For those who would prefer to only do this trip one-way, or would be interested in taking a bike more suited for touring, there are various places that can rent motorcycles. A big one is Eagle Rider, who rents Harleys, BMW’s, and Honda Gold Wings (recliners on wheels).

As of 10/10/08, Honda GoldWings (and probably the same for the big Harleys) rent for $126/day plus a $7/day environmental fee, plus tax. This includes unlimited mileage, so you save the wear and tear on your own bike but for a long-distance trip the days and money can add up fast.

When they have bikes available, they will rent for one-way trips with great deals, so it may be cheaper to rent a bike to ride from LA to Chicago, drop it off, and fly home. Bikes rent for as low as $40-$50/day (unlimited miles) for smaller bikes or even Gold Wings. Again, this is based on availability.