Reddit mentions of GO CRUISE 2 Universal Throttle Control System – Black

1. Consider upgrading to a 600+ cc bike. It doesn't have to be a Bonneville, but doing tons of miles on a small bike is terribly boring. A 250 can do it, but for a ton of straight back roads, you'll want to go 70-80mph.
   
   
2. Don't wear a backpack, put everything in your luggage or pockets. Wearing a backpack that for much bouncing is going to fuck up your back and shoulders, wearing you out faster.
   
   
3. If you plan on hitting national parks (plural), you can buy an $80 annual pass and you're gtg for all of them.
   
   
4. Raingear isn't as important as cold gear. Warm gloves and another layer will keep you on the road longer. Rain gear is nice to have, but usually you can stop for a bit or something as it passes. Cold days don't go away, and from now to mid October, anything north of Colorado or 6000ft can get cold.
   
   
5. Supplies needed are going to be super minimal. There's not that many stretches where you are more than 20 miles from a gas stop, supermarket, or other store. Most of the stuff needed to live (snacks, toiletries, etc.) can be picked up as you go. What gets harder is motorcycle specific gear, so get that sorted first.
   
   
6. Throttle Lock, you're welcome. Just being able to rest your hand for a bit is a godsend.
   
   As far as actual route goes, I'm not much help. Most of my trips are usually upper Midwest/Mountain area, and that's quite out of your way. Stay off freeways if you can help it, ask locals, and have fun just wandering around. Doing a long trip is a bit scary, but I did 7100 miles in 19 days the first year I was riding, so I'm sure you can do it.
   
   Edit: there's lots of killer roads out there, but one that I know of that shouldn't be terribly out of your way is 128 out of Moab.

Height should be your biggest concern.

I'm 5'11", with kinda short legs, too. I couldn't ride this bike if it were any higher. You can get lowering links, and a different seat, and you should be OK - right about where I'm at, but it may never be "like a glove" comfortable.

It will totally get the city job done. Little box on the back, and you're good to go. When they hit potholes, and nearly lose it, you'll float over like nothing. Mine is a daily commuter and a weekend warrior. There is nothing this bike won't do "pretty ok".

Riding is riding. Unless you're trying to keep up with people doing 80+, you'll be just fine. The bike is as much fun as any other bike on the street at <60mph. I've ridden with groups of guys on harleys, groups of older guys on Can-Am and Goldwing trikes, adventure bike groups, groups of kids on dirtbikes, families on atvs, and in giant packs of streetbikes on weekend evenings.

Travelling far distance ... don't do it unless you're comfortable on a bike already. Riding for hours on end can play tricks with your concentration and whatnot. If you must, and you're not that experienced, plan on a 15-20 minute break for every hour riding. Just do it.

Here's some shit that I learned the hard way:

Change the oil/filters before you go, and check the plug. Check your air filter after 1000 miles of highway/trail. Plan your trip to avoid interstate. You will be much more relaxed on smaller highways, and you won't have as many trucks and their drafts to contend with. Calculate your gas mileage at every fillup. Little problems can show up as dropping mileage before they become big problems. Put some flat stop in your tubes. Give the tires a push check before starting every time. Bring rain riding gear, and hope you don't need it. Get a throttle lock. Either a good one or a cheap one. The KLR will vibrate your hands numb, you will need to get your hand off the bars for a bit. Wear a camelback water bag. A good GPS/phone mount that offers visibility without having to look away from the road is really nice when going through unfamiliar towns. Make sure you have a usb charger if you don't have a 12v socket. for your gps/phone on the bike. Carry extra cheap eye protection. One of those ATV seat pads can help if you get a sore ass easily. Don't beeline it to your destination - make a point to include a side-trip up a mountain or something as often as you can.

I think you'll end up liking the bike, and you'll end up going on that "adventure" ride sooner than you think :)

Lanesplitting is as easy as you want it to be, with no panniers. It starts to get hairy above 60, because after that the KLR just doesn't have the instant go that you need to zip through smaller spaces. So at those speeds, you're more like a cruiser bike. But at city speeds, once you've been in the saddle a few months, it feels really small in traffic.

You can get something like this: https://www.amazon.com/KiWAV-motorcycle-accelerator-assistant-universal/dp/B009YEYLFI

You could also add a rudimentary cruise control: https://www.amazon.com/CRUISE-2wheelride-gca1bk-universal-Acelerador/dp/B00ERXG4TM/ref=sr_1_4?crid=283IHULS1C16R&keywords=motorcycle+cruise+control&qid=1566676187&s=gateway&sprefix=motorcycle+cruise+%2Caps%2C266&sr=8-4

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00ERXG4TM?cache=9be59cb0101eb1a2523cb05073f1c93b&pi=SX200_QL40&qid=1409021355&sr=8-1#ref=mp_s_a_1_1

Makes long trips way better.

A little dated but mostly good stuff. I'm a little dated too but I have learned a few things in my forty years of moto touring. So I'll share.

The only time I ever eat McDonald's is when on the road and then I hit them often. The egg mcmuffin may be the best road food ever. The egg mcmuffin combo is the only thing I ever order.

Ibuprofen (Advil) is also great and easier on the stomach. If you get hurt badly, advil and aspirin taken together does wonders. My doctor brother suggested it - four hundred mile ride home with broken ribs made me a believer.

Add insect repellent to the things you should have handy, in your tank bag is best. Keep your advil / aspirin in there too. And a ChapStick thing. And a pen / pencil. My smallish swiss army knife lives in my tank bag.

A leatherman type multitool should be added to your tool kit. I keep mine in my tank bag because I use it probably daily for one thing or another. Pack a selection of cable ties (get mil spec if you can) - half a dozen each in sizes from teensy to honking big. A small roll of electrical tape and some duck tape are essential.

For years decades I packed a pocket sewing kit. A couple years ago, the first time I ever needed to use it, I found I had somehow forgotten it or maybe lost it. Snagged one at the 7-11 next morning gas stop. :-\

Don't forget chain lube! If you don't have a clever swing arm stand/lift thingy to raise your rear wheel (as I do - they're compact, lightweight, inexpensive, indispensable) just spray the parts of the chain that you can every time you gas up.

We mostly camp with a few cheap motel stays here and there. Don't try to carry cooking equipment and food and shit. Have some coffee while you strike your (minimal) camp. Jetboil stove is all you need. Starbucks Via instant coffee is pretty damn good! If you take cream and or sugar mix a batch and put in a ziplock bag. I confess to adding some cocoa powder to mine. :) Then hit the McDonald's or if you have a bit of time a local diner is even better. Freeze dried foods like Mountain House aren't horrible and all you need is your jetboil. The mac n cheese is pretty good. Add some dry sausage and you've got a fine camp meal. There's another thing I only eat when touring, beans and weenies. Last gas stop pick up a can of beans and some hotdogs. Heat it up in your jetboil. Yum. I finally broke down and bought a compact folding chair (from REI). Should have done it years ago.

A cap or hat is another great item for the tankbag. As is a flattened soda can or other kickstand plate for when the ground is soft and also useful on asphalt parking lots on hot days.

If you wear glasses, pack a spare. You have no idea what a pain (and expense) it is to deal with a broken eyeglass frame far from home.

Have a spare set of Rok straps (nobody uses bungee cords anymore). You might be very happy you did.

Make sure you have an ICE - In Case of Emergency - entry in your contacts. Insurance info - carrier, policy number etc. - you hope not to need but its good to have. I keep it on my phone in a note. It's also not a bad idea to record your credit card info in case you lose your wallet. Name, account number, customer service telephone number. Use a very basic encryption for the acct. number, say add 1 to each number or better, leave the first four digits unchanged then add 1 to each of the next four, subtract one from each of the next four, etc.

Rig a power outlet to power and charge your devices. A waterproof cigarette lighter socket is best.

A flask (get a collapsible one from REI as it's easier to pack) filled with Jameson's or fine bourbon whiskey or the like makes sitting around the campsite worthwhile. :)


ETA: throttle lock. You can't even consider doing long days without one. The crampbuster is okay but after trying the Go Cruise it's now on all my bikes.

Speaking from experiance on this.

• new chain, new sprockets, new tires.... nothing worse than having to do this while on the road.
  
  
• comfortable seat.
  
  
• try to keep it to 300 miles a day, anything more and you don't get to see much.
  
  
• the gs750, a small windscreen will do wonders.
  
  
• earplugs, or noise isolating in ear ear phones (tunes!).
  
  
• I like my bikes to have some kind of highway pegs. if you can move your legs around helps with the circulation. If you can reach the rear pegs, use them too.
  
  
• get one of these. Go Cruise throttle lock
  
  
• Stay Hydrated, get a camelback, use it!
  
  
• Have fun!

A Go Cruise is the best $30 I spent on my bike.

FYI I was already using this one which works great, but the push-button one seemed waay better and easier to use. If you're going on a long road trip, you NEED at least one of them!


And by "Dragon" I mean the Tail of the Dragon (US Hwy 129)

Cramp buster isn't a throttle lock, it won't hold the throttle open when you move your hand. It's supposed to rest on the heel of your hand to hold open the throttle. THIS is about the hokiest throttle lock I'd use.

Oh totally worth it. that one was $30 and its made of metal so its pretty sturdy too.

I use this throttle lock thingamajigger, and it works really well for $30. Have to play with the tension a little to get it to hold correctly, but it's great to be able to take your right hand off completely from time to time and stretch/shake it out. A cramp buster doesn't do that.

Ear plugs, ear plugs, ear plugs. Also, I couldn't do long days on the interstate without podcasts and music. Stop and stretch every couple hours. Keep important stuff easy to access to make your rest stops more efficient. Kriega makes excellent soft bags.

I have one of these and have really liked it. It's easy to use (just slip it on and tighten until there's a bit of friction) and easy to cancel (roll off the throttle). It's not expensive and it'll last forever.

I use a GoCruise, and that works for a few moments to take my hand off the throttle at speed. Not good for any sort of real distance, but it gets the job done.

I notice that the BrakeAway doesn't work with heated grips. That's a deal-breaker for me.

Any bike can be keyless and have cruise control. You just need these Two Things.