Packing For My Motorcycle Road Trip

Everything on this workbench was in my left saddlebag

I had a little experience with packing for a long road trip, having ridden from here in Alexandria, Virginia, down through the southeast to New Orleans, and then across Florida, before turning back north to make my way home. 3,400 miles, give or take a couple hundred, as I recall. This was the ride back in 2010 that gave this blog it's name...Southern Comfort.

Before I left for that run, I got a lot of good advice about packing, I looked at a ton of websites, and I picked the brains of peeps who have gone on similar rides on similar bikes. I rode a 2008 Softail Custom on that ride, without a ton of extra storage, so space was limited.

As it turned out, I didn't need much of anything in the way of tools or spare parts on that ride, which is a testament to how well new Harley Davidsons are built. They're a far cry from either of my old rigid frame Panhead choppers, I'll tell you that!

But for the upcoming Sturgis ride, I was going further, and riding a slightly older 1999 Road King that I'd bought just for the trip. I had a lot of confidence in the bike, given the level of maintenance and care taken by its previous owner, but a bike is a bike and anything can happen, right?

I was not just stopping at Sturgis, either. I had some half-baked plans to ride into Wyoming and Colorado afterwards, into areas where getting gas wasn't going to be easy, much less spare Harley parts. So I wanted some assurance that I could at least get to the next town if something broke.

So what did I take with me?

I started by setting a limit that every bike-maintenance-related thing had to fit in one saddlebag. First, I bought a Reda gas container and a Saddlemen luggage bag that's made specifically to fit with the Reda container. I figured the comfort of knowing I had extra gas was worth losing the small amount of space the 1-gallon container took up. (Click that highlighted text, above, for more info on those products)

Ebay is a good source for the container. You'll spend about 40 bucks, plus tax, for the pair from Eastern Performance Cycles, which is where I got mine. The container never leaked a drop, nor was there an issue with fumes, and it had a spout so no need to carry a funnel.

And before you chuckle about this damn gas can, there were two stretches of road, one in South Dakota on SD44, between White River and Interior, SD (128 lonely miles*, with the 2-lane all to yourself), and another on US85 in Wyoming, between Newcastle and Lusk (85 miles) where gas stations are non-existent. But the scenery's nice while you're hoofing it! Anyway, that extra 35 miles of gas was looking pretty darned good to me on both, and I'm glad I had it.

* On SD44, pretty early in that long stretch, I do remember seeing a gas pump near some outbuildings in a Lakota settlement I went through, and I had the passing thought of asking them if they'd sell me some gas, but decided to hit the next regular gas station instead. There wasn't one. The image of that pump I passed up tortured me for the last 10-20 miles of this lonely stretch of road!

A very appropriately named gas station in Interior, South Dakota. It was the most beautiful sight I'd see that day, because I was damn sure running on fumes when I got there.

Then I chose some tools. I took:

• Snap ring pliers, small enough to help replace the clutch and brake lever. I broke a brake lever on the New Orleans ride, so I definitely wanted something to help with a similar event. But without the oversize Mississippi gal to help out.
• A set of craftsman combination SAE wrenches....1/4" to 3/4"
• Medium size straight screwdriver
• Medium size Phillips screwdriver
• 6" and 8" crescent wrenches
• Small Channelock pliers
• Dikes
• Needlenose pliers
• Tweezers
• Small vise grips
• Allen wrenches...a foldable set. Turns out I did have to buy a regular Allen set to tighten up my fairing. The foldable set didn't fit into the area I was working in...needed a regular length wrench to do the job.
• Small ballpeen hammer
• 1/4 drive socket set
• Spark plug socket and a 3/8 drive ratchet to fit it
• Flashlight and spare batteries
• Rubber/latex gloves
• Work gloves from the local 7-11, for reinstalling hot exhaust pipes. I think I packed these because of vivid and painful memories of putting the pipes back on my 55 Panhead. Many times. Using my shirt. And still burning the living shit outa my hands.

All these tools, except the heavy work gloves and socket set (in its own plastic box), were layed out on a towel and I just rolled up the towel. It made a relatively small package and kept the damn tools from rattling around. Plus I had a towel! 

Spare parts...

I went to my local Harley shop and asked what parts most frequently failed on a 99 Road King. They said "tires!". 

Ruling out carrying a fucking spare (and I got a new set of tires before I left!), I asked what else, explaining why I wanted to know. They recommended a headlight bulb, a tire repair kit, a couple fuses, some mechanic's wire, some electrical wire, and a few miscellaneous nuts and bolts. And some duct tape and wire ties. 

Danny Boy at the parts counter said "Take some wire and go. You can fix anything with wire!"

I ended up taking:

• A couple small handfuls of smaller nuts, bolts and washers. Like some 1/4"or 5/16" stuff that would hold something together.
• Tube of 242 Loctite
• 5 or 6 fuzes
• Headlight bulb
• Mechanic's wire (didn't want to ignore Danny's advice!)
• A little spool of 16 gauge electrical wire
• Wire ties 
• Electrical tape
• Racer's tape
• StopNGo Tire repair kit with compressor. That's a nice little kit, by the way. Click the name for info
• A string tire repair kit for rips instead of punctures.
• Clutch and brake levers
• JB Weld
• A couple extra exhaust clamps that were laying around the shop
• A short length of rubber fuel line, and two hose clamps to fit it
• A new set of spark plugs
• A few extra tie downs and bungee cords
• Owners Manual for the bike

Last of all, I took a First Aid kit I picked up at REI. This was a suggestion of my neighbor, John, for the New Orleans trip, and I think it's a damn good idea.

So believe it or not, everything listed here fit in one saddlebag, and to my surprise, I still had a little room left over to shove in a seat cover for rainy days.

As for the rest of my stuff, I took extra boots, enough t-shirts to keep from smelling too bad, an extra pair of jeans, underwear, and socks. 

I actually bought some underwear that were supposed to keep that perspiration down to a dull roar, and therefore the damned rash I sometimes get from hot weather, long-distance riding. It worked! No rash, and I didn't have to use that corn starch that John G recommended. Click HERE for a link to the place I ordered it. 

PS: If you get that damned rash, nothing...NOTHING...works better than corn starch* to clear it up. If you feel the rash coming on, don't wait. Toss a handful into your underwear and hit the road. It's a HUGE relief. Or don't wait. Just use it before you go. 

* Corn Starch Usage Note: If you think you might be getting lucky sometime that night, I strongly suggest hitting the shower real quick before things get steamy. Might be tough to explain having heavy deposits of powdery residue on your private parts, and that corn starch/rash explanation is hard to sell. Just sayin'...

Besides the regular clothes, tools, and spares, I took a leather jacket, gloves, chaps, spare helmet, good rain gear, extra goggles, and an extra pair of prescription glasses. And though it was 100 fucking degrees on some days, there was also an hour or so during one ride when John and I damn near froze. Seeing snow in that windy mountain pass on 385 would not have been a surprise. Don't be a hard-head if you ride in the heat of Summer. Take a fucking jacket. I was real glad I had mine.

And I packed chargers and spare batteries for all my electrical stuff. I took along a spare USB adapter that hooked to my 12v cigarette lighter/outlet and to my phone mount. I thought I ordered one, but two came in the mail, so I tossed the extra one in the bag. As luck would have it, one of the girlies at the EasyRiders Saloon that washed my bike for me also filled my first 12v/USB adapter up with water. Poof!

But she was cute, so who cares......

Anyway, the spare came in handy, and next time I'll take out the adapter, tuck it away, and put the cover on the outlet. Assuming the girls aren't there. If so, I could easily forget again. Who thinks of this stuff with distractions like that around?!?!

So that's what I hauled along, and there was a little room left over to haul back some souvenirs. I didn't need much of the bike stuff, but on every lonely stretch of road, I was glad I had it. Especially that can of gas. In fact, the only thing I needed during the entire ride were a few tools to adjust my fairing, plus I lent a couple wire ties to a kid in a truck stop to keep the bumper of his Ford Fiesta from dragging the ground.

One part did break that I didn't have, nor would I have dreamed I'd need a spare. Inside each sagglebag are two 1/4-turn twist-pins that attach the bags to the frame. The business end of one of those pins broke off about 4,000 miles into the ride. I just happened (Thank you, Baby Jesus) to be right next to a Harley dealer when I noticed it. They had one in stock, so for $8 bucks, plus the price of one more t-shirt, I was out the door and rolling again. So maybe buying one of those and carrying it along too ain't a bad idea. Takes up just a little room, and no tools necessary to replace it.

Cowboy

Sturgis Black Hills Rally...A Special Moment

For John....

During the days before the Sturgis rally started, my friends Charlie, Linda, Bev, John, and I did our share of riding in the surrounding area. Heck, I actually put 700 miles on my bike while I was up there, just doing all the rides in the surrounding countryside. Yep, that's correct 700! One day's ride through the Black Hills covered about 225 miles, and I did that ride a second time, running it backwards, just to make sure I didn't miss anything!

On one of those rides, some things came up, and my crew ended up splitting up, leaving John and I on our own. Which brings me to my subject.

You see, John and I have known each other since we were kids....very small kids....preschool. We grew up next door to each other, went to the same schools, got yelled at by each others parents, and as soon as we were old enough, we rode motorcycles together. In later years, John, his dad Big John, and I all worked together at EMD, building locomotives. In fact, I think Big John, a very good man, got me that job. So see, we've got history.

And then the inevitable happened. Jobs change, lives change, and I ended up moving away from the area for work. I settled down in the DC area, and then California, and then back here in DC. And at some point, I got away from riding. Not for any special reason, mind ya, it just wasn't a part of my life for a while.

Time passes....

Some years back, maybe around 2006 or 7, I started paying an occasional visit to the local Harley dealer, Patriot, in Fairfax, Virginia. I'm not 100% sure what triggered it all, but I think it was my son's purchase of a Street Glide, and letting me ride it around OBX one Saturday afternoon. That afternoon, with the wind blowing and the Harley rumbling along, I wondered why the hell I didn't still have a bike! 

But I still hadn't made a purchase. I just window-shopped now and then, going back home to a life of socializing with some folks that I really didn't have a lot in common with, but that's another story. This story's about riding motorcycles, and it's about John.

So one day, I get a voicemail that says, "Don't make me come down there and get ya!" This happens a couple times. Finally, I call the number in the caller-ID to see who the hell is making silly threats. A lady answers, and I tell her I'm Ken. She hands the phone off to someone, and that someone is John. What a terrific surprise!!!! 

So we BS a little....well, actually we BS a lot....and after catching me up on who's doing what, John tells me he's got a couple Harleys, his wife Bev (it was Bev that answered the phone) had one, and wanted to know if I had a bike. Embarrassed, for reasons I can't quite explain, I told him no, that I didn't have a bike any more, and that I hadn't had one for a while.

This was no small admission, and John didn't take it lightly! LOL. He said, Damn! You need to get another bike and get back up and ride with the crew!

That was all it took. The very next day, June 1, I bought a brand new Harley Softail Custom from Patriot, and a few days later I rode that fucker right up to John's house. It probably didn't have 200 miles on it. And we've been riding together ever since. 

The new bike, and some great old friends riding together again. RIP Crazy Steve, on the left....

John tells everyone that if he hadn't called me, I'd still be attending dinner parties in Old Town Alexandria with my lawyer-wife (I was engaged at the time), driving around in my Porsche, trying to act like I was having fun. You know something? He's probably right. 

That engagement didn't survive the motorcycle purchase, by the way. A few blasts around town on the back of the bike, plus one trip to Daniels put an end to that!

So here's the Special Moment: As I said, on one of those Sturgis rides, it was just John and I rolling northbound on 385, heading for Deadwood, South Dakota. Rolling mountains and big sweeping turns, and John and me running side by side, with a wide stretch of road to ourselves. Our Harleys were almost harmonizing. John pulled up close alongside with this HUGE grin, pointing back and forth between him and I, and then holding two fingers together. At first I didn't get it, but then I realized what he was saying. We were still riding together and having fun after all the years of friendship. Now, how great is that?! 

Now I'm telling ya...I had the greatest feeling about that ride, and the moment lives on. I love the guy like a brother, and I think it's amazing that two little kids...two next door neighbors...have kept up the friendship, and can still share and appreciate a special moment like that. Thanks, John, for being my friend, and thanks for being along on that ride. I'll never forget that big smile on your face.

And thanks for saving me from the dinner parties.

Cowboy



Addendum: There are many of my old friends that really should have been there, and sadly, some have passed on. I'll take a little time to remember three great friends who, like John, I also grew up and rode with. They left the party way too soon....

Crazy Steve

Spider and Big Bob

RIP

Wobble, Wobble, Bagger Wobble!, Pt 3 and Final

Hey again!

Welcome back if you've been following my blog, and specifically the upgrade to dampen or eliminate the scary-as-Hell wobble I experienced right after getting my 1999 Road King, aka Big Blue.

My worst experience with the wobble was riding hard and fast into a sweeping entrance ramp, getting off I95 onto I64, with my bike loaded down with gear for OBX Bike Week. The bike felt as if the back tire had gone flat, setting up an eerie side to side wobble that seem to be centered right under my seat, like the frame was twisting or something. Holding the forks steady did nothing to settle it down.

As I said in earlier posts, I did the research, found that the problem wasn't just with my bike, and learned about various solutions which were really just variations on the same theme: provide a solid link between the rubber mounted tail end of the engine/swing-arm and the frame.

Another solution was to just slow down, respecting the fact that this thing ain't gonna handle like my Softail Custom or my Nightster. Being marginally intelligent, I fully understand that handling a big-ass, heavy bagger is gonna be different, but I ride fast, enjoy riding fast, and if there's a way to correct the problem so I can enjoy the bike a little more, making it suit my riding style, then I'm doing it.

I won't rant on again about this design, but really Harley D? You paid someone good money to design this?

So in Wobble Wobble, Wobble, Bagger Wobble!, Pt 1, I talked about the problem, and the solutions available. In Pt 2, I talked about bent cross-member issues, and why the Bagger Brace, a very nice unit, didn't work on my 99 Road King. Finally, I mentioned that Ron at True Track got me dialed into a solution, and Ron was simply a wealth of information about the wobble/wandering issue. Ron's an expert on this problem, so if you want details and answers, call him at 1-818-445-6204.

 

Here's the True Track 20-00 unit as I was installing it:

I tested it around town and had great results. See Pt 2 (link below) for details. There was still some instability around trucks that I blame on the fairing, but the scary wobbles seemed to have gone away. Still, I had a concern about carrying weight, and I wanted long term results before I pronounced the problem as "solved".

Fast forward to Sturgis, 2012!

I left Alexandria, Virginia, in late July headed for Sturgis, South Dakota, to attend my first Black Hills Rally. This trip was the only reason I even bought the Road King, so I had my fingers crossed that it wouldn't scare the hell outa me every hundred miles or so. The bike was loaded down with spares, tools, some clothes, and the usual selection of t-shirts I can't seem to leave home without. One for any occasion...formal, casual, and work! (same jeans, of course..)

But I digress......

Before leaving, I also swapped out the Continental Conti Milestone tires that had a few thousand on them for a new set of Metzler M880 Marathons. Didn't want to get to Sturgis and have to go tire shopping. I had other things on my mind when I got there.

And off I went. Hit some rain in the mountains without a problem, and cornering wasn't an issue. I gradually gained more confidence in the bike, and by the time I got to Sturgis I'd lost the worry that the damn wobble was suddenly going to rear its ugly head. Weight didn't seem to be an issue.

Passing trucks, etc, wasn't a big deal either. A little buffeting from wind turbulence, as expected, but no trouble maintaining my line of travel. Ditto for various road surfaces. The bike didn't want to wander around, and there was no feeling that the real wheel was trying to trail off on it's own, trying to steer the bike.

On the way home, and particularly on I79 between Charleston, WV, and Buckhannon, WV, the True Track was really put to the test. I79 is beautiful along that stretch, with wide sweepers running left and right and up and down (and every imaginable combination! If you get a chance to ride I79, then do it!) so I was able to put Big Blue on 80mph and see if all was well.

Wow!

I enjoyed the hell out of that stretch of highway, and there's just no way I could have run like that without that True Track unit. I just know it. Every corner gave me a little more confidence. and finally I was just kickin' back enjoying the ride with a big stupid grin on my face.

So that's my well-earned endorsement for the True-Track 20-00 stabilizer after a rather grueling 4,920 mile road test, along with a recommendation to try one if you're having the same troubles. If there was going to be a problem, I'd have had it. I looked at other solutions, maybe to save a couple bucks, and ended up with the True Track. It worked, and worked well. And again, I'll recommend calling Ron. 1-818-445-6204

Here's links to the previous two articles:

Wobble, Wobble, Bagger Wobble!, Pt 1

Wobble, Wobble, Bagger Wobble!, Pt 2


Cowboy

PS Sturgis was a fucking blast!

Posted with Blogsy

Sturgis 2012

** This is a post I started at Sturgis, worked on a little coming home, and I'm finishing it up now after being home a day or so. The narrative probably changes tense here and there where I missed editing to make it seem like I wrote it all at once. So forgive all the fuck-ups, 'cause I just haven't cleared my eyes from all the sights and sounds at Sturgis!

There's probably not a single thing I can write about Sturgis that hasn't already been written elsewhere, and in a far more entertaining format. I was there for over a week, and the 2012 Black Hills Motorcycle Rally, aka Sturgis, didn't disappoint me. It was worth all the time, money, and preparation, if for no other reason, I can say "I rode mine!", LOL. And that's 4,940.9 miles through 15 different states and the District of Columbia, hitting Indiana, Illinois, and West Virginia twice.

Truthfully, going to Sturgis is just a thing a biker simply has to do, or at least THIS biker. I've wanted to go to Sturgis all my riding career.....over 40 years. I just had to stop finding reasons I couldn't go and just put up the kickstand and do it. If I waited for a convenient time, or until I retired, or until I could really afford it, it'd be a damn long wait. Fuck it, I put the family issues on the back burner, crossed my fingers about the job, and took off. I'll have to give extra props to my boss who agreed to let me have the extra time off. Let's hear it for Joe!!!!

And I arrived!

This was my "Home" for the duration, but if you think all this space was going to last, this open landscape turned into a congested city in a matter of days!

Before

After!

I wasn't alone at Sturgis. My long-time Bro and riding buddy, John, was there with his wife Bev. Good friends Charlie and Linda were there also, and all these guys trailered up, deciding to do their commuting in comfort. In hindsight, given how boring some of the ride is, that ain't necessarily a bad idea.

Due to adjusted departure dates, I ended up getting there 4 days earlier than originally planned. This change turned out to be a blessing. I was able to do all the local scenic rides before the masses of motorcycles jammed the narrow roads through the parks and towns. I even had time to do some rides twice, including Needles Highway and 16A.

To say the scenery is breathtaking sounds a little like a travel brochure, but the adjective is appropriate, and I saw things that literally made me stop in the middle of the road and just take it in. And maybe even take a picture, much to the dismay of people on the road behind me.

And wildlife too! Buffalo, antelope, wild burros, and the occasional wandering cow.

It's interesting that the buffalo, cows, and burros don't much care that roads are made for vehicles. You come around a bend in the road and there they are, right in the middle, just hanging out. Folks, this will keep you on your toes with one foot or hand on the brakes! The burros actually bum snacks from passing vehicles, but they shy away from a noisy Harley.

There's also the wildlife of another flavor. Though East Coast Sturgis may still hold the #1 spot for utter depravity, Sturgis certainly holds a similar spot for partial nudity within city limits! Apparently the normal rules are suspended, and topless is OK if the girls wear pasties, and thongs are just fine. They're just fine with me too, by the way!

Things ratchet up a notch or two within the confines of the Buffalo Chip if you keep your eyes open. Just look for a crowd of people pointing cameras.

The Chip also wins top honors for entertainment. Great bands...Journey, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Loverboy, Sugerland, Zac Brown, etc., plus you can ride your motorcycle to the show and sit on it. If you're inclined, fire up the Harley and rev it up instead of applaud, LOL. Perfectly acceptable.

At this point of my stay in Sturgis.....day 8.......aside from a few bands, there's almost nothing I hadn't seen or done, and I began thinking about leaving a day or two earlier. And I decided to skip the Colorado Rockies part of the itinerary. I got far more riding in around Sturgis than I ever expected, so the idea of riding through the Rocky Mountains seemed almost redundant. Maybe I'll save that for anther time. I still wanted to hit Wyoming and the Devils Tower, and then I could choose a route home from there, taking my time. I damn sure don't want to push myself like the ride to Sturgis.

I left Sturgis on August 10th, rolling to Devil's Tower to see the sights and visit a friend. From there, I overnighted in Sundance. Cool places and stunning scenery, especially at Devil's Tower. No wonder my friend Frank bought the Devil's Tower Lodge and calls it home!

 In Sundance, after visiting all the local watering holes, I started thinking about the ride home. I spent fucking hours going over maps and using Google Maps to find an interesting way to get there. I didn't want to go back the way I came, through Iowa and Nebraska, figuring on seeing some new territory and adding a little new scenery to the ride home.

Wrong. Well, mostly wrong.

I rode south through Wyoming to Cheyenne. Talk about wide open spaces! Wow! And don't even forget to get gas every frickin' chance you get. Gas stops can stretch more than 80 miles apart!

From Cheyenne, I rolled down to Denver, looking at the Rockies over my right shoulder, but also noting building thunderstorms over there too. The threat of storms killed an idea I had to detour a little into the mountains, so instead I reluctantly....and finally....turned back east. I soon found myself on Interstate 70, eastbound, and beginning the longest, most boring ride I've ever taken. Between Denver and Kansas City, the route is flat, featureless, and the view is of endless fields of corn and grain. As far as the eye can see. So much for planning a more scenic route.

And Kansas? Jesus Christ, I was in Kansas FOREVER! Took damn near a whole day to ride across, and seeing Kansas City was like seeing an oasis. I'd finally made it to Missouri!!! Of course, the highway planners did their worst work in KC, and negotiating I70 through that city is tough, to say the least. It's like a fucking maze, even going down to one lane in a spot. Damn. I guess they want peeps to stay in Kansas.

From there, I hit it hard, looking forward to a little R&R. I made it to Columbia, Missouri, before a much needed break for refreshments and rest. A charming lady named Kasey was happy to help me out!

And from Columbia, I rolled into Kentucky, and finally began that scenic route I'd hoped for. Kentucky horse farms are just gorgeous. From Kentucky I rode into West Virginia, which was even more scenic. Mountains and valleys galore! Plus I79, between Charleston and Buckhannon, is a high-speed version of Tail of the Dragon. At 80mph, it's a blast, even on a touring Harley. It's worth doing.

I got off I79 at Buckhannon, taking the opportunity to ride east on US 33, a much talked about local road that's also compared to the Dragon. It didn't measure up on the west end, but as I neared Harrisonburg, Virginia, on the east end, the corners got tight and frequent, and if you were lazy, you'd be in big trouble. Check that route out too! It's sure closer than the Dragon if you're located around DC or Baltimore.

On my ride out there, I added a few more roads to the all-time Top 10, each of which rival the Tail of the Dragon: There's Needles Highway, 16A (near Mt Rushmore), 14A (through Spearfish Canyon), and closer to home, as I just mentioned, there's US 33 between Buckhannon, WV and Harrisonburg, VA. Each of these are "don't miss" roads if you get closeby.

When the fun was over, I turned onto I81 to I66, and eventually to my home in Alexandria, Virginia. Big Blue, my trusty Road King, and I needed a break. The bike is easily as dirty as a motorcycle can get, and it's still dirty as of this writing. But every speck of dirt is a memory, and a damn good one.

Big Blue and it's former owner, Paul, deserve a lot of credit. The bike ran like a dream, and the only issues were an 8-dollar saddlebag mount pin that broke, plus the fairing loosened up, pushing back against the bars. And I added a half quart of oil.

I did put a new set of tires on before leaving, and the True-Track stabilizer I installed seems to have taken 99% of the wobble out of the bike. No issues in hard sweepers at 80+mph carrying a lot of weight. So the Road King purchase was well worth my investment, and my Softail Custom got a well-earned break and stayed at home keeping Joker company.

Another shout-out has to go to my buddy Leesa, who kept me entertained with little fun texts during my entire ride. Nothing but smiles coming outa that lady! Thanks, Leesa!

I've now got Sturgis checked off my bucket list, but I'm not so sure I won't go back. Maybe next year!

I've enclosed several pix here in this post, but a full Sturgis album can be found HERE. There's over 1,200 photos, so open a beer (or a 6-pack), start a slide show, and you'll see what I saw. Hey, that's even where all the custom motorcycle pix are. I damn near forgot about those! It is about motorcycles, right? LOL

Cheers!
Cowboy