Re: Touring advice

Posted by sgtslag on May 07, 2013; 6:59pm
URL: http://vintage-and-classic-hondas.81.s1.nabble.com/Touring-advice-tp4033812p4040430.html

You asked about throttle locks.  Sorry, forgot about that question...

They help, tremendously, but they hold the throttle in position, so any elevation change up/down, will affect your speed -- you end up making minor adjustments every 30 seconds or so, longer if you are more patient/tolerant.  This brings up an important safety point:

The throttle lock needs to be loose enough to allow you to close the throttle in an emergency, without dis-engaging the lock!!!

We were riding, two-up, when a semi-truck passed us, cutting us off!  We were doing 60 MPH, with a 3-foot paved shoulder.  I had the lock engaged, and without thinking, I closed the throttle, and headed onto the shoulder.  Once the truck was safely away from us, I went to open the throttle to move back onto the main road -- but the throttle barely moved...  I had to unlock it to open it up to accelerate back into traffic.  I forgot that it was engaged.

Most throttle locks adjust the tension with a set screw, sometimes an Allen Wrench is necessary to adjust them.  Practice using the throttle lock prior to leaving on your trip (make sure the set screw is properly adjusted...), as you need to remember to unlock them as you approach curves, hills, etc.

Invest in a set of foam hand grips before you leave.  They will absorb vibrations, greatly reducing hand fatigue, numbness, and tingling -- all common side-effects of long touring trips.  They run around $20-$30 a set; they can be installed by wrapping masking tape around the handlebars, thick enough to hold them securely in place (it should take some effort to install/remove the grips), then remove them later, if you don't want them on all of the time.

Take a stretch/water break every two hours, or so.  Make sure you keep water in your tank bag, as all of that fresh air will dehydrate you over the miles, so be sure to keep your fluids up.  It will also help you stay alert on the bike.

Do some test rides, before you leave, with the bike fully packed.  Remember the load triangle for weight distribution.  Keeping the weight within the triangle will keep the center of gravity low; top-heavy bikes handle like a trapeez-newbie walking along a razor wire, barefoot -- it ain't pretty.  Cheers!