Chicago To Portland: A Two Week Moto Tour

This motorcycle tour ran from 5/24 through 6/9 of 2014. You can access a detailed account of its events through this page and each post's base navigation. Without delay, here they are ...

Day-By-Day

1. A Brief Summary
2. Zero: Preparation
3. One: Des Moines
4. Two: Kearney
5. Three: Denver
6. Four: Dinosaur
7. Five: Burley
8. Six: John Day
9. Seven: Portland
10. Eight: Oceanside
11. Nine: Seattle
12. Ten: Coeur d'Alene
13. Eleven: Missoula
14. Twelve: Belgrade
15. Thirteen: Miles City
16. Fourteen: Lemmon
17. Fifteen: Willmar
18. Sixteen: Minneapolis
19. Seventeen: Madison/Chicago

We document stories, photos, locations, reviews and more via our day-to-day recollections. Additionally, we evaluate the practicality of certain Android apps, including Road Trippers, Backpackr and BestBikingRoads. That stated, if you have alternate route suggestions or would like to experience any of this motorcycle tour for yourself, pay mind to the many included maps.

Here's a bit of optimism for those with weather-related concerns. Coeur d'Alene, ID, likely claims the title of coldest location along this epic riding route. As a result, if you arrive there on day one (impossible), you would encounter average high/low temps during this season of 65/43. Denver's weather, on the other hand, typically hits between 73/45.

With that in mind, we dressed for brisk riding and chilly nights.

Long Distance Motorcycle Touring Costs

Always rounding up and with a worst-case-scenario mindset, the cost for such a motorcycle tour is in the area of $1500 per person. This assumes that you buy all gas as premium grade, eat every meal in a restaurant and stay in lodging that provides a roof (hotel/motel). That's $500 for gas, $500 for food and $500 for lodging, each rounded upward to the nearest $100.

It's good practice to have an extra $500 on standby in case you exceed your budget.

All things considered, I believe our total spending would've been significantly less had we camped more often than we did. Not surprisingly, one night of camping costs 1/4 the price of a motel room. It also means that you will cook store-bought food (cheaper) over an open fire.

... and you can always stay with friends who host you for a night along the way.

Have You Ridden A Long Distance Motorcycle Tour?

There are plenty of twisty, scenic roadways all over the world. Which of your journeys is your favorite? What sites did you see along the way? Your input is invited. Leave a comment and/or write an article!