Solo Cross Country Trip on a Scooter :-)

Sarah Blessington

Sarah Blessington

Adventurist
YES, I know it's a ridiculous idea and that I should get a 'real bike'... But (at this juncture) my mind is made up and I'm going for it! So please, if you're going to contribute to my post, I'd love some real advice on how to make this a success :)

The plan:
Starting in San Francisco, I will find a used 150cc Scooter, macgyver 2 saddle bags onto said scooter, fill one with cooking equipment/food, other with camping essentials (bivy/tarp) and small tools (fix a flat, zip ties, duct tape, paracord), under the seat with my sleeping bag, and have the rear hard case with clothes/toiletries/electronics. THEN I will take the month of June to scoot across the country to North Carolina! Easy, right?!

I am looking to get some gear second hand, if anyone is interested in some spring cleaning! I'll gladly ship to SF.

Here's what (at least I think) I need:
-GPS with a handle bar mount
-Delorme/SPOT (for my mother's sake, and my own!)
-Small camp stove
-Lightweight sleeping pad
-Size 39 (US 8) moto boots (I'm currently looking at Alpinestars' Vitka boots, so I may just end up buying them)
-Textile pants (I am getting a new-to-me Cortech jacket that is pink and white, so matching isn't a terrible idea, haha!)
-Med/large moto gloves
-Solar pannel (for charging phone/camera)
-Soft sided panniers

Here's where this amazing community comes in:
I have been crisscrossing this amazing country for years, but have never done so solo, or on a moto, and I am so excited for this new crazy experience. I would LOVE any anecdotes from where the best apple pie is, what the most amazing camping spots are, best roads.... or anything you think might add some special flavor to the adventure :)

Also, it would be wonderful to meet up with folks along the way for a beer or coffee, so please don't be shy with reaching out! The only stop that I HAVE to make is in Grand Junction, CO, so beyond that, this world is my oyster :)

If you're just curious to see if I make it, you can follow along at www.sarahblessington.com!

Thanks to any and all!!!

-Sarah
 
Sarah,

We've got a 1st gen Spot we could contribute to the effort. It's never been used and never had the service activated. I would assume it still works once you activate it. If you don't get something better, PM me an address and I drop it in the mail. BTW, you met us at Overland Expo two years ago camped in the XP booth with Marc. We were showing our XP v1 for him camped next to you.

Doug & Inger
 
Hello Doug and Inger!!! Thanks so much for reaching out!!! How wonderful to connect again through American Adventurist :)
Of course I remember you two (or three if you count your adventure home)!

I will keep you in the loop about the Spot!!

Hope your adventures have been plentiful :)

-Sarah
 
woodienut said:
Sarah, First off GOOD LUCK and safe travels! My 2 cents worth is for camping spots. Download The ioverlander APP...at http://ioverlander.com/ for great info on camping spots.
And pack lite, weight creeps up fast, at higher altitudes the 150cc will be working hard.
Click to expand...

Hi woodiest!

I had that at one point, thank you so much for reminding me to download it again! Yes, the 150cc's will be working hard for me, haha. New mantra *pack light, pack light, pack light*
 
I was behind three guys on scooters a couple of weeks ago. One of them had Vermont plates on it, all three looked like they had been on the road for a while, seemed to be having the time of their life. Looking forward to reading about your adventures.
 
I'd consider going minimalist on the electronics. Maybe a smart phone with GPS, rather than a separate phone, GPS and spot. Also I'd add a 12v charging system to the scooter.
 
My advice is to plan the route carefully for fuel stops, and consider carrying a little reserve fuel. (MSR White gas bottle?) I believe there are a few stretches of the country where you will not easily be able to traverse the distances between fuel stops on the relatively small range a scooter like that affords.

We had a member of the Astro Safari Vans group planning to do something like this. He and his wife both worked seasonally, but skewed, and he planned to moto cross country to meet her and was going to use a small scooter or moto (I'd have to look up what it was) so that it would stow in the van and they could drive home together. He was meticulously planning each fuel stop based on the test-ranges he was getting from his moto, and there were more than one or two stretches where the math said he might not make it without reserve fuel. I'll try to dig up the thread and will post if I can find it.
 
Herbie said:
My advice is to plan the route carefully for fuel stops, and consider carrying a little reserve fuel. (MSR White gas bottle?) I believe there are a few stretches of the country where you will not easily be able to traverse the distances between fuel stops on the relatively small range a scooter like that affords.

We had a member of the Astro Safari Vans group planning to do something like this. He and his wife both worked seasonally, but skewed, and he planned to moto cross country to meet her and was going to use a small scooter or moto (I'd have to look up what it was) so that it would stow in the van and they could drive home together. He was meticulously planning each fuel stop based on the test-ranges he was getting from his moto, and there were more than one or two stretches where the math said he might not make it without reserve fuel. I'll try to dig up the thread and will post if I can find it.
Click to expand...

Great advise Herbie!
When I pull my small trailer with "only" a 18 gal. tank I don't pass up a chance to fill up.
A scooter's easier to push than a truck & trailer, still, right?
Now we're warmed up. [emoji850][emoji106]
 
Sarah Blessington said:
YES, I know it's a ridiculous idea and that I should get a 'real bike'...
Click to expand...

150cc is a real bike! I ran around on a 1980 Honda XL125 for a year and loved it. Something about the simplicity of the machine and not having to carry all that "extra" gear.

You should look into Wan's story over on TotalRuckus, he did a cross country run on a 50cc Honda Ruckus. LINK

I'd also recommend starting a thread over on advrider.com if you haven't already. Tons of small CC ride reports and information there.

Good luck and I'm looking forward to reading about the adventure!
 
Sarah, congrats on your decision to get out on the open road!

I've been following Quezzie's ride report on ADVrider for what seems like years now.
Young lady, traveling all around the US, Canada and Mexico by scoot.

She documents everything! I'd give it a read if you have like a month to spare.
 
Sounds like an exciting adventure for sure! I read your latest blog post. Ahem, you were one of the people my wife and I were following back in 2013 & 14 on Instagram that inspired us towards our current love affair with the road. We set off on a full time traveling journey in May 2015.

Just wanted to say, best of wishes on your next journey.
 
Last edited:
bob91yj said:
I was behind three guys on scooters a couple of weeks ago. One of them had Vermont plates on it, all three looked like they had been on the road for a while, seemed to be having the time of their life. Looking forward to reading about your adventures.
Click to expand...

Huzzah! Hopefully I'll find some fellow nut-jobs out there on the road :p I'll try to keep folks posted as the journey unfolds! Thanks for the vote of confidence :)
 
Al Swope said:
I'd consider going minimalist on the electronics. Maybe a smart phone with GPS, rather than a separate phone, GPS and spot. Also I'd add a 12v charging system to the scooter.
Click to expand...

Agreed! I need to keep reminding myself that a scoot is a MUCH different playing field than an adventure truck :p No room to just tuck things away! I love the idea for a 12v charging system. I will be looking into this!
 
Herbie said:
My advice is to plan the route carefully for fuel stops, and consider carrying a little reserve fuel. (MSR White gas bottle?) I believe there are a few stretches of the country where you will not easily be able to traverse the distances between fuel stops on the relatively small range a scooter like that affords.

We had a member of the Astro Safari Vans group planning to do something like this. He and his wife both worked seasonally, but skewed, and he planned to moto cross country to meet her and was going to use a small scooter or moto (I'd have to look up what it was) so that it would stow in the van and they could drive home together. He was meticulously planning each fuel stop based on the test-ranges he was getting from his moto, and there were more than one or two stretches where the math said he might not make it without reserve fuel. I'll try to dig up the thread and will post if I can find it.
Click to expand...

Yes!!! I will for sure need to squirrel away some spare fuel, as well... You never know, even with careful planning, when monkey wrenches will find a way into the game!

That sounds like a splendid adventure! I would love to read the thread :)
 
woodienut said:
Great advise Herbie!
When I pull my small trailer with "only" a 18 gal. tank I don't pass up a chance to fill up.
A scooter's easier to push than a truck & trailer, still, right?
Now we're warmed up. [emoji850][emoji106]
Click to expand...

There's always a bright side to every angle :p
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom