550 Mile Road Trip - What Gear to Wear?
 

I'm going to make the trek to Sturgis on my ZX-10R here in a couple of weeks. It's 550 miles, one way. I'm trying to decide what gear to wear on the actual road trip. I have a choice between my Joe Rocket GPX 2-Piece or some combination of the JR jacket (top half of the 2-piece), mesh jacket and Cortech jeans (with leather and CE armor in the impact areas). I'll also have Sidi Vertebra boots, and a big burly pair of Danner boots along with me.

I want to wear the leathers, but I'm concerned about heat & comfort for such a long ride. I have ridden almost half of that in a day in leathers and not had any problems.

I'll have my Camelbak on, so keeping hydrated while sweating it out in leathers won't be a problem.

meshy and jeans, either enforced or regular, just play nice with the speed limits and all will be good.

What is everyone planning on wearing to Indy? I don't really want to wear full leathers. Most (like 95%) of the riding will be highway, so wont be riding hard. Think jeans, riding boots, textile, and gloves is fine?

I'd wear the jacket, the jeans, and whichever boots are more comfortable on the bike. Of course, if the pants are really broken in, they might be even more comfortable than the cortech jeans. Long as you're moving, it's the same temp either way.

Now that you mention that, I do think the leather pants are a bit more comfortable than the jeans. The armor in the jeans kind of chafes.

I'll definitely be in leathers for the daily Black Hills rides.

On the trips I have started taking I wear my street leathers, not my track leathers and I find it more comfortable and less wearing on my body than just jeans and my JR street mesh/textile. I wear my riding boots, leather gloves (non gauntlet) and underarmor under my leathers.

At higher speeds your body is going to be more buffeted by wind and you will feel less impact as well as less dehydrating effects wearing leathers, IMO. Not to mention, if your flying down the interstate at 80-90 mph, what would you rather be wearing if a semi tries to run over the top of you, or vacationers run you off the road? I never get overheated, even here in Florida as long as I dont decide to chill out fully geared. Also, a decent form of AC is to wet yourself down before putting the jacket back on, and as you ride, the water evaporates and cools you quicker than just cooling down from the air...

I never wear a backpack, i strap it onto my tail section. I have luggage now so i'll be testing it out soon...but any added stress on your upper body you will start feeling after a few hours and the less pain or discomfort you feel, obviously the longer you can ride and the more enjoyable it will be.

Have fun, take pics!

I'll be wearing my leather pants and jacket... as they're my only gear... I may try to barrow the textile A* pants I gave to my bro... but I think I'll just suffer through with the Leather Teknics... need break'n in anyhow...

Another thing is that I don't want to wear my leathers to the track by any means and all I have is a 1-piece. So i would have to squid my way there.

well I'd wear your 1 piece for the trip TO Indy... then between the track and the hotel... wear some jeans... pack a set of shorts... and change... it's what I'd do

jeans... its not squidly to wear jeans....
its one thing to say yeah i wear my full kit 100%
but jeans are completly exceptable

But I wouldn't have a jacket at all. I'll see what I think when its getting closer to that time.

Add these to the list:
Body armor
Glock 17
Bike alarm
Condoms

C'mon this is Sturgis we're talkin about here! :pat: good luck!

meshy

So you are saying wear my one piece to indy, and pack my textile. Then just wear the textile between the track and the hotel?

thats prolly what i am going to end up doing

^^ Thats what Id do if it were me

I have a Glock 21. Is that good enough? :dthumb:

Exactly!!

Im not wearing leathers to watch the race, but def for the trip itself...but jeans and mesh for the trip from hotel...maybe shorts under jeans if its really warm out...

my poor bike will eclipse 30k this year...

Shut your mouth. Mine is going to crest over 44K within the next week.

T-Rock... EXACTLY... I'll be packing my Textile pants to cover shorts to watch the race in. I don't have another jacket so I'll still be wearing my A* one...

I've ridden with jeans, gloves, jacket helmet and hiking boots many times... don't think it's squidly... flipflops, Tank tops, and shorts are squidly... and in the end it's your choice anyways...



Drewpy... I'm shoot'n for 40k by the end of 09... I'm at... 6 (I think) :lol:

just a thought, I can pick up or have somewhere one of those cables that lock to which we can attach any gear we dont want to carry around...have used it down here with great results, and I HATE carrying my gear around so I will def have it on me!

No, what i was thinkin was jeans, boots, shirt, helmet and gloves, with no jacket. I didn't understand the packing it part at first. I need to get some more luggage before then though.

just wad the jacket up... and get a bungee net... make sure it's secure though...

yours wasnt at 6k last august, or 16k at the start of this year...

he just got the R1 I think this year

Yeah I got it about 2 months ago with just under 42K on it. 2k miles in 2 months isn't too bad I don't think.

gimme 6k in ten days, until then...

:lol: yeah drewpy... I think you've got the iron butt record for twf cornered... I'm hope'n to get my "patch" next year... think'n maybe a run up to my bro's in Omaha for a weekend... 1100 miles...

then again... next july... my 10 year reunion is in Oregon... humm... :D

I did 678 miles one day and I wore my 1-piece. I went from Vegas to Cali canyons and back to Vegas. I would wear my 1-piece if I was you, but I don't know if you have one or not. Maybe rain gear would be needed on your trip, too.

I would wear leather jacket and pants. But if I was going up there, I would go for the fantastic riding around western South Dakota. One day or night at Sturgis would be enough for me. Make sure you ride the east road up to Mount Rushmore, and don't miss the ride through Custer State Park. I camped out the last time I was there, but that was in 1982. Got arrested in Deadwood in 1972, but that's another story.

Yeah, we don't do much of the Sturgis thing while we're there, from what I'm told. It's 8 hours of riding the Black Hills every day.

I am not familiar with this Joe Rocket leathers, but I would not consider wearing full track leathers for traveling just because it's so restrictive (though the Europeans riders like to do that). I do have touring/commuting full leathers that I usually wear for those occasions for the same reasons that Rae said: helps buffet against the wind beating on your body and keep your sweats from drying too quickly.

4800 miles in 3 1/2 months... and some of that is winter in ND.

Nearly 3,900 miles in 10 days. Oops... yer vaginas are showing.