Planning a cross-country road trip on your motorcycle? There's nothing quite as serene and relaxing as riding the open road from state-to-state on a bike. You'll see and experience things that would otherwise go unnoticed if you were driving in a car. But before you hop on and turn the ignition, you should take a few minutes to make sure both you and your bike are ready for the long road ahead.
Check The Tires
I can't stress enough the importance of checking your bike's tires before going on on a long-distance road trip with your bike. Blowing a tire while you're driving down the road in a car is bad enough, but thankfully you can usually coast off to the shoulder or even drive to the nearest parking lot to change it. When you're riding a bike, though, blowing a tire can have disastrous consequences, sending you skidding across the pavement.
To prevent this from happening, try to get into the habit of checking your tires' air pressure with a proper PSI gauge. Avoid over-inflating your tires, as this will increase the chance of a blowout. Check the tire's 'recommended' air pressure and use it as a guideline when filling them. In addition to checking your tires' air pressure, also perform a visual inspection to look for nails, screws, tacks or other debris lodged inside. In some cases, debris like this will plug the hole, maintaining the tire's air pressure. As you continue to drive your bike, though, you increase the chance of this debris being knocked out and the air pressure released.
Light Check
It's always a good idea to check your bike's lights before heading out on the road. Perform a quick test on the headlights, turning signals, and brake lights. Driving around when any of these lights are broken is both dangerous and illegal. And the fact is that many bikers ride around without even knowing their lights are out. A quick 5-minute inspection in your garage or driveway will ensure they are working are ready for the road.
Fuel, Oil and Coolant
Last, but certainly not least, in our long-distance road trip motorcycle riding checklist is to check your bike's fuel, oil and coolant levels. Trust me, you don't want to end up stranding on the side of the road because your bike overheated or ran out of gas. Make sure the fuel levels are acceptable for your route, the engine has oil (preferably new oil), and there's plenty of coolant.
