No, just for the bike. I went down 2000 miles of the west coast on an LHT and was very happy. However, at this point I want to invest in a bike that will last me for a decade. I'm not interested in pinching pennies on it. My buddies like to compare their BMW's; I have no interest in that.
Originally Posted by
staehpj1
Are we talking $4K for just the bike or $4K for bike and the trip?
Buy what makes you happy, but for sure you don't need to spend anywhere near that to cross the US. I know that I did it once on a new $600 bike and again on a used bike that could easily be found for $300-500.
I think that on the TA my total expenses were something like $2500 including daily expenses, airfare, the bike, and most of the gear. So buy a $4k bike if you can afford it and it makes you happy, but if money is at all tight buy something cheaper and save the money for touring expenses.