Cost per day

[lexluther11]

I'm planning a trip this fall from Vancouver BC to Belize. Maybe farther south but not sure yet? I'll be riding the West Coast through Washington, Oregon, California and then Baja to La Paz. Ferry over to Mazatlan then down the coast to Belize. I'm hoping to go for 2 months. I'll be camping, cheap motels, the odd nice hotel and maybe riding 2 tanks of gas per day. For those who have travelled that way how much should I expect roughly to spend per day including food?

Thanks a lot..........

[Shibby!]

If you read ride reports, people can and are doing it for $50 or less a day.

I'm still hoping of heading south this winter too riding a XR650R. I also hope to do it as cheap as possible but I'm sinking money left right and center into the bike

[lexluther11]

Originally Posted by Shibby!

If you read ride reports, people can and are doing it for $50 or less a day.

I'm still hoping of heading south this winter too riding a XR650R. I also hope to do it as cheap as possible but I'm sinking money left right and center into the bike

he he.......me too and I just ordered a 705cc piston kit, hot cams, oversizes valves and some other goodies for the bike. My budget is $75 per day so maybe if i can get it down to $50 the trip will last a lot longer. When you planning on leaving? You might have to leave a bit early before you get snowed in there in Alberta All I have to worry about is the rain puddles.

[wheatwhacker]

I'm headed to Panama this winter.
I was budgeting 10 cents a mile for gas and $30-40/day for sleeping and eating.

You can camp for free along the sea of cortez and I'm sure as you go south you will find more free camping.
Food is cheap and one meal a day is plenty along with fruit and water.

[dacrazyrn]

Don't know if it will help, but someone made this happy trip planner. In Excel (can be converted by other things, too-NeoOffice for Mac)
Trip Planner

[lexluther11]

Originally Posted by wheatwhacker

I'm headed to Panama this winter.
I was budgeting 10 cents a mile for gas and $30-40/day for sleeping and eating.

You can camp for free along the sea of cortez and I'm sure as you go south you will find more free camping.
Food is cheap and one meal a day is plenty along with fruit and water.

Thanks for the info and being able to camp a few nights for free will be a bonus. Cheap = longer adventure

[Strong Bad]

Originally Posted by lexluther11

he he.......me too and I just ordered a 705cc piston kit, hot cams, oversizes valves and some other goodies for the bike. .

Do you really want to go to 3rd world countries with unique parts in your engine??? IMHO Stock Honda is the way to go to avoid issues.

[lexluther11]

Originally Posted by Strong Bad

Do you really want to go to 3rd world countries with unique parts in your engine??? IMHO Stock Honda is the way to go to avoid issues.

That's what I have been debating.........should I do the upgrade before I go so I have the extra power for passing those b-trian trucks or do it when I get back after I have put on 15-20k? I ride a KLR650 and have never had a problem with it and it's always got me home.

[Jamie Z]

My ride four years ago through seven countries from Canada to Honduras cost me less than $25 per day, including everything.

Gas was more than a dollar per gallon cheaper at that time, and since fuel is my biggest on-road expense, that will have a big effect.

To wit, I did a three-week ride through the southwest US a couple months ago where gas averaged $3.84 and was 40% of my trip cost averaging 275 miles per day. For that trip, I spent $55 per day. With a little more care (I ate out and stayed in hotels more than I usually do) I could have probably cut $10 or $15 per day off that figure.

That said, I'm pretty frugal and experienced in budget travel. For some people my daily budget for everything is their food or lodging budget alone.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showp...3&postcount=90

Jamie

[Sjoerd Bakker]

Whoa whoa ... Lex , if you are on a KLR you will NEVER need 2 tanks of gas per day.... unless there is something wrong with the bike or you are spending waaaaay too much time riding hard and fast.
A KLR tankful is good for 500+km and you will have days where you buy nothing. Just for common sense you ought to top it up when in long unsettled areas but you will not be a habitue of Pemex stations.
Gas though is the biggest single expense . Staying in small nice hotels and eating sensibly will be affordable and you should be good if you budget around $65per day. This is more than th tghe 50 idealized but you have to allow for major one-time costs like the ferry , the insurance you need and any possible glitch.
If you are travelling with a friend $50 per person is easily done since the hotel cost will be halved , or thirded , or fourthed or... depending on how many of you share the room. I know this for a fact having done just that with a friend this past winter and post trip calculations show it was for me just under .... tadaaa ... $50 per person for the trip from Canada ,across the US and 11111km in Mexico then back to Canada .
So if I were to recalculate only for Mexico it would be less again.

[lexluther11]

Originally Posted by Sjoerd Bakker

Whoa whoa ... Lex , if you are on a KLR you will NEVER need 2 tanks of gas per day.... unless there is something wrong with the bike or you are spending waaaaay too much time riding hard and fast.
A KLR tankful is good for 500+km and you will have days where you buy nothing. Just for common sense you ought to top it up when in long unsettled areas but you will not be a habitue of Pemex stations.
Gas though is the biggest single expense . Staying in small nice hotels and eating sensibly will be affordable and you should be good if you budget around $65per day. This is more than th tghe 50 idealized but you have to allow for major one-time costs like the ferry , the insurance you need and any possible glitch.
If you are travelling with a friend $50 per person is easily done since the hotel cost will be halved , or thirded , or fourthed or... depending on how many of you share the room. I know this for a fact having done just that with a friend this past winter and post trip calculations show it was for me just under .... tadaaa ... $50 per person for the trip from Canada ,across the US and 11111km in Mexico then back to Canada .
So if I were to recalculate only for Mexico it would be less again.

I was thinking it would cost more but now that I have got some info from here things are looking up. I'm going solo and had planned a budget of $100 per day for 1 month, but now I think I can do $75 per day for 2 months plus 2 grand for extra costs like ferry, insurance, parts. I think I'll need one more fund of money put a side for beer

Thanks for the help.

[Lone Rider]

Originally Posted by lexluther11

I was thinking it would cost more but now that I have got some info from here things are looking up. I'm going solo and had planned a budget of $100 per day for 1 month, but now I think I can do $75 per day for 2 months plus 2 grand for extra costs like ferry, insurance, parts. I think I'll need one more fund of money put a side for beer

Thanks for the help.

If you have 100 per day available, you're in like flint.
Where you stay during your downtime - the rent cost - is key. Where can also affects your food costs.
Your actual cost per mile on your bike, will be aruond $.20 or so. This includes chains, sprockets, tires, oil changes, fuel (at $4gal). Stick this into your budget planning, if you're going for a long trip.

You can get under the $50....if you plan ahead. Planning is key.
SB's estimate is a good one, and one given from his great experience.

You will have a much better expeience staying in hostels or cheap hotels, and being around the poeple, than you would by camping in the bush. The culture and the poeple are so much of your ride - not just the miles you've rode. OK, throw in some killer landscape, too. :)

Get some guide books and maps.
Tickle your dreams.

[Daandus]

cost per day, isn't that the most difficult subject? Even worse than tyres ;-)

My wife and I, two Africa Twins: (figures include health insurance, bike insurance, visa's, maintenance (tyres, chains oil etc.) exlcude: flight tickets, bike shipments overseas)

USA: 3 months, 13.000 km's, 9 nights motel and mainly cooking ourselves:
1750 euro/month = 2500 USD per month in total.
rougly 41 USD per person per day

MEX: 2 months, 5.000 km's, mostly hotels but also some free weeks @ voluntairy work. mainly eating on the street.
850 euro/month - 1200USD per month in total.
rougly 20 USD per person per day

[Lone Rider]

Originally Posted by Daandus

cost per day, isn't that the most difficult subject? Even worse than tyres ;-)....

It's on the extreme edge of subjective.
This type of thread comes up often.
Usually, the person posting has made few plans, and is just curious. Fine.
Much of this - OK, maybe 90% of this - is learned while traveling, and not only by motorbike. Experience.

The larger the budget, the less time spent researching.
The smaller the budget, the more planning and creativity involved.
This is natural.

[eakins]

Originally Posted by lexluther11

That's what I have been debating.........should I do the upgrade before I go so I have the extra power for passing those b-trian trucks or do it when I get back after I have put on 15-20k? I ride a KLR650 and have never had a problem with it and it's always got me home.

a quick downshift and i can pass anything in a flash. trucks move much slower and car are alot less powerfull SOB. keep it stock.