first trip

[st8]

taking my 83' cb650 on my first long ride this weekend. heading from Iowa City, IA to Lake Ozark, MO. I'm traveling with a friend who has a larger sport touring bike. our route will be about half and half two lane highway/interstate. my bike is in good condition and I just got done changing the oil. I do have a little concern that I may be pushing the 'ol girl a bit hard going 300 miles, is this something I should be worried about, or is it just me being nervous before my first long trip?

whats the furthest you've taken your nighthawk? (clearly I'm just fishing for a little reassurance here...  )

any tips for a first timer?

[Bumblebee]

300 miles = 2 tanks of fuel.

If 2 tanks of gas was enough to trash a motorcycle, they wouldn't be built with gas caps on top of the fuel tank now would they. Think about it.

From here it's a 150 mile round trip just for me to go to the supermarket. It's a total non event.
In the summer on the road, 250 miles is a run of the mill day side trip not to be taken seriously.
Last month I did 500 miles to go to Sunset Crater/Wupatki.
The furthest I've been? A good bit further than Sunset Crater that's for sure.

Pack what you need, leave the junk behind that you won't actually use, go have fun and don't worry about it.

[NightHawked]

For the first time 300 miles could feel like cross country. Like BB said your bike was made for that kind of trip. Check out tires and pressure, make sure all lights work a good general once over. You I don't know. 300 miles can be alot of time in the saddle for some, it would be for me. Anyway I would suggest a few what ifs. Take some extra fuses, a tire repair kit and a source of air and a flashlight for starters. Do you have highway experience or being on your bike for hours at a time, if not I would suggest doing so before hand. At least take some hour rides. I take it your friend is aware of this being you first longer voyage. Take breaks as necessary. Just some thoughts. Most important have a great ride and be safe.

[hppants]

I day trip nearly every weekend, and 300 miles is a decent average for this.  The first time I did it, I was very nervous, but now, until I get 100 miles from the house, I don't even feel like I've gone anywhere.  Having a riding partner (if he rides the same way you do) is very reassuring.  In the unlikely event something goes wrong, you have each other.

I rode Ole Yella 500ish miles in one day, slabbing 75+ mph at 5500ish rpm the whole time.

Few things you might not have considered packing:

drinking water
microfiber cloth to clean your helmet windshield
ear plugs (or extra ear plugs)
Small container of OTC meds (advil, anti-acid, eye drops, etc)

And of course, don't forget the camera!   Have a safe trip.

[bajakirch]

I did my first overnighter with the MC a little over a month ago. Round trip was about the same distance.

I know that, for some of our fellow forum members, 300 miles is pretty ho-hum. But for those of us happy to get out and put 50 miles on the bike, the first one can be an adventure. I know I planned for mine like I was prepping for the Dakar Rally.

Next I hope to squeeze in a weekend camping trip, carrying all my gear with me on the bike. This will be a true challenge for me, as I have a tendency to overpack for my trips away from home.

Tips I can think of:

Barring all else, I'd bring a cell phone with good coverage, a little bit of cash and a credit card.
Let someone else know your route, and your anticipated departure/arrival times. If any of that changes significantly, inform someone of the changes.
Pop a couple ibuprofen or aceteminophen as you take off; it'll help keep you from getting saddle-sore. And don't forget to bring some with you for the ride home.

Finally, don't freak out. On my trip, my bike started coughing and sputtering, then died. I'd been having some minor engine noise (tapping) on and off for a couple of weeks but I didn't think it was critical enough to tear things apart before my ride. When the bike died, I immediately thought, "That's it; I've destroyed the engine by being lazy." I was getting angry with myself for ruining my bike while simultaneously working out plans in my head to call my wife for an extraction (knowing she wouldn't be happy to have to drive a couple of hours to come get me).

After a few minutes of this, I calmed myself down and started assessing things. I noticed my trip odometer showed 109 miles since my last fillup. I can normally get about 115-120 before I run out, but I switched to reserve and hit the starter. The bike fired right up and I continued on, searching for the next gas station.

I had failed to account for the reduced mileage I was getting from running 65+mph with the windscreen on.

Good luck on the upcoming ride.

[LOKi]

300?...That's it? Don't worry about it. Fallow the suggestions above and you will be fine. When I ride with Pants and we don't have to be back by noon then 300 miles is nothing.

Whats our record Pants? 450 in a day?

One word of advice. Monkey around in the saddle from the get go. Every 10 min or so you keep the blood moving in your butt.

[ariwhiteboy]

+1 on having a riding partner being a good thing...I go solo a good bit, but it's nice to have someone with you in case something happens.


Might also consider dusting the undies with some gold bond powder. It'll prevent monkey butt, which can quickly ruin the best of rides.

[LOKi]

lol monkey butt

[ariwhiteboy]

It's nothing to laugh about Loki...every year it disables or kills tens of thousands of riders. 



 

[LOKi]

MONKEY BUT!!     

Say it out loud. Yell it. No way without laughing.

[hppants]

(cue the Beavis and Butthead dude....)

He he he ..... he said "Monkey Butt".... He he he....

Whats our record Pants? 450 in a day?

Pretty much, but we were riding, shall we say, at a spirited pace.   

The NH loves to rev at 5-7K.....  all day long.   

[st8]

all of the feedback and suggestions are very much appreciated. will take some pics for sure!

[fishball]

Have a great trip, Missouri is a beautiful state to ride.  You should have no problems traveling 300 miles though you might get tired if it's your first big trip.

[genespleen]

Keep yourself well-hydrated: that goes a long way in offsetting fatigue.  Riding in warm and hot weather dehydrates people faster than many realize.

[mobilebay750]

st8  all I can say is..............its a Honda.  You should have no worries.  The 91 I just purchased (in rather poor condition) made an 80 mile "shake down" ride home from the sale with a bad knock in the drive line totally shot fork seals and shocks no tach or speedo sticking throttle cable and a weeping head gasket.......but never missed a beat in heavy traffic.
Its a Honda, I have never had a Honda NOT get me home, hell wrecked one in ,my youth and it STILL got me home.   Yours will do just fine. 

[JB1290]

One overlooked necessity for going on long rides is earplugs. Even when wearing a full faced helmet, wind noise can cause fatigue that will make your ride miserable and can make you physically tired.


Edit: I didn't see that Pantsman mentioned that in his post. My powers of observation are impeccable. 

[natehawk750]

+1 on hydration I just got back from a 1300 mile weekend trip all I 100+ degree heat about 200 miles into the trip fatigue set in and I realized I hadn't accounted for hydration heck I wasn't even sweating cause it was so hot. I pulled over and graves some water and from there I took my time stoping every 100 miles for water and Gatorade. That's about the most important I can think of. Looking back now I remember when 50 mile legs was a long time in the saddle now if I'm on a trip anything under 100 annoys me. That's one reason I don't like riding with other people much unless I know they can ride for periods of time without complaining.The nighthawk is a great bike one of the best so as far as trusting the bikes capabilities your In Good hands enjoy the trip and after a few more you'll look back and laugh at yourself for thinking a 300 miler was alot. One reason I enjoy motorcycles is the level of endurance they help me to strive for. Mug  latest was 500 miles in one day so now I think what about 700 and when I reach riding 700 I'll think what about 1000.

[Baileyman]

One overlooked necessity for going on long rides is earplugs. Even when wearing a full faced helmet, wind noise can cause fatigue that will make your ride miserable and can make you physically tired.

+1

I work in the field of Speech Pathology, we learn a lot about hearing loss and work with a lot of individuals who have had hearing loss.  It's real, and there's no fixing it.  If you ride for long distances without earplugs, that wind noise will eventually lead to hearing loss, without a doubt.  Ear plugs are an often overlooked piece of safety equipment.

[hppants]

Edit: I didn't see that Pantsman mentioned that in his post. My powers of observation are impeccable.

Or perhaps "Great minds think alike"?