My recent 3600 mile trip

About a week ago, I returned from a 3600 mile trip I took on my 2006 VFR. I rode from Albuquerque to Minneapolis, then to Manitowoc WI (where I was born), then to Chicago (where I got lost), then to Memphis, and back to Albuquerque. I rode through heat, cold (down to the low 50s), rain, and high winds. Through it all, the VFR performed flawlessly and averaged about 45 mpg.

On this trip, the greatest distance I rode in one day was about 360 miles. I could have ridden farther, but there seemed to be no point in doing so. I'd never before taken a road trip that long, not even in a car. I spent every night in a hotel, motel, or visiting relatives.

This probably seems tame to some guys, but to me it was a new experience. I learned to ride only 2 years ago.

 

:clap2: Nice :rockon:

now some pics please :smile:

 

Sorry, I didn't take a camera with me.

Actually, most of my riding was done on Interstates. Riding on local roads would have been more interesting, but I had specific places I wanted to go and wanted to get there quickly. Perhaps I'll take another trip on more scenic roads, but I have this problem of getting lost easily and that is less likely to happen on Interstates.

Even so, I could have got nice pics from the 98th floor of the John Hancock building or the 103rd floor of Sears Tower, or from the Chicago River, or from the Mississippi River in Memphis.

In the spring of 2008, I may go to a convention in San Diego (the annual Log Cabin Club convention), but it includes formal functions and I don't know about taking formal clothing on a bike. Has anyone traveled with a business suit or sport coat? How does it look after being crammed into the hard luggage?

 

That's amazing. Only two years into your riding career and doing a cross country trip.

You must physically be in better shape than me, even with Helibars I can't ride more than a couple hours without body parts yelling at me.

 

I've made a point of keeping myself fit in spite of the fact that there are probably few guys here as olde as I am. Probably that has greatly helped. I ride my bicycle to the gym where I work out with weights.

It helps to stop every 80 miles or so and walk around a bit; fortunately Interstates provide plenty of rest stops. It also helps to slide around a bit on the seat and ocassionally lift oneself off of the seat for a couple seconds.

My main fear in riding too long is becoming tired without fully realising it and loosing skill or the ability to concentrate. At least I don't feel sleepy on a bike as I sometimes do when driving a car. I wonder about guys that ride up to 1000 miles in a day; I can't see myself doing that.

At my age, if I didn't take a cross-country trip soon, I might be too old to do so by the time I had a few years of experience. Although I began with considerable trepidation, I figured that that was a good reason to do it. Besides, it may help to prevent Alzheimer's.

 

Hi FRE; No matter how little or many miles you did per day, a 3600 mile ride is alot. My longest trip was done several years ago on a Honda CB 550. I
traveled from Phila,Pa to Louisville,Ky in one day,about 700 miles one way.
Anyway I am curious what you did maintenance wise to your scooter to prepare for the ride. Also did you perform any adjustments or such while on the road.How about those iron butt dudes riding 1k+? Are you ready for a new set of tires yet?EDDIE

 

I'm not trying to turn this into a "pissing match" just relating my first long distance trip. It was to the gap and was about the same overall mileage.

From south Texas, it was 1200 miles each way with about another 1000 around the area lead by a crazy local. Anyway, I got there doing about 800 miles the first day and 400 the second. Rinse, lather, repeat, on the return leg. All's I had was a sargent seat and throttle lock. Set it on about 75-80mph on the interstates, stopping every 2 & 1/2 hours or so (37mpg) for gas/stretch/eat.

Although I had 20+ years riding experience at the time, its was my first solo cross-country ride so it will always be the trip of my life. So, I know where you are coming from. Next time, stop and get some pics along the way. I look at mine with very fond memories.

 

3600 miles on a bike is nothing to scoff at, good job!! You got more experience on that trip than most riders will ever get. You'll remember this trip for the rest of your life!!

 

The most I ever rode in one day was 400 miles, last year. Although I didn't have any trouble doing it, that was enough for one day for me and I have no plans to go farther than that in one day.

The bike was thoroughly checked out by the dealer about 800 miles before I left. Daily I examined the tires for any problems (the center stand helped) and checked the fluids. Because it is hard to check the tire pressure without letting out some air, I checked the pressure only about 3 times and added air once with by 12 volt compressor. I also re-lubricated the chain daily. As many of us know, there is not general agreement on what kind of chain lubricant to use. Some will be in total agreement with what I used, and others will be horrified; I used a WD40 spray can and paper towels. It's quick and easy to apply and not very messy. The chain seems to be in fine shape. The engine oil level did not seem to drop.

The bike now has about 7200 miles on it. Both tires are still fine. The rear tire was replaced about 800 miles before the trip by the dealer because while testing it, he drove over a bolt which put a big hole in it. From all the highway riding, there is more wear on the center of the tires than on the sides. On twisty roads the wear pattern would be much different.

I found that 6th gear generally provided adequate power for passing trucks (of which there were many) on the Interstates. When I shifted down from 6th to 4th, it accelerated like a rocket. Shifting from 6th to 3rd seemed to put it into warp drive. It's hard to understand why some guys want even more power.

The only problem I had was with the center stand. Sometimes it is hard to put the bike onto it and a couple times when I parked on a slight upward incline, I had trouble getting the bike off of the center stand. The fact that I weigh only about 145# was probably part of the problem.

If one can depend on finding a service station when needed, it's possible to go more than 220 miles on a tank. Usually I went about 170 miles.

On the trip, I met one rider who had ridden his Harley from California to North Carolina. Also, before leaving, I met a guy who had ridden his FZ on business from NC to Albuquerque in only 2 days! What I did was no means a record and it doesn't seem all that unusual, although it may be a bit unusual for a rider in my superannuated state with only 2 years of experience.

 

"3600 miles on a bike is nothing to scoff at, good job!! You got more experience on that trip than most riders will ever get. You'll remember this trip for the rest of your life!!"

I may well do something like that again; that's why I bought the VFR. Being retired does have its advantages. For short distances and riding around town, I prefer my Suzuki SV 650, but the VFR is much better on the highway.

The idea of riding a motorcycyle in Chicago was more than a bit scary, but I quickly overcame that; there was little choice once I got into Chicago, especially after getting lost and having trouble finding a hotel with a room available considering that I'd never before driven in Chicago. At a hotel which was full, the doorman encouraged me to make a U turn in the street to go to a hotel that had rooms available. There was one lane of traffic in each direction, parking on both sides, and the street was heavily cambered. At least the traffic was very slow. When my side of the street momentarily cleared, I turned around by working the bike back and forth and ended up on the center line facing the right way. Then, some kind soul let me in. That was significantly unnerving. By the time I got to the hotel, I was really sweating.

 

FRE... I've shipped stuff the hotel I'm going to for them to hold until I register at the desk, then they'll deliver to my room. Usually with equipment I need for a trip that I don't want to haul through the airport, but it should work for your Convention attire. You then ship it back along with goodies you picked up on the way our and while there. A call to the hotel ahead of time to set this up is a big plus.

Good luck!

- Paul

 

Yep, I've shipped clothes to the hotel where I've made reservations. I did a 3000 miler in 9 days. I didn't make any reservations for the whole trip except for the one where I'd sent my clothes. It was a little upscale, so they paid to ship my dirty clothes back home. It worked like a charm. UPS rocks!!:biggrin: (unless they lose your stuff, then they SUCK!!):frusty:

 

Holy backache, Batman!!

And I thought Asheville in two days was a lot.

Quite a testament to the VFR's performance and reliability.

Someday, I'd like to take US rte 2 to Glacier, but you beat that.

congratulations.:first:

 

Woo Hoo, way to go, Very cool. NO pictures Huh, gives you a reason to do it again with a camera.

 

Now that, my friends, is what it truly is all about. Somebody have a kleenex? Great story!

 

wow

thats awsome, what a great experience. I would absolutely love to do the same at some point. Its nice to know that it's possible- hopefully this will give others more motivation to enjoy the open road. Good job man! Have been thinking about riding from W. Nebraska to dallas next summer- thats nothing compared to 3000 plus, with any luck the oppertunity will arise to do it!

 

The hotel / motel bills added up to quite a bit; they were the major expense. My sister and her husband often do camping while traveling, with a car, of course. I know someone who does that with a Goldwing and pulling a trailer. I've considered camping with my VFR, but don't see how I could carry a tent, sleeping bag, cooking equipment, and food in addition to the other thing I carry.

Has anyone had experience camping with a VFR?