To be honest, I don't think any of these bikes is ideal. I've run up the Alaska Hwy as far as Watson Lake, and back south on the Cassiar. You need to worry about two factors: reliability and range. There are a couple of stretches where there is no fuel or service for a long ways.

IMHO, I would sell the two smaller bikes and put the money towards something like a used KLR 650.

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Bruce Clarke - 2020 Yamaha XV250

He's not planning a trip to Alaska--he said he wants to go coast to coast, which will involve mostly road travel unless he is very creative. The KLR isn't the best bike for that, IMHO.

Ah, sorry. I misread the original note.
Yes, I would agree that for a c2c road trip, the Mille is definitely the way to go. Fit it with some saddlebags and it should be fine.

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Bruce Clarke - 2020 Yamaha XV250

Hey, don't diss the Aprilia for reliability ! :-). Sometimes bikes surprise you.

Are there any KLR 650s left ? All the Canadians seem to buy them in September and head south :-)

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http://www.ytc1.co.uk

If you're looking for some ideas on routes West to East coast check out this book: Road Trip USA: Cross-Country Adventures on America's Two-Lane Highways by Jamie Jensen. There's also a website companion to the book: ROAD TRIP USA.

There are some great roads in this book that will get you through a lot of nice country in the US. I've been using it to plan trips for a few years now. Great information, and there's a 2011 update so you wont show up in a town and find the restaurant or hotel you're looking for closed.

I'm in the middle of planning my own x-country trip, from east to west though for 2014. I'm looking at taking either Rt 50 or Rt 40 or a little of both.

I've done it every way across USA and you need speed to get outa everyone's way, and there's some LONG stretches on a little bike will kill you.

Fernet Insurance in Orlando Florida for insurance if you are from somewhere else

Zig

All good advice here. Air temperature and distance between fillups is important to keep in mind, as is: on or off paved roads, speed, riding style, lifestyle (camper or moteler) and overall goal. Any bike can cross the USA if it is not pushed over its limits for an extended period of time.

My advice: wear good eye protection both clear and tinted.

- Fabini
Moto Fabini

in almost all states ! Helmet in some.

I think the big bike.

Zig

Honeybadgers:

I've done a lot of cross-continent riding - first trip was on a Honda CB360 in the early 1970s when I was a teenager, more recently I have put 130,000 km on my ST1100 going cross country in both North America and Europe.

The biggest issue I think you need to consider is reliability of the machine. You don't want the moto to break down halfway through the trip. A tire puncture, although a complete PITA, can be dealt with - you just buy a new tire. Some kind of weird mechanical breakdown on an uncommon moto that it is hard to find parts for will probably bring your trip to a premature end.

So - that totally rules out the '81 Suzuki TS185.

I honestly think that the '75 Honda CB125 is way too small a bike to use for a cross-continent trip. Consider that in addition to yourself, you will need to bring a small amount of stuff (clothes, etc.). The bike won't be able to get out of it's own way, let alone climb hills or maintain a safe speed in the face of a strong headwind. Plus, the darn thing is 36 years old!

You have kind of shot down the 2000 Aprilia RSV1000 Mille with your comment "...should it break, parts would be hard to come by and expensive as all hell..." I wouldn't rule that bike out entirely - my ST1100 is a 2001, and I don't have any concerns about heading off on 5,000 km trips with it - but, I get it fully serviced - practically overhauled - annually by a Swiss dealer (at a cost of about $2K per year), and I tell the dealer that reliability means everything, and the price of the service doesn't matter.

If you maintain the Aprilia as well as you say you do, it could be a good choice. But, towards the end of your note, you wrote "...I may also sell the ape and buy something like a vstrom 650 or Transalp." I think you would be better off with a new (or at least, newer) bike in the 650 cc and up range. Again - reliability is everything when making long cross-continent trips, and so far as the cost of obtaining that reliability is concerned, you can either pay it out in service and preparation costs for an older bike, or capital cost (purchase cost) for a new or 'newer' bike.

I don't think that the Transalp is sold in North America, which leads me to believe that you might not be resident in North America. If you do purchase a new bike, give some thought to purchasing something that is also sold in North America - that will make it a heck of a lot easier to get it serviced, buy tires, stuff like that.

You asked 'what to bring'. I travel with a small toolkit, a tire patching kit, and a hand-operated air pump. I stay in hotels or hostels, which means I don't have to carry a tent and all the crap that goes with camping. After 10 years of riding about 10 to 15,000 km a year cross-continent, I have managed to trim down everything I need to that which will fit into the two saddlebags of my ST1100. The less that you carry, the easier your life is. Take a toiletry kit, couple of pairs of socks, couple of pairs of underwear, two pairs of jeans, 2 polo shirts, a jumper (sweater), a small laptop computer, and that's it.

You didn't talk about budgeting. I suggest you allow about $80 to $100 a day for food, attractions, and lodging. Fuel is extra, but it doesn't cost much on a motorcycle. I don't budget anything for toll roads because I never ride on them - they are boring as stink, the secondary roads are better.

It's not that expensive to ship the motorcycle back to the other side of the country. Contact a moving company ('removal company' in UK-speak) and ask them what it would cost to have them haul the thing coast to coast for you when you are done with the ride. I'm going to guess not much, maybe only $300 to $500.

Michael