pittsburgh pa to tampa FL?!?! yayyy or nayyy?

[mowgoli84]

i'll have to get a checklist going!

 

[dallasb]

Negative on the throttle lock. I know that people use them all the time but I would suggest something like a crap buster. I did over 500 miles in one day on my xb9 without anything buy stiff knees after it was all said and done. I personally don't like the throttle lock because of the point that it takes that split second to release the throttle...where the crap buster is just a rest for your palm to sit on. To each their own I guess...

 

[lighting]

I've ridden 500+ miles in XB12S and to be honest, I was wore out, took a shower and a few beers, slept 7 hours and did the same the following day. What ever you do, don't force yourself to ride more than your body is able to handle. I've ridden from Orlando to Montreal and other than being bore it was fine........good luck and bring a few ear plugs.

 

[Ronin1]

Earplugs and NO goddam bluetooth cellphone!
[mad][mad][mad][mad]

Jim

 

[m202buell]

it's really not that awkward to use ronin. if you ever want to try it, your more than welcome to stop by the house.

 

[Ronin1]

I appreciate the offer m202, its not the point. Point is I don't want anything to do with a phone while I'm riding, I'm riding to get AWAY from the bs of daily life! If somebody is sick or dead they will still be sick or dead when I stop for gas or coffee and check my messages. Me answering the call "right now" won't change a thing except the serenity of my ride.

Jim

 

[fwkapaun]

It is a great time to visit Florida. Lots of spring training baseball, and it is the heart of the dry season. Too bad it is my busy time of year. I live in Bartow, and work in the Tampa area. Ride safe and have a great trip.

 

[m202buell]

i can understand that but i did get it primarily for the music capability. have a geezerglide and like the stereo. breaks up the monotony of a long ride. the bluetooth is just a bonus.

btw, i changed user names. i'm the guy you met at your dr's office.

 

[Ronin1]

btw, i changed user names. i'm the guy you met at your dr's office.

ahaaaaaa.

Jim

 

[Stillonit]

I'm 52 and have pushed almost 1000 miles in a day from Chicago to fort lauderdale this year. I needed the throttle lock.. you got to be able to take your hand off throttle once and a while to give it a rest. had a blue tooth that would self answer. and yes I might have bought the quietest helmet I could find. the noise got unbearable sometimes. I worked out to build the shoulder muscles and still had some burning. I had a jellpad for the seat But try to get something to let air under that butt for sure....live and learn. if you go good luck...slow down in rain...some cars go to fast some so slow...and the bike is more squirrely and brake take a second to get a grip when wet. you only go around once in this life....so stay out of the cars blind spots and don't get boxed in by a group of cars and trucks. I like to let the people know hey I'm here...

 

[Stillonit]

oh yea GPS too[up]

 

[mowgoli84]

thanks stillonit!

I've done some commutes. When i was in high school (im 23 now) i used to hop on my suzuki tl1000 on a friday afternoon and tell my parents i was going to a friend for the weekend and beat it over to chicago in a straight shot, about 8-9 hours for me, and was back home on sunday afternoon.. did that a couple times a month in nice weather.. all for a girl.. but shes a good one =)

after hs, moved there for a year. now back in pa.

 

[Willie P]

Headache(s)??? - I regularly ride 125-225 mile day trips and usually do not stop for lunch. Just do a power ride in the 4+ hour range. Granted, usually on back roads with only some highway. However, I did ride from Pgh to Harrisburg this summer and was on highway for a major portion of the ride. I also rode from Pittsburgh to Columbus OH on highway.

anyway, to my point - I never got headaches. Is it possibly NOT from noise - but because you (in general, you) are holding your arms to stiff and thereby transmitting vibration into your neck and shoulders?

I've found buell's to be very comfortable at higher speed highway (80 mph seems to be a nice sweet spot for the revs).

I will agree that forward pegs might be nice.

 

[dallasb]

What kind of buell do you have Willie? I know that the lightning windscreen concentrate all the wind to the chest area...which in turn causes alot of stress on the head/neck area no matter what you do. I need a new helmet as the one I have now isn't the best fit...so I'm sure that it has something to do with the discomfort. But just the general noise of 80mph with my exhaust can be a little much especially after a few hundred miles. I have an xb9 so IIRC at 80 I'm turning around 4300rpm.

 

[Willie P]

yeah, I'll concede a bit; I have a xb12sTT so, 80 mph is a little lower rpm at that speed.

I have a standard mini fairing and I actually use an open face Bell RT helmet I wear with wrap-around sunglasses. I have not really had much issue with wind and also at very high speeds, 130ish, I just lay on the tank a little bit with my back arched inward to the tank.

I try to really focus on bent elbows, relaxed grip and arched (inward) back position which really loosens me up on long rides.

As an aside, for many years I was a long distance bicyclist and regularly rode 150+ miles in a day, so motorcycling is comparatively easy. That probably helps a lot.

one thing in bicycling and with motorcyling was to focus on having your lower arms parallel to the ground.

one thing i also did was rotate my handle bars a little bit forward. the slight rear sweep of the stock buell bars actually cause your arms to angle inward at the shoulder. by rotating at least to vertical the bars widen your shoulders out.

 

[mowgoli84]

yeah, I'll concede a bit; I have a xb12sTT

thats what i'll be making the trip on!