Gold Hill, NC (2008) -
Can You Help?
I really hated to post this page, but I must. The expense of a 150,000 mile tour of this type is overwhelming and I'm sure you can understand that not many people are financially healthy enough to undertake the burden without assistance from individualss and commercial sponsors. The commercial sponsors are willing, but not plentifull and they first look at the credibility of the project. Unfortunately that credibility comes from miles already traveled...yes, the perfect Catch-22. So, I am forced to ask my friends along the way to pitch in. Some may think this is begging ... and it may be, but I've already invested about $30,000 in the project and will spend another $15,000 by the end of this year. I am really asking that you help me finish the job that I've started - that of honoring the military veterans of America.
I've outlined here a few of the major expenses. If you can buy a couple of cheap meals, an oil change, help with a set of tires or a tank of gas; I appreciate any and all assistance. Don't forget, business owners can purchase ad space and put it on the books as a business expense! Individuals looking for a tax break - Sorry, I did not incorporate as a charitable organization.
Fast Food Meals: I really only eat two meals each day, something around noon and another small meal in the early evening. Breakfast usually is a peanut butter
sandwich or a couple of Pop-Tarts. After setting up the tent each evening I'll grab another peanut butter sandwich and a pint or two of milk if I'm not far from a store with a dairy cooler.
During the day I try to stop at a grocery store to grab a couple of bananas, apples, or other fruit to use as a healthy snack. I can't buy too much at one time because of spoilage and lack of room in the lockable bags and duffels. Generally you'll find me at the local Wendy's where I don't forget the Frosty. A sub sandwich, although a bit over budget, fits on those days when I can grab the meal and take it to eat in a local park or scenic overlook! It's not the gourmet meal that most would enjoy, but I'm after those good stories on the road - not a reason to buy a larger pair of pants.
Camping Space: Although I try to find ways to camp where there is no fee, I still manage to end up in a public camping area most of the time. Rates at most parks run about $25, but I have stayed in some that are as little as $5 and a few were almost $50. Weekend rates are always the highest, and 'off season' are rarely more than $18.
I always thought that tent camping was a cheap way to go on a long trip, and it does lessen the impact a bit. But the folks that offer tent space frequently look at the 'primitive' campers as second class citizens. The tent spaces are never as large, never as comfortable, and never seem to be very close to the showers and toilets as are those big spaces for the $200,000 motor coaches. And most RV lots won't even let a motorcyclist and tent through the gate.
Fuel: I'm fortunate in my selection of the Honda ST1300 for many reasons and fuel efficiency is one of them. I am able to get 50 miles per gallon most of the time. But that doesn't fully mitigate the other side of the blade, I've got to run 91 octane fuel because it's a high compression engine. Most stations don't offer 91 octane so I must purchase 93, which is usually at least 20 cents more than regular. I stopped at one station in a pinch and the price was almost $5 a gallon. I flipped the clerk a fifty dollar bill and said, "Fill up on pump four." The clerk started to give me grief that I'd passed him a large bill, "just to fill a motorcycle..."
When I came back inside to get my $15 change he oddly said, "I never thought I'd see a motorcycle take $35 of fuel!" I replied, "I thought I'd never be forced to pay almost five dollars a gallon - I guess we're even!"
Motel Room: Motel rooms were my budget buster during the first three months of the project. There were so many nights that I could not camp due to weather; high winds, heavy rains, thunderstorms, etc, that I had to come back from my first two loops early just to get out of the rain. I've found out that the high cost of gasoline forces the motel operators to keep their room rates up. They simply can't afford to give a break when their business is off by such a drastic amount. Besides, when I'm standing in front of the counter making puddles on the carpet they know I'm not really in the mood to go pitch my tent!
This is another of those reasons to run most of my project 'off season'. A small motel in Kansas is much more likely to give me a decent rate in October than they are in June or July. Of course, the ability to camp out when the temperature is just 25 degrees isn't much of an option.
Maintenance: Again, I feel fortunate that I've chosen the Honda ST1300 as my touring motorcycle. It's just a joy to ride and know that it is so reliable. But, that doesn't mean it's less expensive to operate than other high performance bikes. A new set of Dunlop tires will last about 15,000 miles - and they cost $480 with mounting. An air filter is $90. My Honda dealer charges $20 for the oil filter... so I buy the same thing from NAPA for just $7. Light bulbs are about $14 each, a set of spark plugs is $40, the list goes on and on.
The owners manual calls for a maintenance interval of about 8,000 miles. Most of the recurring items on the check list I can do myself, but a few must be attended by a real mechanic that knows the difference between expand and expound and has the tools to prove it. Labor runs $85, or more, hourly - at least I don't have to see the mechanic very often!