My hope is to use this thread to first get advice and/or recommendations on where to stay, routes to take, and things to see. In the spring (once the ride takes place) I'm planning to update it with photos and some kind of ride report.

Quick little background info: I'm 32. Bought my first bike (an 07 XL1200C) in the spring of 2011. Rode that a couple years until July 2013 when I bought my deluxe. I started doing a lot more highway riding and the sporty just wasn't cutting it. I hope to one do do some real cross country touring on a bike, but that is years and years down the road. I got married in Sept 2012 and recently learned that my wife and I are expecting our first child in June. I've been contemplating doing a 2-3 day road trip for some time, so my plan is to take three days in early May before the baby arrives and make a ride with a couple good friends. I figure with a newborn at home, it won't have the chance to do another long trip again for a while (at least not easily).

That being said this is my general plan. I'm hoping to get some feedback from the forum and then modify/adjust my plans accordingly. Leave on a Friday morning and ride some combination of highway and back roads from just north of Boston and on down to York, PA. This leg of the trip is about 400 miles which seems to be a reasonable daily distance. Find somewhere to stay, hopefully near a restaurant, and have dinner and a couple beers then stay the night. Up early and over to the Harley factory for the tour before we hit the road again. From York PA I'd like to ride up to Niagara Falls, which is about 330 miles away. Again, some combination of highway and backroads (to keep things interesting) should get us into town with plenty of time to shower up and head out to see some sights and grab some dinner. Stay the night in Niagara and from there we make the trek home on Sunday, about 471 miles. The last day will be the longest leg of the trip, but without anything planned for that day other than riding, it seems reasonable enough. Even if we decided to ride the highway all the way home, its just over 7 hours in the saddle at 65mph.

Given that this is my first real multi day trip, I'd like to get some feedback from some veteran riders on my general idea before I go and start digging in deeper. Any input is appreciated. I've already started working on my list of things to pack and am looking forward to planning this trip and wrenching on my bike through the winter. Thanks in advance.

 

just a suggestion, head to washington dc for memorial day. the parade there on sunday is pretty cool to watch.

that being said, the biggest thing to plan for is bad weather. be sure your are comfy in rain.

another suggestion is to get up and ride for an hour and then stop somewhere for breakfast. that would put 50 miles behind you and break up the day a bit.

try to stop around every 100 or so miles or so (like every 2 hours) so you stay crisp for riding. just pull over and stretch and hop back on. i do find that if i am on country roads that have any number of small towns with stop signs etc. where the ride is not just straight forever that i can be okay in the saddle for more than 2 hours because you are changing position more.

as for roads, if you are a member of HOG, they have a yearly atlas that has scenic roads highlighted. i have been happy with every road they designated as good to ride.

 

The way I read their website, I don't believe the tours are available on Saturday? The tour is great and I had looked at possibly going back on a Saturday.

 

Good call grand slam. Maybe I will go Saturday to Monday and do my trip in the reverse order so that we can do the tour on Monday morning and then head out.

 

Don't over think it, don't over pack, Wal Mart- K Mart on every corner. Check you bike out, few good tool kit & credit card.
Take off and enjoy the ride.

 

Niagara Falls. I live within 30 minutes. In the city there is the seneca niagara casino and another hotel across the street. Cannot remember the name. They are within walking distance of the falls and obviously the casino. Other than the Falls and the tourist traps there is nothing else in the falls, my opinion.

Depending on which way you make the trip, maybe I could offer some suggestions along the route in that direction.

 

From the falls to York, 219 South into PA. Then 6 east, and gotta stop at Kinzua Bridge State Park, and then the PA Grand Canyon. Then continue 6 east to 15 south, to Harrisburg & York.


From York to the falls, 83 up to 15 north. Then 6 west to 219 north.

 

Thanks Geezr those look like two places I'd definitely be interested in seeing. It also looks like they're spaced out evenly along the way between Niagara and York so that would be perfect. Seeing how the Harley factory is a big part of this trip, I'll most definitely be doing the Saturday to Monday and going from Boston to Niagara to York in that order. From what I've been able to find there isn't really a lot to see on the highway between Boston and Niagara, so hopefully some local people can help out.

 

That's a lot of miles for each day on the road. Have you done that long a day, 300- 400-500 miles, with those apes?

 

I've done 300 but never 500. Apes didn't bother me at 300 though.