Hi Wheelie:

A very useful and thought-provoking post, thank you for taking the time to share your ideas.

But... not all of us are the same, so, with my tongue firmly in my cheek, may I offer an alternative perspective:

Sleep In:
Remember, you bought that motorcycle for recreational use, not to get you to the office every day. A vacation (or retirement, as the case may be) is a time to relax and unwind. So, find out what the check-out time at your hotel is, and ask for a wake-up call an hour before check-out time. There's nothing better than having a good long sleep before a day of riding.

Pick a DIRECTION, not a destination:
I learned long ago to not pick a specific destination, but instead, to simply pick a direction to go. For example, if I start in Zurich, I might decide to go south-west. I'll aim the motorcycle more or less at the south end of Portugal, but it's not essential that I eventually get there. After a few weeks, maybe I might get to the end of the road, then again, maybe I won't.

Don't fall into the trap of telling yourself "I need to get to this specific city by the end of the day". Just get on the moto in the late morning (or maybe even around noon hour, if you loitered around enjoying that third cup of coffee), and head down the road.

Eat at McDonalds along the way
It's predictable, it's stress-free, you know what it's going to cost, the Wi-Fi is free and fast, and they'll always give you lots of paper towels to use to clean your visor and your windshield.

Carrying food with you on the moto is very risky - the food might spoil from the heat, and if that happens, you won't need Psyllium to promote peristalsis - you'll be able to sh1t through the eye of a needle from 10 meters away, and that's no fun at all.

Ride until you decide you have had enough...
Then, pull out your smartphone, launch TripAdvisor, and look for a good hotel nearby. You'll always find one within about 15 minutes of wherever you are. The TripAdvisor app will tell you what the prices are and whether they have space for the night, and the reviews will tell you whether the place is worth a visit or best avoided.

Consider riding at night
It's cooler, there are fewer cars on the road, and it's generally less stressful than riding during the day. If you got a late start in the morning (or early afternoon), and you're still going strong when the sun sets, why bother stopping?

Ride Alone, never with others
Riding with others just adds stress to the whole trip. If you travel on your own, you have control over your schedule and your itinerary. You can "go with the flow" rather than having to "stick to the plan".

Always be open to the idea of staying in one place for a few days
So, you checked into the hotel, the staff were friendly, the property is tranquil, you had a nice dinner and a good night's sleep... why leave in the morning? When you get that wake-up call at 10:00 AM or 10:30 AM, just tell the front desk that you'll be staying another day, hang up the phone, and go back to sleep.

Regards,
Michael

Ha sounds like retirement to me. I would add another one re the wake up call.... Ignore it as u drank far too much jd with the night shift manager and are totally incapable of thought. Then stay at same hotel for another night.....

Certainly can be good idea in certain situations. I've done this after several hard days travel. Good to re-charge and relax. Long days on the bike can run you down and can ruin the "Joy" of travel. It can become WORK. I try to avoid that.

Sometimes sleeping in may not work. In super hot weather I like an early AM start. Get miles done before it gets unbearably HOT ... then relax somewhere nice later in the day, go to bed early ... and start over again, well rested.

Also, some borders need to be tackled early in the day ... or late in the day or night, depending on the border. (some 24/7, some not)

Sleeping in can work if you're up against crap weather and hoping for things to clear up and have time to wait it out. Sometimes waiting makes good sense especially if super cold. Don't fight the weather ... on a bike you most always lose.

I like this one, did this all over France and Spain. Sure, I read guide books for great sights ... but somedays would just follow my nose ... and it worked out GREAT! I went to places in France that rarely saw a tourist, and wandered lost all throughout the roads in the Pyrennes. (great riding) So refreshing.

I'd rather eat dirt. When your urban travel skills improve, you may learn to find decent eateries without a lot of time searching. Google very handy and various other sites. Also, talking to locals can produce good results.

I see the practicality of going to a Mc D's (Wi-Fi, clean bathrooms) but can't eat there more than once a month ... MAX. I always feel sick after eating there.

Use common sense ... most times not a problem for me. I've done this DOZENS of times, never sick ... but you have to manage it.

Trip Adviser? They are middle men, prefer to deal directly with facility.

Agree ... but most travelers do not ... and most rail against nighttime
riding. In USA, especially out in rural areas, it is not, IMO, dangerous.

You DO need good lighting. Some parts of 3rd world countries are not all that safe to ride at night. But suss it out and decide.

I've crossed Mexico at night several times. But shite can go down ... so it's not always a green light. In Mexico, be careful riding on weekends/holidays ... day or night. Drunk driving is rampant.

I like going solo too but a 2 to 4 person group can be great ... and you have the buddy system advantage. The challenge is having everyone be in sync.
I've done it many years ... it usually works out.

Solo travel is in a way, a luxury ... but not without risk.

riding slow, travel fast? - don't agree with that at all, if you ride slow you arrive late. Cant cheat the physics.

But, if you maintain steady pace which is within your riding upper limits and suitable for the road/weather condition then you travel fast.

Your last sentence is the key however. Conditions can rule how fast you can ride ... and survive.

On my 90K mile Vstrom I'd sometimes average 90 mph on empty Northern Mexico highways. But in traffic dense Cent. America ... you won't last long riding fast and aggressive.

Riding fast would wear out a rear tire Quik-Time and drive chains won't last long either. Like half the distance going a bit slower.

So, it's all a trade off. Depends what you enjoy, if you're on a tight schedule or are wicking it up with your buddies.

(TIP: don't get hurt in a foreign country ... things may get a bit complicated! )