1400 mile ride.. what will I need

[smokenu]

I'm perparing to go on my first 1400 mile ride to tombstone AZ in mid Feb.( wife gave me permission to miss valentines day:rockon

I have already purchased

Cortech Tri bags (look great for saddlebags),Tourmaster Venture pant/ intake Jacket and some Cortech Vice leather gloves.

I'm not sure what I should pack other than the basics. If anyone has any tips, I would love to hear them.

Also is there a glove made that will really keep your hands warm, without being bulky? everyone I have looked at makes me feel like I should be preparing for a snowball fight.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[scottsst]

the one tip that I have heard from the pro touring guys I know is stay away from cotton clothing if you sweat it holds it against your skin . I have and when I do any kind of long rides in warm weather underarmor shirts. And go to a your local outdoor camping shop and get some smartwool socks or anykind of warm weather hikeing sock will do they are a lot cheaper than they ones you can get from the motorcycle boot companys. they will help keep your feet dry . and also if you can don't bring a lot of stuff pack light your bike and your gas mileage will thank you

 

[specialk]

what about a better seat? my stock seat on a 3 hour 180 mile ride was killing me

just a suggestion

 

[harlequin]

If you have never done a ride of this length before, a tube of Preparation H is also recommended. :thumbup:

 

[steveindenmark]

You need time....and that is about it.

Don`t look at it as a race, look at it as a motorcycling experience. Stop and have coffee, get warm and talk to people. I never see the point in travelling unless I get to chat to some locals. I quite often ask for the nearest bike shop as well.

Make sure you take some waterproofs and an extra Buff or scarf for your neck.

Oh!! and a camera so you can take pics and post them on here after your trip.

Steve

 

[SovietRobot]

If you plan on doing anything else other than riding, a pair of go fasters(tennisshoes) wouldn't hurt. Riding boots suck to walk in for long periods.
In addition to the bike tool kit, pack some simple things like allen wrenches, a screwdriver, a leatherman if you have one, a knife, lighter, etc.
A Camera is nice, but not a neccessity.
Extra socks.
+1 on underarmor, or any light moisturewicking clothing.
If you have a tankbag, keep a couple bottles of water in there.

 

[shaggystyle]

If you are going to be doing a lot of highway miles, I would recommend a small bottle of vaseline. After about 300 miles of wind abuse my neck starts to get really irritated and I develop a nice red rash where the chin strap on my helmet rubs.

 

[LERecords]

lots of gas :thumbup:.. possibly some gas cards.. oh and $$$.. never know when you'll want to stop and eat.

is your trip a hotel/motel or a camping trip??

 

[pottie]

Congrat and good luck with your awesome road trip plan...
For 1400miles I would recomend getting FJR....Just my 02 cent...:rockon:
I dont think FZ6 was design for long touring like that, high pitch engine sound for 6-8 hours in freeway is quite exhausted...
Dont forget to have Tag name with your emergency contact info and perhaps your blood type or any specific info.
Be safe outthere and ride safe....

 

[Red Wazp]

+1 to wicking base clothing, you will need warm gloves.
Sun screen if you have a clear shield, or some clear glasses if you need to ride after dark. I also carry a small bottle of glass cleaner or water with a few paper towels for bug cleaning the shield. Never use the gas station squeegee for you helmet or windshield.
Chapstick for your lips is a must.
Stay hydrated, drink plenty of fluids.
Chain lube for the start of each day.
You may want to check with your credit card company, some get weird when they see charges headed out of state and will put it on hold.
I carry a small $13 air compressor that will plug into my battery tender plug and some tire plugs. Or less desirable is a can of fix a flat with the tire plugs. A flat 700 miles from home is never fun.
Plenty of rubber on those tires for the trip.
I like to ride the secondary or secnic roads as much as I can, slabs suck.
Most important is a good positive attitude, with this you will have a ball no matter what. Not much better than a road trip on you bike, have fun!! Post a report when you get back

 

[blchandl2]

I always pack tire plug kit and inflator. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids.

Enjoy the trip.

 

[Zebratounge]

Get some padded bike shorts,Ibuprofen,Icy hot.
Don't grab the icy hot instead of your tooth paste, the tubes look alike in the dark...

I did fine riding about 350 to 400 miles per day. any more and I was really sore.

 

[LERecords]

+1 on the chapstick.. didnt even think about that.. also that chain lube idea is a good one too..

 

[Have2BeFree]

uh........let's not forget toothbrush, toothpaste and clean underwear?

 

[steveindenmark]

Congrat and good luck with your awesome road trip plan...
For 1400miles I would recomend getting FJR....Just my 02 cent...:rockon:
I dont think FZ6 was design for long touring like that, high pitch engine sound for 6-8 hours in freeway is quite exhausted...
Dont forget to have Tag name with your emergency contact info and perhaps your blood type or any specific info.
Be safe outthere and ride safe....

"I don`t think the FZ6 was designed for long touring"

Obviously spoken by someone who has never tried to tour long distances on an FZ6 and does not know what you can do with one.

We went from Denmark to France and back in the summer, 2-up with gear. We did not have one problem and rode 900km days and arrived nice and fresh. The only reason we stopped is because we wanted to visit places and eat.

We have also toured Sweden, Germany, Holland and Belgium. This year it we will do Poland and Italy, all 2-up.

If you offered to swap my FZ6 for an FJR I would not take it. It is just too heavy for my type of touring.

The advantage the FZ6 has over a FJR. Well the bike is a lot cheaper, a lot lighter and a lot easier to handle.

If you can go round the world on an R1 you can do it on an FZ6. It is certainly made for touring.

Steve

 

[MarinaFazer]

baby powder. I was introduced to it last weekend. I put it all up on the inside of my underarmour boxer briefs and was noticeably more comfortable and since it was hot...dry. lol it feels good too

stop every 75-100 miles and rest for 10-15minutes. laying down during the rest period helps your heart pump blood everywhere easier too. worked for me on an 800 mile trek.

 

[FZyLarry]

Pretty much all the stuff that has been mentioned by the other posters would be in my bags. Here's a couple of particulars - I have a Slime inflator along with the Stop & Go Pocket Tire Plugger kit. Both are very compact and work great.

2nd thing is, I would worry less about being really cold than being really hot. I'm not sure how long you've lived in Oceanside but April can get pretty toasty here and other than in the mountains, Arizona would be even warmer.

Just my 2¢
Have a great trip! :rockon:

 

[keira]

sunblock for your neck
chapstick
rubber/latex gloves (you never know)
plenty of cash, credit, phone cards, gas cards, etc.
Camelback
Tylenol or Asprin
a heat pack for night time, when your back/shoulders might be sore and tired
essential tools
quarters (again, you never know)
AAA card if you have one...at the very least you can get discounts
tire plug kit
sunglasses and/or tinted visor
cloth to clean your visor of bugs
chain lube

I think that's pretty exhaustive without going into the particulars of clothing, not knowing the temps there that time of year, or how you handle different temps...

 

[blchandl2]

baby powder. I was introduced to it last weekend. I put it all up on the inside of my underarmour boxer briefs and was noticeably more comfortable and since it was hot...dry. lol it feels good too

stop every 75-100 miles and rest for 10-15minutes. laying down during the rest period helps your heart pump blood everywhere easier too. worked for me on an 800 mile trek.

Something that I found that is better than baby powder is Gold Bond Medicated Powder.

 

[Red Wazp]

"I don`t think the FZ6 was designed for long touring"

Obviously spoken by someone who has never tried to tour long distances on an FZ6 and does not know what you can do with one.

We went from Denmark to France and back in the summer, 2-up with gear. We did not have one problem and rode 900km days and arrived nice and fresh. The only reason we stopped is because we wanted to visit places and eat.

We have also toured Sweden, Germany, Holland and Belgium. This year it we will do Poland and Italy, all 2-up.

If you offered to swap my FZ6 for an FJR I would not take it. It is just too heavy for my type of touring.

The advantage the FZ6 has over a FJR. Well the bike is a lot cheaper, a lot lighter and a lot easier to handle.

If you can go round the world on an R1 you can do it on an FZ6. It is certainly made for touring.

Steve

Hold on there big fella, you have obviously not ridden a FJR much. FZ6 may be ok for touring for some as it's all they have (not that there is anything wrong with that) but there is no way one or two up are you going to do any serious touring with the level of comfort and speed of an FJR.
I realize you do not have the vast expanses of the American West so perhaps you cannot appreciate a bike that will cruise at 85 up to 140mph for miles on end and will handle the tight stuff remarkably well. And in 40mph cross winds or in the rain it's nice to be on a bike that can slice through the elements while sticking to the road like it was on rails.
200 miles on my FZ6 and I am done, at 200 mile on the FJR it's time to stop for lunch.
Glad you like your FZ and both are great bikes but I would give up my FZ6 long before my FJR