For the first time ever, I'm taking a long trip in a few days. I've never toured on a bike before. Any tips will be greatly appreciated. I'm traveling up through New Hampshire to Montpelier, VT, then across Lake Champlain to upstate NY, then down to Pittsburgh, then to southern West Virginia to my 30th high school reunion. From there it will be mostly interstates back to Maine. I'm hoping to see a lot of old friends on the way. My only concern is rain. I've got the gear, but I haven't ridden in the rain very much. I'll try to get some pix during the trip and post them.

Here's wishing you good luck, pleasant weather, and smooth scooting. Riding in rain isn't difficult. The S'Wing handles it quite nicely, and the front fairing keeps most of you dry. Slow down and whatever you do.....stay off painted lines when the road is wet - especially in turns as the paint becomes very slippery when wet. You will learn how much rain you can handle, and when it gets to be too much, find a place to pull over and wait it out.

You will also learn how much riding you can handle in 1 day. Every person has a different tolerance level. I try to limit my riding to 250 - 300 miles per day. But that is 2 up. If I was riding solo, I would probably go a little further. But others enjoy longer days in the days.

The increased traffic, increased speed, and increased wind buffeting on the interstates all combined to increase riding fatigue, so be aware of that and take rest stops as necessary. I also like to take a lot of stops to stretch my legs and rest. For me, touring is about enjoying the countryside along the route, not just getting to the destination.

Staying hydrated is important. I keep a hydration bladder in my tunnel bag so that I can sip water enroute as well as at the rest and refuling stops. Also, remember sunscreen. It is easy for your face to get burned through your helmet visor.

Good luck and have a great trip. You are riding through some beautiful country. I'm sure you will enjoy it.

Good luck and have fun. I'm sure you will do just fine in the rain since the Swing does good in it. You may want to try to find waterproof gloves if you don't have them already. The rain suit will keep you dry, and like Mike said, the SWing's fairing and shield will keep you dry. I would just remember what Bill and Mike said above and you should do just fine and have a great time. Just remember to take pics and post them. Ride safe and have fun.

Good rainsuit, waterproof gloves (FirstGear Explorer), anti fog spray for your helmet visor, snacks and liquids for energy and hydratiion. You may want to pack anything riding on the passenger pillion in a dry bag. A couple of these cargo nets will come in handy to secure items. I think the tunnel bag is a good item. A GPS and some 2D paper maps for back up. A 12v power port for charging cell phone/Ipod/camera batteries. Camera, batteries and extra memory cards. Do a special inspection on your SW before you leave, check all fluids, tire inflation, nuts, bolts, screws etc. Mechanically we know how reliable the Honda is. You mentioned Interstates and that will mean some toll roads. I would recommend an EZ-Pass transponder and some sort of mount so you don't have to stop at toll booths.

Of course we wish you a safe ride and dry weather. During my recent trip to VT as miserable as the weather was at times I was very pleased that my gear performed well. My gloves were soaked outside but warm and dry inside. The anti-fog spray saved my life as did the rubber "wiper" on the left index finger use it it works! In the rain just adjust your speed to a safe clip, you will feel it get squirrely if the pace is too fast. DO NOT ride through standing or running water, you never know what lies beneath.
Enough of wet talk! Sunscreen apply on all exposed areas, face and back of the neck. Take breaks often, walk around the rest area. Stop riding BEFORE you get tired. Most of all enjoy the ride! We will be waiting patiently for your report.

Guys,

This is great. I REALLY appreciate your advice. In response to Honda Silver's question: In NY I'm staying off the interstate. I plan to ride through the Adirondack Park Preserve and spend the night with my mother-in-law near Rome. Then I'll ride down Rt 12 to Binghampton and head into PA.

If you think you see rain ahead, stop and put on the waterproofs - don't wait until it's started because you'll be wet under the gear and that's not good!
It means also that you can get it arranged comfortably rather than throwing it on in a hurry and in a downpour.

Have a great trip, whatever the weather.

Another observation. You might be able to wait for a rain to pass over. Find a nice (not in traffic flow) location to just sit and watch, preferrably under an awning.

MikeO is right get the gear on before you get wet. We've even ridden through a rain without the gear and have gotten lucky with a short albeit heavy downpour. We've also regretted the decision to keep going.

Enjoy the ride no matter what you encounter.

Try to stay below 60mph in the rain and use brights as much as you can at night.

Long trip? Pffft. I commute that far every day.

Well....not quite. But I have ridden 4000 miles in 2 months.

Rain: I have discovered it's quite anticlimactic, but make sure you don't try to corner fast. Keep it slow and you'll be fine. I hit a puddle on the interstate going 60 mph that had the pickup truck in front of me fishtailing like crazy. I thought I was toast, but the bike sliced through it with zero drama. Physics is on your side: The faster you go, the more the bike wants to stay upright and straight. The relatively skinny tires go THROUGH water instead of over it, which helps. Remember that the greasy parts of the lane will be extra slick. But mostly just keep it slow and be calm. It's only a big deal if you make it so. They make rain gear for motorcycle riders, and people buy it, so I'm guessing that rain must not be instant death after all. (I don't know if they have repeat customers, though......)

One more thing: If you're buzzing along in the rain and a puddle looms, don't do anything sudden! Don't chop the throttle, don't grab a handful of brake, don't accelerate....just roll through it. Clench up your butt cheeks and roll on through. That's exactly what the bike wants to do.

Mickey what do you do if there is a wet deer drinking from the puddle?

Gary