Touring Tips
The American countryside is the perfect playground for long-distance motorcycle touring. With majestic mountains, endless fields of grain, and an extensive crisscross of interstates and backroads, you’ll have a difficult time seeing the entirety of what the country has to offer in just one lifetime. All the more reason to suit up and get ready for a touring trip.
Here at Sawtooth Indian Motorcycle®, we want our customers to be prepared to hit the long road with their Indian® touring bikes. That means knowing a bit about how to pack and check your bike for possible issues, and it also means all the normal planning for a longer trip. In that spirit, we’ve put together this short guide with some helpful tips to making the best of your long-distance riding. Keep reading or head into our showroom in Meridian, Idaho where we proudly serve Boise.
Put Together Your Route
Every good touring trip starts with a destination. Spontaneity is fine for shorter rides, but if you’re really going the distance, you’ll want to have an endpoint in mind. Perhaps that means heading to a state park, campgrounds, a motorcycle rally, or just a fun way to visit your folks across state lines.
With a destination chosen, creating a route becomes a lot easier. Put together a rough itinerary for when and where you’ll be stopping, including time for rest and refueling, both for you and your touring bike. It’s important not to be so tight with your schedule that you don’t have time for diversions, though. Some of the best parts of these trips are the unplanned sections and unique experiences that can only happen spontaneously.
This is also a fantastic time to reserve or book any accomodations or rentals, like additional vehicles at a destination, campsite reservation, or just a table at a restaurant you’ve been dying to eat at.
Pack Efficiently
Motorcycles don’t compare to cars and trucks when it comes to storage capacity, but with a bit of practice and planning you’re sure to get everything you need stowed for your touring trip. Start by making a list of everything you absolutely need. This includes things like clothes, food, water, medical supplies, and tools for quick bike maintenance and repair. After you have your must-haves packed, you can add creature comforts. For those in need of more packing space, look to expanded side saddles, top boxes, and luggage racks.
Pre-Ride Check
Hopefully you perform some sort of pre-ride check regularly, or at least keep up with maintenance to the point of confidence in the working state of your Indian® touring bike, but it’s all the more important to ensure the working operation of your bike before a long distance trip. Running into a mechanical issue while on the road will all but ruin a trip, and riding hard on an existing problem will guarantee some serious repair bills.
A quick reminder of some important pre-ride rituals:
Check tire air pressure, debris stuck in the tread, and tire wall.
Check fluid levels, including engine oil, fuel, brake fluid, and coolant.
Check light functionality and battery power
Test brakes and throttle for expected function.
If you notice anything out of the ordinary, you may need to bring your motorcycle in to get fixed. Let Sawtooth Indian Motorcycle® take care of all your part replacement and service needs!
Road Hygiene
Not everyone is ready to face the stresses of long-distance riding. One of the big obstacles many don’t expect is just how loud it can be on the freeway, reaching upwards of 100 decibels! That’s enough to do some serious and permanent damage to your hearing. Bring along some foam earplugs for a simple solution.
Proper hydration is also an important part of road hygiene, as is proper eating. This goes beyond quenching your thirst and satisfying your hunger; the temptation for fast food and greasy diner food is at its height on the road, and although that 72oz steak challenge is calling your name, it could put a serious damper on your riding experience the next day. All it takes is a bit of forethought to avoid some of the tempting-yet-harmful eating and drinking establishments.
With a few of these tips under your belt, you’re sure to have an easier time with your touring trips. Head into our showroom in Meridian, Idaho to check out our stock of new and used touring bikes. We’re proud to serve Boise. Come in today to talk with our team of pros who’ll answer all your questions and help you find what you’re looking for.