Need advice on riding across the country..

[praries880]

Hi Guys,
I am fairly new to motorcycling (6 months in all). Have done just about 1200 miles on my Rt-S (2012). I recently came over to the Boston region (from San Jose,CA) for about 4 months in Apr 2014. Headed back in late july. On my way over i had my can-am shipped. I intend to ride it back though... My plan it to take about 9 to 10 days riding back from Acton, Ma to San Jose, CA. My longest trip thus far has been about 150 miles one way... Im taking another 400 mi round trip this wknd (to the white mountains, NH)

I will be riding solo...
My bike is a basic 2012 RT-S with no mods. I plan to ride back starting 25'th Jul and get to San jose by 3'rd Aug. I wish i could have taken longer, but thats the amount of vacation time i have left
I know its not gonna be a cake walk... but im not sure if i will have an opp like this again any time soon... and i have this urge to just go do it

Any tips/tricks from people who have either done the trip or done long distance riding will be welcome.

Above all, any strong reasons i should not do the trip (other than my lacking experience )? (should i be concerned about the tornado season in the northern plains/mid west this time of the year?)

Lookin forward to usefull insights
Pary

PS : As for stuff i will take with me, i'll have one bag on the passenger seat in addition to whatever fits in the various compartments (i do not have the trailer, nor do i wish to get one now).

 

[Mets79ST2013]

Hi Guys,
I am fairly new to motorcycling (6 months in all). Have done just about 1200 miles on my Rt-S (2012). I recently came over to the Boston region (from San Jose,CA) for about 4 months in Apr 2014. Headed back in late july. On my way over i had my can-am shipped. I intend to ride it back though... My plan it to take about 9 to 10 days riding back from Acton, Ma to San Jose, CA. My longest trip thus far has been about 150 miles one way... Im taking another 400 mi round trip this wknd (to the white mountains, NH)

I will be riding solo...
My bike is a basic 2012 RT-S with no mods. I plan to ride back starting 25'th Jul and get to San jose by 3'rd Aug. I wish i could have taken longer, but thats the amount of vacation time i have left
I know its not gonna be a cake walk... but im not sure if i will have an opp like this again any time soon... and i have this urge to just go do it

Any tips/tricks from people who have either done the trip or done long distance riding will be welcome.

Above all, any strong reasons i should not do the trip (other than my lacking experience )? (should i be concerned about the tornado season in the northern plains/mid west this time of the year?)

Lookin forward to usefull insights
Pary

PS : As for stuff i will take with me, i'll have one bag on the passenger seat in addition to whatever fits in the various compartments (i do not have the trailer, nor do i wish to get one now).

That is a nice ride, I move here from Morgan Hill CA and we drove from there if you want send me a private message we can talk, have few suggestions for you.

 

[lwrydr]

Long ride

I road a 2 wheeler to Alaska a few yrs ago....over 5800 miles total...take lots of breaks, bring water.... and plan on ryding a certain amout of miles per day....I only travel around 300 miles per day but I like to stop and look at stuff...I also hate freeways so I try and travel back roads...have fun...

 

[wyliec]

praries880,

You might benefit from contacting a member here with the screen name Dudley. He lives in California and drove (his Spyder) cross country and back, and I believe when he finished his trip he had 10,000 miles. He did a great job of documenting his trip, here on SL's.

 

[Cruzr Joe]

500 miles a day is not that hard of a trip, we have done 700 miles a day (freeway Driving) on several occasions, just relax, keep hydrated and when you stop for fuel, walk around for a few minutes and relax.

(500 miles is roughly 4 fuel stops)

Cruzr Joe

 

[Bob Denman]

Just remember to take lots of pictures for the rest of us!! :2thumbs:

 

[EnjoyingTheRyde]

One good trick...

Take me with you! Have a safe ride!

 

[SpyderAnn01]

You should have an awesome time!
1. Get yourself a Camelbak so you will have plenty of water to stay hydrated.
2. I recommend that if you are putting a bag on the passenger seat that you raise the seat and run your strap under it. If you strap it to the passenger grips you will have to unstrap at every gas stop.
3. A cool vest is a good investment but if you don't want to buy one take and extra t-shirt and soak it at a gas stop and put it on over your base shirt. You have to wear a jacket for them to work properly, otherwise they dry out too quickly. (they work better in the drier climates not in high humidity)
4. I put hard candy in my glove box for a little snack while riding
5. 5-Hour Energy drinks only last about 2 hours but they keep me awake and focused
6. We don't usually book rooms along our route because sometimes you need to stop earlier or you have more energy and want to push on further. I pick an end place for each day and an alternate stops also.
7. Check out your route for availability of gas. When you get out west there are places where you could run out
8. Take some of those detergent pods and a few dryer sheets and put them in a Zip Loc for doing laundry. I bring quarters with also.

I think tornado season is winding down by that time of year. Not that you won't encounter a thunderstorm or two.

 

[Bob Denman]

You can always take your "sheds" (dirty laundry...), and mail them back home along the way... :thumbup:
It'll lighten your load considerably!

 

[Highwayman2013]

When we go on a long trip we don't set a mileage limit on the day, that way if we see something interesting we can stop. If you have a smart phone you can keep track of the weather, fuel stops, motels etc in the area you are in. You may want a small gas can in your saddle bag (we have a REDA) just in case. Stay hydrated and enjoy the trip.

 

[yamahog]

I find that stopping about every 70 to 80 miles helps a lot to keep the heat rash and sore joints at bay, also like to fuel at those intervals during summer to keep gas from boiling, just relax and enjoy the ride, allow time for extra stops and hydrate very often and powder up with anti monkey but powder LOL.:chat:

 

[PrairieSpyder]

Don't worry about your experience level. After a fee days you'll have it figured out. Make sure you have rain gear.

Wave as as you go through Kansas.

 

[MouthPiece]

When we go on a long trip we don't set a mileage limit on the day, that way if we see something interesting we can stop. If you have a smart phone you can keep track of the weather, fuel stops, motels etc in the area you are in. You may want a small gas can in your saddle bag (we have a REDA) just in case. Stay hydrated and enjoy the trip.

BINGO!!!! Stop and smell the roses along the way.

​Chris

 

[Chupaca]

There you go...!!

my two cents...ryde relaxed stop when you need gas stretch hydrate and enjoy the ryde. Eat light during the ryde have a good evening meal keeps you sharp while driving. Your going to has a great trip...hyea:hyea:

 

[praries880]

Thanks guys

For all the great advice in the thread.

My plan is to do about 350 to 400 miles per day... I was planing on pre booking motels along the way at the said intervals... but it seems like not such a great idea

The camelback seems to be a good idea too... i was wondering if i should install a cup holder... but the bag seems like a better option.

As for the gas, thus far my bike has done around 33MPG... so yeah i guess breaks will have to be spaced around 90Mi... I am thinking about getting a gas can...

Highwayman2013 does this one look good? (I just ordered one) I want to get the larger one (2.5 gallons), but im not sure if even this guy will fit into the side compartment on the spyder though

SpyderAnn0vests Can the cool vests be worn under a biking jacket? Mine is on the tighter side (i thought it made sense to buy one thats as snug as it can get )?

Baseball79ST201 Hi, I will ping you once i figure out how to send private messages on this site

Thanks for the referral wyliec, I will get in touch with Dudley.

Thanks for the suggestion yamahog, I just ordered the butt powder from Amazon.. didnt know such a thing existed ll help me in the cycling as well

EnjoyingTheRyde you are most welcome do join in

Thanks everyone for the great tips

Will keep the thread posted with pics once i am on the way..

Thanks
Pary


Btw : heres a link to my photo site (why is this being thrown out here you might ask... well cus Bob Denman mentioned take pictures, my site does not have a lot of motorcycle pics, but i like to think i take good ones.. sometimes, so i threw it out just in case ) I hope to have a good abum with my trip pics once im done

 

[ARtraveler]

The above posters have you pretty much covered. I would add--don't over pack. If you forget something, that's what WalMart (or similar) is for.

Have an enjoyable and safe trip. :yes:

 

[daveinva]

I am sooooo jealous!!

-- Honestly, while you can do more than 500 miles a day, I'd plan on 400 max. That's a comfortable pace, a mix of backroads and highways. More than that and you're either rushing, or slabbing too much.

-- I'd consider bringing a mix of seating pads. I find swapping between my Airhawk and my Beadrider (along with my stock seat) every couple of fill-ups keeps my bottom just fine.

-- Anti-Monkey Butt powder is a LIFESAVER. Also consider getting dedicated riding underwear (I personally swear by Ex Officio, but anything from LD to Under Armor or anything else "sport" will help keep you comfortable).

-- Keep your phone or a cheap-o pocket camera handy for spur-of-the-moment photo opportunities.

-- Every time you fill-up, take off your helmet, stretch, drink down an entire beverage (especially with the summer heat). Save the big meal for the end of the day, eat light on the road, things RARELY sit well shaking atop a bike :joke:

Enjoy yourself, and safe riding! :thumbup:

 

[jthornton]

I highly recommend a couple pair of LDComfort undies. They make a huge difference when riding long days. I just came back from a 3,100 mile trip to Key West and back... the longest day was 525 miles and I was in full comfort all day. We did stay 2 days in Key West so your 3,100 mile trip should be pretty easy to do in 9 days with an average of 350 miles a day.

Next you have a 2012 RT just like mine and I highly recommend you get a BajaRon sway bar and the PittBull shock relocator put in. Small change for a huge improvement in handling.

Lastly I'd get a Laser alignment done then make sure you have the front tires the same exact pressure.

The Spyder will be a new machine that rides on rails and sneers at 18 wheelers.

JT

 

[Bob Denman]

I highly recommend a couple pair of LDComfort undies.

JT,
Thanks for NOT providing us with a picture of you modelling them! :yikes:

 

[praries880]

Yeah the handling could be better...

Thanks for the post jthornton, I do notice how the bike sways in even mildly windy conditions
(say 15 to 20 mph cross winds)... n boy the turbulence form the semis... I need to slow down to around 55 to 60mph for the bike to feel stable again.
Hope there are places around Acton that do the laser alignment.

I dont think i can afford the sway bars n the shock relocator as of now maybe once i have recovered enough from the financial shock of buyin the RT-S