Introducing Ride Ready: Free Motorcycle Trip Planning Tools
Updated: Oct 8
Before a motorcycle trip, there’s usually a point when the excitement turns into a few practical questions.
What should I pack? What’s this ride going to cost? Where should I plan to stop for fuel?
Whether you’re heading into the mountains for the day or loading up for a longer adventure, working through those questions before you leave can make the trip more enjoyable.
That’s why I’ve added Ride Ready with Coach Dave to The Road Taught Me. It brings together three free motorcycle trip planning tools: a personalized packing checklist, a trip budget calculator, and a fuel-stop planner.
Motorcycle Packing Checklist: Pack for the Ride You’re Taking
A day ride and a week on the road call for different preparation. Camping adds another layer. So does bringing a passenger or riding through changing weather.
The Motorcycle Packing Checklist helps you build a list based on:
Your trip length and motorcycle type.
Hotel stays, camping, or no overnight lodging.
Rain, heat, or cold-weather preparation.
Whether you’re riding solo or carrying a passenger.
Your list includes riding gear, personal essentials, tools, bike supplies, and checks to complete before departure. You can check items off as you pack, expand the packing tips, or print the list.
My goal is to help you think through what belongs on your motorcycle for this particular trip. Use the checklist as a starting point, then adjust it for your route, your needs, and your bike’s available space and load limits.
Motorcycle Trip Budget Calculator: Know What the Miles Could Cost
Fuel is only one part of a motorcycle trip budget. Lodging, meals, parking, attractions, and other expenses can add up along the way.
The Motorcycle Trip Budget Calculator brings those costs together so you can estimate:
Fuel expenses for one or multiple motorcycles.
Lodging costs for rooms or campsites.
Meals based on the number of people and trip days.
Other expenses and an optional extra budget cushion.
Total group cost, an equal share per person, and average daily cost.
Enter your own mileage, fuel economy, prices, and spending estimates. The starting amounts are examples, so replace them with numbers that fit your plans.
I also like leaving some breathing room in a travel budget. Weather can change your plans, and sometimes a place deserves another night. Having a cushion gives you more options.
Motorcycle Fuel-Stop Planner: Leave Yourself Options
Knowing your tank capacity is helpful. Planning around how much fuel you’re willing to use before stopping is another matter.
The Motorcycle Fuel-Stop Planner uses your tank capacity, fuel at departure, expected MPG, chosen reserve, and trip distance to estimate a refueling plan.
You can also enter your preferred maximum distance between stops. The tool then shows:
Your estimated first leg.
Planned mileage between full refills.
The number of fuel stops along the trip.
Refueling targets measured from your starting point.
Estimated total fuel consumption.
Those targets are planning mileages, not actual gas station locations. Check where stations are, whether they’ll be open, and what options you have along remote stretches.
The estimate assumes you refill to full at each planned stop and achieve the MPG you entered. Wind, terrain, speed, and load can change actual fuel economy. Take an earlier fuel opportunity when conditions call for it.
Put Ride Ready to Work on Your Next Trip
Start with the budget calculator, work through your fuel plan, and finish with a packing checklist. All three tools are free to use, and each offers a printable version.
As a RiderCoach and motorcycle traveler, I want The Road Taught Me to give you practical help you can take into your next ride. Ride Ready is another way to do that.
Try Ride Ready with Coach Dave and let me know what you think. What trip are you planning—and what would make these tools more useful to you?
Until next time… Ride safe. Ride smart. Trust God.
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