Deciding What You Want

Deciding What You Want

How To Outfit Your Motorcycle For A Long Roadtrip

by Alex Hale

If you own a motorcycle and are planning a long roadtrip, then you need to make sure your bike is properly outfitted. You don't want to hit the road without the proper accessories and equipment.

Here are some things that are going to make the ride more enjoyable and safe.

GPS System

If you're leaving town for several days, then you need to have a GPS system for your motorcycle. You'll be traveling far away from your regular routes. This means you will need guidance. A GPS system is absolutely essential.

If you already have a GPS for your car, then you can use that. What you will need is special mounting hardware. This will allow you to take the car's portable GPS system and use it on your motorcycle.

Special Tip:

A good idea is to plot a trip ahead of time on your computer and import it into your GPS system. If your current GPS system doesn't support this feature, then you might want to purchase an updated GPS unit.

Windshield

If you're spending hours on the road, you will need a windshield. Many motorcycles don't come with a windshield; however, you can add one to the frame quiet easily.

The windshield can prevent you from getting injured. Small pebbles, gravel, and road debris can bounce up and fly into your face. These can cause serious injury. If you wear an open-face helmet, then a windshield is especially important.

It's not just pebbles and flying insects that you should be concerned with. If you are on a long trip, you might run into bad weather. Heavy rain will be a big problem. A windshield can help deflect some of the rain from your direct line of sight.

It's important to make sure you pick a windshield that fits your ride. The windshield that would work for a smaller bike like the Harley Sportster wouldn't be appropriate for a large bike such as the Harley Road King.

Special Tip

Make sure to get the windshield treated with a rain repellant. Unlike car windshields, motorcycle windshields don't have wipers. So, in order to prevent the rain from beading up and staying on the glass, apply a liquid rain repellant.

Saddlebags

It may be obvious, but you shouldn't forget saddlebags. You will need to carry extra clothes, toiletries, and perhaps food. If you're motorcycle doesn't have saddlebags, you should get them. Some people wear a backpack when motorcycling, but this will become very uncomfortable on a long ride.

Special Tip

Don't forget to make sure the saddlebags are waterproof and easily detachable. You don't want to have to spend a lot of time getting the bags off the bike. If you stop at a motel for the night, you should be able to take the bags off without getting out a ratchet set. Talk to a motorcycle trader for more information.


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About Me

Deciding What You Want

How many different cars have you purchased over the course of your lifetime? If you are like most people, it might only be a handful of vehicles. Unfortunately, this means that you have a pretty small scope of vehicular understanding, which can limit your ability to find what you really want. Since I have been in the automotive industry for several years, I decided to create a blog dedicated to furthering other people's knowledge about cars. Go through the information on my blog to find out what you really want in a ride, so that you can be happy with your purchase.