I went on an adventure
In May of 2023 I embarked on a somewhat lengthy (at least to me) motorcycle road trip. It ended up being a solo trip as the other rider, who had been part of the planning process for months, got sick the night before and wasn't able to join me. That wasn't the first change that occurred, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. However, my 2,200-mile ride proved to be an adventure - and an enjoyable one.
Planning
We had been planning a route from Utah through Wyoming, into South Dakota, south through midwest states until we hit Texas, and then back up through New Mexico and Colorado before arriving back in Utah. Every part of this trip was planned, including hotel reservations and days/times we'd visit family along the way. Total miles for the trip was expected to hit 3600+. The plan wasn't to ride this all at once, but to break it up into a 4-day weekend of riding followed by a 3-day work week, followed by another 4-day weekend of riding, another 3-day work week, and a final 4-day weekend to get us back home. It was a perfect route. Except, we weren't sure what the weather would be like as we were planning the trip. For that reason, we decided to plan alternate routes that we could choose from as we got closer to our departure date. This proved to be a wise move.
Going under the assumption that "Route A" would work, we continued planning and preparing for everything we could possibly run into. Weather. Laundry. Flat or low tires. Minor mechanical issues. Check, check, check.
This was going to be an awesome adventure!
Changes
A week before departure we noticed the weather in the Midwest wasn't letting up and seemed too unpredictable. We had to make a choice so that there was still time to cancel hotel reservations and make new ones on one of the alternate routes. We made the decision to go with "Route D" which would take us across Nevada, over Donner Pass down into Sacramento, and from there head over to Hwy 101 and start heading north.
The night before departure the other rider came down with something that prevented him from joining me. I had to decide. Proceed by myself or cancel the trip entirely. I decided to proceed alone. After all, we had been planning and preparing for months and I was itching and ready to go.
Making assumptions
In life, we often make choices based on associated risks. Low risk usually makes the choice easier. Some may like high risk decisions as it adds to the journey.
Sometimes assumptions are wrong.
One key assumption I made is that because both motorcycles on the trip were brand new (they made it through their break-in periods and had at least their first services performed by the dealerships) we shouldn't run into any mechanical issues.
One of the motorcycles had issues shortly after purchasing it. After taking it into the dealership for warranty repair I thought my problems were over. Little did I know I was about to discover more while I was several hundred miles away from home. By myself.
More on this later.
Bikes and gear
You're probably wondering what motorcycles we were going to ride. They included:
- 2022 Indian Pursuit Dark Horse
- 2022 BMW R1250GS Triple Black
The bike I chose to ride on the trip was the Indian. The other rider was going to ride the BMW. Both had hard saddle bags and a trunk or top case (hard and locking).
Both bikes are loaded with tech and comfort features for a long ride, including cruise control, heated grips, navigation (only on a mobile device for the BMW), Apple CarPlay (on the Indian), frame-mounted fairing and windscreen for extra protection against the elements and bugs.
Both of us were also prepared with motorcycle gear that was waterproof (jacket, pants, boots, gloves) and we wore full-face helmets.
Additional gear included a Insta360 camera, and a GoPro mounted to both bikes (one on each) to capture the entire ride each day - non-stop. This meant the cameras had to be plugged into external power sources, we also included rechargeable power banks.
Packing list
We planned on making sure we were prepared for anything, and our packing list illustrated that. We included the following:
- Clothing: 6 days' worth (more on this later)
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Bar soap (more on this later)
- Shampoo
- Deodorant
- Comm chargers
- Phone chargers
- Laptop
- Laptop charger
- Camera kit
- Extra shoes
- Extra helmet
- Extra gloves
- Hat
- Medication
- Eye drops
- Layers x3
- Cash
- First aid kid
- Latex gloves (to go with the first aid kit)
- Tools (bike specific)
- Tire kit / tire inflator
- Other personal care items (q-tips, fingernail clippers)
- Alcohol wipes
- Visor cleaner
- Portable SSDs
- Portable power banks
This was the planned list. As we got closer to the departure date, we trimmed it down and excluded the following:
- Extra shoes
- Extra helmet
- Hat
The primary reason for excluding these items was space. Two saddle bags and a top case / trunk were now full. We had to start making some decisions on what to leave out.
As you can see, we wanted to be prepared for everything.
The trip
The ride was amazing. Even going solo. The one thing I learned about solo riding is that I'm the only person I have to be concerned about. When riding with others, especially when riding in the lead position, there is additional mental strain because you are (or should be) checking on the rest of the group to make sure everyone is okay or looking for hand signals from another rider needing gas or a restroom stop.
Honestly, the entire ride was fantastic. I got lucky and hit Hwy 101 at a time where the weather was perfect, roads were dry, and traffic was light. There's some very cool scenery on Hwy 101. I won't go into details here. Go ride it yourself and discover what I mean.
Part of the planning phase included pacing ourselves each day. The goal was to ride about 5 hours per day (based on what the map says, so this does not include stops) which would give us time to relax in the evenings. This was a smart way to approach it. You might be different and enjoy longer days in the saddle, but this was about the sweet spot for me.
Lessons learned
Oh, so many. If you've embarked on a lengthy motorcycle road trip you might be wondering if I'm crazy with the packing list above. Yes, I brought too much stuff with me. This unloading and loading the bike at every hotel a chore that took multiple trips to/from the room. I prefer to sleep on the top floor of a hotel, so this made loading/unloading even more of a hassle.
Lesson #1: Pack light
I did not need 6 days' worth of clothes. I could have gotten by with 2 or 3 changes of clothes. Hotels have laundry machines, but you can also just wash in the bathroom sink if you needed/wanted to and hang dry overnight. Clothes add bulk and weight. Bring as little as possible.
Most of the hotels I stayed at, I discovered, provided the soap brand I prefer. I didn't need to bring my own and only my own once.
Lesson #2: Just because it's new doesn't mean it won't break
My motorcycle didn't "break" but I did run into unexpected issues.
Issue #1: Halfway through my trip something happened to the trunk on my Indian motorcycle, and I was no longer able to open it. Thankfully, my laptop wasn't inside it at the time. But there were other items in the trunk that were important, such as both pair of gloves, eye protection (I wear under my full-face helmet which gives me the option of opening my visor for more air while still protecting my eyes), tools, earbuds and ear plugs, cleaning wipes, cable lock, and a few other items.
Since both side cases were full and my trunk was full, I was now left with figuring out a way to repack items - which meant strapping stuff down on the outside of my bike.
Issue #2: Two days after my trunk problem I started the motorcycle and the engine light came on. According to the diagnosis screen the system detected a misfire in one of the cylinders. Not good. The message did state I could ride safely to the nearest dealership and to expect reduced performance. I rode to my sister's house (almost 3 hours away) and didn't notice any performance issues. I then called the dealership who suggested I check the leads on the battery terminals and make sure they were tight. I'm glad I was at my sister's house and could use their tools - since mine were inside my broken trunk. Sure enough, the negative terminal required at least two full turns to tighten it back down. After that, no more engine light.
Lesson #3: Expect the unexpected
Sometimes I have a difficult time just going with the flow. I plan so that I don't have to expect the unexpected. This trip taught me, or rather reminded me, that things still happen and that's part of life. The other rider got ill last minute and couldn't go. I went by myself. My trunk broke. Screws needed to be tightened on my battery terminal. "Route D" ended up changing along the way and become "Route H" by the time I finished. It was still a good trip.
Lesson #4: I cannot pick up a 900+ lb motorcycle by myself
Yes, it happened. I dropped my precious new motorcycle in the parking lot of the last hotel I stayed at. A few lessons on this one... First, over packing meant an even heavier bike (and I should have unloaded some of it before attempting to lift the bike). Second, there are good people in this world, like the guy I waved down in the parking lot who came to my aid and helped me lift this behemoth of a bike back upright.
Lesson #5: 360 cameras are awesome!
Kudos to myself for thinking of this. The benefit of a 360 camera with a 512GB storage card and external power source meant my camera could record ALL DAY LONG. I mounted it on my handlebar, pressed record, and didn't have to worry about it the rest of that day's ride. No chin-mounted camera and then trying to turn my head so the camera could see the cool thing on the side of the road. Nope. The 360 camera captures everything. At the end of the day I would transfer the files to an external SSD, wipe the SD card and prep it for the next day. Later, I can edit my videos and grab stills from them as well. I can decide what view I want from the 360 view during edit. It makes riding more fun because I can focus on the ride and not the camera(s).
Lesson #6: People are nice
Not that I think people aren't nice. But I met a lot of friendly people along the way and had a lot of compliments on my motorcycle.
Lesson #7: Soft saddlebags aren't bad
I have a fear of someone stealing my stuff, so hard and locking cases has always been my preferred option. However, on this trip I intentionally left my motorcycle cover strapped to the top of my trunk. To my knowledge, nobody touched my bike. I realized the benefit of soft luggage that doesn't lock is I can't get locked out of it! 😄
Lesson #8: Helmet comfort
I didn't wear a helmet that was completely comfortable. This became a problem for me early on in the trip to the point that I was willing to stop at the first motorcycle gear store I saw on my way and buy something different - and toss what I brought. Motorcycle helmets aren't cheap. Find the brand the works for you and stick with it. I made the mistake of wanting to be a poster boy and strayed from the brand I trusted. I did this shortly before the trip and it was a literal headache.
Lesson #9: Seat comfort
For long days in the saddle you need a seat better designed to support your bum, and back. While I had a rider backrest that was a lifesaver, the seat pan left a lot to be desired. I'll be ordering a custom seat soon.
Lesson #10: Communication devices don't have a long battery life
I'm specifically referring to comm devices on helmets. My battery on my Cardo Packtalk Bold didn't last 5 hours with music playing the entire time. I didn't think to look this up before I left and plan accordingly. I learned the hard way. Fortunately, my motorcycle has speakers and I was able to switch over to them to get my tunes.
Final thoughts
Seeing the world from the viewpoint of a motorcycle is fun. It's increased my interest in road trips. Even with the bumps I encountered on this trip, I would do it all again. Hopefully, applying what I learned to the next trip.
Keep the rubber side down and enjoy the ride!
Comments
Post a Comment