Motorcycle Enthusiasts

BIG NEWS FOR ME!!!!! My longest trip EVER on my bike will be coming up in late April/early May. My bike is currently in MO and I will be riding it back to the Norfolk area of VA when I get back from GTMO! This trip will be slightly over 1000 miles. I have huge saddle bags and a tall windshield on it..so the bike is set up for a long haul....my seat isn't the best but I am working on getting a proven 'distance' seat (expensive).

I do this trip in 1 of 2 ways 1) a two or three day ride..maybe some side trips for scenery 2) an 'iron butt' ride...straight through. Thoughts? Tips for the trip itself and things to plan for?
 
It's the journey that's important, so longer is better IMO. Take your time, take an interesting route and have a bit of an adventure

Mitch
 
Yep.... take the "Buddhist Approach"---"The Journey IS the Goal". Check your route and identify possible side trips beforehand. Go around the cities but see how many two-lanes you can find. For added fun, hit the library and see if you can locate maps of your route BEFORE there were Inter-states. Lay-out a route using only those highways that were in existence, say, 75 years ago. This is an approach a lot of folks who travel the old Route 66 from Chicago to LA take, working to use as much of the OLD route as they can find rather than the newer Interstate. Just some thoughts.

Best Wishes,

Bruce
 
I've heard the "Tail of the Dragon" in North Carolina is a biker's dream road in the USA.
It'd have to be pretty special to beat the A283/A272 here in sunny Sussex!
 
Oh Yeah! Check out the stats:

http://www.tailofthedragon.com/dragon.html

Best Wishes,

Bruce
 
Cheers Bruce - looks incredible!

Not sure I could hustle a superbike around those bends with much skill - might be worth doing on a supermoto!

Keith
 
There are lots of youtube clips of people failing to hustle all sorts of bikes round it

Mitch
 
You don't think I was crazy enough to give it a go myself, do you!?!HA.
Hell, no. My brother took me down it in his van! Being old means you lose your hair and your teeth...NOT your common sense!!

BTW: I have not seen it for myself, but my brother says there's something called the "Tree of Shame" at one end of the "Tail" where people who don't make it leave parts of their bikes to be remembered by.

BTW #2: I have heard that the Western States have something comparable called "the Outlaw Trail" but I don't know much about it. Seems that this one snakes up the Western border of Colorado and runs all the way to the US-Canada Border.......... Let's see....now where did I put that BMW?

Best Wishes,

Bruce
 
Thanks guys! Looks like I will be taking a nice slow trip. The longer I can get off of work for it, the longer it will be! Tail of the Dragon is a definite portion if I can work it in! As well as anything from route 66 or other such roads as suggested above!

Anyone have some long trip tips to give on anything in particular I should take?
 
A basic toolkit, as little luggage as possible and an attitude that accepts the events of the journey as the important things, not the arrival.

I did a ride through France a few years ago.

Some bikes broke down and got fixed through all manner of luck and ingenuity. But those are the moments I remember with fondness and clarity, not the uneventful miles inbetween.

We got lost and went miles out of our way. But the 60+ mile cross country ride that took us through the little villages of France rather than down the peage was the best bit of the journey.

If you've ever read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance it's the difference between making good time and making good time. Part of riding a bike is interacting with your surroundings in a way car drivers will never understand.

Mitch
 
HA... I oftem take Zen and......if I am on a long road trip. Never fails to put my head space right
 
You're looking in the wrong place, there are lots out there! What are you after? What's the budget?

MItch
 
My colleague's old bike is currently sitting in my stores.

So tempted to sell it!
 
Need a 125, preferably from a dealer as I need a loan of some kind :/ Want something from a *reputable* make, not these knock offs.
Would like under £2000 if I can.
 
Seems like you could get quite a bit of bike for 1000 to 2000 pounds!

Or is there something I need to know about bikes in the UK?

Best Wishes,

Bruce
 
Here you go. This is just a search of 125cc Hondas from £1000 to £2000 within 60 miles of the centre of Nottingham only at dealers. 80+ bikes Obviously you can lob in your own postcode as perform the search again.

Don't forget you're not limited to a 125cc bike anymore; can't you ride anything up to 33bhp?

Mitch
 
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