Planning a trip

[petew]

I have a 2014 Spyder RT Limited and am considering a trip in the Spring from my home in the Burlington area of North Carolina up to the Fairfield county area of Connecticut where I used to live.

It's about a 600 mile trip and I am planning to stay away from the I-95 corridor and stay inland , all good interstate. I am planning on breaking it up into a two day trip doing about 300 miles each day.
Is this realistic ?
I have never done a long motorcycle trip before but it is my feeling that this machine with all of it's comforts including cruise control should make a 300 mile day in good weather not a problem but I am seeking the advise of those that have done it before.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

Pete

[furface90]

I take trips to my sons cabin which is 450 mile trip in one day. It takes about 7 hours which is a long day of riding. The Spyder is very capable of the trip. The big question is whether you are.
Have fun.

[Mazo EMS2]

300 miles a day is easily done on an RT. I would stop every 90 minutes or so just to stretch and stay hydrated and alert. Interstates bore the crap out of me personally, so I don't ride them. IF I was doing a trip like this, I would take state highways and county highways and avoid the big roads. If you're gonna break it up, you might as well see some scenery other than concrete and asphalt. Just my two pennies.

[AVBIZ]

300 miles a day is easily done on an RT. I would stop every 90 minutes or so just to stretch and stay hydrated and alert. Interstates bore the crap out of me personally, so I don't ride them. IF I was doing a trip like this, I would take state highways and county highways and avoid the big roads. If you're gonna break it up, you might as well see some scenery other than concrete and asphalt. Just my two pennies.

Agreed- todays gps’s have options to route a trip with “curvy” secondary roads making your trip a little bit longer but much more interesting. If you like to plan trips then ride software/gps like REVER do a great job.

[ARtraveler]

with both the posters above. 300 miles is a perfect one day trip. It gets you there in comfort and gives a chance to get off the Spyder and smell the flowers, etc. The scenery is usually a bit better off the interstate too.

[MonPaul]

Agreed- todays gps’s have options to route a trip with “curvy” secondary roads making your trip a little bit longer but much more interesting. If you like to plan trips then ride software/gps like REVER do a great job.

Good advicex2! I hate freeways, too, usually a very straight line boring route. Genius maps has an option also where you can tick a box to avoid highways.

[JayBros]

IMO, there's no such thing as good interstate; they're only useful to get from Point A to Point B as quickly as possible. Were I in your boots I'd use US 58, 29 & 15 as far north as possible and then use interstates to get through NE PA and cross the Hudson using I-287. I'll be 80 in three months and for my 2021 touring I'll probably drop my daily miles to 400-425 range. If you have a Garmin GPS you can plan your routes using BaseCamp and have the whole trip refined and loaded before you leave. BaseCamp has a steep learning curve but you can learn a lot from the tutorials at this link: https://www.newenglandriders.org/learn-basecamp/.

[petew]

Just the kind of info I was looking for.
The route I am looking at is 49, 62, 29, 60, 64, 81, 78, and 287. After that depending on my first stop I will either enter CT on 95 or 84. I have done this route before in our rv and like the roads. I may take that route up and then do more secondary roads on the way back.
I have quite a bit of visiting to do in CT once I get there most of which will be in the countryside. At 63 years of age I like to be comfortable so I will try to pick a good couple of weeks with warmer temps and decent weather. I am retired so I can pick up and go on a moments notice.
Having had a couple of Harleys and large Japanese cruisers I am very impressed with the ride quality and lack of wind noise and buffeting on my Canam at 65-70 mph . the lack of those issues should cause much less fatigue.

Pete

[CopperSpyder]

Planning a trip is fun. Look for Spyder dealers along your route make a list with phone numbers, I also have AAA that will tow the Spyder if needed. I have never had to use any of that info or AAA before but was always nice to know I had it if needed. 300 mile a day is easy and give you lots of time to relax, enjoy, look around where ever you stop for the day. Maybe plan to stop at a city or town you always wanted to see like say Gettysburg PA or Corning NY ect. I don't mind riding on the hiway say I-81 or I-70 just go my speed and stay away from the person in front, sometime when between cities there is hardly any on the road. I would say be ready if you have a minor problem but just go and enjoy your trip.

[RayBJ]

Route through the Shenandoah Valley up into Pa before heading east. i81 and/or us11 run through the prettiest parts of the mid Atlantic. You can also jump on the Blue Ridge Pkwy if you're not in a hurry.

[easysuper]

300 miles is easy on the RTs, personally I stay off the interstates as much as possible as my wife and I prefer the back roads and they are slower and less stressful than the interstates . Last year we took a Coast to Coast ride from Newport Oregon to Boston and stayed on Hwy 20 the entire way to Boston than took a much longer route home. We covered 11,000 miles and 26 states. Remember your retired and take as long as you want.
Ipad and Coast to Coast 107.jpgIpad and Coast to Coast 334.jpgIpad and Coast to Coast 324.jpg

[Possible]

I have an older model Garmin Nuvi 760 that I use in conjunction with Basecamp to plan and execute trips. I plan the trip out with Basecamp and Google
maps and then transfer it to the Nuvi. Works super.

Interstates are great for fast travel to get to and from somewhere, but for sightseeing and enjoyable travel, the two lane roads are better. Butler Maps,
https://www.motorcycleroads.com/motorcycle-roads, and
https://www.bestbikingroads.com/moto.../united-states,
are all great resources to find the fun and scenic roads in an area.

[canamjhb]

When touring I try to stay on secondary roads as much as possible. Most of the time I can cruise at 60 to 65 MPH with a lot less stress than interstates create. Plan on taking breaks every hour to hour and a half. As far a timing, expect to make a net of 50 miles for each hour traveled. So, for a 300 mile day, plan on that taking 6 hours. I have toured extensively for over 30 years and that 50 miles each hour almost always works. Take your time, smell the roses, enjoy, and be safe..... Jim

[Steve W.]

I agree with all the advice above and will add:

Four-lanes are for making time, two-lanes are for making memories.

.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Interstates are great for fast travel to get to and from somewhere, but for sightseeing and enjoyable travel, the two lane roads are better.

Most all the time, but not always. Case in point. In Utah where US-89 somewhat parallels I-15, the scenery along I-15 is much better. Anyway, I think that's the highways I was on when I made that observation.

[Peter Aawen]

It always astounds me when I see these distance/time discussions about travelling in other countries.....

Travelling ONLY 300 miles per day would pretty much more than double the number of days I'd take to get out of my home State, let alone visit any other State Capital in Australia!! And not too many of our 'Major Highways' come anywhere near qualifying as anything but 'secondary roads' over your way!! In a 'normal year' the Child Bride & I would ryde more than twice that far in a day just GOING to visit our Kids/Grandkids in Victoria, and we occasionally visit them for just the weekend!

Admittedly, visiting family anywhere else usually means we might stop for a night or two along the way, but just getting out of this State (except into Vic) from where we live does entail a fair bit of 'cross country' ryding, where the towns & fuel stops are more than 100 miles apart, and the trip just to get 'there' to see our extended family is usually well over 600 miles... and over 1600 miles in one case!!

It's all relative, I know, but travelling just 300 miles in a day?!? By necessity, here in Oz that's often only just a quick afternoon ryde!!

[pegasus1300]

Take several small trips between now and when you plan to leave just to give yourself an idea of what you're in for. Pack your trip then take it all out and lay it out then leave half of it home. Make a list of everything you do take and when you get back home make of what you didn't use and leave it home next time. Make a second list of what you wish you had but didn't. There are several good routing apps out there to plan your trip. In the old days I used to buy a book of maps rip out the area I was going to ride mark it and duct tape it to my leg. Now I do it with MyRoute-app and load it on my Garmin 660 that came with my 2012 RTL. Enjoy the planning and enjoy the trip. If you can find a copy read "The Complete Motorcycle Nomad". I have found for myself that every ride is an attitude and an adventure and after 50+ years it still excites me.
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[petew]

Take several small trips between now and when you plan to leave just to give yourself an idea of what you're in for. Pack your trip then take it all out and lay it out then leave half of it home. Make a list of everything you do take and when you get back home make of what you didn't use and leave it home next time. Make a second list of what you wish you had but didn't. There are several good routing apps out there to plan your trip. In the old days I used to buy a book of maps rip out the area I was going to ride mark it and duct tape it to my leg. Now I do it with MyRoute-app and load it on my Garmin 660 that came with my 2012 RTL. Enjoy the planning and enjoy the trip. If you can find a copy read "The Complete Motorcycle Nomad". I have found for myself that every ride is an attitude and an adventure and after 50+ years it still excites me.
P1090142.jpg

Great advise , thanks.

[blacklightning]

Lots of great advice above and not much that I can add. If you are on facebook, check out the Triangle Spyders. I am in the Apex/Cary area, but often ride out your way. Maybe you can join us for some of our outings. Have a safe trip.

[JayBros]

...am very impressed with the ride quality and lack of wind noise and buffeting on my Canam at 65-70 mph . the lack of those issues should cause much less fatigue.

Pete

If you don't have a driver backrest I suggest you consider purchasing one. I made several long tours without one when I first bought my Spyder but my bride gave me one for a birthday and I was very pleasantly surprised at how much fresher I felt at the end of 450 mile days; it significantly reduced overall fatigue.

[Scotts8826]

I also adhere to the six hour ride time each day. I add a couple hours for gas stops, rest, lunch, a stop at a scenic overlook, etc. This adds up to an eight hour travel day. How much distance I cover will depend on the type of road I'm on. I'm on the road at 8 am and off at 4 pm. This also gives me time to walk, leisurely find a dinner, call home, and enjoy my overnight stay. While your trip is not an exceptionally long trip, multi-day trips are a marathon, not sprints. At least at my age I need to enjoy the ride and avoid exhaustion when I arrive at my destination.

Be sure your bike is properly serviced before you hit the road. I always plan spring service (oil, tires, fluids, brakes, once over) to be sure everything is in good order. I have been on multiple long distance trips without issues.

[petew]

If you don't have a driver backrest I suggest you consider purchasing one. I made several long tours without one when I first bought my Spyder but my bride gave me one for a birthday and I was very pleasantly surprised at how much fresher I felt at the end of 450 mile days; it significantly reduced overall fatigue.

Yes I have a backrest. It is beyond amazing the difference that thing makes !

[petew]

Lots of great advice above and not much that I can add. If you are on facebook, check out the Triangle Spyders. I am in the Apex/Cary area, but often ride out your way. Maybe you can join us for some of our outings. Have a safe trip.

Thanks for the invite . Unfortunately I'm not on facebook but i'll checkout your site from my wifes facebook . I gave Burlington as a general location , I actually live in Mebane .

[Plarimer]

I’ve done many trips on my Harley’s of five and 600 miles with no problem. My longest was 827 miles in one day. Since I feel the spider is much more comfortable I would think 300 mile days would be a piece of cake. Enjoy your road trips and stay off the four-lanes. Good luck, Peter.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

The greatest impediment I've found to traveling 400+ miles in a day are stops at scenic sites and museums! For actual travel time I've found using 50 mph to estimate the time works pretty good. That includes potty, food, and gas stops, and sometimes even a mid-afternoon nap!