Planning a Road Trip

By Stephen Fishman, ISRA #1948

On a motorcycle, mountains look higher and drop-offs seem steeper; aromas are more pleasant while foul odors are more pungent; and twisty, winding roads are something to look forward to.

Figure 1: Mountain Valley

There are more contingencies to prepare for than a trip by car, but there's less room to pack for them. Even the biggest saddlebags and trunks limit what you can take.

Maps

Local bookstores probably have the maps you need, but every state has a Web site. The cheapest way to collect the maps you need is to request them from each state's department of tourism. They often send a complete package with information about lodging, points of interest, seasonal events, and so forth, and they'll even pay the postage!

Roads

For most riders, an enjoyable road trip is confined to secondary roads that can include four-lane divided highways, cracked two lane asphalt narrowed to one lane by encroaching sand and scrub, winding mountain roads and a blacktop flanked by a bayou and a swamp. It takes a lot longer to navigate switchbacks through mountains than it does to fly down sweeping curves in a wide, flat valley, but each route offers its own charm.

Figure 2: Iron Mountain Road in the Black Hills

Fuel

As towns shrink in size and frequency, so do the opportunities to fill up. With the exception of touring bikes, most motorcycles have a range of about 140 miles per tank, or less. If your travels take you through the American west, you'll discover early on that the distances between towns increase quickly. You might even consider taking along a one-gallon plastic gas can if you expect to cross vast expanses of open country.

Food

Likewise, give some thought to where your next meal will come from. Restaurants serving a small local population usually close early, like this diner on old Route 66. We arrived for a late lunch at 2:00PM just before they closed.

Figure 3: Small Town Restaurant

Take along snacks. Not everyone is ready for a meal at the same time, and the larger your group, the more this is true. Riding for several hours on twisting mountain roads is exhilarating, but it burns up the calories.

Overnight

Many riders feel that dealing with whatever accommodations they find along the way is part of the experience, but this is a group decision. If the weather cooperates and you're carrying the right gear, camping might be an option.

Something else to consider is that small towns on a map may not really be towns at all. Very small towns can become deserted or disappear in as little as a few years. Many "towns" can turn out to be nothing more than wide places in the road. Making advance room reservations is often a good idea.

Solo or in a Group?

I'm not a social creature by nature, but I've found I enjoy the motorcycling experience more fully when I share it with others. Group riding is less flexible than traveling alone, but I would recommend traveling with at least one other rider, for several reasons:

• It enriches the experience, and it can bring good friends closer.
• Exuberance and enthusiasm are contagious. There will almost certainly be small disasters and delays along the way, and another rider or two can help you laugh instead of getting upset.
• There is visibility and safety in numbers.
• If a breakdown occurs, another rider an help with tools and repairs.

Traveling Companions

In my experience, there are three types of riders: the iron-butt, the tourist, and the traveler. The iron-butt rider is so focused on the destination that he forgets that a bike trip is, first and foremost, a journey.

The tourist wants to see as many sights as possible. You may not get far each day, but you'll come back with stories, memories, and pictures that will be unmatched by the rider who is blind to what lies beyond the highway.

The traveler tends to go along with either type. This type is content to see what he or she can from the comfort of the saddle, but can easily be convinced to take a side trip. I'm a traveler. I don't make a lot of side trips, but the ones I do make generally include the bike. On an extended trip to Sturgis, my friend, Don, and I saw Mesa Verde and Four Corners on the way up, Mt. Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Monument on a day trip at the rally, and Pike's Peak and the Garden of the Gods on the way back.

Miles per Day

This goal drives everything else once you leave home, but the mix of rider types impacts this expectation. If your group consists of iron-butts, you might cover 600 miles a day or more, but 300 miles a day might be a stretch if your group is comprised primarily of tourists.

When possible, confine your travels to daylight hours for safety as well as enjoyment. Secondary roads run through forests and open ranges where the deer and the antelope play. You won't encounter Bambi on the interstate, but if you're running down a two-lane road through forested country after dark, the chances are pretty good you'll have a close encounter with a beautiful buck.

Sightseeing

Sightseeing will reduce your daily progress faster than anything else. Plan interesting stops along your route and allow for unplanned side trips, and be content that these travel days will be short on mileage but long on enjoyment.

Weather

Don't expect perfect weather every day. It may work out that way, but it's the exception and not the rule. Your itinerary should allow for weather delays, even if all it means is reducing your speed.

August is the rainy season in the mountains, which means it's guaranteed to rain every afternoon. To be sure, it isn't as much fun as riding in brilliant sunshine and dry roads, but you can still have a great ride.

What to Take

A motorcycle has limited real estate for clothing, toiletries, spare parts, and tools, but with a little planning, you can equip yourself for changing weather and minor mechanical problems.

Luggage

If you're making a day trip to the beach, you can probably pack everything you'll need into a small duffle. But an extended trip calls for as much luggage as your bike can hold.

If you don't own saddlebags, purchase the largest set that will fit your bike, and add a tailbag. Luggage doesn't have to be expensive to work well and hold a lot of gear, and you simply can't have too much storage space. When full, it may feel as if you've got a small passenger sitting behind you.

On our trip, we both already had roomy saddlebags, so we each added an expandable tailbag strapped to the backrest and fastened a toolbag across the forks. Since we were planning to do some camping, we each carried a sleeping bag and a small soft-sided cooler, and I carried a tent.

Figure 4: Our Packed-Down Rides

Clothing

There is an old adage about packing for a trip: take along half the clothes and twice the money. This is good advice, but the clothing you take depends to a great extent on the time of year and your route.

Summertime temperatures in Texas can average 95 degrees plus, and the New Mexico desert was even hotter. In the mountains of Colorado we climbed to altitudes of 10,000 feet and higher, and that meant temperatures in the 40s. We packed full winter riding gear alongside T-shirts and took some in-between duds, too.

We each dedicated one saddlebag for leathers and rain gear, which made it easier to gear up and down as the weather changed.

Tools

Every rider has a different attitude towards repair and maintenance, and taking along tools you don't use at home can only get you into trouble. Zippered tool kits are great, such as those from Cruz Tools, but you can also assemble "kits" from your own toolbox. My tool assortment includes:

• Mechanical: crescent wrench, small locking pliers, screwdrivers, Allen wrenches, a penlight, and a pocketknife.
• Electrical: wire cutters, terminals, electrical tape, heat shrink tubing, and lengths of 14-gauge insulated wire.
• Miscellaneous: nylon zip ties, corrosion block, shock cords, duct tape, clean rags, earplugs, tire gauge, and spare ignition key.

Figure 5: Cruz Tools Kits

There's not much you can do about the way your engine runs when you're climbing up and down mountain passes. The air is thin at 10,000 feet, and your engine loses 3% of its power for each 1,000 feet you climb above "normal." Since I live at sea level, my bike lost about a third of its horsepower by the time we reached the top of each pass. One of the ways to combat this problem is to use the lowest possible grade of fuel. There's a good reason why service stations at altitude sell 82-octane gas.

Miscellaneous Stuff

What this means to you depends on where you're headed. We intended to camp, so we packed bug repellent, but lip balm and sunscreen are a must, as are diapers and Windex. If you take a camera, bring plenty of film and batteries. You might stash a small notebook if you're the type who likes to write, as well as binoculars, an extra pair of sunglasses, and, if you use them, reading glasses.

Though not required, we packed helmets for rain days and to prevent the Texas and New Mexico desert sun from cooking our brains.

For the Folks Back Home

While you're watching the world go by, take a moment here and there to record in pictures and notes what you see for the unfortunate folks you left behind.

Landscapes on an open highway can be breathtaking, and scenic turnouts along mountain roads are often spectacular. Planning for these short stops reduces the number of miles you can put behind you each day, but when you get back home you'll congratulate yourself every time you look at your pictures. While you're stopped, jot down a few notes about where you are and what you see; the log will help jog your memory.

Last, but Not Least…

Don't fill your bags to the top before you leave home. You'll want T-shirts and souvenirs along the way, and the bags will be full by the time you get home.

Take extra cash. Side trips often have an entry fee, and it's a sure bet you'll encounter unexpected expenses. In addition to the entry fees, food is expensive, and there are additional activities once you're there.

Your first long trip might be months in the planning, but it will be over before you know it. Is all the planning worth it? Absolutely! And chances are you'll be planning your next trip even before you get home.