long road trip advice? (updated)

[Alphamazing]

Just wondering, you are saying you were able to cruise @ 90 mph...  When I go anything above 75 on  my gs I feel it straining and becoming much less maneuverable.  This is in sixths gear at about 7k rpm.  When you were riding segments at over this speed, were in you in the fifth gear, revving higher maybe?

Yeah, you have to downshift. 6th gear is just a cruising gear, not a passing gear.

[GSinUS]

Yea I understand for passing, but it seems from this post that he was cruising at 90 sometimes??  Also I believe some people have posted about riding over 80 for at least some distance.  I personally (at least in 6) feel the gs lose its responsiveness after 75.  Haven't tried in lower gear - as it probably wouldn't make sense (or would it?)  I mean not for passing, just for riding at higher speeds.

[Alphamazing]

Yea I understand for passing, but it seems from this post that he was cruising at 90 sometimes??  Also I believe some people have posted about riding over 80 for at least some distance.  I personally (at least in 6) feel the gs lose its responsiveness after 75.  Haven't tried in lower gear - as it probably wouldn't make sense (or would it?)  I mean not for passing, just for riding at higher speeds.

My GS seems to cruise fine at 80 and 90 without a problem. The only reason it isn't as responsive is because 6th is meant as a cruising gear. If you want some get up and go you'll have to downshift.

[Slowe30]

i was in top (6th) gear at 90 for brief periods with no problems.  not a smart thing to do, i know, but i was getting around big rigs and such.  i didn't downshift to get there, i just rolled it on from 80 or so and let it speed up (i didnt expect rocketship accelleration, but it was probably better than my car).   not that it had tons left in it, but the bike wasn't very unstable or anything.   i was fully tucked to the tank at the time, plus i have a flyscreen on it.  the bike came with a slip-on, but i wouldn't think that adds much if anything to the power.  this bike is my first, so i don't have a great basis for comparison.  maybe part of it is i am used to driving old cars like my karmann ghias, which are non-powerful, light, noisy, maxed out at normal highway speeds, etc. 

or maybe my gs is just special, which i've been telling it all along.

weaving back and forth in the lane at 80mph requires really strong countersteering input, but i wouldn't say the bike was less maneauverable.

i had insulated water-resistant wind pants under my jeans and a wind jacket under my textile jacket in case of rain on the way down there, as well as a huge garbage bag covering my luggage.  In the event of light rain i would have been fine for a while, at least long enough to find a hotel if need-be.  i had a crapload of tools with me and my clymer manual.  glad i didn't need any of it.