"Go West Young Man"

[Marc S]

I've got a 10 day vacation coming up (May 27-June 5) and I'm gonna hit the road.  Leaving Wisconsin and heading to the west coast.  Plan to run the coast from San Diego to Seattle.  On the way to San Diego I'll take the scenic route once I get through Colorado (plan to spend a week there later in the summer) on I-70 making sure to see Utah's monument valley, Death Valley, Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, and USS Midway.  I'll stop in Mcminnville Oregon to see the HK-1, aka "Spruce Goose" and from there it's undecided if I'll come home through Canada or through Montana and the Dakotas.  Been outfitting the bike with enough luggage to get stares and snickers at the gas stations-you gotta have room for your stuff!  Also, the past two weeks have been miserable weather so I've had a chance to test my gear while commuting to work daily (I also get stares and snickers when I show up to work)  

If anyone lives in the area I'll be going through and you would be so kind as to send me an email with some contact info I'd appreciate it.  It would be great to have someone trustworthy to call when I'm 2000 miles from home should I have any problems, especially since I'll be traveling solo.  If there is anything I should stop and see let me know that too.  Never been west of the Rockies and this is my first long distance trip so if anyone has advice of any sort, I'm all ears.

Thanks in advance,

Marc
mjstrangfeld@yahoo.com

[OURide2]

That seems like a lot of miles for a ten day trip, especially, if you are going to stop and have time to sight-see.  How many miles will you average a day?  I am trying to plan my 14 day trip from Atlanta to Montrose.  I've also got a lot of places I want to visit, going and coming.

['KC']

Let me know when you are coming through the Seattle area, maybe we can hook-up. I live a little NE of there.
I'm going to be busy with my B-day, and a CMA function on the 28-29th, but should be available when your coming through.
Give me a heads-up, and maybe we can ride a little, & meet each other. Try my home Ph. 425-481-8190. Kent

I'm jealous.....no long trips in my near future......have fun and be safe....sounds like some really good sites to see...

['KC']

How many miles do you plan on covering on this 10 day trip? I would be careful about doing too much; if you haven't done long rides before.
I covered 21,500 miles in 25 days on my trip to Helen, Ga. in 2002.

[Marc S]

The total mileage should be around 6000 or so.  I don't think I'll have any problems covering the miles as long as I keep track of my stops and skip things if need be.  This is going to be more of a preview of what I like and don't like so I can plan other trips to see what I didn't have time to explore completely.  I'll have to let you all know when I get back if it was wise to make such a big loop in the time available.  I did order a Hartco sheepskin cover and even a bottle of anti-monkey butt powder (thanks for the link RumpStun) so I think I'll have that area covered.  Have to put on a new rear tire (Elite 3) as I just picked up a nasty drywall screw and I don't want to trust a plug in desert heat out in the middle of nowhere.  Other than that the bike is ready.  Thanks to those who sent emails with contact info, I wrote them down in my log.  Now if I can make it through the next two weeks at work...

Marc

KC-
That is some serious mileage.  How many miles total on your Valkyrie?

[OURide2]

Sorry, Marc, about digressing from your OP. but....KC, that's alot of miles every day.  I don't think my back could take it.  I haven't been on more than a weekend trip yet, but from my limited experience, and planning for my Montrose trip, I was figuring about 400 miles a day.  I'm in no hurry and like to take back roads when I can more for the scenery than anything else.  With stopping for gas every 120 miles and eating I only average about 55 miles per hour over the whole day.  I feel if I over do the riding I will just end up having to take a vacation to recover from my vacation!  Anyway, just wondering if I could get some thoughts aboout this from you more experienced long distance riders.

21,000 miles in 25 days is some damn hard riding........I think you are on track actually, you seem to have no appointments to meet....so ride when you feel like riding and slow down if you feel you are over doing it.....you can't see everything in one trip so hit the high spots and do some side trips if you feel up to it.   On all my long trips I have no destination....I just get to an area and ask the local bikers what is interesting to see....and just meander from there.....those are the best trips....you would be surprised at what you can stagger into....I usually ride hard till I get to the mountains and then just start asking what is there good to see.   Don't worry too much about breaking down.....seldom do you have major problems on a trip....just carry a roll of duct tape for the rest.......I mean it....I never leave home on a long trip without a small roll of ducttape.  ha

[rodeo1]

try riding no more than 100 miles at a sitting, thats just a good general rule.

look at the weather channel for the towns you will be covering. it will be 109 degrees in baker calif. next week. you have to plan for that. water, water, water ! pack it !

never ! drink caffine drinks, tea, cola's, etc. they will draw the moisture out of you.

long sleeve shirts or plenty of sunscreen.

heat can kill you. be careful and stay hydrated, i can't stress that enough. when you are hooking alond at 75 in the heat, sometimes you don't realize how much moisture you are losing because the wind is drying it up as it comes out.

check the weather channel for every day on the road. !!!!!:cool:

dennis

[PaulXX]

I will just add that that is an ambitious plan. Now I am not in the best of shape ;-), but when I rode from Mass to Montrose for the 1st ride-in. I was in a group and we did 3 600 mi. days in a row. We started before 8:00 am every morning stopped every 100 mi for gas, and sit down lunch. Interstates all the way and would stop at about 5:00 for the day. The stops totaled a little over 2 hrs, so we were on the road for almost 7 hrs a day, and it seemed a lot to me. I was beat by the end of it. No sightseeing.

I speak from experience when I say don't ride tired!! Almost as bad as drunk. I have (on another long trip) pressed on when I should of rested, and almost got myself into a bad accident, by seriously slowed reaction times. ( as in huh what is that....oh s***). Great Valk brakes saved my stubborn butt that day.

I would suggest that you take a day and do 600 miles before you leave and judge for yourself. People do it and enjoy it, but I have found that 400-500 is about all I am good for these days. In any case please don't get the impression that I am not envious ;-). I love being on the bike for days at a time!! And it sounds like you will see and experience many great things along the way. I only posted this to you because you said that this was your first long road trip, and solo to boot, so I decided to offer some of my experiences. Good luck!!

Rodeo 1 is right...in the summer months here in Texas dehydration is a major factor.   ON the stock Valkyrie handlebar risers a large cup will sit right inbetween them and stay there.    Be sure you have a lid or I just fill a cup with ice with no lid and it will melt down withing 40 miles or so and that gives you cold water and ice to suck on while going down the road.   I wear long sleeve shirts on long trips as a bad sunburn can ruin a trip and cause a lot of discomfort.   My brotherinlaw on a Goldwing and I left out of Houston in Ausgust for Colorado a few years ago and he was wearing shorts and a tank top.  I warned him and he said he worked outside everyday like that.    We left out at 4 a.m first day and Within 500 miles the first day he flaked out and we had to get a hotel room in the early afternoon as he was dehydrated and nauseous.    He got better and the next day we left with him wearing proper clothes and he did fine the rest of the trip.

[ossiningvalkyrie]

Sounds like a great ride

When I leave for the ridein from NY I hope to average between
 6-700 miles a day so that I never have to ride at night.
That will put me at the Denver area on the evening of the 3rd so I can meet Bonnie at airport the next morning all fresh and rested for a day cruising Vail area on the 4th of July.

If anyone from Pa, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois or Iowa is looking for someone to ride out with please email or PM .

 As a Bonus, cooler on bushtec will keep your favorite beverage nice and cold. You hear that TAZ? But loaded with ice it only holds 3 six packs so you may have to buy beer each nite LOL

I will try to follow the good suggestions that have been offered by all of you. And Rumpstun I have looked at the monkeysite.

Finally is there any traffic or road I should stay away from ie construction or such?

evan

[OURide2]

Are you guys smoking that poi stuff out there on the islands now?? LOL (sorta)

[Clark Kent]

It sounds like a great trip---EXCEPT --- How can you say you have been out west when you don't hit WYOMING!

Remember----Wyoming IS what the rest of the USA used to be!

If you get the time, it is a fantastic state (as are all the other states in America.)

It's just like the VALK.  All bikes are good, but the VALK is just a little better than all the rest.  Just like WYOMING!

If you go through North Dakota, DO NOT CLEAN YOUR WINDSHIELD when a state trooper is in site.  It is against the law to kill a Fly in North Dakota,  It's their state Bird!

Have a great trip.

Next time I'll tell you why all the high school football fields have barbed wire fences around them in ND.  (keeps the cheerleaders for grazing)!

[John-LXII]

I'm either naive or skeptical...

Is that stuff for real?  I know what it's claiming to prevent, but (no pun intended) I've never taken preventive measures for it.

Has anyone else ever heard of it, or used it before (no offence Rump)?

I don't want to end up with a bottle full of Tabasco coated sand… that hurts just thinking about it.