Hello All

I’ve been following the forum for several months now, but this is my first post.  I purchased my S40 new this year and am loving it!  I recently retired and buying a small cruiser was an important part of my retirement plans.  My only regret is that I don’t have a time machine so I can go back and slap my 20 year old self and tell me to not wait so long to get a bike.  Oh well, I’ll just have to make up for lost time now.

I put my S40 away for the winter this week and am already anxiously awaiting the arrival of spring so I can get back on it.  I’m hoping to take it on a long(ish) road trip next summer.  I’m thinking something in the neighborhood of a 6-8 day round trip.  I’m looking for the advice of those in the group who have taken their bikes on longer trips.  Are our S40’s up to the challenge?  Those of you who have tried it, do you recommend that I avoid the interstates? Is there anything that your experience has taught you that I should be aware of?

My bike is a stock 2013 Boulevard S40.  The only mods I have done are the seat lift (courtesy of this forum, thank you), added saddle bags, and an AirHawk cushion for added comfort.  I’ll be swapping out the petcock for a Raptor in the spring and will likely add a sissy bar, luggage rack, and perhaps a windshield.  I’m 6’ tall and 175 pounds and so far the day trips I’ve taken this year have been comfortable enough, but I’m concerned that after several days in the saddle it might be a different story.

At any rate, I could sure benefit from the experience of those who have gone before me.

Thanks very much

I think it depends on your friends...
Neither me or my bike is happy blasting the freeway at 80mph for hours on end...
...but,... putting through the countryside at 50 or 60mph is a breeze...

If you do much steady riding over 65mph... check your oil level at each fill-up...
Nothing's wrong,.. but the big thumper will gobble some oil churning at those speeds...

For me, personally... bike travel at speeds over 65mph are more like work and less like fun... and that's on any bike...
If I were planning a tour,.. I'd plan 300 to 400 mile days...
50 to 65mph roads...
JMHO...  I'm sure the bike can handle more than I can... ...

When I had mine I rode it 400 miles one day.

Old Feller, Serobot, Old Rider, Midnight Rider and Blinky.  Thanks SO much for your feedback.  I am totally jazzed about next riding season and will enjoy mapping out my "long ride" route this winter.  I especially loved the video from Blinky.  By the way Blinky I really like the luggage carrier you have on your bike.  I'll be looking to do something similar.  Very nice.

I already have a GPS and mount and added a 12 volt power adaptor wired to the battery.  A must for longer rides I think.

Thanks again everyone.  Greatly appreciated!

Retired Rider

What part of the country you ride from ?   I've been itching for a couple long rides too !    

I put a wider seat, windshild, and floorboards on mine , so now its easy to do 8hr rides.  

Doin't matter what bike your ridding , the "BUFF" from 70 mph crussing will wear you out twice as fast a 50mph"BUFF".  

Roger that.  I have done 500 miles in a day on my KLR and felt as fatigued as 200 on the s40.  The 5.8 gallon tank also helped, it gets a little old filling up every 100 - 120 miles.  I can promise you this, the S40 will take you as far as you are willing to go.

Rode a bit more than 7,000 miles in less than a month. Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri then worked my way back thru South Dakota and back thru Montana and then went south into Nevada before returning home.  I found that if I could ride for one hour and then rest for a half hour before climbing back on, I could ride relatively refreshed til the next stop. You can pack on a lot of miles that way but to try and ride any more than a hour that on this light bike at speeds over 55 it wears you out. On my trip, I noticed that the 650 was the smallest of any touring bikes I ran into. But I'm on the short side and I weigh maybe 150 lbs, so the bike fit me like a glove. Much bigger person than me and it would have been a different story.
As Serobot says, check your oil often because it'll drink at least a qt a day at higher speeds. Something else I noticed right off the bat is that lots of parts vibrate loose after a long day on crappy roads so check everything each night. The biggest draw back is the small gas tank! I ran out of gas right in the middle of  the Badlands in South Dakota on a 95 degree day and on a Sunday afternoon when it seemed I was the only person in the whole national park. I set there for hours before a large Gold Wing stopped and drained some of his gas for me. I got wise and bought a rubber hot water bottle that I carried extra fuel in.

Courtesy of you folks, my long rides will be much better I'm sure. If I forgot to thank anyone, sorry for the oversight.

MMRanch, you were asking what part of the country I'm from.  I'm actually up in Ontario Canada.

Wow thats a long way from southern midle TN. !  

How far you from Sergis ND. ?  

We should all meet somewhere next summer for a week ride !