Long Distance Riding
Your Harley-Davidson® touring bike is perfectly optimized to take you across long stretches of highway on interesting adventures over winding roads. Naturally, you’ll want to make use of it by taking a long ride as soon as you find the time. If you haven’t ridden your motorcycle out of the city much, though, you may not know exactly what you’re in for. Long distance riding requires that you prepare yourself well so that you can maintain focus and control of the bike even when the scenery becomes monotonous and it seems like the next rest stop will never arrive.
Fortunately, Lumberjack HD is staffed with touring enthusiasts who have been there and done that when it comes to long rides, so we’ve prepared a guide to help you plan out your journey. Our dealership is based in Nacogdoches, Texas, so if you have any questions or maintenance concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out to us!
Pack Lightly & Intelligently
Your motorcycle can’t haul everything you’d want to take if you were traveling in a car, so you’ll have to use your best judgement to determine what’s essential. Packing a few changes of clothing that layer well and wearing a riding suit can cut down on clothes. Make sure you have the appropriate gear, including sturdy boots, earplugs to dampen the sounds of wind, traffic and your own bike, a repair kit, a first-aid kit with medicines and your GPS and phone with charging cables. Bring a refillable water bottle and some snacks in case you find yourself stranded between meals. Make sure you have sun protection, whether it’s a UV-tinted helmet or sunglasses and sunscreen.
Check The Weather
The weather will be changeable no matter where you ride or what season it is. Check it in advance along your route and at your stops each night so you have some idea of what to expect, but plan for the worst just in case. This means bringing warm layers and waterproof gear in case you encounter cold temps or rain. Don’t hesitate to stop early if you see a storm rolling in, or to change your route if you see weather conditions might make a road more dangerous.
Practice Makes Perfect
Obviously, you already know how to ride your motorcycle, so that’s not what we mean by “practice.” If you haven’t ridden your bike for more than an hour or two at a time, you’ll want to practice riding for longer durations in and around your city before committing to a multi-day ride over hundreds of miles. Fatigue sets in faster than you might think, and exhaustion is dangerous when you’re at the helm of a heavy motorized vehicle. Try a 100-mile ride, then a 200-mile ride on different days to get a feel for how your bike handles over long distances and how you cope when the road starts to wear on you. When you’re able to take these short trips over the course of an afternoon, you’ll be better prepared to handle those rides that cross state lines.
Take Breaks Often
As an adjunct to our previous point, you should never try to ride all day without rest. You’ll need breaks much more frequently than you realize, so you can’t just rely on meal times and stops for gas as your resting times. Also, you need to stay hydrated and you can’t drink water while riding, so make sure to give yourself plenty of breaks spaced out evenly throughout the day. This will let your spine relax, your mind clear and your eyes recoup their focusing powers, and breaks also let your bike cool down. Don’t ride too long in a day, either -- you need to ensure that you’re getting sufficient sleep each night and that you have time to eat and wind yourself down, in addition to seeing some of the sights along the way.
Keep A Record Of Your Journey
Riding straight through each day of your trip without checking out any of the scenic routes, tourist attractions, state parks and other features along your route is a waste of a long ride. You should record your journey as well. Taking photos to send and share with friends and family and even writing down your experiences in a journal or on social media can give you something to reflect on fondly later and a way to incorporate others into your experience. Check out anything you see that looks intriguing, even if it means you don’t travel as far as you’d planned in a day. The journey is part of the destination!
If you’re in the market for a touring bike of your own, come down to our dealership to see the styles we carry, including the latest Harley motorcycles. Our service department can also help you keep your current bike in good running condition. Lumberjack HD serves the cities of Lufkin and Huntsville with our Nacogdoches, Texas, location.