Motorcycle Back Roads

While some motorcycle enthusiasts own a bike for the savings in gas, most ride simply because they enjoy it. Riding long distance down obscure motorcycle back roads is an almost indescribable thrill. However, in order to fully enjoy your back roads motorcycle trip, it's helpful to follow a few guidelines.

For a large part of 1994, Walter Colebatch and James Mudie, Australians, rode motorcycles from Tokyo, Japan to London, England. Their astounding trip was full of unforeseeable hangups, but provides a great insight into what you need for a long motorcycle trip.

When riding long distance it's better to have a hard saddle. It doesn't have to be as hard as a brick, but if it's soft enough to sink into, you won't be able to shift position enough to stay comfortable. The seat of your bike needs to be long enough so that you can shift your body forward and back enough to bend your knees a little. This will keep them from getting stiff.

If you wear earplugs specifically designed for riding, you'll eliminate the road noise and the sound of the wind, but won't be unable to hear important things like sirens. Get ones marketed as alpine plugs.

When traveling motorcycle back roads is essential to have a good map and the skills to use it. Often local roads are not marked as well as main interstates, and getting lost on a back road is often more serious. The lack of traffic that makes back road travel fun can make it dangerous when something goes wrong. It's always a good idea to have a few essential spare parts in case of emergency.