A Guide to Touring on a Budget

If you’re new to the world of touring motorcycles, then you’re in for a treat. Taking a long, meandering ride on your comfortable touring bike lets you explore the countryside at your own pace, stopping wherever you want to stop and cruising as long as you like. What’s more, touring can be done on a shoestring budget very easily, so you can make every weekend its own adventure if you want to.

How do you pinch pennies and still get the most out of your touring trips? Doc's Harley-Davidson, in Kirkwood, MO, has been in business since 1955 as your STL-area Harley-Davidson® touring motorcycle dealer. We’ve created this guide to traveling on a budget so that you can enjoy all your touring motorcycle rides this fall without breaking the bank.

Lower Your Overnight Costs

One of the most expensive parts of any vacation is generally accommodations. If you stay in a luxury hotel every night, you’re not going to have any money to do anything else. But do you really need every single comfort that a hotel can bring or can you choose another, less costly option for a place to rest your head each night?

Motorcycle camping is one very affordable option, but it requires you to pack along a sleeping bag and a tent. You’ll only have to pay for the campsite and whatever amenities you plan to use while there, such as laundry. Cheap motels can be another option, along with Airbnb rentals, which may be more affordable than a luxury hotel, especially in a big city.

Whatever place you choose, try to go with something that has fewer amenities to save money. For example, hotels with pools will be more expensive than hotels without pools. Wherever you can cut costs without sacrificing too much comfort, you should do it.

Eat More Cheaply

Dining out at restaurants each night can add up fast. But no one wants to live on gas station fare or fast food for their entire trip, and you can’t really carry sacks of groceries on your motorcycle. You can still enjoy the occasional nice meal out if you are economical about most of what you eat, though.

If your hotel or motel has continental breakfast, then fill up on that to save yourself money on lunch. Another option is to look for all-you-can-eat buffets where you can eat lunch or dinner at a fixed price. If you can, try to cook meals at your campsite or in your accommodations and load up on healthy snacks at gas stations, such as string cheese, nuts, granola bars, fresh or dried fruit and yogurt.

Reduce Fuel Expenses

A third area where you’ll want to save money if you can is on your gasoline. Gas prices rise and fall often, and they tend to peak during weekends, holidays and in the summertime. You’ll want to make sure your motorcycle is as fuel efficient as possible by not overloading it, making sure the tires are properly inflated and in good condition, changing the oil regularly and riding with care. 

Try to go a bit under the speed limit instead of going 70 miles an hour; the faster you go, the more fuel you burn unnecessarily. Look up local gas prices on a website or app like GasBuddy so you can find the cheapest option nearby. If your grocery store has a fuel rewards program, make use of that!

We hope these tips prove helpful to you in planning your next touring trip. Still searching for the perfect Harley touring motorcycle? Peruse our website to see the vast array of new and used Harley-Davidson® touring motorcycles for sale at our Kirkwood dealership. You can also talk to our staff about our financing options and trade-in values if you’d like to make use of these options for your budget. Doc’s Harley-Davidson proudly serves the greater St. Louis metro as well as the neighboring city of St. Charles, MO. Remember — it’s always a party at St. Louis’ Premier dealer!