Dallas,TX to Chicago IL *need advice/guidance*

[TechnicalNonsense]

So I'm finally doing my first long riding trip.

I'm going from Dallas TX to Chicago IL next Saturday morning *Oct 6th and coming back Oct 14th*

Which is a little over 1000miles each way.

I'm not doing this by myself obviously, I'll be going with a very good buddy whose riding a 2002 VFR 800. Who I'm meeting tomorrow to plan out some route and all the other goodies.

We're planning to leave very very early Saturday morning around 4am and will try to get there in one day but if need be we will stop for the night.

Anyways, I was wondering if anyone else has ever done anything like this before and would have useful advice or tips to give me as this is my first long riding trip and I'm kind of nervous about it.


I already have a Tank bag and a Saddle Bag and all my gears so besides the obvious, clothes, water and snacks. What else do you guys think I should bring?

 

[motojoe122]

I would bring a Camelback, fill the bag the day before and freeze it. That way stays cold longer and cools you down.

 

[ChevyFazer]

Sounds like a good iron butt ride to me, I think they call it the saddle sore 1000, 1000 miles in 24hrs? I don't have any advise other than making sure you bike is in top shape but i would be looking into the IBA thing for sure!

 

[regder]

1000 miles in one day is hard on a bike. Definitely doable, but if you haven't ridden those sorts of distances before, plan for two days.

Travelling distances by bike takes a good bit longer than by car. You get tired more, all of the gas/food/washroom breaks add significant time. It's not like a car where you can blow through miles without issue. On average, I would say it takes me about 12 hours to travel about 600 miles by interstate without killing myself.

What to bring? Music! I go nuts riding on the interstate for hours without music to fill my head.

 

[FZPhil]

Bring your warmest clothes, the highs are supposed to be in the mid-50's here next weekend!

 

[ctrigga]

If anything like me the aches of long distances will accumulate over distance, like at your first stop you'll hop off the bike stretch a little and be good to go, but by the time your stopping for the 3rd tank you're only making it around 50 miles before you're ready to hop off again, if in shape you might be better off, I however am not, Lansing, MI to Detroit, to Chicago was a pretty good ride for my comfortably. Ive done Fayetteville AR to Des Moines IA, a little over 600miles the way we took, and was extremely sore after that, but that was on my SV650S with clip-ons

 

[callmegandhi]

Go northeast out of Dallas, keep going until you get to Chicago.

 

[TechnicalNonsense]

Thanks guys.

I was at my buddys house today going over checklist and making sure our bikes were in good shape including ourselves.
I'm taking the bike the shop tomorrow to get an overall inspection, including tires and fluids and as ourselves we're both in pretty good shape, at least a lot better then the general population but thats not saying much because we do live in the US of double supersize A

We discussed it today and it seems like 1000 miles in a day would be boarder line suicidal; we will stop in the middle somewhere in the 600miles mark for the night.

The only thing I'm kind of concern with anything unforeseen like our bikes breaking down or one of us takes a spill.

Which also brings up another point; my FZ6 did a weird thing a couple of weeks ago where I couldn't downshift like the shifter was sticking on something but it went away after a day and hasn't come back; I'm just worried it'll come back sometime during the ride. =/

Anyways; thanks again for the useful advice.

I'll be sure to take lots of pictures and videos to post up on youtube for your guys.

 

[RJ2112]

Thanks guys.

I was at my buddys house today going over checklist and making sure our bikes were in good shape including ourselves.
I'm taking the bike the shop tomorrow to get an overall inspection, including tires and fluids and as ourselves we're both in pretty good shape, at least a lot better then the general population but thats not saying much because we do live in the US of double supersize A

We discussed it today and it seems like 1000 miles in a day would be boarder line suicidal; we will stop in the middle somewhere in the 600miles mark for the night.

The only thing I'm kind of concern with anything unforeseen like our bikes breaking down or one of us takes a spill.

Which also brings up another point; my FZ6 did a weird thing a couple of weeks ago where I couldn't downshift like the shifter was sticking on something but it went away after a day and hasn't come back; I'm just worried it'll come back sometime during the ride. =/

Anyways; thanks again for the useful advice.

I'll be sure to take lots of pictures and videos to post up on youtube for your guys.

They're kind of obvious, but should be stated regardless...... bring a credit card, and a cell phone. A tire pressure gauge is good, too. Be especially aware of how you feel..... tired, cold, hot are all going to sap your mental energy. It's really easy to become a zombie.

As someone has said, if it's going to be colder than you are used to, you will suffer for that. A very cheap and simple temporary improvement in your insulation is as simple as tucking a section of a news paper into the front of your jacket. Armpits to belly button, 15 pages of news print will do an amazing job of keeping the cold at bay.