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| Tips & Training Riders new and old can always learn. Share and experience ideas for making motorcycling safer and more enjoyable here! |
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09-09-2007, 03:47 AM
| #1 (permalink) |
| Eternal Vigilante   Join Date: Sep 2006
Bike: 2001 VZ800
Location: MO
Posts: 1,297
|  First Long Ride
So, out of the blue I decided to make a trip up to K.C. from my current residence in Springfield on Friday. I wanted to see some friends attending Rockhurst University and friends that attend MU in Columbia but find K.C. to be a convenient half-way point. NOTE: I left Friday at 5:00 pm and had to be back Saturday for work at 12:30 pm.  The ride is about 160 miles each way and I packed in 15 minutes. I knew the forecast for Springfield was rain on Saturday, that being the following morning, but didn't think much of it... as rash, young men often do with such things. On the way up there, I got into about 15 miles of rain, which I thought at the time was pretty inconvenient, though hindsight reveals now that it was nothing compared to the trip home. I make it to K.C. uneventfully. However, on the return trip I hit some pretty steady rain, compounded by my speed, which lasts a good 40 miles. I get home completely soaked from my head to my toes, with shoes holding water in them. Luckily, my leather jacket's pockets are water-resistant, so my MP3 player and phone were fine. I learned: *Always put the windshield on; one's neck tires easily from the aerodynamics, or lack thereof, of a $100.00 helmet *Always refuel a good 5 miles before you think you'll have to. I had to switch to reserve once on the trip, in the middle of B.F.E. (Bum F..K Egypt). *Floorboards for a VZ800 would be nice, but I could settle for simply larger pegs. All in all, the trip was highly rewarding and I think by reading more tips and making a few ergonomic adjustments, I could do longer rides without a problem. |
