Lessons Learned: Motorcycle Touring With Your Best Riding Buddy

Do you have a story to share? Please send it to us, but follow these submission guidelines.

As I write this, Im in the middle of a 10,000-mile motorcycle journey with my best friend and fellow troublemaker, Dan. Beginning in Alberta, Canada, we are meandering our way down the west coast of the United States, and across Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas.

At the moment, my buddy and I have stashed our bikes in a storage unit and are flying from El Paso, Texas, to Mexico City to see Radiohead in concert. After our adventure, we’ll fly back and continue through the Midwest on our motorcycles to get back home. Our total trip time will be about seven weeks.

This trip was originally built around a week-long workshop we’d be going to in Colorado. I am the kind of person who has an idea, decides it’s going to happen, and then figures out the details later. Dan is the kind of guy who is very open-minded and will entertain my ideas and figures out how to put it together. In this way, we work very well together.

My first long ride had initially dissuaded me from long-distance touring. Most of the riding was at night with a lot of fog, cold, and deer. I had also just run a 27-kilometer race wearing a 50-pound backpack and I was so tired that I had to stop for an hour to nap in a ditch on my way home. Needless to say, I had the wrong impression that long-distance travel on a motorcycle was always painfully uncomfortable. I challenged that notion on this trip.

This long cross-country ride experience has taught Dan and I both a lot about how to manage each other’s daily emotions, grumblings, and needs. There are a lot of moments when one or both of us is tired and stressed, sometimes in huge quantities, and this is when it is crucial to know each other’s limits and what each requires in the moment. I definitely lean more to the introvert side of the scale and require complete sensory deprivation and alone time daily in order to keep my personal balance.

Dan and I have learned that a sense of humor is paramount when touring together. Things will go wrong, but its all of part of the journey. Riding across the high altitude of the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia and down the west coast of Highway 101 in Oregon was met with rain downpours, fog, and heavy traffic. We had to change our plans and timeline to allow for more breaks.

In southern British Columbia, my rain pants had failed to protect my shoes so my feet became thoroughly soaked, and in turn I became mildly hypothermic. While I warmed up with coffee, Dan went in search of dry wool socks and improvisational plastic bags with elastics for me. Compassion and taking care of each other goes a long way. This also goes for ensuring each other’s safety on the road. We keep an eye on each other’s bikes for potential issues and signal each other when we see a potentially dangerous situation.

While on the road for days on end, a sort of rhythm ensues. Dan and I quickly figured out roles and what we liked to do more in terms of setting up the tent, preparing food, etc. We even have a system for securing our loads together. This has helped us monumentally with efficiency when we need to get stuff done.

Of course, we bicker and have tense moments with each other. In these testing times it has been helpful to remind each other of our personal thresholds, pet peeves, and different communication styles. When I’m upset, I need time to defuse on my own, whereas Dan is more verbose and likes to communicate through the misunderstandings. Compromise and awareness in these situations helps to expedite the process. And typically, when the situation is resolved, we realize that irritability and tension arose due to fatigue, hunger, or accumulated stress. A balanced body is a balanced mind.

I’m sure this journey is just the beginning for many more long-distance motorcycle treks in the future. South America, Europe, Southeast Asia … the possibilities are endless. I foresee a good riding partner for these trips too, as shared moments are synergistic in value.

Do you have a story to share? Please send it to us, but follow these submission guidelines.

Related Articles
9 Ways to Find a Motorcycle Riding Buddy
Compromise on the Road With Your Spouce
10 Tips for Planning Your First Overnight Motorcycle Ride
A Bear, Deer, and Fog Make One Harrowing Journey
More of Your Stories