Member Contributer RRM Posted January 22, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted January 22, 2015 All great things mentioned here. After you take care of any Preventative Maintenance, have cloths/rain gear for most weather situations and the aforementioned credit card and phone you're good to go. Once you get on the road, enjoy the sights and don't worry about the rest. Stop at the diner that has all the pick-up trucks and not McDonald's or some other chain. Take the back roads...it's all part of the adventure. After this trip, you'll feel better about even longer trips. Remember, they patrol the Dragon pretty hard. Be sure to have your "cool" look on when you pass the Killboy camera (not implying that I do look cool in photo). Cheers, R. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LookingHard Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 EMTintruder..... To me, eating at new places is one of the great things about road-trips. I have not used this site but it might find you some interesting grub........... http://www.roadfood.com/ Good luck, LookingHard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Conedodger Posted January 22, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted January 22, 2015 Stop at the diner that has all the pick-up trucks and not McDonald's or some other chain. Great advice! Gives you a longer/more relaxed break before hitting the road again. Most likely better food which will should help prevent discomfort while riding. Bonus --- chance to meet great people who add local color and can provide tips on good roads, places to stay, and sites to see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ridered Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Now I can't concentrate on work because I'm thinking about my next trip. Thanks guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer MaxSwell Posted January 22, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted January 22, 2015 The first riding suit I bought was an Aerostich Roadcrafter two-piece. Because it's Goretex lined you are always wearing your rainsuit. It served me well for many years in all sorts of weather. It will keep you dry in thunderstorms. Lot's of vents for warm weather riding. They also make a Goretex bonded to leather Transit suit. Not cheap but it has saved my hide as well as my life several times. It allowed me to survive a 65 mph crash when I hit a deer in IL. Your mileage may vary. Both of these suits I wear over my street clothes. Take the jacket off when you stop on the way; you can keep your pants on (if you want). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer The mailman Posted January 23, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted January 23, 2015 EMTintruder..... To me, eating at new places is one of the great things about road-trips. I have not used this site but it might find you some interesting grub........... http://www.roadfood.com/ Good luck, LookingHard Excellent point. I stay out of McDonald's/Taco Bell/Burger King and try to find local cafes. Better food - better people. I also make it a habit of asking where I can park and trust my bike to be there in the morning. I've been in personal garages, barns, and underground parking not available to the general public and people were more than happy to accommodate us. - and I've had my VFR IN a motel room in a sketchy part of town. ALWAYS ASK ABOUT PARKING! A missing bike is a major downer in the middle of a long ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Switchblade Posted January 23, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted January 23, 2015 How much is a tow to a local shop these days for a motorcycle? Seems to me that it would be cheaper over the long haul not to have AMA or AAA coverage. I've been riding since 1985 and have only been stranded once when I ran out of gas. (Fortunately, I was within walking distance of my wife's place of work.) 30 years without paying $49 per, means I have a bank of $1470. I have the Gold Card AAA. All great things mentioned here. After you take care of any Preventative Maintenance, have cloths/rain gear for most weather situations and the aforementioned credit card and phone you're good to go. Once you get on the road, enjoy the sights and don't worry about the rest. Stop at the diner that has all the pick-up trucks and not McDonald's or some other chain. Take the back roads...it's all part of the adventure. After this trip, you'll feel better about even longer trips. Remember, they patrol the Dragon pretty hard. Be sure to have your "cool" look on when you pass the Killboy camera (not implying that I do look cool in photo). Cheers, R. Dragon !!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer GP Paul Posted January 23, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted January 23, 2015 "Old enough to know better..." Young enough to do it again! Also, you're right. Headlamp is right on. I carry both, even daily in my tank bag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer rdguy Posted January 23, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted January 23, 2015 http://www.roadfood.com/ There goes my cholesterol level. Damn... Glenn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMTintruder Posted January 23, 2015 Author Share Posted January 23, 2015 Here's the suggested route from the gps, any route suggestions are welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veefer800Canuck Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Suggestions? Yeah, don't listen to the GPS. It will route you down the flattest straightest most boring 18 wheeler infested 8 lane roads possible. Get on your computer, fire up a mapping program, and swap back and forth between road map, satellite view, and topographical maps. Find the most F'd up, convoluted route, with massive elevation changes, twisty and snaking roads from this tiny little one horse town to the next, winding through the tall mountains and deep valleys, smack dab through all the national and state parks you can find, mountain ranges, past lakes, across ferries, through tunnels and covered bridges, along riverbeds, over dams, through canyons, farmland, and the all general remote backwoods boonies you can handle. Toss in a few historical sites, airplane museums and car museums along the way for good measure. Stay off the damn interstate, whatever the cost. You'll thank yourself later. If you have to go west to go south, do it. Find interesting and beautiful stuff and chase it. Getting there is half the fun. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMTintruder Posted January 23, 2015 Author Share Posted January 23, 2015 What's a good mapping program Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMTintruder Posted January 23, 2015 Author Share Posted January 23, 2015 Would anyone recommend buying a motorcycle gps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Dutchy Posted January 23, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted January 23, 2015 "depends".... By planning the route in advance on the PC (googlemaps, google earth), write down the towns and road numbers along your route. Print out large on an A4, put that in your tankbag and you are good to go. Worked for me in Taiwan, where the town names were all in symbols anyway. So you miss a turn? Big deal, just head in the general direction If you own a smartphone, you can always swtich on a GPS app+googlemaps when stuck. In 2012 I flew over the pond to attend TMAC and thanks to a generous member here, had the loan of his VTEC. Brought my Garmin over which I had loaded with routes (I went to visit a buddy in TN as well). It did help me get there, through areas that looked promising. but sometimes the GPS signal was lost due to the topography so one needs to know roughly where one is going So with GPS, you take out some of the challenge, but never completely.. In my understanding of the English language, pavement is sidewalk, so as I blew past this sign I though "hmmmm the has been no sidewalk". Until I looked up and saw the tarmac ending.... :-) So GPS or not.... If you do not already own a GPS/your car is not equipped with one and you think you will enjoy taking mc trips, yes I would buy a MC (IE waterproof/shock resistant) one. I like Garmin, others my differ. And oh! you really do not need bicycle shorts with a padding for what you are about to ride. what you need is practice with long(er) rides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marriedman Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 In my understanding of the English language, pavement is sidewalk, so as I blew past this sign I though "hmmmm the has been no sidewalk". Until I looked up and saw the tarmac ending.... :-) lol, that is hilarious! Not laughing at your interpretation, I totally understand that. But the idea of sidewalks out in the middle of nowhere and the thought going through your head "WTF? Sidewalks?" As a side note, I did not know that cement sidewalks are called pavement. I did know about tarmac though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superfunkomatic Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Maps and GPS are a good idea. Sometimes you need to step back and see the grand scheme of things. I use the GPS to find obscure roads or addresses in towns for hotels or landmarks. Both are useful. I often use a mapping program in advance to put in routes for day trips or the hard to find. Then I'm not faffing about on the road looking for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer rdguy Posted January 23, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted January 23, 2015 Here's the suggested route from the gps, any route suggestions are welcome! Go to Google maps. Ashland to Fancy Gap VA to Deals Gap. Set options to 'avoid highways'. Puts you on the Blue Ridge Parkway for the last half. 535 miles of twisties! Glenn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer FJ12Ryder Posted January 23, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted January 23, 2015 If you think you're going to do more motorcycle travels you might look into http://www.butlermaps.com/ . They have outstanding maps for motorcycle routes. I never use my GPS for route planning. I use the Butler maps and Google maps to get a general idea, plot out the resulting route on Garmin Basecamp, then upload that route to my Garmin Nuvi. The result works very well. And it's one way of ensuring that you don't end up on that ruler-straight road when there was a twisty-turny alternative if you had just known to turn left 2 miles back. If you plan on extensive motorcycle traveling then you might want to spend the money on one of the motorcycle specific GPS units, but they aren't really necessary most of the time. I have an older Garmin Nuvi that I've used extensively on my bikes and it does the job, and it didn't cost anywhere near what one of the bike GPS does. Its main drawback is that it isn't waterproof. You do want to make sure that you can load custom routes on whatever you get. I picked up a used Garmin Nuvi 760 for my step-son for $75 and it works like a champ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer mk2davis Posted January 23, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted January 23, 2015 I find a GPS useful when you are on previously untraveled roads (by you), and your trying to figure out how to get where your going. Also useful when your gas gauge gets low, and you don't know the area. Useful, but not necessary. Motorcyclists toured for decades without one. I have a Garmin Nuvi I bought used on fleabay on a RAM mount, works well for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer didit Posted January 23, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted January 23, 2015 I've used TYRE for years with great results, but typically use google maps to zoom, preview and plan. The street/ satellite view is fairly up to date and typically reveals what is paved and what is not. GPS and maps are always welcome tools. As for the travel, I remember my first long trip. I was full of anxiety and worry but pushed on. The reward of overcoming were tremendous. Warning though, it can become addictive. You'll start to long for more time, not to go home, wondering if you missed a road somewhere. You'll meet great people on the road (especially from this site), see things that no picture can relay to others. Search around the site here and you'll find some great packing tips, lists and the best things to bring. Have fun and welcome to the long road! My furthest so far was N. Carolina back to BC Canada with CVVFR. Longest was 27 days in a loop to and through Colorado (SumSum 1), Southern Cali, and up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMTintruder Posted January 23, 2015 Author Share Posted January 23, 2015 Ok IL use my car gps and a paper map, I hope to have the experience you guys do one day, another question, lol I have a Corbin seat and it seems way to hard but I like the seating position, will I get used to the firmness as the ride goes on or should I look into something different? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer luvtoleanit Posted January 23, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted January 23, 2015 YOLO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspanglish Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Pair of short bicycle tights with gel pads can help if you Don't end up adapting well to the seat. Don't wear them From day One, only if you find the seat uncomfortable then start using them. Be sure never to leave Headlights on or devices recharging straight off the bikes battery when the Motor is off or you'll get Stranded. Cars these days warn you with an alarm, the VFR doesn't!! I Know it Sounds Obvious, but... Oh yeah and try to park where you can get a Downhill run easily if you Suspect low battery charge issues. Onboard voltmeter is a good Item to install on a VFR!! So you can see if charging system starts to go haywire and get to civilization. Of course You've got roadside Assistance but if there's no Cell Phone coverage you could have a Long wait. Remember as much as you think you have Prepared beforehand, you can't think of everything and that's why it's called an adventure!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMTintruder Posted January 23, 2015 Author Share Posted January 23, 2015 Sounds like a lot of folks use bicycle shorts, do you guys think I should ditch the top givi box and I st use a water proof bag or back pack tied down, I feel like my top box would catch a lot of wind? And do you guys want photos or should I get a go pro and get some video to share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Duc2V4 Posted January 23, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted January 23, 2015 Two things, I never felt my top case to be a hindrance, even at higher speeds, but I have also never had to deal with high winds, so can't say much there. I have found it to be invaluable when on a road trip though, especially making store runs and for keeping valuable "hidden" when away from the bike. As far as seat comfort, you can always bring along a cushion like the Airhawk or even more lower profile gel pads if you're not sure about bike shorts. Both can be found at Cycle Gear I believe, if there's one near you, go check them out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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