Preparring for first really long trip.

JHutch808 · Aug 22, 2011

It is almost time. Barring anything major coming up, I'm leaving Saturday afternoon for a long 17 day trip. There will be quite a few rest days mixed in there. First I want to thank each of you who has posted advice and tips regarding tourings and proper preperation. Since picking up my FZ6 in May, I've put just over 5000 miles on it. This includes a number day trips into the Cascade mountains, along with 2 trips to the Oregon coast and one to cental Oregon where I had a blast on the Fossil/Shaniko highway. Over the last few months I've listened to the advice of folks on here and purchased a Top Sellerie seat, Cee Bailey 24" screen, SW-Motech engine guard, Vista Cruise, good soft luggage along with good riding gear, tools/tire repair kit, 2 GPS's, emergency radios, etc... It's now time to get the hell away from work and enjoy the open road. The first few days I'll be heading out of Vancouver, WA and east through Oregon and Idaho, then down through Utah near four corners then over to Lubbock, TX to visit family for a few days. After that it's over to Phoenix for more visiting then the return leg begins. Originally I had planned to go straight from Phoenix to the Pacific then north. I may have to divert to Visalia, CA for a family thing. I will then have 3-4 days to get home. Hopefully I can figure out a decent scenic route from Visalia. I welcome any advice I can get on routes or anything else for the trip. But, I really want to thank all of you for your contributions to this forum. It has been and continues to be extremely educational.

paulie75 · Aug 22, 2011

Hey JHutch!

Sounds like a great trip! Just a personal note if you are coming thru New Mexico, esp Albuquerque. Be on full alert, they lack the use of turn signals and the use of mirrors and they love multiple lane changes. Other then that, the roads are good and the scenery is awesome. Have a great and safe trip!!!

armystrong · Aug 23, 2011

Have a great trip and be safe. Take a lot of pictures and tell us all about it!!!

ChevyFazer · Aug 23, 2011

Sounds awsome im sure you will have a blast

Sent from my R800x using Tapatalk

Cali rider · Aug 23, 2011

JHutch808 said:
It is almost time. Barring anything major coming up, I'm leaving Saturday afternoon for a long 17 day trip. There will be quite a few rest days mixed in there. First I want to thank each of you who has posted advice and tips regarding tourings and proper preperation. Since picking up my FZ6 in May, I've put just over 5000 miles on it. This includes a number day trips into the Cascade mountains, along with 2 trips to the Oregon coast and one to cental Oregon where I had a blast on the Fossil/Shaniko highway. Over the last few months I've listened to the advice of folks on here and purchased a Top Sellerie seat, Cee Bailey 24" screen, SW-Motech engine guard, Vista Cruise, good soft luggage along with good riding gear, tools/tire repair kit, 2 GPS's, emergency radios, etc... It's now time to get the hell away from work and enjoy the open road. The first few days I'll be heading out of Vancouver, WA and east through Oregon and Idaho, then down through Utah near four corners then over to Lubbock, TX to visit family for a few days. After that it's over to Phoenix for more visiting then the return leg begins. Originally I had planned to go straight from Phoenix to the Pacific then north. I may have to divert to Visalia, CA for a family thing. I will then have 3-4 days to get home. Hopefully I can figure out a decent scenic route from Visalia. I welcome any advice I can get on routes or anything else for the trip. But, I really want to thank all of you for your contributions to this forum. It has been and continues to be extremely educational.

Here are 2 suggestions...
1-Sherman Pass to Visalia This will be a fantastic diversion from the main highway. Very desolate, single lane for long stretches, huge elevation changes, you won't be disappointed. The map shows an estimated time of 5 1/2 hours, it will be closer to 4 1/2. Fuel is available at points A and D, be sure to fuel up at point A as there is nothing up there at all!!

2- Visalia north through the Gold Country This is a must as it takes you over the "Little Dragon". I know that Visalia is at the base of the Sequoia National Park but I would warn you that it's full of tourists driving very slow/distracted and you get to pay $10 for this misery.

If you do make through LA I can give you a couple of other choices. Hope this helps.

JHutch808 · Aug 23, 2011

paulie75 said:
Hey JHutch!

Sounds like a great trip! Just a personal note if you are coming thru New Mexico, esp Albuquerque. Be on full alert, they lack the use of turn signals and the use of mirrors and they love multiple lane changes. Other then that, the roads are good and the scenery is awesome. Have a great and safe trip!!!

I plan on going through New Mexico, but I hadnt decided whether I'd do the Farmington to Albuquerque then on to TX, or if I'd go through Durango, CO and then head south out of Pagosa Springs through Santa Fe. Either way I'll probably do the TX to AZ leg through Albuquerque (gotta try a green chile burger), so thank you for the heads up.

MoeDog · Aug 23, 2011

Sounds like a great trip man have fun and ride safe, also when do you plan to leave Visalia, CA, I might be able to ride with you if you take one of Cali riders suggestions up to hwy 120? before James Town

Motogiro · Aug 23, 2011

JHutch808 said:
I plan on going through New Mexico, but I hadnt decided whether I'd do the Farmington to Albuquerque then on to TX, or if I'd go through Durango, CO and then head south out of Pagosa Springs through Santa Fe. Either way I'll probably do the TX to AZ leg through Albuquerque (gotta try a green chile burger), so thank you for the heads up.

Oh yeah! You'll love the green chile burgers! I keep cans of Hatch Chiles in the house....:BLAA:

Kazza · Aug 23, 2011

Pics pics pics !....

Have a great, safe trip

VEGASRIDER · Aug 23, 2011

I'll be a day ahead of you on the way to Idaho and Utah. I'll be leaving Portland on Friday heading back to Vegas pretty much the same way.

Make sure you take a Camelback with you. Phoenix? Are you prepared for the heat? It will literally drain you to a point that it becomes difficult to focus on riding.

paulie75 · Aug 23, 2011

JHutch808 said:
I plan on going through New Mexico, but I hadnt decided whether I'd do the Farmington to Albuquerque then on to TX, or if I'd go through Durango, CO and then head south out of Pagosa Springs through Santa Fe. Either way I'll probably do the TX to AZ leg through Albuquerque (gotta try a green chile burger), so thank you for the heads up.

Farmington to Abq is the faster way but very straight and boring, if you go through Durango and south from Pagosa you will be on some great 2 lane roads with the views!!!

Grainbelt · Aug 24, 2011

VEGASRIDER said:
Make sure you take a Camelback with you. Phoenix? Are you prepared for the heat? It will literally drain you to a point that it becomes difficult to focus on riding.

This is worth repeating. Staying hydrated is a huge concern - if you're wearing mesh, it is nice in that you stay cool, but it will dry you out. Seriously consider taking some kind of hydration device with you - I traveled without one in August '08 and ended up buying one in Rapid City before entering the Badlands of SD.

A camelbak, platypus, or MSR dromedary bladder can be used in a typical backpack style or just placed in your tank bag. Lots of tank bags have a dedicated pocket with a hose outlet. Fairly cheap, all things considered, and will keep you awake and alert on the road. :thumbup:

Be safe!

Or as I like to say, Safety Third!

Guitar Man · Aug 24, 2011

I just got back from Deals Gap a couple of weeks ago. Mesh is not the way to go in this weather believe it or not. It will dry you out and will decrease your bodys ability to cool itself. You need to keep the sweat on your skin.

I have the Joe Rocket Atomic 4.0 jacket and mesh pants that I wear over my jeans. I found that soaking your shirt at rest stops and gas stops and then closing all of the vents (even in your helmet) helps to keep you cool. And a Camel Bak is an absolute must. I have a cheap MXRX one that cost me $15 and holds 72oz. One of the most important pieces of equipment I own. You need to be able to drink water anytime you get thirsty. I was dealing with 105 degree heat index one day and had no problems. Never lost my alertness or anything. Hottest part of the day is between 2 and 5pm.

It's like someone holding a blow dryer on you with it on full blast. You have to have something that will insulate you and protect you from the heat. So many people just can't seem to believe this concept and that they can wear t-shirts and half shell helmets and just hope that the laws of physics will somehow ignore them. I saw guys on cruisers like this that had sunburns and were complaining that they were miserable and somehow they thought I was worse off than they were. Kind of like leading a horse to water but not being able to make him drink.

Guitar Man · Aug 24, 2011

Go to Pagosa and south. Some really nice scenery. Farmington to Albuqueque is boring IMO.

VEGASRIDER · Aug 24, 2011

There is some bad advise here, whether you should wear mesh or not. As long as you stay hydrated, such as wearing a camelback, mesh is the way to survive in the 110 degree plus heat. Trust me, I ride in it on a daily basis.

You have to understand, yes, you want to sweat, but you need the air to breath through your gear to cool you down. Yes, it's hot air, but you are simulating like if you were just getting out of a swimming pool all wet and the air hitting your body seems nice and refreshing. Wearing no mesh, you will literally die out in the desert.

Try wearing a cooling vest underneath, for $40, soak it in cold water in the sink and it stays wet for a couple of hours.

Remember, try to wear full gear, including riding pants with armour, preferably mesh. You will be a long ways from home, if something were to go wrong, it could be the difference of just picking your bike off the ground and riding away versus going to the hospital in an ambulance and having your bike towed away.

Bring rain gear!

Marthy · Aug 24, 2011

Few years ago, I was working as a racecar mechanic part of a pit crew in the ChampCar world series. We were in Monterey, Mexico. Track temps was 135F! I couldn't stand on my feet because the ground was sooo hot! So imagine sitting at the sun covered from head to toe with a 3 layer fire suite, nomex glove and shoes... And no breeze! You will be amaze how much your own sweat will cool you down. It won't feel cold but will keep your body at a constant temperature. Drinking fluid in small amount on a regular basis is important to. Throw a Gatorade or some electrolyte every now and then. Go easy on electrolyte... 1 a day is good enough. Too much might give you kidney stone.

One more thing... stop every 1-2 hours to take a piss! Drinking a lot of fluid and holding it for too long is bad. On that same race, I drank a lot of water so I had to go but couldn't for obvious reason (need to be ready for pit stop at any moment...) I hold it for a solid 1 1/2 hrs! After the race I tried to go and I tough I was going to puke or pass out. I was trying to pee but nothing was coming out! I end up sitting in the porta-potty for a solid 30 minutes staring at my willy and hoping he will pee again!

It took me a good hour to get my system restarted to normal...

Guitar Man · Aug 24, 2011

VEGASRIDER said:
There is some bad advise here, whether you should wear mesh or not. As long as you stay hydrated, such as wearing a camelback, mesh is the way to survive in the 110 degree plus heat. Trust me, I ride in it on a daily basis.

You have to understand, yes, you want to sweat, but you need the air to breath through your gear to cool you down. Yes, it's hot air, but you are simulating like if you were just getting out of a swimming pool all wet and the air hitting your body seems nice and refreshing. Wearing no mesh, you will literally die out in the desert.

Try wearing a cooling vest underneath, for $40, soak it in cold water in the sink and it stays wet for a couple of hours.

Remember, try to wear full gear, including riding pants with armour, preferably mesh. You will be a long ways from home, if something were to go wrong, it could be the difference of just picking your bike off the ground and riding away versus going to the hospital in an ambulance and having your bike towed away.

Bring rain gear!

My jacket was not completely air tight. I could feel some air coming through which was enough to do it's job.

Looking at the cooling vest. That would definitely be a good investment. I would even be cooler in that.

I also used my stock windscreen instead of my Puig Double Bubble for more air flow.

JHutch808 · Aug 25, 2011

VEGASRIDER said:
I'll be a day ahead of you on the way to Idaho and Utah. I'll be leaving Portland on Friday heading back to Vegas pretty much the same way.

Make sure you take a Camelback with you. Phoenix? Are you prepared for the heat? It will literally drain you to a point that it becomes difficult to focus on riding.

I already have the 100 ounce Camelback sitting at the house. I used to live in Phoenix and definitely understand the heat. I plan on arriving early in the morning and relaxing with friends for a few days. On the day I leave it will be before sunrise. Unfortunately due to scheduling issues at work I have to push the trip off by one week. Of course that's barring having another conflict arise. That's one of the joys of working in Corrections, you just never know what's going to happen.

JHutch808 · Aug 25, 2011

MoeDog said:
Sounds like a great trip man have fun and ride safe, also when do you plan to leave Visalia, CA, I might be able to ride with you if you take one of Cali riders suggestions up to hwy 120? before James Town

I'm not sure yet as I've had to push the trip off a week due to work issues. I'll post updates when I know for sure.

JHutch808 · Aug 25, 2011

Guitar Man said:
I just got back from Deals Gap a couple of weeks ago. Mesh is not the way to go in this weather believe it or not. It will dry you out and will decrease your bodys ability to cool itself. You need to keep the sweat on your skin.

I have the Joe Rocket Atomic 4.0 jacket and mesh pants that I wear over my jeans. I found that soaking your shirt at rest stops and gas stops and then closing all of the vents (even in your helmet) helps to keep you cool. And a Camel Bak is an absolute must. I have a cheap MXRX one that cost me $15 and holds 72oz. One of the most important pieces of equipment I own. You need to be able to drink water anytime you get thirsty. I was dealing with 105 degree heat index one day and had no problems. Never lost my alertness or anything. Hottest part of the day is between 2 and 5pm.

It's like someone holding a blow dryer on you with it on full blast. You have to have something that will insulate you and protect you from the heat. So many people just can't seem to believe this concept and that they can wear t-shirts and half shell helmets and just hope that the laws of physics will somehow ignore them. I saw guys on cruisers like this that had sunburns and were complaining that they were miserable and somehow they thought I was worse off than they were. Kind of like leading a horse to water but not being able to make him drink.

I wear a Cortech mesh jacket, but I do have one of those cooling vests that you submerge in water. The thing literally soaks up and holds easily a half-gallon of water. It keeps my body cool for a few hours at a time. Also, I mountain bike a lot so I already have the 100oz Camelback and an additional 50oz bladder that I'm thinking of carrying in my tank bag.

Preparring for first really long trip.

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