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Message started by ja01 on 04/20/09 at 16:56:15

Title: longest ride to date
Post by ja01 on 04/20/09 at 16:56:15

Just looking for any tips from you more experienced riders.
My longest ride to date is 500 miles in 2 days. I am preparing for 1600 miles in 3 days this weekend.
Is there anything that is a must for the trip?
Is the belt a concern?
My bike is an 05 s40 with 5000 miles on it. I have put 4300 of those on it in the last 10 months.
Thanks for the advice :)

Title: Re: longest ride to date
Post by Jay on 04/21/09 at 00:27:02

I haven't taken a trip of that length.....yet. Most I've made is a couple of 600 mile trips. From what I've read, the belt should be of no concern. Aside from the standard pre-trip oil change, inspection, etc.; the must haves, in my opinion, are:
Spare fuses. 20amp
1 qt of your favorite oil. The bike's been known to use some on long rides.
A spare container of fuelhttp://tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:grYzKBYKKUyP2M:http://media.rei.com/media
These seem to be favored by the ADV rider group. REI, and Cabella's carries them. I did run out of gas on one of those long trips due to miscalculating headwinds. 20 oz of fuel can make the difference between a long walk and a short refuel to get you going again. It may only weigh short of 400lbs wet; but it really sucks to have to push that load.
Count on rain, no matter the forcast. Count on cold if going to higher elevations. Bring appropriate gear.
Have some water and a snack. DON'T count on making it to your next stop for groceries. If, heaven forbid, you do get stranded; you'll want something to munch on. A bottle of water and a granola bar don't take up much space.
Basic tools. Not the Suzuki crap that comes with the bike. Get some real tools, and practise doing some of the things that might happen on the road WITH THOSE TOOLS. It sucks to get out in the middle of nowhere, need to take the seat off to get to the spark plug and realize that the wrench that fit in the garage, won't actually budge the bolt on the side of the road.
A spare spark plug.
A flashlight.
Duct tape.
Zip ties.
Electrical tape.
One of those thermal blankets that looks like a big piece of aluminum foil. If you get stranded at night it'll keep you warm. Makes a decent ground cover too.
Controversial; but I do take a can of Fix-a-Flat, as well as a Co2 inflator. If it's just a puncture, you can use the Fix-a-Flat to get it to hold pressure, roll it at low speeds for a couple of miles to get the goo to set, then reinflate the tire with the Co2. Won't work on major blow outs or the like; but it might be the difference between getting you to the next town, and a new tire and tube, and calling for a tow.
Fully charged cell phone. I use a Tracphone for travel. Cheap, not a huge loss if lost or stolen, and I've never had a problem with signal anywhere.
Leatherman type tool.
Throttle Rocker. I have the left and right hand. Your hands will thank you.
A good pocket knife. Not a little "apple peeler", but a good solid folder, with a legal blade.
That's about all I can think of at the moment. Peruse some of the long distance MC travel sites, like ADV rider, for additional tips. Mount up, have fun, and take some pics!
Have a safe trip.

Title: Re: longest ride to date
Post by aliassmith on 04/21/09 at 09:04:44

A long rider is one who rides for three or more days in the same general direction.

Aliassmith

Title: Re: longest ride to date
Post by serenity3743 on 04/21/09 at 09:19:22

Just got back from 1300 miles in 5 riding days. You will find that your gluteous maximus (buttocks) will not appreciate more than 400 - 500 or so miles per day. It helps some to have a VistaCruise (throttle lock) and a Throttle Rocker. Also to change positions: regular position to semi-recline position (with highway pegs) to crotch rocket position (feet on passenger pegs, leaning forward over the fuel tank). A stuffed luggage bag on the passenger seat gives your back something to rest on as needed.

I've never run out of gas, as my habit is to stop every 100 miles for fuel and stretch. But I have hit some deserted stretches of highway which made me sweat, worried that I would run out of gas at 125+ miles between fill-ups. Otherwise I agree with Jay.

Title: Re: longest ride to date
Post by serenity3743 on 04/21/09 at 09:52:28

Here's another thought. A motorcycle cover comes in handy not only as a portable garage, but also as a travel cover for your stuff that might otherwise get wet. Lay the cover over both seats and drape it on each side. Place your travel bag, sleeping bag, tent, etc., on the passenger seat and/or luggage carrier. Pull the cover up on all sides and twist the corners together in a pigtail secured by a bungy cord from one side to the other. Then to hold everything in place, run bungys from saddle bag supports (or rear shocks to rear fender) front to back, crossed in the middle.

A tank bag also comes in very handy. Keep small stuff (cell phone, flashlight, toilet paper, glasses, tools) handy. Most come with a map pocket on top that is clear, for old-fashioned, pre-GPS guidance. Mine (Nelson Rigg) also came with a waterproof cover for the tank bag.

Title: Re: longest ride to date
Post by Ed L. on 04/21/09 at 10:23:46

Get a tube of 5 minute epoxy and toss it in your tool roll. It will seal up most any small cracks in the engine casings. Real cheap insurance in case of a hit from a rock or a spill. Take some aluminum foil along and you can make a epoxy, aluminum foil bandaid.

Title: Re: longest ride to date
Post by Phelonius on 04/21/09 at 12:12:53

7253687B19370 wrote:

Been there done that! T'works good. In my case, I took off the side cover and cleaned it dry inside and out, sanded the wound inside and out, and J.B, weld inside and out. It was still holding when I sold the bike 6 years and 18,000 miles later, with most of that off road in deserts and mountains.

Phelonius

Title: Re: longest ride to date
Post by Skid Mark on 04/21/09 at 13:32:46

I like the epoxy idea!!! I also carry a small roll of duct tape & a roll of tie wire, just incase something needs to be reattached till you get home.

Title: Re: longest ride to date
Post by LANCER on 04/21/09 at 19:29:43

0B005150610 wrote:

The belt is darn near bullet proof ... I think you would need to duck tape a hand grenade to it to damage the sucker.

Title: Re: longest ride to date
Post by Jack_650 on 04/21/09 at 20:54:15

I've got tons of miles between fill-ups due to my oversized main and my extra tour tank. I tend to tough it out and go three hours or so at a stretch before getting off for a walk about. I've done some 650 mile days in a row and a few 2,200 mile one way trips (do the math for round trips) and swear by the V-Star saddle seat I have on the bike. I picked up a full saddle gel seat pad which didn't do as much as I had wanted, but I didn't get it until one of those long trips was almost 2/3 done. I'm waiting to try it for an entire trip starting from the git-go. I also tried one of those bead seats and it was okay for a while. Turns out it's much better between your back and a stuffed bag on the back seat. It lets a lot of air get around to help keep you dry. And you get a bit of a massage in the deal.

Move around on the seat-cheek to cheek,
slide forward, slide back
Mount yourself a cup holder of some sort
on the right side and drink plenty of
liquids. I swear by Gatoraide. My trips
seem to be in 100 degrees in July/August
down to FL and back
Put some cheap floorboards on there with some
thick rubber pads to absorb the vibration
Get one of the full sized windscreens. National
Cycle has a nice one in my opinion despite
their cheap plastic bar clamps
Carry extra oil and a filter and use synthetic for
the heat from constant running
Take a ton of pictures with your digital camera

There's my three fifty's worth of advice.

Jack

Title: Re: longest ride to date
Post by serenity3743 on 04/22/09 at 09:01:37

Yeah, I forgot to mention that it is real easy to get dehydrated. I don't have a cup holder, but I have a flip top coffee mug. I have a fork bag that I actually use as a windshield bag attached to the handlebars, and the cup fits nicely between the windshield and the bag, although it does rub the windshield a bit.

Title: Re: longest ride to date
Post by Phelonius on 04/22/09 at 09:25:45

6F6970636F343B020 wrote:

I like the epoxy idea!!! I also carry a small roll of duct tape & a roll of tie wire, just incase something needs to be reattached till you get home.

Duct tape and wire = Harley rebuild kit.

Phelonius

Title: Re: longest ride to date
Post by Jack_650 on 04/22/09 at 09:56:03

Of course ya'll knew I meant left side when I said mount a cup holder somewhere. We all know how hard it can be to reach across to get anything and stay in control.

I know some folks swear by those backpack water containers but I haven't really gotten into them. I've got one and it's great for hiking, but on the bike water just seem to get really hot in there. Plus it limits my leaning back and pushing to get the kinks out. And you really don't want to put anything but water in them which kills the whole Gatoraide thang.

Jack

Title: Re: longest ride to date
Post by Skid Mark on 04/22/09 at 13:17:35

Phelonoius:

I'll have to remember that next time I'm around any Harleys ;D

Title: Re: longest ride to date
Post by ja01 on 04/23/09 at 05:42:37

Hey guys thanks for all the advice. I am changing my oil now and will be heading out in the evening. Thanks again.
hope my but holds out. LoL

Title: Re: longest ride to date
Post by Louisiana_Geezer on 04/23/09 at 11:33:30

From what I've been reading here, that S40 seat is as intolerable as the stock seat on my Honda Rebel. I couldn't hope, therefore, to get more than 40 - 50 miles before I had to give my butt a break.

Title: Re: longest ride to date
Post by Jay on 04/23/09 at 19:51:02

79722322130 wrote:

Hey guys thanks for all the advice. I am changing my oil now and will be heading out in the evening. Thanks again.
hope my but holds out. LoL

Hope it does too. If nothing else, this trip will motivate you to consider seat mods. I recommend Diamond Jim's.

Title: Re: longest ride to date
Post by ja01 on 04/27/09 at 17:13:29

Updates from my trip.
Rode 600 miles on Thursday night into Friday morning with no problems.
My new Tank really helped out on that giving me 4 gals of usable gas before reserve. I hoped on Friday morning for a quick scoot around town and noticed within 2 miles of riding that I had a hole in my gas line. Replaced the line and all was good.
Sunday I rode 600 miles back home and all was good. Man I love this bike. :)

P.S 400 miles of my ride in each direction was interstate miles.

Title: Re: longest ride to date
Post by vhfkid on 04/27/09 at 17:24:58

Thanks for the update! I'm planning a long trip with my wife, and we'll be riding about 250-300 a day.

Can you report on your oil usage?

Title: Re: longest ride to date
Post by Jay on 04/27/09 at 18:25:05

7E606E63616C080 wrote:

Thanks for the update! I'm planning a long trip with my wife, and we'll be riding about 250-300 a day.

Can you report on your oil usage?

On my 600 miler, I was bucking sustained headwinds in the 20mph range. I went through half a quart. Don't forget to adjust your anticipated fuel consumption according to conditions! 2 up, hills, headwinds, sustained speeds over 70, etc.

Title: Re: longest ride to date
Post by ja01 on 04/28/09 at 05:25:04

As far as OIL usage. I cant tell is used any oil at all.
I did get less fuel mileage because of the higher speeds and I think we were packed on the heavy side.

Title: Re: longest ride to date
Post by vhfkid on 04/28/09 at 05:44:59

Thanks for the info, we had to use quite more than I expected, but we had fast headwinds and we kept running around 65-70 across Central Texas. Me thinks the puke tubes are full!