(Please bear in mind these are from our perspective only and, in some cases, it may seem like we’re teaching you to suck eggs but…..)
Before you go
Make sure you take ample supplies of prescription medications with you, as not all are available in the US. BEWARE: Don’t tell your G.P. if your going for more than 3 months as, if you do, they will be obliged to take you off of their list. You may need to build up supplies over a period of time before you go. (In our case, Graham ‘lost’ a prescription shortly before we went and got a replacement!!)
Check your household insurance. We needed to pay an additional premium, as the property was empty for so long.
When setting your budget remember to include servicing and new tyres – we stupidly didn’t and it knocked quite hole in our budget
If you can, set up internet banking before you go otherwise paying bills can be a real headache.
Renew credit cards etc early if necessary.
Make sure you tell your credit card companies before you go as this will save lots of hassle.
Make sure you apply for your visas in plenty of time as the US embassy is very prescriptive about when you can go along for your interview.
Be nice to any officials you meet along the way as they really can make life difficult for you if they want to.
Consider buying new helmet visors before you go, we didn’t and had to do a makeshift repair.
Take all the tools you think you might need, but bear in mind most towns have some sort of motorcycle repair facility.
Rules of the road
Watch out for locals jumping red traffic lights (it’s not uncommon to see 3 vehicles go through on red) also, watch behind you before stopping too quickly as they won’t be expecting it.
It is legal to turn right on a red traffic light providing the road is clear and there is no notice saying otherwise.
‘Local’ drivers are often slow to make a turn so beware.
Bear in mind that different States have different laws e.g. In Maryland you DO have to wear a helmet and in the next State you don’t. Often the major differences are highlighted on roadside signs shortly after the state line.
Do pay heed to the wildlife warning notices as, in many areas, there are a variety of animals that are prepared to jump out in front of you. We saw the aftermath of a coming together of a motorcycle and a small deer. The deer came of worst but the bike was a real mess. Thankfully, the rider was okay.
Keep your gas tank topped up, we normally tried to keep ours over the halfway mark. There can be huge distances between gas stations in some areas (188.5 miles on one route we took).
Beware when filling your gas tank as the US pumps are often black for unleaded and green for diesel i.e. the exact opposite to here!
You will need to contact a main dealer and book ahead for tyre changes as they don’t have tyre shops like we have here.
Don’t rely on your SatNav (same as anywhere really) as in rural areas it often gets confused and tries to send you into fields etc.
Free state maps are available from tourist centres, chamber of commerce and, sometimes, gas stations.
Lodging
Pick up ‘Room Saver’ coupon books at Gas stations/tourist offices etc. These can provide massive savings on motel costs.
Do haggle over motel prices. You can often get a good discount just by asking (grovelling sometimes gets an even better price!).
Bear in mind that on-line prices are not always the better ones.
If an on-line booking system tells you there is no availability and you really, really want to stay there try ringing, it sometimes works.
Most motels have coin-operated guest a laundry and dryers so collect quarters.
A good number of motels will provide rags for washing bikes down.
Most motels have some form of internet access available but not all are Wi-fi.
Book ahead if you want to stay in/close to one of the National Parks, especially in high season.
Food & Drink
Try to be sensible with what you eat as portions are huge. You either need to get used to wasting food or, even better, share a meal with a friend (some places will charge a small amount for splitting a meal but many won’t).
Remember that, in most places, you get free refills on soft drinks and that many have no objection to you taking refills out to the container on your bike.
Most restaurants/gas stations will gladly fill (or allow you to fill) your containers with ice or iced water.
Motels have ice machines and you can fill your mug with ice and have cold water for a few hours at least.
Keep topped up with water/drinks as there can be long distances between stops.
Weather
Prepare for all eventualities. The weather can (and does) change very quickly.
Do take account of the weather forecasts but bear in mind that they are often rather pessimistic. The Weather Channel on the majority of hotel TV’s is a boon.
Do move inside when lightning is close by. The US has a high level of deaths caused by lightning strikes (I can honestly say I’ve never seen lightning like it).
Dress sensibly rather than fashionably. We managed to avoid sun/heat stroke by wearing our crash helmets and jackets where others who wearing just T’shirts & Jeans etc didn’t.
Take account of the varying seasons when planning your route. Some areas don’t get very long summers and others suffer all sorts of severe weather e.g. hurricane season in the South East.
The winds can be really strong across the prairies so take care.
Dry conditions can often bring ‘burn bans’ which means that you cannot use most types of camping stoves etc.
Miscellaneous
Consider buying a US cell phone rather than use your UK mobile as it is much, much cheaper for calling home.
In our experience AT&T is fairly useless in the northern parts of the country.
Pre-paid phonecards are also a good option and relatively cheap to use.
If you possibly can, take a small laptop with you. We found it invaluable for keeping in touch, internet banking, booking ahead for events/motels and also for route planning.
If you can’t take a laptop, remember that the US library system allows anyone free internet access usually for 30 minutes at a time.
For most electrical goods you can buy replacement leads with US plugs which are a lot smaller than ours and easier to pack. You can then post your UK leads home.
Keep a camera handy; you never know when you might need it.
Make sure you label and back up your pictures as you go. It’s real difficult to remember what they all are after a few days and you certainly won’t want to lose them.
Consider buying an annual National Parks Pass, ours paid for itself at least three times over. (Park fees average around $15 per time and an annual pass is $80).