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Going on a really long trip first time any tips


Amoreira88

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How far are you intending doing distance wise?  How many days.

 

Stop every 100-150 miles for fuel , bike and yourself keep hydrated, stretch and walk about.

 

loads more to come

 

 

 

 

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On my first long trip I stopped every 50-70 miles or so, even if it was just to get off for a quick walk and get back on again.  That may be to often of a stop interval for some.  It was great for me, every 100 miles was a tad too long for me liking.  I was on a Concours1400 by the way.

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Lots of water and plenty of breaks.  Rode from Minneapolis to Maine (and back) this summer with the wife.  The range on her Magna is about 110 miles and that proved to be a good time to stop, drink a bottle of Gatorade, pee and stretch.  If you start to zone out or get foggy, stop and rest... it's not a race.

 

Don't forget rain gear.  It's better to pack it and not use it than to not have it.

 

Beef jerky is a big one for me as well.  Something easy to eat on the go and gives you a boost in energy.

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About 1200miles one way.

How many days do you have?

Plan to do superslab?

 

My advise is to keep daily targets flexible, rely on how you feel and what the weather throws at you.

 

You have a comfortable bike, don't worry.

If I can do 5,500km on a 4th gen, aged 53...

 

Stay alert and ATGATT :-)

 

 

WP_20160812_13_07_47_Pro_zpspvf4i6nu.jpg

 

 

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My 2c worth:

- wear motorcycle underwear and/or cyclist underpants
- take rain gear with you plus a second pair of gloves
- make frequent brakes and drink enough water
- wear ear buds
- take a tire puncture kit with you (there is plenty of space under the passenger seat cowl)

Thought I could as well post my touring gear on my tumblr: http://lifeisacurve.tumblr.com

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4 hours ago, crakerjac said:

Lots of water and plenty of breaks.  Rode from Minneapolis to Maine (and back) this summer with the wife.  The range on her Magna is about 110 miles and that proved to be a good time to stop, drink a bottle of Gatorade, pee and stretch.  If you start to zone out or get foggy, stop and rest... it's not a race.

 

Don't forget rain gear.  It's better to pack it and not use it than to not have it.

 

Beef jerky is a big one for me as well.  Something easy to eat on the go and gives you a boost in energy.

Hey o!!  Another Minnesota VFR person!  I'm in the southern part of Minneapolis, where are you?

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Don't forget to oil the chain a couple of times.

And about those elevation changes... I'll never forget how cold it was during summer at 5,000 feet on the Blue Ridge or up at like 11,000 feet in Colorado.  Figure on a roughly 3°F to 5°F drop (depending on humidity) in temperature per 1,000 feet in elevation, not including whatever Mother Earth unexpectedly throws at you three days into your trip.

 

Or a weekend trip from NYC to Boston many years ago.  Left sweating in 95°F heat with a denim jacket on and some t-shirts and underwear in my tank bag.  Returned on Sunday fighting a 50°F cold snap and a headwind, wearing all my shirts, stuffing the jacket with newspaper and ducking [very dangerously] into the draft of trucks trying not to freeze to death.

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8 minutes ago, Epyon007 said:

Hey o!!  Another Minnesota VFR person!  I'm in the southern part of Minneapolis, where are you?

 

I'm out in Plymouth but commute to the SW burbs.

 

Good point about underwear.  Don't wear cotton!  I don't care for spandex shorts as the stretchy material starts to pinch the fat on my bottom side after about an hour.  I used to just wear gym shorts under my riding pants since that material doesn't stick when wet and sweaty.  I've since found undershorts that work just as well... I'll save everyone here from a picture...

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It was because my 1997 VFR wiring harness failed that my lovely wife took pity on me and gave the green light to buy the 2014 VFR800. Some friends and I planned a week long trip to Tail of the Dragon when the old girl gave up the ghost. Next year!

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Skip the Go-Pro.  You can rent one at the Dragon, I think.  Pretty sure the Killboy.com place has em.

 

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When and for how long? I did this trip two years ago from Ontario. Made a stop in Mill Run Pa. the first night and then the rest of the way to Franklin NC on hwy 219. That was a long day. Am I the only one thinking its pretty late in the season for that sort of trip? Keep an eye on the long range forecast and be safe!

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Thanks for all the feed back definitely got some good pointer from this.
I have the moto pumps 1.25, and all the gear as far as what to wear. Cycling short are awesome I have used them before.
I'm going with a group of guys from a motorcycle club. They all have Harley's and Indianas btw. Don't know when we are leaving and how many days but I know it's being planed for Memorial Day weekend
Main reason for posting I wanted to know how the 2015 vfr would fair on a long trip

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Lots of good advice from experienced guys here.  Having done the "2,500-mile 5-day weekend" slog to that part of the world a few times, I'll reinforce a few crucial things to mainly alleviate potential suffering:

 

* no cotton clothes.  once chafing starts, it doesn't improve whilst on the road.

* monkey butt powder.  everywhere.  blisters can form in places you never dreamed of.

* rain gear

* layers of clothing

* tire inflator/repair kit

* water for you

* pain reliever of choice for you

* earplugs

 

Stage 2 niceties:

 

* bike alarm/wheel lock (unless you can vouch for everywhere you're going to park it unattended)

* cruise control (throttle locks are cheapish, and once your hand/wrist gets done, the ride will feel 10x longer)

* allen wrench tool kit (for pulling off plastics if you need to tinker with something)

* small flashlight

* visor wipes for de-bugging and anti-fog

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Add a small can of chain lube to the list.
Keep an eye out for TMAC dates as it is about that time every year. Best place in the world to hang with sixty or seventy Of VFRD's finest.


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1 hour ago, Amoreira88 said:

Thanks for all the feed back definitely got some good pointer from this.
I have the moto pumps 1.25, and all the gear as far as what to wear. Cycling short are awesome I have used them before.
I'm going with a group of guys from a motorcycle club. They all have Harley's and Indianas btw. Don't know when we are leaving and how many days but I know it's being planed for Memorial Day weekend
Main reason for posting I wanted to know how the 2015 vfr would fair on a long trip

 

You're traveling with HD and Indian owners and you're worried about how a Honda VFR will hold up?

 

There is not an emoticon available on this web site that sufficiently portrays the degree of hysteria in my laughter.

 

But the good news is that when your friends break down you won't have any compatible tools to lend them.

 

 

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Try to aim for Tmac week. When you get to the twisty stuff you'll go out of your mind riding behind HD's and Indians!

The VFR has no trouble with the long haul :)

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10 hours ago, Amoreira88 said:

Main reason for posting I wanted to know how the 2015 vfr would fair on a long trip

I've done a couple of 2000+mls trips and one 4K+mls trip on my third gen and it never skipped a beat. I always set out on a fresh set of tyres and do some basic maintenance at least a week before the start of the trip.

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11 hours ago, Rectaltronics said:

 

You're traveling with HD and Indian owners and you're worried about how a Honda VFR will hold up?

 

There is not an emoticon available on this web site that sufficiently portrays the degree of hysteria in my laughter.

 

But the good news is that when your friends break down you won't have any compatible tools to lend them.

 

 

HAHAHAHAHAHA best post on this thread.  We can close it down now! 

 

Well done!

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