That sounds absolutely fantastic KB!! :-) ..and yes you simply must take lots of pictures along the way to show us on your return .. remember too that sometimes a picture doesnt seem that relevant or worth taking at the time because you are there but later you will wish you had taken one or a hundred ..lol

Good luck and take care and be safe!!

Jules

 

I did a cross country trip a couple years ago during the monsoon season without any rain gear. I recommend that you travel light, three days worth of cloths. Carry water with you, l.i.ke Woot said... stay hydrated. I wouldnt carry any camping gear because that is just more weight to pack. I would sleep on benches at rest stops busy with traffic and had law enforcement presence. Some of the rest stops have a police substation located in them. Here is some FYI, watch out for fire ants. The bites from those little bas#@! hurts!!
You can see the rains coming and all you have to do is duck under an overpass. The rain passes after ten minutes or so and then the roads are dry after another fifteen minutes.
I would take the opportunity to my give shoulders and wrists a break.If you are passing through I-10 in TX from El Paso to San Antonio, WATCH OUT FOR THE DEER!!! I went through there at night and I had to take it slow because dodging body parts and keeping an eye for a deer in headlights.

 

Where is the final destination and what route is being taken?

 

Thanks for all the info. fellas (and gal) .. keep'em coming, the more I prepare the better. Also, if anyone has additional tips on what to check on the bike to prepare for a long trip that would be great.

RCR, I don't know exact route yet (gps will partially determine that) but we will also u.se some off beaten paths, time permitting. We will be going to Vegas and then continuing on to CA (wh.ich part will be based on time alloted). We're not going to be too stringent on the route as this trip will be more about the JOURNEY rather than the DESTINATION. Looking @ google maps, the shortest route seems to be approx. 2500 miles each way:



QND, I'll look into that. Originally there wh.ere 7 of us going on this trip but it dwindled to 2 .. you know how that goes; 1 couldn't get off work, another had bike issues, etc.. etc.. blah blah blah but 2 of the ones that backed out are ironbutt members ... th.eir experience would've been invaluable but oh well what can you do?

Spirit, Silk boxers? I can't be too sexy for my bike. Yes it looks li.ke when I signed up for this I apparently punched the 5000 mile round trip ticket. I'll be honest, I was trying to talk them into either flying there and renting bikes @ the destination or trailering our bikes but they wouldn't ha.ve any of it so we're 2 wheeling all the way.

Woot & Marc, thanks for the great tips. I'm planning on buying a camelbak to stay hydrated along the way. And yes, rain gear is first on my list of purchases. The only thing I'm concerned with is lack of luggage space whi.ch is the reason for this thread; to maximize packing efficiency down to the absolute must haves. The 954 goes about 130 miles per tank so that should be perfect for stops. Why do you say not to eat a proper meal?

Red, Believe me, I wanted to do this a LOOOOONG time ago but between running a business and life I never found the time so this has been a trip 20 years in the making

Jules, photos will be taken but a lot will depend on time ... so many miles to cover.

The total trip time will be approx. 2-3 weeks, I'm guessing 4 days riding there and 4 back. 3-4 day stop in Vegas (buddy has a time share there). The California portion will also be determined by how much time is left. Our initial plan is to drive down to San Diego / Tijuana but that's a ways from Vegas so we shall see.

No camping, most will be motels with a few friend/relative stops. Ton of relatives in California but I don't know if we'll see any of them as that portion of the trip will probably ha.ve the least amount of time alloted.

 

I just perfer to be non-hungry and non-stuffed. The temptation is to sit down and eat a 30-90 minute meal... and that just destroy's rolling average speeds. Get up - knock the miles down - see the sites and rest. That's what I do... but we all do things differently.

What ever you wear, make sure you avoid seems - they make saddle sores fast

 

Are you gonna make special "pit stops" on the way.

 

Kewlio...you are EPIC, my friend. This will be one of those life experiences. I don't have any tips, just wanted to nod my approval.

 

KB you are the man! My only advice is to take lots of pictures, eat food you've never tried before, and don't bring anything back penicillin won't get rid of...

 

You'll be going by the Grand Canyon... i.f you havent seen it, you should stop by.

 

^^ Good idea. It's worth making an entire trip just for the Canyon. I worked at a lodge there two summers...stunning place.