Every Mistake I Made On My First Motorcycle Road Trip

This is every mistake I made and what I learned on my first motorcycle road trip. Over 1400 miles in 5 days taught me a lot about what I need on my motorcycle, the way I pack, the gear I need and a lot more.

[CaribooHarleyRider]

As someone who rides coast to coast every few years (Canada) I've learned many tricks for long distance riding but the #1 thing I tell people is to stretch out your gas stops! Gas and go is the quickest way to shorten time you can spend in the seat, if you want to be able to do 600-900 km day after day weeks on end this is a must... I like to take at minimum 15 minutes at every gas stop, same for bathroom stops... 20 minutes is even better. Walk around, do some deep stretching, drink water or electrolytes, give your body some time to settle. Next year I'm going on a 12+ week road trip accros Canada including Newfoundland, Digby Wharf Rat Rally in Nova Scotia and Friday the 13th Port Dover Ontario in Sept before heading home to BC.

[clarson]

Nice video!
I purchased my first motorcycle, two years ago in 2021, when I turned 65. A Yamaha V-Star, 250. I rode that little motorcycle over 18, 000 miles during that first year. I live in Nebraska and rode to the Pacific coast in Oregon, the Atlantic coast in Florida, and from the upper peninsula of Michigan, through Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and back over the mountains of Colorado. I actually crossed the Rockies three times on different trips. I really didn’t think it was that big of a deal, but I had done a lot of long distance, bicycle riding during my life. Congestive heart failure makes a motorcycle work better for me now.
A few key things. Don’t wear anything cotton. No cotton blue jeans. No cotton underwear. No cotton anything! Make sure the rain gear you select keeps the water out of your boots. Your rain pants need to cover the top of your boots even when you’re seated on the motorcycle! Your socks need to be wool or synthetic because water will still get in, but your feet will stay comfortable. Even in summer, I wear wool socks. My layers are, synthetic or wool long underwear, an extra insulating layer for my torso, light weight wind resistant pants and top that fits under the protective gear, synthetic mesh protective gear, and then rain gear. Add and remove layers as needed. Three pairs of gloves, hot weather gloves, cool weather. gloves, waterproof insulated gauntlet rain gloves that are long enough to fit up under my rain gear. The dry bag with all my extra clothing is on the seat right behind my back, so I can use it as a back rest.
One last piece of advice. As we used to say as young bicycle racers, and ultramarathon bicyclists… HTFU (harden the F up) Don’t wast time trying to make your motorcycle comfortable. If you want total wind protection, smoothness, and comfort, quit kidding yourself and just take your F-ing car. 😂
I’ve subscribed, and I’m thinking either Alaska, or Maine to California, with my 2007 Honda Shadow VLX 600 this summer. For an old man with congestive heart failure… time’s a wasting :)
One more thing… I ride alone, and I cannot imagine riding with a group. When you ride with a group the ride is about the group, and your memories and interactions are with the people in the group. When you ride alone your memories and interactions are with the places you go, and the people you meet along the way.

[Henry.]

In my case when traveling from central Ohio to Tennessee on my 1st solo ride the 12" apes I purchased before going saved my neck, I also have back issues and the pain and stiffness goes right to my neck. I also stopped about every 75 miles and hung out talking to complete strangers and just refueling so to speak. Something about riding in the foothills of Appalachia alone at your own pace does wonders for the soul.

[bobhartman]

All you said is correct on a long trip, but carry a small towel to wipe the seat, rubber surgical type gloves to wear inside glove that maybe wet, extra socks. Tire repair kit, air refill pump for tire, tools, battery booster in case your battery is dead.

[shlangevin]

I have put over 75, 000 miles on my 2017 Road Glide and the one thing that I have found is to have a pair of ear plugs. That and packing pretty much the same ever time so i am not digging and unpacking a saddle bag to find my rain gloves when they are in the other bag. The other is a heated Jacket, not only for those early morning rides in the mountains but also in the rain. If your cold you lose focus and thats not a good thing.

[Michel-ly]

This video is overall excellent because the guy took a road trip and made the mistakes of a beginner and shared them.
I have read all the 295 comments to date July 12, 2024 and everyone puts their two cents on their way of preparing a Road Trip and that is why this video I find great because it allows everyone to express themselves and correct the shooting of this video.
Thanks Hegshot Rides, good job.

[BossMan]

My first road trip was 1260 miles on a 2020 iron 883 with only a saddlemen step up and slip ons for mods. Talk about things you should have done differently? My hands are still vibrating. It was awesome.

[lifeenvironments]

Just did Indiana to DC on my Goldwing. At one point, the spring on my center stand broke, which made a hell of a raucous as tne stand drug on tne pavement. Bungee cords and zip ties saved the day - 2 things I almost took out of my toolkit. As long as I've toured, not a single trip has passed without lessons learned. You'll have many more. Congrats on your first trip! Wishing you many more!

[kennethcortes]

I tour quite a bit, I travel with padded fxrg pants and jacket. They are waterprooof, but can be vented when its warm. In the winter I layer with thermals and sweatpants, then the fxrg pants. Summer, I wear shorts and when off the bike I take it off and wear flip flops as well. I carry 3 pairs of gloves, one gauntlet with thinsulate, and my helmet is a bell star with the transition shield (No more shield changes) I'm never cold even in the upper 20's.I ride an ultra limited, the mods I made was a seat (Mustang summit heated) and backrest.(The factory bars are adjustable, they go forward and back quite a bit. (I'm 6'3"") Makes all the difference. Last year I did several plus 1000 mile trips and was dry and comfortable the whole time. Thanks for all your content, Especially the carry content.

[hogfit]

We do a road trip almost every year, last year it was California to Nashville and definitely not the express route, we did 5800 miles in 22 days. So believe me when I tell you, you will learn something from every one. We've ridden in rain, snow and 112-degree heat, which was maybe the most taxing of all. I have a check list that I keep, and I try to update it after a trip with anything I may have learned or thought of. Keep it up, the memories are priceless.

[Grizzlydonzac]

My son & I did a road trip when he was 16 he had a street glide. We hit 15 states 9200 miles in 45days had a blast and learned a lot

[johnnydangerously]

Dedicated touring bikes come with lowers, tour packs, heated grips and seats for a reason. My first big road trip was 2000 miles round trip to Sturgis on my Springfield. That trip quickly taught me the difference between a bagger and a dedicated touring bike. I know ride a Roadmaster.

[duncan]

I feel some of your pain. I took an advance class weeks before my first trip to the tail of the dragon. I’d only been riding for a year. The twisties and the highway were pretty intimidating for me. I managed to make it there and back home safely. This was an organized group ride. I was lucky that someone paid attention to my skill set and decided to help me. It was a 2 day ride and after the first day I knew that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the group, and it rained that entire day. Luckily I stayed at the motel knowing my limits and not wanting to hinder the group from enjoying themselves. It was a learning experience and I’m still learning as I just returned from a trip to Daytona bike week. I decided to stay in a hotel halfway down and back. This helped with my confidence traveling alone and for 500+ miles total one way. I also experienced cold weather on the way home. I layered up and took it like a man lol. You made some good points about preparing properly. I like to live and learn myself, but it’s also good to get advice from experienced riders. Sorry for the long rant. Safe travels to you .

[randyholcombe]

Your rain pants will work as a wind barrier / 2nd layer when it gets cold. Base layers are good and pack well; they can be put on if weather turns cooler.

I always ride trips with 3 pair of gloves (standard, warmer and waterproof). Nearly froze my hands off in July on the Blue Ridge Parkway in the rain once.

Carry layers like long sleeve T-Shirts, quarter-zip fleece etc.

[ejdtm]

I could make a huge list of what I’ve learned or was taught.
Rok Straps instead of bungees.
Tire Plug kit. Light wool socks. Wicking, non-cotton underwear. Thin glove liners for extra cold days. Backrest 100%. When buying new bars, make sure your hands are not above your shoulders and make sure they’re not too wide. Making slow tight turns with tall wide bars, sucks.
The list gets a whole lot longer when you add camping into the mix. But it’s fun as hell.

[moefugger]

When someone starts out doing trips on a bike, it turns into a learning curve for sure. Some things ive learned, if its cool in the morning when you leave, put all the gear on before you go. You can strip it off as the day gets warmer. Also, get a heated vest !!! Having your core warm does wonders for overall comfort. Heated grips also make a huge difference. You'll learn over time...take less stuff, especially clothes, you wont need them. You, re spending the majority of your time riding and dont need alot of laundry. You;ll also learn to pack so stuff you may need during the day, is accessible. I ride an Ultra Limited and i use the side bags for riding gear, me and my girl get one each. The tour pak is for luggage., then i have a small hard case harley bag on top of the tour pak that is for daily stuff like water, sunscreen, smokes, snacks etc, that way its super easy to get to. Got this down to a science after a ton of trips ! One last thing, if im on a road i dont know, slow down on the corners, better safe than sorry ! Looking forward to the next video for sure , always good to see other peoples adventures

[Peter-mcmcmc]

Really appreciated seeing another side of you in this video. Respect the eff out of your objectivity in reviews, and now respect your humility and grace with regard to admitting that about your vision (letting your eyes get away from you). So many YouTubers try to be Billy Badass, and it always feels like bullhiz, so thank you for keeping it real! And great footage, btw. ✌🤘

[FortunateXpat]

Thanks for the advice. In may 2025 I’ve driving my new Triumph T120 from Stockholm, Sweden to Palermo, Sicily, where I’m currently living. Even in May crossing the Alps can be freezing cold. This video is very helpful.

[Deucify]

Just want to say I appreciate your honesty about getting sore, tired, cold, etc.
There’s a lot of guys out there that act like they’re “fine” and I was left thinking I’m a wuss haha. Having the right gear is paramount!

I live in Johnson City TN and understand the stark temperature changes from riding on a highway to then getting down in a holler where it instantly feels 15 degrees cooler.

I am planning to ride to Daytona in a few days and one of things I invested in was the Kurakyn engine guard chaps because my feet always seem to get cold no matter what kind of socks I wear.

Right now, I dedicate one of my saddlebags to have all the motorcycle gear - chaps, rain suit, boot covers, seat cover, extra gloves, balaclava - and the rest of the bags will be for clothes and stuff.

Thanks again for the honest video.

[charlesjr]

My dad and I rode from Detroit to Folly Beach, SC and I wore a back brace the entire ride because I have arthritis in my lower back and I can honestly say it helped. It was our first road trip and we made some mistakes as well. We learned from it so when we ride to Houston this year it'll be better