Joined
·
427 Posts
Lessons that I learned that is...
I'd like to share some experiences from my last five days- I road from Lansing, Michigan down through Ohio and West Virginia- this was my first long trip and I had a few issues, so no, I did not cross the Appalachians yet, but here are a few observations that I made about equipment and the trip in general.
1. Xelement- Tri-Tex waterproof coat, fits and works great- vents in front rear and arms... well you can read the details, but it was an excellent buy I think, it fits well and work great in cold to warm temperatures with slight adjustments of the vents. Coat
2.Magnetic tank bag worked awesome, I could take it off and carry it everywhere with me with ease- map bag would have been an added bonus, but I was using a GPS as seen in #3. Bag
3. GPS holder worked awesome as well- could use the touch screen right through the outer protective cover on this. GPS
Now on to personal notes. I learned that it's easier to not have to come to an agreement when you go alone, but it's harder to come up with ideas of what to do next. I learned that when you park at a very odd angle and tip the bike over/slowly let it down (first time I ever did this) when it's fully loaded down that it's very heavy to pick back up again, but luckily a friend and another friendly camper rushed to my aid. I learned that the pocket mounted 12V accessory plug is priceless. I learned that even with foam grips and mechanix brand gloves, the vibration can still wear on your right hand if you ride the highway for extended periods. The most important lesson I learned is that people will go out of their way to talk to you if they see your motorcycle loaded down for the road and you're alone. I didn't buy fancy matching luggage, I threw on an old duffel bag and a tent and stuffed the compartments. It was a great five days, I wish I'd have gone with my original trip plan, but after I ran into a few problems, I lost my nerve, so I just explored what I felt comfortable with for five days. All in all it was a great trip, and I think venturing 300 miles from home or more was a big step since this was my first long trip, my first solo trip and my first really long ride on a cycle all wrapped into one. Next time I'll go bigger and longer on the trip plans!
![]()
I'd like to share some experiences from my last five days- I road from Lansing, Michigan down through Ohio and West Virginia- this was my first long trip and I had a few issues, so no, I did not cross the Appalachians yet, but here are a few observations that I made about equipment and the trip in general.
1. Xelement- Tri-Tex waterproof coat, fits and works great- vents in front rear and arms... well you can read the details, but it was an excellent buy I think, it fits well and work great in cold to warm temperatures with slight adjustments of the vents. Coat
2.Magnetic tank bag worked awesome, I could take it off and carry it everywhere with me with ease- map bag would have been an added bonus, but I was using a GPS as seen in #3. Bag
3. GPS holder worked awesome as well- could use the touch screen right through the outer protective cover on this. GPS
Now on to personal notes. I learned that it's easier to not have to come to an agreement when you go alone, but it's harder to come up with ideas of what to do next. I learned that when you park at a very odd angle and tip the bike over/slowly let it down (first time I ever did this) when it's fully loaded down that it's very heavy to pick back up again, but luckily a friend and another friendly camper rushed to my aid. I learned that the pocket mounted 12V accessory plug is priceless. I learned that even with foam grips and mechanix brand gloves, the vibration can still wear on your right hand if you ride the highway for extended periods. The most important lesson I learned is that people will go out of their way to talk to you if they see your motorcycle loaded down for the road and you're alone. I didn't buy fancy matching luggage, I threw on an old duffel bag and a tent and stuffed the compartments. It was a great five days, I wish I'd have gone with my original trip plan, but after I ran into a few problems, I lost my nerve, so I just explored what I felt comfortable with for five days. All in all it was a great trip, and I think venturing 300 miles from home or more was a big step since this was my first long trip, my first solo trip and my first really long ride on a cycle all wrapped into one. Next time I'll go bigger and longer on the trip plans!
