biting off more than i can chew?

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jstark47
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#11 Unread post by jstark47 »

dean owens wrote:i don't know what the weather will be like anyway. just a thought.
Oh yeah, dude! Sustained high speed riding in pouring rain is a whole 'nother topic (heh, heh, heh!!!!!) :twisted:
dean owens wrote:but i will say, my bike has a full fairing so i don't really get a whole lot of wind as a problem.
Just a thought: the same fairing that gives you frontal wind protection also provides cross-winds more "sail area" to catch. Ever ridden that bike fast on a day with gusty cross-winds? 10-15 minutes is OK, but after 3 or 4 hours, it starts getting old.......
2003 Triumph Trophy 1200
2009 BMW F650GS (wife's)
2012 Triumph Tiger 800
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blair
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#12 Unread post by blair »

Make sure you fill up and know where the gas will be. 150 miles means you probably don't have any sense of the rhythym of your fuel getting low.

If your bike has a big enough tank, the fillup will probably get you there and back. My Shadow has a peanut tank that goes 85 miles before making me switch to reserve, giving me 20-25 miles to find the next hose.

So for me a "road trip" is a matter of orienteering between waypoints with names like Exxon, Shell, Valero, Flying J, etc...

It'd suck to be stuck 10 miles from one just because I zoned on the limitations when I was doing the flight plan.
'93 Honda VT600CD Shadow VLX Deluxe
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Nibblet99
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#13 Unread post by Nibblet99 »

If you go for it, be sure to remember to take a break every hour. I find I get suddenly mentally tired after about 2 hours of riding and my attention wanders... Better to take a break every hour in a safe place and stop it from happening
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The549
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#14 Unread post by The549 »

Reminds me of me...if you have the determination, you'll make it! However it certainly sounds like it might be a bit less safe than if you were to practice putting more diverse miles on your bike locally where you know the roads 100% while you learn.

But the day I got my license I went out for a 5 hour ride. I pointed her in one direction, and gassed it! Got back at 3:30 am.
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#15 Unread post by rwp »

You'll be fine. People crossed the great plains in covered wagons with less experience than you have.

Make sure someone know when you're leaving and when you expect to arrive, just in case.
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dean owens
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#16 Unread post by dean owens »

just to let you guys know, i'm not taking the bike up. i liked the advise of trying to get to do some i-state riding and figured if i could i would go on up. i had too much stuff come up and no time to practice for an extended period. plus i had some rain experience last week (which is not all that fun) and last i checked there is a chance of driving through some rain tomorrow on my trip. not a chance i wanted to take.

thanks for the help guys. weather permitting i will be taking a long trip to a town just south of danville, va in a week. working a week of camp and thought that could be fun. back roads and in the middle of no where. it's a nice drive in a car so it's gotta be nice on a bike.

again, thanks for the help.
Current: 2006 Yamaha FZ6 (Faster Blue)

Previous: 1983 Honda GL650 Interstate (given back to previous owner)

Project: 1980 CX500 Custom - making a cafe racer
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