Tour Tips

It’s that time of year in Florida…..the sun is out, the rains subsided, the temps have cooled off, and you’re itching to be on the road.

At long last you’re planning that motorcycle adventure and can’t wait to hit the road. Don’t let the excitement get in the way of basic planning and common sense. Be sure you make preparations well in advance of your leave date. Start with a packing list and check it often. Eventually, you’ll have compiled lists for long and short trips. Keep these lists updated and you’ll never forget that one crucial item.

Of course, traveling the good old USA isn’t the same as say, Siberia…….there’s always a store around the corner. But who want’s to STOP when you could be on the road.

Following are a few tips for a safer, and more comfortable, journey. This is not, by any means, everything you need to know about touring, just a few tips I’ve picked up from friends, experience and stupidity. Be sure to check out our Safety First guidelines.

Don’t leave home without it!

• HOG Touring Handbook and detail maps
• Insurance and Roadside Assistance information
• Mobile phone or CB radio, the stranded riders best friend
• Hotel / motel reservation and contact information
• Phone number and address book
• Cash, credit cards or travelers checks
• Basic tool kit, more if you have room
• Tire pressure gauge

 Weather too, or weather not too; The Elements

• Plastic bags, and lots of them. Most motorcycle luggage today is classified as “water resistant”. Well, let me tell you, this is not “waterproof!” Just get stuck in a good pour for half an hour, the lesson will be learned. If you’re unfortunate enough to be packing some newly prized unwashed possessions (T-Shirts), that you’ve gathered along the way, caution……the colors will most likely bleed….. on your shirts, jeans, and unmentionables. Use large, thin garbage bags as liners and stuff your gear inside. You don’t need to cover the outside of the bag in plastic….how Not Cool it that!
• Be sure and pack gear for all kinds of weather conditions. You just never know when it will be 40 degrees in August (true story). Other than standard preparations including rain gear, jackets, boots and gloves, you might just toss in that fleece ski hat, thermal long johns (the thin kind don’t take up any room), and just think in layers, putting them on and taking them off as the temperature changes.
• Carry WATER. Especially here in South Florida where it doesn’t take long to overheat, and perhaps suffer heat stroke. Keep yourself hydrated, even in winter.
• Weather radios, hmmmmmmm……..how valuable are they. Well, I guess they serve a purpose, especially when riding in unpopulated areas and shelter is not readily available. But if you have a radio or not, be sure and check local stations for weather conditions before your departure and plan accordingly.

Weight gain; a lesson on distribution

Motorcycles don’t take lightly to foolishness in the payload. Stability, steering and safety are seriously compromised when you load a bike improperly. The first thing to know about proper load distribution on two wheels is to keep it centered between them.

Don’ts

Don’t strap heavy bedrolls or packs on your handlebars. This screws up the steering badly by adding to the pendulum effect of turning the handlebars. The fork will want to flop radically from side to side.

Think twice about hanging a 100 pounds of T-bag over your luggage rack. Your rack probably has a weight limit and there’s a reason. It’s not usually because the rack can’t handle it, it’s all about the weight distribution. It takes very little weight hanging over and behind the back axle to make our steering light. It also compresses the rear shocks too much, negating any help from them in the event of a problem. Taken to the extreme, this “strap it on the ass end” logic can lead to a motorcycle doing a poor imitation of a wheelbarrow loaded with wet cement. Control all but disappears, wet roads become lethal (OK, more lethal), steering gets twitchy even in the dry because the front wheel is barely skimming the tarmac, and you may be asking for a flat rear tire if you exceed its load rating. And, flat-spotting the poor thing if you slam on the rear brake with all that crap bearing down on it.

Do’s

If you’re riding without a passenger, place your bags in front of the sissy bar, centered over the axle, for best weight distribution.

Keep the weight low on the chassis. Saddlebags make more sense to the steering geometry of your machine than T-bags or sissy bars. The bags keep the weight positioned down low, below seat height. This makes for super stability.

Perhaps the next best thing is a tank bag. True, it’s higher up on the machine, but unless you’re carrying bowling balls in the thing, it’s still more stable than the same weight slung on bars, be they handle or sissy. The bonus, with a tank bag, is the load is once again contained within the wheelbase.

Heed payload warnings on luggage racks and backrests.

Lighten the load (no, this isn’t your significant other!). You ride a motorcycle, not a RV. Think carefully about just how much you need for your trip. Pay attention when you get home to the things you brought and never used and update your packing list.

Fly me to the moon; bike transportation 

Sometimes, if limited by work and other commitments, we might not be able to take 4 weeks off for a motorcycle tour. If this is your situation, you might consider riding either to/from your destination and shipping your scoot. This saves lots of time, but be prepared to spend some time with the freight company to supervise and assist in loading your bike for transport.

Be sure and pick a reliable freight carrier to take all the necessary precautions in transporting your motorcycle. Your Harley-Davidson dealer can help you with your selection, and might point you to better prices for special events.