So I have never rode any bike for a trip longer than 4 hours before. Now that we have the touring bike the wife and I have changed our plans to drive the van to Emerald Isle, NC this June and take the bike instead. My parents and aunt/uncle/grandma/grandpa are also going and they will be driving the van and another car with our kids so we don't need to worry about luggage. It's a 11 hour drive from Cincinnati, Oh to Emerald Isle, NC. We have waterproof jackets and full helmets. I'm planning on picking up rain pants and a cover for the bike while were down there in case it rains. Other than weather gear and a few tools any other tips for a new to long distance rider.

 

There's an old saying among long distance riders...figure out what makes you want to get off the bike after an hour or so then fix it.

Seat, windscreen, foot pegs??? It's different for everyone!

Good luck!

 

Here's a nice check list that you can customize and print out:
http://micapeak.com/checklists/mclist.html

 

Thanks for posting. I'm sure I'll use this one of these days.

 

Sun screen, lip balm, shades, gloves and water. Make sure you stay hydrated. You might want to invest in that rain gear prior to the trip just in case and keep it on top of one of the cases for easy and fast access. I understand that your other gear will be in a cage so pack that as normal. GET OFF before you get tired. You didn't say whether you plan an overnight stay on the way down. Don't push it. You could easily ruin the trip back. Ride at your own pace. Ride a few longer runs before to get your backside used to the grind. Stop when she wants to stop, the backseat is the most unpredictable of all luggage and can make the trip miserable more quickly than anything. Remember, it's more about the journey than the destination.

 

I always encourage riders to take with them at least a small tool kit. If something goes wrong, you may not have the knowledge to fix it yourself, but if you have tools with you it will be easier to find someone to fix it with your tools then to find someone who has the knowledge and also happens to have tools with him.

 

You may have some iron butt riders say to leave at six AM and be there by five. Not me. An 11 hour drive is more like say, 14 on a bike. More gas stops, more rest stops, pee breaks take longer just because of the gear. Since your max had been 4 hours, take two days of around 7. Stop more than you would plan and try to avoid the interstate. State and old US highways are the way to ride.


If you push through in one day on interstate you may be a solo rider after that. Just sayin'.

 

660 miles, planning for 1 day or, I assume 2?

His and her compression shorts are a must. Ditch the underwear.
Make sure the seat is comfortable. Sheeps wool works wonders.

Ear plugs

Pick up the rain pants before you leave.

Give her the camera and have her take pics at will. You can parse through them later.

The interstate is no more uncomfortable for the passenger than the state highways.

The least amount of time in the saddle is directly tied to butt comfort on a long trip.
Stop more frequently if you must, but make time and keep the wheels turning and make as many miles as you can when you can.

Be aware of passenger comfort. I can feel my wife move around when her rear end is needing a break. I find a reason to pull over. Sometimes it's to check the gear early in the trip, sometimes it's gas, sometimes it's a drink, sometimes to stretch my legs, but it is never her fault we are taking a break. I want her to feel good about the trip not like an inconvenience. Clearly she knows I can cover a lot of miles efficiently, but she has never asked about the number of stops I make when she is with me.

Communication is key. We don't have Bluetooth, but have developed ways of communicating. The most important is when I know what the next exit is I hold up fingers to tell how many miles to go. It makes her life easier when her seat is tired and knowing we have 11 miles rather than sitting back there thinking it may be another 30 minutes or an hour until we stop.

 

The beaches down there all face south. Most of the time in the summer, the weather is affected by a Bermuda high. What that does is to pump warm HUMID air in from the ocean.
I lived down there for about 25 years in various places...Atlantic Beach, Beaufort, Swansboro, and Morehead City. It is the hottest and most humid place I have ever been. If it rains maybe it will wash some of the salt off of your bike. I used to leave the house for work about 6am and it would be 80° and 99% humidity at that hour of the day.
The ocean acts like a heat sync and as you get closer to the beach, in early summer, you will feel the temperature drop and the humidity rise.
It's the hottest damn place I have ever been, including Florida because of the prevailing winds.
BTW...The T&W oyster bar out on hwy 58 used to have some of the best seafood in that area. I would skip the Sanitary restaurant except for the lemon pie.

 

I would suggest stopping about every 100 miles for gas and stretch. Please your passenger or this will be last long trip with her. GL and have fun.

PS the checklist posted is a great tool and can always be changed for the different types of trips.