First long ride...

[Crackshot]

Alright fellas, so My first ever long ride is going to take place in two weeks. I just got all my fluids changed, new brakes, brake lines, fuel lines, choke, clutch cable (and paint job).

I just wanted to know what to expect and percautions to take.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&saddr=10472+Ashby+Place+Ln.+ST.+Ann,+MO+63074&daddr=557-F+dalton+ridge+dr.+lancaster+SC,+29720

is my route. 750 miles, 16 hours strait. I'll be stopping of course, but I was hoping KRiders in the area could give me some tips.

You may notice this takes me very near to the gap. I'll be taking it home 8). Is there any good sites for weather that will tell me the temps along this route? The weather channel wasn't any help at all.

For the record, I have about 7k miles under my belt already, I have plenty of wet/cold weather gear. My longest trip before this one was 250 miles. Any advice?

Thanks,
Crackshot

Oh, and please don't use my address for evil tricks. You can, however, send katana parts and money at your leisure.

[woobie]

Walk around and stretch your legs everytime you gas up is always good.

[tdrcomm]

Cut your Gatorade with water. Better on the kidneys (thanks Cyber).

Lube the chain at every gas stop.
Eat light.
Buy a tire repair kit.
Stash some cash in a baggie under the seat for an emergency.
Get a few phone numbers from KatRiders that live along the route in case you need any help.
Fully charge the cell.
Rain-X and Fog-X for the visor.
Stay ahead or way behind the big rigs. Stay out of their wind-wake, especially if the road is wet or very cold.
Post up when you leave and when you arrive (if you can) to let us know you got there ok.

Have fun, you'll love a long roadie!

(I don't think it's going to take you 16 hours, maybe more like 9-10 depending on the weather)

[Crackshot]

Thanks TDR, never thought about any of those things.

packing the chain lube, gonna run and get a repair kit later tonight. I actually just bought some sliverstars, so I'm going to put them in tomorrow. If anyone that way wants to PM me thier numbers, that would be awesome.

And yeah, despite me being on the slow katana, i think I may speed a bit. Oh, and if anyone in those states knows how hard its patrolled, that would be good info.


And last, but not least, If you get a ticket in another state, how does that affect your state? Points, not paying/ warrants, etc..

[WildKat]

In PA if you get a ticket in another state it still goes on your record, just in a separate category. Not sure how it is in others but its food for thought.

You're gonna have an awesome time !!! TDR and Woobie make good points.

Dont forget to check your tire pressure frequently too, a good digital tire gauge is pretty inexpensive and can be had anywhere. Also consider a prepaid calling card for emergencies, a credit if you have one in case there are any repairs that may be needed.

[The CyberPoet]

From: http://www.katriders.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=14175 (worth reading in its own right), modified for your trip:

Things to know/do:

(A) Get the best, most comfortable seat you can find. This may mean replacing the stock one with a replacement corbin or travelcade, sergeant, etc. Or taking your existing one out to an upholsterer and having them rework it. You're looking for a denser foam, spread wider to support more of your thighs and all of your butt. Or even just getting an air pillow that straps to it.

(B) Cruise control - vista universal cruise-control or ThrottleMeister. Allows you not have to have your right hand in constant contact.

(C) Gel palmed-gloves. Personally, I like Olympia Glove's gel-palmed perforated leather gloves -- they have about double the gel of any other brand I've tried and I'm on my third pair... But at this time of year, non-perf would be the ticket.

(D) Hydrate & urinate hourly. You lose moisture by sweating but also by breathing, even when it's cold out. Make sure you put down at least 4 to 8 ounces of liquid every hour and try to urinate at every stop. Failure to do so can lead to kidney stones, because the combination of dehydration and vibration can really accelerate crystaline mineral formation in your kidneys. European riders use a special form of kidney belt specifically to combat this issue -- and yes, I own one. Also, if you drink water, consume some salt with it. Otherwise, consider Gatoraide or one of the other drinks to replentish your electrolytes.

(E) Oil your chain every time you get fuel. Permatex 80075 Chain lube fits under the seat readily (at least under the seat of the 98+ models) and works extremely well in my experience. Do not use chain waxes for long-haul riding -- you want oil, which will fling off dirt when it flings off excess oil (wax will adhere dirt/sand and accelerate chain issues). Don't sweat the oil on your wheel -- this taint a beauty contest.

(F) Eat a variety of foods instead of gorging on something specific. You want the energy from the foods to hit gradually over time instead of going on an instant sugar high and then slumping again on the back end. Smorgasboard places can be good for this. Or having bits of smaller meals in a wider variety of places (instead of having a hamburger, fries, pie all at once, have a half a burger at one stop, some fries at the next, etc).

(G) Pack a proper tool kit. Here's my idea of a proper toolkit (or at least decent beginnings -- I try to carry a tire plug now too): KR Thread - "What's under your seat"?

(H) Always ask for a room away from the road on the bottom floor. This will let you park the bikes away from prying eyes, and if you're sneaky (I often am), will give you the ability to pull the bikes into the room after they cool off.

(I) Clothing: wear layers so you can strip down/add on as you need to adjust for the temp or weather. A multi-use jacket (such as one with a zip-in liner or the multi-panel ones out now work well). Keep your wet-gear at the top of your stack if you're not wearing it, so you can get at it fast, and don't ride in cold rain without it -- the wet will chill you even with rain-gear if you get wet before you get the rain-gear on.

(J) If you're riding with someone, have a plan for rain in advance -- will you stop or just keep rolling through? What about if you're riding alone?

(K) Cell phone charger -- if you carry a cell phone and the trip will be longer than your battery life, bring a charger and charge it when you can. If you plan on running off your MC battery, know that most chargers have the voltage converter built into the lighter-head attachment portion, so you'll need to rig a female lighter socket to take it.

(L) Before you depart, make a list of Suzuki dealerships on your route in case you find you need something. I lost a bolt to heel kickplate last year enroute to the rally, and was glad I knew there was a dealer a mile off the interstate in Marietta to grab another one (they didn't even charge me for it -- they thought it was cool I was going long distances on a Katana).

(M) Bring a roll of quarters. There will be times you may want to pop by a laundry to throw soaking wet clothes in a dryer after a thunderstorm and find there's no change to be had. Or road tolls with no one at the tollboth. Etc.

(N) Luggage: Givi hardsided bags are the bomb. BBags are a good second choice if you don't want to plunk down that much cash. Good luggage is a godsend. If you are just using a duffle or other generic bag, good ratchet straps are critical.

(O) Beverage: try to keep one on hand. Warm coke sucks, but waiting for a tow truck becuase you had a mechanical failure in the hot sun in the middle of no where without a drink sucks worse.

(P) Wet wipes or those small wet-wipe packs that you get a BBQ places are your friend. They work for everything, including removing bugs from visors, freshening up, and finding out too late that the bathroom you just used has no TP.

(Q) Don't use the road trip as a test platform. Make sure any changes you make to the bike and your riding gear are done at least a week ahead of time so you can ride with them and be comfortable with them before you hit the road. The last thing you want is to be on the road and find out your last mod is fouling plugs, or causing you great discomfort, etc.

(R) EDITED HEAVILY FROM THE ORIGINAL BECAUSE OF FLACK I CAUGHT, SO I"M REPHRASING: Find American run motels or better yet, a bed & breakfast; it may save you grief.

(S) Unless you are big on pre-booking, don't make reservations. Let the road and your own feelings set how far you want to go in a day, then get off the main road and find a cheap hotel/motel. Most American-run places that aren't major-chains will even discount heavily if you tell them flat-out you don't need a receipt, will be paying in cash and don't care for the tax man. Not your issue if the night manager pockets it or the owner would rather take it under the table...

(T) Buy new socks for the trip. A 6-pack or 12-pack is awesome, and like WildKat has mentioned previously, they make you feel refreshed.

(U) If you have a known destination (like the KR rally or some relatives' house), you can send goods in advance via UPS or US Mail to yourself C/o whereever you're staying. This can give you more stuff there without the need to carry it. Include a return label and ship your dirty clothes back. Or just travel with cash or a credit card and buy new clothes on the road, then ship the dirties back (I do this in Europe -- after every 5 to 7 days, I ship the dirty stuff back to the USA and buy more clothes; easy way to renew my wardrobe and shipping is cheaper than out-service laundry in most places in Europe).

(V) Do your pre-ride inspection thoroughly every single day you plan riding. Tire pressure, oil levels, chain tension, etc. Don't put off repairs or maintenance that might leave you stranded otherwise. With the fumoto oil drain valve, I can do an oil change in any parking lot with 1 tool (the hex key to open the access panel for the oil filler cap), and be good for another 3500 miles

(W) Run your tire pressures a few lbs higher than usual (i.e. - if you normally ride 35/37, go 37/39). If you carry luggage, increase it to compensate for that too. This will help keep your tires cooler and reduce the rate at which they wear away by reducing how much they deform each rotation (and since heat is mostly a product of deformation bending, this reduces the heat build-up).

(X) Stop and sleep when you are really tired or drained. Even if it's only an hour's nap on a picnic bench. Don't push yourself beyond your limits.

(Y) Major Truckstops have free showers and towels. Take advantage of them when you can.

(Z) Get a list of other KR members enroute. You may find you desperately need one of them to get you (or to bed you down in an unexpected thunderstorm/snow flurry/etc).

(AA) You'll be more tired and more sore on the second day than on the first, so make the 2nd day shorter than the first. Make sure you get a little booze that first night (and I do mean little -- like 1 drink or beer) before you hit the sack. It'll help your muscles unwind in your sleep.

(BB) If camping, try to find your camping spot before dark. Last thing you want is to set up camp and bed down, only to be woken up before sunrise to the surprised looks of an annoyed construction crew -- and/or a police man with a tresspass warrant. Or to find out you laid out in cow patties. Etc.

(CC) The best highway distance-covering is always at night (because traffic volume is down), and if you plan your timing right, you can avoid being in any metropolitian areas around peak rush hours (whatever they are for that burg). When I'm headed north, since I start in west-central Florida, I tend to roll out around 3 or 3:30am, intent on making Valdosta and having breakfast just as their rush hour starts -- this also puts me through Atlanta mid-day and avoids the three-hour-long morning and evening traffic jams. Kat6's eyes went kind of wide when we rolled through Atlanta mid-day at 95 or so...

(DD) If riding at night, don't push your fuel limits. Lots of Podunk stations close at soemwhere between 9pm and midnight, so you want to have a 50+ mile cushion just in case the next town or off-ramp has nothing.

(EE) Dehydration, hypothermia, and boredom are three big killers on the road in the winter. If you find your mind not paying attention, or your reaction speeds dropping, pull off, get warm (indoors), hydrate and bundle up warmer, plus consider whether to call it a day. If you can't get warmer (already wearing everything feasible), cut your trip short and do shorter legs, head back. Winter gear is indispensible.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[The CyberPoet]

As for your route:

Weather around the dragon:

http://www.weather.com/weather/local/USNC0240?from=search_city

(this is the weather at Fontana Dam, which sits at the tail of the dragon, literally).

Weather, general:
Bring clothing for all the weather you are likely to encounter. Know that you will get colder as the night progresses, and sitting on your keister for hour after hour will just make it worse, so good gear to stay warm is critical (more critical than how cool you look by far).

Roads:
Back roads through the Gap area are beautiful in terms of scenery, but often littered with gravel and over-banded with tar snakes. The large reservoirs of water in the valleys can make for heavy fog, while the fast changes in altitude on the roads make for lots of switch-backs and very unpredictable turns unless you already know them well. At this time of year, leaves and the moisture they capture can be icy-slippery.
Drive at a moderate pace and don't push it on these back roads. Come to a full stop at any signed intersections and look for gravel in your path entering and exiting intersections, especially ones involving turns.

Highways:
Same as always. Be cautious of long-haul truckers needing sleep and mini-vans full of screaming kids being driven about by soccer moms not paying attention to the road. Try to watch your lane positioning and keep your position such that you have maximum visibility forward. Many of the valley areas can fog or smoke-over very heavily (from power plants, factories).

Cops:
Don't run in places you're unfamiliar with. Be honest, polite and sympathetic. In some places, you may have to see the judge in traffic court before you're permitted to leave, a real PIA.

Be safe.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[mx916]

Just want to repeat Cybers bit about the cruise control. I have had them on my last two bikes and swear by them. They dont work too well on hilly roads, but on those long flat straight interstates, they are a dream. I remember on a 400 or so mile day, I had the cruise control on for a solid 10 minutes. That does'nt sound like much but when your right hand is tired it really lets it rest and come back to life. Good Luck!!

[DooD]

The Throttlemeister is a wicked little gadget...I've been using one for a couple seasons now, and it's GREAT on the road! Not only does it let you drop or shake out your right arm for a moment, but you can also then use that hand to rub your right thigh and get some blood going once again...It also doesn't lock the throttle - just resists the throttle's return cable, so you can still close the throttle easily if need be when it's engaged.

Thanks for the list CP...I'm headed for a 5000Km trip in May, so I'll definitely be bookmarking this thread!

[Crackshot]

Does anyone have a link to the throttlemaster system? I searched Dennis Kirk, google, etc, and couldn't find anything.

Thanks,
Crack

[The CyberPoet]

Does anyone have a link to the throttlemaster system? I searched Dennis Kirk, google, etc, and couldn't find anything.

Thanks,
Crack

https://www.throttlemeister.com

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[Crackshot]

Thanks Guys


Throttlemaster is not Throttlemeister

ErDur

[WildKat]

These are handy little items too...and very inexpensive..

http://www.throttlerocker.com/

[BarMatt80]

cyber that link to that whats under your seat...doesn't work. I think it was lost when there was a database issue when some users registration was lost.

[The CyberPoet]

Thanks Guys

Throttlemaster is not Throttlemeister

ErDur

Never heard of a ThrottleMaster.

Do you maybe mean a Vista Universal Throttle Lock (cruise-control)? Or something like what Matt posted up?

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet