California and Arizona - R1150RT
| Who | Matthew |
| Profession | Computer Software |
| Born 1976 | Nationality British |
| Previous travel experience | UK & America |
| Previous bike travels | CA & NV |
| This trip | California, Arizona |
| Departure date | Jan 2004 |
| Number in group | 2 |
| Trip duration | 2 weeks |
| Distance covered | 3,500 |
| Cost of trip (not incl. bike) | $1,000 |
| Best day | Riding towards Las Vegas from Phoenix, 30 miles south east of Nothing, Arionza. Sweet roads, no cars. |
| Worst/ hardest day | 30 miles outside of Nothing Arizona, Cop nailed me for "splitting lanes" |
| Favourite place | Burrough Creek, Arizona |
| Biggest headache | Puncture and 400 miles to ride to nearest dealer |
| Biggest mistake | Unnecessary packing! |
| Most pleasant surprise | Camping under the stars in Santa Barbara in January! It was warm! |
| Any illness | None |
| Other trips planned | Peru |
| One travel tip | When it's cold, ALWAYS have a heated vest!! |
| Bike Model | BMW R1150RT |
| Age/ mileage on departure | 80 |
| Modifications | None |
| Mods you wish you'd done | GPS |
| Type of baggage | Michelin |
| Tyres used | 1 |
| Number of punctures | BMW Panniers & Dry Bag |
| Bike's weak point | Wallowy suspension in bends |
| Bike's strong point | comfort (due to soft suspension) |
| Bike problems | None. |
| Number of accidents | None. |
| Same bike again? | R1200GS |
| One biking tip | Metal Poxy, fixes way too many things on the road. |