[scooter]

To all,

I'm thinking of ridin' up to Ohio on Wednesday and Thursday, leaving from the Houston area.

Made the trip many times in a cage, this will be my first trip over 400 miles in one day.

Any advice from you all you ol' long haulers out there?

Thanks for your words of wisdom in advance,

scoot

[chucktx]

have plenty of gold bond powder.....it will prevent monkey butt!! as you havent had any practice time in for long hauls, plan for a longer trip time....in case ya dont make the 400 mile day.
chuck

[Sleepy]

earplugs.....noise tires you out..not so much the pipes but wind noise. drink gatorade or some similar supplement when you get gas..keeping hydrated is huge..it really comes into play at the end of the day. chuck's got a good point on the powder. I don't know how much you're carrying on the bike but pack underwear and socks that you don't want to keep and ditch 'em when they're dirty..sunscreen ...but you knew that already..we use it to keep the reflection of the sun off the snow..[see Goose for details] from burning us.
Don't be in too big a rush to get there and have fun......

[scooter]

I've got the sag wagon (our safari) followin' with the kids and momma. So plenty of supplies in there!!

Thinking of lettin' the two older ones ride about a 100 or so mile stretches with me, they're both big enough and might get a blast out of it.

Powder? Check.

Socks/underwear? Check.

Sunscreen? Check.

I ride about 124 mile round trip for commute each day, so it won't be so bad for being too terribly sore. I know I'll have aches, but I think I'll hurt worse up there in Ohio, beautiful weather and all...if I DON'T take it, yanno?

scoot

[FLHTbiker]

Everybody else has given some good advice. Just be sure to drink plenty of clear liquids (water). Dehydration really sucks.

[voodoo1]

start early..ride stopping only for gas the first few times..then about 600-700 miles in eat lightly(STRETCH) pop two Aleve and slam a red bull then good to go another two tanks..then you're about 900 hundred into a trip..heck what is another 200 to 250 miles? for the day if you wanna stop?...only one more tank or so..poof you are there!!!
do it all the time going to Florida from Columbus Ohio. never got an iron butt patch(who cares) but I know I do it so no biggie there..get there in about 17-18 hours..then finish the little jaunt from jacksonville to Melbourne with a smile on my face!!! Once we had a viper in Georgia we followed at 100 miles an hour through most of the state(not reccomended), my buddy said it was some famous football player...wow we were cooking!! the ol' Wide Glide and his Classic Heritage Softail Springer were flying!!!LOL
I do not drink Red bulls to often but hey it works(they had no SOBEs)so..now...it is a ritual thing. this works in any direction for me.. . My kid and ol lady went to Asuza AZ for two weeks already this year. I could not get the time from work to go. that was what I planned on doing..that would be a two dayer!!! .LOL...We do the FLA. trip straight thru and even pop into Georgia and Memphis on three day weekends...700 is just a long cruise. If putting around the state and down through the forests and hills and winding roads in southern OH it might only be 400 but those are much haarder than cruising highway for 1000 miles. Maybe harden up on a few 300 then four hundred miles daliy jaunts. Have fun...!!!
never used earplug.radios or bath..seems like the body stops producing oils when it does not get soaped for a day or so..LOL..MAKE SURE YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO LEAN BACK INTO!!! LIKE A sleeping bag(not refering to the ol'lady)..I even stop along the way and buy one of those poncho-like woven blankets and slide one layer under the ol butt and roll the rest up and lean into it with my lower back!!! STRECTH!!!!! the shoulders!! make sure you jacket does not let air in the SLEEVES!!!! and take clear lenses!!!!

[bikerjim1]

Took a trip...635 miles about a year ago. Stopped every 100 miles to give the scoot a break. Was in no hurry, so tooled w/ traffic and did a little sight seeing along the way. Took me about 13 hours. Wasn't even tired after arrival to destination.

[scooter]

Thanks again for all of the advice guys.

I wussed out and didn't take the bike up there this time. Worked out well, though. The times I would been out ridin' I would have missed some pretty neat moments with the kids, and ya can't really replace those with anything except actually being there...

However, I AM going to take in a few 3 or 4 hundred mile day rides, just to toughen up a little more here and there. Besides, Texas DEMANDS that you just get out there and enjoy the roads year round. Lord knows, if and when I get up to Ohio for the transfer, I won't have the luxury of ridin' around in short sleeves come January...unless of course I want extreme frostbite, right?

scoot

[Red Rider]

I'll second the Red Bull, earplugs and Tylenol/Aleve. Also, don't eat much at any one meal. Alert = alive on 2 wheels!

[GreyBear]

Doing the really long hauls are a bitch, anyway ya look at it. Once had to ride from Michigan to Miami most ricky tick just stopping to gas and use the head. After awhile the old Bob Seeger song takes on a new meaning, road fatigue sets in and ya really do just wish the trip was through. But sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do.
Now I usually figure on doing 500 miles a day give or take a few. Stop every 100 miles or so, stretch and walk around, keep hydrated and relaxed. I am not a radio type when on the bike, I prefer to let the mind get into that Zen "being here now" state it does. Any sort of anti inflamatory (Tylenol, Ibuprofin etc) ya need to start on a few days before the trip as it is a cumulative effect. I do the 800 mg Motrin and it keeps the aches and pains down pretty good. Just be sure to take anything like that with a full glass of water. And unless you simply have to stay on a tight schedule...take time to enjoy the ride and whats out there. I am a sucker for roadside signs and little unscheduled mini trips. I have gone off on side roads to see everything from the birthplace of Davy Crockett to Dicks Castle to a rattlesnake rodeo. For me, at least, it really is the journey not the destination.....
Ride Free

[scooter]

I know what you mean about the side trips. Drives my wife absolutely crazy for her to go to sleep on me (in the car of course) and wake without us having gotten any further along...because I was out on some rabbit chase, or cool roadside historical marker, or scenic byway, etc...

Been gettin' in the zone alot, lately. Seems about after 50 or so miles, I get tuned in and life is good, feelin' great...almost warm and fuzzy. Doesn't seem to change either, as this has been going on for the past year or so...

[2fastnaz]

My biggest problem on long hauls is my lips getting sunburned and or cracked and split. If I don't keep some Blistex on them I'm miserable for a few days after. It may have to do with riding in the desert, I don't know.

[CD]

Originally Posted by 2fastnaz

My biggest problem on long hauls is my lips getting sunburned and or cracked and split. If I don't keep some Blistex on them I'm miserable for a few days after. It may have to do with riding in the desert, I don't know.

Try some Caramex. Have to keep it somewhat cool or it goes liquid but, it stays for hours. This dang AZ will cook your face off eh?

[LawnMower]

No doubt about the melting face here in AZ. I take a bag of ice with me and the ol' lay refills the ziplock on my neck as it melts. Saw a guy walking down Grant road yesterday with a Fry's bag (local grocery) full of ice balanced on his head. Had to do a double take. I also wear a skull cap or bandana and keep them wet. Keeping cool is a must here in AZ.. Carmex in the tube is what I use not such a big deal if it melts. Ride free....

Lawnmower..

[FLHTbiker]

Well, I'll probably catch a lot of flack over this for not dropping in to say hello but here is my ride story from this last week.
I flew to Phoenix last Thursday morning at 6 AM to pick up another bike. Bought a real nice 99 Valkyrie Interstate for a really good price. Had a Valk Interstate before but my wife got a hold of it and now its a Trike. I still have my two Harley's that I won't part with and yea like the wife said, do you really need another motorcycle, well yea I told her. I'm like the guy that my wife has to put time on the calender to spend time with me. My first wife hated motorcycles and told me you don't need one as there just a luxury anyway. Well, I say what the He7l do we live for anyway.
So I bought the bike, runs great, looks good but my god what a blast furnace Arizona is. I headed out as I was on a time constraint at 11:30 AM heading for LA on I-10. I have to tell you I kept a water bottle on the bike with me all the time and never had to P. Got into a little area called Indigo and I heard someone say it was 118 F. I decided it was time to cool down so I shut the bike off with the kill switch and reached down to grab the key and it burnt my fingers. My water became to hot to drink. I went into the rest room and soaked my T-shirt and my denim long sleeve shirt. Gee it felt good going on but is was dried out in less than 5 miles. Kept taking as much water as I could until it go to hot to drink. Made LA at 7 PM and it took me 2 hours just to ride through so that put me behind my schedule. I had wanted to make Sacramento but made it short by a 100 miles at midnight. Man it was time to shut down for the night after getting up at 3 AM to catch Southwest Airlines that morning. Cold shower, felt great slept 5 hours and up again on the road Friday morning by 6 AM.
To make a long story short, I made it home (Oregon City, 10 miles south of Portland, OR) at 7:30 PM Friday night.
Well, it was just shy of 1400 miles in a day and a half I have to admit and to say I was tired when I got home. I did an 800 mile stretch last fall when sleepy and I parted in Salt Lake heading for home after the Bike Talk Ride to Springerville AZ.
There are probably many I could have called or stopped to visit but simply was no time. I still want to get down and visit CD and the new shop.
CD, does Mustang sell seats for Valkyrie Interstates?
By the way Cal. women sure do drive fast.

[scooter]

Er, they do lots of things fast....

[voodoo1]

that stuff made a believer out of me when I was stationed in South Dakota.
HEY y ever notice how Jesse James blasted his way across AZ to get to Sturgis and then Another Trip with kid Rock to deep deep mexico..those tanks looked liked they held about two gallons..but he got there real quick! on the custom job..no windshield,shocks,noway(lol)..can you say "action" LOL....who knows and away they go..can't never telll anymore.....but good for the bike business

[SK]

Man Marc, you sure picked a hell of a time to ride..hottest time of the year unfortunately. Glad you made it safe. Heck, even that I5 corridor (outside the mountains past Shasta) is pretty dang hot. Heard Redding was 112º.

You ought visit Tucson in February..absolutely some of the nicest weather in the country.

Congrats on another bike..what are your plans for the Valk?

[FLHTbiker]

Originally Posted by SK

Man Marc, you sure picked a hell of a time to ride..hottest time of the year unfortunately. Glad you made it safe. Heck, even that I5 corridor (outside the mountains past Shasta) is pretty dang hot. Heard Redding was 112º.

You ought visit Tucson in February..absolutely some of the nicest weather in the country.

Congrats on another bike..what are your plans for the Valk?

Oh yes it was hot. The timing was just how it worked out sure did not want to ride in that heat. Funny thing it was actually pretty nice from Shasta to almost Eugene, OR then it got hot again as the Willamette Valley was also in a heat wave.

My plans are to ride it like I stole it.
The Valk is actually a very fast bike for a large touring bike, however they don't handle as well as a Harley touring bike especially so at slower speeds.

Feels a bit heavy in the steering when leaning into a corner. I do like them though as I had one for a few years prior to my wife getting her hands on it and triking it.
I think when we go on long trips pulling the tent trailer I'm going to use the Valk. has a lot of torque and HP for a stock bike.

By the way I was thinking of you when riding through Sacramento, where are you calling home this summer?