Motorcycle Vacations

Motorcycle Vacationing on a Harley

Do you have an adventuresome sprit? Do you have the desire for something new and different? If so, then an interesting trend in vacationing is motorcycle touring. Whatever scenery you enjoy, whatever venue you like, whether it is the beach, the mountains or the cities, a Harley motorcycle vacation promises great fun and entertainment. There is nothing like the back to nature feel of the wind in your face, leaving your cares behind, and seeing the world from the seat of a Harley. If you are considering taking a motorcycle vacation, planning and preparation are important to your success and enjoyment. Below you'll find information on how to prepare and plan a great Bikers vacation.

Preparing the Bike
Make sure your motorcycle is road worthy and reliable before setting out. Ensure all equipment is working and can withstand the rigors of the road. The tires should have plenty of rubber and be properly inflated, the oil and other fluids should be clean and topped off, and all lighting should be working. If your bike has a chain drive, the chain should be properly tensioned and lubricated, if belt driven, the belt should be inspected for wear and properly tensioned. Make sure all nuts and fastening hardware is tightened. Especially the license plate, it's usually the first thing to fall off.

Packing for Travel
Unlike other types of vacations a Harley motorcycle vacation is one of necessities and essentials only. You will not be packing multiple suit cases for your trip. On the contrary, you will be packing several small to medium packs or bags. The type of packing you do is dependent on the bike you own. Some bikes are equipped with saddle bags, while others are only equipped for places to lash down soft packs or bags. In either case your packing space is limited; you will only have room for the essentials. So what are the essentials of the road?

Warm clothing, includes jacket and gloves adequate for the extreme cold temperatures you may face.

Helmet, this of course is an optional device but when it rains, gets cold, or some little old lady runs you over you'll wish you had it.

Rain gear, you don't want to get wet, and make sure your packed items are protected from rain as well.

Motor bike tool set. Basic tools for tightening nuts, turning screws, removing a wheel and dont forget electrical tape and wire.

Personal hygiene articles, this should include any medications you normally take.

Change of clothing, this is where you may have the most difficulty. An extra pair of jeans, couple pairs of undies, a pair of socks, one or two of your favorite tea shirts and a long sleeve shirt are the minimum fashion articles you'll need.

Of course your packing should be tailored to the climate and venue you'll be traveling, that is if going to a warm sunny climate then heavy clothing may not be needed. If traveling to a cooler or rainier climate then additional warm clothing and rain gear may be needed.

Planning Your Trip
Everyone has someplace they have always wanted to visit. This could be a beach, a mountain range, a forest, a city, a monument, a desert, an amusement park, an ocean or lake. The list is endless, heck it could even be grandma's house, no matter your destination, you should take time to plan a travel route. This is where the adventure of motorcycling becomes fun and exciting. Instead of traveling the freeways straight to your end point try the back roads, take the alternate route that leads to places unknown. You will be amazed at the scenery, the quaint villages and towns and the friendliness of people along the way. You may not even make it to your final destination because of all the interesting things you'll want to stop and visit along the way. It's all just part of the fun! Beware however to ensure that while traveling your route you are not caught in a situation where lodging, food or gas are not available when needed.

Before you swing a leg over that bike make sure you know your route, it is very difficult to read a map while traveling at 60 mph on a motorcycle. Have a good idea of the areas you want to visit. Try to plan your days travel so that you end up at a location where lodging is available. In peak times of the year lodging can be hard to come by so you may want to make reservations in advance. Knowing where you are going and where you will stop helps make the trip less stressful.

Taking Precautions
As in any traveling endeavor there is always an inherent risk when traveling on a motorcycle. Illness can befall us at any time, an accident can cause injury, a natural disaster can occur without warning or perhaps an emergency from home could take place. While these things are out of our control it is wise to be prepared in case some unplanned event occurs. Carry a list of your emergency contacts and numbers. Put these in a safe place. Include any important medical information about yourself. Be sure your license and insurance documents are up to date and are with you at all times. By doing this, you will be better prepared to cope with any emergency that may occur. It is also wise to inform your family or friends of your travel plans and route, just in case you get lost they'll know where to search.

By proper planning, taking your time to enjoy, and being prepared for weather extremes, you can experience a vacation that you'll remember for years to come. You, your Harley and the road, passing all those people crammed in cars, knowing the real enjoyment of travel is with your face in the wind and butt in the saddle. I'll see you on the open road!

This article written by Woody Longacre and is brought to you on behalf of HarleyResource.net, - Harley News, Videos, Articles and a Chat Forum plus Online shopping for everything Harley!

Beware Suzuki's warrenty is not the paper it's printed on, want to get sc#*$d?
My brother and I bought 2 brand new Suzukis for a summer motorcycle vacation. I got a 1400 Intruder and he got a 1200 Bandit, they cost $15,000. The Bandit leaked gas and filled the motor with gas before 2000 miles and ruined the motor. Suzuki messed around all summer with us telling them our vacation being ruined and we were loseing a ton of money. They could care less, we asked them to just swap out the motor, oh but they couldn't do that, it would cost $3,000 bucks to do that. Well they spent all summer and $3,700 bucks to rebuild the ruined motor. The gas stained cases were not replaced nor were the burnt exhaust pipes, the bike was apart for so long it got nicked and scratched all over. The bike when fixed looked like crap and ran worse. When Suzuki of Am Fd up we even called Japan nothing did any good. BUY a Suzuki and get screwed like we did!!!

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Suzuki's warrenty not worth the paper it's on, want to get sc#$*d?
My brother and I bought 2 brand new bikes for a summer motorcycle vacation. I got 1400 Intruder and he got 1200 Bandit. The Bandit leaked gas and filled the motor with gas and ruined the motor. Suzuki of America took all summer to fix the Bandit and we got no vacation. We had to hassel with Suzuki. We wanted the motor replaced but that would cost $3000. 4 months later and at a cost of $3700 they had the motor rebuilt. The Bandit ran like crap and looked worse. The gas stained cases were not replaced nor were the burnt exhaust pipes. The bike got nicked and scratched after being apart for so long. We lost a ton of money for deposits on places to stay and the bikes were sold for big loss too. Suzuki F'd us for about $5,000. I wrote the US CEO Masao Nagura and didn't even get a return letter. Buy a Suzuki and get screwed like we did!!!! You'll like as much as we did!!!!NOT!!!!!!

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Did you know Suzuki's warranty isn't worth the paper it's on?
My brother and I bought 2 new bikes for a summer vacation. His 1200 Bandit leaked gas and ruined the motor before it got 2000 miles. We asked Suzuki to replace the motor so we could go on vacation. They said it?s to expensive and would cost $3000. After 4 months and the vacation gone they got the motor rebuilt at a their cost of $3700. The dealer wanted to replace the motor but Suzuki squashed that. The gas stained cases and burnt exhaust pipes were not replaced. The bike got nicked and scratched all over from being apart for so long. The rep rode it and looked at it, then said it? good as new. It ran like crap and looked worse. We called Japan for nothing, and even wrote the US CEO all for nothing. We spent $15,000 for the bikes to get ripped off. We spent our vacation hassling with Suzuki, and not one person there gave a F! Beware Suzuki?s warranty is not worth the paper it?s printed on! Buy one of their lemons are get ripped off like we did! Suzuki ripped off a man dieing cancer and stole his only chance for a summer motorcycle vacation with his brother while he was still healthy enough to go. We did everything possible to make our vacation happen and we were insulted by the Suzuki rep. Not one person anywhere in Suzuki?s entire organization cared one whit. It perfectly OK to rip off a dying man and steal his only chance for a vacation after we spent $15,000. What ever you do run from buying any Suzuki. If you get a lemon you?re screwed and no one there will care. It happened to us it can happen to you. To all the twerps that work is a Suzuki shop somewhere. Your whining about this just doesn't happen, or that we did something wrong, doesn't hold any water. I've spent 30 years in Body Shop! I know about reps, I've dealt with way to many. They're factory head hunters, they're like insurance adjusters, low lifes!. Their job is to screw the customer so the factory makes more money. It's just that simple, all your whining will never change this simple fact. Your shop may be a good one. That in no way makes up for the bad ones! I'm the screwed customer, I have every right, and even an obilgation, to inform those that may get ripped off. Suzuki did a very bad, ugly, henious, dispicable, wrong thing. They stole the last vacation a dying man was to get. They stole his money, and insulted him to boot. I always take care of any customer complaint. The customer spent thier hard earned money and are deserveing of every consideration. No matter what you say, the customer is right So to all you Suzuki weenys! Take your BS somewhere else! Your continuous whining only makes you like the fool! A factory defect is a factory defect and nothing you say will ever change that. The factory, if they have any honor, and Suzuki doesn't here. They don't have a leg to stand on. It cut and dry, that it's the responsibilty of the customer to eat a factory defect. Motions of Marrieitta Ga. stated clearly this was due to a "factory" defect. Motion service manager wanted the engine replaced. This is clear case of a pig headed, low life, rep that screwed a dying man out of the motorcycle he spent his money for. He made it so the vacation deposits were lost. No one anywhere in Suzuki cared one whit! The rep insulted us, California CS, insulted us, Japan didn't speak a any English! This is just so FUBAR it's incredible! Suzuki bears ALL the blame and I'm due recompence, for what they stole, I can't ever get back! My brother is dead now! Shame!Shame!Shame!!!!! on Suzuki!!

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Motorcycle vacation idea.?
Every year I go to the Smokies, usually alternate between NC and Tenn. I was thinking of trying somewhere different. Any Ideas? I'll be coming from MD, so Utah and the like are out of the question, as I only have a week, and I no longer have a Goldwing. I prefer to rent cabins, not hotels, and prefer mountains, not beaches. I'll be going next month.

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The Ideal Motorcycle Vacation Trip?
As stated in an earlier post, my husband and I want to ride our street glide for our vacation this year. We thought about doing Sturgis, but do to work I cannot take the time off that week. We are looking for a very scenic and romantic and fun trip. We live in Northern Illinois and I have 10 days to take this trip. We want to leave in June or July and we are looking for a nice fun and scenic route to take. We love the mountains and the beach, so pretty much anything flies. We do LOVE historical sites. Any ideas? Please help us Thank you.

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