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Old November 14th, 2018, 05:01 AM   #7
adouglas
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Name: Gort
Location: A secret lair which, being secret, has an undisclosed location
Join Date: May 2009

Motorcycle(s): Aprilia RS660

Posts: A lot.
Blog Entries: 6
MOTM - Jul '18, Nov '16, Aug '14, May '13
Quote:
Originally Posted by 3lementa1 View Post
adouglas- that's quite a trip! Were you camping or staying in motels?
Motels.

It was a great trip. I had a couple of vacation weeks to burn and my wife had commitments, so I just decided to hop on the bike and head out to Indianapolis (from Connecticut) for the MotoGP race. Hit the USAF museum in Dayton along the way (absolutely amazing). Coming back I had no agenda, so I headed down to West Virginia to ride on some twisty roads. Trip was capped off with a blast up to Cape Cod to see friends.

I learned a few things about riding long distances along the way.

- Get off the bike every hour whether you think you need it or not. Just a minute to stretch your legs is enough. Thank me later. And take leisurely lunches. This should be about longevity, not speed.

- Shift positions on the bike often. If you sit still you'll cramp up sooner. Lean forward, take the weight off your butt, try different hand positions, etc.

- Limit daily mileage. I set 400 miles give or take. That felt short at first, but it soon paid off. After a few days those last miles get to be really grueling.

- It's better to make the trip about the journey itself than about reaching the destination. Allowing time to ride back roads instead of droning down the Interstate makes the whole thing a lot more pleasant. Interstates are the very best way to NOT see the country.

- Allow extra time so you're not a slave to your schedule. If you spot something you want to check out, by all means stop and do so. You make amazing discoveries that way.

- Eat at local places, not chains. You can get McDonalds anywhere. You can't find Marie's Most Awesome Sandwich Shoppe anywhere but where you are. The food is better, you'll discover new things and the people are nicer, too.

- Go get paper maps of your whole route. No batteries. They're also great planning tools... just look for squiggly lines. That's how I wound up in West Virginia.
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I am NOT an adrenaline junkie, I'm a skill junkie. - csmith12

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