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First cross country trip, any tips?

17K views 153 replies 67 participants last post by  DitchDigger 
#1 ·
This probably isn't a good idea, and could go terribly wrong.
But, I'm okay with that. I'm looking for adventure, mishaps included.

I will be going from SLC, UT to New York City. Round trip. Alone. I figure I'll be leaving August or September. I have an Iron 883. I want to make this trip as cheap as possible, and fit as many miles in a day as I can.

for those of you who have done this.. maybe a little advice or the "don't forget..".

Or websites would help.
 
#30 ·
If you don't already own them, get yourself the factory service manual AND the factory parts manual for your bike and take them with you. The parts manual has exploded views of many things that can be quite helpful when reassembling things.

You may not be a "wrench" but those books could still prove extremely valuable in case of a breakdown. If you can read and you can tell a hammer from a screwdriver (which you obviously can on both counts) they're written clearly enough so that you could very well deal with some problems that may arise on your own, saving dollars and headaches.

Best of luck on your trip.
 
#31 ·
for personal protection bring a can of Hornets spray,not illeagel to carry and works better than maze and shoots further too,I have AMA roadside asst,and used it they are very fast with help and actually nice...If you sign up on line u can print a temp card till urs is here and use it make sure u click the raodside asst button.I belive it was 30 bux.Safe Travels and best wishes...
 
#32 ·
+1 on AMA is a MUST being a woman alone and start planning to stop long before you think you want to stop. I made a trip once was planning on stopping like 10pm 11pm pulled off an exit ramp in GA for a hotel dead ass tired and wouldnt you know it there was some strawberry festivale or some shit going on and i didnt find a hotel with a room till damn near 2am
 
#33 ·
Don't bring any tools that you don't know how to use, same goes for weapons.
Stick to the Interstates and you'll do great. Pack the essentials and bring a HOG book. Most dealerships and shops will pick you up if you break down fairly close for free. Get as full service done a week or two before you leave and ride the bike a bit, (better to find out the tech screwed up when you're in town instead of 500 miles east of civilization).
My friend and I do a 6K trip each year to various destinations and I have way too much info in my head to post.
Good luck!
 
#35 · (Edited)
well; in the middle of writing a short book we lost power here. lost everything i had written. i'll try to shorten it up and put it here:

someone mentioned extra gasoline. easy/safe way to carry it is the containers that camping/outdoors stores sell to carry Coleman fuel in (you know, for stoves and lanterns). you can carry these in your saddlebags or duffle bag without worrying about it spilling. even so i have mine inside 4 layers of zip-lock bags; just in case. mine is the biggest one i could find but is only a quart or so. that's enough to get a ways. probably to a station but surely to a safer place than the side of the road. of course, on a long ride where you're riding all day you'll probably never need it. the only time i've ever used mine was when i had to go to reserve on the way home from work on a friday, didn't ride all weekend, and forgot monday that i was about out of gas.

i like to just roll out the sleeping bag under the stars. i wouldn't recommend that for a lone lady unless you're in a secure campground, though. in a tent no one knows how many people are in there or how big/mean they are, unless they watched you put it up and enter it.

a small crescent wrench, a pair of pliars, & a screwdriver with multiple tips are enough to make most "side of the road" repairs. if you need more than that it's likely that it's not possible to fix it on the spot. notice that i said likely; that's not a hard and fast rule. i carry spare light bulbs, but you can do without most any bulb on a bike 'til you get to the next town.

x2 on the windshield. the first really long trip i took on a scoot was from central missouri to colorado to spend a week riding the mountains. halfway across kansas my neck muscles were hurting big-time. i found a bike shop and bought a universal fit windshield. it was used, small, & cheap. probably the best $25 i ever spent out on the road. when i got home i took it off but it saved my neck (no pun intended) at the time. my current ride has a factory windshield (removable; snap on/off). wouldn't do without it again on a long trip. too bad you're so far away; i've still got the kansas one hanging in the shop. you could have it if you were closer.

x2 on the LED flashlight also.

as mentioned before, if you get in a tight spot or need help post it on here and someone will probably come running to your aid.

most folks on here will prolly crucify me for this: i've got a water bottle holder (made for bicyclists) clamped on my handle bar. a 20 ounce soda bottle in a zip up coozie fits in it perfectly. if you're on the road in august you might find this useful. when i get tired of Pepsi i refill with water.

pouring water down your pants legs will go a long ways towards keeping you cool (after you get back on the road, that is). feels good to soak your shirt, too. i've tried to pour water on me at speed, but usually i get more in my face than on my jeans or shirt.

cheap (but good) advice: if you've been on a hundred miles of Interstate highways anywhere in the US (excepting Glenwood Canyon) you've already seen just about all the scenery that's available on them. take the 2-lanes as much as possible. yeah, there's a stop light in every small town, but i guarantee that you'll be glad you skipped the Interstates.

i don't have the ca$h to buy waterproof duffle bags or T-bags. on trips i use the waterproof plastic bags that i take canoeing. these are the ones that are as big as a duffle bag and made out of really heavy plastic. the tops fold over a couple of times and then the corners snap together, making it waterproof. they are pricey, but i have them from when i used to canoe in january every year. the clear ones let me see what's in what bag. they are pretty easy to bungee onto the rear seat and can be carried into a motel room or to a campsite really easy. the drawback to the clear ones is that everyone else can see what brand of underwear i have.

speaking of underwear; camping/outdoor stores have men's sox that can be washed at bedtime, hung up, and are dry when you wake up. i don't know anything about women's clothes, but there's likely stuff like that for you too. the less space you have to dedicate to clothes the more space you have for other things. i don't ask about it, but i have one sock/underwear drawer; mrs. atch has two dressers full and shelves in her closet. anyway, the point is: you might wanna minimize your wardrobe for a couple of weeks.

take layers of clothes to add or take off as the temperature dictates. in august/september you might not need a lot of clothes, but one of the coldest days i ever spent on a scoot was on July 5 in the Michigan Upper Peninsula. 10 miles out of Escanaba that morning we pulled over and put on just about every article of clothing we had with us. didn't warm up 'til about when we crossed over the Mackinac bridge.

maps! right now go to the department of transportation website of every state you think you might go through and request a map. some of these take a month or more to get to you. these are much better than an atlas, even if they take up a bit more room. atlases only have the more major roads and leave off some of the best/most scenic smaller roads. of course, if you're gonna take the interstates maps aren't necessary. the directions only take one line; go east on I-80 'til you get to NY.

if you're comfortable in doing so, put a small camera (digital or 35mm) on a long lanyard and hang it around your neck. you can get some once in a lifetime shots while out on the road. some of the best Sturgis pix i have were taken "on the move".

most important advice so far: enjoy!!!
 
#37 ·
Stop by my house and have some beer if youre a cool chick. HAHAHHA. But seriously, some spare fluids, duct tape, tools, (as stated before) TP, cash, bed roll, make sure youre tires are good. etc, etc
 
#40 ·
I dont think anyone has mentioned this yet, but in NY we have snow days planned as early as late September. You may want to keep this in mind before you leave. Maybe even leave earlier than August. There isn't much worse than trying to ride in snow. If you need a place to crash (pardon the pun), I am in Upstate NY. Good luck, and so far all this seems like sound advice.
 
#41 ·
My 2 cents. I dont have any bags on my bike but what i did last sturgis trip. One change of clothes wraped with a bungie strap on the bars. Deodorant if you think you need any. Black tape wraped around the handle bars so that way you will not lose it if you need it. Earplugs, if not any some saliva soaked napkins from your last meal will work just as good. Money and a nice gun i took my 357 magnum i did not care about any laws if you thought you were tough enough to try to jack me then will see how tough you really were, with that smalltank you better check that go go juice!! I did every 150-170 miles and you better look for gas stations. Knuck from indiana
 
#42 ·
everything i have heard on the thread is great advice. see if you can set a course and let those on the board know. def give updates if you can get near a computer (and yeah, i know this is what you are trying to get away from).

if you are gonna sleep out in the open a mat helps a ton;
small mag lite (cause you can get batteries);
spyderco floding knife since they ahve great clips and sizes to fit everyhand well, are sharp as fuck and have some with serated blades and turned down noses (which helps with the "its a tool, not a weapon" argument in front of the judge;
i like the idea of a heater but two things come to mind: one getting pinched and two, getting it taken from you - so your call. derringers are cheap and come in a variety of sizes (can be tossed in a pinch);
gas is huge so you best have an idea about how far the next station is - i HIGHLY recommend that you carry one of those metal waterbottles filled with gas as a spare and i think that the 1000 or 1200 xl tanks fit on the 883 and they have a whole nother gallon;
bag balm is good shit - carmex for the nose and lips;
handful of ball bearings in the font pocket of the jacket can keep fukwad cages back;
rain gear aint a bad idea but unless you really get caught up in it you can always pull over and checkout the landscape;
flip flops are real good for when the boots come off;

keep your wits about you and you'll be fine. have fun, its going to be a great experience
 
#43 ·
I pack my backpack and lay it down on the seat behind me, fills up the space between me and the sissy bar and I can lean against it. That is real important after while, something to lean against.

I could give you all kinds of advice about what to pack (been a backpacker 48 years so I know light packing) and so on but I think you get the idea.
MSR makes a camping fuel bottle that holds a quart of fuel and its perfect for spare fuel. I recommend you not ever run out. Take lots of cash and credit cards. As few tools as possible if you aren't acquainted with repairing your scooter.

Well, after that its get on and ride! that's how you learn and that';s how you have fun.
 
#44 ·
takehikes the MSR/primus/etc stoves are critical to traveling/eating right
unless you're super rich and can eat at fancy restaurants all the time

I have a real small inflatable/collapsible sleeping mat, complete dumb ass for not buying this when I was riding across the country (NY->CA->PA). It's just big enough to put my hip/shoulder on, small enough to compress, and I don't have to go looking for cardboard to sleep on. you can literally sleep on rocks and it keeps your body suspended off the ground without rocks digging into your back
 
#49 ·
you might think about a SPOT Tracker....it's nice for your family to be able to know where you are and it can come in really handy if things go sideways. Cell phones aren't good for shit where there's no signal.

heated jackets are pretty nice to have...I'd run a little windshield for a trip like this. The wind really kicks your ass once you get up to 4-500 miles in a day.

have fun and take some pictures :)
 
#52 ·
Newspaper under your jacket makes GREAT insulation, and its free. Most restaurants have those stands of realty and car add papers. And if its raining, they soak alot of water before its gets to you. Truck innertubes cut up and tied to your legs, instant chaps and they roll up quite small. If your in or around Anderson Indiana and have trouble, I have lots of freinds around there that can help. PM me for info.
 
#53 · (Edited)
Stay off the highways - get to route 20 (or 9) and work off of it - buy two memory foam pads from Brookstone (work better than any aftermarket) - riding alone it will be hard to keep pace - take a break every fifty miles (you only need five/ten minutes) - drink water - get up early and quit with the sun - 10 hours of riding and fifty miles every hour will get you 500 miles a day - keeping pace can be a challenge but don't convince yourself you can make it up later when you're more tired and beat (that's unsafe)


and it is nice to see you leaving the inland empire Mr. Bill
 
#54 ·
I'd wire up your bike with a 12V DC output and get a small GPS... one that will run a few hours without the 12V. It will help you find food and gas that may be off the route.

I found my rain suit a valuable addition and some rubber boot-things that can fit over your riding boots. Keeping the feet dry in a downpour is a big help.

Small flashlight, pen and paper. You're likely to meet some great people on the road and having a few contacts for the return trip is a plus.

You might even want to get some contacts from JJ before you go. I know the New Jersey crowd would probably ride with you for a bit.

Beyond that... have fun.
 
#57 ·
I take pretty much the same as Matthew with the exception of the coils. I take the primary belt because the chances of finding that easily are slim. Just a very basic set of tools to allow adjustment of the chain, removal of the wheels in case of a flat, etc.

I just recently completed a 30-day ride. Went from Arizona to the Appalachian Mountains area, rode all around there for a few weeks then rode home. Put about 6000 miles on my '49 panhead chopper. The only problem I had was a short in the kill switch on the way back to Arizona. From start to finish I was only able to add 1 qt of oil. The motor had ~85K miles on it when I left home. Don't let anyone tell you old bikes aren't reliable.

Here are the tools and spare primary belt I took along:


Rolled up and ready to pack:


Packed up and riding. I used a T-bag to hold my gear. The plywood keeps the bag off the pipe and can also be used to prop the frame if I needed to change a tire.
 
#58 ·
Listen closely! Scrounge up the BIGGEST tank that fits your bike. I had to ride an 883 to AZ last year, and reserve kicks in at around 90-100 miles with the 3.3. Not good enough, certainly!

Electric vest will remove the misery factor from all but the absolutely worst cold in North America, I consider mine mandatory when leaving town regardless of the time of year. Call me a sissy, but I'll be laughing when it gets a bit snowy at the grand canyon and every one else looks like they want to die!

Windshield! they will stretch your ability to sit on that seat better than almost any other single thing. They help protect your ears, and prevent fatigue from the eighty mile an hour blast of wind you're going to fight for 6-10 hours a day.

Stay off the interstate! Interstates SUCK ASS!!! They are like torturing yourself. Unless you HAVE to make time, you should ride as many backwater tiny roads as possible. A day of 2-lane roads will be fun and memorable, where a day of interstates will be brutal and offputting!

I really don't think you should worry much about arming yourself heavily, unless you plan on searching for crack rocks in every town or stealing all of your gas money,lol! Americans are generally really nice, and with rare exceptions will try to help you out as much as possible. I prefer proper planning, like making sure you don't have to ride long lonely streches after dark, and finding other people on bikes to ride with through bad spots. That being said I usually bring a gun on my rides, but mainly for fun (target shooting in the woods) Never really needed it for anything else(yet)

Start your trip with new (long lasting) tires. I like Dunlop Elite 3's. Many tires will not last more tham 3-5 thousand miles, and buying new ones out in BFE is a terrible idea (trust me, I've had to find tires for riding buddies before out there)

Lastly, take as many big practice trips as possible, before you leave. Any modifications or luggage/gear you plan to bring, test in on smaller ( but susbstantial) rides first. Finding out the gear you are counting on sucks states away from home is no fun.

Everything else is personal, especially since you're traveling alone. When you're with a group, you have to consider the others and be careful to, for example, pack the stuff you use at every gas stop at the very top of your bags, so you aren't holding up the pack, etc. Since it's just you, you can do what you want and take an hour at all stops or 5 minutes.

Oh, one more thing, have someone whom you call every night. That way, if you're stupid and followed my advice to not worry about the gun, at least they'll know where you were last night or whatever. BTW, AAA will tow you 100 miles on basic M/C coverage.

Good luck and have fun! Whatever you do don't wuss out, you'll never regret the bike trips you went on, and always regret the ones you skipped!
 
#59 ·
The hardest thing isn't about the junk that you carry along with you. The hardest thing will be your own head. Guys may not get this but you ride and ride and then you think a little farther and your head starts to wander and then you start to freak out a little about something. Like being low on fuel. Or if you are lost. But your brain isn't thinking about the situation clearly because you are alone and haven't been talking with people or things are unfamiliar or you are tired or dehydrated or whatever. That will be the hardest thing. And at that point, the question will be whether you can figure out your brain is overreacting and step back. Stop a minute. Take a drink. Give yourself a breather and get your head back under control. You can avoid it to some degree by good planning but guaranteed in going that far, something will happen. The trick is being able to figure out that your brain is being screwy and stop and take a minute.
 
#60 ·
The hardest thing isn't about the junk that you carry along with you. The hardest thing will be your own head. Guys may not get this but you ride and ride and then you think a little farther and your head starts to wander and then you start to freak out a little about something. Like being low on fuel. Or if you are lost. But your brain isn't thinking about the situation clearly because you are alone and haven't been talking with people or things are unfamiliar or you are tired or dehydrated or whatever. That will be the hardest thing. And at that point, the question will be whether you can figure out your brain is overreacting and step back. Stop a minute. Take a drink. Give yourself a breather and get your head back under control. You can avoid it to some degree by good planning but guaranteed in going that far, something will happen. The trick is being able to figure out that your brain is being screwy and stop and take a minute.
TAKE YOUR MEDS MAN!!!!!!! Knuck From Indiana.
 
#62 ·
Oh, yeah, another thing, I personally flatly will NOT ride through deer country after dark. Even though I have a monster 7" headlight, Them deer will actually TRY to kill you! I had a really bad deer encounter after dark once, and now, forget it. I will not try dodging them at night, ever again!
 
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