Choosing Riding Comfort and Endurance

What research needs to be done for a cross-country motorcycle trip? If you want to take your chances, no research is needed. If you want an enjoyable and successful trip for all involved, research reduces the negative surprises, which will impact your ride.

Transportation Mode

One of the most helpful websites was Total Motorcycle http://tinyurl.com/yfk52kq which gives style and bike specifications. The design of the motorcycle was the first consideration. It must carry all my gear and me for a number of days over a long distance in comfort. The bike has to be very stable resisting wind buffeting of trucks and strong crosswinds. That translates into a low-slung cruiser style with a long wheelbase. Maneuverability at low speeds is desired and dictates a loaded weight for me between 400 and 600 lbs. Having had experienced chain driven bikes with their stretched chains needing constant lubrication, a maintenance free drive shaft was desired. A fully loaded bike must be able to hold 70-80 mph all day without struggling. The bike ergonomics were important for an aging 67yr old body. A natural sitting position with feet firmly on the floorboards and hands comfortably reaching the handgrips was preferred. With desert riding expected, liquid cooling is a must.

With these parameters in mind, it was time to look at the various motorcycles within my budget. After much study, the decision came down to a Yamaha or a Honda cruiser. Remembering taking a new bike for a test ride years ago, I assumed with my motorcycle license, that I could take each one on a test ride to compare the two. That was not to be. Liability concerns jinxed that idea. So I relied on the dealer’s biased comments, customer’s reviews on the Internet and riding videos on UTube.

In my previous riding experiences, I had very good luck with Honda machines so I was drawn to those. If you changed the oil and spark plugs in a Honda regularly, it assured one of thousands of miles of worry free riding. The decision was made and I went to the local Honda dealer asking him “What is the smallest displacement motorcycle with a shaft drive?” He said, “the 750cc V-Twin Shadow Spirit C2 cruiser.” http://tinyurl.com/yfqgqar.

Wind and Bug Catcher

After buying the bike, I researched the additional accessories I needed for that particular bike. The accessories provide safety, utility and reduce fatigue during long rides. The Slipstreamer Falcon windshield deflects bugs and debris that fly off vehicles and makes the motorcycle more visible. A windshield also deflects the strong slipstream generated by high speed enabling the rider to sit straight without fighting the wind to stay upright. Having the top of the windshield just below my sightline lets me see over it when heavy rain makes it impossible to see through the windshield.
Carrying Stuff

National Cycle Cruiseliner hard, waterproof, lockable saddlebags were added to provide convenient storage for rain gear, tools, and groceries. A Paladin luggage rack complemented the saddlebags providing a place to hold my “dry bag”. This is a duffle bag that is totally waterproof used in white water canoeing.
Foot and Leg Care

A set of Kuryakyn floor boards replaces the foot pegs letting the rider either rest his boots flat or rest his heels on the leading edge of the floor boards to stretch his legs on a long trip.

Cruising in Comfort with Efficiency

Special foam grips reduce the vibration that travels through the handlebars. The “Cramp Buster” is a small plastic collar with a tail that goes around the throttle grip. The heel of throttle hand can be rested on the tail keeping the throttle at a constant setting. It serves as an inexpensive cruise control and allows me to stretch and flex my fingers on long rides.

Easy Does It

The housing for the EASY PASS transponder is one of the best accessories. The Easy Pass allows motorcycles to breeze through tollgates without having to stop and fumble with change. Then the maps and directions can be conveniently referred to with a quick glance at the map case strapped to the top of the fuel tank.

Bottom Care

A thicker Mustang seat with a backrest replaces the stock banana seat. A customer of Mustang seats said in his Internet comments “The stock seat provides comfort for 60 miles but the Mustang seat provides comfort for 600 miles. I learned that this saying was not correct. While talking to the Honda salesman, I sat on the banana seat for twenty minutes. After that short time, my bottom and the base of my spine began to ache and the bike had not even moved.

Safety is the Key

Adding a rear tail light modulator causes the brake light to pulse periodically when it is activated hopefully attracting the attention of the large semi bearing down on my rear bumper at a stoplight. A set of highway bars completes the accessories. These protect the side of the bike if it tips over or enters a slide. Occasionally balance is lost and the bars keep the bike partially elevated so it is easy to right it.

On a previous motorcycle trip on the Gaspe Peninsula with my father in law, I learned how a serious situation could develop without highway bars. I pulled off the highway on some sandy soil to take a photo. As I got ready to take the shot, I lost my balance in the sand and fell to the ground with the bike falling on my right leg. My leg was not hurt due to the soft sand under the bike. I was in a position where it was impossible to get the leverage to free myself. As the gas from the tank dripped on my leg, I had a vision of being immolated in a flaming pyre. The engine went Tick, Tick, Tick, as it cooled. I likened this to a count down to the final “Swoosh” as the bike went up in flames. I waited for my father in law to realize I was missing and come back. Unfortunately, I was in high grass and it would be hard to see me from the road. Finally, my father in law on his second pass saw me and righted the bike. I breathed a sigh of relief and we rode on.

Cheers,
Free Spirit

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive, and the true success is to labour" - Robert Louis Stevenson