NOTICE: The purpose of the information provided in this blog post is to steer you towards the best actions to take in order to get the most out of your cross country motorcycle riding experience.
There are many online websites and YouTube channels out there that give you in depth information on everything covered in this post, which is essentially why I formulated the “3 Essentials” into categories rather than just 3 specific items.
There will be no specific gear or equipment brands discussed in this post due to the fact that there are too many brands that are effective in what they are designed for. Also, what works for some people may not work for others.
- Protection From The Elements
Above all else you must have the proper clothing gear with you when you ride cross country. You won’t get far if you’re freezing to death or you’re soaking wet or your riding experience will be very grueling. Even if you’re riding cross country during the summer months you won’t be guaranteed sunny hot weather your entire journey.
States like Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Colorado to name a few are notorious for having frigid temperatures even during the middle of July especially at night. You should have the most compact rain suit you can afford, a good leather jacket, comfortable, durable gloves, and waterproof heavy duty shoes.
Rain suits – I’m not going to dive off into the different brands of rain suits out there. Just don’t cheap out and buy something that will end up tearing or poorly repels water. I will, however, say that my personal choice is a 2-piece suit over a 1-piece. A 1-piece rain suit can be cumbersome to put on and take off and annoying while riding. Also water has a tendency to puddle in your lap while you’re riding especially if you’re not riding a full fairing motorcycle. A two piece rain suit will allow more flexibility while you’re riding. They’re easier to take on and off and easier to hang up and dry inside your tent or hotel room.
Having an insulated suit should not be important as you will already be wearing clothes underneath. If you’re properly dressed for the climate it’s more important to stay dry than have further insulation. Too much insulation can also be an issue. Too much trapped body heat can cause sweating regardless of how frigid the temperature is. You’ll be in a real pickle, then because you will lose your natural core temperature and freeze from within. In addition to being cold and wet from perspiration you will chafe.
Gloves – With today’s technology your fingertips are even more important than ever. Buy a pair of gloves with touchscreen fingertips. This way you can operate devices without having to take your gloves off. I have heated grips, so insulation is not crucially important. However, it doesn’t hurt to carry a more insulated pair of gloves or even heated gloves for those rides where you may end up in the mountains or for winter riding.
Your hands are the most vulnerable part of your body to the elements. I nearly lost a thumb while riding in of all places San Antonio, Texas. The temperature had dropped all the way down to 23 in the middle of Spring Break. I had a pair of gauntlet leather gloves, which are great for keeping the wind from traveling up your sleeves but wasn’t enough to protect my hands in what would be in the negative double digits windchill when riding at interstate speeds. Luckily, I found a gas station that sold cloth work gloves that I used as inserts for my gauntlet gloves.
Boots – I can’t figure out for the life of me why dudes wear sneakers and other low cut shoes when riding a motorcycle. Yeah, yeah, yeah it’s all about what they think looks cool but looking cool isn’t synonymous with functionality. If you’re riding cross country the last thing you want to do is wear flimsy shoes that poorly protect your feet not to mention the fact that you could burn your ankles and lower leg on your hot pipes. The last thing you want is to be in the middle of executing a maneuver and your shoe comes off or you’re in an accident and get your foot crushed.
Speaking from personal experience wearing boots can be the difference between walking away and having your foot crushed or torn off. Decades ago I was in an accident where a guy in a cab made a left turn in front of me. I slid head on into the car and made impact with the car as it turned left. My left foot was crushed between the front bumper of the car and the engine of my bike.
Not only was the soles of my boots incredibly thick and hard, the length of the boot prevented the boot from being pulled off on impact. If not for those soles my left foot would have been hamburger. Instead it was only slightly bruised. If I had worn regular low cut shoes my foot would have been crushed on impact with the car and/or they would have been flung off exposing my foot to the unforgiving asphalt. My advice would be to buy a pair of durable, snub nose, leather boots and spray the boot with leather protectant to aid in rain resistance.
2. Smartphone Apps
Banking apps – Quite possibly the most important apps you can have on your smartphone are banking, credit card apps or a digital wallet. It’s very important to have access to your finances because you never know when you may need to manage your finances or deal with unexpected issues while on the road. While it may be necessary to have 50 or 100 dollars cash on hand that could also get lost or stolen.
Bank cards get lost or stollen all the time. If you can’t get a live person on the line you can use the features on your app to lock a bank card order a new card or transfer a balance. Most banking institutions have an accompanying app feature, so if you don’t already have a banking app and/or a credit card app or upload your traditional cards to your digital wallet on your smartphone it would behoove you to do so.
Weather apps – Keeping an eye on weather patterns is equally important as managing your finances. There are numerous types of weather apps out there but I have come to rely on Weatherbug for my weather solutions. In addition to using weather apps I also use Booking.com for hotel reservations, Google Maps for navigation and banking apps.
Travel agency apps – It pays in so many ways to have a travel app or two loaded on your smartphone. Whether you plan ahead for a certain destination or need to book a room while on the road you will be ready. Exhaustion, inclement weather or repairs that can’t be handled on the side of the road may occur and you may need a place to stay.
Having a travel app not only helps you to locate nearby hotels, you can also compare the prices between what the travel app offers to what the hotel itself offers through cold calling. Sometimes it may be cheaper to make reservations with the hotel directly while other times it may be cheaper to make reservations through a travel agency app. Most importantly, the more you use the travel apps you can accumulate points that will open opportunities for a discounted or even a free room.
Insurance apps – Comprehensive insurance that provides suitable roadside assistance, and has coverage preferably across the United States. Some insurance companies have limited coverage and will require you to pay for towing outside of their service area. Most will reimburse you after towing services are rendered.
3. Contingency Plan
As the saying goes, if you fail to plan you plan to fail. The absolute best course of action is to have your motorcycle serviced before you hit the road. Make sure the fluids are changed, and your tires have enough tread life that you can make it to your destination and back home safely. If you need new tires buy them. The last thing you want is to be in the middle of nowhere with worn tires that are even more prone to punctures.
A comprehensive contingency plan for breakdowns is crucial especially if you’re a cross country biker. There are many areas particularly in western states where gas stations or even inhabited areas are few and far between. Even worse, you may not have cell service to rely on in emergency situations. A tool kit should also consist of the items below:
Learn your bike, so you can carry a set of tools best suited for the situation at hand. Whatever device you choose make sure it’s portable and has multiple functions. The more capabilities a device has the less devices you have to carry. A compact air pump, battery charging system, slime, a tire puncture repair kit, tools for minor repairs (according to how well you know your bike), a 1 gallon fuel bottle, and an alternative light source i.e. headlamp and/or lantern.
Portable rechargeable devices – This is especially important if you are on an extended cross country trip and/or you’re motorcycle camping. Whether you’re in a group or even more importantly if you’re riding solo it is essential that you’re equipped to be as self-sufficient as possible. Devices that are traditionally battery powered are fine but being rechargeable frees you from keeping up with batteries. The last thing you need is worrying about keeping up with different sizes of batteries and wondering if they will provide you an optimal charge.
Charging station – It’s not only beneficial to have a portable charging system, it’s ideal to have a system that is compact, has multiple uses, a long charge life, and can charge devices quickly. One of the many conveniences touring motorcycles have is an adapter outlet that you can plug your charging station into and recharge either while you’re riding or plug into an outlet if you’re in a hotel room. However, if you are traveling on a midsized or smaller cruiser rechargeable devices are even more crucial. Even better is a solar powered charging station to power your small devices, particularly for those long stays at a campsite.
Headlamp (rechargeable) – You will need a headlamp that is capable of emitting enough illumination that you can not only see clearly at night while conducting repairs or jumping off a battery, you will also need a light that is capable of illuminating a large area if you’re caught after sundown setting up your campsite. It’s also extremely helpful when trying to make your way down a dark path at night to an unlit outdoor facility. Whatever the task you’ll be able to do it hands free instead of worrying about needing a second set of hands to hold a flashlight.
Of course if you have any questions or concerns feel free to drop me a message. Live free and ride hard!
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