I Remember My First Road Trip
I've been riding motorcycles since I was a young child. That said, it wasn't until college that I started traveling on one.
In the first few months of being out on my own, I made several weekend moto camping trips with friends, but nothing too far from home. The summer after my freshman year, I took my first solo long-distance ride.
The alarm went off at 5 a.m. I threw on my riding jacket, a dirt bike helmet, and a pair of sunglasses. I tossed a few items into my bag, slung my leg over the seat of my Suzuki DR-Z400—and I was off.
I was heading north to visit my then-boyfriend (and now-husband) who was working several states away for the summer. The final destination was my objective, not the route, so I merged onto the interstate at full throttle and stayed like that for the next 875 miles.
I was incredibly uncomfortable, but at that point in my riding career, I didn't realize it. My helmet caught all 75 mph of gust and my exposed skin was subject to both wind and sun.
My butt was basically riding a two-by-four plank and I had to stop every 80 miles for gas. Yet, I thought I was having the best time ever!
You don't know what you don't know.
I arrived at my destination 17 hours later with sun and wind-burned cheeks in the shape of a motorcycle helmet. The tops of my hands were also burnt to a crisp. My rear tire was completely worn out, and so was my neck. I was exhausted, dehydrated, and hungry, but still in the best of moods.
Nowadays, my motorcycle travels look a lot different. I still plan long days in the saddle when I need to, but I choose the right bike (and seat) for the job, together with the appropriate gear.
I'm much better at planning and packing for motorcycle tours than I used to be, and it's made it a lot more enjoyable.
As I look back on that ride and all the mistakes I made, all I can do is laugh and say, "I remember my first road trip..."
Hindsight
Seasoned riders all have stories like this from our early moto traveling days. Back then, I had no idea you could learn a thing or two by reading motorcycle magazines before setting out on an adventure.
They say ignorance is bliss, but sometimes you pay the price for your mistakes.
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Browse through our collection of tours to get some inspiration for places you'd like to visit. You'll find recommended hotels, maps with routes, and much more on our website.
You might like this recent article highlighting towns with ridiculous names, or this overview of the Blue Ridge Parkway, one of my favorite roads.
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It’s time to plan that summer road trip.