Looking to get into long distance riding, need some pointers

[tricky]

I'm thinking next season I'd love to get a taste of longer distance rides (weekends, day rides, etc). The most I've done so far is a few individual day rides from Toronto to the Haliburton area and back, around 500km or so. My ultimate goal is to ride to Calgary, and spend a few days there riding in the mountains, but I figured I should get some serious practice in Ontario before I go off doing that.

My bike is a naked GS500, and I have a knapsack, tank bag, tail bag and saddle bags. I don't really want to have to use all of them though, I'm more interested in keeping luggage at a minimum. I was just planning out a list of everything I would need to pack (because I'm bored to tears) and would like some input on whether or not I'm missing anything important

Basics
---------------------------
- Keys
- Wallet
- Registration
- Proof of insurance
- Spare key
- Ear plugs

Clothes - How many of each becomes the question
---------------------------
- Shirts
- Pants/shorts
- Underwear
- Socks

Electronics (Might ditch a bunch of this if I'm short on space)
---------------------------
- Phone and charger
- Contour Video Camera
- SD Cards
- Batteries
- Netbook and charger
- Razor and charger

Misc.
---------------------------
- Contact lenses
- First Aid kit
- Chain lube
- Paper towel
- Water bottle
- Clear visor


So I was thinking next summer I'd cover a lot of Ontario, for experience, and then do my Calgary journey either in August or sometime in 2013. I just have a few questions,

Hotels/motels - do you book before hand? Or do you just wing it? Seems like this is going to be the most expensive part of the journey
Servicing - how hard is it to locate a shop to do maintenance (oil change, tire change, etc)? Do you plan this ahead of time, and map your route accordingly?
Rain - I am looking into buying new textile gear for next season. If the jacket and pants are both supposedly waterproof (Tour Master gear is what I'm eying) do I need to bother with rain gear?

[ATTS]

The amount of clothes completely depends on the amount of days you go for. I would definately say bring rain gear, unless you don't mind riding in wet gear but that really sucks if you aren't headed home to change.

Hotels/motels you can either book ahead of time or just find one as you go. If you book ahead of time then you know where you have to be and when you have to be there, if you book as you go then you can explore more along the way.

Servicing - When you are out in the middle of nowhere such as everywhere between norther ontario and calgary there wont be as many shops. Make sure to do all your maintenance and check over the bike thoroughly before you leave.

Depending how many kms you can get on your tank, bringing a gas can is something to think of. Some stretches have a long distance between gas stops.

Another option is to go east or south. If you really want to do Calgary go for it however the ride in Canada would be boring for most of it. In the same amount of time you can get out east or down into a lot of nice roads south of the border.

Make sure you have general tools with you and a tire plug kit.

MP3 player would be nice also.

You wont need all of your luggage and backpack to fit everything. Just pack properly and you can get it all in there.

Lastly, remember to bring a map or GPS if you have a timeline to follow. Maps are good even if you are just out exploring in case you get completely turned around and lost.

[honduhmatic]

I've only done a few smaller rides, and i'm actually planning my first big ride this summer. But I can advise on a few things...

• I have Joe Rocket textile 'waterproof' gear, and... it's not. Would invest in a rainsuit - I plan to next year.
• Hard luggage is really nice, as it's lockable and your stuff stays bone dry. But I know it's an investment.
• A throttle rocker, a more comfty seat and a decent windscreen really help.
• I'd bring a liter of engine oil, a few phillips and flat-head screwdrivers, a spark plug wrench, a spare plug or two, a few fuses, a set of metric allen keys, and 8, 10, 12, 14 and 17mm box wrenches. (Your bike might have a tool kit with most of this stuff, but it's worth checking and practicing with.)
• CAA Plus covers motorbikes with 200 kms of free towing, and gets you free maps and tour guides and so-so hotel discounts . It's probably worth $110 for the insurance factor.

[MotoBini]

Get a CAA Plus Membership, they cover Motorcycle Towing, in case of need.... I would book the first night beforehand and then book day to day. If you go straight to Calgary you should be ok with one oil change before your trip, you can always do another one in Calgary before your return trip. As of tire change, they have a great bike shop there, Blackfoot Motorsports http://www.blackfootonline.com/ As of raingear I would just get some inexpensive rainsuit from Canadian Tire because it can get pretty dirty not just wet from all the crap on the road when it's raining. Get also a couple of plastic bags to pull over your boots if they are not waterproof or to put over your feet in already soaked boots. Nothing is more unpleasant than riding in the rain with wet feet. Other than that you will have a ton of fun on your trip and you will meet a lot of friendly people in this great country of ours.
Ride safe and Merry Christmas!

[honduhmatic]

Also, I've done this drive - I grew up in Regina, lived in Calgary and drove to take a job here.

Going through the US would be quicker, and the UP of Michigan is beautiful. But it's remote too. The prairies go on forever but at least there's an interstate from Bemidji to Minot (or farther, into Montana.)

[tricky]

Thanks for all the input! Very helpful

There are 2 reasons I'm focused on Alberta/BC area. Firstly, the roads! And second, one of my roommates is from Calgary, and he heads back there between semesters and in the summer. I have a standing invite from his family to stay there with them, it would make a good base from which to explore.

CAA makes perfect sense, I'll definitely get on that, along with the rain gear. My bike has a pretty comprehensive tool-kit, but I'll double check to make sure I have everything I need to stay outta trouble. I wanted to avoid riding with a gas can, but it would be comforting to know it was there.

Thanks again for all the other ideas, I'll be sure to write 'em down and take them into consideration

[honduhmatic]

For roads, highly recommended:

• Highway 1A from Calgary to Canmore;
• Highway 66 past Bragg Creek up to Elbow Loop trail (turns to gravel);
• Highway 1A through Banff National Park;
• Highway 22 South from Calgary to Blairmore / Crowsnest (flat and not too exciting, but very pretty and remote);
• Highway 23 South from Revelstoke to Shelter Bay / Nakusp.

Not that you can really go wrong at any rate

For gas, your GS must carry more than 15L of gas, and get better than 350 kms on a tank. At least in Canada, that should be adequate range/capacity.

[shanekingsley]

I also make a photocopy of all my important ID and put into a ziploc bag with about $20-50 (keep it waterproof). I then find a nice spot on my bike to attach it to that I only know about and is a reasonably difficult spot to get at (requiring minimum tools). This way if my wallet gets misplaced or stolen, I still have a bit of cash and copies of my ID in a pinch.

I also keep a set of spare keys somewhere on my bike, just in case something happens to my main set.

My rain gear is totally waterproof. I don't need to bring an extra rainsuit, so it all depends on the type of gear you get. Other people with my exact same jacket have reported it not being waterproof, so I don't know what the magic secret is. If you don't have waterproof boots, then these MEC boot covers are pretty in expensive and much better than than using plastic bags (which I have done too).

You may not like wearing a knapsack for extended periods of time on the bike, because it's a drag on the back and shoulders. It's also bad for posture over the long haul. The tail bag can be really good as a backrest depending on how yours sits on your bike.

If you don't have a GPS, then when you get your CAA membership, go down to the nearest office and they can give you free maps that you can plan out your route on and keep as back-ups if necessary. There's nothing like your GPS not working and it's getting dark and you are lost and looking for your hotel or campsite.

I also wear a hydration knapsack like a camelback, so I can drink while I ride - staying hydrated is a great way to stave off fatigue and knock off serious miles without having to stop.

For clothing I only bring stuff that I can wash in a sink and have dry in the morning - so it's usually either my synthetic running gear or I have tops made from bamboo or eucalyptus which are much softer on the skin than cotton and never stink and are easy to wash.

In my tool kit I also keep a pair of latex surgical gloves which are great for keeping my hands clean if I need to do something dirty on the bike and don't want to transfer that dirt inside my nice gloves. I also keep a moist facecloth in a ziplock bag that I can use to wipe down my visor and windscreen if there's lots of bugs out. It better than using disposable wetnaps and I can just wash it at night if need be.

Since I wear a tinted visor during the day, I also tent to take along my clear visor in case I get stuck riding at night. Bring a small flashlight, or even better are the small LED headlamps.

Last of all, you can also ship a small amount of non-riding clothes to the address in Alberta, and then before you head home, ship them back so you save the space on your bike. Greyhound ships cheap.

Ride safe

[Wheelieboy]

This was my packing list for a 2 week trip:

Packing List:

Clothes/Gear:
1 textile jacket
1 textile pants
2 riding gloves
1 winter gloves
1 pair of mittens
1 riding boots
1 helmet + helmet bag
5 t-shirts
5 socks
1 pair of pants
1 pair of shorts
1 hoodie
1 windbreaker
1 rain suit
1 pair of shoes
5 Pairs of earplugs

Documents:
-insurance
-DL
-registration
-passport
-travel insurance
-credit/debit copies
-emergency contact
-maps
-paper/pen/sharpie

Living:
-tent
-sleeping bag
-utility knife
-toilet paper
-heat pads
-camelback
-first aid items
-towel
-shampoo
-bug spray
-Tylenol
-sleeping pills
-non perishable foods

Tools:
-wrenchs
-allen keys
-flat tire repair
-chain lube
-chain clean
-rags
-pliers
-vice grips
-portable air pump
-air pressure gauge
-zipties
-duct tape
-plastic/garbage bags

Equipment:
-flashlight
-jerry cans
-tie downs
-bungee cords
-bungee net
-U-lock
-compass

Electronics:
-GPS
-iPhone
-iTouch
-2 pairs of noise canceling headphones
-fuses
-SPOT GPS tracker
-extra batteries
-extra fuses
-USB charger
-apple charger
-watch
-GoPro cam
-Digital Camera

Dont weigh your backpack down too much, it gets very uncomfortable...only put in lightweight items which you will probably use throughout the day.

Rain suit is a must, you dont want to be wet (and cold) for hours at a time. I was wearing a rain suit and textile jacket/pants but still got very wet after riding throughout the whole day. It may hold out for a couple of hours but eventually you're going to get wet. Waterproof socks is something I wish I had as well. And if you're riding in the cold, heated gloves. Anything under 10 degrees will become unbearable on your hands after 1-2 hours especially if wet.

Extra bungee cords are helpful incase you dont like how things are strapped or if one breaks.

For hotels, I just stopped wherever was convenient. It gives a bit of extra flexibility and in my experience, there should be a motel within 50-100km along the highway. GPS' are very useful in this case.

[kiley]

I did 3 big trips last year
a 5 day a 6 day and a 8 day trip
things a found out as i went along....
Jeans....i only bring 2 pairs cause they can take up alot of room
sox and boxers for ech day also a plastic Zehrs bad.
i put my used sox in the Zehrs bag at the end of the day.
this stops the sox from smelling up the other cloths.
Brilliant you might say
I did all my trips without GPS.
i just went to caa and got the free maps.

Motels....I book them along the way but hey you have all winter to do the research as to where to stay.
if im ready to pack it in for the day i watch Hotels for other bikers and stay there.

tool kit and rain suit are a must....i have frog toggs and love them.
Plastic..credit card or interact is the way to go for gas.
Budget....if you on a budget your 2 cheapest lunch places are going to be Hortons and Subway so keep that in mind.
If its not too hot i'll buy 2 subs one for lunch and one for later.
Reason for this is you may end up at a motel with nothing open close by.
this has saved me a couple times

Personally i would try to do without the backpack....that thing would be irritating as hell after a few hundred miles.

[tricky]

So much great info coming at me here, thanks everyone. Wheelieboy, your California trip/thread has been an inspiration, thanks for weighing in.

Just checked the route again, seems like north of Superior there are some stretches where gas will be tight.

honduhmatic - My GS apparently has a 20L gas tank, I've never pushed it to it's limits though. I usually ride 200km before a fill-up, using about 13 litres or so. I guess I gotta get use to running it farther than that. I figure as soon as the weather warms up, I'll head north of Superior for a 3 or 4 day trip to Thunder Bay and back and see if I can do it with economical riding. It'd be a good trial run, I could work out some of the kinks as well.

[tiborgh]

While any trip can be done without a GPS, having one is very convenient. Gives you distance to destination, ETA, POI (gas stations, food, lodging, etc), information that is generally not on the map and is valuable in remote areas. Free state/province maps are available at the visitor centers (first rest area on the Interstate in that particular state).

Another useful thing on a cross-continent trip is some form of cruise-control / throttle lock. After 1000km of superslab you'll know why.

In remote areas, lodging usually is not a problem (as long as you can locate a motel/motel), no need to plan ahead. In urban areas I found it useful (as in cheaper) to access the internet (Wi-Fi or celular) and book something through Hotwire. Also a money saving is to camp, but that comes with the obvious drawbacks.

[Cat13]

Pointers -

Pack as light as you can... Im a packrat and even I was considering tossing crap in the garbage midway thru. Its not whether or not your bike can handle it but its the lugging it in and out of the hotel room EVERY BLOODY DAY. More hotels have laundry than you realize. But also some that you think would.. dont. So ask when you get a place for the night and when you got it use it like you wont be able to for a couple days.

Rain gear and plastic bags.... We found that the rain covers for our gear when flaping in the wind at 100km/hr got disintrigated quickly (like within a day) so we started taking garbage bags from hotel. Wrap the stuff in that and then the rain overs.

Duct tape was handy at times. I used it to quickly fasten a plastic bag on my stuff and lunatic used it to tape his rain pants closed at the bottom once. Never know when it will be usefull and for what.

Depending on the type of bike you ride be cautious when you go in to a hotel in bike gear when you are booking a room. Some places don't like bikers. The ones that do will love ya and the ones that dont wont be afraid to tell you they are booked and the guy behind you that they have tons of rooms available. Gananoque for example... don't show up in a group and all go in at once... send one guy in to book all the rooms.

Sheep skin... you might think it looks gay but after using it... I will proudly fly a gay flag if I have to in order to have sheep skin on my seat for a trip. Ikea has them for 40 bucks... BEST 40 spent on a bike EVER!!!!

Throttle lock or cramp buster.... you'll see why when you are on hour 4 of riding.

Hope that helps.

[honduhmatic]

So much great info coming at me here, thanks everyone. Wheelieboy, your California trip/thread has been an inspiration, thanks for weighing in.

Just checked the route again, seems like north of Superior there are some stretches where gas will be tight.

honduhmatic - My GS apparently has a 20L gas tank, I've never pushed it to it's limits though. I usually ride 200km before a fill-up, using about 13 litres or so. I guess I gotta get use to running it farther than that. I figure as soon as the weather warms up, I'll head north of Superior for a 3 or 4 day trip to Thunder Bay and back and see if I can do it with economical riding. It'd be a good trial run, I could work out some of the kinks as well.

Tricky, you should check out your bike out and go through your carbs if 200 kms uses 13L of gas.

I have the GS' big brother (Bandit 600) and get about 300-315 kms on 15-16L of gas. Unless you ride everywhere @ 150 km/hr () your bike is drinking a lot of gas. You should check your spark plugs, mixture screws, jets, ....

With reserve, you should be good to go.

[V-Tom]

-I took a couple of long rides this year (5200 km east coast and 10,300 KM Grand Canyon area) and rode jsut short of 57,000 km so far this year. I didn't bother with my side cases on nay trips and put a large waterproof bag on my back seat for my tent, Sleeping Bags, etc. All my clothes and toiletries fit in my 52 liter Givi Top case and there was room to spare for some alcohal and munchies.

-You might want to take a look at Tilley Travel Socks and either their travel underwear or dry-fit underwear from Marks Work Warehouse. If you get these then you will only need three pairs of underwear (including the ones you wear) no matter how long you ride as you can wash a pair by hand overnight and they will be dry the next day. The travel socks are also great for being comfortable inside my Alipinestar Web Goretex boots in a broad range of temeperatures (for me -16 commuting for one hour up to 50c in Death Valley earlier this year as well as several days at 100f/38c)

-Before getting my Roadcrafter Riding Suit I Used Frogg Toggs Road Toad rain gear over my riding clothes. This stuff breathes really well, pakcs small and works as an extra layer if the temperature drops more than expected.

-Take a couple of microfiber cloths. Keep one in a bag wet and the other dry. These are great for cleaning the bugs off your windshield.

-If you can and have tubeless tires, take a small air compressor and a tire repair kit (the one with the strings in it.) I have fixed three flat tires with mine.

-a web style bungy net is very usefull for strapping on things

-as have been mentioned earlier, a throttle rocker (and a throttle lock) can be very useful on long days. I rode most of Kansas without holding onto the Handlebars. You might do the same in the praries.

-however you pack, try and have some extra room for storing things you might pickup (like beer, etc) or for shedding extra layers if the weather gets very hot.

-Try everything out before you leave on the trip, preferably on an overnight run. You don't want to be a few hours from home only to discover that something doesn't work right or isn't comfy while riding.

..Tom

[tricky]

Tricky, you should check out your bike out and go through your carbs if 200 kms uses 13L of gas.

I have the GS' big brother (Bandit 600) and get about 300-315 kms on 15-16L of gas. Unless you ride everywhere @ 150 km/hr () your bike is drinking a lot of gas. You should check your spark plugs, mixture screws, jets, ....

With reserve, you should be good to go.

I usually push my bike pretty hard. Most of my riding is done in the city, and when I'm on the highway I'm at the higher end to have the power. Definitely not economical Come spring, I'll get out there and practice being economical for a whole tank and we'll see how far that gets me

tiborgh, Cat13, V-Tom, thanks for your input, very handy!

[Cat13]

I usually push my bike pretty hard. Most of my riding is done in the city, and when I'm on the highway I'm at the higher end to have the power. Definitely not economical Come spring, I'll get out there and practice being economical for a whole tank and we'll see how far that gets me

tiborgh, Cat13, V-Tom, thanks for your input, very handy!

Very welcome

Oh and we are forgetting the most important tip.... HAVE FUN

You wont get everything perfect... you will learn stuff about yourself and how you like things during this trip so be prepared to get bugged by something and just resolve to fix it for next time

[bluerider]

I have an 03 R6 and I know I'll get laughed at but I bought a top box of eBay that will hold two full face helmets for $100.00. Shipped. It'll be big enough for all the stuff I need will need to keep dry such as clothes, electronics and what ever else I want to keep readily accessible. I will also be grabbing pair of the soft side bags and throw my solo seat in there for when I want to take the top box off and go through the twisties.

The top boxes are worth the money, like I said the one I have was 100 shipped to my door and it's water proof. Check out eBay you might be surprised as to how much they are.

I've never been on a trip YET. So I can't give you any help with the other stuff but the back pack is not something that I would even consider. I went on a tour with a group this year and I had a back pack with me. Half way through thd day I was ready to throw it away. ( didn't but wanted too ). My pack was not a bike pack but I don't know if that matters.

Good luck and have fun.

[Cat13]

I have an 03 R6 and I know I'll get laughed at but I bought a top box of eBay that will hold two full face helmets for $100.00. Shipped. It'll be big enough for all the stuff I need will need to keep dry such as clothes, electronics and what ever else I want to keep readily accessible. I will also be grabbing pair of the soft side bags and throw my solo seat in there for when I want to take the top box off and go through the twisties.

The top boxes are worth the money, like I said the one I have was 100 shipped to my door and it's water proof. Check out eBay you might be surprised as to how much they are.

I've never been on a trip YET. So I can't give you any help with the other stuff but the back pack is not something that I would even consider. I went on a tour with a group this year and I had a back pack with me. Half way through thd day I was ready to throw it away. ( didn't but wanted too ). My pack was not a bike pack but I don't know if that matters.

Good luck and have fun.

Make sure its has sturdy mounts... Lunatics went for a trip off his bike when we were in Cape Breton.

[honduhmatic]

Getting a Shad or even a (fancy-pants) Givi topcase isn't too bad. $70-80 for the mounting frame, and 40L cases from either manufacturer are $200.

The racks themselves are bike-specific, but the cases aren't - you could take it with you and put it on your next bike.

I found a complete used Shad set from a lady who was selling the same model. $400 for everything.