First, learn to use Fahrenheit so that you can correctly interpret posts like the one above. "Below zero (F)" translates to "below minus 17 (C)."

Second, your will be staying overnight indoors--hotels, maybe a few hostels, people's living room couches. Every night, watch the Weather Channel. Then arrange your schedule and route to avoid the bad weather. And be sure to leave enough time to do so--you might have to hole up for a few days while a storm blows through.

Third, you need a way to stay warm while riding. Also dry, since wet equals cold....and cold equals stupidly unsafe on a bike. I don't use heated gear, but most people who ride during winter seem to do so. I use a lot of clothes and a few specialty items (overboots, Moose Mitts, stocking hats that fit under my helmet, windproof neck gaiters, etc.).

You might luck out and get fine weather. It does happen. You might also run short of luck and get pure misery. But I've been on a loaded bike on unfamiliar roads with bad tires in snow, and I've survived it. Probably so will you.

Of course, any half-sensible person would rent a car instead.

Hope that helps.

Mark

PS: and about riding on the wrong side of the road--it's not so difficult, really. I've driven cars and bikes on your side and survived this, too. The danger is that in panic situations you'll either revert or freeze. It's a good idea to practice visualization exercises of your own devising so that part of your brain, at least, knows what to do. But I find it scarier walking in places where they drive on the wrong side than I do driving. As a pedestrian in London, for example, I'm constantly terrified, while riding a bike in Guyana or driving a car in Zimbabwe cities is fairly straightforward.

Sounds like a good plan. Weather should not be to bad especially in the south. Good riding suit or trousers/jacket waterproofing and heavy gloves (snowmobile gloves will keep your hands warm) and you are good to go. The weather could be 70's or 40's so prepare.
Riding on the wrong side of the road can be a problem on small 2 lanes with no traffic, in Scotland I found myself drifting into the oncoming lane, put some masking tape on tank with arrow on end pointing to right and stay that way, it helped me. The daylight will be shortened and it will get dark really early so plan accordingly. Cold fronts should pass rather rapidly and getting a few hundred miles behind one will be fair skies but chilly. Have fun, sounds like a good trip.

thanks team , all good info, much appreciated

I've ridden quite a bit in the UK, Thailand and some other "Sui-cide" of the road countries. I did fine in Thailand but in the UK, after being at the Pub I did pull out onto the wrong side a few times. UK drivers are so good, I never had a close call. In the US this would NOT be good. Very dozy drivers. So THINK about it every time you pull out .... SUI - SIDE!
That is how I remembered to drive on the "Wrong Side" of the road!

My riding group ride from N. California to Death Valley at least twice a year. Been doing this for over 20 years. There are lots of scenic routes we take that are Winter friendly. But they vary depending on weather at the time and depending on which passes are open. Getting over there is normally never an issue ... and on good roads, not all interstates. You can most always come through Bakersfield onto Highway 58 and down to Mojave, then U turn North up to Death Valley by way of Ridgecrest. A great ride. PM me if you'd like a specific route down.

From D.V. You'd want to drop down to I-10. The most Southerly Interstate. (Interstate Highway) which will take you all the way to Louisiana. Parts of Arizona and Texas should be fine but colder storms do happen once in a while and in AZ you will cross over a few low mountain ranges. (5 or 6000 ft.) You could do some exploring off the Interstate if weather is good, it usually is down there. Arizona is great. Texas will take you about two days to cross. It pretty much blows. Flat, featureless. "Nah-lens" (New Orleans) is fascinating and fun, but I haven't been since Katrina. Another world from California.

I would spend a couple days getting down to Death Valley ... some of the best roads in the USA are right in that area ... and a day or two in the Valley seeing the sites. (Guide Book)
After that, unless you get off the main highway to explore .... its a long and boring ride on I-10 to New Orleans. As suggested, keep an eye on the weather, plan accordingly.

Have fun!

If you stay low-under 3000 feet- and south, you will miss most of the bad weather. Snow starts to be likely by 5000 feet-Flagstaff, Tucumcari. Less likely El Paso. Amarillo and Dallas have ice stoms, San Antino and Houston get rain. If you go to El Paso you can go the Rio Grande Valley up to Albuquerque and be dry most of the way. You can go to some Indian pueblos and buy direct from the Indians-Silver goods, pottery, rugs. In Louisiana try to see a festival. Have a good trip. Eric

If you stay low-under 3000 feet- and south, you will miss most of the bad weather. Snow starts to be likely by 5000 feet-Flagstaff, Tucumcari. Less likely El Paso. Amarillo and Dallas have ice stoms, San Antino and Houston get rain. If you go to El Paso you can go the Rio Grande Valley and be dry most of the way. Have a good trip. Eric

Just a quick mention, I've spent quite a bit of time interstate driving in the U.S. and, even when on 4 wheels, I felt uneasy driving at night due to the numbers of BIG animals that result in road kill over there. The amount of body part debris and blood spill was worrying, coming from sedate old UK, and I reckon that on two wheels I would be part of the mess!! Be in the hotel/motel before it gets dark.

Thanks again all , still very keen to do the trip his way around and as there will not any urgency to get from one place to another, I guess I can work around the weather.
Still learning to navigate this site, seems I'm not elligable to "PM" yet 'MickyD' but am keen to follow up with your offer when I pass approval from the powers that be .
cheers Russ