Hey all, I havent been able to get this idea out of my head. I keep comming back to it over and over. A year ago my life took a 90* turn and I have been kinda "lost" ever since. When I bought my VFR last year it had been over 15 years since I had mounted a motorcycle. I spent last summer getting used to riding again and really enjoyed myself. I took day trips and a few 3-5 day trips around Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, etc.... Im itching to take a much larger step. I wanna hit the road this spring and not come "home" till fall. I am not independantly wealthy or anything so I still have to work, but thankfully I can commute to/from work very easily from anywhere in the US. Im not much of a planner but I figured a rough travel itinerary would be to start in Salt Lake City (home) and head down to SoCal and work my way up to Seattle/Vancouver and back around to Salt Lake. I would be taking it all in small 3-4 day chunks inbetween work blocks and have no time frame other than to be home by fall. So as the time gets closer and closer, my anxiety is rising (my mind is already trying to find excuses not to go) and my courage is softening. I am taking my VFR in to have a mechanic give it a good inspection to make sure it can make this journey. I have very little mechanical abilities so if anything happeneds on the road Ill have to trust in the locals to get me moving again. Anyways, I would like to enlist anyone's help that i can get in here. If you guys have any advice for me, Im all ears - Looking for advice on gear I have basic riding gear (jacket,pants,boots,etc...) Was looking at getting the GIVI side cases (v36 i believe) and just a duffle bag on back. - Looking for advice on what not to miss on my journey Live in Utah, Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming? Throw me some "must see's" - Any advice for a journey of this caliber. Am a crazy? Thanks in advance! DD
There are quite a few fellers on here that know all about distance riding for days on end. Randy and Wrestler are two very well versed members to talk to who will steer you in the correct direction. I envy you sir, sounds like you're gonna have a blast!!!
Sometimes lost people are in a better place. Those are the people that try or start new things with no fear. I hope thats you my friend.
That is awesome and I commend you!! You will learn alot more in your travels than just places you've visited... trust me. First, I would recommend having a heated jacket liner. Even in the summer months it can get damn chilly in CA and the Pacific NW, especially mornings and evenings. I've lived in the CA Bay Area and in Vancouver, WA. Year round I wore leathers, and in the summers in CA, I wore my heated jacket liner in the mornings and evenings. It "scrunches" up real nice into a small package when NOT using it... much better than layers. Take a tire plug kit and small air compressor. I have a tiny compressor that I have with me all the time, along with tire plug kit. A company called Slime makes one and it is awesome. If nothing else, having it with you will ensure that you do NOT get a flat!! Also, zip ties and duct tape are your best friend when in a bind. They can get you fixed to a point where you can at least limp along until you can get to a shop. Take minimal clothing, you can always do laundry. I usually take enough for about 3 or 4 days then do laundry. Rain gear is a must. Also Rain-X for your visor. In the rain, it will keep your visor clear, and if you get accumulation all you have to do is turn your head and let the wind do its work. If you don't have them already, get HID lights. You will be more visible during the day, and while you may piss some people off at night, they will see you. The lights will provide you with amazing visibility and protection. Get a Camelbak and use it. #1 cause for fatigue is dehydration. By the time you're thirsty it's too late. When I've done road trips, I wear a 100oz. Camelbak and drink WHILE riding. I am not thirsty on my stops. Also drink Gatorade or other similar drink on your stops. While water helps with dehydration, it can also deplete nutrients like salt and potassium. Drinking a couple Gatorades per day helps to replenish. IF travelling on major holiday weekend, get hotel reservations. I rode and extra 6 hours once, only to get a couple hours of shut-eye on the floor of a gas station storage room floor because I travelled on 4th of July weekend and was just going to get hotel rooms wherever I stopped. Works most of the time, but not great on a holiday weekend. Be sure to clean/lube your chain every 500 miles, religiously. Know that wherever you are, people are more good than bad, especially when you're on a motorcycle. If you're stuck somewhere, there will always be somebody that will help. The times there is no one to help, do not panic, for circumstances always change... things get worse and things get better, weather gets cold and it gets warm, it rains and it stops raining. Whatever you are going through, it will change... even the good will change to not so good... don't sweat it. You will get through, just remember to breathe... very deaply sometimes... Things to not miss... Well... in my neck of the woods here in Vegas, I think it's the obvious... the strip. But also, Valley of Fire, the Hoover Dam, Death Valley. SoCal... sheesh, if you have time, hang out up on Mulholland Drive through the Malibu Hills/Topanga Canyon... great roads up there. Find Deer Creek Rd. go to the top and check the view... also the Rock Store is up there... famous hang out for bikes in the area. I was there on a New Years Day one year and met Jay Leno... maybe you'll be so lucky. Going up the coast, Hearst Castle is cool... you might also check out the Vintage Motorcycle Museum in Solvang, CA. Oregon... if you've got time... you have Crater Lake to the east... beautiful lake created when volcano imploded on istself. Nothing flows into it, it's just fed by rain and snow so the water is crystal clear. To the west, the Oregon coast is amazingly beautiful and rugged. Just east of Portland in the scenic route along 5 or 6 waterfalls... the main attraction being Multnomah Falls. The road along these falls is a fun road... Washington... well, up in Seattle and surrounding areas, is just pure beauty. Puget Sound, any mountain, Whidbey Island and ANY island up there... WA residents can probably give you more specifics. I'm sure you have your ideas as you head east again, but Montana/Idaho... Yellowstone Nat'l Park. If you haven't been through it, but can do it, you HAVE to... although the Bison walk right along the street so I'm not sure you really want to be next to them on a motorcycle... it will be an adventure that's for sure.... On the east side of Yellowstone, you can go to Devil's Tower, which is the tower in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. When I went there, I think the road was dirt, but it must be paved by now.... ? South Dakota... the obvious... Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse Momument, Grand Tetons... Last... if you want/need a place to crash while travelling through southern Nevada, and you want a fellow VFR rider tour guide, let me know. I've got a comfy guest room, you're welcome to stay as long as you like, and I'll take you for tours around town... at least on the weekend(s). I myself am doing my best to structure my life to do something similar some time soon.... good luck and don't let your fears deter you. I'm a girl and I've done plenty of solo road trips and have had my challenges... but those are the times when I felt the most alive and those are the most vibrant memories and the moments I'm most proud of.... the getting myself through the things that "almost got me". I will only encourage and admire those who take on something like this... good luck and I hope to see you as you pass through Sin City....
Thanks for the encouragment all I had never thought of a heated jacket liner (didnt know they exhisted) damn what a great idea! Kinda surprised they dont have them at my local MC store hmph....I can only assume they are battery powered. Do i need to fill my trunk up with batteries? or do they last? either way, its now on my shopping list along with a tire repair kit. (yes, the thought of flat tires never really crossed my mind...ha ha) As far as rain gear goes. Is it possible to go minimalist and get some thin waterproof stuff that i can put over my regular riding gear? Like a shell layer or something? The local MC shop only had big bulky pants that seemd more like gear for hiking K2 or something and would take up a lot of space in my bags... I realize being dry is paramount, but im not sure what to do on that yet....btw got RainX and I always use it...that stuff is great! I hadn't thought about a Camelbak. I just thought about putting a bottle or something in my tankbag....I will look into it. I'm not sure. I dont have an iron butt yet, so my stops are pretty frequent. I actually enjoy the stops as much as the riding "Be sure to clean/lube your chain every 500 miles, religiously." - Will do.... getting a new chain/sprocket for the trip and Ill take good care of it. "Know that wherever you are, people are more good than bad, especially when you're on a motorcycle. If you're stuck somewhere, there will always be somebody that will help. The times there is no one to help, do not panic, for circumstances always change... things get worse and things get better, weather gets cold and it gets warm, it rains and it stops raining. Whatever you are going through, it will change... even the good will change to not so good... don't sweat it. You will get through, just remember to breathe... very deaply sometimes... " - Very inspiring, I love it! I have started a list of things that would be cool to see on my journey. I have promply added yours to it. I am hoping it will keep growing! As I stated before, im not much of a planner and I figure I will find my path when it presents itself and im not gonna be too worried about it if I miss one or two (or a hundred) things. But it would be a bummer if I rode past a "must see" just cause I didnt know it exhisted. Wow...Now I am excited again! I have been (re)inspired! Woot! DD
You can get heated jacket liners, pants liners, glove and boot liners. Heated jackets and gloves. I prefer the liners because I can then wear a jacket over it as a way to keep the heat in. When it's super windy, I'll put a sweatshirt over the liner under my leather jacket as an addiontal layer of insulation to keep heat in. Gerbing's, First Gear and Powerlet all have heated gear. They come with a battery harness that you run from your battery up between the tank and seat... you plug into it. No batteries required. I would also suggest getting the thermostat. I've ridden where it's 30 degrees in the morning, close to 100 during the day, back to 30 in the evening. A thermostat is nice to have so that you can adjust the heat to your liking as you go. BTW, speaking of Powerlet, I will be having some of their outlets installed so I can run my radar detector easily, as well as charge my phone and use it for GPS and music while on the road. Might be something you wanna think about...?? You can get rain gear that stuffs into a stuff sack. Some of the cheaper stuff that works really well,l and stuffs really small is Frogg Toggs. Tourmaster also has some very good, quality stuff that comes with stuff sacks. More expensive but worth it... it breathes better than Frogg Toggs. In any case, these and other are just shells that would fit over your leathers. If you come through Vegas, I would highly recommend picking up Vibranators... Vibranator.com. Whatever the list price is, they do a special for local pickup. For $80.00 you go there and they install them for you and tell you their story. I got them yesterday and can already tell a diff in my arm, back, neck soreness in just the short distance I ride to work every day. As for water and stops... Even though I can easily go 200-225 miles on a tank of gas, I typically stop every 100 miles to stretch and get my brain a different perspective. I still drink from my camelbak while riding. Just put the tube up in the helmet and you drink! Easy breezy!! You can do the trip without any of this stuff, and it will be more of an adventure. My first couple trips, I had it tough because I didn't have any of these fancy gadgets... but I've learned that I like to be comfortable and it's safer to be warm and hydrated. It's good for blood to get to the brain instead of trying to keep the body warm.
This site has pictures and videos of places to ride in WA Road-Quest.com - Joe Rocket Manta tank bag & Cargo Endurance Tail Bag review.
There is always the HRCA membership that you can join as well. They have an 800 number that you call if something happens, and the closest Honda dealer should come and get you to fix you and get you going again, or do what they can. It's like $30 or $40 a year - the last time I joined. I don't know if it is still available or not, or available for a used bike or not. American Honda Announces New Roadside Assistance Program Have fun, enjoy, and post your pics and stuff as you go. Hopefully somewhere along the road you'll find your destination once again. Riding does that.
Thats a lot of vids...will be watching them as I can! Thanks! Ill check into HRCA on my next visit to the Dealership. Even if they dont have anything for me, I suppose a AAA membership or something is a good call.
Great thread, I'm planning a trip for late August from NJ to Cali and back. Vegas is a definite, I used to live there. I'll be starting a thread soon to get some advice and help. This is a nice thread, good luck to you and enjoy the journey. If anyone is in NJ and needs help, I'm here. Look me up
Was in a "lost" situation myself, know what you mean. I took my bike on a little journey...it was the best thing I ever did. Good luck buddy!!!
I really like having a standard cigarette lighter style plug. you can pretty much get anything electrical nowadays that can plug into one. It's very handy for recharging batteries (cell, mp3,camera, etc.) I don't usually get too worked up over bringing everything, but most of my trips are not that long. But, with all the added time you are taking, you should be able to treat it as short trips IMO. Things to see: a creek, mountains, a sunset, etc.
Thanks guys! Got my Luggage racks on order and they should be here soon. Also taking her into the mech for a last tuneup/look over before i go. I have a friend that is letting me borrow a heated vest....hopefully its not cumbersome. I have a break in early April of about 4 days and if I can get ready in time, I will start this thing If i do, It will be south for Moab and St George! Woot!
