When planning a cross-country trip, it’s best to set yourself up for success by planning your route, prepping your bike, and accounting for anything and everything that can go wrong. Now watch what can go wrong as “Two Idiots Cross the US on '80s Motorcycles,” their title not mine.
I’m not trying to be mean here, but they’re pretty self-aware that their trip wasn’t the smoothest or most professional, but it was a pretty entertaining take and break on a cross-country tour, which is usually attempted by seasoned veterans and professionals, or people with reliable bikes.
The journey started out as a dream. Roman Bobber and Jacob Burges, two friends who wanted to cross the U.S. since they got into motorcycling decided that buying second-hand 80s motorcycles is the way to go given their current state in life. The two bikes that the pair purchased were a Honda CB900, and a Kawasaki Conquest, and both two-wheelers have definitely seen better days.
After a bit of prep and a few test runs, the old Honda looked like it would be the problem child of this trip with the pair reporting electrical problems from the stator all the way to the ignition system. The CB went through a few “mods” which also included a necessary hotwire due to the faulty ignition.
After the electrical issues, it was time for the Kawasaki to act up with a flat tire on a Sunday when no shops were open to help, requiring a tow truck. Unfortunately, the jerry-rig fix for the CB900 gave way and now both bikes found themselves getting towed. Luckily, the stars aligned and all the Honda needed was a fuse, and a new tire was fitted on the Kawi.
The pair’s unlucky antics kept continuing as they were pestered by low tire pressures, more technical issues with the Honda that required a bump start, a gear oil change, and tons of sunscreen that ended up being useless under the heat of the sun.
Given their luck, it was amazing to see them soldier on and continue despite all the little trials and tribulations that came their way. There were so many disheartening moments on the trip that I couldn’t help but cheer them on as the video went through. Of course, there was the dreaded question of “what’ll go wrong next,” as I was watching the video. All in all, however, it was mighty satisfying to see the pair make it to Sacramento, marking the end of their trip and the completion of their dream.
