Topic: My first long ride

[xfactor]

SO yesterday I went on a 150 mile (round trip) ride with my friend and his dad's mc club. I was the only non harley there, besides a victory. But regardless I had such a feeling of accomplishment after pulling into my alley after that long ride. I also know that 150 miles is chump change to most of you, but for me, it was one hell of a ride.


Few things I did notice:

1. I do need to fix my rear bake, would have come in handy a few times.

2. I need to finishing tuning up my bike.

3. My god does my rump hurt from this seat, maybe a custom one is in order.


Croix

[cookindaddy]

It is great isn't it?

Don't worry about a new seat for a while, your own rear end will tend to get used to it, like riding a horse.

I'm surprised that you didn't mention a sore right wrist from holding the throttle open but then maybe at my age, that is another thing that I have to get stronger at.

Do fix the brake. That is important!

[xfactor]

It is great isn't it?

Don't worry about a new seat for a while, your own rear end will tend to get used to it, like riding a horse.

I'm surprised that you didn't mention a sore right wrist from holding the throttle open but then maybe at my age, that is another thing that I have to get stronger at.

Do fix the brake. That is important!

It was so great, we did a nice ride and with a minimal amount of heckling from all the harley guys.


I know what I need to do to the rear brake, I think, just to broke to afford it. But thats ok, this thurs I get "paid" and ss brake lines will be ordered.


Yeah my wrist was fine, except for the awesome tan line I got from where my jacket had been blown back its like a 1.5 inch of dark tanning, then my hands are pure white from the gloves, got to love it.

[mgbgt89]

Don't bother getting a new seat. Your ass will break in. I remember the first time i rode 100 miles on the 350, Man was i sore! I just rode 3000 miles in 10 days on it. Much less sore than that first time i rode it for a decent amount of time.

[BeSeeingYou]

I did quite a few long distance trips in an age long ago and this summer I did one 600 mile round trip.  My longest trip in many years and the first 150 miles was tough but like the others say your get you "bike ass" after the first day or two.  I would often make the ride from Minneapolis to Yellowstone in two days on my XS650, around 1100 miles I think.  I would buzz for a day after arriving.  I found that the XS seat is more comfy than the Honda but the vibration is quite a bit more.  The smoothness of the Honda in comparison makes up for the less comfy seat.

[BobbyR]

150 miles is nothing to be ashamed of. You do get used to the seat and you learn to relax more.

[gmonkey]

Sounds like you had better luck than I did on my first couple of long trips.

1. Rode my kawasaki twin rat bike from champaign il to friend's house in terra haute in, went on a car road trip, came back and rode back.  Going there wasn't bad but going back it was 2 am when I started, I was already tired from the car trip and on top of that it was gusty winds (is there any other kind in that part of the country?) and what seemed liked freezing rain for the whole 95 miles.

2. Wanted to take my CBR to a track day at Putnam Park.  Rode to the track from Champaign again, about 100 miles.  5 miles short, going around corner noticed I picked up a nail.  Pushed my bike to a nearby chopper shop in full race leathers to get the tire fixed to ride home.  Lucked out, they didn't give me any crap as I expected them to, fixed the tire for cheap and sent me on my way.

3.  Rented a bike and helmet in Munich, rode to Innsbruck, stayed at a hostile and rode back.  Beautiful views and awesome roads but didn't get any sleep at the hostile because some guy was snoring like a saw mill all night and eventually started screaming in his sleep until the other boarders yelled at him and threw him out.  By the time I got back I was ready to pass out and my head was killing me from the ill fitting cheap helmet I rented.  It was pressing on the top of my forehead the whole way.  But then I guess I shouldn't complain about having ridden around in the alps.

Eventually I did make it to Putnam Park for a free trackday.  Worth the trouble.

[switchum]

Hope you had nice ear plugs. I would never ride with Harleys.

[xfactor]

Hope you had nice ear plugs. I would never ride with Harleys.

haha Not nearly as bad as I assumed, most of them had relatively quiet bikes.

Sounds like you had better luck than I did on my first couple of long trips.

1. Rode my kawasaki twin rat bike from champaign il to friend's house in terra haute in, went on a car road trip, came back and rode back.  Going there wasn't bad but going back it was 2 am when I started, I was already tired from the car trip and on top of that it was gusty winds (is there any other kind in that part of the country?) and what seemed liked freezing rain for the whole 95 miles.

2. Wanted to take my CBR to a track day at Putnam Park.  Rode to the track from Champaign again, about 100 miles.  5 miles short, going around corner noticed I picked up a nail.  Pushed my bike to a nearby chopper shop in full race leathers to get the tire fixed to ride home.  Lucked out, they didn't give me any crap as I expected them to, fixed the tire for cheap and sent me on my way.

3.  Rented a bike and helmet in Munich, rode to Innsbruck, stayed at a hostile and rode back.  Beautiful views and awesome roads but didn't get any sleep at the hostile because some guy was snoring like a saw mill all night and eventually started screaming in his sleep until the other boarders yelled at him and threw him out.  By the time I got back I was ready to pass out and my head was killing me from the ill fitting cheap helmet I rented.  It was pressing on the top of my forehead the whole way.  But then I guess I shouldn't complain about having ridden around in the alps.

Eventually I did make it to Putnam Park for a free trackday.  Worth the trouble.

haha thats quite a track record if I do say so myself. Only problems I experienced, besides the "bike ass" was a broken tach cable (at least I hope) But its not like I couldnt ride without a tach, just not preferred.


150 miles for me is a good start, my ultimate goal is to get myself something like a klr650 and go on a cross country trip, going from here in Chicago to Arizona, Vegas, San Diego, and then riding the coast until either Portland or BC havent decided yet, then Colorado on the way back.


The only thing I was considering is getting new foam in my seat, I figured in the 30+ years that these seats have been around they may have made some advancements in foam technology. 

[GammaFlat]

150 miles for me is a good start, my ultimate goal is to get myself something like a klr650 and go on a cross country trip, going from here in Chicago to Arizona, Vegas, San Diego, and then riding the coast until either Portland or BC havent decided yet, then Colorado on the way back.

I have a KLR650 and I like it lots.  There are a handful of upgrades I'd recommend (doohickey upgrade, Eagle Mike fork brace, Acerbis front fender, install tank guards (there was a moment in my riding when they paid for themselves), Thermobob (excellent upgrade to stabilize temp - Kaw did a terrible job on the cooling system).  If you want more free advice, go to klr650.net and/or drop me a pm .  It's nice if this stuff has been done already.... buy a pre-'08 ('08s had oil use issues) with the mods already done .  I love my KLR but whenever I work on it, it's obvious to me that the quality and workmanship, although good, does not match the SOHC4 CB750s.  The nice things about the KLR650: a) one carb - only one to work on and no syncing, b) one plug, c) does everything excels at nothing , more fun than a barrel of monkeys, torque like crazy.  Now go get one and have a blast.  

If you plan on highway riding, I think the fork brace and replacement fender is a must.  The factory fender will put you into a weave pretty quickly with a cross gust.

Mine (in the middle) and my brother's KLRs:


John

[BobbyR]

Hope you had nice ear plugs. I would never ride with Harleys.

The only thing I was considering is getting new foam in my seat, I figured in the 30+ years that these seats have been around they may have made some advancements in foam technology. 

There is new foams. The manufacturer of Hospital and Wheelchair pads is next door to our plant. The owners looked at my seat and were surprised the foam was there at all after 32 years. It had shrunk. They gave me some small sheets of that miricale foam to take up the shrinkage and give me a lot more comfort. You would not want to do the whole seat in it since it does not have enough body to help you stay in the seat while throwing the bike around curves.

[Uncle Ernie]

After your rear end calcifies, it ain't breaking in.
Most of my seats get modified;  flat flat flat , and wide as possible.  You want to be sitting on your inner thoughts, not your tail bone.  A decent upholstery place can fix you up.   For some reason, Ashevill ehas top talent for fixing electrical component, pin-striping- and Diana the Seat Lady.  She should change her business name to Fluffy Butt Seats.

Having the bike in proper tune can actually help reduce vibration.  Wind and MC noise can be tiring.  And on long rides, I put a sheepskin on my seats.  Yummmm.

Congrats on a good time, BTW.  I still recall my first souple of epic rides. 

[BeSeeingYou]

 And on long rides, I put a sheepskin on my seats.  Yummmm.

  I still recall my first souple of epic rides.  

So..... that is you in this picture.

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Steve,

Where did you find Terry's secret picture? 

[Uncle Ernie]

Yeah- it says right on it.  It's a shot of Terry on date night.

sheesh

[754]

 Before you know it you will be doing 1000 mile day..
 800 is cake on a stock seat with shocks...

[xfactor]

Before you know it you will be doing 1000 mile day..
 800 is cake on a stock seat with shocks...

haha Yeah I do need new shocks, throw that on the list.

[78 k550]

congrats on your first long ride.
I just did 12 day's about 3500 mile's.

Steve,

Where did you find Terry's secret picture?  

I can't sleep now  LMAO.

PAul