staintune007
Member
Hi guys Iam planing to ride this year to rapid city SD.and wife is coming with me. Time 8 days for the trip .leaving Orlando fl. to Rapid City SD. and back. need some imput from the experts THank
long distance riding
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huron52
Well-known member
Not sure what you are asking for. To answer you question, you need to give us more information..... like
Do you ride two up a lot?
What is your longest two up day?
Was it just one OR a few days in a row?
Did you want just interstate travel OR two lane stop for pictures and tourist trap stuff?
Do you ride no matter what the weather is?
Do you ride two up a lot?
What is your longest two up day?
Was it just one OR a few days in a row?
Did you want just interstate travel OR two lane stop for pictures and tourist trap stuff?
Do you ride no matter what the weather is?
wfooshee
O, Woe is me!!
Or how to pack. You'll be amazed what becomes unnecessary. Camping or motels?
Get some spare keys made, keep them on your persons, not locked away in your luggage.
If you haven't been on anything more than a day trip before, do a weekend to someplace close, just to see what it takes. Long enough to need refueling and meal breaks, but not long enough to cancel if you decide "WTF??!?!?"
Get some spare keys made, keep them on your persons, not locked away in your luggage.
If you haven't been on anything more than a day trip before, do a weekend to someplace close, just to see what it takes. Long enough to need refueling and meal breaks, but not long enough to cancel if you decide "WTF??!?!?"
Willie
Well-known member
That is just shy of 2000 miles one way, 4000 mile round trip or 500 miles per day. That does not leave much time for sightseeing where you stop and visit for a moment, at least from my perspective. We have done multiple National Park Tours and find 350 miles per day is an agreesive day with stops. We tend to stick to the secondary roads and off the interstates. As others have menitoned you did not provide alot of details on what your expectations of the trip are. 500 miles is certainly doable at and on the interstates.
Willie
RossKean
Well-known member
Your fastest route is somewhere in the vicinity of three long (650 mile) days. That's 6 days getting there and back on the interstates without any major stops. If you plan on two days of riding in SD (seeing some of the great sights in the area) then you will have no wiggle room to allow for weather, mechanical issues, extra rest if fatigued or a stop somewhere really interesting. If you can, I think you would be wise to add another couple of days and take some lesser-travelled back roads. As suggested by huron52, it depends on your experience with extended 2-up riding as well as your personal stamina.
While I can do the long days (800 mi. +) to get someplace, my preference is to plan on 500 miles/day (or less) and not worry as much about the schedule if I want to take a long lunch, explore an unknown road or stop for photo-ops. I don't frequently ride with a passenger but I suspect that my long-distance riding endurance would be somewhat less under those circumstances.
redtail
Well-known member
+1 on you won't believe how much of what you bring you won't use.
That being said, besides making sure you stop as often as she needs ( gotta plan for that )! A cool tip I got from a couple we met along the Oregon coast... Bring your old t-shirts and throw them out when they're dirty, this makes room for the souvenir shirts you buy along the way!
Oh, and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! ( goes along with stopping a lot to stay comfortable )
That being said, besides making sure you stop as often as she needs ( gotta plan for that )! A cool tip I got from a couple we met along the Oregon coast... Bring your old t-shirts and throw them out when they're dirty, this makes room for the souvenir shirts you buy along the way!
Oh, and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! ( goes along with stopping a lot to stay comfortable )
midlifeuturn
Well-known member
That's 500 mile days back to back. That's pretty ambitious I'd say. My wife would last one of those days and then fly back home!
staintune007
Member
Yea lots of riding two up.Next five days in a row solo 1754 miles in 4.5 days. next Interstate most of it.next waether is n problem. age 58 years ,185 lbs ,5.9 height. Anything else that you need
007,
I am in no way an expert, but being from Iowa and relocating to Florida 25 or so years ago has made me VERY
practiced on this route. I have driven/ridden this trip no less than 50 round trips. I am assuming your bike is set up
already(?)... if not your 2 up rides may be a thing of your past.
My son is from Spearfish and for me the ride is
"point A to point B". There are better routes and side stops off the beaten path, but I think the riding just starts
gettin' good in Rapid City. If you could only go further west...... Yellowstone, the Tetons.. wow. BUT you have
your reasons. Badlands, blackhills and Rushmore are ...OK. Tenn. for your first stop? Pick up a coupon book at the
"Welcome" center- it will save you some $ on motels. Have "quality stops" and don't waste time at fuel stops.
Enjoy your trip! PM me with any ?'s
I am in no way an expert, but being from Iowa and relocating to Florida 25 or so years ago has made me VERY
practiced on this route. I have driven/ridden this trip no less than 50 round trips. I am assuming your bike is set up
already(?)... if not your 2 up rides may be a thing of your past.
My son is from Spearfish and for me the ride is"point A to point B". There are better routes and side stops off the beaten path, but I think the riding just starts
gettin' good in Rapid City. If you could only go further west...... Yellowstone, the Tetons.. wow. BUT you have
your reasons. Badlands, blackhills and Rushmore are ...OK. Tenn. for your first stop? Pick up a coupon book at the
"Welcome" center- it will save you some $ on motels. Have "quality stops" and don't waste time at fuel stops.
Enjoy your trip! PM me with any ?'s
UHOH
Well-known member
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pathfinder ^^^ has good perspective, me thinks.
$.02 thought here is ... get on the road early (and start w/ new tires)
enjoy
$.02 thought here is ... get on the road early (and start w/ new tires)
so that equals 390 miles/day
enjoy
TomInPA
Well-known member
Really long trips over boring midwest routes...send the wife by plane to the destination and meet her there. Enjoy more days of riding and she will be fresh and enjoy the experience of the destination. I have gone cross-country but wouldn't dream of a 2000 mile+ trip with my wife on the back seat. The journey, is a "guy thing". Enjoying the destination is a great relation builder. If your wife was that much into riding she would have her own bike.
JMHO.
JMHO.
escapefjrtist
Searching for Dry Roads
Although its kinda - sorta been mentioned, get some seat time with the SO. Begin with a easy weekend trip and see how it goes. This will give you both an idea of what you're in for. Gradually work it up to long weekends and more miles...pay attention to what you pack and actually gets used. You'll be surprised what you don't need!
Good luck, sounds like a fun trip.
--G
Good luck, sounds like a fun trip.
--G
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eeksnake
Not dead, just smell that way
Gunny! on putting some miles in with the wife BEFORE your trip. A longish weekend trip will tell you volumes on what to plan for.
For my bride and I, a three day trip to Sedona, AZ from Henderson, NV let us know the FJR wasn't right. We bought a Victory Vision and never looked back. (Keeping the FJR for myself of course!) That's not to say your FJR won't work for you two. There are lots of folks here who can attest to the Feej's worthiness as a two-up steed. The point is, without the 300+ mile days, we wouldn't have known what works for us. Explore, experiment, and most importantly, communicate with each other.
Happy riding!
For my bride and I, a three day trip to Sedona, AZ from Henderson, NV let us know the FJR wasn't right. We bought a Victory Vision and never looked back. (Keeping the FJR for myself of course!) That's not to say your FJR won't work for you two. There are lots of folks here who can attest to the Feej's worthiness as a two-up steed. The point is, without the 300+ mile days, we wouldn't have known what works for us. Explore, experiment, and most importantly, communicate with each other.
Happy riding!
Imp
Well-known member
Wife and I am going to ride up to SD (from Crystal River FL) May 14 th and will come back May 23rd. She rides her own FJR and has told me that when she does ride on the back she gets bored as well as the seat becomes uncomfortable. She told me the seat issue is because she is not able to moove around when on the pillon. So the first recomendation is to get a comfortable seat for her.
The fist day we usually do a 700-800 mile day, we go by hours and usually stop at the 12 hour mark. The second day and following days we do 500-600 miles per day.
Each of us get a saddlebag of space for packing, the tank bag is for camera/ snack food/ and things we need to get to quickly.
We have a StarCom and are able to listen to our iPod and to talk to each other which we found very helpfull.
The fist day we usually do a 700-800 mile day, we go by hours and usually stop at the 12 hour mark. The second day and following days we do 500-600 miles per day.
Each of us get a saddlebag of space for packing, the tank bag is for camera/ snack food/ and things we need to get to quickly.
We have a StarCom and are able to listen to our iPod and to talk to each other which we found very helpfull.
This is GREAT advice! .... If it were me........
I would ride to Kansas City and fly your wife there (Major airport HUB=fewer$)
I would take off from Orlando at night- say 8 pm, this way GA, FL would be knocked out by sunrise.
Boring miles- nothing but miles. AND deer country ahead will be done in daylight hours.
Now the sun is coming up and your in Chat, TN enjoying the sceenery and the slabs that are not boring.
Just beyond Land Between the Lakes (KY) is a great rest stop on a lake. There's a picnic table (Covered)
lakeside that is perfect for a nap. Now you wake up, proceed to KC, meet your wife at the airport, get
a hotel and wake up fresh for a short jaunt to Rapid City. She enjoys the ride as South Dakota has some
sceenery and great, nicely spaced rest stops. You arrive after 2 days (From FL) and now have time to go
further west IF desired. On the way home - reverse the above steps with a roundtrip ticket OR "Take the
long way home"
oldryder
Well-known member
heres some things I've learned:
0. get an early start. ride an hour or two before breakfast. stop for a nice break. at the end of the day you won't even remember the saddle time before breakfast. this always worked for me, even on van trips with the family and little kids. for me it's a secret to a comfortable high mileage day.
1. make sure your seat is good for all day. once your butt (or your passengers butt) starts hurting the funs over.
1a. make sure passenger has a backrest.
2. consider a J&M CB with intercom. The ability to talk easily with a passenger always added to my enjoyment. MP3 or XM music a nice plus.
3. make up some hand signals if no intercom. most important one for us was crossed fingers indicating need for a potty stop.
4. pack rain gear and hope you don't need it. rain gear also good for cold mornings.
5. consider ear plugs. I always wear them and they decrease fatigue on a long day of riding significantly.
6. 500 miles per day is do-able but you need to be set up good if you want to be comfortable all day. It'd be worth a 500 mile each way overnight warm up trip to make sure you'll be comfortable on the long ride. you don't want to find out your seat or helmet or something else is uncomfortable after a few hours on the 1st day of your big trip.
7. if you cross ND or SD east to west or vice versa expect very strong cross winds all day. very fatiguing. I've done it at least a dozen times and only once were the cross winds mild. usually they're howling.
8. see notes elsewhere on this forum about pinning your saddlebags.
9. if trip is during summer hot weather make arrangements for drinking water while riding. you'll be surprised how much you'll drink on a hot day.
10. +1 on having wife fly for part of trip. I've done a 4500 mile trip and had a different passenger each way. worked out great. Alternative is to (gasp!) trailer the bike thru the boring states and ride the good ones. Purist riders choke at this idea but if the wife isn't having fun neither are you and multiple 500 mile two up days thru boring states suck unless you just love to ride.
11. lots of posts about tools and supplies to take, most of which you'll never use. I've never needed tools on my FJR but I have used the following:
a. siphon
b. tire patch kit with inflator
c. spare headset cable
d. tire guage (very important, check tires every morning)
e. sunscreen
f. chapstick
g, aspirin/ibuprofin
h. spare eyeglasses
i. rag to put over seat when parked so seat doesn't cook your butt after an afternoon stop.
hope some of this was helpful.
0. get an early start. ride an hour or two before breakfast. stop for a nice break. at the end of the day you won't even remember the saddle time before breakfast. this always worked for me, even on van trips with the family and little kids. for me it's a secret to a comfortable high mileage day.
1. make sure your seat is good for all day. once your butt (or your passengers butt) starts hurting the funs over.
1a. make sure passenger has a backrest.
2. consider a J&M CB with intercom. The ability to talk easily with a passenger always added to my enjoyment. MP3 or XM music a nice plus.
3. make up some hand signals if no intercom. most important one for us was crossed fingers indicating need for a potty stop.
4. pack rain gear and hope you don't need it. rain gear also good for cold mornings.
5. consider ear plugs. I always wear them and they decrease fatigue on a long day of riding significantly.
6. 500 miles per day is do-able but you need to be set up good if you want to be comfortable all day. It'd be worth a 500 mile each way overnight warm up trip to make sure you'll be comfortable on the long ride. you don't want to find out your seat or helmet or something else is uncomfortable after a few hours on the 1st day of your big trip.
7. if you cross ND or SD east to west or vice versa expect very strong cross winds all day. very fatiguing. I've done it at least a dozen times and only once were the cross winds mild. usually they're howling.
8. see notes elsewhere on this forum about pinning your saddlebags.
9. if trip is during summer hot weather make arrangements for drinking water while riding. you'll be surprised how much you'll drink on a hot day.
10. +1 on having wife fly for part of trip. I've done a 4500 mile trip and had a different passenger each way. worked out great. Alternative is to (gasp!) trailer the bike thru the boring states and ride the good ones. Purist riders choke at this idea but if the wife isn't having fun neither are you and multiple 500 mile two up days thru boring states suck unless you just love to ride.
11. lots of posts about tools and supplies to take, most of which you'll never use. I've never needed tools on my FJR but I have used the following:
a. siphon
b. tire patch kit with inflator
c. spare headset cable
d. tire guage (very important, check tires every morning)
e. sunscreen
f. chapstick
g, aspirin/ibuprofin
h. spare eyeglasses
i. rag to put over seat when parked so seat doesn't cook your butt after an afternoon stop.
hope some of this was helpful.
Start dosing with pain meds about 45 minutes before you actually get into the saddle, and keep them flowing until mid-afternoon or early evening. I'm 55 and wife is 59. We have done 72,000 miles on the Feej and would not do a series of 500-mile back-to-back days like you are contemplating - not unless we absolutely had to. Then it would be about getting it over with, rather than enjoying it.
SacramentoMike
Not Safe For Work
.
Staintune, I saw your post right away and had my own reaction, but kept it to myself. I don't like posts that don't offer anything constructive, and my reaction was negative. But others are working all around what I thought, without quite saying it. So I will:
In the nicest way I know how to put it, I think this trip is WAY ill-advised. Nothing but slabs for eight days, not much great scenery on the way (so I gather from other posters), no time to sightsee or follow any impulses along the way (the world's biggest ball of string, ten miles?), no allowance for the kinds of aches and pains or even mechanical issues that can cause unplanned breaks, and it sounds like no time at your destination to enjoy it. Already time to turn around and head back! Instead, fly to Rapid City and relax. Or take a ride on your FJR to some of the great roads in the Southeast and explore them in a series of MUCH lower-mileage days.
OK, Im really sorry to crap on your plans like this, honest, but I bet some others are thinking the same thing too. If you do go, though, I hope you can be flexible if you run into these kinds of things along the way. And seriously hope you enjoy your vacation, however you take it.
.
Staintune, I saw your post right away and had my own reaction, but kept it to myself. I don't like posts that don't offer anything constructive, and my reaction was negative. But others are working all around what I thought, without quite saying it. So I will:
In the nicest way I know how to put it, I think this trip is WAY ill-advised. Nothing but slabs for eight days, not much great scenery on the way (so I gather from other posters), no time to sightsee or follow any impulses along the way (the world's biggest ball of string, ten miles?), no allowance for the kinds of aches and pains or even mechanical issues that can cause unplanned breaks, and it sounds like no time at your destination to enjoy it. Already time to turn around and head back! Instead, fly to Rapid City and relax. Or take a ride on your FJR to some of the great roads in the Southeast and explore them in a series of MUCH lower-mileage days.
OK, Im really sorry to crap on your plans like this, honest, but I bet some others are thinking the same thing too. If you do go, though, I hope you can be flexible if you run into these kinds of things along the way. And seriously hope you enjoy your vacation, however you take it.
.
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charismaticmegafauna
Well-known member
In agreement ^^^^ (so true).
Many times the destination is (first) set for the tour and then the time alloted is dealt with...
True story: a friend from MN once asked, "We're going to the Grand Canyon this summer on our motorcycles -- can you give us any suggestions?" How long's your vacation? "One week -- well, nine days." (on cruisers, no less...!)
I offered: "Maybe, Iowa would be a better choice? The Bridges of Madison County, Amish Settlements, Old Miss. River towns, etc.?"
The answer: "I'll tell you right now -- we're not taking a vacation to Iowa...!"
Many times the destination is (first) set for the tour and then the time alloted is dealt with...
True story: a friend from MN once asked, "We're going to the Grand Canyon this summer on our motorcycles -- can you give us any suggestions?" How long's your vacation? "One week -- well, nine days." (on cruisers, no less...!)
I offered: "Maybe, Iowa would be a better choice? The Bridges of Madison County, Amish Settlements, Old Miss. River towns, etc.?"
The answer: "I'll tell you right now -- we're not taking a vacation to Iowa...!"
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