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For the entire length of the trip, I traveled in 90-120 mile intervals. Stopping for a cigarette, some fluids, a stretch, fuel, etc each time. I could have gone longer without stopping at the beginning but by the end of the trip 90-100 was the max I wanted to go without a little break. My stops were only for about 5-15 minutes each time as I wasn't really sightseeing but rather trying to get to LA before rush hour traffic hit. I think slightly longer stops, maybe 20-30 minutes, would have been better. This is what I'll do on the way home.
The weather was absolutely perfect. I wore a T-Shirt, a thin hoodie over it, and my A Stars Textile Jacket (with inner lining) on top. Bottoms were regular tennis shoes cause I didn't feel like packing separate shoes and wearing riding boots, jeans, and my Textile Cargo CE riding pants over them. No problems with temperature. I was comfy the whole time.
The bike felt pretty good. It cruises at around 6-7K rpm between 75-85, and I got between 45-50 mpg the whole time. I kept my speeds between 70-85 mph for most of the trip, depending on speed limits. I used 10 mph over as a rough gauge. I went by numerous cops and not one of them looked at me twice. I even got a nod from a few CHP Moto cops as well. By the end of the trip though the front is now making a small rattle when i hit bumps, so I'm gonna be checking it out and giving the rest of it a full once over today. Rides great though. No complaints.
So anyway, things i noticed, felt, etc....
- A comfy seat is super important. I will definitely be getting some sort of extra padding or gel insert for my stock seat or an aftermarket seat before the trip. From the 200 miles and beyond, my ass was sooo sore.
- I think I'll be getting a taller windscreen as well for the trip. It really wasn't that bad with the one I have as long as the air around me was calm, but cross winds coupled with the head winds were a super bitch. Coming through some of the coastal cities was super annoying, and I was getting blown (not in a good way) all over the place.
- I want to get a better helmet. My shoulder, neck, and upper back muscles were super tight, sore, and stressed by the end. I think a higher quality, lower weight, better aerodynamic helmet would help a lot. The winds made my head would rock side to side.
- A tinted visor would have been nice, but not necessary.
- Some sort of cruise control throttle lock would be good as well. My wrist really didn't even start to get sore until after the 300 mile mark and never got really bad, but with multiple days I think it would be a good thing to have.
- I think we should all be doing some sort of physical conditioning for our backs. My back is really sore today. It feels like I worked out really hard yesterday for the first time in a while, kind of like going to the gym for the first time after a year of slacking off. I'll be starting some sort of exercise regiment when I get back. There were only so many times i could adjust my position while riding, and being in pain on the bike at the end was no fun.
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