say $25 a day. X 30 = $750.
Sound more like it? 'Course you'll have to adjust depending on mileage.

 

bicycle tourers (the hardcore kind) ride light, camp late anywhere they can pitch a tent/hammock and not get picked up, ride early. usually take a noontime cat-nap. some of them bath in restrooms. you can eat oatmeal and fruit every morning for breakfast, snack for lunch, and choose your supper (they eat oatmeal for supper alot of times).

seems like you guys are luxo-touring, or "credit card touring". but guys that ride bicycles across the country usually have much more limited incomes, hence time to ride a bicycle cross country.

 

Exactly, I have a few touring bicyclist friends and if they can skim by for weeks at a time on a few hundred dollars I don't see why you cant on a motorcycle, I just cant imagine spending 5,000$ on a trip.

Honestly if I was going to drop 5k on a trip I would probably fly to Australia for a few weeks instead (My dream country to visit).

 

I used to tour bicycle a lot, and before this was mountaineering, and before that...
There is one thing that no other so called hard core guys do not have to care of: gas and maintenance. If I can sleep at a no man land and eat cereals, I still need gas to move. If I run for 10000 km I do need 500 liters of gas for that, plus there will be some maintenance expenses. It is all depends on mileage.

 

Honestly if I was going to drop 5k on a trip I would probably fly to Australia for a few weeks instead (My dream country to visit).

30 days riding in Australia/New Zealand. Rental bike@$100AUS per day. (Wee Strom by the way) Motels every night except for 4. Motel free breakfasts, dinner at Subway half the time, restaurants the other half. No lunches.
Total cost not counting airfare ~ $8000 American. Met some great friends and toured the USA with them last summer. 90 days traveling on my own bike, camping and motels. ~ $7000

 

I was the first one to throw out a figure...and that was just how I would do it. If I was going to do a 30 day trip, I would plan on a mix between "sleeping under a bridge" accommodations and "the hilton" accommodations. I would like to think I could pull a 30 day trip of for under $2000, but I may never know with my work schedule.

 

When I'm camping it's about $100 per day, when I'm moteling it's more like 200. Not all is the room cost, there's food in restaurants, too.

 

I think that you guys are talking comfort levels here:

1. Minimum comfort: oatmeal+fruit+water+fire road camping+free points of interests+easy on the throttle. Bare necessary nutrients, just to keep one going. ~1-1.5 grand for 30 days.

2. Medium comfort: some restaurants, some hotels, some booze, some less expensive places to visit, some throttle twisting. 2-3 grand for 30 days.

3. All out comfort, everything that you wish to eat, drink, visit, sleep. No restrictions. >5 grand for 30 days.

Take your pick and be happy with it. Sometimes it's not about the money, it's about the comfort and experience. Other times is about the raw feeling of traveling with minimum comfort, regardless of the money at hand.

Happy trails!

 

To me, the number of days doesn't really matter as much as the number of kilometres.

If your tires/chain and oil are good before the trip, and your trip is less than 6,000 kms, you don't need to immediately factor bike expenses other than gas.

Still, even if you don't change tires on your trip, you are still wearing them and will pay for them eventually.
I figure my bike costs me 15$ cdn per 100km (gas, loan, insurance and maintanance), so a 6000km trip (for example) is costing 900$ just in bike expenses, whether you pay as you go (gas), monthly (insurance), or once in a while (tires or maintenance).

I ride an average of 750 km per day, so every 750 kms, I require 3 meals and a place to sleep. One of those meals is usually at a restaurant and I camp whenever I can, but use a motel when I need to wash, watch tv, or get there after dark (especially if it rains). All in all, it averages to about 50$ per day per person (every 750 km). For my hypothetical 6,000km trip, that would be another 400$ per person.

So a 6,000km trip is costing me 1,300$. to this, I need to add a fun budget for attractions I wish to see, an emergency repair fund if something breaks down, budget for extra nights in places I want to spend more time at, and I haven't had a single beer yet. If you're riding around the entire country, your distance covered is likely to be about three times that, so figure about 4,000$ (sans fun-budget).

I don't think Randy's out to lunch (or the Hilton) with his 5,000$. A lot of us just suck at guesstimating cost.

Oh, if you don't already have camping gear for your motorcycle, you can easily add another 1,000$ to the bill.
You can't use Zellers sleaping bags, they don't pack small enough, nor do their tents, and you can forget about carrying a campstove that doesn't fit in your coffee cup. Titanium cookware anyone?

 

I don't think Randy's out to lunch (or the Hilton) with his 5,000$. A lot of us just suck at guesstimating cost.

my estimate was based on worse case scenerio of my experiences, I've never stayed at a hilton, but I do know that here in the northeast, motels are not $45 a nite more like $89+and that I have also seen KOAs charge as much as $35 a nite

I always eat a healthy breakfast, and tip the waitress, generally I don't stop for lunch unless I'm riding with someone, fluids & snacks. In the evening, I either eat in a restaurant or at a campfire, only things I can skewer, and in my Vermont Rounder U-bag, I can fit my cheapo Walmart 7x9 dome tent, equally cheapo sleeping bag, a king size bed pillow, portable radio, my maps. I am known to have 15lbs of paper maps with me on a trip, its my reading material at night to have a general plan for the next day of riding

my most recent trip was only 4 days but was 4200 miles, I stayed at a motel 2 nites. cost me just under $600 almost half was gas

 

I took a 9-day, 3,600 +/- mile trip to Texas. Two nights in hotels, two nights camping, four nights staying with friends. I had a "seat down" meal once a day. I think I averaged $50/day, and that could have been shaved down a bit by not buying as many rounds of beer as I did or eating at some of the fancier places. Oh, and one hotel stay was unplanned as I did a poor job of locating campgrounds along the Natchez Trace Parkway. LOL

So my guess is $1,500 +/-. :thumbup:

 

On the real cheap

If you really need to do it on the cheap you can. Just post your intentions up at ADVrider in the "Can I pitch a tent in your lawn" section. I know a few poeple who have done this and very seldom had to pay to sleep somewhere. Usually the host put them up in the house in a spare room and feed them too. So don't let the money keep you from doing it, if that's your dream just do it.:thumbup:

 

I would figure $1,000 for gas, $1,000 for motels and camp grounds and $1,000 for food. Total: $3,000. I like to eat and sleep in a warm dry place.

On a three week, 10,000 mile trip to Alaska and back last year I spent this: $500 on food, $1,000 on gas and $1,500 on motels. I did not camp after seeing a dozen grizzly bears along the Alaska highway. I did the trip to ride and sightsee anyway, not sleep on the ground. It was a vacation pleasure trip, not a torture trip. I had a blast, everything went perfectly and as planned.

I did plenty of roughing it 20-40 years ago and enjoy basic comforts more now. I did the trip to Alaska and back 40 years ago in a Falcon with $300 and a gas card.