motorcycle trip 2400 miles to alifornia?

Question

it's a new bike barely have 1000 miles on it what should i worry about includng the bike road rest area etc and what speed should i be doing what can go wrong with the bike and how about oil and the bike maintance

Answer 1

New bikes can handle speeds of 80mph for the "break-in" period. Just check everything when you stop for gas and rest areas. You should be fine. Wish I was going with you. 2400 mile ride to California sounds fun. Have a good trip.

Answer 2

Change oil before you go and check air pressure in the tires. I'll assume you don't have a full dress touring bike, so here's the abbreviated list of should haves. Carry a can of fix-a-flat, plenty of sun screen (don't forget to apply it to your lips and forehead), extra pair of jeans, several extra shirts (including a long sleeve for sun protection), underwear and socks, glasses and or sunglasses, gloves, rainsuit for wet or cold weather, jacket, pocketknife and one of those $40 cell phones if you don't already have one. If you know where you're going, get a list of bike shop phone numbers before you leave just in case of a problem. Consider a sheepskin seat cover for your posterior's comfort and be sure to stretch your legs every time you stop for gas. If you get tired, stop and get something to eat and if nothing else, take a disposable camera along. Be sure to ask someone to snap you with your bike. If you don't have watertight saddlebags, take along some trashbags. If you run short of clothes like shirts, stop at a Goodwill. At $3 a shirt, you can always toss them later or use them as a rag. If it suddenly turns cold and you don't have enough clothes, buy a newspaper and put layers of it between your shirt and jacket. If it looks like rain you don't have extra shoes, whip out the bread wrappers you stuffed somewhere and slip them over your shoes. Just remember that comfort and safety is more important than looks. If your shoes are wet, stuff them full of newspapers overnight to dry them out. If you have a windshield to look through, take along Rain-X to help keep it clear. If you have a non-touring bike, a $25 throttle lock will help relieve hand and wrist fatigue. If you see other bikers at rest areas, etc, stop and visit. Be pleasant and cordial. If you have problems somewhere down the road, those very people may come by and save your butt. When possible, eat at mom and pop diners and don't be afraid to stop and ask directions. In rural, if a bad storm seems to be on the way, keep an eye out for barns with open doors where you can seek refuge. Above all, just remember that whatever doesn't kill you makes for a good story later.

Answer 3

If you have "tubeless" tires,carry a plug kit and a can of "fixaflat".Go over the bike and determine what tools you can get by with,then make sure they fit in a sock,don't laugh,it works.I ride an 06 Harley Ultra and augmented the factory tool kit with a small pair of needle nose vice grips and a universal screw driver.Also threw a quart of oil in the saddlebag.Have never had a breakdown but did use the tools to make the bike ride-able after a major wreck.($16,500.00 damage to bike,rode it home 400 miles)
as to speed,+/- 5 MPH of posted speed limit.Maintenance should be ok,if your are worried,plan your trip and allow a stop at a dealership,they usually put trip riders at the top of the list.

Answer 4

New bikes call for a break in as you know. The two things you want to avoid on a new bike are holding a constant speed and even worse, lugging the engine down. At 1000 miles you need to do the complete 1000 mile service. If you are mechanically inclined and have the service manual for your bike, you can do most of it yourself, have the dealer do what little you can't. This saves you a ton of money and is fun to boot. I do all my service myself with one exception. I let the dealer adjust the steering head bearings. I learned the hard way many years ago just how critical that is. I went into a high speed wobble and almost died. So, I do not mess with the steering head bearings. Everything else is fun. I just did my 1000 mile service on my '07 Harley. It cost me about $65.00 to do it. The dealer gets $385.00 to do it.
At 1000 miles your bike is considered broken in.
As for what can go wrong? well, make sure you have roadside towing, that's a biggee. Then, if you have tubeless tires, carry a plug kit with co2 inflator just in case you have a flat, this will get you to a place of repair to fix the tire permanently. If you run tires with tubes, a rear tire is tough to fix at the side of the road. That's where the roadside towing comes in handy to get it to a dealer for repair. Carry a small tool kit for your bike. Some zip ties, black tape and a bit of "bailing wire". some extra fuses, a small first aide kit. A small flashlight, a couple of water bottles, extra cash, a good jacket, spare long sleeve shirt, gloves or half gloves, a good helmet, a service manual, and I carry one of those small compact bicycle tire pumps to adjust my air ride or add a little to a low tire, a tire gauge too. It's hard to carry a lot on a bike, you learn fast what to take or not take and look for "compact" items. I replaced the ratchet and crescent wrench out of my tool kit for ones that are half the length, every little bit helps. You can find them at tool stores like "valley tool" or "harbor freight". A light rain suit is great too. I also have a small kit about the size of a first aide kit that contains extra goodies like trail bars, dry soup mix, tea, a disposable lighter etc for emergencies along with a very compact plastic tarp just large enough to cover the bike and extend out far enough that I can prop it up and crawl under for shade or to get out of the rain. I have a Harley "ultra classic" with the touring pak and saddle bags. So I have a little bit of room for storage, but I have also had bikes that I had to carry a back pack or tank bag to carry this equipment. A luggage rack with a travel bag bunjee corded to it also gives you a little extra room for stuff.
Good luck and ride safe

Answer 5

Change the oil before you go, might want to make that partial synthetic or even full synthetic. Fill to the "upper level" -- don't put in too much.

Make sure your engine coolant level is exactly where it should be. If your motorcycle has a "radiator fan" double check it to see that it works. It's mighty hot in California this week.

Check that your battery fluid levels are all correct. If they aren't then fill it to the "upper level" with distilled water, then hook up to a trickle charger (1 amp or 1.2 amp) until you see bubbles or your battery measures "full" or 12.3 - 12.5 volts.

I'll assume that you have a full break-in, so go the legal speed -- that's usually 65 mph in California... some "interstates" have signs saying 70. If you're hauling a trailer, then 55 mph. Slow down for livestock and mud.

Answer 6

buy a trailer rent a truck