A long trip - Opinions

[zackod]

Hello - Recently completed a 4,000 mile 12 day FC6 moto trip, Tampa to Salt Lake City.   Mostly hotels, with a few days camping.    Fly home / ship bike.    Here's some options:     (1) Camping is for the young-adventurous.  I am neither, and it's a pain hauling around a tent/pad/sleeping bag (2) Soft luggage sucks.   I grew weary of tying-untying (basically constantly tugging at) the bags/Rok-straps, especially in the rain.  Also despite best efforts, the tank and saddle bags left scratches.   (3) The states of NM-CO-UT have the best moto roads around (exception being the Ice-Fields parkway (RT 93) in Canada.    (4) Long Haul 'Comfort' Mods/gadgets i would have been miserable w/o; a. Hawk Air Mattress b. Kuryakyn Ergo lll Cruise Mounts c. Visto Universal Throttle Lock (best $29 i've ever spent) d. Honda tall windscreen e. Garmin Zumo 390 GPS - never got lost f. BellTronics 300 Radar Detector (old school - hardwire plug into it - saved me at least 1 ticket).   g.   Built-in sun visor on Shoei GT-Air - great to put shade on/off w/o messing with sunglasses.    h.   Sena 3S-W - steam music / talk to wife while riding.   Discoveries included; the rev-limiter at 118, deer can jump over 5 foot tall fences, and that I brought way too much 'stuff'.      Interested to know what your long haul comfort items are?  Wanted to post a pic of loaded bike - can't figure it out.

[Beardo]

I used to camp, if you're young and have a good back, it's great. My back can't handle it anymore. Plus, it takes away from the riding if you're so loaded down, you can't ride the way you want, especially when you already have a passenger.

Agree about not packing too much. I go on long trips every year and it's shocking how little you actually need to take. Basic tools, extra helmet shield, rain gear, extra gloves, and very few clothes. I take 2 pairs of pants, one Kevlar lined for riding, a pair of jeans for evenings and a couple t-shirts. If the shirts get a little ripe, do a wash in the motel sink or stop at a Walmart or wherever and buy another one.  When I stop at the border and if they look through my stuff, they always comment about how little stuff I have for a long trip.

Same goes for hunting and fishing trips. We used to take coolers full of food, etc. Then we decided if we can't survive without taking a bunch of extra food, we aren't very good hunters or fishermen. Staples only, bacon, beans and whiskey.

Congrats on the nice trip. I'm sure it was a blast.

[Firefight100]

I have done one 5200 plus trip and many 2500 mile trips.  I am now 61 and most of this has been since 2008. Started with a Husky 610, then got a Buell Ulysses (crap for the price), now I have the F6c.

So I love an old fashioned bead seat cover.  A drink holder is a must.  Yes and tunes in the helmet along with a gps on the tank.  ALWAYS have a paper map backup! I need to get my radar detector on here.
I have camped when I went to Sturgis for the week,  but to camp overnight?  That would be a pain.
I usually ride hard and long.  When I have to, I find a nice rest area with security and sleep on a table with my coat over me and my gun in my hand.  I have used a hotel once or twice I think.
I have a hard top box mounted and a soft duffle that fits between me and the trunk.  Backrest sort of.
I always carry way too many tools also.  A battery booster is great to have along also, if not, carry a set of cables.
I love to travel long rides.  I will be leaving Oct 4th from Malabar Fl to MS, TX, MO, then back home.  I'll have 4k on it before I'm done with all the side trips along the way.
I am using Furkot for my mapping sw to plan my trip and download it to my Garmin.  I'll use Google maps on the phone to cross reference.

[bscrive]

We always seem to over pack.  I also bring along tools, duct tape, electrical tape and a good flash light like a Big Larry.  If you break down at night, you need light to see what needs fixing.
We always stay at hotels or B&Bs.  Forget the camping, thats sucks, especially if it is raining.  We usually stop before it starts getting dark to avoid collisions with animals.
I have a Russell Dalylong seat and I am good for riding all day with minimal stops if we need to get someplace, but usually we have several stops along the way.
All of our stuff goes in the saddlebags on my wife's bike as well as a duffle bag strapped across my back seat.  The duffle bag has our pillows in it.  Hotel pillows usually suck pretty bad.  We like the good life when we go on a motorcycle ride.  For us, it is not about endurance, it is about comfort.

[rogueleader_92]

Gotta have a Corbin seat, love my revco flip out pegs. I found the OEM tall windshield holds a 20oz botthe in the crook between the shield and the hardware so built in drink holder there.

[Verismo]

We always seem to over pack.  I also bring along tools, duct tape, electrical tape and a good flash light like a Big Larry.  If you break down at night, you need light to see what needs fixing.
We always stay at hotels or B&Bs.  Forget the camping, thats sucks, especially if it is raining.  We usually stop before it starts getting dark to avoid collisions with animals.
I have a Russell Dalylong seat and I am good for riding all day with minimal stops if we need to get someplace, but usually we have several stops along the way.
All of our stuff goes in the saddlebags on my wife's bike as well as a duffle bag strapped across my back seat.  The duffle bag has our pillows in it.  Hotel pillows usually suck pretty bad.  We like the good life when we go on a motorcycle ride.  For us, it is not about endurance, it is about comfort.

Hey are those mini floorboards for the driver and are they angled slightly down?  

The only thing I see adding to the list would be some extra large heavy duty trash bags and mini stretch straps.  They hardly take up any space and can be used as emergency rain gear in an unexpected downpour.

[ledany]

I hate to camp, these days it's so easy to find good hotels for cheap      here the distances are not as big as yours, let's say it's a 12 hour ride a day (750 miles max).
A Givi top box, a waterproof soft bag on the rear seat, very few tools but obviously tools for a flat tire including an air compressor     and the phone number of the insurance company for technical-medical help wherever in Europe  

[woofred1832]

               I used to camp but not much anymore......all this talk about custom seats? Like I said before $500.00 plus for a seat????? I would rather ride less miles per day, enjoy the sites and spend that $500.00 on having a bed to sleep in at nite....... not that it has to be the Hilton, super 8 or even the local mom n pop motel for $50.00 or less works for me.. Many times traveling with one buddy or even two, divide that $60 to high class $80 by  3 really keeps the cost low. Riding like 300 to 450 miles per day is much more my style of  enjoying a a trip........ What do you think?....

[hubcapsc]

What do you think?

I think I'd rather do something other than ride an uncomfortable
motorcycle  ...

-Mike "seats"

[Kidd]

It appears  obvious you've never experienced a custom seat , tailored to your butt .
When you do , you'll change your mind , I guarantee it

screw camping , we are not 20 years old any more .

I can not imagine riding this bike long distance , it's NOT designed for it .
The seat , suspension , handle bars  and wind protection suggest this .

I am working with  http://www.traxxion.com/  , making my stiff ride more comfortable .
The shock and spring they sent me was rated 1000#  and made almost NO difference , so , they are sending me a softer spring  rated 900#   , I hope this does the trick , it cost me $225 each time I haave the spring replaced .
Then , I am afraid , I will need to do the front , but I do not believe so as I never ride more than 30 to 40 minutes so why bother putting MORE money into it  .

Having written that , I am still planning a trip to Ventura Ca to have my seat adjusted , that will be the only long trip I ever make , assuming I make the trip .
I can just ship the seat  to them ,but I  would like to make at least one long trip on bike .

Making a long trip on a bike seems like torture , they make cars for that

Kidd

              I used to camp but not much anymore......all this talk about custom seats? Like I said before $500.00 plus for a seat????? I would rather ride less miles per day, enjoy the sites and spend that $500.00 on having a bed to sleep in at nite....... not that it has to be the Hilton, super 8 or even the local mom n pop motel for $50.00 or less works for me.. Many times traveling with one buddy or even two, divide that $60 to high class $80 by  3 really keeps the cost low. Riding like 300 to 450 miles per day is much more my style of  enjoying a a trip........ What do you think?....

[ledany]

@Kidd, cars are so boring ! 

I like to ride for hours with this bike too, playing hide & seek with your friends and their binoculars, radars etc. following speed cars as often as possible,  I have a french windshield Jerry bought too, I don't mind the wind anymore and from day one I set the rear shock as stiff as possible and never touched it ever since. 

[bscrive]

Hey are those mini floorboards for the driver and are they angled slightly down?

At the time they were, but I have adjusted them up since then.

[woofred1832]

                 Since I've got my 2014 set up now the way I like it, I will mostly keep it for long trips, or just some days when I want to GO FAST! most of the time in riding season, other than back n forth to work, I will probably ride my newest addition to the garage, a 1975 GOLDWING 1000 that only has 18, 300 miles on it. Neat old bike for this semi old rider. It will be fun to get the lookers that can appreciate this classic ride. Even  my friends think it's aneat looking and great bike to have next to my Valkyrie...... I would have loved to have found a earlier 1500 Valk but the $ was a consern so when I saw this Goldwing and remember the days when I worked at a Honda shop in Colorado and these bikes first came out I had to get it..... and it only cost my $1, 000.00 a deal I could not pass up.......

[Dublflush]

I love camping on the Valkyrie! If you do some research, you can pack light and be comfortable!
 I'm 57 and don't like to suffer. I motorcycle camp in January every year, and stay on the road for 3 -4 weeks at a time. Maybe 2 - 3 nights in a hotel on the trip.
 Hotels are boring and dirty!! To each his own, but camping adds to the adventure!

[CajunRider]

Where do y'all set up camp at night??

Do you search for camp sites? Or just find a place off the main roads? 

I was thinking about trying it out one day... but I'd be flying blind. 

[Farther]

Hotels are boring and dirty!! To each his own, but camping adds to the adventure!

Once you have been in one hotel room, you have been in them all.  Every night camping is a unique experience.  But, it take practice.

[Kidd]

 Hotels are boring and dirty!!

I would think the bathrooms in a camp ground are worse than hotel   bathrooms