Going On Our First Long Distance Trip

[MikeT]

Got my RTL in mid-April. Been riding around somewhat close to home for 1300 miles* while I got comfortable with the ins and outs of the Y configuration, having come off 9 years on a GL1800 trike. By his time next week we are going to head out and ride to /around TN. Probably going to double the mileage on the odometer. Any of you experienced long distance RT riders care to share some words of wisdom for us as we make our maiden voyage on our new RT????? I certainly would appreciate it.
Thanks,
Mike
*only 1300 miles due to a 2+ week cruise and the month of July was a wash out here.

 

[Bob Denman]

Have a safe and fun trip! :thumbup:
We'll expect to see lots of pictures.
Tips:
If you can avoid the traffic; you'll have less stress, while on the road.
Plan your departure times and routes so that you can enjoy the journey, as much as you'll enjoy the destination.
Plan your fuel and food stops so that you don't find yourself worrying about how far you HAVE to go, to get to the next one.
Take advantage of them, and stretch your legs a bit at each one.
Pack minimally; buy what you need, and mail home the dirty laundry!
If you have the luxury of flexibility in your schedule: don't turn it into a "Forced march" down the road.
Linger a bit in the places that catch your eye...

 

[2014rts]

Are you are going to visit Nashville on your trip?

Nashville has a lot of great things to see and do. Especially if you like country music but you can find all kinds of music in Nashville. Broadway and 2nd avenue have many great honky tonks where there is no cover charge and the music is great. Most of the bands just haven't had that one big break to get on the radio yet but are that good
Now the bad thing about Nashville is the traffic is terrible if you are coming in between 6:00 am and 9:00 am or if you are leaving town between 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm.
Other than that it's a great city to visit, great music, great food , plenty to see and I have never met an unfriendly person there yet. Oh, yea, I forgot to mention I just bought a 2014 RT-S with only 500 miles on it from a gentleman who bought it for him and his wife and then developed health issues before they could enjoy it, Just waiting to get the tittle from the bank to get license plates .

 

[Charlotte17078]

Long trips are a blast!!

Got my RTL in mid-April. Been riding around somewhat close to home for 1300 miles* while I got comfortable with the ins and outs of the Y configuration, having come off 9 years on a GL1800 trike. By his time next week we are going to head out and ride to /around TN. Probably going to double the mileage on the odometer. Any of you experienced long distance RT riders care to share some words of wisdom for us as we make our maiden voyage on our new RT????? I certainly would appreciate it.
Thanks,
Mike
*only 1300 miles due to a 2+ week cruise and the month of July was a wash out here.

I bought my '15 RT limited in July and have over 4500 miles on it Including a trip from PA to the Tail of the Dragon.
We (hubs rides a Voyager) like to ride the interstates only when we have to make some time or when the traffic isn't crazy. The rest of the time we take roads that may parallel or near to the interstates. We like to go through the small towns and stop at local diners, etc. to get the flavor of the area and have met some REALLY nice people that way. Also, we watch the weather radar and plan our daily rides away from the rain as much as possible. We pack our clothes in Ziplock bags and squeeze the air out.. you can get more in, that way.
I only take a couple of shirts and buy t-shirts along the way from places that we visit.
Have a GREAT ride!!!
:clap:

 

[kngfsh27]

Bob has said it best

Have a safe and fun trip! :thumbup:
We'll expect to see lots of pictures.
Tips:
If you can avoid the traffic; you'll have less stress, while on the road.
Plan your departure times and routes so that you can enjoy the journey, as much as you'll enjoy the destination.
Plan your fuel and food stops so that you don't find yourself worrying about how far you HAVE to go, to get to the next one.
Take advantage of them, and stretch your legs a bit at each one.
Pack minimally; buy what you need, and mail home the dirty laundry!
If you have the luxury of flexibility in your schedule: don't turn it into a "Forced march" down the road.
Linger a bit in the places that catch your eye...

Have fun, be safe, take your time, stop a lot and take pictures. Allow enough time that you can drive the speed limit. Just enjoy the ride. We will be waiting for the pictures.:yes:

 

[JayBros]

Don't know what model GPS you have, 660 or 590 but if it has a curvy road option in the navigation settings, select that mode and it will give you a more pleasant route point to point.

 

[MikeT]

I bought my '15 RT limited in July and have over 4500 miles on it .
We like to ride the interstates only when we have to make some time or when the traffic isn't crazy. The rest of the time we take roads that may parallel or near to the interstates. We like to go through the small towns and stop at local diners, etc. to get the flavor of the area and have met some REALLY nice people that way.
Have a GREAT ride!!!:clap:

4500 miles in 2 months is a lot of riding. Puts me to shame. Our riding style of avoiding freeways, except in a time crunch, is one thing we have in common. Our main north-south freeway has been really an accident prone roadway this spring & summer. Got my ZUMO set for curvy roads and shortest distance. We're looking forward to a great ride.

 

[MikeT]

Nashville has a lot of great things to see and do. It is a great city to visit, great music, great food , plenty to see and I have never met an unfriendly person there yet. .

OH YEA, we are goung to visit Nashville. The organizers used to put us up in host hotels out on Percy-Priest St. This year they've moved the reunion to Franklin, TN because of the traffic issues in/around Nashville.

 

[jcspyder]

Bob - I love the "mail home the dirty laundry" idea. I may try that one.

Charlotte - I also like the "buy the T-shirts along the way" idea. I tend to overpack, so a couple of pairs of jeans, some underwear, and new T-shirts depicting the adventure is perfect.

:yes:

 

[Charlotte17078]

Don't know what model GPS you have, 660 or 590 but if it has a curvy road option in the navigation settings, select that mode and it will give you a more pleasant route point to point.

I haven't found that option on my GPS, I'll check it out!! Thanks for the tip!!

 

[MikeT]

I haven't found that option on my GPS, I'll check it out!! Thanks for the tip!!

You can find it in thew SETTINGS menu. I prefer the AVOID style menu that the Garmins use. It has 10 selections that you can highlight like Freeways, Toll Roads, U-Turns, etc. That way you know for sure that the GPS is going to take you the fastest non-freeway route.

 

[SpyderAnn01]

We pack only dark colored clothing so that I only need to do 1 load of laundry. Hotels frequently only have 1 machine and if they have 2 I don't like to hog both. Take the detergent pods and dryer sheets along with quarters so you don't have to buy the overpriced packages sold in hotel laundry rooms.