Preparing for "The Biggest Baddest Bike Trip"
The summer of 2015 was spent planning and preparing for what we deemed “The Biggest Baddest Bike Trip, Ever.” An adventure of a lifetime, the goal was to ride our Harley-Davidson motorcycles from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Buenos Aires, Argentina - and back - via the Pan-American Highway. This is how it all began.
Route from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Buenos Aires, Argentina - and back - over a 4-month period.
Team Meetings
Our team included myself, Jason, and Brian, our trio in making this trip a reality. In planning the Biggest Baddest Bike trip, our team meets regularly to discuss and plan as much as we can for this adventure. Key logistics are pretty much planned an ready to go, and here are most of them but I’m sure I’m forgetting some minor items:
Planning and mapping out our route
Border crossing logistics
Packing lists (which have been reviewed and edited multiple times!)
Physical training
How to handle our personal affairs while on the road
Motorcycle insurance needs
Health insurance needs
Safety considerations
Bike maintenance and repair needs
There are so many of the obvious things to cover when planning a trip of a lifetime. But what about the not-so-obvious? Every bike trip I’ve ever taken in the past has been full of unknowns, which is the most fun and rewarding part of the journey! Never knowing where you will end up at the end of the day, and the people you meet along the journey are just a few of the best things about a motorcycle trip! But, how to you mentally prepare for a 4 month journey like this?
Though this process, one of the key things I’m realizing that I am leaning trust. To trust myself. To trust my team. To trust in strangers, even as scary that may sound to some.
Getting an International Driver’s License was recommended, however, I was never asked to show this at any border crossings. Rather, our passport and state-issued Driver’s License were mandatory.
