{"id":900011,"date":"2026-10-08T04:46:52","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T04:46:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/motorcyclesontheroadagain.com\/?p=900011"},"modified":"2026-10-09T21:34:32","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T21:34:32","slug":"motra-2006-11-godometer-how-to-choose-a-guided-motorcycle-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/motorcyclesontheroadagain.com\/?p=900011","title":{"rendered":"GoDometer: How to choose a guided motorcycle tour"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Lynn & Tom Matthews<\/em><\/p>\n

Tour descriptions can be confusing and it is hard to make an apples-to-apples comparison. Here are some key points to consider:<\/p>\n

How long is the tour?<\/p>\n

A five-day motorcycle tour can mean 5 nights of lodging and only 4 days of riding. Read the tour descriptions carefully or contact the operator to make sure you know how many days you'll be riding. Look for descriptions such as "5-days\/6-nights."<\/p>\n

What's included?<\/p>\n

Meals. Some tours include meals and some don't. Most operators who provide meals usually include breakfast and dinner and leave lunch up to the individual. Alcoholic beverages are typically not included. The type of restaurants included in the tour can have an impact on both your enjoyment of the tour and the cost of the tour. Be sure to read the tour offering carefully and find out what level of meals and how many meals you are getting. Look for terms like "gourmet" "fine dining" or "family style" to get a feel for the offering. Again, ask questions if you're not sure.<\/p>\n

Rentals. Some operators include rentals, some don't. Be sure to figure the costs when doing your comparisons. Rentals should run between $115 a day for a smaller cruiser to $135 for a mid-sized bike on up to $165 or more per day for a full-dress touring bike. Weekly rates are often available. Realize that insurance and taxes are extra. Even if a tour operator does not provide rentals, look for a company that will work with you to make the arrangements and find out if they can get you from the airport to your rental and back.<\/p>\n

Lodging. Lodging choices abound from primitive cabins to low-cost chain motels to high-end lodges and historic inns. The cost of lodging will often be the major cost factor in the overall price of the tour and may drive your budget decisions. Unless the tour operator highlights luxury lodging as a feature of the tour, assume that the rooms will be average chain or local hotels and motels. As always, ask questions.<\/p>\n

What other things should I look for?<\/p>\n

Does the operator know the area? Have the guides spent the time getting to know the roads, the attractions and the weather? Do they know where the hotels and restaurants are, where repairs and parts can be obtained? Are they experienced riders with a passion for motorcycling?<\/p>\n

Support vehicle and trailer. A support vehicle and trailer offer several benefits. Obviously, the ability to carry a motorcycle to a repair facility in case of a mechanical problem or a shredded tire adds peace of mind and can prevent lost riding time. Other benefits include the convenience of being able to stow your luggage in the trailer instead of packing and unpacking the bike each night and having your luggage locked up at lunch stops and at attractions. If you or your passenger doesn't want to ride on a particular day, hitching a ride in the support vehicle is an option. Some motorcycle tour operators allow a non-rider to take the entire trip in the vehicle. In short, a support vehicle and trailer can provide convenience, safety, security and peace of mind.<\/p>\n

Additional services. There are many small things that can help avoid hassles and add to the enjoyment of your motorcycle vacation. Airport pick-up and drop off, help with getting a bike shipped, agreeing to receive any gear you have shipped and helping ship those souvenirs home. Perhaps a Fly-Buy-Ride arrangement, where you will pre-arrange a new bike purchase is something you want to try. You fly in, ride the bike on the tour and either ride the bike home or have it shipped. A tour company that can help you make the arrangements is invaluable.<\/p>\n

Don't forget trip insurance. Regardless of how well you and the tour operator have planned your vacation, things can still go wrong; you may become ill, the trip might be cancelled mid-tour or other external events can cause a change of plans. Trip insurance can cover some of the loss and soften the blow of a vacation disaster. Some tour operators offer trip insurance, others do not. Whichever way you go, be sure the policy meets your requirements and always shop around for the best deal. If you are touring out of the country be sure you have medical evacuation coverage.<\/p>\n

The final thing to look for is a good fit. Does the motorcycle tour meet your style of riding? Are you looking for an intimate group or is a large group your idea of fun? Are you an Iron Butt Rally\/thousand mile per day rider or do you want to take it easy and see the sights? Do you care about staying in upscale lodging or is a sleeping bag in a rustic cabin the perfect choice? Does the tour meet your needs for budget, locale, attractions and extracurricular activities? Does the tour require you to ride as a group or can you take off on your own and meet the group later for dinner? Do the guides seem to be the kind of folks you want to spend a week with? Check the web site and read about the company, the guides and the owners. If you are unsure, send an email or pick up the phone and call. If you call you should try to speak with the person who will actually lead your tour, otherwise you might just be talking to a silver-tongued salesperson.<\/p>\n

The whole point of a guided motorcycle tour is to eliminate the hassles and get the most out of your vacation. Read the tour descriptions, ask questions and you'll find a tour that fits your budget, your time and your interests.<\/p>\n\n\n

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By Lynn & Tom Matthews Tour descriptions can be confusing and it is hard to make an apples-to-apples comparison. Here are some key points to consider: How long is the tour? A five-day motorcycle tour can mean 5 nights of lodging and only 4 days of riding. Read the tour descriptions carefully or contact the … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":900714,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[153],"tags":[147,170],"class_list":["post-900011","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spotlight","tag-motra-may-june-2006","tag-sl040"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/motorcyclesontheroadagain.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/900011","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/motorcyclesontheroadagain.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/motorcyclesontheroadagain.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/motorcyclesontheroadagain.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/motorcyclesontheroadagain.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=900011"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/motorcyclesontheroadagain.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/900011\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":900317,"href":"https:\/\/motorcyclesontheroadagain.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/900011\/revisions\/900317"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/motorcyclesontheroadagain.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/900714"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/motorcyclesontheroadagain.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=900011"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/motorcyclesontheroadagain.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=900011"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/motorcyclesontheroadagain.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=900011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}