Tips For Preparing For A Long Motorcycle Road Trip
Tips for Preparing for a Long Motorcycle Road Trip
Long motorcycle trips are a pleasure, but beware, before starting your motorcycle trip it is necessary to take into account some tips that will help you plan the itinerary without complications or undue risks.
Summer and vacation days that many motorists enjoy, are a perfect opportunity to take your motorcycle, plan a trip and get lost for several days while enjoying the landscapes on the back of one of our best travel companions, motorcycles. Those who are going to make this type of getaway should know a series of vital tips before getting on the motorcycle to travel thousands of kilometers on a long motorcycle trip.
Equip Yourself Well
It is surprising how many accessories we are able to install on our motorcycles and how little we sometimes take care of our own safety. When we ride a motorcycle, and whenever we can afford it, we must choose to wear the best possible equipment: helmet, gloves, boots, jacket and pants. Cheap is expensive, it is said, and in the case of motorcycles “expensive” can be very expensive to your safety. We must avoid falling into those dangerous topics of “it is too hot to put on my motorcycle jacket and gloves” or that widely used expression of “total, I am going to the side here”. The protection of your body and the equipment that you must carry for any motorcycle trip is vital to avoid any unnecessary fright. Use safe cruiser motorcycle helmets and other equipment.
First, Plan the Destination of your Trip.
If you have not traveled on any long-distance motorcycle route, the logical thing is to make your first long trip within your country and relatively close to your home base. This will allow you to communicate in a language that you know perfectly, to know how our driving habits work and to be better connected with your family or friends at home so that you have some mishap with your motorcycle
Once you decide on the itinerary and routing of your long trip, it is important that you follow these tips that we detail below:
Before Going on the Road
Long motorcycle trips require careful preparation. A good check-up in the workshop is essential to avoid unforeseen breakdowns. Get your motorcycle ready in time so that during the trip you don’t have any mishaps that spoil that much-needed getaway. No biker likes to call the tow truck and a pre-trip checkup should help you avoid this mishap.
It is important to organize your luggage in advance, thinking in detail about everything you may need. We recommend that your bags be light and well secured to avoid losing them or causing accidents. Do not forget to bring personal and motorcycle documents, in addition to hotel tickets, credit cards, etc. In addition, in Formula Moto we have already given you some advice on how to equip your motorcycle for a medium or long trip.
Plan the entire trip as carefully as possible: routes, distances to travel each day, road conditions and tolls. Ideally, stop at least five minutes every 150 or 200 kilometers traveled. When it comes to fuel, remember to indicate on the map the service stations through which you will pass. Try to always maintain a minimum level of safety and always carry enough gasoline. Use useful apps like Gas Buddy and iExit to plan your routes and stops.
The cleaning of your bike is key before starting any journey. Wash the vehicle well and the elements that are involved in the visibility of the driver, such as the helmet visor. Make sure you know safety standards. There are various organizations, such as the Snell Foundation, that assign safety ratings to helmets. Choose a helmet those scores highly.
There is a great deal of debate about the benefits of full-face helmets versus cruiser open face helmets. While the full face does offer more protection from the environment, a quality open face helmet that meets the above criteria will offer excellent protection as well.
During Long Motorcycle Trips
Once you have embarked on your trip, mix up the landscapes and you will have a fascinating view of the road. Maintain permanent communication with friends and family, who should know your route to easily locate you if necessary. You might consider using a private tracking device so they can see just where you are on the road.
Always respect the traffic signals and travel at the appropriate speed on the road you are traveling on. If you are tired, stop to stretch your legs, eat and regain strength.
Eye to the weather: A biker, apart from motorcycle enthusiasts, must also be a “meteorologist.” Trying to anticipate the changes of weather and take into account the weather will mark the step in the journey of our trip. Therefore, it is important that you know how to calculate the thermal sensation of your motorcycle trip.
Rest well. We travel to enjoy, not suffer and endure. If you have to make a service stop, you are thirsty, you feel sleepy, your fingers are seized by the cold or your back hurts, stop. Do not think that “there is little left for the hotel and I better hold on”. We are not competing. No one is going to penalize us for stopping the account more times. A five-minute stop at a viewpoint, a cup of hot coffee or flipping through a magazine at the first service station, can revive you and make your journey more enjoyable.
