[Psycho1]

Out there in the desert, "cooler hours" really only applies from sometime around late Sep-Nov, then from around Mar-May. The rest of the year is way too hot or cold 24/7.

[SwedeinLA]

Hey guys.

Im back in LA....I had to cut the trip short (as expected) due to excessive heat.

Day 1 I rode to Vegas and spent the day

Day 2 I rode from Vegas through Arizona to Utah and spent the day in Zion national park

Day 3 i spent half day in Utah and back to Vegas

Day 4 (Today) I went home....

It was so hot i could only really ride between 4 am and 8 am...After that it was a 100 + degrees.

Anyways, Im glad I did it and got to go to Zion which was the goal.

PS! My front tire is wearing???

Suggestions??

Not my tire, but similar wear. although not as extreme me?

[TRPUT]

Welcome Home. Glad the trip was a success.

That tyre wear most likely results from high speed freeway (straight) riding in high temperatures. I've done that to 2 front tyres and many rears ... the last down to the steel belts. The problem with long, straight, hot rides is you waste a lot of tyre. You could also check everything is aligned front to rear and you don't have sticking front brakes.

[JIB]

Check out the Michelin Pilot Road 3 or Pilot Road 4s. They have a harder compound in the middle and last a little longer.

[FireKit]

hey there SwedenLA, we worked together at Coachella. saddle bags are a good choice, also get a nylon bungee net so that even if you strap down the backpack, place the bungee over it. and get a camelback backpack to counter heat exhaustion with good hydration. Mesh body armor is a must, but hydration is most important as we tend not to drink as much while riding .. it's more inconvenient.

[Suture]

Figured I'd revive this thread

I'm planning a rather long road trip, around 3000 miles or so. What are the general things to consider during a road trip? I've never done a longer one than 200 miles before.

What do I need to pack? How do nights look?

From the thread so far :

I'll do bike maintenance the week before I set off. Oil change, Filter change, Chain cleaning, Chain lube and adjusting if required. Air filter, Sparkplugs and Brake pads are relatively new (changed within 500 miles or so)

I have a small toolkit, I intend to put SHAD SH50 and SH43 bags on the bike, have several water bottles with me for hydration and my leather jacket has airvents.

What else should I consider? What would I need? Any tips?

[AR-15]

I think someone mentioned patch kit but I carry tire plugs and compressed air, basic hand tools, duct tape, fire (lighter), hand cleaner and or rubber gloves, take care of the chain. We had to tow another rider a few miles once so the 30 foot of para-cord came in handy. First aid kit, utility knife, It's impossible to be prepared for everything, and you have limited space. 9mm.

[shpielers]

Sounds about right. 100% need to take care of the chain and tire pressure. After that, basic hand tools for whatever might go wrong.

[Suture]

Hmm, a 9mm might not be possible as in Scandinavia, it's not really allowed. I do have some paracord and a knife tho, and I'll order a tire repair kit. We have a few that come in cans, where it inflates the tire and repairs it. Not the best but decent enough to get you to service station.

I have a mini toolkit under the seat, but I'll have some added space with Shad boxes. 2x 43L and 1x 50L, so should be able to get most tools with me. I'll get some spare oil too for the chain. I read oil was preferred on longer trips rather than wax. Any recommendations on spray vs oil? What works best on a 3k mile trip?

How do long ride bikers handle nights? Tent and a sleeping bag? Motels in the northern area of Scandinavia aren't exactly common

[zuma]

I wouldn't overthink it. I'd think of safe riding gear, one extra top and Levis, and then I'd set a course and try not to follow it. Don't take the spirit out of the thing by getting mathematical.

Nights? That is my favorite time to ride...until the sun comes up...unless there is large wildlife. I don't ride in these mountains where I live because the wildlife can stomp and devour. But I am not complaining. Choices, ya know? Yow!

[Suture]

Northern part of Scandinavia has a bit too much of that wildlife for me to be comfy speeding around :P You don't want to get slammed by a moose 3x the size of your bike :P

[walnut]

I'm a newbie on this forum but have many years experience of long distance touring all over Europe and your part of the world ,I always travel light ,give the bike a good service a couple of weeks before leaving ,if your camping (as I do) put up your tent , check your stuff before leaving ,make sure its all in working order,load the bike ,do a test run loaded to iron out any small problems as little problems can turn into major irritations if your spending day after day in the saddle.
I always carry a puncture repair kit ,credit card and American Dollars ,spread your money out ,I always carry some on my person and hide some around a few parts of the bike.


If your on a budget like I always am ,I camp wild where possible.
when parking your bike always put it on the side stand leaning away from your tent so if by chance it does go over due to soft ground it falls away from your tent and you !!!!!!!!!!.


As for riding, pace yourself , there's always tomorrow , no point putting in a 500 mile day ,I've had to do that a few times due to time constraints but its not much fun.


Above all , relax and enjoy it , I always found the best trips were the unplanned ones.


Walnut,

[Suture]

Oho, pretty good advice.

Only one question, how do you select camping sites? Do you have a map or literally take whatever forest you can find?

I've ordered a 1 man bivvy and a sleeping bag, I intend to get around 140L worth of storage with me (probably not gonna use it all tho)

[walnut]

to be honest I do not select campsites ,I normally "wild camp" , as you know in Norway,Sweden,Finland there are lots of very large forests , I normally ride down a track and camp , try to find pine tree's due to their shape as they act like a umbrella in wet weather.keep out of site in more desolate area's for security .
When travelling through mainstream European countries you normally see recognised campsite signs ,failing that I have asked locals for directions and even knocked farmers doors asking permission to camp in a field.
Normally find people are generally very friendly ,although I have had a few exceptions like the time I caught a guy unzipping my tent in Turkey just as I was returning to it and once in Czech republic a few years ago when a cop tried to say I was carrying drugs and wanted a bribe to let me go ,but there another story ,

Walnut

[pikachukat]

I've been there!

I will be honest, I didn't take the time to fully read the thread, so I apologize if this is redundant. I do 1000 mile+ trips frequently on my Kat600 with only tiny sidebags. I pack everything in a duffle bag and then use bungees and tie downs to hold my duffle bag, sleeping bag, tent and chair on the back. I would say the most important thing is rain gear! Rain suit, waterproof gloves (mine are heavy duty neoprene lined with thermoliners) Wet trips are miserable. Tools, you only need stuff to change a tire, BRAKES (I've had to do breaks on the road. Bring extra pads if you can) and then enough sockets/allen wrenches to tighten anything that may become loose. A spare chain and tools to change it don't hurt either. I've also had a chain break while on the road.

Bring extra socks in case it rains, and then a cushion budget to buy things along the road you may have forgotten.