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Is this normal for a cross country trip?

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During Sunday lunch at my relatives place, we talked about my coming trip in June. Here I'm just thinking of what a wonderful trip its going to be and they brought up some things that, um, made me quite uncomfortable:

1. Power of Attorney in case something happens to me
2. a DNR
3. Access to my will (has the will been updated?)
4. Retirement/Stocks/Bonds - who else has access to these
5. Bank account access
6. Life insurance policies

WTH!!! Its not like I'm going to Mexico or Central America, I'm just going across the US on my bike.

Are they just being paranoid or what?
 
A ICE tage (In Case Emergency) would be a very good idea. as would be a SPOT transponder.
the other items are good if you are married and especialy if you have kids, not just for the ride but in general.
 
I have all that stuff in place now and I'm not planning a long trip. I ride, however, in Houston traffic. nuff said. Just common sense IMHO, to have that in place so your family can keep the lawyers at arms length just in case.
 
It's a good idea to keep those things up to date any way. I need to go through my stuff again. It's been awhile...
 
Well I will probably carry a SPOT with me with live tracking. I was sold on the SPOT when I read the 911 thread.

the recent crash of the Goldwing rider up in the remote wilds of the north West where they found his body with his cell phone in his hand in a area with no cell service was a eye opener.
 
Most important thing to take is some common sense and the ability to stop when you are even close to your limits. Don't push too hard to make a deadline or set a record. If you are the least bit drowsy, stop and stretch or take a nap.
 
Most important thing to take is some common sense and the ability to stop when you are even close to your limits. Don't push too hard to make a deadline or set a record. If you are the least bit drowsy, stop and stretch or take a nap.

Absolutely. The purpose of my test rides before I go will be to learn my limits. That 503 mile ride on Saturday was to push to see what I could do. I really didn't push myself, I stopped as usual taking pictures and enjoying the scenery. I even took a 20 minute break at a picnic area to eat some crackers, drink some fluids and look at the map. I still got home at a respectable time, around 5:30.

The next few rides will be to try new gear and actually camping with the bike.
 
Those things are not normal for a cross-country trip, they're normal for riding a motorcycle *period*. We all risk our lives every time we ride. If you haven't already considered that, you should.

The fact that I could be hospitalized or killed is already accounted for. For a cross-country trip, I make sure my family knows the route I'm planning to take. I check in every night when I get to a stopping point so they've only got one leg of the route to search for me. And I wear dog tags with my identity and emergency contact info in case they don't find a wallet on me.

You just have to plan for the worst when you ride. It doesn't mean it's going to happen, it just means you're being responsible. Like I'm doing my first track day this Saturday, and I already know who I'm going to call with a truck and a flatbed if I trash the bike, and I've got a friend coming just to be present at the track so there's somebody to call my family and let them know I'm in the hospital if I leave in an ambulance instead of on my bike.
 
Well I don't have any of it, other than Life insurance because I'm single with no kids. The only really big thing is my home mortgage, but there is insurance on that in case.
 
God this reminds me that I still need to redo everything since I'm seperated now. What a pain in the neck.
 
I think the point your missing isn't that motorcycles are dangerous, living is.

What is odd about the original post is that his relatives seem to think, that Bigjnsa is in more danger by riding a motorcycle, than they are going about thier daily lives. All of the listed items shouldn't be part of planning a long trip but should be done anyway because you are more likely to die on your way to get groceries on Saturday morning. (on or of the bike)

Case in point, four cars and myself were almost run off a bridge this morning by a moron who wasn't paying attention. I was actually in greater danger because I was in my explorer and not on the bike. The only room to manuever was to small for my truck. When it's your time, all the ATGATT and MSF training in the world won't save you from a slip in the shower or a careless step into traffic.

In other words, plan for your departure from this world to make it easier on your family because you love them, not because your convinced your bike is dangerous. Don't let people who are scared of bikes intimidate you into giving up what you love, because that sounds like that may have been the real reason to bring up a topic like that. Just a thought?
 
In other words, plan for your departure from this world to make it easier on your family because you love them, not because your convinced your bike is dangerous. Don't let people who are scared of bikes intimidate you into giving up what you love, because that sounds like that may have been the real reason to bring up a topic like that. Just a thought?

Realistically speaking, there's a very logical reason to have extra preparations in place before a long trip.

Assuming that our traveler is very conservative about his own limits, you still have to consider the drivers sharing the road with you. If, for example, your normal daily commute is 50 miles, and on that commute you can expect to meet at least 10 complete idiots, two of which pose a direct and immediate threat to your survival, how many should you expect to meet in the course of 500 miles? How about in a thousand?


Sure, I'm making these numbers up, but shouldn't you expect to have more such encounters over a longer distance than over a short one?

Now you're probably right. His family is more likely to be reacting emotionally to the idea of him not only doing the dangerous motorcycling thing, but doing it far from home and family. Still, that doesn't mean he should ignore the really good reasons to be appropriately prepared.
 
My point wasn't that it's a bad idea to have preparations for your untimely demise, it's that a long trip doesn't put you in any more risk than everyday life already does. You are more likely to die close to home or in your own house than on a road trip. So make the plans to care for your family now, not because your riding to the Dragon in May.

I used to wonder what would happen if someone was seriously injured on a motorcycle trip. Well I found out in 2008. My brother crashed near the Grand Canyon and was very seriously injured. The shocker is that no matter how prepared you are, you aren't prepared enough. ATGATT really doesn't do anything but prevent rash in most crashes, and in the end all the unplanned for details will probably work out. Also he proved my reasoning for wearing a full face helmet, almost every motorcycle wreck I have ever seen the rider ends up face first on the pavement, as did he. (I have even seen low sides with shield damage.
 
During Sunday lunch at my relatives place, we talked about my coming trip in June. Here I'm just thinking of what a wonderful trip its going to be and they brought up some things that, um, made me quite uncomfortable:

1. Power of Attorney in case something happens to me
2. a DNR
3. Access to my will (has the will been updated?)
4. Retirement/Stocks/Bonds - who else has access to these
5. Bank account access
6. Life insurance policies

WTH!!! Its not like I'm going to Mexico or Central America, I'm just going across the US on my bike.

Are they just being paranoid or what?

My buddy Lou died after falling in his driveway. So it doesn't take an overseas trip before these items come into play.

Lee
(Now where is that will?)
 
So now that all the gloom and doom talk is done with, where is the big trip to? I'm headed to Push Mountain, AR in May myself.
 
Wes, you didn't see the map earlier?

summer-2010.jpg
 
No! That looks like a ton of fun... I am distinctly jealous. If you fit Colorado in there I would be ready to die after that journey. :lol2:
 
In the last two long cross country trips I've taken, I've followed folks who stopped every 80-100 miles. I first thought "we're not making a lot of miles here" but at the end of the day we had gone between 400-500 miles and I could get off the bike and still walk normally. Your plan of stopping based on the Sporty's tank sounds very doable. I look forward to this ride report.
 
Done a number of roads trips,. Was going to say "long' ones until I saw your map..... "You Da Man".

Good luck. Making sure freinds and family know your route each day, making sure you touch base at least once a day and having ICE information in case something unusual happens.... you should be good to go.

I envy you your ride and the time to be able to take it..... enjoy.
 
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