Long Distance Riding Tips

[BobFV1]

With prime riding season upon us, many of us are considering long-distance rides. I am going to get a lot more miles in this Summer, and I hope to see many of you along the way.

I was asked to put down some long distance riding tips. Since I am far from an expert on this topic, I thought I would post a few, and then "stick" this thread so you all can add your tips/comments/suggestions. We can leave it up until the weather turns crappy again...

Training - I use skills from my track training and basic MSF skills all the time - I am always applying them. Do an ERC, a good track school, get as much training as you can so that if you get into a tight spot, your muscle memory will kick in and you will do things right and ride on safely to the next Cracker Barrel.
Set mileage goals conservatively, and then "add on" miles on an ad hoc basis, if you feel like it when you are out on the road. There are a lot of things that can pop up, maintenance issues, fatigue, traffic, weather. By limiting your daily goals to something reasonable, like 500 miles a day, you can add miles on a daily basis if you find yourself "ahead of schedule".
Get your ergo setup the way you want it, and test it out. Don't go out on the road with something you haven't tried on a ride - I did this with risers on my GS and I had to replace the risers with barbacks when I got to my destination. I just assumed I needed less of an adjustment to my bars than experience showed me that I actually did need! Likewise with seat, pegs, etc.
Make sure your riding gear is well tested - especially pants. Last thing you need is a seam in your gonads while you are in the eighth hour of your ride....
Select some functional tools. and take them with you. I take a Gerber multipurpose tool, a long-bladed Phillips and straight screwdriver, a set of metric Allen wrenches, and a metric palm socket set with torx and Allen plug bits. I also take a tube of blue loctite, a tube of super glue, a little duct tape, an extra plug kit, and a high quality tire pressure gauge (which I use every morning).
Not all service stations on the open road take ATM/Debit cards, so have a credit card and some cash just in case.
GPS - get one and use it. Keep the software up to date - it will get you through strange traffic patterns in strange cites with a minimum number of mistakes and wasted time. You can also use it to determine sunrise and sunset in each of your stops, to save waypoints, and I put in the coordinates of several BMW Dealers along my way - I ended up visiting 5 dealerships on my most recent trip. Again, it was effortless - just push a button and the voice in your head tells you where to go.
Carry some nutritious food with you - a big bag of dried fruit or something. Keeps you out of the Cracker Barrel.
Make sure you are not pushing your tires - if you have any doubt, get fresh meet - watch your inflation to prevent rapid or unusual wear patterns.
Don't do every day on the Interstate - pick at least one day in three where you stay off the slab. You may not cover as many miles, but this is what motorcycling is all about.There are lots more - let's hear 'em, you guys (and girls).

[DarthRider]

Great thread Bob!
I'll think about it and post some things.
If I can't remember them I'll make some up...

[Bones]

Bob,
Nice post to get us to think, and perhaps, think out of the box.

I will commment on some of those ideas, because everyone's different approach can offer something different.

Ergos: indeed. If you want to see how miserable you can be, go spend ten hours a day on your bike with it set up improperly. I have done it several times. More than once, at hour 5 with 5 more to go I said to myself (because there was nobody else to say it to) "WTF!!!"

Having said that, I just got back from a 1200 miles in 3 days trip with the stock low seat on the GS. Guys, it is just more efficient to go to Home Depot, buy some vice grips and apply them to your scrotum. Then again, since I may be of limited intelligence, I will depart for a 3,000 mile trip in about 10 days having just purchased a Sargent low seat (but it can be adjusted to normal height) and I will likely NOT have a chance to ride with it for more than 2 hours before that trip. BUT I will take an Alaska sheepskin pad along, too, just in case.

Pants: Oh, you nailed that, for sure. I ride with Vanson leather pants, even if it is hot. They help SO much. If I am doing a real trip, I don't care if I smell like a warmed over cod fish when I get to the end of the day. Those knickers really make it better, for me, anyway.

Tools: Indeed. I figure that with the "new" bikes and all the computer controlled everything, there may be little I can fix myself. BUT, I might get lucky and find someone who can if I need it, and the current BMW's have a TON of odd sized everything. So I carry a pretty full tool kit with all those weird torx wrenches, sockets, etc. On the last trip, exactly one day after I was bragging that my GS doesn't cosume oil, I found that there was NO oil in the site glass at one of our stops. So out came the weird tool that deals with the new oil cap and the 8 ounces of BMW oil I carried in a small disposable water bottle I was smart enough to pack. I still had about 400 miles to go and I thought it would be nice to have oil in the crankcase. Handy.

I also pack a bunch of surgical gloves so that my hands aren't all greasy when I am done with stuff like this. I readily admit I have OCD and don't mind being made fun of. Believe me, I got plenty of shit from my riding partner about this.

Credit cards: Yup. My idea of "camping" these days is pullling up to a motel or hotel and pulling out my credit card. I am not proud. I like a hot shower and a cold beer after 10 hours in the saddle. I will ride in the rain all day long. But I am not pitching a tent after doing so anymore. And I will be damned if I am going to search for a motel that is $5 cheaper when I find one with a restaurant and bar next door.

GPS: Well........I think I will end up with one soon. My "long" rides take me to places I don't often plan on, and indeed , the GPS is a great saftey net. But the Luddite in me still had me liking to pour over maps the night before and the day after a long ride. I found real joy in the last 1200 mile trip in not even using a map during the ride. It kept me totally "in the moment" so to speak. HOWEVER, I was with a riding partner. I think if I was alone, having the GPS as a riding partner would be a good idea. Bob, your recent journeys on the ADV have been epic on porportion, esp. on a new bike. Good idea to have all the maps you might ever need already downloaded.

I live in NY, but didn't bring a NY map with me when I did our last trip because we didn't expect to ride NY. But storms made us go a different route and we had to stop at an AAA office so I could get a map of my home state. Go figure. My riding partner LOVED saying this "Let me get this straight. You have packed surgical gloves, duct tape , toilet paper, antibacterial gel, peanut butter crackers, microfiber cloth for cleaning your visor, and a lot of other shit that nobody would ever think of, but you didn't bring a FUCKING map of your home state?!?!?!?" Hey, we all have our priorities. I like peanut butter crackers.

Snacks and stops: If ever there is a time to adhere to "ride your own ride" it when on a long trip. The other rule to adhere to if riding with a partner is "ride with someone who thinks like you do." Long trips are not a time to prove who can go longer or ride faster. Unless you are looking for disaster. My partner, who I LOVE to ride with because we have a lot of laughs and share a totally shared intuitive sense of how to ride together, likes to go longer than I do between breaks. I do NOT mind getting shit from him for having to stop to drink, bend my knees or whatever. And I have no problem calling him "The Camel" because he can go all day on one saltine and a thimble of water. But I do recommend listening to your FIRST body message that you need food or water. It makes a difference.

Interstates: For me, they exist only as a means to "make time" between back roads. I have never done a trip like Bob, going from point A to B with time restraint and a required # of miles to traverse in a given day. So the idea of spending an entire day on the interstate is foreign. It takes a certain skill to do that well. Bob could speak to that for us, I am sure. I have spent 12 hour days in the saddle, but when I did, not that many miles were consumed because they were on some ratty back roads. Great experience, but different.

Tires: Couldn't agree with you more. I have had some service guys say to me "Are we ever going to change a set of tires you have actually worn out?" Well, it seems that my long trips come before I will have completely spent a set of tires most of the time. In fact, this week, I will go have a new set of Tourances put on because I have what I am guessing is about 1.5-2K left on my current set BUT I think the upcoming trip in 10 days is going to go 3-3.5 K. I do not want to have to gamble with wet weather on close to spent tires, or to find a dealer who can or will fit me in during the trip. I guess I would rather spend the $ as insurance now rather than a crash or blow out.

Maybe I will take a map of NY with me this time, too. Who knows?

Here are a few other ditties that might make a mega journey a lighter trip, too.

1. Pictures of wife and kids. Doesn't take up much space. I find I miss them more these days when riding. I take a peek each day. May sound a bit sentimental, but it works for me. If you met my wife and kids, you would understand.
2. Cell phone. Kind of goes without saying, but where the hell would you find a pay phone these days?
3. A book. I have never actually even opened one when doing a MC trip, but it always seems like a good idea.
4. Extra socks. There is nothing worse than starting the day with wet feet. You just never know when the trip will take an extra day.
5. Swiss Army knife. Self explanatory. The most important thing I ever used mine for was to open a can of beer when the pull tab thing broke off. You never know when that might be essential.
6.Dental floss. There is a lot of shit you can do with dental floss, if you have enough of it. Bungee cord breaks? If you have enough floss, it can get you to the next town with bags attached.
7. Duct tape. The greatest invention since internal combustion.
8. One of those little mag light flash lights. Stick it in your tank bag. It will help you find the Swiss Army knive when you need to open that can of beer with the broken pull tab.


Jeff

[jamming]

Hang on, I'm firing up the printer.........

As much as I should be getting a GPS, I'm adding Satelite radio first, I'm with Jeff here, I love maps, I always have maps, getting lost is part of the fun, getting unlost is not so fun sometimes,

Leatherman Tools...NEVER leave home without them, even across town.

Lyca Bicycling shorts, I wear these padded shorts under my riding pants, powder up(anti-monkey butt powder) and your good to go all day.

Tires...yup...I change my own, I seem to always have a set in the garage with 20% of the tread remaining, that's not a bad thing.

Snacks, peanut M&M's, easy to eat with a full face on while riding. Keep a bag in the tank bag.

Water...drinks lots...I carry a Camelback strapped on the seat behind me with the hose clipped to my collar.

Bourbon...a stainless steel flask lives in the right bag for AFTER the days ride, you can use it to clean a wound out if cut a finger trimming a tire plug...been there done that..

Roger

[STexFJR]

I'd like to add a few.

1. Stay hydrated like Jamming says. I strap a camelback to the backseat, put a 90° bite valve on, and attach it to the belt on my jacket with a key retractor. You can always buy water at any convenience store/gas station.

2. I put some altoids in my tank bag, and make sure they are reachable while riding. If I'm not feeling like I'm 100 percent alert you can pop one of these babies in your mouth, and its better than a shot of coffee.

3. I'd like to add a comment about the ergos. Any little niggling pain at 100 miles will be a huge PITA at 500. Get comfy whatever it takes.

4. Something else I do during the our 10 months of summer in South Texas is while I'm at the gas station, I'll put my helmet in the ice machine. Man when you put it back on it feels sooooo gooood, but for only about 5 miles.

5. Read the IBA's Archive of Wisdom http://www.ironbutt.com/tech/aowprintout.cfm

[Acacia]

Some additional ones;

1. Physical conditioning. The fitter you are, the more supple you are the easier it is to ride distances. I start several months in advance riding bicycle and walking fast for about 45 minutes each day as well as doing streach exercises. Some light weights too.

2. A good, tried, set of rain gear. One trip I had 750 miles of continuous and heavy rain coming home.

3. The right riding gear for the season. Pack a Gerbings or the like if there is some possibility of cool to cold.

4. Understand hypothermia and dehydration affects on your body and go prepared.

[arkline]

I've got a few things I'll add:

Dress for the crash and the weather. Be prepared to be surprised at what Momma Nature can pitch your way. Be ATTGAT, but be ready to peal off something when it turns warm or add on something when it gets chillier than you thought it would. If you're riding through mountains and mountain passes, be aware that the temps can rise or drop, a lot, just around that great lefthand sweeper.

Know when to stop. Know your limitations. Especially if you're riding solo. Some times it is okay to push on through the discomfort and some times it is okay to wuss out. Know which is which. Nobody's keeping score, except perhaps the Reaper. Arrive alive.

There is nothing better than some tunes to make slabbing it more pleasant. If you're out west and on the interstate, get some music going to your ears. Good earphones will act like earplugs and will reduce hearing loss. And music will soothe your savage breast.

[Acacia]

All the tips and advice in the world are of no value - unless;

You have the will to ride far,
the determination to get it done,
and the committment to see it through - the rest is equipment, which anyone can accumulate.

Bike and bike size does not matter - I have done two 3000 mile round trips on a 100cc twin Yamaha in the early 70's -before the kind of gear that exisit today. A Suzuki 125cc single has done the Iron Butt rally.

Once you are at the top of the mountain, you can see forever- the rest is sweet....

[Deans BMW]

Maps................GPS.....................all are for sissies..............Just ride whatever direction the M/C is pointed..................

Time for another beer.......................

[BobFV1]

Maps................GPS.....................all are for sissies..............Just ride whatever direction the M/C is pointed..................

Dino, I mean Dean-O, is that you???

[Bill]

I am diabetic and use an insulin pump (100 to 125 units / day) - check blood sugar every gas stop, lots of water, and for snacks I like the little peanut butter crackers - 6 to a package. Peanuts also work and for an eye-opener a hit of hot sauce.

Big lesson: #1 Never but Never eat a burrito from a gas stop in New Mexico!
I have done 10 days of 500-600 mile days in a row. Riding out west is always a pleasure. I rode with a D&D on little Red and have now switched to the stock muffler-I find it is easier to put those extra miles on the bike at the end of the day.

Lesson #2 Check your tire pressure. I found my self out in the middle of Utah with 12 lbs of air in the rear! Not a good thing!

I like to say "You are only lost if you are going some where!" :eusa_clap:

[DarthRider]

"...Big lesson: #1 Never but Never eat a burrito from a gas stop in New Mexico!.."

The first year I went racing at Bonneville, on the way back my buddy Dickie, rather a gassy guy to start with, ate 4 big bean burrito grandes from a dog-shop in Cuba, New Mexico and washed them down with 3-4 Pearl Lites. Then laid down in the back of the van for a nap as it started to rain.
The first sign of trouble just smelled like an early catalytic converter at a gas stop.
Next came a wave of oppressive, humid, green, revolting flatulence that would knock a buzzard right off the gut-wagon. And the bastard didn't even wake up! I think he must have gassed himself into further oblivion.
We woke his putrid ass up quick and threatened his life. That didn't work as we learned with the next gout of green gas that immediately over-pressured the van, threatening to blow the windows out.
He tried to hold it, but to no avail.
So with each successive wave we would open the side windows, liberally douching him down with blowing rain. It helped...a little.
He was miserable but not as much as we innocents up front.
This continued for a hundred miles or so until we again threatened his life at a gas stop and forced him to de-van and "take care" of the problem in the poor little uni-sex bathroom of a ratty convenience store in a dirty little desert town.
We made a note to never stop there again on subsequent trips to & from The Salt.
I've often wondered about how many unsuspecting people must have died there on that miserable night...

[jamming]

:037: :037: :037: :037:

ROTF LMAO

Roger

[Bones]

Was it Dean or Darth that shared the story about the projectile diarrhea recently?

Try this: go to Tasty Freeze and get a large Blizzard, flavor of your choice. Consume this while downing a large bag of Fritos. Wait about 27 minutes.

The volume of noxious fumes and force with which they will be expelled will impress even your neighbors.

[jamming]

Huuummmm...I 'll have to try that...right before a staff meeting. I hate those meetings, waste of time, could be doing something productive.
Might keep it short if I can gas em out:)
Thanks for the tip Bones.

Roger

[socalrob]

Bones,

Being our resident surgeon, have you heard of this:

I met a guy at a mountain ride stop who told me his secret for keeping his hands warm - he wears surgical gloves under his riding gloves. I guess the latex stops 100 percent of the air & also stops any rain.

Have you tried riding with surgical gloves? I keep meaning to pick up a pair & try it out, if it works it would be easy to keep a few pairs (they take up no room to speak of) in the tank bag for that rare time when I've got cold hands or run into rain (here in LA, neither is likely anytime soon).

Re. long distance riding tips, if I'm on the interstate, my Ipod makes the miles go fast as long as I love the music.

[Dallara]

Hey, Rob...

Back when I had the Honda shop a Gold Wing customer with truly impressive long-distance credentials turned me onto the surgical glove trick, and it not only works, but works better than anything else I have ever stumbled upon. I always carry two or three pair with me on any ride. Nothing will keep your hands drier, or help to keep 'em warmer, than some of those purple nitrile gloves... And you don't sacrifice any *feel* whatsoever, unlike big, thick, bulky waterproof winter gloves.

I just wear 'em underneath my regular Lee Parks gloves and I'm good down to temps as low as I want to ride in.

I carry multiple pair because they have another wonderful use... If you have a mechanical problem you have to deal with on the road they make great work gloves. Even if you are dealing with oil, grease, filthy tires, etc. when you finish the task you just whip the gloves off and presto, clean hands!

I buy the surgical gloves by the box and keep 'em on the workbench just for that reason, too. They work especially great changing oil.

Hope this helps!

Cheers!

Allan (Dallara - NAABSCD)

[Moose]

Hey, I like the helmet in the ice machine at gas stops. Will use that en route to Big Bend. One thing I've taken to is using a camping air mattress and stop mid-day to rest on a covered picnic table, maybe catch a few ZZZZ's. Find I can ride further without additional fatigue. Of course, that means a later cold beer as well. A tough choice sometimes.

[Bones]

Socal,
Since I wear surgical gloves too many hours each week, I try not to wear them on the bike. But, indeed, they do work for the purpose described. When it rains hard, I wear the Aerostich 3 fingered rain gloves over my regular gloves. They are a bit less elegant, but you can deal with a solid, unending downpour, still have the protection of full leather armored gloves, and stay dry.

I do use them (surgical gloves) for changing the oil and any other wrenching that may get messy. The main reason is that my hands don't look like I have been wrenching an engine the next day when I am consulting with Mrs. Heatherspoon, discussing her upcoming facelift. Grease under the fingernails does not generally inspire confidence in your surgeon.

Some fellas just like the feel of latex................



Jeff

[BobFV1]

How do those "hand condoms" work with the elctrical heated hand grip thingees?

[Bones]

Bob,
Just like real condoms: they transmit heat pretty well.

The reason they seem to help keep hands warmer when it is cold out is because the prevent any evaporation, so you don't get the constant cooling effect that has as air flows through your gloves, even if it is small amounts of air.

Now, the issue of getting that spermicidal lubricant out from under your fingernails is a whole other subject.


Jeff

[Road Dog]

All these pearls of wisdom are great but the most important preparation for a long distance ride is to perform some serious maintenance before the trip.

Before we started our great divide ride, every bike had new tires, a new chain and sprockets and every weak spot was serviced/inspected, wheel bearing and suspension bearings were lubricated, all fluids changed. My only maintenance issue on the trip was a side stand bolt that would loosen. The other four bikes didn't have any issues either.

I gave this same advise to a group following us on the GDR ride and his response was - naw, we ride this stuff all the time. He threw a chain before getting to the starting point - three days lost waiting for parts. Then his tires wore out before the start point - another two days lost. Their ride was over before they started, they never got off road.

I consider multi-week rides severe service - an Alaska ride especially so. I followed an Alaska ride thread on another site. They suffered an input spline failure a week into the trip. All the hurtles they had to overcome to make a repair on the road could have been prevented by properly servicing the known maintenance issues on that bike before starting on the trip.

I bought an R80ST in Seattle some years ago. Before we started riding it back to Texas we installed new tires, changed all the fluids, installed new brake pads and lubed the splines. The bike still had some issues but it got us home without drama (except for the fire). I knew the transmission was weak from sitting for years and when the first metal showed up in the drain, the transmission came out for a rebuild.

I've had tires that at 3,000 miles looked great but at 3,500 miles, I was nursing them home. That make and model of tire will never go on one of my bikes again. Don't start a trip having to worry about tires.

An ounce of prevention can save a trip. Put a few miles on the bike after serious maintenance to look for loose bolts, vibrations, mis-routed cables, tires rubbing, etc. Service your riding gear by cleaning them and applying some waterproofing.

Bill

[black6]

I like my gps. It has allowed me to meet other riders on the road much easier since I know my arrival time or can communicate my delays.

I also like my gps since I can just take a stage right and wonder- keep an eye on my time and when it is time to move on back to the real world- point it home where ever that might be. My goofy Gps has taken me on some of the most amazing rides that I could have never found myself.

I know this is controversial but get off the bike at the station. The engine is going to be good and hot- especially on my sportbike, and if you are a little tired it is easy to overflow the tank at an unfamiliur station. With all that gear it can be tough to get off as the flames shoot up around you.

I also carry a weather radio. The storms these last couple of years seem to be more intense- so I look for cover early.

[Nail24]

A Blackberry can do it all. Weather by zip code, GPS, maps, lodging from the internet and emails if you need it. The on/off position allows you to be available during the long hauls or not. I hope mine works when I transit Canada this summer entoute to Alaska this summer.:mobile_phone2:

[DarthRider]

I was going to start a thread on hot weather riding tops for Jeremy & Lori for their Southwest Incursion road trip coming up in a couple of weeks.
Then I spotted this old thread with a lot of long-distance *and* hot weather tricks & tips and just bumped it.

So...let's add to it and get the happy couple down the road in relative comfort.

There are many, but here's one of my favorite hot weather tips:
Liberally apply talcum powder or (better) Gold Bond powder everywhere the sun don't shine! Everywhere, and lots of it. It raises the comfort index 4 points.

So, what do you other Bruthas & Sistahs have along these lines?

[Dirty Doug]

Water, water, water, water.......well you see where that's going. The helmet in the cooler works great for about 10 / 15 mins. Coolmax under garments helps me. Start early in the AM and try to get your riding in before 16:00. Seems around here the heat is maxed from 14:00 to 18:00 or so.

Good luck on the roads,

dirty Doug

[panthercity]

Coolmax, camelback and wetting down my helmet liner at each gas stop got me across Texas last July.

OBTW, for cheap helmet liners you don't mind tossing in the trash when they become odiferous, HomeDepot and Lowes (and other places, I'm sure) sell packs of cotton painters hoods for cheap.

[DarthRider]

Good quality armored mesh gear is a Godsend...the less humidity, the better it works.
Mesh jacket, pants & gloves are my summer "uniform".
The mesh jacket with a Windstopper or Goretex liner is a good summer rain jacket too, ditto the gloves. Unless you're up on a cold mountain pass, then not so much.
A sheepskin seat cover or pad is very good in the summer. It breathes well, is cushy and does not heat-soak like other materials, especially gel.
Some swear by the wooden beads for the same reasons...if you're into the NYC Pakistani taxicab look! I'm just kidding, I really do hear great things about them and would like to try them sometime.
The super-absorbent polymer crystal "neck-ties" work very well...soak in water and they swell up like a sausage, then provide cooling evaporation that lasts at least a day. Some bike shops, outdoor stores & even Wally World carry them. Don't pay over $3-4.
All of the evaporative type cooling aids will be delightful on your SW trip after you get out of the humidity zone...at about OKC or so.
Don't leave any exposed bare skin...wind-burn is as uncomfortable as sun-burn. Use a bandanna if necessary around a bare neck.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

[Deans BMW]

Just don't forget that riding at the higher elevations of the west can get cool. A brief afternoon shower up here will be between 50 and 60F. The nights are always in the mid to low 50's. So far this summer, every morning has been 42F with the mid 70's to mid 80's in the day. As this is being written, it is 76F out with 15% humidity. I ride with my mesh jacket and Gerbings jacket liner with thermostat. Don't always wear the Gerbings, but always have it with me.

As Doug pointed out STAY HYDRATED You have no idea how much you perspire as you never get wet.