So I'm new to motorcycle travel and just picked up a 2013 Bonneville T-100 5 weeks ago (already put 2000 miles under the wheels). I have 8 days (June 15-22) to get out on the bike.
I want to use this as a learning trip of sorts, I'm new to motorcycle touring. I had a GS a few years ago and put 8000 miles on it in the year that I had it, but all my camping off the bike was at organized rallies. With this trip I'm trying to learn more so that when I take my wife or son (8 yrs old) out with me I will hopefully have some of the learning curve and kinks worked out.
So my questions:
First where to go? I'll be heading out of Nashville, TN and returning to Nashville, 8 days, I'd like to go north or east. I want to lean toward backroads / secondary hwys / small towns, camp. Any suggestions?
Which brings up the next question.
Any pointers on camping (cheap? free?) in the US?? I hate to have to pay $20-30 a night just to throw a tent down and not even use the showers etc at many of the organized camp grounds.
PLEASE any tips on traveling cheap in the US will be welcome!
I'm hoping to grow from these small trips into a larger US trip and eventually a North, Central, and South America run.
As for the current bike set up. It is stock with a Wolfman tank bag, Ortlieb dry bag panniers, Rentec rear rack, PMRacks pannier racks, Dart flyscreen, aux USB ports, Ortlieb duffle and various other dry bags for camping gear.
Thanks for any and all help,
Jeff
I want to use this as a learning trip of sorts, I'm new to motorcycle touring. I had a GS a few years ago and put 8000 miles on it in the year that I had it, but all my camping off the bike was at organized rallies. With this trip I'm trying to learn more so that when I take my wife or son (8 yrs old) out with me I will hopefully have some of the learning curve and kinks worked out.
So my questions:
First where to go? I'll be heading out of Nashville, TN and returning to Nashville, 8 days, I'd like to go north or east. I want to lean toward backroads / secondary hwys / small towns, camp. Any suggestions?
Which brings up the next question.
Any pointers on camping (cheap? free?) in the US?? I hate to have to pay $20-30 a night just to throw a tent down and not even use the showers etc at many of the organized camp grounds.
PLEASE any tips on traveling cheap in the US will be welcome!
I'm hoping to grow from these small trips into a larger US trip and eventually a North, Central, and South America run.
As for the current bike set up. It is stock with a Wolfman tank bag, Ortlieb dry bag panniers, Rentec rear rack, PMRacks pannier racks, Dart flyscreen, aux USB ports, Ortlieb duffle and various other dry bags for camping gear.
Thanks for any and all help,
Jeff
