Hi all.

Ok, I am still thinking of a ride down the California coast, through the Redwoods and end up in LA.

So I know, Seat, Shocks and shield.
Are the three biggies in Touring, but what tricks and strategies do you use to keep yourself going.
The longest ride for to date in the last 10 years has ben a 350 Miler.
I did it just fine, But I only rode to work the next day.

My plain is to ride the 1400 first leg in like 4 days. I plan of breaks every hour or so.
the Ride home will be a 1250 shot up I-5, I plan this to take two to three days.

Now I know that some here, who shall remain Nameless(Dean)will sugest i get a E-glide or other Tour bike, and wile I can not disagree with that logic, and I do qualify for the financing, my homes finance committee said no. (Ok it was more like HELL NO, and i don't want to be like Tim sleeping in my truck)

Things i am concerned about, after my last long trip was the stress of my family following me, we kept getting separated.(Ok, I was outrunning them) and the wind truly beat me up.
I-5 through the valley will no doubt be in the 100 degree temps, so Hydration will be a issue too.

I am planing on using a backpack (With a internal frame) for support, along with my luggage and a tank bag this time.

Items I am going to get for the trip.
A handlebar clock
A sheepskin seat cover
Better grips
Tank bag w/map pouch
Soft ear phone for my MP3 player
New tires

Any other suggestions?:tour

It's much easier if you're not carrying anything (backpack (even a fanny pack)) on your person for long distances...

I use a T-bag (with removable sissybar) for any touring

Well OK, 350 miles aday out is not bad......coming home if you do it in 2 days you're looking at 625 each day......hmmmm....fatique ? What set up do you have for foot comfort? I used to get a cramp in my left foot from the peg after about 300 miles. I now have stirrups/heel rests.....they work so good. I'm going to try one of those cramp buster's for the throttle and see how they work......might help with the hands. You have your backpack for a back rest....good. Rain gear and extra gloves might be good. Perhaps a cell phone in case you do get separated from your family. Watch out for the cagers in LA.

Sounds like a great trip.....maybe you can ride through a huge redwood tree. Get some pictures. :tour :tour

Are you going to wear your backpack or hook it to a sissy bar or something?

I bought the grips called "eGrips" (they are in J&P's catalog, $44 black, $55 chrome). They went on easy, have built-in rib for throttle control and are shaped to give relief to the fingers to prevent numbness. I've been running them for the past 2 years and wouldn't have anything else. Never even had to glue them. Never have moved. They slide on and stay.

You could add the "throttle rocker" to your existing grips but they can come off and sometimes need to be repositioned.

The stirrups added to the footpegs are another plus.

You already have the clock on your list. One of the best add-ons in useage. Never have to pull the jacket back to see the time. Time & speed gives you an easy way to forecast your progress and distance.

How about a kidney belt? Something like a weightlifter or shelf stocker in the store. Adds support to your back that will take some punishment. I use it on long trips and it helps.

I have the Kuryakyn rear run-turn-brake controller. $70. Adds extra running lights to the rear whie using the existing lights/wiring. Just plug it in (10 minute operation) and you go from one running light to three. Plus it also gives you the pulse brake function. (It flashes 4 times before going steady. Gives the cages a bit of a warning. Can't have too much protection in California traffic.)

You already have some of the bases covered. Good to ask for ideas.

If you go through Atascadero, stop at Gary Bangs new Harley dealership. New building and a heck of a friendly guy. Stop at the Madonna Inn when going through San Luis Obispo, CA. Check out the theme rooms when the maids are cleaning the rooms. Eat something in the restaurant. It's a good place to take a break.
Or you might have a huge breakfast at "Jacks" in Orcutt. Order the half portion because you won't be able to carry the rest on your bike.

You'll make the best time going down I-5 but are you interested in best time or experiences?

You could do Highway 1 but you won't go fast. The view would be great going south with the ocean to your right. (keep an eye on the road though.) at Hurricane Point, it can get windy. You can ride over Bixby Bridge, from the opening credits in the TV show "Then Came Bronson."
You'll eventually go by Hearst Castle at San Simeon. If you have a chance GO! See what it was like with mega-bucks years ago. If you do think of stopping and taking a tour, buy your tickets from Ticketmaster BEFORE you get there. Most generally they are sold out. Not a good chance of just stopping and taking a tour. Better to have tickets in hand before arriving.

I worked in the area years ago and still go back. Great area to visit but the property is EXPENSIVE.

Good luck on the trip. I keep thinking of doing the same thing. I've done the trip in a car, motorcycle is next but Iowa is a long way from the coast.

1)Back support, I have a rally pack I set on the seat behind me, packed with camping gear and I can lean back with support.
2) Slow down, I stay off the Interstates and ride two lane roads, If I keep my speed at 60-65 rather than 75-80 I have found I get more miles between stops plus the ride is more senic and enjoyable.
3) At fuel stops I gas the bike, move it and take 5-10 mins. to walk around to get the blood flowing in my legs.
4) Gel gloves and gel insoles in my boots are a godsend.
So take your time and enjoy the ride.

Jeff,

You may wanna re-think this backpack idea for your trip....

I commute with my bike, and wear a backpack daily to carry my lunch and gear in. While it is OK to wear for 45 minutes to an hour, I don't like having it on any longer than that due to the fatigue that sets in to your shoulder area from having your arms pointing forward while there is a rearward load on them.

I do have a passenger seat and sissy bar that I occasionally run on my scoot, and when they're on I strap my pack to the sissybar. There is a substantial comfort difference for me when it's not on my back.

I can't imagine having a well-loaded pack on my back for any great amount of time on a bike and feeling comfortable, and this is coming from an ex-jarhead who used to do 20 mile humps with a pack & rifle.... :rolleyes: :)

Only thing I would consider wearing is a camelback....but even that's uneccessary with the Sporty's range...

I HATE interstates...so I can't help you there...

Try riding BEHIND the family....that way, you keep your speed down, you stay together, and they're not following you...RELAX!!! That's the key....

Comfort should be the keyword for your trip....good luck!

Less planning, I say... ;)

Hey Jeffy,you could rent an EG :roflblack

All kidding a side,don't worry and have a great time.
Pack two cell phones,one for you one for the family.
Every stop you could have a pre designated spot and time ahead to meet should you loose contact, then if someone doesnt show they know the other is behind not ahead.
4 days to do the 1400 is plenty of time,I'd do it it two maybe 2 1/2 taking in the sites.
The Redwood hiway is awesome,take the sidebar and do the Avenue of the giants and stop at the drive thru tree at Leggett.
It's where the turn off to Ft.Bragg is on 101 to hiway 1.
North Hiway 1 is a great ride but slow going and you would want to skip the part thru San Fran dropping off North of the city and North of Stinson Beach.
That area is very very slow going!
You can pic up 1 again after crossing the Golden Gate Bridge and have a great ride down by Half Moon bay and beyond.

I used a backpack for a long while. Just wear the straps loose, so the bag sits on the passenger seat. But then, I discovered the bungie cord! Now, the backpack lives on the seat.

Bring earplugs. If your bike is loud, day after day of listening to that sweet sounding exhaust will wear you down. After so many miles, it will sound like shit. Put in some ear plugs, and the silence will be golden.

The interesting thing about a long ride is all the planning in the world does not take into account how you feel each day. When my buddy and I went to Norway on a 5 day 3000 mile trip we sucked it up the first day and rode from Wiesbaden to Hirtshals Denmark in one shot.(700+ miles or so) Day 2 was more leisurely with a trip around the Norwegian fjords(300-400 miles) Day 3 we climbed the worlds largest monolith Prekestolen and then rode for 4 or five hours. Day 4 we rode down from Lillihammer to Oslo via Sweden. We borded the Ferry in the evening and started our next day in Kristiansand Denmark and rode to Meonchengladbach and partied for the next 2 days before returning. We had riden just over 5000 k.m. in that period and 3 days we were drinking and perusing women of ill repute.

I carried way to much stuff and in hindsite I would bring less clothes and find a place to wash every once in a while. Decide if you are tenting or not. Tent and bedroll and sleeping bag take up too much space on the bike. Take just what you need and have fun. No plan is sometimes more fun. We had a blast and it only involved picking a destination and an occasional glance at the map. Your but will decide for you when you have had enough.

http://www.ironbutt.com/tech/aowprintout.cfm

One of the main ideals brought up was not wearing the backpack that far, i agree with that 100 percent! For $5.00 you can pick up a small cargo net maybe 15x15 or 15x17. There worth there weigh in gold when traveling. One more thing a pair of iso mini wings are great too on long trips. Yeah just try not to over look the small things that will get you, the big ones like windsheilds,comfortable seat, ect are easy to remember. Anyway have a great trip i wish i was going too! One more thing a good tire repair kit. Mine has plugs, glue, tools, and co2 to fill the repaired tire back up, again worth it's weight in gold when in the middle of nowhere!

On the cargo net subject, I have a "hooker" from Willie and Max. Slips under the seat, with four large cargo rings....it was less than 20$, and bungie cords work great with it.

Thank you all for the suggestions.

Well today I Installed a Sissy bar, so I can set the pack on the seat.
I have a throttle rocker, and I installed a set of Iso Harley foot pegs on the rear set, and angled them so they are level for my feet to use and a rear set.

With the wife in the car behind me, carrying to much is not a problem, and we have the cell phones figured out(one for me, two for them).
I have a cargo net too, and saddle bags.

I truly believe I can make it to LA, we have planed like 4 days to get there, it's coming home.
I have to be at my Sisters wedding on Friday, that means I start for home Saturday, and I have to be at work on Monday.
That is 1200 miles(I-5 straight through) in two days. This maybe fun, or Painful.



On the other hand, my dealer quailed me for a FI Electra-glide at 287 a month.....

That is not a slide to the dark side, that is a head long plunge.

Jeff, Your seat looked fine for the trip...with that sissy bar, I'd stuff that backpack with some soft stuff and wedge that puppy between the sissy bar and you...a backrest will definitely help you rack up the miles...if you decide to do primarily I-5 on the way back and it's getting on your nerves, buzz east just a few miles (at least from Bakersfield to Red Bluff) and use U.S. 99...I've made good time on 99 many times...since you're coming back on the weekend you won't have to worry about any rush hour times near the big cities...just dodgin' tourists this time of year! I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but I've observed substantially less RV's out on the asphalt recently...at $3.00 a gallon and getting 6-8mpg, a lot of RV'ers are sitting this summer out! Get you a tall windshield (Jeff is a tall guy!) and I think you'll do fine...once in L.A. you should see if you can meet up with any of the so-cal gang!

To give you an idea of going down the coast on your way down as far as time goes, I did US101 from here to the Bay area and it was a 24 hour adventure...from hell...damn tourists...it's normally a ten hour drive down the I-5...I know...not very scenic...well, going through the Siskiyou Mountains, Lake Shasta, and all of Oregon is!

Whatever you decide, have a good trip! :D

If you travel during the week, a good idea is to get a room at the outer edge of town, away from the traffic, so when you start in the morning, you have already put the rush hour traffic behind you. In otherwords, you aren't driving into the traffic, it's already behind you when leaving in the morning.

My best tip for long trips..........EARLY starts..........


I start the day with a couple of strong coffees and hit the road just after daylight.Get a few hours riding in.........eat breakfast and keep going.

You'll be amazed how much distance you've covered by midday.........:tour

I second early starts, a lot less traffic (but more deer) its nice to get some miles behind you before the hustle and bustle of everyones day starts.

Be careful with your tie downs. My neighbor had a bad crash because his stuff came loose and locked up the rear and through him at 75. Loose packs and stuff can be deadly so tie it off good.

Lots of good tips already, so I don't think I can add much. I would like to second a few things:
Soft stuff in pack; you should only need a few layers of clothing to pad anything hard. Just don't pack anything with pointy edges/corners so that you would be leaning on the points.

Follow the car; unless you want to make impromptu side trips, let your wife lead. Make a plan each morning and let her lead the way.

Cell phones; well duh... But have you thought about 2-way radios? FRS/GMRS radios are cheap and with the head sets, you could talk while riding. No matter who is leading, if the trail vehicle looses sight of the lead vehicle, just give a 'shout'. FRS will get about 2 miles range, GMRS gets up to eight or so. There is the matter of others being on the same channel, but like CB, you can usually find a gap in others conversations to pass a quick message, i.e. "hey Dear, go to channel xx, copy?" Side note; music while you ride? Cheap mp3 player(s) with favorite songs. Don't know about the legalities of having both earbuds in use, though.

Hydration in the valley; camelbacks, or similar, you can put it on the pack and have the bite valve close at hand. Even 30 minutes of driving in that heat will make your mouth dry. I was stationed in Sacramento for 11 years and while the camelback wasn't invented yet, I had a boat cup/can holder on my handlebars. It meant I had to use a straw, but I kept reasonably hydrated.

Tire kit; have one in the car. Either vehicle could need a quick fix and this way you probably won't have to call for a tow or ride/drive on a flat. (Yeah, ride/drive on the flat. It's slow and will ruin the tire if not the wheel, but you will get somewhere faster moving than waiting, usually.)

General tip; HAVE FUN. I've done the Pacific Coast Highway from San Jose to San Louis Obispo on a bike. Good leisurely riding and great scenery. Watch out for ID10T's.

Alot of great Ideas, ive used all of them in the last two years. Do you and your wife need to travel together to get there, I had my wife follow me last year coming home from the ralley. 700 miles home and she was ready to kill me and the other two guys, there is a different pace between cars and bikes and someones fuse is going to blow at some point.

I switched this year to a more pull back handle bar, my back is alot more happy, and when I get tired I can lean forward. with stock bars I was leaning forward and no way to lean back when back got sore.

Wear a good helmet, a full face or 3/4 with a shield. Im a east coast person so I carry rain gear, coming home this year besides needing it for rain two times going and coming, I needed it on the last leg when driving at night the temp dropped 25degrees I used it as a wind breaker which saved my butt.

This year coming home I cut a 3 day ride home to 2 days because of issues at home that I thought were important, I left the group to keep riding on the second day when everyone else stopped at the hotel at 7pm. What I found out is riding at night on interstate by myself was not the best idea. I got home at 1a.m., cold, tired, and burned out. Just becareful at night, if you get tired bail out and get a motel.

I will just second some of the suggestions that were made that I
live by, or rdie by.

BTW I just finished a 8,252 mile trip from coast to coast.
I averaged 600 miles a day with one 1,000 mile 18 hour day to
finish it all off.

I use the Vista Cruise instead on the throttle rocker.

Earplugs of course, but I went to a FF helmet, I love it now for my all
day rides.

Hard bag for back support like the Cruiser Bag or Biker's friend.

Gel gloves, Mustang seat, etc.

Jeff,

If the family is traveling with you in the car either behind you or you following them, Why are you packing anything on the bike, unless you plan to separate at some point during the trip? If it were me I would still pack my pack as if I were taking it on the bike but leave it in the car. Less weight, no chance of it falling off or needing to be adjusted etc. The only thing I would take on the bike is some water. Maybe is missed something in your original post or misread it.

My best tip for long trips..........EARLY starts..........


I start the day with a couple of strong coffees and hit the road just after daylight.Get a few hours riding in.........eat breakfast and keep going.

You'll be amazed how much distance you've covered by midday.........:tour


I'm going to disagree with this..........

Start when you're comfortable starting, and after plenty of rest....

If you're not a morning person (I'm not), starting early just wipes you out for the day, and your endurance is shot....

I can ride twice as long (distance and mileage) starting at 10am than at 6am. And am actually more alert starting at 2pm. (but unless you want to ride at night, that does cut your range down)

Avoid caffeinated drinks, they act as a diuretic, which means they take water from your body's cells, so they work AGAINST you staying hydrated.

Get enough sleep.

Don't push on when you are really fatigued, your reaction time will slow down when you are really beat--not a good thing and worse at night.

I found a back pack in the luggage section at Wally World that has an internal frame with wheels and a collapsible handle. Even is orange, black, and silver. HD colors and matches my silver Sportster. Was less than $25.00. When I ride it sits on the pillion so no weight is on my shoulders. When I stop I can take it with rather than leave it on the bike.

I bought a weight lifting belt that is ridged but breathable. It works great for me for back support. I just returned from a long trip (2,200 miles) and found if I stopped every hour or so I could do 500+ miles a day and not be a zombie when I stopped for the day.

I'm going to disagree with this..........

Start when you're comfortable starting, and after plenty of rest....

If you're not a morning person (I'm not), starting early just wipes you out for the day, and your endurance is shot....

I can ride twice as long (distance and mileage) starting at 10am than at 6am. And am actually more alert starting at 2pm. (but unless you want to ride at night, that does cut your range down)

By 10:00am I usually have a couple hundred miles in :D I get up early every day though,usually about 5:00 - 5:30 and ready to go by 6:00-6:30 ;)

Jeffetune,
Just got back from Sturgis and put 3,400 miles on my 04 1200XL. Went from Victorville, Ca and back and was packed for tent camping. Plenty of time to evaluate my needs and in priority they were: my Mustang seat, windshield, earplugs and a set of clear and dark goggles. The goggles worked great because I wear glasses and for all the rain I went through. Water ran off instead of over my glasses and into my eyes. My riding partner has the smaller gas tank and we stopped 28 total times for gas and I spent 236.60 dollars on fuel. I am preparing a better report with pictures but the above was important to me. Hope it helps.

Danbango

You need gas oil the keys(optional) your hiney, And a few Vicodin !!

You can add all the goddies to it and extend your rest stop distance, But your still riding a sporty. Just have fun, take what you think you need and have a blast ! I have been all down through there and thats going to be one fine trip !!!!!! BE SAFE !!!

All great suggestions, but the one thing I don't remember until I'm already ten miles down the road is CHAP STICK. Out West here, you either use it or give up smiling for a week. And that's near impossible to do on a Sporty. :tour

Hi all.

This is a too good a post to close, but in the end, I went with Y2K's suggestion, and now have a E-Glide(Look to my Avatar), But all these points are useful regardless of the bike you ride.

So lets keep posting what we find that works, so we can all learn.

One I have learned, a sheepskin cover for your seat will help to prevent your bottom side from overheating wile keeping it dry.
Not really good for twisty riding, but long haul, it's a good thing.

I have a camelback that I've attached to the bottom of my tank bag. Drinking hose is in reach but not in the way (don't let it fall down and get tangled in your belt!!). At gas stops, magnet tank bag comes off, wife fills it with water, I fill the gas, go pee, and we're off again. Eat & drink while you ride (if on open road), saves lots of time and cuts the boredom. Start early, keep stops short so that you have lots of time to dink around and relax at nite.

For us a 400 mile day is something we do to take a break & do some sightseeing. 600-700 is a little more par for the course, 1000 miles is something we've never done two days in a row, but I'd give it a shot.

I always take my camelback trans alp with me if I'm going for a long ride. You can carry alot of stuff in there and have water close. Also self protection that is unnoticable.

Get a gel pad for your seat, and have tools handy. Just a basic selection of wrenches 5 in 1 screwdriver, maybe a tire repair kit, spare tail light bulbs, etc. Earplugs too. And a credit card and a cell phone.

I use a cissy bar pack with the bag forward on the pillion seat, so I can lean against it, buckhorns to get my arms comfortable, anti vibration pegs and grips, windscreen, clock, saddlebags, crashbars and I plonk along average 55-65 except on motorways when I go up to 70, but I like to stay off those and stick to the A roads, as it's more scenic and youcan stop along the road more often as you need them.

Don't forget your gaiters to keep your boots dry if it rains... and some nice cushy socks...
oh, and sunscreen
and Tylenol, and maybe some IcyHot...
and a nice warm scarf to wrap around your neck if you ride into the evenings...
And even if you and the family plan to try to stay together... decide on where to meet if you get separated.
And Ride Safe!!!