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Nervous About Taking A Long Trip


EMTintruder

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I wouldn't get a leather track suit for a long ride. Taking a leak in a gas station in a sweaty leather track suit is no fun. Its more pratical and cheaper to buy leather pants (if you want to stick with leather).

I think nothing of a 1000 mile ride in a weekend if I want to visit family.

Lube the chain before you leave.

Resist the urge to bring your tool box.

Bring some spare fuses, although you'll probably never use them;

Bring a SLIME tire repair kit.

Bring a handful of zip ties.

Bring just a few tools to adjust/tighten mirrors and other controls, and maybe a few extra bolts for the key controls.

Bring a mini flashlight.

Bring your cell phone charger.

Bring a spare key.

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Textile 2 piece suite is the way to go. Make sure it can handle rainy weather. Good waterproof riding boots and gloves too. Especially in cold weather. Otherwise a glorious adventure can turn into suffering discomfort unnecessarily.

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-Metric tool kit to rip any Honda motorcycle apart. I carry this one and has pretty much everything you need. Allen, torx, wrenches, spare bits of wire, hose, electrical tape etc.. http://www.cyclegear.com/STOCKTON-TOOL-COMPANY-Roadside-Tool-Kit

-VFR consumables, which in this case is a spare stator with associated cover gasket, and a spare reg/rec.

-SPOT gps

-Airhawk type R seat pad. This is probably the single most import accessory for any long road trip. I was pretty skeptical, now I can't believe I was riding hundreds of miles without one.

-If you have one of those standard battery tender leads on your bike, install the USB end piece you can buy so you can charge cell phone whatever.

-water and snacks

-decent flash light. I'm a big fan of the Olight SR Mini Intimidator. Will fit in any pack and puts out a ridiculously bright flood beam. Perfect for roadside repairs if needed. http://olightworld.com/product/sr-mini-intimidator/

-can of chain lube. I use Dupont Chain Saver exclusively, comes in small travel sizes.

-wire in a voltmeter to your bike if you haven't already

-warm clothes

-first aid kit

-tire plug kit with some spare schrader (valve stem) valves, small 12V air compressor of some kind.

-maybe a spare throttle pull cable

as for getting over the nerves. Just remember you are riding on the east coast, the cradle of civilization.

Towards the end of last summer I did a ride across the entire state of Oregon. Came down by Hells Canyon, run over to Dooley Mountain Hwy, cut west through the upper middle of the state through Fossil, then to the cascades and beyond. Talk about nobody, the eastern half of the state still looks like frontier.

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One of the best motorcycle trip planning tips I ever read, is to send yourself a care package ahead of time to your destination. Why lug all the stuff with you, when you only need half of it before you get there?

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I always plan so I can ride during the day with plenty of time if there is a delay.

Slime didn't work for me the only time I needed it, but sticky ropes have held up 3 times (though not on a trip, just around home).

*Cash, cards, water, snacks, flashlight & batteries, pen, paper, phone & cord, camera, few clothes, good rain gear, sticky ropes kit and mini-compressor, Garmin.

I find travelling alone and at my own pace is part of the adventure. You'll feel good when you can say "I did it."

Even my 2 (expensive) breakdowns were all fine in the end. Not fun, but no permanent harm. I can laugh about them now.

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#1

TWO LANE IT! Unless you just need to bust out some big miles in a hurry, try to stick to the state/county highways. Most are two laners with lots of small towns scattered along the way. Help is usually never more than a few miles away and you won't be competing with 18 wheelers on the slab. You will also find more things to see/people to talk to/better photo ops/and have a much better time in general that way. You may sit on the side of a 4 lane highway for hours if you need help - If you're on the side of a county road, just eye contact will almost always bring the first passerby to the side of the road. BOOM - an instant friend! And if you need gas or a trailer or a third hand to hold a flashlight, the guy that just stopped will probably have access to whatever it is you need. I find that the lower speed limits offer a better chance to see the surroundings that you're immersed in rather than being on full alert at 85 mph. I just did a 4800 mile trip in September and was on a 4 lane highway less than 350 miles total.

#2

TAKE PHOTOS! When you've stopped too many times for pics - stop some more! There are things I don't really remember about some of my rides years ago, but I'll open one of those trip files and it all comes flooding back into my brain. Sometimes I think looking at the pics a year, two years, five years later almost equal the good times spent actually on the ride. Most of my 10 - 12 day trips result in about 350 photos.

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holy crap. so many options its crazy.. :comp13:

you are doing a 6 hour ride in kentucky and tenn..

if i was in your boots i would stick to the highway and try to make the trip in 4 hours..

i am not saying speed.. i am just saying what i would do.. :tongue:

:lobby:

its the most direct way.. almost dead south.. and you have your cell if anything happens..

a basic tool kit and pug kit should already be under your seat..

no matter what you chose, HAVE FUN!!

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My definition of a long trip is 2-3 weeks.

You'll be fine.

I look for the twistiest back roads through interesting country.

Look for the green and blue on the map and the squiggly lines. Go there. And back.

Oh and a wise soul once told me that the only thing you'll see on the interstate is..........

More interstate.

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All good advice here and I won't expand on that except to say that you shouldn't take a flashlight, take a headlamp.

Most of the things you'd need a flashlight for on a bike trip take two hands and unless you're comfortable holding a flashlight in your mouth for 15 minutes, a headlamp is the way to go. There are decent LED headlamps for as little as $20 (don't cheap out and buy a headlamp with an incandescent bulb. they chew through batteries and aren't very bright.)

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My first bike road trip was with my first bike. A somewhat ratty old '72? Honda CL350.

I took so much stuff down from my apartment to load on the bike, must have been nuts.

Half of it went back upstairs, it wouldn't fit. :happy:

Rode from Chicago to Somefingplace in the North woods of Wisconsin. Several hundred miles round trip, I forget.

The only problem I had was running out of gas once, out in the country a bit. Walked to the nearest house and said I'm out of gas.

Guy gave me a gas can to pour into the bike, and refused payment. "Just do the same for someone else some day."

Pay it forward as we say now. Was a great trip, the rat Honda did not let me down. :cool:

My point is, prep your bike, pack your stuff, make some loose plans, and go ride!

Bring a tent in case you have trouble finding a motel, or just want to save some money. :beer:

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Wow this is great, I can't thank you guys enough I'm so excited now, and so want it I break down... get it fixed and keep riding, any suggestions on rain gear? .. what to look for or stay away from ?

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A one pieces rainsuit you put on over your gear. At least one size bigger so it fits over your regular riding gear, try it on before you commit. Not so big that it Flaps around in the wind. Boot and glove covers too.

+1 on the Head lamp like miners use instead of handheld. I didn't specify that but it's what I actually take w me.

I also take sticky worm or sticky rope repair tyre repair kits and small air compressor. And spare brake and clutch levers and gear and brake pedals.

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+1 on the Head lamp like miners use instead of handheld. I didn't specify that but it's what I actually take w me.

Never thought you were THAT old.......

mijnwerkershelm.jpg

:goofy:

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One thing to add to all of the other advice, if you're travelling alone let someone know your intended route and possible "detours" you might take and plan on checking in with them once you reach key points. Also, not all AAA is the same, make sure you ask for motorcycle specific coverage.

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American Motorcycle Association membership includes free roadside assistance and costs less than the expanded AAA bike coverage.

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One thing to add to all of the other advice, if you're travelling alone let someone know your intended route and possible "detours" you might take and plan on checking in with them once you reach key points. Also, not all AAA is the same, make sure you ask for motorcycle specific coverage.

To piggyback on this post, I use location sharing with my wife when I am on a trip. She always tells me to call her when I get to where I am going, but I am terrible at remembering for some reason. Usually when I get to a rally or my home town, my friends are coming up to me as I am getting off the bike to hand me a beer or whatever. It always makes me forget!

I do not know about iPhone apps, but on android there are a plethora of apps that do this. I used to use Glympse, but they put a 4 hour limit on their sharing and you have to remember to redo it if you are on a longer trip. I think Waze does it, maybe Here does it too.

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American Motorcycle Association membership includes free roadside assistance and costs less than the expanded AAA bike coverage.

Did not know that, because with AAA you have to add RV coverage to include mc.

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These are the best way to strap stuff to your bike. Worth it. I also like the headlamp, best 30 bucks I spent. I used to take all sorts of tools, now I take the most important one, a credit card. A leatherman is probably enough. Every town in the USA has a Honda dealer it seems. Chap stick is a necessity. I like having a camel back or similar to stay hydrated. Take one luxury item that isn't needed. My grandparents said they took a flask of vodka, "to take the road kinks out." Mine is good coffee for the morning.

Remember people are really nice and helpful for the most part. My grandparents (40 years ago) said they were riding in Wyoming and there was a big thunderstorm, so they pulled over and were huddling under a tarp they had trying to stay dry. They said a car stopped and and let them in and waited there until the storm passed so they could get out of the rain. Stories like that make motorcycle travel awesome.

Have fun. =)

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American Motorcycle Association membership includes free roadside assistance and costs less than the expanded AAA bike coverage.

Did not know that, because with AAA you have to add RV coverage to include mc.

I think it works like this...

AAA Premiere for $119 gets your bike towed 200 miles (Cali specific?)...includes RV and 25K emergency medical transportation.

AMA Champion for $49 gets your bike towed 35 miles (National)

If you already have AAA for the car $57, it may make more sense.

It sounded to me like they wanted to charge all 4 AAA holders in the family the incremental cost though.

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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.

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