First Serious Roadtrip

[jaadzu]

Hello out there. i'm new to the site and new to postings and would like your feedback/advice. I'm planning my first serious road trip from the rio grande valley (southern tip of texas) to south bend indiana in june. please shoot me some advice on how to prepare for this trip.

[CMIKE]

I certianally believe there are enough folks on this site to offer advice for a serious road trip. I myself would like that same advice. I am going somewhere this summer but not sure where yet. I think I am gonna try a overnight trip first to kinda see what we need and don't need.

One thing I am dealing with is...do you carry a full tool set? What about tire repair and compressor?

My wife excited about going but is concerned about how to pack all we need for the trip is such small spaces.

 

It don't take much for me but...well you know.

 

I am trying to figure out how I am gonna pack that ironing board.

[Tom]

Print out a copy of the memberslist here and if you have troubles trust me someone WILL help you out in case of breakdowns or just meet and eat. Other than that I use Ride-On in my tires and sit back and ride..

[Mariner Fan]

Hey Javier,

 

You are asking a loaded question. It depends on your ability as a bike rider and your physical condition. My ride limit right now is around 400 miles before I'm beat. Next year might be better since I'm modifying the bike and am getting better at long distance traveling .

 

You will need water. Make sure you have a way to hold a water bottle. If you get tired, stop at a rest stop and relax a bit. You don't want to get so tired that you make a mistake on the interstate.

[99silver]

Take enough time to enjoy the trip, if you don't have a trailer you should take 3-4 days

of clothes depending on if you are riding one or two up.

A cup/drink holder is a must also hwy pegs to stretch your legs.

Rain gear and eye protection for rain is helpful if you need to travel on wet days.

A dry sack can expand you luggage capacity if you have a trunk rack to secure it to.

Try to stay on the roads less traveled, it will make your trip more relaxing by avoiding major

cities and freeway interchanges.

I'm sure you will get more suggestions, just use the ones that would be most fitting to your needs.

Good luck and hope to meet up with you on the road someday,

Gary

[V7Goose]

Well, I have been touring on motorcycles for 40 years, but no way I would try to address this in a static forum like this. Just too many variables about your experience, what you like, etc. Gotta be an interactive discussion. There are some good books on the subject to give you lots of info, but I cant write a book on the forum!

 

I WILL offer one piece of advice, however. Whatever you decide you might want to try, make absolutely sure you do at least one good test run of several days - two or three test runs are better. Make sure you pack EXACTLY like you think you will when you leave on the big trip - no fair cheating by packing light because you are only going out for the weekend! That is the only way you can actually see what seems to work for you and what does not. The last thing you want is to be 500 miles out with a long stretch ahead and realize the way you tied things on isn't going to work! That is just one example of the issues you could face. If you are going to camp, then the need for a trial run is magnified.

Goose

[MPK]

If you want help in knowing how to pack, go to the library and get Rick Steves travel Videos/DVD's (Travels in Europe/Rick Steve's Europe), specifically the ones that include his "How to travel segments". You can also go to his website, ricksteves.com, which should give you lots of ideas.

 

My wife and I pored thru his books and videos, went to Scandinavia for an anniversary trip, each using one single soft, carry on bag that had straps to use as a backpack, and still had too much with us. It's amazing what you can do without. Take two pairs of pants, wear one (other pair can be similar or more for evening wear), a couple of shirts, one heavier shirt/sweatshirt/sweater, two or three pairs of undies, airline size toothpaste, etc.... Go to a store where you can either buy individual packets of laundry detergent or take some small ziplocks with individual load sizes of detergent (not liquid). Also save room for a comfortable pair of shoes/sneakers if you don't want to wear your motorcycle boots all evening at each night's destination. Assuming you are staying in motels/hotels with bathtubs or sinks, the first thing you do after checking in is put warm water and detergent in the tub or sink while it is clean, handwash the dirty stuff and hang it up. Most luggage places sell compact cords that attach across showerheads, etc..., or you can use some bungees.

 

The alternative is to look for a laundromat, but I always hated taking the time if one didn't appear conveniently.

 

Lay everything out on a bed or one spot somewhere that you think you want to take with you, eliminate what you can, then test load the bike ahead of departure day. Repeat the process until it all fits, with a bit of space left over.

 

If you like to buy lots of souvenirs along the way, stop at a Post Office and ship them home.

 

I'm sure others have loads of recommendations.

 

Have fun!

[Guest Dareman]

I took a road trip to Northern Montana and the Canadian Border last May / June.

 

I left from Bisbee , AZ which is on the southern border with Mexico. A border to border trip. 4016.5 miles is what I did over 12 days.

 

Here is what I did......

 

1. Pack Light ( 2-3 days worth of clothes.)

2. Use KOA Camp Grounds Campin Cabins ( They are the best kept secret in the world.) You will need to take a sleeping bag for the cabin. They are cheap and well worth it. KOA have showers and laundry facilities

3. Rain Gear

4. Sun screen, water, and light snacks on board your bike.

5. Full Face Shield / Helmet

6. Tire Repair Kit, use Ride-on Tire Protection and you will not have any problem.

7. Have your bike checked out / serviced before you leave.

 

We averaged about 400 miles a day until we got to Yellowstone and then took our time to see the sights. ( 3 days in Yellowstone. )

 

Be prepared for bad weather. We got rained on everyday but since we were prepared it was not an issue.

 

Take a camera!

 

TCLOCK Inspection everyday before you start out on another leg of your journey will save you alot.

 

I have an 05 RSMV and it performed flawlessly! No issues whatsoever.

 

Enjoy your trip!

 

I have already planned another for Montana in early May. I have a friend who owns a ranch up there and I am going to see them for a couple of days.

( It is all about the ride! )

[sbmin]

My wife and I have been traveling on bike for about 35 years. The best advice we can offer is good rain gear, don't over pack, and have fun. We have both camped and used motels, either way we only make reservations for first night. From there we play it by ear. We don't try to make a certain distance, etc., we just ride until we want to stop. We have had days of over 750 miles and some about 100. As far as packing, we only pack enough for about a week and then hit the laundry mat when needed. We have found it best to roll everything and put in ziplock bags. We take only a few tools because the best tool is the members list from this sight. No matter where you are their are friends to help. Have a great time and when you are up near South Bend, give a holler, I only live about 80 miles east of there.

 

Keep it safe and have fun.

George

[Jerry W]

I also try to stay in KOA's, they have clean showers and washing machines which reduce the amount of clothes you have to pack. I carry a light weight sleeping bag since most KOA cabins are heated and air conditioned. I also don't ride as hard or far as some, I generally stop about every 100 miles and get water etc. I don't usually ride more that 450 miles a day and many times only go 300 before pulling in, depending on where the KOA's are.

[sarges46]

Ahhhh.....South Bend Indiana....the start of it all. The site of the first venturerider meet. Nice area.

 

Dont forget to stop and smell those flowers! Dont get destination driven like I do, unless thats how you like to travel.

 

Tires checked everyday....check air suspension every couple of days.....the bike is dependable so you should'nt need much. Maybe that switch jumper in case your's goes south.

 

Very handy to have the whole list of members printed up....the members that have listed that offer assistance....nice to have that peace of mind.

[robbitybob]

I rode from Mission, TX to Seymour, IN last August. I left after church on Sunday spent the night in Houston and then in Memphis. The roads were all in great shape and other than being HOT it was a great ride.

 

Just plan out how many hours in the saddle you would like to spend and then schedule overnights near that saddle time-limit.

 

Remember getting there is more than half the fun! Enjoy!!

[mini-muffin]

Since you said there will be two of you one thing I would recommend is those space save bags. You know the ones you can suck all the air out of by squeezing or vacuum. I get the ones you can squeeze since you aren't always gonna have a vacuum. Anyway makes it much easier to carry clothes for two. Plus it keeps them dry as well. I agree on the KOA's never stayed in one I didn't like. As long as you can take a little time to do laundry the amount of clothes shouldn't be a problem. I'd take a small tool kit. Do you have the yamaha tool kit? That's usually the best one to have since it's small. Definitely rain gear never want to leave without that.

Also like the guys said take the assistance list. Here's the link so you don't have to look for it.

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=7765&highlight=members+assistance+list

 

 

 

Margaret

[Ky. Rider]

When we travel we try not to ride long distances where it becomes work instead of pleasure. That distance is different for all but for us a long day is 400 miles. We (wife and me) can pack enough to run a week with the understanding, as someone said, you can do alot of motorcycling with two pair of jeans and the option to wash if needed. We take breaks when we want one so we don't pack water, eats, etc. I bought the travel bags for the saddle bags and the trunk and added the trunk rack where we use a water proof trunk rack bag. We get alot of use out of our trunk rack and I really recommend one. The travel bags make it handy when pulling in for the night. Rain suits (Frogg Toggs for us) are a must. We prefer to stay off the interstates and ride to enjoy the ride not see how far we can go in a day. Bike prep is a must and the member list from this site is the best tool you can carry. Happy traveling and if you ever pass through W. Ky. give us a "holler".

[sarges46]

I was reading this post again and noticed one thing no-one mentioned. That is looking at getting yourself set up with a trailer to haul the stuff.

 

Many have small cargo trailers to tag along when doing the long distance stuff.

Piggy-backer is a nice ready made assemble yourself trailer that is reasonably priced as well. They tow great and offer lots of storage.

 

I have one of those as well as a camper trailer. Marilyn tows the piggy-backer with her vstar and I tow the camper. Thats when we have the kids with us...we are have the whole house with us!!

[Midrsv]

What others have said, and, I would add a tire repair kit and mini compressor. I have the Yamaha kit ( http://www.highlandsyamaha.com/pages/catalogs/detail/29/455/1031/5545/1/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/atv-tubeless-tire-repair-kit.aspx ) but others are probably cheaper. The CO2 canisters are useless in my opinion so I added a Slime compressor. It is very small and I think it's available at Walmart. If not, here's a link: http://www.cruisercustomizing.com/detail.cfm?Category_ID=125&manufacturer_ID=503&product_ID=16845&model_id=0 On our last 2 long trips we've had to plug a tire on each trip. Once one of mine and once someone else.

 

I used to not carry water. Figured if I got thursty I would just pull in. We got stuck on the side of the road doing repairs on a friends bike in 90+ heat and I was sure thankful that someone had water with them. A bottle of water doesn't take up that much room. I keep an 8 oz bottle of water on the bike at all times.

 

DT

[Venturous Randy]

Another thing is to load up a box with extra clothes and mail it to your destination and when you ready to leave, mail it back home.

RandyA

[stvmaier]

I didn't see anyone else mention it, but chapstick with sunblock in it.We used it last yesr and it was a life saver!!!

[Tatonka]

I wrote the following for another group which covers some of your question:

 

Quote:

Lessons learned

I just got back from a 2 month trip and I was writing up what I had learned or forgotten. I use a sleeping bag, tent and mat now, something I didn't use as a young rider.

I tried 5 days of camping and two days of hotel this time and made sure I showered at least every two days. I used the hotel stays for charging batteries for phone and camera, and once for dryng out my tent and all of my gear. Most campgrounds and hotels have laundry facilities, so it's easy to wash clothes.

 

Might be a stupid list, but it's a start:

 

Safety-

- Always wear your helmet whenever you ride, no matter how far you ride!!!!

- Never ride strange roads in the late afternoon because of the glare. Ride twisties between 10 am and 2 pm because of shadows caused by the trees and cliffs.

- Always drink enough water and always have a spare water bottle in case you have to camp before you can get to a store.

- Stop earlier for the night (practice putting your tent up in the dark and in wind). Have a small hammer for pounding stakes and herrings in the ground. Three stakes should always be available for storm lines.

- Magnetic map cases do come off (wind, passing trucks, speed).

- Take less clothes and items than planned

- Tank up as often as possible (ran out of gas once 10 miles before the next gas station because I didn’t want to get gas at 52 miles)

 

Comfort-

- Take a water cooker. It’s nice to have a cup of instant coffee or tea sometimes, or to make a hot meal from freeze dried packs.

- Always wear a hat when you take off your helmet, either for protection from the sun or to keep you from cooling off before getting in the tent.

- Take a warmer mummy sleeping bag than planned (40°F sounds warm when it’s 90 °F outside, but awfully cold when the outside temperature is 36°F). My Wal-Mart 40°F rectangular bag was inadequate in OR-WA-MT-WY.

- A fleece jacket is good for additional warmth, take your jacket liner and a warmer pair of gloves with you.

 

Smart-

- Watch out for credit/debit cards and always keep cash on hand

- Do regular maintenance on the bike with the tool kit and ensure that you have the tools to do the job

- Plan a day of rest at least once a week

- Print out the places or route that you want to take

Unquote

 

I tried the KOA campgrounds for a total of 5 days, but stayed at non-KOA as much as possible because I felt KOA put us bikers pretty far away from everything. I normally paid about $23 average at KOA, but only $10 average at biker friendly campgrounds with good facilities including laundry, hot showers (always check whether you need tokens or change) and other bikers for company.

 

I've made a lot of cross country interstate trips, but half of my 10,000 miles this time were on side roads. We have a beautiful country with a lot of great people and interesting places to visit, so take the time to smell the roses. I rode the bike 52 days straight, changed oil once and spark plugs once. I did forget to plan any days for rest. My signature box map only shows those states I have visited by motorcycle for 2007 and 2008.

 

Map of my route:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=111006677486544509451.0004590d21ce3cc7b7512&z=4

 

Some pictures:

File 1:

http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o428/gypsy_moore/USA%20Tour%202008%20Part%201/?albumview=slideshow

File 2:

http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o428/gypsy_moore/USA%20Tour%202008%20Part%201/USA%20Tour%202008%20Part%202/?albumview=slideshow

 

Have a safe and fun trip and don't forget to show us some pictures.

Edited January 11, 2009 by Tatonka

[jaadzu]

wow. first of all, thank you for all the advice and tips. there are many things that i had not considered. i am planning my trip now and look forward to maybe meeting up with some of you in the summer. I will certainly take my assistance list.

[friesman]

here is a way to plan your trip mapping out your roads, gas stations, hotels, and will sync to a Garmin GPS.. Its an HD site, but its seems to work well. Sorry if its been mentioned before but here is the link again,

http://www.harley-davidson.com/wcm/Content/Pages/Ride_Planner/Ride_Planner.jsp?locale=en_US

 

Brian

[ediddy]

It took a few trips before my wife and I learned how to pack for a road trip. We pack both saddlebags, the trunk and we have a luggage rack that we put a bag on also. The first trip my wife packed a travel iron, a hairdryer and her makeup bag. I told her we were riding a motorcyle for gods sake, no one cares if your clothes are rinkled or you don't have makeup on. We also packed a pair of jeans for each day along with underwear and shirts. Now we take a pair of jeans for every other day. We roll the jeans up in a roll and put them in the trunk. You can wear a pair of jeans one day and then wait a day or two and wear them again. We do take a clean shirt for each day. We no longer take the travel iron or hair dryer. My wife has also scaled down the amount of makeup she takes. The only tool kit we carry is the yamaha kit that came with the bike. Fortunately we haven't had to use the tools. The only time we have ever had to stop at a laudromat was when we rode from Albany Georgia to Keywest Florida. We left on a friday mouring and got back the following thursday.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

All good advice here. I'm adding a few little ideas for ya.

 

Roll all your clean t-shirts, jeans, underwear and long handle underwear, tightly, and then use heavy rubberbands to secure them. Packing clothes this way on a bike helps you organize them and also, easier to repack and figure out whats clean and whats dirty in the bike luggage and in the tent if you camp. Also, take along a very small travel bottle of Woolite. You can wash your shirts socks and underwear in the motel or campground sinks for free and hang em over the AC or outside to dry overnite. One thing I hate and thats packing 5 days worth of dirty clothes on a bike.

 

Next, buy boxer style undershorts for those long riding days. Much more comfy than your standard fruit of the loom briefs. I dont need to detail this, but lets just say that briefs cause irritation, and make you more saddlesore at the end of a long day on the road.

 

Put all your personal supplies in a ziplock baggy. Altitude changes can cause shampoos and lotions to leak, and that really ruins your day if you have shampoo all over your clothes when you get to the motel or campsite that night.

 

Cheap throw-away flip flops as showershoes are a good idea even for manly-men. Keeps you from getting some of the nasties that other campers leave on the public shower floors. (Mrsa anyone?)

 

http://www.bami.us/ID/MRSA.html

 

Buy some of those folded pre-moistened wipes in a little refill box, not the little plastic dispenser bottle. Put several in a ziplock baggy, and add a small amount of water from the tap. Now you have a way to clean up and freshen up any and everything...if you get my drift. Plus, the grips on your handlebars will gradually deteriorate if you put your sweaty hands with sunscreen mixed in on the rubber. Whenever you apply sunscreen, use the wipes to clean up, be sure to dry your hands, THEN hit the road.

 

If there is any chance that you will encounter rain on your trip, then in addition to the rainsuit, its very handy to apply Scotchgard, B4 or Silicone spray to your boots, gloves and jeans, for those rides where the road gets wet but you dont really need to stop and put on a rainsuit, especially when its warm. Apply the waterproofing on your jeans from the knees down, dont spray it any higher than that. Wait an hour before you wear the jeans. You will be amazed at how they will shed light mist. Of course, you still need a rainsuit for when it gets to be a log floater.

 

Take along a couple of medium sized plastic shopping bags,(rolled up tightly and packed) in case you need them to cover your helmet when its hanging on the bike in a rainstorm. (while at a restaurant for example, use rubber bands to tie the opening around the strap) or for putting your clothes inside while packed in soft luggage while riding in heavy rain. I dont recommend packing or wearing any kind of denim jacket on a bike trip. They take up valuable space and provide almost no warmth or wind or water resistance while riding.

 

Hope these little inexpensive tips will help you.

Edited January 11, 2009 by tx2sturgis

[Mariner Fan]

All good advice here. I'm adding a few little ideas for ya.

 

Roll all your clean t-shirts, jeans, underwear and long handle underwear, tightly, and then use heavy rubberbands to secure them. Packing clothes this way on a bike helps you organize them and also, easier to repack and figure out whats clean and whats dirty in the bike luggage and in the tent if you camp. Also, take along a very small travel bottle of Woolite. You can wash your shirts socks and underwear in the motel or campground sinks for free and hang em over the AC or outside to dry overnite. One thing I hate and thats packing 5 days worth of dirty clothes on a bike.

 

Next, buy boxer style undershorts for those long riding days. Much more comfy than your standard fruit of the loom briefs. I dont need to detail this, but lets just say that briefs cause irritation, and make you more saddlesore at the end of a long day on the road.

 

Cheap throw-away flip flops as showershoes are a good idea even for manly-men. Keeps you from getting some of the nasties that other campers leave on the public shower floors. (Mrsa anyone?)

 

http://www.bami.us/ID/MRSA.html

 

Buy some of those folded pre-moistened wipes in a little refill box, not the little plastic dispenser bottle. Put several in a ziplock baggy, and add a small amount of water from the tap. Now you have a way to clean up and freshen up any and everything...if you get my drift. Plus, the grips on your handlebars will gradually deteriorate if you put your sweaty hands with sunscreen mixed in on the rubber. Whenever you apply sunscreen, use the wipes to clean up, be sure to dry your hands, THEN hit the road.

 

If there is any chance that you will encounter rain on your trip, then in addition to the rainsuit, its very handy to apply Scotchgard, B4 or Silicone spray to your boots, gloves and jeans, for those rides where the road gets wet but you dont really need to stop and put on a rainsuit, especially when its warm. Apply the waterproofing on your jeans from the knees down, dont spray it any higher than that. Wait an hour before you wear the jeans. You will be amazed at how they will shed light mist. Of course, you still need a rainsuit for when it gets to be a log floater.

 

Take along a couple of medium sized plastic shopping bags,(rolled up tightly and packed) in case you need them to cover your helmet when its hanging on the bike in a rainstorm. (while at a restaurant for example, use rubber bands to tie the opening around the strap) or for putting your clothes inside while packed in soft luggage while riding in heavy rain. I dont recommend packing or wearing any kind of denim jacket on a bike trip. They take up valuable space and provide almost no warmth or wind or water resistance while riding.

 

Hope these little inexpensive tips will help you.

 

Normally, I'd scoff at a Southerner talking about long handles but I know you've been to

South Dakota.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Normally, I'd scoff at a Southerner talking about long handles but I know you've been to

South Dakota.

 

Hey I ride all year and it gets COLD here too! Not unusual for me to ride for hours in temps that dip to the mid 20's around here. And cool days are always a possbility when traveling by motorcycle.