Planning a trip, Advice? Route? Suggestions?

Smart additions to your bike there.

Going alone..how about at least a passenger female type?

I've ridden along and its lonely but you almost always end up meeting someone to ride with. Its fun with another bike or 2. I once rode over 400 miles with like 18-20 bikes and it sucked. What a cluster f*ck.

Mostly its me and my wife, sometimes kids/grandkids following in a truck.

That's a good looking Honda you got there Reg.

Riding alone is OK cuz you don't have to ask anyone where and when to stop. Although it can get lonely by yourself at times on a long ride, make plans to stop in to see friends or family along the way and you will greatly enjoy the visit and save some cash too.
If you camp out, only stay in rv campgrounds cuz they always have tent space in grassy areas. They're safer and friendlier, and they also have showers. Have a good stereo or i pod for tunes so you don't go stir-crazy listening to the motor and wind.

It's a long ride you're doing, so best have new tires to start with or you may find yourself somewhere there are no mc shops, or don't have the tires you want.

Although Harley dealers will get you in right now for service if you tell them you're travelling, I don't know what a Honda dealer would do for you. My friend had a flat tire while we were riding thru Paige, Arizona last year, and had his bike towed to the only mc shop in town...a Honda dealer. When the dealer saw it was a Harley, he complained about having to work on it and then screwed-up the rear brake so bad that it was ruined. Now, I will only go to a diff. dealer if I'm laying on the road bleeding! Take a can of Flat Tire Fix (Wal-mart) for emergency.

The drive chain on your bike should last 20-40,000 miles if it's been oiled. Take it off and soak it in a pan of motor oil overnight and it should go another 10,000 miles easy. If you ever break down on the road, only Harley riders will ever stop to help--no one else will.

Had an experience with a friend who was riding a Honda. On a ride to "famous" Rosmiers Destination Dayton H-D he lost a valve stem pulling in. AND they absolutely refused to replace his valve stem. We had to call the nearest Honda shop and have the bike hauled there so they could fix it. How about that for 'good ' relations ?? He'll do a lot of free advertizing for Harley.

No, The problem was, "We don't service Hondas". We could have walked to J&P Cycles,if you're at all familiar with Desination,got any type of stem and brought it to them in 20min.max. If we could break the bead on tire we would have fixed it ourselves.

The way it should be. Bruce Rossmiers,probably the most known,famous H-D dealer in the world and that's they're business practices. ???

I was trying to get my wife to go but no deal, she would love to but she's going to be flying out with the kids and meeting me in Los Angeles.

A friend of mine was saying he might follow me in his truck but I think the gas would kill his wallet more than he thinks.

Thank you,

I was planning on keeping the Iphone charged up and the music going as background noise so that I don't go crazy. I figure a couple of books or the kindle and i'll be good for the times I'm not riding too. I think the peace and quiet will be a nice change of pace from the busy hectic and loud home life of 2 young children, thats actually one of the things i'm looking forward to. haha.

Yea, I think i'll end up getting new tires. plus a plug kit and fix flat or something too thanks for reminding me of that. Anyone know a good place to order tires from? (preferably cheap??)

Should I look up the campsites along my route before I head out or wing it and see where I am and plan each night as I go? In anyones experience what is the better way to plan, more or less?

and as a person on a honda, i would stop. lol

My chain has about 18,000 miles on it and I'm thinking that it needs be replaced before I go because it is almost at the 'replace' marker on the bike... first time I'll have to replace it so I'm not sure how thats going to go or if its really necessary, the rings all look good and i've cleaned it with a de-greaser.

Reg, try Dennis Kirk for the best tire prices and free delivery, but you'll have to find a local shop to install and balance 'em. DK will also have your chain. You can't beat the prices and ease of shopping for this stuff on-line. Dealers can't even get these prices, and they still have to mark them up to you.

As for planning each day: I never do. I don't know how far I'm gonna go each day and always can find motels or campgrounds to stay at. Save yourself the grief of having a schedule to keep. You may have weather that slows ya down and you will worry about missing those reservations. Plan on stopping around 4-5 pm each day, and you'll find plenty of nice places along your intended route that don't advertise in the travel publications. That way you can drive by to take a look before committing.

Since retiring, I travel about 30,000 miles a year on my bike and have never had to phone ahead for someplace to stay unless I was staying with family or friends. Life is a long road trip.....we usually don't know what's ahead, so why limit your possibilities?

Shame on them. Business must have been too good for them at the time. I bet they wish a few of those metric bikers would stop in these leaner days. Just think of the good-will and future business they'd have if they would try to accomodate a traveller for simple repairs.

That brings up a sore subject with me. I hate the attitude some Harley bikers have, and some H-D dealers show around other (import) riders. BMW riders are exactly the same in this regard. One day, that attitude is gonna bite them on the butt. I didn't coin this phrase, but it's so true: You reap what you sow.

Yup, we all reap what we sow. As far as riding alone - I've ridden cross country a few times on an ironhead (1000 cc Sportster). Didn't plan ahead very much except to make sure I had enough gas in the tank when going thru the southwest. Even then I ran out once. I mixed it up sleeping in campgrounds or off the side of the road or motels. Secondary roads are best IMHO, but sometimes you have to ride the interstate. I rode a lot on Route 66, but there isn't much of it left now.

You can ride alone and not be lonely.

Don't you just hate it when a bike shop treats somebody like pond scum? I hear these stories all the time, but I personally have never run into that problem. Suppose it'll happen eventually - I just hope I'm not broke down on the road far from home when it does.

Good thing is, for every bad penny out there, there's a nickel's worth of good ones.

I guess it goes both ways sometimes. The dealers that trash-talk somebody's bike will regret it one day when they're about to be shut down. Those kind of morons don't deserve your business, and only cause bad feelings towards their brand. Good riddance I say.

They just jealous...