Im thinking of taking my first rd trip.It will be from ny to tenn. to see a buddy of mine that just returned from afganastain. I ride a 2012 sreetbob my qustions are, 1 is this to much of a ride for my first long trip.(I will be going solo).
2 how should i prep for this journey (what to pack on/for the bike)
ive been riding for 20 yrs but this is my first BT and since ive moved away from my riding budddys dont take to many long trips

 

I don't know why you couldn't make that trip on a Street Bob. Would be more comfortable on a Touring bike, but hey, there are many out there doing the same thing on dyna's, softtails, and even sportys.


Packing: Get you a good piece of Motorcycle luggage. There are many choices, so just search on this site or google them. (I'm assuming you have a sissy bar to attach this bag). If you search this site, you will see many say to NOT over pack. On longer trips, I have my jeans starched and wear them for two days. Maybe enough shirts and socks to reach your destination. Sounds like you will be where you can do a load of laundry so you have clean stuff for the trip home.


as far as the FOR the bike: just take a credit card and maybe have some sort of insurance or HOG membership so that you can get a tow if you have problems. I carry a few basic tools for an emergency. Then just your basics. flashlight, can of monkey butt (for the red a$$), chap stick, etc.


Lastly, just enjoy the trip and enjoy your time with your buddy. And tell him thanks for his service.

 

thanks mike

 

When I was young, I did a cross country ride on a 247cc Suzuki X6 Hustler. My buddy was on a similar sized Kawasaki. This was in 1968. So your Streetbob is more than enough bike for your ride.

As to whether it is too big a ride for your first road ride, that depends on a number of factors. First, how many miles in a day do you expect to ride? Second, what is your physical condition? From NYC to Bristol, TN is about 600 miles. To Memphis it's about 1100 miles. Since this is your first long ride, I would suggest not trying to ride more than about 300 miles a day. That means two days to Bristol and almost four days to Memphis. You can probably do Memphis in three days if you want to push it.

I do lots of road trips. I have a Briggs and Stratton rectangular piece of soft luggage that I put on the passenger seat and secure with several bungee cords. Use extra bungees. I believe in redundancy in attaching luggage to a motorcycle. Luggage coming loose can be fatal.

Four other things. One is have a good towing service card in your wallet. I am a AAA Premier member which means they will tow a motorcycle up to 200 miles. And I carry a bunch of tools with me. I am no mechanic. In fact, I am a mechanical idiot. But I know if I break down, I might just be able to find someone with mechanical skills who can get me going again if I have the tools needed with me. And be sure to take good rain gear with you. A windshield is also nice for long rides.

So I hope you enjoy your ride.

 

thanks i was thinkin two days there not sure where he is in tenn yhough

 

I mapquested the distance at roughly 850 miles. That is not a difficult 2 day ride. Not too much to undertake on your first long ride if you like riding. You might try some 200 mile weekend afternoons to learn a little about your bike and body for distance.

What and how to pack? Throwover saddle bags, a t-bag and a tank bag will take you anywhere you can go on the bike. (You can find all 3 bags cheap if you look around.)

What to take? As little as possible. Throw it all in the floor a month in advance and pull stuff out of the pile throughout the month and you will still be taking too much crap.
Heavy stuff down low, lighter stuff higher.

Basic tools you know how to use.
A plug kit and a couple cans of fix-a-flat
couple of small LED flashlights
sunblock
ear plugs
extra glasses (both sunglasses and clear)
rain suit

Good investments are:
Modular helmet
removable windshield

What other questions do you have? Post them here or feel free to send me a note.

 

And remember when deciding what clothes to take along it's a lot easier to cool off than warm up. Leather and rain gear if you're gonna make 400-600 mile days. Full face helmet helps with the effects of wind/weather.
The other posts have very good advice.

 

Good info so far. I did lots of touring on an 84 1100 honda shadow. I was in my 30s then.. but. South Louisiana up to smokies and another out to the rockies.

50 miles an hour is a average, more if you are slamming on the interstate.

We used to stop after an hour for stretch break, just a minute or two, then stop for a gas break after about another hour. Hard to warm up when you cold. Once you stiff and hurting hard to recover.

Like suggested above, take some shakedown runs. 300 mile day is pretty easy for me, have done much longer, 5 and 600 many times. Figure out what works for you. Just hours on the bike if you can't do the miles.

I used an old navy duffel bag strapped crossways behind me. Backrest. Helped a lot on longer runs.

You can do it! Happy trails.

 

Ear plugs. Sounds silly, but will make your ride much more comfortable and you won't feel so worn out when you arrive at your destination. Try them out before your road trip. Also, stop for fuel more often than you think you need to. Better to have a full tank and not need it than to run out on a lonely stretch of road. 50 miles of travel per hour on the road (including stops for food and fuel) is a good estimate.

 

thanks all great tips