A more personal approach to motorcycle touring via the Motorcycle Travel Network

How many times have you been out traveling on your motorcycle, checked into a motel, and proceeded to essentially waste the evening because what else is there to do?

Wouldn't it be a lot more fun and interesting--not to mention cheaper--to stay with other motorcyclists in their home, talk bikes, and get the local scoop on which roads or stops you might want to plan on tomorrow? Well, of course it would, but you only know a few riders in a few towns across the country. Anywhere else you go, it's time to hit the motel.

Unless you join the Motorcycle Travel Network (MTN). Then a whole new world opens up.

The brainchild of Christi and Scott Reynolds, the MTN connects riders who travel on their bikes to riders who agree to host them in their homes. Members can choose to do either, although most do both.  Membership in the MTN for one year is $30, although you can join for two years for $45 or for five years for $95.

The Reynolds, on the website, describe their motivation in forming the organization:

We are travelers of the open road. We left home on July 11, 2004, to seek out and experience our country in a more personal way. While traveling, we have camped, stayed with family and friends and in youth hostels. However some of our most rewarding and enriching experiences have come while staying with “hosts” - gracious people who have given us bed and breakfast for a night or two and often shared meals with us. These are people and places we will never forget, but none of them were motorcycle enthusiasts. We thought “wouldn’t it be great if we could stay with others that have the same love of riding and travel that we have.” From this idea, Motorcycle Travel Network was born! Our hope is that motorcyclists of all makes and models, that love to tour on their bikes, are friendly and enjoy meeting people, will open their homes to other like-minded motorcycle travelers.

Once you join the MTN you set up a User ID and password to get into the site. Currently the organization has members in six countries: The U.S., the U.K., Canada, Denmark, New Zealand, and Australia. To locate a possible host, you access the Member Directory, select the country, and then select the state, province, or city. A map displays showing the locations of all members in the area, with a listing and information about them below, including a photo of their home.

Selecting a particular host brings up a screen with detailed information about the hosts, their contact information and preferences, what they ride, details about the accommodations, restrictions regarding things such as smoking, and the various amenities the hosts have to offer. If it looks like a good fit the traveler follows the contact method specified to see if the hosts can accommodate them on the date(s) in question.

The guest pays $15 per night, or $20 if there are two, with any additional guests paying an extra $10 apiece, to cover the host's expenses. The host provides a bed and breakfast in the morning. Hosts specify how many guests they are willing to accommodate.

Although the MTN leaves the question of dinner open, in reality, it is common for the hosts to invite their guests to join them for dinner. With motorcycling being a common interest, finding something to talk about is seldom a problem.

Having laid out the basic situation, I will next relate my own experience both as guest and host. Doing so here would make this an excessively long article so I'll break it up into two separate pieces, "My first guest stay as a Motorcycle Travel Network member," and "We play host for Motorcycle Travel Network member travelers." Those two articles will follow shortly.