Trip Planning

Know where you are going, where you are going to stop and make sure you have plan of places to get food, water, and gas. Let friends and family know your plan.

Knowing where to stop for gas is especially important because if you are staying on back roads through small town, gas stations are few and far between.  

If you are planning on using the GPS on your phone, make sure you download offline maps, in case you ride out of cell phone coverage. It’s also a good idea to have a backup GPS unit that does not require cell signal.  We use the Garmin Sumo XT2 Motorcycle Navigator 

Its a good idea to have physical maps of some kind as a backup to you GPS devices.

Check the weather forecast before your ride, but no matter where you ride, there could be a chance of rain. These rain storms could be short or long. Sometimes a short rain storm may be refreshing, but a long, cold, rain storm is uncomfortable. A lot of motorcycle jackets are rain proof, but verify before you count on them for rain protection.  Both rain jackets and pants are recommended.   

Check the weather before you travel. Not all locations require heated gear, but you will be glad you have it if it is cold.  We use the Harley jacket and glove liners and have been happy with them, but there are a lot of other brands that are just as effective.  A heated jacket and glove liners help make a cold ride a lot more comfortable.  It is like a warm hug.

Dressing in layers is nice, where you can take a layer off a little bit at a time as the weather warms up, but layers can take up valuable space in your limited storage.  Depending on weather we usually wear a t-shirt, with a sweatshirt jacket, and then a wind resistant jacket. 

It a great idea to have some tools on your ride. It can be as simple as a leatherman or  a small tool set. It’s also a good idea to include items such as zip ties, bungee cords, lock tight, and duct tape. We have had foot pegs come loose, shifter lever come off, exhaust pipes come loose and a trunk latch break. We have not always had the right tools, but continue to update our list to make sure we do for future rides.  

You never know when you may loose a little air pressure, so it ‘s a good idea to have a compact air compressor and tire plugs in case of a puncture.  Patching a tire will get you to a safe location.  An air compressor we have found effective is Airmoto.  

We have also put pressure gauges on our valve stems that link to our phone to let us know what our tire pressure is at all times.  We use the FOBO Bike 2 Tire Pressuring Monitoring System.   

We have gone to start my motorcycle on more than a few occasions to find we have a dead battery. We travel with a compact battery jump starter to get us on the way.  Nebo Assist Air Jump Starter

It’s also good to carry a compact battery tender in case you need to charge or keep your battery charged over night.nebo. 

Sunscreen is critical for riders.  Even if you are wearing a full face helmet you stop along the way and will get sun on your face.  We wear 3/4 helmets and constantly apply to our face, especially our lips and noses.  Also, arms, hands, and neck are frequently exposed to the sun.  We use high SPF lip balm and SPF sticks to apply to our faces because they travel well.  

Medications to include ibuprofen, Excedrin, allergy, and other medications that you need to carry for daily use.  We have also found it handy to have eyedrops.  

On our Colorado trip we pass an asphalt sealing truck and were all misted with a little tar. We could not get it off until we bought some bug and tar remover to get it off. Get a couple small spray bottles to hold cleaner and bug/tar remover.