6000 miles on the east coast

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Mattwix	6000 miles on the east coast		Lead	[-]
HSATF Member Posts: 9 04/19/07 10:50 AM	Tags : trip, vacation, east coast, ride, long What do you guys think about this 6000 trip to the East Coast? (keep in mind it's my first long trip on a cycle and I just picked up my 99 T 3 days ago). Is it a good trip? suggestions? anyone take a similar route? how can I make it comfortable? my bike is stock. 1) Start in MN in mid-summer 2) Head down to Chicago (alternative is up through Canada to Toronto) 3) Head east to NYC and Cape Cod area 4) Spend the next 2 weeks cruising down the coast 5) Probably call 'er quits around Savannah, Georgia and head back north through ATL and St. Louis. 6) We plan to stay at cheap motels (recommendations?) and hit up all the six flags along the way.
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mktobob		#1	[url]	[-]
Posts: 2266 04/19/07 11:16 AM	A 6000 mile trip sounds great! Maybe Kirk can chime in here. Last summer he did about 6,000 miles in 6 days and can give you a few ideas. Bob
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ngmcbiker		#2	[url]	[-]
HSATF Tail Gunner Posts: 140 04/19/07 11:19 AM	I think i liked the other picture better, this one just looks wierd
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ngmcbiker		#3	[url]	[-]
HSATF Tail Gunner Posts: 140 04/19/07 11:27 AM	Mattwix, if you end up in Savanah give me a holler. I am a bunch north in Dahlonega, but if you are heading North thru Atl you will need to come somewhere close by, we could meet up and at least share a meal. My only comment is to watch the tires on such a long trip. If not brand new, it is surprising how fast the tread can disappear once it gets low.
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Fredrider		#4	[url]	[-]
Posts: 5696 04/19/07 11:41 AM	Mattix, I would recommend that you go on a much smaller trip to start out with. Sometime between now and your planned mid-summer trip, at least take an overnight motorcycle trip some weekend. That will give you some idea what you are in for. If you have not ridden 300-600 miles per day on a motorcycle, you will find it is a lot different than driving a car. Some motorcyclists like travelling exclusively via Interstates and some are just the opposite, avoiding all Interstates and even as many cities as possible. What kind of riding do you like to do? Can you get an overnight trip in, or even a long weekend trip of 3 or 4 days? As regards the T's comfort level, most find getting a windshield the right height for them, an aftermarket seat and floorboards a good start for what is comfortable riding a motorcycle. If you can see over the stock windshield without experiencing buffeting you do not need an aftermarket windshield. If you can ride on a whole tankful's worth of gas without monkey butt, you do not need an aftermarket seat. If your feet feel comfortable on the stock footpegs you do not need to spring for floorboards. What you may want though is a set of highway pegs, so that you have more than one riding position to sit in. You may also want a driver's seat back rest. It can really help you put in those long days of riding. On a long trip you can count on getting rained on. May sure you have waterproof gloves and boots as well as a rainsuit. Fred
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alepel		#5	[url]	[-]
Posts: 7574 04/19/07 11:49 AM	Mattwix....since you asked, if I were in your location right now, I would modify the trip of my dreams and it would go something like this. From Minnesota I'd ferry across Lake Michigan to Toronto. Then I would travel East across the top of Lake Ontario and head down into Vermont and travel across New England on Route 2. It is gorgeous with quaint little New England towns and plenty of Mountain scenery. I would travel all the way on Rt 2 to Bar Harbor, Maine, on the Atlantic Coast. Then I would head north into Nova Scotia and New Brunswick staying on the ocean routes all the way. You will have thought you died and went to motorcyclist heaven. Check it out on the internet. The folks in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick seem to love motorcyclist. Request the tourist info packages from both of them and you'll spend a lifetime reading of all that there is to see. I'm gong in the next couple of year right after I get my T. alepel
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Fredrider		#6	[url]	[-]
Posts: 5696 04/19/07 11:58 AM	Alain, has Lake Michigan recently gotten a lot wider? That is some ferry trip you are suggesting. Fred
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alepel		#7	[url]	[-]
Posts: 7574 04/19/07 12:10 PM	Alain, has Lake Michigan recently gotten a lot wider? That is some ferry trip you are suggesting. Well now....I'm BAD! Jokes on me. I mean't to say ferry across Lake Michigan, then ride across Michigan State and then Province of Ontario to Toronto. I would travel along Lake Ontario and cross into New York State at The Thousand Islands and travel across the Adirondacks to Fort Ticonderoga. From there I take the bridge across Lake George into Vermont and go the rest of my route. There is that better? Alain
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Kirk Groeneweg		#8	[url]	[-]
HSATF Member Posts: 27 04/19/07 1:22 PM	I would agree with the comment... if you have not taken a long distance trip, PLEASE take a 3-day weekend and spend 300-600 miles a day in the saddle. It can be a great experience. The will be a great indicator to you if you are (and your body) are willing and/or able to do it. It's not joke that you get tired riding. I've found the hitting the road early in the morning, when it's till cool and pounding on some miles before lunch is a good option. Then when the day warms up and you get tired and hot, you can take it easy, take in the sights and stop early for the day. Most of all... MAKE IT FUN!!! I have a suggestion also. You mention a lot of big cities on your route. It's much more fun (although slower) to get off the superslab and take the two lane roads around this great country. That's when you meet some great people, eat/stay at the mom and pop places where service and good food/bed still happen. When I'm riding for vacation... unless I need to be somewhere at a certain time... give me the back roads and see things you'd never see from the super slabs. And if you have any problems with the bike... the folks in the small towns are more willing to lend a hand. sounds like you are planning at least 3 weeks... let's see... 21 days, 6k miles... that's less than 300 miles a day. No sweat. You should have that done by lunch each day. My 2 cents on New York... try to avoid NYC on the bike if you can. Park it in New Jersey and ride the PATH over to the island if you want to see NYC. I think I'll get off my soapbox now. Remember... make it fun and the miles will seem like nothing. Now, I need to get the battery in my bikes and go for a ride. Dang, that's right, I'm in Ft. Worth and my bikes are in IA. I gotta quite racking up those FF miles with Northwest! Keep you knees in the breeze! -Kirk
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mktobob		#9	[url]	[-]
Posts: 2266 04/19/07 2:16 PM	I think most people here on the forum know my style, slow and easy. Being rushed is not in my game plan. I get enough of that at work! Six thousand miles right out of the gate is a mighty big pill to swallow. Like others have stated, do a long weekend with 300-350 miles per day and see how your body and mind reacts. That weekend will give you a small indication of how you will tolerate a longer trip. You will also know your bike better. Short trips or rides of 100 miles just don't let the personality of the bike come through as opposed to the "quirks" that may rise to the surface after you have spent 10 hours atop the T. I would also recommend having someone you trust go over your bike front to back and look for problems or potential problems. What appears to be fine today can be a big problem two or three thousand miles from now. We avoid big cities at almost any cost. I consider them wasted miles and time. Hit the great two laners. Great scenery and folks. Speaking of folks. You may think of not getting too involved with a schedule and reservations. That just brings on more stress. There are plenty of mom and pop motels with openings. My wife Sue and I did a nice trip through three states and Ontario, Canada last summer with no motel reservations and had no problem at all. I feel more comfortable seeing a motel before committing to it and the worry of getting there on time. Also, mom and pop restaurants are wonderful. Good food, prices and again people. Don't get me wrong, long rides are great but only after a few long weekend runs to test out our systems...physical, mechanical and mental. Ride on! Bob
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danbgt		#10	[url]	[-]
HSATF 1st Officer Posts: 1890 04/19/07 4:35 PM	Ditto what several have said. Don't make the mistake of assuming that just because you love riding, that you will love riding day after day. Take at least a three day trip of at least 300 miles per day first. I would hate to see you looking for a motorcycle dealer to buy your bike four or five days into the trip because you can't stand the thoughts of getting back on it!!! Riding four to six hundred miles per day for multiple days is taxing at best. On a bike like the ACE Tourer, it will test your metal. Althought it has "Tourer" in it's name, it's not really very well suited to the task. -Dan 1998 ACE T (Elvira) 1999 Valkyrie I/S Motor Trike 2000 Valkyrie I/S CSC Trike
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Fredrider		#11	[url]	[-]
Posts: 5696 04/20/07 5:30 AM	danbgt wrote: Althought it has "Tourer" in it's name, it's not really very well suited to the task. Come on Dan, I cannot let that remark go. With my T, I've been on 15 road trips covering 17, 392 miles in 69 days. IMHO, the T is fantastic as a Tourer. Admittedly my idea of touring maybe different than yours, but to label something not a tourer that is very much a touring vehicle to me and many others is a little over the top. Maybe it is not a World Tourer, but then again neither is a Gold Wing or any other luxury tourer. Yes, on a luxury tourer a rider, with or without a passenger, can go more miles in comfort, but cruiser-tourers, including the T, can and do allow extremely enjoyable days and weeks of touring for many on this Forum and many more beyond this Forum. Who here has ridden their T on several day, week-long or multiple week trips and had the times of their lives? I would have to raise my hand 15 times. Fred
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danbgt		#12	[url]	[-]
HSATF 1st Officer Posts: 1890 04/20/07 6:36 AM	Didn't say it couldn't be done. Just said it's not a touring bike. I know a couple of guys that have done 50cc's on VLX's. That's REALLY not a touring bike. I read an article about some goober that tourer some hellacious amount of property on a moped!! (I think he was Canadian). Any bike can do whatever the operator is capable of enduring. When I think of touring bikes, I always think of ST's or BMWhatevers. Something that has more than a 125 mile tank range and the back tire can be changed without disassembling the rear of the bike. When I walk out into my garage to get on a bike, planning on being on it for more than two days, it's not going to be Elvira. That's always been one of the things that fascinates me about motorcycling. The wide range of types of equipment that different people use to accomplish the same task. -Dan 1998 ACE T (Elvira) 1999 Valkyrie I/S Motor Trike 2000 Valkyrie I/S CSC Trike
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alepel		#13	[url]	[-]
Posts: 7574 04/20/07 7:05 AM	I guess this debate really boils down to what you know and what you don't know. What I know is this. My current bike the Honda Shadow VT800C is a good medium cruisier bike best for riding around town. My few long trips, like to Americade, have proven to me that my bike is not great on creature comforts for long trips. So naturally I look to the bigger Tourer to fulfill that niche. I don't know the Tourer shortcomings like some do, so my expectation is that the Tourer is the bike that is going to make me most happy. Those of you who know the Tourer intimately, may be looking beyond this bike. To something bigger or "better". My bet is on what Fred has said. Different bikes for different people for different reasons. Right now I am so excited to be looking for a Tourer that I can't wait for one to show up. No more wannabe. alepel
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Mattwix		#14	[url]	[-]
HSATF Member Posts: 9 04/20/07 9:16 AM	Thanks to everyone for their input. Your words of wisdom have convinced me of a few things: 1) I'm likely changing my route a bit to experience back roads, small towns, rural settings, which might lead me to SE Canada. I will take the "big city" trip in the luxury of my automobile later on. 2) I'm going to take it slow and have a very tentative plan 3) I'll spend a few hundred miles in the saddle over a weekend to get a feel for physical and mental comfort on long distance riding 4) I'll take, literally, thousands of pictures and hours of video. I'll pic out the very best and share them with you all. Plus, I'll be making an edited video out of the trip that should be pretty cool - maybe I'll set up a hyperlink for that when it's done. 5) Keep the suggestions coming!!! Hey, I'm a young, inexperienced buck that's open to learning from everyone. 6) I can't thank you all enough!
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mktobob		#15	[url]	[-]
Posts: 2266 04/20/07 11:08 AM	Sounds like a great revised plan. Thousands of pictures and video? Wow....we want pictures...Can you leave tomorrow? Not that we are impatient bunch, but we are an impatient bunch. Thanks for wetting out appetites. Bob
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6000 miles on the east coast

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