Total Motorcycle Community Forums

For the folks who do road trips (not milk runs).

I have been invited on a 5day / 3000 km ride this summer, but I have never rode further than 100km in a trip. Anybody here done a trip that long "cold", or do you do some extended pre-rides to condition your back / a$$ / kidneys?

I am not on a touring bike, but a 1985 ninja 600 with aftermarket soft side luggage and tank bag.

Thank you

hakx, you definitely need to work up to this. Bikes start to feel different after the first several hundred kilometers in a day! And there's also the fatigue factor: doing 500 km in a day once may feel like one thing, but doing it for several days in a row without a break builds up fatigue. This matters a great deal for a vehicle like a motorcycle where your body positioning and reactions are so much a part of riding safely.

An additional concern is experience packing - knowing what to take, where it all fits on the bike, and what you can leave behind. Everyone's "must haves" are different, so reading a book or talking to other folks will only take you so far. The best way to do it is to try it out yourself.

Take at least one two day overnighter and several long day trips first. This is especially important if your friends are more experienced riders - you don't want to be learning what your body can and can't do and how to pack while others are waiting for you.

Also, make sure your bike is checked out mechanically. Making sure your tires have 3000 kms more life left in them seems obvious, but you'd be surprised how many people don't think of it! Make sure your chain is in adjustment - pack some chain lube along.

Okay, you're looking at 600 km a day. Working up to the distance is a good idea. Things that you don't think about may turn up on the 2nd day... like how really painful it is to wear sunglasses under your helmet (BTDT).

You'll want to ask your co-rider how the ride is going to be done. Is it a destination tour, or a sight-seeing tour, or what? Several shorter breaks or meal breaks only. Early on the road, or leisurely - eat a nice breakfast then get going. See where I'm going here? Avoid making assumptions about what's going to happen. You'll both have more fun.

P

All of the above is great advice but to add a few more things:

1.) Drink lots of water - keep some in a tank bag on your bike or even use a camelback.
2.) Make sure that those saddlebags are secure, and can't connect with your rear-wheel for any reason. I learned this lesson the hard way and it nearly killed me.
3.) Rain gear - spend the money for a good set. If you don't you will regret it.
4.) A decent riding suit will reduce your fatigue BIG TIME. You're azz will thank you.

In addition to the additions above, wear boxer shorts and loose fitting clothes under your riding gear. If you wear jockey shorts, the seams will press into the inside of your upper thighs and around back to your butt cheeks, cutting off circulation. This can make for a very painful ride, especially at 600km per day. Loose fitting clothing allows for more freedom of movement, obviously, but it also helps keep your body cooler in hot weather.

High_Side wrote:3.) Rain gear - spend the money for a good set. If you don't you will regret it.

This is very important, and I'm glad High Side remembered. Also- you do have experience riding in rain, don't you? If you're touring anywhere in the temperate zones of North America for five days, I guarantee you it's going to rain on at least one of those days. Unless you're riding with "hide under an overpass" kind of people, get comfortable with rain riding before the trip. Find a rainstorm and go out riding in it (after the first 30 minutes), see what it feels like.

I've rode in the rain quite a bit. I'm running some pretty high teck gore tex including a full stealth suit, and some other high speed low drag cold weather items that the military frowns upon employing outside its original intention.

Heres the planned trip:

8 June 11> - Leave Wainwright to Medicine Hat down hwy 41.> Spend that night in Med Hat.@377 kms> >

9 June 11> -Leave Med Hat and travel to Livingston MT. Going thru Havre MT and> going thru the Louis and Clark National forest. @670 kms.> >

10 June 11> -Leave livingston and travel to Cody Wy, Going thru Yellowstone park> and down the Wild Bill Cody Hwy.. @ 364 kms

11 June 11> - Leave Cody Wy and travel to Red Lodge Mt. By way of the Chief Joseph> highway to Cooke city and then over to Red lodge down the Bear tooth> highway. There may be snow that time of year around there so it will> be cold as it gets as high as 11000 ft. We may adjust this part of the> Even though it is a short distance, it will take a> large part of the day.@ 230 kms> >

12 June 11> - Leave Red Lodge and travel to Havre Mt. Going thru Harlowton Mt and> White Sulphur Springs and back thru the Louis and Clark Forest again(> it' awesome) and then back to Havre Mt. This part of the route isn't 100% decided as I'm thinking if the weather is good we may want to back track down the Bear Tooth Highway again.. As it sits the> route is @ 678 kms.

13 June 11> -Leave Havre Mt and travel back to Wainwright by the 41 north of> Medicine Hat.@ 594 kms.

Three big days for sure. Keep the suggestions up boys, I'm taking notes here!!

Awesome trip. I don't know if you've been there before but if you haven't I have some pics of nearly the same trip that I did in '04. 1/2 way down this page:
http://totalmotorcycle.com/BBS/viewtopi ... 3&start=10

Nonsense, just go faster in the rain and you dry out faster than you get wet .

I always carry a couple pairs of latex-nitrile gloves with me that work excellent in the rain keeping my hands warm and dry and giving me a good grip on the throttle and can fit under your normal riding gloves.
of course! other riders make fun of me wearing those gloves, but I don't care what they think!