This is some information I culled out of rec.motorcycles
regarding long distance travel on a motorcycle. I hope it serves some one.
The following FAQ was created by Ric Crabbe.
=======================================
>From: cardo@oahu.cs.ucla.edu (Ric Crabbe)
Concerning a long trip, I asked:
WHAT DO I DO?
Some of the best advice was in response to this question: don't panic
and have a great time. :-)
I asked:
How do I plan a good route?
AAA maps seem to be the most widely regarded maps. Once you have
them, look for small twisty lines- those are the good roads. Roads
through national forests are also popular, as are isolated roads,
roads with altitude changes and roads off the beaten track. There is
a great roads list associated with this group that can be searched
for suggestions. It's good to be flexible and take a good road if you
come across it.
Sometimes interstates are necessary as there are no good local
roads but theyUre not always so bad.
I asked:
Where do I stay?
Motels and campsites are everywhere, even on the less travelled
roads. A friendly inquiry to a local at a gas station will often find
you a good place. AAA also has a listing of motels and campsites
that can be cross referenced with their maps. Other recommended
guide books include: LetUs Go USA (with listing of hostels), 'Camping
in the US for $5 or less', and 'Plan It, Pack It, Go' Tenters Guide To
Campgrounds. In the Midwest, you can often camp in parks as well.
Just don't wait to start looking, or you might be out of luck.
I asked:
How far should I go in a day?
I guess it depends on who you are, and where you are. Unsurprisingly,
terrain and stamina affect how far one goes. I'll probably stick to
my original plan of 300 miles per day, and see how it goes.
I asked:
What to bring?
A good rule of thumb: Twice as much money as you think, half as
much clothing as you think.
A lot of specific stuff was mentioned, I'll just list it in no
particular order:
Rain gear flat tire repair kit water bottle
towel credit cards travelers checks
1st aid kit bungee cords maps
headlight bulbs taillight bulbs spare key
ziplock bags throttle lock comfortable helmet
tank bag w/ small radio clutch cable
map pocket
spark plugs duct tape camera
casual wear a journal spare fuses
bailing wire trash bags Tools for every
fastener
flashlight reading material camping gear
Clymer manual cotter pins tire gauge
pliers needlenose pliers spark plug socket
wrenches screwdrivers Allen wrenches.
Vice grips Oil filter wrench ear plugs
I asked:
What safety net should I have?
Extra cash and credit, as stated above. I was also given the numbers
for 2 AAA-like services for motorcycles:
MTS @ 800-999-7064
Cross country motor club @ 800-225-1575
I asked:
My bike is a Yamaha XV535, anything special I should know?
The replies I got all applied to smaller faringless bikes like mine.
Many people warned about the wind and/or suggested getting a
fairing/windshield. Short of that, relaxing in the wind is important.
It can also get uncomfortable without a backrest. If you don't have
one, a dufflebag on the passenger seat may help
I didn't think to ask:
How should I prep the bike?
It was suggested that complete service including:
change oil & filter; use Synthetic for long trips
adjust and oil cables
adjust valves and timing
inspect tires & inflate to proper pressure
tighten fasteners
would prevent disaster.
I didn't think to ask:
How should I load all this cr*p on the bike?
"Whatever you decide to take, there are some suggestions that may
help you pack. In general, you want weight as low and close to the
center of gravity as possible. Put heavy stuff in a tank bag, on the
passenger seat if riding solo, and in saddlebags, and lighter stuff on
the luggage rack. Make sure your saddlebags won't rub on the rear
tire, chain, or exhaust pipes when loaded. Triple bungee redundancy
is my rule: every item bungeed on has at least three bungees. My
friends laugh, but when I'm looking for a campsite up some
abandoned old logging road, I want my gear to stay with me."
"I line my saddle bags with plastic trash bags for waterproofing, and
carry extra trash bags to cover the other gear on the back if it
starts raining. Put your rain gear on top where it's easily
accessible."
"If you haven't done this already, you might want to consider
equipping your bike with crash bars, a luggage rack, a windshield,
saddlebags, and a tank bag. If you plan to travel solo, you can do
without the tank bag and maybe even without the saddlebags if you
pack light. You don't need much windshield: just enough to take the
main part of the wind blast off your chest. On your Virago, you may
be able to strap your sleeping bag or tent to the handlebars and get
some of the benefits of a windshield, but this could adversely affect
handling."
-Walter Dryfoos
>From: cardo@oahu.cs.ucla.edu (Ric Crabbe)
>Subject: Long Trip Planning [Summary-Long version]
>Lines: 628
Here's the long summary of the responses for my long trip preparation.
As I mentioned in the earlier summary, I'm thinking of crafting a document
out of the patched together files here. If you think its a good idea
or have sommething to add, drop me a line.
Ric Crabbe wrote:
>distance road trip, I have but one question: WHAT DO I DO?
Have a great time?
---
Don't panic :-) Last year I took my bike on a NJ->LasVegas->NJ trip (6500
miles, 20 days) with nary a problem. Prior to that, I took same bike (700
Honda Nighthawk S) to Newfoundland and back (3000 miles, 10 days) - again
no problem. I am not mechanically inclined (i.e. if it's beyond changing
oil
and plugs, I probably couldn't do it.)
Ric Crabbe wrote:
: How to I plan a good route? I don't want to waste my time on interstates,
but
: I don't know anything about the smaller roads.
Get a good set of state maps as well as reigonal maps. AAA has good
maps. They have enough detail so you can find some interesting roads.
Without having so much detail that you end up chasing dirt fire roads.
Work as you go, figure out where you'd like to be at the end of the day
and then work your way in that direction. (Just be ready to end up
somewhere else).
To find interesting roads:
1. Look for twisty roads on the map
2. Look for roads that go through national forests
3. Look for roads that go across areas that other roads don't cross
(there is usually a good reason)
4. If you come upon an interesting road, take it.
---
I did a 3000 plus mile trip one time on a Suzuki Savage LS650. A pretty
small single cylinder bike, similar in size and weight to your Virago.
Doing interstates was necessary at some points. I found out that the
best roads were fairly major arteries that were not interstates.
However, sometimes you have no choice.
---
Draw a stright line between the start and stop points. Follow the US and
state roads near the straight line. It will be interesting. If you get reccomend-
ations for specific roads, follow them.
---
You don't have to know anything about them, there's a couple of ways to
seek out good roads. First, roads that go nowhere in particular are usually
pretty good, as opposed to a road that is a direct route between BigCityA
and BigCity B. Look at the geography of the area, is it hilly or flat? Are
there a number of state parks/forests along the route? If so, it's probably a
good area. You can also check the 'Great Roads Listing' from this newsgroup. If
you can't get it, let me know and I'll send it your way.
Don't plan the trip by looking at it from LA->NY. Rather, find someplace
a few hunred miles from LA you'd like to see, and make a good route there.
From there, find the next interesting thing and repeat. Granted, sometimes
there's long stretches where nothing looks interesting, but you get the idea.
---
On the above two trips, I just randomly chose small roads that led in the
general direction I wanted to go. It worked out ok. This time (I'm leaving
for a solo trip NJ->NC->CA->AK (yes, Alaska)->NJ on Saturday) I got some
trip routing information via my Honda Rider's Club membership. You can ask
them for both scenic and direct routes for an entire trip. They also give
you free maps. In general, I would recommend joining one of these clubs
before you go on a long trip. For $30-$40, you get the aforementioned
trip routing and, more importantly, free towing to the nearest Honda dealer
in case you need it. The latter would have saved me about $40 on my last
trip: I had a dead battery (which I couldn't diagnose) in some town in
Wisconsin and had my bike transported a few miles to be fixed.
--
Use the older highways. These are usually in decent shape and have a lot
more interesting scenery. Avoid large cities: they have lots of cages.
Travel through the small towns: low traffic and people are more friendly.
--
Utah and Colorado are great, when you get past the mountains take the
interstate to Pennsylvania. When you get to Penna, you can take US 6 or
US 30 across for good two lane.
Ric Crabbe wrote:
>I don't want to waste my time on interstates
If you get off them in the midwest, you'll be wasting your time on
straight two lane roads.
---
Choosing Route and Destination
You're going via motorcycle because being en route is as much fun as getting
where you're going. My preference is to stay off of limited access
interstate highways. In the U.S., the interstates make up 15% of the road miles
and carry 80% of the traffic. Take the scenic route, go the long way, look for
curvy roads, blue highways, the skinny lines on the map. Plan on taking
your time, and try to avoid getting into a hurry. Take a day off the bike every
so often. Getting high miles, 600+ miles a day, straight, high speed runs
can be fun, but balance it with 350 mile days. I've spent 15 hours doing
350 miles and 10 hours doing 600 miles, and I'd rather do the former unless
I'm just trying to get somewhere. Use your maps, don't worry about getting
lost or going the wrong way once in a while, and plan on seeing what there
is to see. The U.S. highway system, which predates the interstate system,
offers through roads that are often good choices. They're marked on most
maps with a kind of sheild emblem around the number. These were the
primary routes before the interstate system was built, so they go through
old towns, follow rivers and other geographic features, and take you
along routes that people were using before a road was more than a dirt
track. The next level down is state highways, which I also recommend.
You can get across just fine on U.S. and state highways and only be on
interstates when you get close to cities (or avoid cities completely).
Ric Crabbe wrote:
=Where do I stay? I figure I can do some camping, but I imagine campsites and
=motels will be hard to find off the interstates.
Actually, I've found one of the best sources of cheep hotels to b e in the
small towns off the interstates. What I've done is ride 'til I'm low on
gas, pick a gas station, while paying for the gas, ask the nice cash
register attendant where the cheepest hotel/motel in town is. Most small
towns in middle America have a fairly clean (cleaner than you after 300
miles of bugs) motel for $30 a night or so. Showers can be such a nice
treat on a long ride.
Also (on the same topic) - many western states allow 8 hours of camping at
rest stops on interstates, 16 hours off the interstates. I stayed at a
very remote rest stop outside Idaho Falls one night to wake up and notice
a large nuclear power facility across the road. I only glow a little now.
----
Not necessarily, there are a lot of mom and pop motels around and many of
them have bilboards up. AAA can also help here. They have fairly
good campground listings as well as Motel listings. They also call
cities out on the map when there is a listing.
My only advice here is don't wait until its 11:00 at night to start
looking for someplace to sleep.
---
There are motels and campsites just about everywhere. I carried a tent,
but almost every night I ended up at a motel because after a day of
riding I wanted a shower and a bed.
---
Get AAA camp books and tour books for the states you pass through.
The AAA camp books include almost all the campgrounds, public & private.
---
Invest $20 in a recent copy of "Let's Go USA". Best money you'll spend
on preparations. It'll list cheap motels, campgrounds and youth
hostels wherever they're available. Youth hostels are a great deal.
Most of them run ~$10 and have extremely cheap meals. You can be any
age and stay at a hostel in the US.
---
On the contrary. Campsites abound across the country. For 2 good
references, I would suggest the books 'Camping in the US for $5 or Less', both
Eastern and Western editions, and Woodall's 'Plan It, Pack It, Go' tenters
guide to campgrounds. Both include maps of states with campground locations.
You might want to bring along a copy of 'Blue Highways' by William Least-Heat
Moon to read along the way :-).
---
I take a tent and sleeping bags on all my trips - but they seldom get used :-)
I'm too much a creature of comfort (i.e. I like a hot shower in the morning
and a quick look at the weather channel to let me know of any bad storms on
the day's trip.) I generally stay at motels - and they're not hard to find
-
even off the interstate. My favorite is the "Super 8" chain of motels. They
seem to be the most consistently clean (and fairly cheap.)
--
Motels are cheap in smaller towns, say $30 a day. Take your sleeping bag and
small cycling tent for emergencies when you can't get a room.
---
First night, St. George Utah 400 miles from LA.
2nd night, Grand Junction, Co is another 400 miles (it's a little over
1000 to denver). That's all interstate some of it has very good scenery.
Ric Crabbe wrote:
=How far should I expect to go per day? Is 300 miles too far? Or can I go farther
=& still be at a relaxed pace?
Off the interstates I figure on averaging around 45mph for a day. That's
450 miles if you're willing to spend 10 hours in the saddle. I found this
to be a little long for a 8 day trip on a GPz 550, but I still had a great
time.
---
You should be able to easily do 300 miles a day. I find that my
daily mileage is directly proportional to how good a night's sleep
I got the night before.
---
On my 3000 mile bike trip I found that anything more than 200 perday on
the small bike was too tiring.
---
That depends on you and where you are. I would imagine that crossing the
Rockies or Sierra, I wouldn't try for a high-mileage day. Why bother if the
scenery is beautiful and the roads are twisty? On the other hand, you could
do more miles through the prairies and such. On my last trip, I did about
250-350 miles a day out to Kentucky, and did the 850 mile return trip in one
day. More importantly, though, is you. How long can you ride safe and
attentive? If you're longest day so far is 100 miles, don't try to string
back-to-back 500 mile days together. Your average speed is going to be
between 30 and 40 mph, so 300 miles should be about 10 hours riding time
(including meals, bathroom breaks and gas stops). Do you want to be on the
road all day every day? For my trip to CO, I'm figuring again between 250 and
350 miles per day, with no day over 400. If you're slabbing it, YMMV.
---
On my LasVegas trip, I averaged about 300 miles a day. Of the 6500 miles
traveled, about 4000 were in secondary roads. On the days that I travelled
on Interstates, I averaged much more than 300 miles. On days that I
travelled on mountainous roads (Colorado, Utah, Nevada) I averaged less than
that.
---
300 miles/day is pretty easy. I bet you'll get bored at some point and
pick up the pace.
--
I travel at an average pace of 50 MPH, but this includes rest stops,
refueling and meals. After 7 or 8 hours, I start getting tired and want to
take a long rest. For me 350 to 400 miles is a long day. This can vary a
lot do to terrain: 200 miles of twisties can make a long day, but 500 on
interstate can be a short day.
---
I usually try for 500 miles. Sometimes I'll do more if it's all freeway
and maybe 300 if it's twisty 2 lane.
That just depends on you and the bike....... I've gone as much as 1000 a
couple of times and even rode a Ducati 800 miles in one day. That's
much more than can be done comfortably, though.
Ric Crabbe wrote:
=What should I definitely bring? Which spare parts? What usually gets
=forgotten?
I'll leave details for others, but the old rule of twice as much cash and
half the amount of clothes you think you need isn't a bad place to start.
I'll also mention at least a primitive first aid kit.
---
Bring:
Raingear, flat repair kit (with CO2 cartridges), and Water Bottle.
and a towel.
---
Take twice as much money as you think you will need and only half as
much clothes. Take credit cards and personal checks. Use traveler's
checks. Take a first aid kit and make sure it has bug bite medicine.
Take extra bungie cords. Take a good atlas or maps for every state.
Take an extra headlight bulb and taillight bulb. Take a spare key and
either keep it in your pocket or tape it to a hidden spot on the bike.
---
The classic 'half the clothes and twice the money'. Try really hard not to
overpack - be ruthless on your 'cut' criteria. Make sure you have room to
pack something you find along the way. Definitely bring a good rainsuit (and
gloves and overboots) if you're going to ride in the rain at all. I forgot
the overboots last time and wound up with soggy sneakers for two days. Ick.
---
Up to now, I never took any spare parts (I like living dangerously, I guess :-)
I simply made sure the bike was in tip-top shape prior to departure by
taking it to the dealer. For the upcoming trip, however, I bought a tire
repair kit and an emergency kit, since there are some pretty long stretches
between civilization up in Canada/Alaska. Here in the U.S. there's always
a Honda store within reach.
---
Pack everything in Ziploc or garbage bags. Everything.
Get a good rainsuit and rubber gloves and boots to go over your leathers.
Gore-Tex is NOT waterproof.
A big windshield really helps reduce riding fatigue. But it gets hot
behind it. You decide.
A throttle lock will save you from the dreaded throttle-hand paralysis.
Carry a bicycle water bottle, so you can drink while riding.
Never eat at fast food chains. There is always a local alternative that
will provide memories as well as sustenance.
Keep a journal.
---
If you don't already have a comfortable, well-
fitting helmet with good ventilation, now is the time.
A tank bag with map pocket on top is a great convenience.
Bring a small radio to listen to in the evenings for weather, news, and
local culture.
---
Spare clutch cable, spare ignition key, tire plug kit with CO2 inflator,
spare spark plugs, water bottle, duct tape (1001 uses!), layered riding gear
(like sweatshirts, etc.), both light and heavy gloves, rain gear, casual
runners for wearing off the bike, a cheap camera, good maps.
I strongly recommend taking a small journal to make extensive trip notes - I
find good notes are better for reliving the memories than pictures. Get your
bike checked out BEFORE you go. Get any mechanical problems fixed. This
journey will put about 3,000 miles onto your tires each way: make sure they
are in good shape.
---
Take a rain suit..... :) I've seen snow in the colorado mountains on
the July 4th weekend. The eastern slope leading up to the rockies has
nasty weather in June. Expect thunderstorms, large hail and even snow
in the mountains. I got all of the above and just missed the hail last
June when I road I 70 through Colorado. Would I do it again..... yes!
I've done it a bunch of times. If you take a southern route there can
be tornadoes in the middle of bad storms. They have them regularly
farther north in the midwest, too.
---
A tire patching kit that can be used at the roadside. If you have
tubeless tires, get the BMW kit (overpriced at $23). One of those got
me out of miles from nowhere late in the evening from an Arizona desert.
If you have tube tires, a can of fix-a-flat or something similar. Trash
bags and duct tape are pretty high up on the list along with spare fuses
and extra wire.
---
Take tools to fit every fastener on your bike that you would be willing to
mess with if it came loose, broke, or fell off. Also take a can of "fix
a flat" aerosol tire puncture repair and inflation juice. Spare oil if
it burns oil, baling wire, flashlight, extra fuses, and anything else that
your particular bike might need (points, tail light bulb, etc.).
---
Take tools to fit every fastener on your bike that you would be willing to
mess with if it came loose, broke, or fell off. Also take a can of "fix
a flat" aerosol tire puncture repair and inflation juice. Spare oil if
it burns oil, baling wire, flashlight, extra fuses, and anything else that
your particular bike might need (points, tail light bulb, etc.).
Basic Necessities
You will, of course, have your regular riding gear: helmet, eye protection
(both dark and clear), jacket, gloves, pants & boots. In addition, you'll
need rain gear, warm stuff like glove liners, sweater, long johns, etc.
depending on your destination and the time of year, drinking water, maps,
camping or motel guides, snack foods, matches, money and credit card. I
always take a book to read, sunscreen, bathing suit in summer, toiletries,
sleeping gear, shelter, food and cooking gear for camping.
Tools
Assemble tools to fit every fastener on your bike that you would be willing
to mess with if it came loose, broke, or fell off. Get a can of "fix
a flat" aerosol tire puncture repair and inflation juice.
Order a Haynes or Clymer repair manual as soon as you get your bike, also
consider the factory service and parts manuals if they are available.
The basics for your tool kit will include:
- Baling wire, flashlight, extra fuses, and anything else that
your particular bike might need (points, tail light bulb, etc.).
- A spare spark plug or two
- A spark plug socket and socket wrench
- An adjustable wrench and a set of box end wrenches
- Spare cotter pins for the axles
- Tire pressure gauge
- Needlenose pliers
- Pliers
- Phillips screwdriver(s)
- Standard screwdriver(s)
- Selected allen wrenches if your bike has this type of fastener
- Small vice grips (make a good substitute clutch lever)
- Oil filter wrench if necessary
Have a great trip!............Walt
Ric Crabbe wrote:
=What safety net should I have in case I break down?
Didn't I already mention twice as much cash? I'm also a firm believer in
relying on "the kindness of strangers". I've had more nice things done
for me by strangers than I have any right to expect. But then again, I
might be more likeable than you... Other motorcyclists are likely to be
your strongest ally - whether they're riding the same brand as you or not
- some might just happen to be passing by in a pickup - you never know
when you'll run across a fello/former/wannabe motorcyclist.
---
MTS - Call them at 800-999-7064 to sign up. They will come and pick
up your pieces anywhere in the US. They also have a bunch of other
useful services.
---
You might consider joining MTS (motorcycle touring services?) for
on-the-road emergency repairs and such. Inquire in the newsgroup or check the
back of cycle magazines for more info. I'll be joining before the trip
west.
Don't forget a camera! Most of all, take it easy, enjoy the country, and
ride safe. You're taking a trip most people only dream about.
---
Get a membership with Honda Rider Club or, better yet, AMA.
--
A pocketful of quarters and a VISA card.
---
There's a roadside assistance club for bikes "Cross Country Motor Club"
800-225-1575 that can provide motorcycle towing and other services.
Ric Crabbe wrote:
>The bike is a '94 Yamaha XV535 with only 1500 miles on it. Are there any
>special considerations that arise from this?
I highly recommend some kind of a fairing. I had one of those cheap
clear plastic Rifle fairings and I was very grateful for it. It gave me
some weather protection and it helped with fatigue. Riding a small
cruiser you get punched in the chest all day long.
Sometimes wind was a real problem on such a small bike. I really had to
learn how to relax in the wind. It is kind of counterintuitive, but the
worse the wind gets the more you have to relax your arms. Even guys on
Goldwings told me they were getting blown around.
---
It will be uncomfortable. Your ass will hurt after a week! Pack
a big duffle bag on the passenger's seat for use as a backrest.
If you can find a windshield, put it on. The wind will tire you
a lot after a thousand miles. Wear earplugs; noise fatiques.
---
Your bike should be fine. You've changed the oil once (right?) so it's
broken in. Your tires are fine, and shaft drive will eliminate a chunk of
maintenance worries.
--
I toured New Zealand for three weeks on a Kawasaki EX500. Others will tell
you this Virago is too small, but I suspect it will do okay. If you have
ever read "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" the author rode with
his son from Chicago to San Franciso on a 1963 Honda Superhawk 305.
---
Yes, take winter riding gear. You don't have a fairing and you'll be
doing a lot of riding in 45-65 weather. And a rainsuit, of course.
I've ridden between here and Minnesota regularly the last few years so
if you have more specific questions, just ask....... :)
---
Get a windshield, downshift on hills.
Ric Crabbe wrote:
>Does anyone know where I can get some decent sized leather saddlebags that
>will fit a Virago 535?
--
I would recommend plain black waterproof cordura nylon bags. You can get a
good pair for around $50 to $75. If you insist on leather, get waterproof
covers to put over them. Cheap plastic garbage bags make good emergency
waterproof covers with a little duct tape. When packing, use small plastic
bags from 7-11 or the supermarket to pack small groups of clothing
separately. (IE. clean sock in one baggie, dirty shirts in another bag,
etc.) This will help keep your luggage organized.
---
You might consider soft luggage other than leather. You'll probably be
riding in a fair amount of rain. Pack your clothes inside trash bags to
keep them dry.
>Bike prep
Start with clean oil and filter. If you're planning to be gone more than
3,000 miles, consider putting synthetic motorcycle oil in your motor, and/or
plan to stop and change the oil and filter somewhere. Mobil 1 is a good
choice for this.
Inspect, adjust, and lubricate all cables, swingarm bearings, etc.
Adjust valves, cam chain, and timing if necessary. Inspect tires and
replace
them if necessary. Inflate tires as specified in owner's manual for
"continuous
high speed riding" for solo or dual operation as required. Fix anything
you know is wrong with the bike that might interfere with safe operation if
it fails, and inspect all screws and bolts for tightness. Giving your bike
a good cleaning helps with all this inspection.
Loading the Bike
Whatever you decide to take, there are
some suggestions that may help you pack. In general, you want weight as
low and close to the center of gravity as possible. Put heavy stuff in a
tank bag, on the passenger seat if riding solo, and in saddlebags, and
lighter stuff on the luggage rack. Make sure your saddlebags won't rub
on the rear tire, chain, or exhaust pipes when loaded. Triple bungee
redundancy is my rule: every item bungeed on has at least three bungees.
My friends laugh, but when I'm looking for a campsite up some abandoned
old logging road, I want my gear to stay with me.
I line my saddle bags with plastic trash bags for waterproofing, and carry
extra trash bags to cover the other gear on the back if it starts raining.
Put your rain gear on top where it's easily accessible.
If you haven't done this already, you might want to consider equiping your
bike with crash bars, a luggage rack, a windshield, saddlebags, and a tank
bag. If you plan to travel solo, you can do without the tank bag and
maybe even without the saddlebags if you pack light. You don't need much
windshield: just enough to take the main part of the wind blast off your
chest. On your Virago, you may be able to strap your sleeping bag or tent
to the handlebars and get some of the benefits of a windshield, but this
could adversely affect handling.
Suggested camp checklist:
The Categories of Items for Camping
Shelter
Food
Clothing
Personal effects
Shelter
___ ground tarp
___ nylon cord
___ pillow (optional)
___ sleeping bag
___ sleeping bag stuff sack
___ sleeping pad or air mattress
___ tent
___ tent rain fly
___ tent stuff sack
Food
___ bags (plastic large garbage)
___ cup
___ spoon
___ food
___ Swiss army knife
___ matches
___ pepper
___ plate
___ pot gripper (use your gloves)
___ pots
___ salt
___ biodegradable soap/scrubber pads
___ stove
___ stove gas (white gas)
___ water bottle
___ spices and condiments
CLOTHING
___ boots
___ chaps or leather pants
___ gauntlets
___ gloves
___ hat
___ helmet
___ jacket
___ scarf
___ pants
___ rain gear
___ shirts
___ socks
___ sunglasses
___ underwear
___ laundry soap
___ shorts
___ sweater
___ swimming suit
___ bandanna
PERSONAL EFFECTS
___ daypack
___ knife
___ flashlight
___ flashlight batteries (spares)
___ compass
___ book
___ camera & film
___ campground guides
___ chapstick
___ first aid kit
___ fishing gear
___ hand cream
___ soap
___ insect repellent/bug spray
___ maps
___ cash
___ credit cards
___ travellers checks
___ pen
___ sewing kit
___ shampoo
___ sun screen/block
___ toilet paper
___ tooth brush & paste
___ towel
___ watch
___ medications
--
Bruce Clarke AMA 356285 '90 Kawasaki EX-500
brclarke@nyx.cs.du.edu
For FAQs, try to login anonymous to the FTP site ftp.cecm.sfu.ca
"On the Internet, no one knows you're a pig."
Chris Parson wrote:
>A rainsuit, three changes of clothes, toiletries, cash, credit
>cards, garbabe bags, fix-a-flat and a small handgun. Stay in
>motels. If your bike breaks down, hide it, mark the place and hitch
>for help.
>
Duct tape
Wire
Screwdriver
Small adjustable wrench
Cellular phone????
From: kalessin@eworld.com (Kalessin)
Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles
Date: 14 Feb 1996 08:17:15 -0800
Over the many trips I've taken, I've come up with a standard list for
packing. This gets modified a little one way or the other depending upon
the length of my trip and what bike I'm riding, but it's for all intents
and purposes what I carry on every trip of more than a weekend.
Proper selection and packing will fit all this stuff into my RKA soft bags
and tail bag with a bit of room to spare. A smallish tank bag for
incidentals is also handy. An electric vest is likely a nice option for
cold trips but I haven't bought one yet...
On top of the list of equipment, I have various rules:
- always be sure the bike is fully serviced before you leave
- be ready to buy a tire or tires on a long trip while traveling
- be ready to change the oil as necessary
- keep a log of what got used and what didn't. Aside from emergency bits
don't carry stuff you don't use the next time you go on a trip.
- remember to have fun.
Trip Equipment
--------------
Flashlight and head strap/spare batteries
Camera and film/spare batteries
Maps
Addressbook (friends, known service points)
Pad/organizer/notebook/pencil and pen (both!)
Bike Registration/Insurance paperwork
Bike lock (I use Kryptonite disk locks to save space)
Book to read when stopping for the evening, etc.
Bike Toolkit (be sure you have stuff to adjust chain, etc)
Tire Pressure Gauge
Chain Lubricant
Spare Headlight bulb
Spare taillight and turn signal bulbs
Spare throttle/clutch cables
Spare spark plugs
small roll of duct tape
Swiss Army Knife or equivalent
Surgical Gloves (keeps hands clean when topping up oil, etc)
First Aid Kit
ID CARD in accessible location with blood type and other such info
Rain suit
Rubber over-boots
Rain overmitts for gloves
Electric vest (optional)
Hygenic accessories (soap, washcloth, shave kit, whatever)
Luggage to carry this stuff (bags, duffels, tank bag...)
Bungee Net (for emergencies)
Add camping gear as preferred
Clothing
--------
normally wearing:
T-shirt
jeans
undershorts
boot socks
riding suit
riding boots
gloves (weight dependent upon weather)
helmet (and spare visor)
spares:
2 T-shirts
3 undershorts
2 regular socks
1 boot socks
sandals or light walking shoes
street pants/belt
light sweater
turtleneck sweater/shirt
bandana or scarf (neck/face coverage)
sunglasses
gloves (alternate, either light or heavy dependent upon weather)
thermal undersuit (as necessary)
waterproof laundry bag (plastic garbage bag)
--- --------------------------------------------------
Godfrey DiGiorgi - Kalessin@eWorld.com - Cupertino, CA USA
Mail to: mmatula@poboxes.com.
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Go back to my Main Page.
