So the wife gave me the green light to buy the ultimate pinnacle of long distance touring, a Honda GoldWing. It’s a 2008, it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of the newer models, but it has 23,000 miles on it, original owner and it’s mint.

We have big plans for this bike. But I need to start out slowly. It’s an intimidating bike, 900lbs or so, and the biggest bike I have ever ridden. But damn, it was so, so smooth...

Anyways, we are planning on a few small trips to get acclimated. Break it in, get use to the cockpit. This thing has buttons, switches, levers, and sirens all over. But my wife loves that backseat, and that’s the most important thing.

I’m just curious, for long distance travel, how do you plan? 3 days of clothes, do laundry? Ship clothes to destination? Just wear the same shit for weeks at a time?

This bike has so many options, like pulling a trailer or camper. That’s the next evolution.

Right now I’m most learning the basics of a long haul machine. After 45 years of riding,I feel like a virgin on Prom night, but damn, I want to pop that cherry.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ASKSmith,

Don't get intimidated by the bells and whistles.
I spent 46 days/7600+ miles on the road on my Honda Nighthawk 650cc and years later 20 days/4500+ miles on the road on my 1100cc Honda Shadow ACE Tourer. While a Wing is sort of a long term goal for me, distance riding is less about the bike and more about what do you need to get by.

The Wing will change your comfort level on the road but your needs will still be the same. Socks, Underwear, pants, shirts, toothbrush…..

For longer rides I generally pack something like 4 briefs and socks, 2 T-shirts, 2 short sleeve button up shirts, 1 or 2 long sleeve pull overs, two long pants, a pullover wind break, 1 pair of low hiking shoes, both light and heavy gloves, and almost always my heated jacket liner which takes up no more room than a sweatshirt. The pants and shirts being synthetic travel type that dry out quickly and are somewhat wrinkle free. I generally ride in Aerostich Darien Goretex jacket and over pants which also serve as my rain suit and Gortex riding boots. Not often but in very hot temps I may take off the over pants.

I rode solo.

Most city/towns have a laundrymat and many Motels. Major chains have an app you can download.

My advice to you, practice slow speed riding on an empty parking lot. Get comfortable with slow speed handling of that 900 pound bike, BEFORE you put your wife on the back seat. Practice slow speed turns, emergency stops and slow creeping ahead.

And....

Always get a bike safety check and oil & filter change before a long trip.

^
RideWv,I’m considering AeroStitch full suits. I always loved reading their catalogs.

I’m considering adding a rack on the rear trunk, but they only hold 10lbs or so, not sure if it’s worth it.

GWBiker, I definitely plan on getting some miles on it, before I allow the wife to ride shotgun. It is totally different from anything I have ridden, a new animal.

I will definitely spend some time in a local parking lot getting used to low speed handling.

Those must be the beasts that the kickstands sink in the asphalt.

I have a one piece roadcrafter I use for commuting and for Christmas the wife got a two piece. I would definitely get a two piece for touring. I used my one piece for my first long rod trip and after that it’s been some variation of two pieces. I have a BMW rally jacket or klim badlands o wear depending on the season and I wear Aerostitch AD1 pants. I have travelled to 45 states including Deadhorse AK and good chunk of Canada and this setup has served me well.

Hockey Puck.... Get a Hockey Puck / electrical junction box cover plate( 4inch x 4inch) or something simular to go under the kick stand to stop it from sinking in soft dirt or soft pavement. Easy to carry and trust me they work. ..................... drill sgt.

I just bought two kickstand pads on Amazon. 10 bucks for two of them.
I also wear a reflective surveyors vest I got from HiVizSupply.com. Much cheaper than vests targeted for motorcyclists and lots more pockets too. I carry 3-4 heavy ziplock bags to keep things dry in case of sudden rain.

I’m aware of the “hockey puck”. I use to have a cup holder coaster, but it got lost during my riding hiatus. I had my VMax parked in the driveway last year. It didn’t tip over, but there is a very obvious imprint in our driveway, maybe an inch deep.

I always save my most tattered worn out underwear for these trips. I leave them like breadcrumbs in the wastebaskets of hotels across this great country It also frees up space for tee shirts I accumulate as I go.

I too am a fan of the tech fabrics. Under Armour and Nike more than any other. They are comfortable all day and, as mentioned earlier, they dry quickly. A big plus if you are washing them in the room at night. For the rack on the back I have a mesh bag. I can put wet clothing in it and they are dry in no time.

As drill sgt suggested, when my wife and I were riding a lot on our BMWs, we each kept a 4" square electrical box cover plate in our tank bags.

Very handy to slip under the side stand. The covers are drilled for screw holes in the corner, so we attached a length of light cord to them, long enough to drape over the handlebar. That way, when you're ready to go, it's easy to retrieve the cover as soon as the weight is off the stand, while you're sitting in the seat.

quote:

I always save my most tattered worn out underwear for these trips.

Grandmother would NOT approve!

What if they had to take you to the hospital and you did not have nice underwear?

Shootin Blanks, that is some great advice.

We had friends who would go on vacation, and they wear all their old clothes. They’d just leave them at the hotel.

I’m unsure about a rack on the trunk compartment, but I do like the mesh bag idea. I plan on buying a lightweight water resistant cover for the bike, and I could keep that on the back rack as well. Give the hard bags more space.

My last long ride was decades ago before the synthetic fabrics became easily available. 10 days/3500 miles including stopovers.

Found then most comfortable gear was gym shorts/t shirt under a set of classic Langlitz goatskin Columbia jacket & Western pants. It was summer but with leg & arm zippers open, the air flow was just like A/C.

The biggest repair I had was a new stop light bulb.

Had the theory of "wear a set/wash a set" of clothes choices. Didn't need a bunch of redundant togs.

Honda V65 was short on storage but the 125HP was more than most cars I had owned to that point.
Image too big to post: https://external-content.duckd...57eDSC_0350-copy.jpg

quote:

Originally posted by ASKSmith:
^
RideWv,I’m considering AeroStitch full suits. I always loved reading their catalogs.

I’m considering adding a rack on the rear trunk, but they only hold 10lbs or so, not sure if it’s worth it.

A 1-piece Roadcrafter would be nice too, I use one a lot for day rides and sometimes for longer ones as well. I find the 1-piece to be a bit more comfortable and both warmer and cooler than wearing two separate pieces. However with a 2-piece in very hot weather you can remove the outer pants, and a 2-piece is generally more waterproof. I prefer a Darien over Roadcrafter 2-piece because the Darien is a little lighter and the pants (even with the knee pads) fold up fairly small. The trunk rack you're considering would be a convenient place to strap them.
One thing (especially 1-piece) I would suggest is going up to the next size, in cold weather it permits adding an extra layer and in hot weather when loosened up and partially unzipped more air can flow inside the suit. For instance I'm 6' 180# and Aerostich would suggest a 44 regular but I find a 46 long to be perfect. Actually I'm in the process of selling for a friend a nice 1-piece Roadcrafter 48L in blue.

quote:

Originally posted by signewt:
My last long ride was decades ago before the synthetic fabrics became easily available. 10 days/3500 miles including stopovers.

Found then most comfortable gear was gym shorts/t shirt under a set of classic Langlitz goatskin Columbia jacket & Western pants. It was summer but with leg & arm zippers open, the air flow was just like A/C.

The biggest repair I had was a new stop light bulb.

Had the theory of "wear a set/wash a set" of clothes choices. Didn't need a bunch of redundant togs.

Honda V65 was short on storage but the 125HP was more than most cars I had owned to that point.
Image too big to post: https://external-content.duckd...57eDSC_0350-copy.jpg

Had that exact bike many moons ago, twas a beast. One time I did triple the then 55 speed limit, could have done more but I chickened out.

In hot weather, avoid wearing cotton shorts (underwear). Look for a synthetic make, such as LD Comfort. Here's link...

https://ldcomfort.com/Mens-Riding-Shorts.html

Get one size larger than what you usually wear.

For cold weather riding, get an electric vest with heated arms. A vest will allow your shoulders to get very cold.

Wear heated vest over tee shirt and under a warm shirt, then a motorcycle COAT which is better in cold weather than a motorcycle jacket.

And don't forget to practice slow riding.

Step one trade the wing on a Harley!! On one cross country trip Sturgis and the Wing Ding overlapped.West bound sunny and bright east bound pouring rain. Rain was divided by the median strip! We have made the Sturgis trip fifteen times in a row from the Boston area. Two people and a ferret on a FXR. We have traveled as much as seven hundred miles a day and have spent three days in a town we planed on stopping in for lunch. Try not to have a strict travel plan.Weather and finding cool stuff to do will raise hell with a schedule. Late afternoon check on a motel up ahead based on how far you can go before dusk. Dusk is when all the critters come out to play. We had two elk come over the guardrail when we got stuck in Yellowstone and had to reach Jackson Hole for the closest lodging. Pack bags with most used items easyest to access .Nothing like digging out raingear from the bottom of a saddlebag on the side of the highway in the pouring rain. Remember you are not going to mars you can hit Walmart .If you dont need something send it home,better to pay shipping than to work around unused stuff. Many tourist type shops offer free shipping on purchases. Plan on a circular route ,northern out southern return etc. Do some research ,we missed out on some great stuff in or near where we were. Ask locals for things that may not show up on tourist maps. Gun museums ,Bass pro,history etc.Have a easy to grab bag with clothing and toiletries to make the last stop of the day quick and easy. You will understand this after a long day on the road. Find a local restaurant you can walk to near your motel,a few drinks after a long day is worry free . Hope this helps!! Sorry for the random thought proccess.