My first highway experience
Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2006 3:15 pm
I hadn't been able to ride my bike lately since it's been raining a lot in the North East. Last weekend was nice, so I decided to take a 5 hour ride from MA to PA on my 883 Sportster. This was also my first time on a highway, which was an awesome experience. I was scared, anxious, and determined all at once. I stayed around 50/60 mph for a while getting used to the wind. Then my balls grew 3 sizes bigger, and I started to punch it. There was a point where it didn't even feel like I was on a motorcycle, but rather gliding; like the lower half of my body was my bike. While it was fun as hell and I can't wait to take that trip again, I'm going to throw out a few things I learned on this ride.
Bikes are not fun to sit on after 2 hours. Take stops, and take them frequently. If you can start a long trip about 2 hours before you get hungry, do so. That will give you an excuse for a long break. Even with that, your back, neck, and forearms will get quite a workout.
Wind is very loud. I had earplugs as I expected the wind to be nuts, but it was still comparable to being in a car with the windows open on the highway. I wear a half helmet, and I'm getting a full face partly because of this reason.
Wind also moves you around. It's something you just have to get used to. The wind also might move your mirrors.
You might not be able to hear your engine. If you're used to shifting gears only by listening to engine, you might want to try and break that habit.
This is sort of a "duh," but know where you're going. You can't read directions and ride a bike at the same time =) (I didn't try to do this )
The guys who patch the highway do not think "gee, this uneven road would scare the crap out of a biker, maybe we should even it out?" to themselves. There were a few spots that felt like I fell about a foot, but in reality it was only an inch or two. I didn't feel as if I was going to loose control, but it was scarey. Still, hold on to those bars man.
Make sure you have easy access to your wallet and pockets if you plan on going through tolls.
There's a lot of people who like to use their brakes in turns or are very sporadic with speed. I recommend passing these people quickly, and put a lot of space between you and them so they dont wind up in front of you again.
I'm sure a bunch of you guys will have more to add to this list =)
Bikes are not fun to sit on after 2 hours. Take stops, and take them frequently. If you can start a long trip about 2 hours before you get hungry, do so. That will give you an excuse for a long break. Even with that, your back, neck, and forearms will get quite a workout.
Wind is very loud. I had earplugs as I expected the wind to be nuts, but it was still comparable to being in a car with the windows open on the highway. I wear a half helmet, and I'm getting a full face partly because of this reason.
Wind also moves you around. It's something you just have to get used to. The wind also might move your mirrors.
You might not be able to hear your engine. If you're used to shifting gears only by listening to engine, you might want to try and break that habit.
This is sort of a "duh," but know where you're going. You can't read directions and ride a bike at the same time =) (I didn't try to do this )
The guys who patch the highway do not think "gee, this uneven road would scare the crap out of a biker, maybe we should even it out?" to themselves. There were a few spots that felt like I fell about a foot, but in reality it was only an inch or two. I didn't feel as if I was going to loose control, but it was scarey. Still, hold on to those bars man.
Make sure you have easy access to your wallet and pockets if you plan on going through tolls.
There's a lot of people who like to use their brakes in turns or are very sporadic with speed. I recommend passing these people quickly, and put a lot of space between you and them so they dont wind up in front of you again.
I'm sure a bunch of you guys will have more to add to this list =)
