The Trans America Trail

[Aslan]

Phil & Steve - I'm with Steve on 2013 - 1 turn 65 in Dec 2012 - hence the desire to celebrate in 2013.

Depending on how late in 2012 you're going I could be convinced however

[Phreaky Phil]

I would be keen to join a 2012 trip, any ideas on timing, approx costs etc??
Can be flexible on how and what we get to ride.

Kev

Hi Kev, at the moment there is no organised trip. We have a few people who have expressed an interest in riding the TAT. Cost wise, maybe $15k. Would be possible to do it cheaper camping, but there are some fixed costs ie; airfares, bike freight/hire/purchase,fuel, food, insurance, etc. It would be in our winter/spring. It has to be after all the snow has melted in the high passes in Colorado. Unfortunately that means its guna be hot in most of it.
If there are people who are serious, a gathering should be organised to discuss things and some rides organised to see if people are compatable. By this I mean people ride and travel differently. If you like to get up at 6am and get riding early, your going to hate travelling with someone who doesn't wake before 9am and needs two coffees before packing his gear and isnt ready to ride before 10.30.
Some people stop every 10min taking photos, others for a smoke, and some dont stop much at all.
Over a weekend ride these things dont matter or even get noticed but over a month they can become an issue.
We met two guys riding together in Alaska. They rode at different speeds so they just arranged where they would meet each night rode there own way.
Lots to think about

[Phreaky Phil]

Phil & Steve - I'm with Steve on 2013 - 1 turn 65 in Dec 2012 - hence the desire to celebrate in 2013.

Depending on how late in 2012 you're going I could be convinced however

I'm not sure how late we can go before running into problems on the passes, Autumn would "sure be perdy" in Colorado. Ive been doing a bit of research into weather and temps in the various places on the TAT but havent decided on a definite month yet.

[Phreaky Phil]

No way that we can do 2012, given that we are sending our daughter to France this April.

But still keen to springboard off all of your hard work / use your ideas / learn from your experiences.

Mandy did comment to me that she thought you weren't too far from being ready, given the work that you'd done of the DR. Looking good by the way.

Thanks, the DR is coming along nicely. Will be getting some more rides in shortly on it. Just about got all the "must haves" done and on to the " I wants" soon. Muffler, carb and big bore

[navek]

Hi Kev, at the moment there is no organised trip. We have a few people who have expressed an interest in riding the TAT. Cost wise, maybe $15k. Would be possible to do it cheaper camping, but there are some fixed costs ie; airfares, bike freight/hire/purchase,fuel, food, insurance, etc. It would be in our winter/spring. It has to be after all the snow has melted in the high passes in Colorado. Unfortunately that means its guna be hot in most of it.
If there are people who are serious, a gathering should be organised to discuss things and some rides organised to see if people are compatable. By this I mean people ride and travel differently. If you like to get up at 6am and get riding early, your going to hate travelling with someone who doesn't wake before 9am and needs two coffees before packing his gear and isnt ready to ride before 10.30.
Some people stop every 10min taking photos, others for a smoke, and some dont stop much at all.
Over a weekend ride these things dont matter or even get noticed but over a month they can become an issue.
We met two guys riding together in Alaska. They rode at different speeds so they just arranged where they would meet each night rode there own way.
Lots to think about

My only problem would be the guy who does'nt do the dishes! Look forward to your plans etc.

Kev

[NordieBoy]

My only problem would be the guy who does'nt do the dishes!

But I'm not going, so no issues there.

[BMWST?]

Have you studied any of the TAT threads on ADV rider ? Theres a lot of them and some neat Videos to be found on Utube. Bikes have to be shipped to somewhere, the most common being LA or San Fran. If the bikes are crated individually its easier to start and finish in the same place so the crates can be reused. Rossco Penell and crew started and finished in LA I think. They rode there bikes from LA to Tennesse to the start. Long way !

here is an email i got after i enquired re bike freight auckland LA

Hello and many thanks for your enquiry below.

If your BMW R100 GS is delivered to our premises and we take care of all paperwork, transport to the port, shipping line fees and ocean freight etc to Long Beach port, the current inclusive costs would be NZ$885 with a shared-space in a 40' container

US arrival charges for port & Line fees, Customs clearance etc would be additional & your care and cost.

We hope this assists meantime. Please feel free to contact us with any further questions or instructions you may have.

Please note that you bike will need to be crated

Thanks
Daniel

[young1]

here is an email i got after i enquired re bike freight auckland LA

Hello and many thanks for your enquiry below.

If your BMW R100 GS is delivered to our premises and we take care of all paperwork, transport to the port, shipping line fees and ocean freight etc to Long Beach port, the current inclusive costs would be NZ$885 with a shared-space in a 40' container

US arrival charges for port & Line fees, Customs clearance etc would be additional & your care and cost.

We hope this assists meantime. Please feel free to contact us with any further questions or instructions you may have.

Please note that you bike will need to be crated

Thanks
Daniel

Confirming that is one way?

[gav24]

Hi, I posted on this thread a long while back after a ride and chat with Wade / GPS man I knew that I just had to do this one day. In the mean time i've had to take some time off bikes and be out the country for a while due to illness in the family.
Anyway, I'm back and still keen, but a new baby on the way may mean that even 2013 is too soon.. But no harm in "keeping the dream alive" so If anyone is up for a group meeting and multi day ride (i'm keen for camping) in the next few months somewhere between New Plymouth and Wellington then I'm in.
I have done some adv coaching in the past so if anyone feels the need for some of that then it could also be a possibility for those heading off to the TAT...?
Just throwing my - soon to be very poor and tired - hat in the ring!

[GPS MAN]

Hey Gav...glad to see you are back.....

All I need to know is when do we leave for the TAT

[Phreaky Phil]

I am a very good friend of the guy that mapped the TransAm Trail, Sam Correro.... He and I mapped the Shadow of the Rockies trail in 2008....

I rode the TransAm Trail in 2003....should anyone have any questions

What month did you do the TAT in. ? Ive been doing some study into the weather and temps from June-October. June/July/August seem bloody hot. Mid/High 30's. September slightly cooler and less rain. Not sure how late you can go before running the risk of not being able to get through the high passes in Colorado due to new snow.

[gav24]

All I need to know is when do we leave for the TAT

Yeah, and all I need to know is how much and who's paying for me!

Good to be back Wade, hope to meet up for a ride again soon

[eltone]

here is an email i got after i enquired re bike freight auckland LA

Hello and many thanks for your enquiry below.

If your BMW R100 GS is delivered to our premises and we take care of all paperwork, transport to the port, shipping line fees and ocean freight etc to Long Beach port, the current inclusive costs would be NZ$885 with a shared-space in a 40' container

US arrival charges for port & Line fees, Customs clearance etc would be additional & your care and cost.

We hope this assists meantime. Please feel free to contact us with any further questions or instructions you may have.

Please note that you bike will need to be crated

Thanks
Daniel

Hey BMWST

Who did you get your quote from - I'm thinking of doing the same to the US later this year?

Cheers

[trustme]

Try to get a cost for port handling charges,customs etc in the US . It may bump that figure up quite a bit. I gave Phil a quote a while ago for containers with a best guesstimate for charges in the US, not strictly apples for apples but will give an idea.

[eltone]

Try to get a cost for port handling charges,customs etc in the US . It may bump that figure up quite a bit. I gave Phil a quote a while ago for containers with a best guesstimate for charges in the US, not strictly apples for apples but will give an idea.

Hey thanks for that.

I took my bike to the USA last year and shipped it with Schenker. It was a struggle to say the least - the guy I was dealing with hadn't as it turned out shipped a bike to the US before. I virtually had to do all the approvals myself. The total cost was about NZD2500 one way for a crate with a 2009 Tenere in it.

The quote that BMWST got below must be just for the shipping with other "charges" still out there. I have made an enquiry to that firm (GT International Logistics) for this years pricing as well as Mondiale (who is used frequently by Rosco Pennell who regulalry ships a container of bikes for trips to South America and the USA last year.)

Cheers