First Major Long Distance Tour Plan | Page 2 | GTAMotorcycle.com

First Major Long Distance Tour Plan

You probably want to do a bit of a shakedown ride ahead of time to get a sense of what works for you riding-wise. A bike can feel quite different after a couple of 800 km days in the saddle. Maybe a long-weekend ride to see what is realistic for you would be a good idea. Everyone's ability to cover mileage is different and pushing yourself beyond what is realiistic for you isn't fun.

If you head to the south side of the Grand Canyon you realy should take a detour down 89a through Sedona down past Jerome then double back through Hoover Dam and the outskirts of Las Vegas. You can hit Death Valley or Zion and/or Bryce parks (these two are amazing and you really shoud go check them out.)

..Tom
Also, Don't try to force the miles onto you. An example that I want to use is, pretty much don't try to ride if you're pretty sleepy and about to fall asleep. That's a disaster in the making... do you want to crash and die?
 
Yeah and watch your fluid intake - soooo easy to get dehydrated and then you are in real danger

+1111111111

Bring a 1-1.5L bottle with you, and refill at mcdonalds along the way. If possible, bring gatorade powder to add as it really helps.
 
For what it's worth and if I understand the map and timeline correctly.......... I think this is hugely ambitious first tour. About 9,000km in just over 2 weeks. Not to say it won't be great and come off perfectly, But I'd be planning a few 2,500 - 3,000km long weekends down south to Ohio or West Virginia first to see how to set up the bike and how you feel after a 600 or 700km day. Just my conservative nature and 2 cents speaking.
 
Some really good information in this thread. I used to plan trips like this and tried 1000km rides but it gets old really fast. Everyone is different so MacDoc's idea to give a long ride a try should be a priority. The last thing you want to do is push yourself on the bike far from home and hit the breaking point mentally, where the trip becomes more of a chore than anything else. Worse yet, you may get careless and find yourself in a bad situation.

You may find that 1000kms is nothing when you give it a try. However, if you find that it becomes a chore after 600-700kms, I suggest not pushing it and adjust your schedule accordingly. Myself, I plan rides with certain "milestone" points but I'm never too concerned about making a certain amount of miles; I ride till I feel like stopping and usually ride up to 200kms further while looking for somewhere to stay.

One more thing, keeping hydrated is essential. I learned this a few years ago when, while on the BRP in 100 degree weather, I didn't pack enough water and almost fell over on the bike a few times when stopped.
 
+1111111111

Bring a 1-1.5L bottle with you, and refill at mcdonalds along the way. If possible, bring gatorade powder to add as it really helps.

That's sort of the plan. I have a 3L Camelbak and electrolyte tablets. The Camelbak is awesome half filled with ice.

For what it's worth and if I understand the map and timeline correctly.......... I think this is hugely ambitious first tour. About 9,000km in just over 2 weeks. Not to say it won't be great and come off perfectly, But I'd be planning a few 2,500 - 3,000km long weekends down south to Ohio or West Virginia first to see how to set up the bike and how you feel after a 600 or 700km day. Just my conservative nature and 2 cents speaking.

I've talked to a few family members and read up, and yeah, I think I may need to shave off a couple thousand km.


Some really good information in this thread. I used to plan trips like this and tried 1000km rides but it gets old really fast. Everyone is different so MacDoc's idea to give a long ride a try should be a priority. The last thing you want to do is push yourself on the bike far from home and hit the breaking point mentally, where the trip becomes more of a chore than anything else. Worse yet, you may get careless and find yourself in a bad situation.

You may find that 1000kms is nothing when you give it a try. However, if you find that it becomes a chore after 600-700kms, I suggest not pushing it and adjust your schedule accordingly. Myself, I plan rides with certain "milestone" points but I'm never too concerned about making a certain amount of miles; I ride till I feel like stopping and usually ride up to 200kms further while looking for somewhere to stay.

One more thing, keeping hydrated is essential. I learned this a few years ago when, while on the BRP in 100 degree weather, I didn't pack enough water and almost fell over on the bike a few times when stopped.

This actually worries me most about everything. I hope I'm not biting off too much.
 
This actually worries me most about everything. I hope I'm not biting off too much.

The fact this worries you means you'll be fine. Don't feel bad if you can't make 1000kms a day; not many can do that and fewer still can do a 1000kms and be happy when they're finished. It' beautiful terrain you'll be passing through and you'll miss it all if you're constantly trying to keep to a schedule. I've been there and it's not fun.

I suggest planning some other options before leaving. Plan A being the full trip, plan B being cutting the mileage down for a few sidetrips, and plan C being cutting mileage further for a lot of sidetrips. You may find yourself in Colorado and not wanting to leave.
 
Start your day early. If you want to cover a lot of km each day, waking up at 9am won't cut it.
 
Start your day early. If you want to cover a lot of km each day, waking up at 9am won't cut it.

^This

So many reasons to be out on the road before the sun rises, other than making the most of the daylight:

- You get to see spectacular sunrises
- If you're traveling in the dead of summer in a hot climate, the best riding temperature/humidity is before 1PM
- You have the road to yourself, no rush hour, commuters or tourist traffic
- Breakfast becomes the first break, instead of delaying your departure another hour or so
- You can find a shady spot after lunch and take a guilt-free, worry-free nap when your natural circadian rhythm dips right when the day starts to become hot, knowing you've done the majority of your mileage for the day already
 
The fact this worries you means you'll be fine. Don't feel bad if you can't make 1000kms a day; not many can do that and fewer still can do a 1000kms and be happy when they're finished. It' beautiful terrain you'll be passing through and you'll miss it all if you're constantly trying to keep to a schedule. I've been there and it's not fun.

I suggest planning some other options before leaving. Plan A being the full trip, plan B being cutting the mileage down for a few sidetrips, and plan C being cutting mileage further for a lot of sidetrips. You may find yourself in Colorado and not wanting to leave.

Especially now with legalized marijuana. Beginning on January 1, 2014, there are legal commercial outlets selling pot in Colorado.
 
^This

So many reasons to be out on the road before the sun rises, other than making the most of the daylight:

- You get to see spectacular sunrises
- If you're traveling in the dead of summer in a hot climate, the best riding temperature/humidity is before 1PM
- You have the road to yourself, no rush hour, commuters or tourist traffic
- Breakfast becomes the first break, instead of delaying your departure another hour or so
- You can find a shady spot after lunch and take a guilt-free, worry-free nap when your natural circadian rhythm dips right when the day starts to become hot, knowing you've done the majority of your mileage for the day already

If I could add one more footnote to this - there is no reason when touring to be riding when it is dark out. I'm not generally against riding in the dark, but it's a lot more dangerous in unfamiliar and rural areas (which is mostly what you'll be riding through). Getting up early lets you max out your riding hours while the sun is up.
 
The fact this worries you means you'll be fine. Don't feel bad if you can't make 1000kms a day; not many can do that and fewer still can do a 1000kms and be happy when they're finished. It' beautiful terrain you'll be passing through and you'll miss it all if you're constantly trying to keep to a schedule. I've been there and it's not fun.

Good advice. As others have said, OP do some mini tours to see what you/your butt/your bike are comfortable with. I did an 8 day / 8000 km run out to Utah & Colorado, final day was over 1400 kms.
 
When we did our trip we decided to stay in the US because the route was shorter plus gas/hotels were cheaper. If i was to do my trip again i would go as far as LA stopping in vegas, grand canyon and hoover dam. I would tear up the mountain passes outside of LA and come back. When we left for our trip i had a few thousand KM riding experience and never felt i was in danger (from riding at least). Bring something to listen to. I LOVED my sena headset for the trip and think i would have gone insane without it. Buy an airhawk seat, it is an *** saver. Buy a large container of baby powder and apply lots to stay dry and comfortable. Camel bags can be filled at McDonalds and they didn't care. Avoid the power-aid though. hotels were found the cheapest by waiting until the night of and looking online (https://www.google.com/hotels).

I'm sure i am missing a lot. Thats just off the top of my head.
 
When we did our trip we decided to stay in the US because the route was shorter plus gas/hotels were cheaper. If i was to do my trip again i would go as far as LA stopping in vegas, grand canyon and hoover dam. I would tear up the mountain passes outside of LA and come back. When we left for our trip i had a few thousand KM riding experience and never felt i was in danger (from riding at least). Bring something to listen to. I LOVED my sena headset for the trip and think i would have gone insane without it. Buy an airhawk seat, it is an *** saver. Buy a large container of baby powder and apply lots to stay dry and comfortable. Camel bags can be filled at McDonalds and they didn't care. Avoid the power-aid though. hotels were found the cheapest by waiting until the night of and looking online (https://www.google.com/hotels).

I'm sure i am missing a lot. Thats just off the top of my head.

+1 with all the above.

What was your long distance experience prior to this ?
 
When you start out you'll be eager so "slam-the-slab" right away. I myself would find South Dakota as is a nice break after 3 days riding. Then from there start the tour. Coming back a southerly route through Denver, sticking to more scenic secondary roads if you have time is a nice loop. I found Yellowstone quite a letdown in comparison with the vistas I had just come from (Cody) so would not have that on my "list". Speaking of Cody, A+ loop through bear-tooth pass is a must!

+ 1 on Beartooth pass.

Do a shakedown ride as other suggested. Preferably with all the equipment you will be taking on your tour.
Test your camping gear if camping and how to load it on your bike. I find myself loosing time because of this.

As for distance you can do the distance on the first day but if you overdo it you will have to pay for it the following day.

http://www.ironbutt.com/tech/aowprintout.cfm
Some more good tips in here.

What worked best for me was abstaining from coffee a couple of week before the trip. So that during the trip a cup of coffee will work for the day.

Have a reliable GPS and power source. It will find you gas. Except in the Sonoran dessert.
 

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