Travel Tips

[VFRtiger]

We compiled a list of things that worked well for us on our cost-to-coast trip this year. We've had several people ask us what worked for us since we were gone almost three weeks with just our bikes. I have the OEM hard bags and used the Cortech sport tail bag and mini-mag tank bag. Doug used the larger Cortech bag since he had to take the laptop.

Anyway, here is our list:

Becky and Doug’s Travel Tips

We decided to write these down after several people asked us, after our California trip, for any helpful tidbits we discovered along the way. We’ll skip the obvious stuff like get rest, plan your route, don’t over-ride yourself in a day, etc. Instead, here is some of the other little stuff that we found works real well (at least for us!).

1. Invest in a good, portable electric tire pump, pressure gauge and tire plug kit. Even if you don’t need it, the peace of mind is priceless (shameless steal from TV commercial…). “Cycle Pump” is a great, expedition quality and compact pump that runs off your battery, available at Aerostitch (www.aerostitch.com). If you spring for it, go for the matching, heavy-duty tire gauge that clamps to the valve stem and works both as a regular gauge and an inline pressure gauge with the pump.

2. For riding clothes, Joe Rocket mesh is unbeatable for 60-degree weather and warmer. We use the liner in the jacket for colder days, and then pack hiking pants with zip off legs for shorts conversion as mesh pants liners.

3. For maximum storage space, we pack all our clothes as individual rolls. Just roll up each piece of clothing into a tight roll and slap a rubber band around it. It takes up less space and you can stuff the different size rolls into every nook and cranny of your saddlebags or tail bag. Take a zip lock baggie of extra rubber bands with you!

4. For hot weather riding, a couple of ways to keep hydrated and cool. Wear a camelback; fill it with half ice and half water first thing in the morning. It will give you cool water to drink on the fly, and the ice will keep it cool for half the day, at least. If it gets really hot (we had one day on the trip where the air temperature went to 105 degrees), buy a bottle of cold water when you stop. Take off your jacket and pour the entire bottle over your shirt. Yea, it’s a little chilly, but then you put the jacket back on and head out. The jacket keeps the water from evaporating too quickly and the airflow thru the mesh gives you great a/c. You can expect to stay cool for the next hour or so as a minimum, even in 100+ temperatures. If you ride in hot weather a lot, invest in one of the new cooling vests, which reliable sources say works even better.

5. Keep your saddlebags and tail bag fresh smelling (dirty clothes can really stink up a saddlebag) by throwing a dryer sheet in it. Take a stock of them in a zip lock baggie. They don’t take up much space and it prevents everything from smelling like dirty socks after Day 3…

6. Buy 1 gallon zip lock baggies to pack your dirty clothes. They hold almost anything, including the smell (still use the dryer sheets, too!). They also pack into every nook and cranny.

7. If you want great socks for traveling, check out “Sokz”. Several different motorcycle retailers sell them. A pair is actually sewn as left and right socks and are marked the same. They are thin, moisture-wicking, will dry overnight if you wash them in the sink, and they actually stay up on your legs! Two pair is all you need for a long trip as long as you don’t mind a little sink washing at night.

8. If you want a great traveling bike cover, take a look at the Geza motorcycle cover (gezagear.com). It’s a stretch material that packs up small and is form fitting on your bike. It’s a little pricey, but worth it. If you go for it, spring for the extra waterproof lining.

9. A couple of years ago, we bought Xena disk locks with the built-in motion/shock sensor with 110-db alarm. They are allegedly cut-proof (we believe it, after looking at them), and very substantial. The lock must weigh 3-4 lbs, but fits in the palm of your hand. They run on standard watch batteries, and the batteries last about a year with normal usage.

10. For cleaning your bike, here are a couple of ideas. We use them both:

- Go to a Harley shop (scary thought, isn’t it…). Look in their accessories area and find the bags of disposable cleaning rags. They are white; about 6 inches square and come in packs of 25. They are strong enough to hold up for cleaning with Honda spray polish, and when you’re through, you just throw them away. Best product Harley ever came up with! We usually buy 2 packs of 25 when its time to stock up, then open up the packs and repack them in zip lock baggies of 5 apiece. You only need one pack for a trip of 2-3 days, if you do a general wipe down at the end of the day’s riding.

- Take an old bath washcloth, soak it in water and slip it in a zip lock baggie (yes, we’re big fans of zip lock and no, we don’t have stock in the company.) Take a companion bath hand towel along with it. The combination is great for fast cleaning of face shields, windshields, headlights, etc. The soaking wet washcloth will remove grime, bugs, etc w/o scratching the plastic.

11. Before you set out on the trip, give your bike a good wash and fresh waxing. Take the extra time to wax your wheels as well. It makes it much easier to get the road grime off afterwards.

12. Okay, time for an admission. We clean our bikes after every day’s ride, even on long trips. For us, it’s like after-ride therapy. It’s amazing how many people will come up to you while you’re cleaning and strike up a conversation.

13. Always ask at the front desk for permission to park your bike right up front, under the overhang. Most hotels and managers are very understanding and appreciate you asking. They will almost always accommodate your request. Just be polite and tuck the bike(s) somewhere out of the general traffic area and away from the handicap access route.

14. If you’re looking for a great way to carry tools so that they are protected and don’t bang into other stuff in your bags, go to a scuba diving shop and buy a neoprene diving mask bag. The neoprene is thick and it will hold a nice collection of extra tools. Price: about 10-15 bucks.

15. Get hold of various sized of the “Roadgear” mesh bags. They can be variously used for first aid kits, rain gear sacks, general stuff, etc. We use them by color coding and size. A small red one works as a first aid kit bag, etc.

16. If you have both clear and dark face shields, go to Aerostitch and order their fleece or neoprene face shield storage back. It will protect the one not on your helmet.

17. While we’re on the topic, Aerostitch has lots of good stuff for traveling. Check them out for other ideas that might be useful for the way you travel. (No, we don’t have stock in Aerostitch, either…)

18. For a place to hang your helmet, we installed the helmet guardian. This enables us to securely store our helmets without having to take off the seat. It will hold two full face helmets without rubbing on the paint or the mufflers. Great product and easy to install.

[skuuter]

Some great tips in there......Thanks for sharing them.......... :thumbsup:

[SEBSPEED]

All good tips, although I personally prefer "Space Saver" bags for packing clothes. They have a zip-top and a one way valve that allows you to press all the air out of the bags, and vacuum seals them. They come in a bunch of different sizes to fit everywhere. I packed 4 full outfits into two of the bigger bags, and each was only about 1.5" thick when done; they fit perfect into the 6th gen OEM bags. :thumbsup:

[Rivcyko]

Good points. NOW,....where's the wright-up?

[BonusVFR]

Thanks - let me think about this cross country thing!

[johnmark101]

Another good way to protet your face shield while it is packed in your luggage is to pull a tube sock over the shield.

[SEBSPEED]

Another good way to protet your face shield while it is packed in your luggage is to pull a tube sock over the shield.

Yeah, a clean one. :rolleyes:

:pissed:

[hlf]

10. For cleaning your bike, here are a couple of ideas. We use them both:

- Go to a Harley shop (scary thought, isn’t it…). Look in their accessories area and find the bags of disposable cleaning rags. They are white; about 6 inches square and come in packs of 25. They are strong enough to hold up for cleaning with Honda spray polish, and when you’re through, you just throw them away. Best product Harley ever came up with! We usually buy 2 packs of 25 when its time to stock up, then open up the packs and repack them in zip lock baggies of 5 apiece. You only need one pack for a trip of 2-3 days, if you do a general wipe down at the end of the day’s riding.

- Take an old bath washcloth, soak it in water and slip it in a zip lock baggie (yes, we’re big fans of zip lock and no, we don’t have stock in the company.) Take a companion bath hand towel along with it. The combination is great for fast cleaning of face shields, windshields, headlights, etc. The soaking wet washcloth will remove grime, bugs, etc w/o scratching the plastic.

I, too, like to clean my bike daily on long trips. I've found that most motels will gladly give you old towels that you can use for cleaning your bike. Just ask nicely at the desk when you check-in.

[dude]

Some great tips, thanks for taking the time to share this :thumbsup:

[SEBSPEED]

Every time I read a thread like this, it amazes me that a similar one has not been developed and pinned yet. :rolleyes:

[VFRtiger]

10. For cleaning your bike, here are a couple of ideas. We use them both:

- Go to a Harley shop (scary thought, isn’t it…). Look in their accessories area and find the bags of disposable cleaning rags. They are white; about 6 inches square and come in packs of 25. They are strong enough to hold up for cleaning with Honda spray polish, and when you’re through, you just throw them away. Best product Harley ever came up with! We usually buy 2 packs of 25 when its time to stock up, then open up the packs and repack them in zip lock baggies of 5 apiece. You only need one pack for a trip of 2-3 days, if you do a general wipe down at the end of the day’s riding.

- Take an old bath washcloth, soak it in water and slip it in a zip lock baggie (yes, we’re big fans of zip lock and no, we don’t have stock in the company.) Take a companion bath hand towel along with it. The combination is great for fast cleaning of face shields, windshields, headlights, etc. The soaking wet washcloth will remove grime, bugs, etc w/o scratching the plastic.

I, too, like to clean my bike daily on long trips. I've found that most motels will gladly give you old towels that you can use for cleaning your bike. Just ask nicely at the desk when you check-in.

We did the same thing on one of our trips when we ran out of the Harley Rags. We told the hotel what a great bonus it was when there were a group of riders staying and they placed extra rags around the counter for the other riders. Good hotel managers usually appreciate ideas on how to make their guests feel more welcome because they know they will usually get repeat business or their guests will pass the word.

[RosscoB]

You should add to your list a small can of chain lube.

I love all your ideas! Thanks for sharing.

[soichiro]

Very good methods. I already use several of them. I also clean my bike after every ride. My theory is to treat it like an airplane.

[Dutchy]

If it gets really hot (we had one day on the trip where the air temperature went to 105 degrees), buy a bottle of cold water when you stop. Take off your jacket and pour the entire bottle over your shirt.

Wet T-shirt pics?? :goofy: :thumbsup:

[Tightwad]

just for you Dutchy:

[Dutchy]

just for you Dutchy:

you're a true friend...............

MODS!!!! Kill this picture!!! it has NO m/c content!!!!!! :goofy:

[HispanicSlammer]

OMG I thought for a second I logged onto Playgirl or somthing.

I am not sold on mesh gear, sure it beats the heat but I will suffer my stich over some mesh jacket any day! I have slid down the road a hundred feet with my stich, I know I can trust it on the pavement. I wore my stich in 25 degree cold lots of times and 105 heat in the Nevada desert, its the under garmets that you change. Heat I use Patagonia level 1 capilene long sleeve shirts I buy at the local outfitter. REI sells them too. Patagonia makes these numbered level shirts for the type of weather your going out in. Layers of course

Level one if for hot conditions, it wicks away persperation without getting stanky when you take it off, the higher the level the colder the weather.

[Dutchy]

OMG I thought for a second I logged onto Playgirl or somthing.

I am not sold on mesh gear, sure it beats the heat but I will suffer my stich over some mesh jacket any day! I have slid down the road a hundred feet with my stich, I know I can trust it on the pavement.

:goofy:

granted, the hottest temperature I've ridden in was only 32 celcius though....

[soichiro]

Oh my eyes.

The wet shirt does work. Many times this summer coming home from the mountains into the hot, humid NC flat lands. I would take off my under armor (wal mart brand) shirt and soak it in cold water. The air through my vents felt like air conditioning.

[VFRtiger]

You should add to your list a small can of chain lube.

I love all your ideas! Thanks for sharing.

We do have a small can of chain lube as well as the tools required for adjusting the chain. I needed the chain lube after having one day of riding in the rain for over 200 miles!!

[Veefer Madness]

just for you Dutchy:

you're a true friend...............

MODS!!!! Kill this picture!!! it has NO m/c content!!!!!! :goofy:

SURE IT DOES!!!!!!

JT was 'RODE HARD AND PUT AWAY WET!!!!!!' :goofy: