Sportsters Are Not A Girls Bike

My last trip up to Alaska (August) took me 3 days, and every motel I stopped at was $100 minimum even with "senior discounts". Canada is even more.

I wouldn't travel nearly as much if I had to pay those rates, so camping is how I'm able to ride 30,000 miles a year. A small camper trailer does make sense.

YOu know if HD finds a trailer hitch on yer bike,
They will VOID yer warranty.
And some places you want to go you will not go with a trailer.

Glad you enjoyed it.
If I go somewhere they are gonna have a CAn, running water,and air or heat and a TV.
My campin days are over. And my wife said the same thing.

I ain't you. ANd when I go in for the nite. I want to sit back and watch some tv after supper man.:rant:

Price of Motel 6 got my interest up, so I put in a town on next ride I am thinking of up through southwest Va mountains. Two popped up close, one was 35.99, not bad, other was 52.00. No discount, just what came up... could see the 35.99 going down to 30.00 with a SS discount.

If you are not in the town. I'd calla and ask about how security is there. And if you can park yer bike close to your room.
Tell them you need to know cause you don't want to shoot anybody that may try to steal your bike.
I'd google the neighborhood too for crime at that address

When traveling with my wife we aim for the Radissons,Ramada's,Holiday Inns etc... not quite the high high end but solidly nice. I find Motel6,Super 8's low end and in or near big cities the clientel very suspect. Being as most of my trips were in the spring or in the fall the summer rates are gone and I avg about 70-80$ a nite. No offense to those who use them. I'm just trying to lower the odds of being ripped off. And my strategy is and may be flawed that the higher end the hotel the less a chance a sh*tbag (besides me)will be staying there. Plus they usually come with a complete hot breakfast for free. Bisquits and gravy,Scrambles eggs,bacon,sausage,yogurt, fresh fruit,baggles,OJ.Coffee etc..

Another strategy I use when gone for days and weeks is if a day looks like its ending near a big city, I usually get a hotel 10 miles before the big city or 10 miles after a big city. While big cities have many amneities and choices, every medium and major city has gang issues. OKC, even West Des Moines in IA does.

Unfortunately there are no riders my age who go far from home. But if I did have a serious riding partner that was down for the long haul and it was w/out the women folk I supose I may consider the camping part..maybe? W/out a passneger I could carry a air mattress,,extension cord, a pillow,fan, small tv:roflmao:.

If ever in your 30,000 miles a year you head this way give a holler I'll put you up for the nite. Kids are gone and we have 2 extra bedrooms now. Warning... most folks who stay here gain about 5 lbs a day.

That's a very nice invite, especially for good home cooking! I do have an old girlfriend in Westmoreland NH (borders Vermont) who I stop in to see every so often. She takes real good care of me but always makes me stay longer than I had planned, and then I feel bad when I have to leave.

I've stayed at Radisons before, and yes they are very nice. A good breakfast is always included, so the extra cost is worth it.

Does Motel 6 still "leave the light on for you"?

It's not the motel you stay at that you have to worry about losing your bike. Thieves cruise the motels looking for the right opportunity: parked too far away from lights; too many cars parked close to bike makes for good hiding. I always try to park right next to the front lobby door.

+1 yup. Or right undr my window of the room I'm in. And I cover it so they can guess whats under the wrapping.

I've had good luck asking to park at the front door,arrival area. 'Lights on it all night.

Never had a bad experience staying at a motel, but one time, when I had my 450 Honda, I was visiting a girl friend who had an efficiency apartment on the third floor of this old building in downtown Cincinnati. Had these really tall windows in it and you could look down into the street. The bike was chained to a lamp post across the street right in front of the window. I saw this guy kneeling by my bike taking parts off it. I ran down the stairs and out the door and he saw me coming and ran like hell. I wasn't interested in chasing him. There were parts strewn all over the sidewalk and stuff hanging off the bike here and there.

Well, got it repaired that day but it took all day rounding up a few parts that were missing and repairing it. Really sucked.

Got a story better than that, from somebody trying to steal my bike.
But I can't tell it here.

Unless you shot and killed him, I don't see why not.

They got shot with a 22 rifle and there was blood on the ground from trying to steal my bike.
That's all I care to say.

I sent you a email Redneck.

Guess yer email address don't work huh.

I like to hear that story sometime, bet it was one sorry dude he tried that!