Part I
Tips on taking a multi-day motorcycle ride
By Corey Eastman
Like learning to ride a motorcycle, taking a motorcycle trip can be daunting. But like taking a motorcycle course and building your riding skills, the effort is worth it. Recently, we asked our followers on social media what advice they would give to riders new to multi-day moto travel. Here’s what they said.
Roll with it, enjoy whatever comes next, that’s traveling on a motorcycle. Taking a car is like watching a wrap-around-monitor as you pass through your surroundings, isolating you from everything but the sights. A motorcycle puts you IN it. You feel the difference just one degree makes, as you smell, hear, and engage all your senses in your surroundings.
Comments
CoyoteBroad – Jayne
Don’t [keep riding] until you are exhausted. It’s okay to decide that you want to call it a day at 4. Be on the lookout for brown signs on the road – those are public lands and often will lead you to something really awesome to see, everything from a beautiful historic house to dinosaur fossils.
Randy The Motorcycle Rider Coach
- Every gas stop 2 liquids in, one liquid out… utilize the facilities to relieve yourself, put water in your body, and gas in the bike.
- For clothes, lightweight layers, make sure the outer layers of clothes are oversized to adjust for the under layers.
- Try not to do major upgrades or maintenance projects the night before the trip.
- No new riding equipment on the trip, you’ll be breaking it in during the trip, and be uncomfortable and distracted.
- Top off your motorcycle gas tank the day before, and ride home to do T-CLOCS (a pre-ride inspection), then don’t ride the bike that day… go get some rest.
- Plan your route and make note of gas stops so as not to put your gas range in the danger zone.
- Have battery backups for electronics recharging.
- Get a good weather app (Wunderground is my preferred; it has been great in Asia, America, and Europe.)
Terry Leach
Do a shorter shakedown ride first to make sure your bike and packing is functional…and that your backside and wrists are up to it.
James McLane
Carry a second wallet with a second credit card in it, hidden on the bike. I lost my wallet on a solo trip once. No way to buy gas or food, it was not fun.
Kyle McCarty
EMAIL a photo of your ID — just in case you ‘misplace’ your wallet.
AND … if your trip is 3+ days one way, consider shipping a box of clean clothes/items to your hotel! (Ship old/dirty stuff back.)
Kelly Grace
Think about mileage on your day trips when mapping a plan for a multi-day to set a mileage gauge in routes.
Pack a snack/water bag – hunger can quietly creep up on you.
It’s impossible to remember every beautiful road you go on. Bring a GoPro to help you remember it all. Record the rainy days as much as you record the sunny days — looking back on those memories are just as fun!
John Melin
Enjoying new places is more fun than knocking down the miles. Take time to see the sites, do new things, and talk to strangers. The only ones interested in your 1,000-mile days are the bar stool commandos.
