First VFR, first VFR road trip in PNW- Help me fine tune the trip in WA, ID, MT???? Melted soft bags

Hey everyone-

Just got my first VFR after 25 years of lusting! I was 16 years old in 1986 and had saved up for my first real street bike after riding a 1972 Yamaha 175 2-stroke, a 1982ish Yamaha 185 Exciter, and 1982ish Honda Hawk 450 for the previous two years. It came down to a VFR or a RZ350...I went with the RZ for less money...No regrets, but still dreamed of a VFR all these years! Many bikes and 24 years latter I have it: a 2006 in Pearl Black, with 13k, bone stock. I love the RWB, but this pearl black is incredible in the sun!

I love the bike! after 2000 miles I can truly say it really IS the best do all bike I have ever owned My last bike was a hot rodded FZ1 so its been like going from a muscle car to a Lexus: not quite as fast but much more refined.

Anyways, I have two things I could use some help with: My first real road trip with Pearl next week: bomb up I-5 to Mt Vernon WA, meet up with my bro (has my old FZ1) and ride east on hwy 20 to SandPoint ID, then hwy 200 to Missoula MT. Return route TBD as I am going home to Seaside OR, we will split up at some point. We will be tent camping along the way. The point of the trip is to take in scenery and places new to us and of course to ride some (hopefully) great roads. We want to stay of I-90 (boring) as much as possible.

Would love to hear from riders familiar with this route/area! if you know good places to camp/eat/see/ride let me know! We leave this coming Friday 8-6-10 and have 5 days blocked out for the trip.

My second Q which as me totally confused: Soft bags over stock mufflers! From my reading here and elsewhere I am getting conflicting reports that they will/will not melt. (mine have the neopreme backing) I have noticed my cans seem reasonably "cool" while riding but really heat up in town and after shut down. Help! (also, she runs anywhere from 150-225 degrees depending on traffic/weather. Is such a wide spread normal on 6th gen VFRs???)

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ANY INPUT/REPLIES!

 

You temp sounds normal and I had the same concerns when I bought my VFR. I use Moto-Centric saddle bags and I love them! I have had no issues with the exhaust. over my long road trips.

Have fun and ride safe!

 

Sorry I missed this the first time around. I have Cor-tech Soft bags with neoprene backing over stock pipes and shields on an 06. Two long hard rides from Chilliwack BC to Atascadero CA, and several other long rides in between and I had no problems at all. They got warm, but no where near hot enough to melt.

 

I have a set of the motopak GT-90 soft saddle bags I used on my bike last year and there was no damage from heat.