YOU GOT THIS!
I’ll start with this disclaimer. I’m well-aware that a lot of you made your first long motorcycle trip a very long time ago. A large portion of the Roadcraft USA readers are well-traveled, seasoned and accomplished motorcyclists. But I’m willing to bet that you, too, will enjoy this feature; taking away some information that you never thought about or forgot long ago. You might even get a good laugh or two.
I just couldn’t ignore all the cries for help. So many readers have taken the time to reach out to me directly via email asking for advice on undertaking their very first long motorcycle trip. This is going to turn into multiple posts. There’s so much information and inspiration to share. Be sure to subscribe to Roadcraft USA to receive our monthly update of the new features that hit the blog.
A Trip Down Memory Lane
There’s an old expression that says “You Always Remember Your First One”. There’s a lot of ways people could relate to that phrase. For the purpose of this post let’s keep it clean and within the context of your first long motorcycle trip; shall we? My first one was nearly four decades ago; yet I remember every minute…and every mile…like it was yesterday.
Destination…New Hampshire’s White Mountains
Leaving my home in Northport, NY I was bound for Bike Week in Laconia, New Hampshire. When I rolled out of the driveway I had never yet been on an overnight motorcycle trip. I had never even left my native Long Island. I had never ridden in seriously threatening weather conditions before. All of that was about to change.
Perspective
When I left on this journey I had a compass, a couple of paper maps and more testosterone than brains. Keep in mind this was in those primitive times long before GPS receivers, smartphones and apps that could aid you with navigation and weather forecasting. Old school.
My first long distance “Touring Machine”
Furthermore, my mount for this trip was a far better-suited for local Bike Night events than long distance burns into the White Mountains of New Hampshire. My destination was just under 300 miles away. I made my escape from Long Island via the ferry to Connecticut. I didn’t even feel qualified enough, at this stage of my riding “career”, to navigate through New York City’s horrendous and dangerous traffic.
Making Friends
Boarding the ferry (which is only 20 miles from my home) I learned that all the bikes making the voyage get parked in the same spot on the vessel. There were just two of us that morning. Myself and “Frankie From Inwood”…also headed to Laconia. We hit it off right away. I believe we were both a little bit relieved to have someone to ride with for the 260 miles ahead of us (once the ferry docked in Connecticut). It was his first long motorcycle trip, as well.
The ferry between Long Island and Connecticut
We rolled off the ferry into a gentle, light rain. We had no idea what was ahead of us. Some 30 miles later we stopped for a quick cup of coffee and lamented over all the dirty water spots on our shiny chrome ponies. We had no idea what was coming.
Unexpected Guest For Coffee
As we were enjoying that fresh cup of Joe, Mother Nature decided to join us. She announced her arrival with authority. The sky turned black, bolts of lightning crashed all around us and torrential rain started falling. Our first long motorcycle trip was becoming a very soggy one. We decided to sit and enjoy a refill on the coffee.
Some 20-30 minutes later the rain tapered off and we took to the road again. We would be “slabbing it” on Interstate 91 North. In a previous blog post entitled “Motorcycle Safety On Highways” we discussed how using the major interstates can be somewhat of a blessing when bad weather strikes. By design these roads are wide, have ample shoulders, good drainage and maximum grade allowances. Though you’ll be traveling at higher speeds than you would on the backroads you’ll still be better off when Mother Nature rears her ugly head. Just be sure to follow the 80% rule.
Back In The Thick Of Things
Back on the highway we were making pretty good time until the rain started falling heavily again. In retrospect, it was the kind of rain I don’t even think twice about nowadays; but on my first long motorcycle trip I was more than a little bit concerned. We sought refuge under an overpass on the interstate and once again sat it out until the heavy rain moved on.
We “wasted” another 1/2 hour standing under that overpass. Off we went again. Ten minutes later we were once again getting drenched. My patience was at the end of its limit. My sense of humor had departed long ago. We sought shelter under yet another overpass and sat it out again.
Lesson Learned
It didn’t dawn on me until much later what was going on here. We were traveling in the same direction as the storm. We’d stop and let it get ahead of us. We’d get back on the bikes and ride right back into it. In retrospect we should have done what I do nowadays. Keep riding, pass through to the other side of the storm and stay ahead of it for the rest of the day.
Remember: this was in a time long before smartphones and weather radar apps. We had no idea which way the storm was heading, nor how big of an area it encompassed. We just kept plodding along, running back into the same storm and hiding from it when it seemed too dangerous for this pair of rookies. In a recent post entitled “This Too Shall Pass” I actually said it confounds me nowadays when I see bikers huddled under an overpass when they should just ride on through the storm. I didn’t understand that 30 years ago. It took us 13 hours to get to our destination that evening. That ride takes me 3-1/2 hours these days! I hope some of you that are heading out on your first long motorcycle trip learn that lesson today. It took me awhile to grasp the concept.
Reservations?
Anyone who follows my travels on the Roadcraft USA website knows that I rarely, if ever, make reservations for lodging. In nearly four decades of road-tripping I’ve almost never been burned. I got lucky on this trip however. I was so naive that I thought I could just ride into Laconia, New Hampshire during Bike Week and find a motel room. Luckily, hundreds of bikers had cancelled their reservations due to the weather and I was able to grab a room at the wonderful place where “Frankie From Inwood” had his room booked. It is a wonderful venue that I’ve returned to on numerous occasions over the 30+ years since this first stay.
For those that are interested it’s called The Inn at Mill Falls in Meredith, NH. It is about five miles north of Weirs Beach, the epicenter of all the bike week activity. It is less than one mile from Laconia Harley-Davidson if you need service or just want to grab a souvenir T-Shirt. It is wonderfully appointed, has an indoor pool, a pub and restaurant on the premises, a breakfast cafe, all the amenities and the staff is top notch. If this upscale venue is within your budget I recommend it highly.
Perfect Weather
The next three days brought absolutely perfect weather conditions for motorcycling. I spent the first day riding all around the White Mountains of New Hampshire and spent the evening enjoying all the Bike Week revelry down at Weirs Beach.
I decided to leave Bike Week behind and headed west into the Green Mountains of Vermont. The next day I headed into the Hudson Valley of New York. Finally I boarded the ferry back to Long Island; the final leg of my first long motorcycle trip. My life was changed forever! This first adventure sealed my fate. I’ve spent every available minute and mile since as a long distance motorcycle tourer.
What’s In It For You?
My intent in writing this piece, and those to follow, is to inspire some newer rider somewhere to head out on their very first long motorcycle trip. Heck…if I could do it, you can, too! I did it using 30+ year old Harley-Davidson technology. I did it on a “Bike Night Beauty Queen” with a 2-1/2” wide front wheel mounted on a springer front end. I did it with a lowered rear suspension, 20” ape hanger handlebars, a knapsack bungeed to a sissy bar and no GPS or smartphone. Just think of what you can do with today’s technology. You got this!
When I set out to create the Roadcraft USA online resource I wanted it to be both informational and inspirational. The feedback I’ve gotten confirms that the readers are enjoying both of those attributes. In future features I’ll be discussing preparations for your first long motorcycle trip. Preparations for you. Preparations for your bike. Preparations for the ride. If there’s anything special you want us to discuss, or anything you seasoned riders think we need to share, please leave a comment below. Until then I leave you with this quote:
The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.
– Lao Tzu
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Good info! My first was a long ride into BC on my CL 450, and my buddy on his X-6 Hustler. We left the Seattle area and headed up Highway 9. My buddy was unfamiliar with crossing railroad lines and wrecked on one. We both got educated. The trip was a blast, we used our Boy Scout cooking gear and his tent for camping. Now I have an IBA#.
Gotta’ start somewhere, eh? Our hope is that more people will get out there and give it a go!
In the spring of 1976, after having spent a year and a half working in a cooper mine up in northern parts of British Columbia, I return home to my parent’s home in Quebec with the intentions of spending a year travelling around the world. That same week, I immediately applied for and received my motorcycle license and on that very same day I went down to the local Suzuki dealership and purchased a new Suzuki GT 380 bike. Two weeks later after having mastered learning how to make right and left turns and the use of the clutch, I set off on a 6 month 30,000 mile journey through all 48 US states and continued my ride down south through Central America to Panama, eventually making my way back to Canada. After a brief respite at home, I headed over to Portugal where I continued my travels on a 50cc motorbike that I used over the next 5 months touring through Europe and Northern Africa.
I have done numerous trips since then, all around different parts of the world, but that first ride is the one that I remember most fondly.
Like it says in the post: “You always remember your first”. Thanks for sharing your story.
Thank you again for a good article. I enjoy reading them, especially during the Winter. I ride all year but long distance trips are reserved for the Spring/Summer months. Winter is for planning. 🙂
Truth. The features that follow will talk about some of that winter planning you can do.