In July 2015 I will be heading out to California to ride along the coast and meet up with my parents. It will be 12 days of driving/riding and cover about 5,000 miles (of which 1800+ will be on the Harley). It will be my first extended trip, so any info/suggestions from people would be great! I will be riding on a 2015 Road King I just bought (but haven't picked up just yet).

A few I know I already have are:

1) What is the best way to secure the RK in the back of a pickup truck? I saw some special brackets for the Softball are made, but I didn't see any for the '14+ RKs in the catalog.

2) The only way I've thought of to get the bike up in the truck is to go to the dealer and use their ramp, then do the same when I get to Visalia, CA. Any other ideas? I assume any dealer would have these ramps.

3) I've seen lots of people mention fork deflectors to make a long ride more comfortable. Any other parts that people would suggest for a lot of miles in a few days?

4) I will need to get some extra storage, and have been looking at some leather tour pack type bags. I assume the best way to mount these is to add a sissy bar, then set the bag on the passenger seat, thus possibly giving me a back rest. Any other suggestions? Is there a better way to add extra storage?

People have started suggesting items to pack/have, so I'm gonna list them here for easy reference:

• Tire Repair Kit and Tire Sealant
• Small First Aid Kit
• Extra bulbs
• Flashlight
• Emergency Cash
• Zip Ties
• Small Toolset
• Roadside Assistance Plan
• Portable Battery for electronics/cell phone

 

Both H-D and Kuryakyn make tie-down brackets for the front forks and they work really well.
I'd suggest the H-D tie-down straps with the safety springs on the hooks for extra security.


As for other "comfort" goodies, a windshield, highway foot pegs, and a rider backrest can really help knock the miles out pretty quickly on a trip.


I have the fork wind deflectors, the fork air baffle, along with hand wind deflectors on my bike and I like them all.


Just be careful when loading and unloading your bike in your pickup.
I don't remember ever hauling a H-D in a pickup so have plenty of help when you do.

 

Not all dealers have ramps. best to call first or bring your own.

As far as tie-down brackets, these are sweet, http://www.kiwiindian.com/#!hd-products/c1zkg Use them with the 'soft' type wraps and some good tie downs and you are all set.

 

Personnally I will never tow my motorcycle again without it being in a Condor rack, whether it be in back of a pickup or a trailer. As far as unloading, when I was younger, if there was another person with me, I'd always look for an out of the way roadside ditch. Older now, I'd probably look for some sort of deserted loading ramp or maybe a dealer.

 

honestly, buy or borrow a small 10 or 12ft trailer with a ramp. much easier loading and unloading. place a chock dead center up front and strap down. Might want to add a deflector on the front of the trailer too if you want the extra protection.

good straps go a long way too, dont cheap on straps from harbor freight either. And check it often.

 

This might help…. use this as a 'how to' video on loading your bike in the back of a pick-up…..

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v...12&pnref=story

 

tire sealant http://www.ride-on.com; tire repair kit http://www.jpcycles.com/harley-tire-repair-kits flashlight; warm riding gear; good roadside insurance (http://www.goodsamroadside.com/auto/platinum-plus-ra/ extra front and rear bulbs; and a couple of hundred dollars stuffed into your boot for emergencies.

 

That's how I was taught as well.

 

Is that roadside assistance good for motorcycles, or are you thinking that is more for the truck? I was thinking of doing the HOG roadside assistance plan, any thoughts on it?

 

Why do you need the truck?