Motels vs Camping - I think the best of both is best. I always have my camping gear along on all my trips. And I enjoy a motel, hot shower, and warm bed in crappy weather. Also I've used my camping gear when I found all the motels full or stumbled onto a nice area where I wanted to camp (un-planned). When you're on the road you take what you get. There is a big difference between cold rain and warm rain, and between a shower and an all day soaker. A sudden violent thunderstorm in the open country of the western US can send you running for shelter with your tail between your legs. But i've ridden through many "garden variety" thunderstorms without much concern. When traveling it is hard to anticipate conditions 600 miles down the road, in a place you've never been, when you make your plans in the AM. Some campgrounds are quite comfortable (like Spearfish) with hot showers and flush toilets, but others lack even a flat place to put your tent, no water, and smelly pit toilets. Certainly a lot of riders make better use of GPS, trip planners and smartphones than I do.
The freedom to adjust on the run, change your plans at will, and "go with the flow" or go somewhere else is one of the things I enjoy most about motorcycle travel. Committing to a destination can turn a ride into a mileage count-down to some degree which detracts from the enjoyment of the trip. I admit to making such commitments sometimes because it is the right thing to do in the circumstances, but it changes the ride for me. You have probably concluded by now that most of my rides are solo. Riding with a group changes everything.