Hide your children and women folk. Just got off the phone and it looks li.ke my first cross country trip is a go towards the end of the month (preliminary). Planning on bike trip from GA to CA with stop in Vegas. If I have access to computer along the way, I'll post up the progress as it moves along otherwise I'll write up a report when I get back.

In the mean time, anyone want to throw tips out there for a virgin journey man let me ha.ve it.
I'll do the basic check up on the bike this week (chain, oil, filter, coolant) and I'll take the bike in next week or two to change both tires. What are the must ha.ve's and nice to ha.ve's e.g. rain gear, etc...

Buddy I'm riding with will have gps mounted on his bike so we're good on that part. I'm excited but apprehensive at the same time since ni fi fo's ain't the most comfortable bikes and I hate riding in rain.

 

aaaaah hush and quite being a baby, haha. rain riding can be fun and relaxing aslong as its not a damn monsoon. get yourself some rain gear. it makes a WORLD of difference when you know you're dry under there.

 

thats awesome i would love to do that someday... but maybe on a sport tourer of some kind, only thing i could suggest is maybe a corbin or some sort of gel seat and maybe even a set of helibars if you have the extra cash

 

I have desert blood running through me and rain scares our kind. Naw, I'm actually okay with light rain but how are you able to see anything in normal to heavy rain? Just riding 5 min's to work in normal rain I can't see sheit captain. I tried rainx on the visor and did little to nothing to help. I guess we'll be stopping a lot.

 

hmm, never have any probs w/ my visor or visibility. well sounds l i k e you're gonna have some fun, KB. just be sure to take LOTS of pics along the way....photography rules, brother. freezing great moments in time .

 

Got the corbin on already ... thought about putting heli bars on a long time ago but the "experts" talked me out of it saying things li.ke it messes with the intended geometry and so forth so I decided against it, although it would be nice not to be hunched over for that stretch of time.

Yeah Jay, one of the reason I got the HD Cam was for this trip but unfortunately it looks li.ke I'll just be taking regular pics with a standard camera because I got a tank mount and I'll need that space for a tank bag.

Thanks for the tips, keep'em coming.

 

I am so jealous ! That's what I want to do the very first chance i get. Just pack up and go. I was thinking to get myself one of those wireless internet cards so I could work as i travel...

May be you guys should sign up for ironbutt certification!

 

So you haven't mentioned if you're returning home the same way...in which case 5k miles in late summer...there may be actually something to this powder...and some silk boxers.

http://antimonkeybutt.com/

 

I've done a few longish rides. There are a few tricks, most importantly stay comfortable and move about. Once a body part has become sore, it will be sore until it heals (after the trip). Moving about stops anyone part getting sore.

Now - as for packing - if you're camping that adds an extra challenge, as you didn't mention it I'll assume friends/motels along the way.

Rain gear is an absolute must - if you think it could rain, bring it. I managed to get a 2pc suit for cheap at a local hardware store (Canadian tire had pretty tough ones for $25 in May). The suit is hi-vis orange, and completely waterproof... very handy when you ride in 17.5 hours of rain.

Otherwise - take it one tank of gas at a time. To maximize efficiency, go from full to empty (minimize stops), at a safe cruising speed. Excessive speeding will eventually slow you down, or cause mistakes. Stop for gas as infrequently as possible. When you stop for gas eat something. Down in the south make sure you stay hydrated! You might find that is your limiting factor. Up here I can run tank to tank. At each stop I eat a small snack, never eating a proper meal. I stuff Granola bars in the bag and munch on them mostly. I perfer to loose track of time and just enjoy this tank of gas. Stopping for supper takes a long time. I perfer to get in and out with gas and a snack in under 15 mins.

The very most important thing in long distance riding - when you are tired stop and get a proper sleep. After some long rides when I was starting out, I'd stop at the destination, get off the bike, and realize I was a zombie. I'd have very little memory of the last 2-3 hours, and I'd also realize I was speeding more. Fatique is dangerous as you do things you wouldn't normally do and/or make mistakes you wouldn't normally make. Beware of it. Stopping doesn't cost that much.

If you have any specific questions I love to talk about touring...

I've also posted below a link to my trip this spring... it doesn't really cover the technical details but it may be of interest
http://forums.ninja250.org/viewtopic.php?p=671850

 

WOW...do you know how lucky you are !?!??! To have :

A. The Time
B. The Money
C.A Friend to do this with that has the two items above.

Enjoy it bro..you'll remember it for the rest of your life ! [8D]