Great video! I used to do long distance trips a lot then got "busy" being an adult and with other consuming hobbies. Last summer I took my first motorcycle trip longer than 4 days in over 20 years. In my case it was on a 1999 VFR800 which is bit more touring oriented but not much. 11 states, 5400 miles (725 miles where google lost me), only about 1800 interstate and those were just because I wanted to get to the twisty bits as quickly as possible and stay in them until I had to head home. Couple of things I would add: In a lot of the AZ/NM areas I rode, the fuel infastructure out in the back roads can become and issue. On the VFR with 200 mile range I just carried a 1.5L mergency flask. MT, WY, SD and a ton of others it is not uncommon to go 80-90 miles between 24-available fuel. There are networks out there specifically for motorcyclist to find a safe place to sleep (camping or in a spare bedroom/camper), get break down help, or just get riding advice. I met some of the best people on this trip through the biggest of these networks. I started doing it to save a bit of money but now I do it for the people. There are large swaths of the US with no or inconsistent cell coverage so plan to be self-sufficient in case of minor breakdown. Like you said, some roads you won't see single person or car and I did a stretch of 62 miles where I had cell coverage for 3 miles total and saw 4 houses, one other vehicle and lots of wildlife.
Thanks for sharing your story - it's definitely important to fill up when you can in certain spots. I need to look more into those networks, I know some forums have sections to chat with other members and I'll see if I can harness those in a future trip.
@@axel-moto The primary one is Bunk-a-Biker but they have splinter groups for roadside rescue. Motorcyclists helping other moto travelers because we really are one big community.
Really well done. I appreciate how you focused on not being distracted with technology, but spending time being present in your own thoughts while on the road. So many others focus on packing in so much, but the reality is that you miss so much more by being too busy. Thanks for doing this.
@@axel-moto I do alot of long distance trips & from time to time I get lost but I always seem to come across something that makes getting lost well worth it - most of my trips have been on an ST-1300 or 2 different FJR's but now because of my age & small stature (75 yoa @ 5' 7" & 145) I have downsized to a 2022 Honda NC 750X (DCT) which is 150 lbs lighter than the FJR was & plus it has a very low COG - years ago I had a NC700X & took it from Florida out to California on a trip that was 28 days long & just a hair under 9,000 miles - & it was one of the BEST trips I have ever taken - I did less daily mileage than I would have on the bigger bikes & stayed on back roads & seemed to see & talk to "Mom & Pop America" so much more - there's nothing wrong with taking a smaller bike - I loved your video & it somewhat reminds of a song I thought about on my trip that I mentioned - "Time don't matter to me - cause I'm a thousand miles from nowhere & there's no place I rather be" - keep doin what ur doin - congrats on your video & your trip.
Respect to your perspective on motorcycling. Does not always have to be about the fastest/latest/greatest. Just you and the motorcycle exploring at your own pace.
Your video is proof that any bike can be a touring bike, as well as an adventure bike. Sounds like you made some memories, that will last a lifetime. P S , I'm sure you don't miss riding on the BQE. Safe travels and Happy Adventures!
One of the most challenging things about bike touring is being alone with yourself. I have got to the point where I don’t listen to music anymore. Just my thoughts and the sound of my bike. It’s my happy place 😅 Great video👍
AMEN to being alone in your happy place - I do alot of trips & I prefer to do them by myself & I'm 75 (yoa) - reminds me of a song - "Time don't matter to me - I'm a thousand miles from nowhere & there's no place I'd rather be" - stay safe :-)
I really enjoyed this. I appreciated that fact that this trip was something new to you and you did it without an adventure bike like so many folks would think is needed.
Last year we took our first moto trip wtih my dad to Romania. Now he has new bike and I have mine the Duke 125. Done 9000 km in the last 6 months. Planning to go to Romania once again and some Italy maybe Elbe or Giovo.
Great video. "Middle of nowhere becomes the middle of somewhere" - true! I'm mostly travel across eastern Europe and South East Asia, but it is best advice I could give, too!
Love how the FZ6 holds its own in the long haul space of litre and ADV tourers. Ive rode my 04 to Daytona from Hamilton ON and have also done the long haul to Newfoundland and the Maritimes
Nice trip, Axel ! I had the same Fz6 Fazer until last year and it was perfect bike for travelling. My longest trip with this bike was 10 000km in Europe /from Sofia, Bulgaria to Nordkapp, Norway and back - 15 countries crossed/. I sold it after 60 000 happy kilometers for 3 years ! Trip across America is one of my dreams and you have my compliments ! Be blessed and ride safe !
@@axel-moto hey rider !!! Yes they are a great bike !!! I have a 2015 now ,and had a 2011 previously. I have a video I shot on my first multistrada, ir you want I can send you a link to it !!! I have put over 500,000 miles on my 4 Ducatis since 1992 😁😁😁🏍🏍🏍
Thank you for taking the time to document and share your experience. It is reassuring to know you can do a trip like this without a big touring bike and months of planning!
Very nice recap of your trip. I’m in New Mexico and ride out to Kansas once in awhile. To be honest, I love the backroads of Kansas. Good job with your video. Not boring at all
This was one of my first motorcycles, I rode it from Ohio, through Colorado, onto California. It was such a comfortable sitting position and bar height. Great video, brought back lots of great memories from the early 2000’s for me.
very good, I'm Brazilian and this feeling of loneliness with good music and an empty road is sensational, in 2022 I made 17 trips with my shadow 750 and this year my spine started to hurt so I bought a tenere 660 to continue traveling
i've been to places in the world where locals ride the scrappiest bikes on the most challenging terrain you'll ever see like it's a walk in the park for them... you're spot on about not needing a fancy bike or equipment to go touring, just some balls and a good attitude.
best bike is the one you have! I see so many videos of far away places with people using basic scooters or 30 year old bikes to get around rough terrain and it's inspiring. Thanks for watching!
Great video with useful tips and reflections. Your trip reminds me my very first solo ride (Yamaha TDM850) from Liverpool (UK) to Bologna (Italy) with many similar experiences. Thank you for sharing!
Hats off to you! most people dream of doing this and NEVER do. Several years ago, I made the decision to ride my motorcycle (solo) across the country. It was the most amazing trip I've ever experienced. It was so intoxicating that the following year, I brought my girlfriend along 2up. This time on a 20 day/ 6K miles round trip from Virginia to Montana. Now I did this on a large Harley touring model, I'm impressed that you did this on your Yamaha FZ6! Awesome video and thanks for sharing, get me pumped for my next road trip.
Great to hear you also had the chance to do a similar trip! I hear amazing things of Montana and hope to ride there some day. Any roads you would recommend I check out?
@@axel-moto Our destination was the Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park. Its absolutely incredible on a bike. We also rode thru Big horn National Forest on Rt 16. There are plenty of great roads in the Black Hills of SD. My favorite was 14/34 from Brookings to Wall in SD (a true rural route through old SD). Ride safe
I have an FZ6 very much like yours I even have the shad seat. I paid 2600 with new tires and chain and sprockets. It had 10,000 miles on it when I bought it in may 2021 it has 25,000 miles now. Great all around bikes!
Appreciated your video man. I have been riding for 20 years and taken many decent sized road trips. Some good insight here, and the last B-roll bit pretty much sums it up! Be prepared!
Great video thanks. It reminded me of a 10 week solo ride I did from Vancouver to Halifax, across the middle of the States, then Vegas, Death Valley to San Francisco and back to Vancouver where my bike was shipped home to New Zealand. I recognise a lot of your lessons. I now am planning a 2 month ride round Europe so you have helped me think along the right lines again. Thanks and well done!
Sounds like an incredible route. I regret not doing death valley but was scared of the weather mid-summer. I hope your Euro trip is unforgettable and that you make some great memories. Thanks for watching!
Great story Axel. Sounds like some great memories. I resonate with your concept of being okay with being bored on long stretches of road. I remember that feeling very well on the longer days I’ve spent on my own FZ6. Thanks for putting your story out there 👍
Great advice. What I learned from my first big trip is to how much distance to plan in a day. 300km is nothing on a highway but can be all day on a mountain. Feeling rushed just to get to your destionation planned is not enjoyable
Fun video and mad respect for the trip! I did a 3500 mile trip on my VFR800 a few years ago and it was one of my best experiences on a bike. Part of my trip included Highway 50 through Nevada: "the loneliest road in America."
Thanks for the video man! Im planning a trip to south texas this summer. I live in PA, its about 1700 miles. Watching videos to learn and prepare while its cold and im stuck inside not riding lol.
No itinerary is best, or at least where overnight stops are concerned... you can always find a place, so just head off into the distance & stop when you want.
The tough butt is key. I have done a couple 1,000 + mile trips with a new Summer trip planned through the Selkirk Mountain Loop. I have never done cross country on a bike. It looks like a good trip.
I did AZ to the southeast, northeast, and back west via South Dakota with the family this summer..about 6000 miles. If you can do it, you need to do it.
Great to see this man. I had the opportunity to travel around Europe last summer and I had almost the same thoughts that you shared in your video. Travelling with a motorbike is absolutely incredible, it fills you with joy.
I love how half the videos are you literally murdering this amazing touring bike from attempting to do offroading with it, which is not what it was made for. Really impressed as I just got a FZ6 S2 my self, planning a tour for next year. Europe is far smaller than the US and I'm only going half the distance, but both directions. I am sure that my experience might be as colorful as yours as I would go from Bulgaria to Poland through 4 countries and 5+ languages. Great video, Cheers and good luck on the roads!
That sounds like a great plan, and I grew up in Europe so I know how smaller distances on paper feel like a lot more. Make sure to document your trip, even without posting it I’m sure you’ll be happy to have photos or videos to look back on. The S2 is the better version too imo, so you picked a great bike.
haha bro what a sick route! you chose a good street bike to hit some trails with fz6 is surprisingly a tank that can take almost anything you throw at it
+1 on the blue FZ6 (have one of these in my stable). Great adventure trip, I've ridden around the US many times over the years and you discovered many of the hidden reasons why these rides are so enjoyably addictive, regardless of the machine you're on. It's not about technology and staying connected. Quite the opposite for me. Smooth trails to you...
I don’t know why Kansas gets so much rider/driver hate. Maybe it’s boring on the Interstate; but I took US-36 across on rolling hills where the side hills intersected like fingers and streams ran down between them. I thought it was beautiful. You rode The Loneliest Road In America too! I picked it up after visiting Rachel, NV the day before. The Nevada Sierras north of Arrolime are more beautiful than I remembered! Did you go through Dinosaur Colorado? There’s a great biker motel along the main drag that isn’t listed on google as a hotel. Small room, great bed, shower, deck to watch the storms and lightning roll in while sitting and talking with the owner and riders. I made it out on a Honda CN250 Helix scooter much to everyone’s surprise. I found out why. That thing was gasping for air due to being carbeurated for 1,000 feet in the midwest, not 3 to 9 thousand feet.
I'm going to bookmark 36 next time I need to cross Kansas. I think it's a different kind of fun, sometimes you want have fun in the curves and sometimes just breathe and contemplate. I went south of there, I believe I took CO-90 to cross the last edge of Colorado into Utah. I really want to revisit Colorado and Utah as their own trip though, the beauty over there is insane. Doing it on a scooter is metal man, congrats. Helix has pretty rad looks too, it's such a 90's design. Thanks for your comment!
My brother has been cross country both ways twice. He said the same thing you did. Wherever you go, people are good. This is a real observed truth, not what the media would have us believe right ? Could you tell me what hardware and baggage you used to outfit your bike ? Currently have an FZ and shopping for trunk and side bags/ cases. Thank you for the awesome video !!!!!
Hey thanks for your comment! For my luggage setup, I used a Givi Rack with a monolock top case. Side bags were generic Viking bags and for the price they held up well. I did have a friend help me modify the rack to add a small structure to keep them from rubbing the tire, however givi also makes side bag attachments that can be added. I used a large wolf man bag on the top to hold most of my camping gear and it was much better than the net I used to use. Also made it easy to set up camp outside of one bag. Hope this helps!
That was awesome! Been on a few cross country adventures myself on my bike, solo. I don’t plan at all, just pick a direction, but ride a motorcycle I’m confident will get me home safely. Each adventure is a game changer. Ride safe…..subscribed!
I had an 06 Fazer. It was a great bike for the city but not comfortable on longer trips. I couldn’t really go more than 90 minutes at a time before my back and butt needed a break. Hats off to you for crossing the US on that thing.
Thanks for watching! Yeah the bike really shines in the city and on shorter trips. 400+ days are just no fun on it, the bike will do it but my back hates it. What bike did you end up with after it?
@@axel-moto that’s a long story. Immediately after I bought a 2008 CB1000F. Basically an overblown Sport Touring bike. I liked it on the highway but in the city it was heavy and not easy to park or maneuver. It also had a stiff suspension and I felt every bump in my spine. In Rome, there are a lot of bumps. I went to an 08 Tiger 1050 but ended up with EFI issues. It was a good bike but in the shop too much. Now I have an 09 R1200GS and it fits me well. While not as maneuverable as a smaller bike, its suspension makes up for a lot. I am also better at splitting and filtering than I was. I chews up the miles and handles all roads well. Even some of the collapsed asphalt roads you see in the countryside. Still, some days, I miss the 600 and it’s ability to knife through traffic.
@@soldat2501 I hear the GS's are fantastic but haven't had a chance to ride one yet. FZ6's are cheap these days and I feel like it would complement the GS nicely!
@@axel-moto As long as you're on two wheels, your bike is incidental. Keep ridin' and explore! Check out some of my lame videos if you have time. I suck at production and they are more for me to recall my time in Italy than for public entertainment. I just have Hero 5 mounted on my bike somewhere, but I do what I can.
Great video! I agree with staying off the interstate and unplugged. I try to get one decent tour in each year alone just to be with my thoughts and see new places others rarely travel. I bought a FZ6 new in 2007 and have put 55k miles on it commuting and touring over the years. I've had some scooters during that time for commuting, but it's the bike I've never been able to part with. One of the best tours I was able to do on it was from Portland Oregon to San Diego down the PCH and back on I5. Had my 9 year old son on the back with me. He love the trip so much that he got his license and a motorcycle when he went off to college. Sometimes he takes the FZ6 out for fun. I just bought a DR650 to replace the FZ6 as my daily and get me into more remote areas. It is quickly gaining as much of a place in my heart as the FZ6. I guess I will be starting a collection of bikes instead of trading for new ones 😆.
Man, that's a great story and thanks for sharing it here. I'm glad you mention getting a DRZ as I'm really thinking of adding one to the stable next to the FZ6 for more off-road focused adventures. How has ownership been? Anything you'd recommend I look out for?
@@axel-moto both the DR650 and DRZ are great bikes. The DR is more of a classic 50/50 do it all motorcycle that is a bit better for longer trips on the highway and has a aftermarket support to adapt it to your needs. Skids & Stuff has some great video of upgrades and what the bike can do in capable hands. It's old school and great if you like tinkering, doing your own maintenance and the very basic feeling of motorcycles. 2017 and newer has most of the know issues fixed at the factory. Small things that will likely have been done on earlier models by the owner. The DRZ is better if you are mainly sticking to off road from what I understand. It doesn't need as many adjustments to ride technical off road stuff. Keep in mind both are carb bikes, which is a plus to some and negative to others. Both also have large groups of supportive owners. Sorry for the delayed response as I just saw your message 😅
Well as a resident of the bay area I will say welcome maybe our motorcycle paths will cross one of these days what a cool adventure that's something I've always wanted to do cross in the United States on a motorcycle and bravo for taking your bike off road like you did that's crazy I love it
That sounds cool. Wish i could do something like this, but i live on a small island so for me a cross country trip takes the best of maybe an hour and a few minutes xD
