So as the title says I am looking into taking a tour. So far I have a rough idea, a week long trip...
As a former BoyScout I miss the outdoors. So camping is not a problem, rain, cold and any other 'misery' just adds to the enjoyment. a packing list has been branded into my brain, though adding tools and some parts will be needed.
Will normal riding gear suffice? I have riding jeans and a textile jacket that saved me on my first lowside. Though I do have a leather that is a bit stuffy for mild wheather.
My main question would be. What areas should I vist? Any roads that are a must ride for a newling, or sights that are a must see while on a motorcycle?
Thank in advance I hope to make this a epic journey!!
I have ridden US191 from southern Utah (Bluff) to northern Wyoming (Yellowstone NP). With a few miles of detours along the way. Fabulous road: mucho curvy, extremely scenic with lots of camping opportunities along the way.
I was going to see if I could get away with a full sized camping back pack and a rigged top case, maybe buy a small tank bag as well
I guess it depends on how light you want to travel, I personally couldn't imagine a long trip without them.
I hate backpacks for a variety of reasons - they are hard on your back and cause you to fatigue quicker. This means shorter travel days and stops as you body has to constantly work against any buffeting and just the weight of the pack itself.
Once you get a good set of luggage, it's hard to imagine 'roughing it' with makeshift luggage.
Here's a photo of my old '02 loaded it from this past summer in Michigan's U.P. (I have a '02 Silver w/ABS now ... I was in a head-on collision with a semi truck at the end of that trip in Wisconsin)
[image: Van Riper State Park (Michigan) - August 2015]
Only because I didn't see it mentioned... if you are going to be doing any long riding days or full blown touring, get some compression undergarments with wicking material. That coupled with some Anti-Monkey Butt powder will increase your comfort level by a wide margin!
also that is a lot of gear, are panniers necessary? I do not have any though I've seen some good looking ones at the local store.
I was going to see if I could get away with a full sized camping back pack and a rigged top case, maybe buy a small tank bag as well
On my old Suzuki V-Strom i used to tie a normal hiking backpack along the length of the rear seat and tail. There was not enough room then for a Top Case, but it worked fine. The tent was strapped to the bottom of the rucksack, just like it would have done if you were hiking. But rather strap the rucksack to the bike rather than wear it
The good thing about the VFR is that it is easy to load side cases, or soft throw over bags - which are quite cheap. Then a roll bag above that. That gives plenty of carrying capacity.
I have also found that the difference in packing size is not relative to the amount of time - that is a week camping requires essentially the same amount of stuff as a two or even three week camping trip. The big difference is between trips staying only in Motels, versus camping trips.
Ah yes, the headlamp is also in my gear list and really handy - though I typically don't ride through the night.
For more space, use giant ZipLock Spacesaver bags. You'll be amazed at how tightly your pillow, sleeping bag, and clothing compress without any air in them!!!
Do not be too ambitious on your first trip particularly with regard to big mileage. Look for twisty roads out of Texas. Loads of threads to read on possible roads and gear to use. The most important thing to do is to actually do IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Believe me you learn something new on every tour or worse relive something you already should have known.
I sort of wrote up some of my VFR tour experiences and lessons learned on this thread.
I use soft saddle bags I got for free and a 20 dollar duffle bag from REI. The duffle is giant, and holds all my camping gear. Not water proof, but I'm in CA, so not an issue. I also have a magnetic tank bag.
[image: post-23737-0-49297500-1452035590.jpg]
For some reason my camera added beer goggles to this photo. She looks doesn't look that good in person. Haha.
Some good posts here regarding what to bring. I would second Auspanglish's recommendation to bring a neck gaiter, its the first thing I toss in my tank bag when I head out for a long trip. Some minor things I did not see mentioned that would be helpful.
1. A small voltmeter added to your tools. 95% of all problems I've ever experienced on the road were electrical.
2. A service manual. Good to have in general and helpful when a wiring diagram is needed.
3. Spare set of gloves. Nice to swap out if you ride in the rain.
This is my 97 loaded up in 2013 when I was out west for 3 weeks. The saddlebags on one side held my one man tent and sleeping bag, the other side was clothes,shoes, computer and an atlas. The tail bag was tools, service manual, spares (lights, fuses, etc.) the tank bag was spare visor and gloves, phone and whatever else.
What part of Texas are you in? I'm out of Austin and a quick ride to Bastrop was a great little day trip for me. Bastrop state park road 1 was a nice beginner lowish speeds fun time. When it warms up i'd like to make a quick overnighter there and do some fishing while i'm at it.
Yeah it isn't the most exciting twisties or anything, but great views and plenty of stop offs to enjoy them. I had a blast in my old supra on the way to the tail of the dragon. Nice change of scenery compared to super boring Austin roads with no hills to speak of. Just south/west of Austin there are a ton of great hill country roads though, all around the Wimberly area and such.
They have small "cabin"s that work well for sleeping and the price is about $45 or $15 to camp. They have clean bathrooms and you can do laundry if you need to. Depending on when you plan on being there they serve breakfast and dinner, pretty good homestyle food at reasonable prices. Phil Johnson is a great guy and a serious rider.
If you're in NC you must do the dragon but almost any direction you go from the BRMC is good roads and Waynesville is good for picking up those things you wished you'd packed or something for the SO. Avoid the dragon on weekends, you've been warned.
End of thread · 34 posts recoveredWayback Machine snapshot 21 Aug 2017