Topic: The SOHC 750 for long touring??? Share road trip experiences.

[Stevearino]

Ever been to the Four Corners?  I would worry less about the bike than the bod.  Gets pretty hot and dry this time of year.  Make sure that you have a gallon of water with you at all times.  If you do have trouble and you dont get help pronto, you will be asphault jerky in no time.

[Bob Wessner]

asphault jerky

 

[Uncle Ernie]

Soon after I moved to SF- lo these many years ago- I met some guys who rode out there on their new Hondas. One was a 750 and the other was a 500. Looked about the same to me- what did I know. No qualms about the bike.
Add Alaska Leather sheepskin. Smartwool or Bridgedale socks.  Stay in a freakin motel- hauling all that gear around is a PITA.  Stop every 100 miles for water.  Sun block.  KNOW how to take your tires off, but don't worry about changing the tubes. Someone will come along and give you a lift to somewhere that will fix it.  If you are in the contiguous USA, it will happen. Rain gear including Totes and big rubber gloves. Put baby powder in the rubber boots or keeep plastic garbage bags to put over your boots first. Without one of those options, you will go crazy and kill yourself.  Think of your family first. Take secondary roads. Platinum card.  Keep a journal.

[huntman58]

Wow glad I have read this post. I have always wanted to ride to the mid west from Calif. ( been a dream from my teens) now when i can get the cash together i hope to do this . May be two up now . longest i have ridden at a shot none stop has been about 200 miles from Fresno to the SF area. had no problems at all both bike and self so now ya all got me really wanting to do this soon before both health and age fully take over me .

[Glenn Stauffer]

Bruce Giller and I went from PA/DC down to Ashville, NC for an SOHC/4 gathering at the Honda Hoot some years back.  It was a trip of about 580 one-way miles from my house with a stop in DC (at Bruces's place) and Blacksburg VA (at Hoyt's place).  Mostly summer highway miles which made for a hot, tiring ride.  Bruce rode a 1976 750F and I was on my 1975 750K. 

It was a good trip except when I got run off onto to the inner shoulder of a highway at about 65mph by a truck pulling a trailer and, having survived that, almost dumped my bike in the stones of Hoyt's driveway when I got stuck in deep, newly laid driveway stone going uphill.  Fatigue had a lot to do with both incidents.  I had a big old windjammer fairing on my 750 that has since been removed.  Fairings are nice for such a long ride, but get one that is ventilated well or you'll roast.  Other than a couple of road incidents and the heat, the bikes ran like a charm.

The 4 corners is my favorite part of the world.  LONG miles between places down there along lonely stretches of roads.  Some fantastic roads up through the mountains and the most fantastic scenery almost everywhere.  Don't go in the middle of summer.  There will be too many tourists and, though this is high desert, it does get HOT.  The most important emergency item you can carry is water - lots of it.  Get a camel back for when you ride and carry a couple of gallons on every leg of the trip.  While most of the roads I've driven out there were fairly frequently traveled even in the off-season (last there in November 2005), a breakdown on a back road in the desert wouldn't be fun if you didn't have water and had to hike out.  Some of my favorite spots from two trips there - Bryce, Zion, Valley of the Gods, Island in the Sky, Arches, Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde.  Pack Abbey's book, Desert Solitaire to read on the way.

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

I like Glenn's list of stops. Being in Colorado I'm in relatively close proximity to all those places. I will attest to the magnificence of each place !! Truely amazing and awe inspiring. I didn't ride them on my 750F (rode my Fat Boy) but my buddy from Denver (VTX1800) and I took in all those mentioned places plus/minus a few more starting in Colorado Springs year before last. Traveled to Telluride as first stop and Vegas as last stop before heading home. FANTASTIC TRIP. 3000 miles +. We do a trip every year in August. Last Aug we made our first stop in Steamboat Springs via Rocky Mountain National Park, to Jackson Hole, Wyoming with a 1 day rain/drinking delay, to Sun Valley, Idaho, to Hells Canyon, OR, through E Orgeon and E WA, to Glacier Park, to Yellowstone Park & Grand Tetons, back home through Wind River. 3300 + miles. This year our first stop is in Sturgis for the rally, to Regina, Saskatchewan to check out my new soft tail 250/300 rear tire 750/900 Honda SOHC chop frame at Cycle One Manufacturing, into the Canadian Rockies and back home via unknown route at this time.
 I have done 1 long ride on my mostly trusty 750 years ago back in 1979. Immediately after the first year of pharmacy school ate my lunch and jello'd my brain plus a divorce I packed my bags and headed out. Had to get away!!!! Left Lexington, KY and headed west. Left at 10pm. Couldn't take it any longer!! First stop Paducah, KY (ran out of gas at 2AM, left bike for phone - no cells in those days - got back, gassed up, fired up and immediately felt warm oil running down my jacket. Some #$%*s on Kaw 900 stole my friggin oil pressure gauge and it was shooting oil all over me. Had to pull it in by holding an open window on a VW Bug 5 miles and it started raining. My left arm stretched 3".), partied for the weekend and when everyone went back to work I headed out to St Louis, rained on and off all day, found a motel, did 800 miles into Denver next day. Kansas is BORING!!! Rode to Rocky Mountain Park. Stayed about 3 weeks and headed back. 2000 + miles.
Anyway, someone asked.................................................
Jerry     

[Lumbee]

Some #$%*s on Kaw 900 stole my friggin oil pressure gauge

...how did u know it was some guys on a Kaw 900???

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Saw them as I was attached to the VW. 2AM, 2 other bikes on a lonely desolate rural stretch of I-24 headed from the opposite direction toward me which just happened to be 900 Kaws, they weren't Hondas!, and we are talking Paducah, KY here!!   Ever spent any time in Paducah (grew up there) ?? Have you ever heard how Paducahans say "excuse me" if they like you? Get the F@#k out of my way. If they don't like you - Get the F#$k out of my way mother f%^ker. Not picking on anyone here. Those are the things that happened in Paducah back in the day. We're just an onery bunch of sonna#$%*es. And still to the day.   

[the_genrl]

speaking of trips, anyone heading up to laconia?  i know, its all gay now and everything but i like the trip and setting off fireworks so i go.  leaving from nj.

[andy750]

Yes Ill be going to Laconia (and Im NOT gay!) and riding up from Boston on 10th or 11th June for a day trip - weather permitting. Look out for a stock sunrise orange CB750K4.

Cheers
Andy

[dusterdude]

what the hell does goin to laconia have to do with being gay?