Motorcycle Road Trip Essentials for the First-Timers
- Written by Diana Smith
The sense of freedom and excitement a life on the road brings is tempting more and more motorcycling enthusiasts to join the bikers’ community. However, many of them don’t take time to get properly acquainted with the basic elements of this undertaking. This includes the choice of a comfortable ride, adequate gear, smart packing, provisions and proper planning. Hop on to learn about it in more detail.
Bikers’ attire
Biking clothes is not only cool to strut in, it’s highly practical as well. While city cruising is not too demanding, long distance trips require full gear: ankle boots or safety shoes, riding pants and jacket and full-face helmet protection. Alternatively, you can opt for a body armour or knee and elbow pads. Pro tip: avoid loose clothes that cause discomfort and limit your movement.
Optimal packing
Don’t burden your motorcycle with unnecessary weight and pack light. Stick to the basics and try to include a good deal of disposable items you can get rid of on the way. When it comes to luggage, there’s a great array of options on the market, saddlebags, pillions and top-boxes being the most common. Bare minimum: a change of clothes (rolled up), a hygienic set and medicines.
Travel with a half-full stomach and stay hydrated
Why it’s not recommendable to start a motorcycling journey with a full stomach? Firstly, you may badly upset your stomach, secondly, you will get drowsy due to energy-demanding digestion process, and lastly, decent toilet may be miles away in a time of need.
When it comes to water consumption, you should obtain a pouch with a straw and take sips without making a stop. Drinking enough water will eliminate the nasty side-effects of dehydration like exertion and poor concentration. You can also add some soluble nutrients to it and feel energised at all times.
Make a detailed itinerary with a sufficient number of breaks
You don’t have to be a road master with an innate sense of direction to never get lost. All it takes is to examine the regional map more closely, highlight the necessary turns and stops and memorise the important landmarks. Gear up with both a digital image of the map and a printed version, in case your smartphone battery dies. For starters, travel in pair or in a group until you gain more confidence.
Also, we cannot emphasise enough the importance of evenly distributed breaks. This will spare you from issues like sore bum, empty tank or lack of supplies.
Whatever the weather
Since you will be spending a good deal of your time on the road, you’re bound to experience a bad weather day. Equip yourself with a pair of waterproof pants a raincoat that shields the luggage as well. You can test it out at home to reveal any faults in the coverage. Finally, don’t get too brave in case a storm comes up and makes a pit-stop at the nearest gas station or a motel.
Keep your spirits high
Everyone makes mistakes, and that’s ok! Don’t let the events of skidding, flat tire or minor falls discourage you and stop you from enjoying the beauty of the motorcycling life. Try to remain level-headed and positive in any situation, especially if you’re travelling on your own. Panic and fear may only paralyse you and prevent you to move forward.
Perfect machine
To find a motorcycle after your own heart, visit one of the reputable machinery auctions and get a great model for a fair price. Now, the most important feature you should pay attention to is the comfort level. To tweak it according to your needs, you may want to replace the handlebar, seat, headlight or guards.
Before you set out on your first motorcycle road trip, make sure you are thoroughly prepared for it. Key aspects which you need to handle once you perform this undertaking are processed in the aforementioned sections and you need to pay close attention to them.
