Changed job and now need to commute once or twice a week a distance of 400 highway km return (roughly 240 miles). Any words of wisdom from this forum on how to make this as comfortable as possible and if there is any special attention that is needed to the bike given this type of usage? Or any accessories or gear that would make the communte even better.
Your experiences?
Thanks.
Dress right depending on the time of year. temp, weather, etc.
For long highway miles, windshields/fairings help with comfort.
Nothing mechanically on the bike other than be aware of your fluids and tire pressures.
-Anti 8)
You could go up 1 tooth in the front to lower the RPMs @ highway speeds... also a Gel seat pad would prob. be nice :thumb: If most of it is highway you may also want a throttle lock for the log streached to give your hand a break :thumb:
Fluids wheels and chain lube almost every other day. recently riding 200/300 miles daily I did not have any seat/butt problems but lots do so a gel or sheepskin seat might be on the list, see how it goes. A big windscreen will help particularly in the wet and propper gear.
I hate to say this but if I were geering up to commute 240 miles a day for the foreseeable future I would see if there are any decent shaft drive bikes about which will cut the maintenance. I am currently looking at a new Moto-Guzzi Breva V1100 or a Breva 750 tourer but keep deciding to keep the GS, one day I'll do it. You may find a S/H Honda NT650V (Deauvuille) or splash out for the new 700cc version, it's already got everything you would need fitted.
You might want to stop once or twice during the commute to stand up, stretch your legs and have a sip of water. It's amazing how well a 2 minute break can re-energize you in the middle of a long trip.
:icon_twisted: Drive a car :icon_twisted:
Quote from: Dr. Love on July 27, 2006, 12:34:55 PM
:icon_twisted: Drive a car :icon_twisted:
At $3.09 per gallon... :nono:
You could also try a Throttle Rocker (http://www.throttlerocker.com/) instead of a Throttle Lock. I used to use one all the time, works pretty well...
If you have/or do not already, you could re-jet your carbs so that they are NOT running lean (stock). That will help your engine to run a little cooler, and/or maybe use a synthetic oil (blend or full), that will help a little on the heat to, and extra wear on your ride. I'm not sure how hot your temp. gets there in Canada, but I do a fifty mile one way trip to work here in Florida ( HOT+) and this has helped me to keep a little bit cooler one those long rides. And if your long legged like me you might want to find a nice place along the way to stop and walk around for a minute, which you could also use to check your bike.
Good luck on the new job!! And be safe! :cheers:
Thanks for all the great advice. I found an old thread reviewing the Slipstream Turbo windshield so I will have a double check on that screen. My bike has clip-on bars so I don't know if mounting will be an issue. I currently have a National Cycle screen mounted. Wondering if anyone has experience or tricks in hauling luggage. I do have a tank bag and a mesh net for the back...but I'm just curious if there have been other creative solutions. :thumb:
I have the "NIP" throttle lock so that should give the hand a break from time to time. I don't know how that compares to the Throttle Rocker. :dunno_white:
Thanks again for all the good input. :thumb:
For short rides, I wear a backpack. Anything over 10 mins though, and it just bugs me. So I bungee cord it to the tail. Works well for me, YMMV.
Cargo net on the back for the laptop case, saddle bags for the rain gear and everything else...
Works pretty well...
As for the Throttle Rocker, it not a lock, just a throttle extension...It just helps get rid of the death grip on the throttle.
(http://www.usdrews.com/images/gdrew/gstwin/throttlerocker.jpg)
Not that this is an ad for them, as I stated earlier, I don't even use it much anymore. I kinda just got used to riding long distances, so it's not much of an issue anymore.