Long Haul Comfort Tips

[Jimi X]

Figured with the start of this season some members would like to share tips for comfort on long trips. I have used the sheepskin under butt trick and found it to be a great improvement in comfort,...Delaying the onset of "Numb-Butt".

Open to anything from comfort, temperature, rain, cold, heat and wind. Anyone with something they want to share?

[gumpt1oo]

When me and Lake did our tour of Scotland, I fitted a Dart fly screen to my T100. They are only small, but it is amazing the amount of wind it takes away from your head.
We did 300 miles everyday for 4 days, and I did not end up with a neck like Arnie's!

[Greyplague]

Jimi,
Just a thought;
pampering our tender butts with gel seats is a noble cause. How about some good breakdown insurance ?
I saved myself from paying $150 to haul my ride off the highway in France, another $150 to take us to an mc workshop 40 miles from the hauling truck's station and yet another $80 to fetch me some gas a few weeks later on my journey- I saw fit to run the T100 dry. Shoot me....
On the other hand, I just read Teebee had to shell out some $150 on the autobahn just to fix a dud fuse...

Thieu

BTW- in France it is forbidden to repair your car or bike on the motorway's hard shoulder- you MUST call for help. I suppose to prevent accidents and to gain a buck. A lot of autoroutes (and some of the autopista's in Spain) are toll roads.

[teebee]

Yup, breakdown insurance is probably a good idea....

Also, do frequent stops. I like to stop every 100 kms or so. That works out to be a petrol-filling about every second stop. My stops are mostly very short ones. Just to get off the bike, strech my legs, drinke some water, maybe have a small snack. The wast majority of my stops are just five minute deals. So, I don't waste too much time.

Lake mentioned a dart screen. For long hauls I use a OEM flyscreen. Definitely worth it for me. It raises the comfort speed by 20-30 km/h

Still use the stock seat.

[Lake]

Teebee, Gump has the Dart screen by the way, not me!

Yeah, becovery/breakdown insurance is a must and its very cheap these days. If you only use it once every couple of years its paid for itself many times over.

Sheepskin on a seat? Never tried it, but there's a few sheep nearby so I might give it a go sometime...

Make sure you don't have a hangover, that kills any long distance riding.

Teebees advice about frequent stops is good, so too is plenty of liquid. Bruce, you should get a Camelback system so you can drink chilled fluids whilst riding perhaps, and get out more in that heat of yours!

A good fitting helmet that is fairly quiet is a godsend. I have a few full face helmets but they all have advantages and disadvantages over each other. Noise is a problem with most and I've found that the helmet ventilation systems are bloody useless on each and every one of them. My favourite/best helmet is my Davida Jet even though it is open face - a bloody good helmet. Extremely quiet, extremely comfortable and extremely good quality - I couldn't recommend them any higher. I'm looking at one of the new AGV's at the moment, the new one you can fit the intercom/bluetooth system into. Apparently they are good but I need to try one on first.

We all have our own favourites about clothing; be it leather, textile, Draggin Jeans, different boots, etc. but for me one of the simplest things that makes a difference is socks. Good quality 100% cotton or wool socks with a small seam. Another thing I find I always need is a neck buff/tube. All of my jackets have a low collar so its necessary. A balaclava in cold weather is handy too.

However it isn't all equipment that makes a difference. I find the very best thing to make a long haul journey easier is the destination. Be it a new place, a favourite place, home, loved ones, etc. That makes a BIG difference. If you have that in your journey, the rest will take care of itself.