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North America Topics specific to Canada and USA/Alaska only.
Photo by Marc Gibaud, Clouds on Tres Cerros and Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia

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Photo by Marc Gibaud,
Clouds on Tres Cerros and
Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia



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  • 1 Post By pheonix
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  #1  
Old 19 Aug 2014
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Good plan & I'm interested in the replies
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Old 19 Aug 2014
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Hi Jay
Welcome to the hubb. Please don't take it the wrong way (some noobs do, unfortunately) but much of what you ask has already been asked previously. There's a great search function on the top right of every page. Or browse the relevant section like N, C and S America.

There's a really useful sticky thread at the top of the N America section about States where it's easier than others to buy and register a bike as a foreigner. From memory (can't look myself as I'm just on my phone) Arizona, New Mexico and Montana are more straight forward.

With ref to wild camping, National Forests might be easier as they're Federal land and not private property.
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Old 20 Aug 2014
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If you aren't in a hurry spend less on a bike and be sure to take food prep gear with your camping gear. Look for a bike that has a wide distribution in your planned area and learn before hand how to fix it. helena motorcycles/scooters - craigslist
I live in montana and it is pretty easy going as far as registering a vehicle. Also the license plate you get is permanent as long as you own the bike.
Best thing to do is take the money and hit the road.
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Old 20 Aug 2014
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Heaps of places to free camp in a tent in the US. Most Forestry service land at least 1/4 mile from a main road can be used. Same with vast areas of BLM lands.

We use Map of Free Camping Areas | Go Camping for Free! a fair bit and we are in a 35' overwide motorhome so on a motorbike you should have even more choice.

BTW, you do know that while Australia has Great White sharks and Crocodiles so if you stay out of the water you are pretty safe - as long as you keep away from the snakes and spiders of course, but the US and Canada have Bears, and there is nowhere to hide.

Currently over 100F every day in south-western states bordering Mexico and has been that way for a couple of months or more.
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Old 20 Aug 2014
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Originally Posted by Bill Ryder View Post
If you aren't in a hurry spend less on a bike and be sure to take food prep gear with your camping gear. Look for a bike that has a wide distribution in your planned area and learn before hand how to fix it. helena motorcycles/scooters - craigslist
I live in montana and it is pretty easy going as far as registering a vehicle. Also the license plate you get is permanent as long as you own the bike.
Best thing to do is take the money and hit the road.
Hey, I already do a fair bit of hiking/camping so was planning on taking a mess kit with me and doing a fair bit of my own cooking. I've also had some experince with fixing up motorcycles although I've only ever had a 2 stoke completely apart but I feel I'd be up for the challenge.

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Originally Posted by Tony LEE View Post
Heaps of places to free camp in a tent in the US. Most Forestry service land at least 1/4 mile from a main road can be used. Same with vast areas of BLM lands.

We use Map of Free Camping Areas | Go Camping for Free! a fair bit and we are in a 35' overwide motorhome so on a motorbike you should have even more choice.

BTW, you do know that while Australia has Great White sharks and Crocodiles so if you stay out of the water you are pretty safe - as long as you keep away from the snakes and spiders of course, but the US and Canada have Bears, and there is nowhere to hide.

Currently over 100F every day in south-western states bordering Mexico and has been that way for a couple of months or more.
Thanks for the link will come in handy as I start to actually get down to actually planning the trip. Bears are the only thing that really concerns me I'm hoping with senisble precautions (food sealed away and stored outside of camp and no food/anything that smell foody in the tent) i'll be OK.

As for camping on federally owned land I had read something about that but I also read your not suppose to take you vehicle with you, not sure how I would feel about being so far from my bike, also I read on another forum that camping on such land might only apply to US citizens. Which is why I was asking seems a bit of a weird situation legally.

I feel I should clear something up, the term "wild camping" in the UK basically means camping anywhere outside that isn't an offical campsite whether its the top of a mountain or just off a busy road outside of a town.
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Old 20 Aug 2014
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Buying the bike or registering it, is not so much of a problem, its staying legal by having insurance that is the problem. Many states require you to be a resident to get insurance, which I find amusing giving the high number of illegal immigrants in the US.

I have found that those states that allow non residents to get insurance hike their rates. On the same bike I was quoted $400 in Maryland or $1000 in Arizona using Progressive online system.

progressive is good for foreigners requiring insurance and you can do it all online. Just need an address.

I gave up trying to buy a bike and shipped mine instead. Remember that taking your own bike, its all ready with everything you need. Panniers, sat nav, electrics etc.
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Old 20 Aug 2014
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All sounds very sensible and doable to me. 6 months and £10,000, certainly possible.

I bought my bike in Alaska and started in July (2010) I was in Baja California by November and Panama by January. Many people moved faster than me, few slower.

You'd need to be south of Canada by October at the latest. If I was you I'd think of starting in August in California/Oregon do the western third of the US (amazing scenery and National Parks.)Get to Mexico around late Oct/ November. It's cooler then. You''ll probably get rain but be at the end of the hurricane season. You don't want to be in Central America before October.

If you're planning on going south of Panama into Colombia etc then the latest you can get a boat is December I think ( although you can always fly)

Many people cover the US all the way down to Argentina in 6 months. personally I think that's too quick. You'll miss a lot. Why not go slower, see more and leave South America for another time?.

If you can be bothered scrolling through my blog then all my details are there. Www.thedomwayround.blogspot.com. Or better still buy my book from my website and I'll personally sign and send you a copy so you can get planning! - Gone Riding - | Motorcycling and Volunteering across two continents
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