Ducati Monster Forum

Am I a complete idiot?  (Wait - don't answer that!   [roll] )

Next week we are riding from SF to Seattle and then Vancouver, BC and then back to SF.  It will probably be about 2500 miles all told in about 10 days.  On my 696.

I am planning for a lot of breaks to stretch the legs.  My husband (and after Seattle, our daughter) will be on his Buell Ullyses, which he's already taken down to Baja.  I am just wondering if anyone else has done a really really long ride on the Monster and if you have any tips for a newbie to such long distances on this bike. 

Thanks in advance!

Sarah

Aleve
Medicated powder
Altoids

Padded shorts or an aftermarket seat

Some type of cruise control

Frame sliders double as an alternative place to put your feet for a while (a different position for a spell can aleviate cramping in your legs).

Wind-screen is very helpful and not the stock 696 one...that's almost non-existant as far as moving wind goes.

Aftermarket seat gets my nod for the best addition.

Tall tank bags are good to lean on for a while and give your shoulders a rest.  They'll also break the wind off your chest.

Touring tires or you'll flat-spot anything sporty in that many hwy miles.

Bar risers are a plus for longer rides.

A very, very light grip with your hands and try and grip w, your thighs as much as possible.

Sounds like you're going to do 250 miles a day. Plenty of good fitting Ear Plugs . Get them to fit so they seal your ear closed.Wind noise fatigues.

Hope you have good strong Shoulders. Drink plenty of fluids, wind dehydrates . Should  be able to pee every 4 hours .

Make sure your Helmet is not to tight , headaches. Wear proper protective gear at all times.If it's hot yeast infection or rash will appear.  Use a lot of Powder down in the crotch area. Powder your Boots regularly. Stop and take 5 minute stretch breaks often.

Definitely something different to sit on like a Soft Bottom Gel Seat Cushion. Non compressing cross gel in the shape of your bottom . Elevates you 1 1/2 " . Costs I believe $129 with a ballistic Nylon cover , $149 w, leather.

I've had 2, just got a second one in leather . The great thing is it doesn't compress. Just a nice soft but firm seat.

Go to softbottom.net....or put in a search for soft bottom motorcycle seat.

Good luck.Enjoy your ride.

Dolph    :)

I say,just smile a lot and enjoy the ride :-) stay loose!

Go get a Multistrada or a BMW.. my advice.

Best advice. I toured CA, OR and WA twice on my "94" M900, averaged 400 miles a day, had a blast. I remember sitting between my tank bag and tall tail bag felt like I was riding on a camel between the humps.  Enjoy the ride.

Average of 250 a day isn't so bad. 

The suggestions of bagging so you don't have a bakcpack on you is a good one.  I did 1500 in 4 days with a pack... It's a good pack (Kriega), but at the end I'd rather have used a tail bag.

For that trip, i worked on my core strength, with a focus on the lower back in the couple weeks before I went.  Nothing dramatic, just stuff I could do at home - but I think that little extra bit of strength/endurance helped a good bit, especially on the near 600 mile trip home in 1 day

Other thoughts, pack for varied temps.  A light weight balaclava and glove liners will do a lot for you on those chilly country mornings. 

Also, you might give some thought to carrying a tool kit with.  Here's a couple threads in that vein
http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=5253.0 (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=5253.0)
http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=4068.0 (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=4068.0)

+1. It would be nice to alternate hands and be able to shake them out every now and then.

get some soft saddle bags and you should be fine.

bicycle shorts are great too.

enjoy yourself.

i've done around 2000mi on the monster in 4 days without too much of an issue.
get in plenty of seat time before you leave. getting used to the seat definately helps (i refer to it as building a butt callus on the bicycle)

We just back from a 2-up 2000km trip.
couple of things we noted
Backpack. do not wear one. put everything on the bike
Tolls, not sure if you have them there, but one way i didnt have everything so available. was kind of a pain.
RAIN. get GREAT rain gear. we have moderate level and it got us soaked during a heavy downpour.
Proper seating position. for you make sure you dont put a lot of weight on your arms use your legs and core
Seat. i have the touring seat. very comfrotable for that long, but for a passenger it is a bit wide.
Pegs. if you can get some wider pegs. my feet starting getting sore from the thin pegs. Saw some touring pegs online recently wish i had them. if you can't remember to change positions often on the pegs so your feet don't bother you.
Cruise. I tried the cruise that you rest you wrist on... didnt like it. felt less in control. i just relaxed my hand.

we rode 10 hrs one day. WAY too much. 6 hrs was about our limit.
you monster will do about 150mi on a tank of gas. good break points or split it in half if you have a passenger.

Raux got you the perfect list...  [thumbsup] on all of the points
One more...pack everything in plastic bags...one lesson I learned hard the first day
Of course it didn't rain the OTHER 10 days   [moto]
And I always have my ipod with me...with or without sound, earplugs are just mandatory on the highway

actually we did the plastic baggy thing also. everything, i mean everything was in bags.. you can squish em and seal them to cut down on space as well.
oh.. warm and COLD gear. the underarmor type underwear for summer cooling and a set for cold mornings and rainy days.

I completely agree with everyone about not wearing a back pack. We just returned from a 3 day, 735 mile ride and one friend had a messenger bag on and he rode a Sports Classic! On our last day, his shoulder was killing him.

We are also planning a ride from SF up the Oregon coast and maybe up to Washington in Sept or Oct. Looking forward to your report out, so I can know what to expect. We're hoping to catch some fall foliage during our trip. Ride safe, stay hydrated, and have fun! Oh, we had a couple of flip cams with us. So far, what was recorded is priceless. [thumbsup]

the limited range of the tank could be a problem. good luck  [moto]

That's a blessing in disguise...forces you to take breaks at frequent intervals. ;)

i am an avid backpacker and cyclist and, i don't know what i would do without proper stuff sacks for my gear. here is my recommendation.
1-find a store that sells quality backpacking equip
2-load up everything you are taking with you
3-find an employee that actually backpacks, let them know what you are planning.

let him or her help you out. they will have so much space/weight saving gear to choose from. once you have your touring gear "setup" keep it packed and ready to go. it makes spur of the moment one/two day trips possible.

ps-outdoor research products are the best! beats the hell out of leaky plastic bags, plus they will last you a lifetime. good luck and, enjoy the ride!

I agree with everything that people have said and only have this to add:

Get a camelback. Seriously. Get it. Best damn way to stay hydrated. Fill it with half gatorade half water and ice. Make sure you're drinking the whole thing every 4 hours.


Good luck on your trip! I'm about to do NY - Houston pretty soon.

Definitely. Make sure you get one with a open/close valve and ensure it will fit under your chin while riding...

No, not at all and actually the opposite.  I'm kind of old school and I think bikes and our perception of them has become too specialized.  I once rode my '66 Triumph Bonneville across the US and I took the windscreen off of my Monster because I like riding into the full force of the wind all day.  Like all Marines being riflemen, I think all bikes should be capable of taking you on a trip.   Maybe not as completely comfortable as a specialized touring bike, but still reasonably comfortably and fun.

You got some great advice and I was impressed that so many other Monster riders go touring.  The only thing I can think to add, and you probably already know this, that when traveling with a group everyone has different endurance and skill levels and you should all agree in advance that no one should  push themselves when tired, or when they aren't comfortable with the speed in order to keep up with the group. The group should ride at the level of the slowest rider and there's nothing wrong with going slow.  Enjoy the scenery.

I went to great lengths to adapt some Givi pannier mounts to my Monster and I think  if I had to do it again I'd get one of those Ventura tailpacks. No FHE but they are supposed to be very good.

Wow!!  Thanks so much for all the great advice and information - keep it coming!!

I am a long distance cyclist, so I have the endurance and butt callous part pretty well in hand.  I think mostly I am concerned about (1) the moderately cramped riding position of the 696 and (2) the limitation on baggage.  Fortunately my husband's bike has good bags, so he can carry most of the stuff.  And as Somegirl noted, the small tank required frequent stops are going to be key for me for the trip.

I will look into some of the packing bags and luggage ideas.  Lots to absorb here.

THANK YOU!!!

 [thumbsup]

As Duck-Stew mentioned, you can get handlebar risers that will raise your bars by about 1-1/2" or so which makes a real difference.  For bar risers most bikes don't require longer brake, clutch or throttle cables, but you should confirm that first.

the things that really helped me do the 1k weekend were:

layers- never know when it will get really hot or really cold. When it got really cold, I wore 2 layers and wore a tshirt as a neck warmer. When hot, I took my compression longsleeve and soaked it in water to keep cool (wrung it damp).
clear and smoke visors
anti-fog visor spray
advil
tire repair kit
charged cellphone
ipod (keeps the boredom of slab riding down)

Who's done this recently? By that, I mean a long road trip on a Monster?


oh yeah, me!

rent a honda st for the ride so you aren't complaining about your bike, which wasn't made for such a task.

http://www.duc.bz/POM_MonsterAs_LD_Tourer.htm (http://www.duc.bz/POM_MonsterAs_LD_Tourer.htm)

I fail to see what the drama is all about in going for a longer ride on a Monster.  Three Saturdays ago I rode from LA to Reno and it was fun.  I got a sore butt but I got over it.

That's 500 mi. one way.

Dallas to Las Vegas is around 1250 mi. one way.  My total roundtrip was just under 3,000mi in 7 days on the bike. (Would have been 6 but for rain).

The bike's ergonomics aren't set up for touring. At all. Sure it can be done. I could have ridden a bicycle I suppose. But there's no barrier between you and the wind, no good places for gear storage without additional purchases, the footpegs are in an uncomfortable position (especially if you have rearsets), and the bars don't sweep back enough to relax. Furthermore, the bike has no cruise control for the long boring stretches of slab so you can relax your right hand. The tank is small so that means every 150mi you have to get off (really, not a bad thing to do after the first day of a long ride).

^  I think I remember reading your thread on that ride - excuse me if I'm misremembering but wasn't the final conclusion that you had a great adventure?   :)  Isn't that what it's all about?

i'm 6'2" with bad knees and was comfortable enough on my long trips with stock pegs and bars on an '02 M750.
you find a variety of positions to switch around in.

http://www.safetycentral.com/cospforspreb.html (http://www.safetycentral.com/cospforspreb.html)

space bags are a must

maybe the issue with the pegs for my was my boots which are a bit softer soled than most.

if i'm cruising on the hwy i'm rarely on the balls of my feet. i just hook the heels of my boots over the pegs.

Yeah, I did have a good trip in the end, but was not happy with my choice of rides. I would have been far more comfortable and been able to do more in Vegas and at night out on the road had I picked a cushier ride.

Its just plain cheap to rent a honda for such tasks, keep the miles off your duc and ride the duc the way you like to ride it when you get back. I like to ride my duc in a sporty, curvy-road, exciting fashion. super slab is not that.

i like to think of it like horses. there are different ones for different jobs. sometimes you need a mule. other times you need a draft horse. sometimes its quarter horse time.

yeah i kept switching back and forth like that.
i do agree on the different horses for different rides theory, but the adventure was to take the Ducati to the Ducati factory. would have sucked to show up on a rented Honda with a Ducati in the garage.

There's something to be said about staying on a bike you're used to and comfy on for an extended trip. I'd much rather be on something I rode often in case I found myself in a situation which required me to know the limits of my bike.

I have friends who rode from Vancouver to San Diego and back, she on an F650cs, he on a Ninja 250. 

I think you two will be fine. ;)

Thanks!

And I would love to do a ride with you at some point when I get back.  Either bike.   ;)  Now that Death Ride season is over I have a little more flexibility in my weekends...  I love running that team for TNT but it is a HUGE time commitment.

ride your monster! bikes need a working vacation sometimes.

Definitely up for a ride, send me a PM when you get back. :)

I say do it.

Here's a link to a ride report from a fellow rider - who was on an 848 by the way - of a trip he and I did through the north of Thailand a few months back.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Northern-Thailand-Tour-2-Ducatis-t267600.html (http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Northern-Thailand-Tour-2-Ducatis-t267600.html)

I was on my S2R1K (he on the 848) - and did the trip with just a backpack tied down to the passenger seat area.

I now have an RKA tailpack - fortunately here we don't have to worry too much about bulky warm weather gear.

2 week trip. The riding position on my bike is standard.

It's nice to have the monster for when the roads become twisty and fun.

You may need to register for the site to get access to the photos and route that my friend posted there. (edit: - no you don't - just click on the URL and they'll come right up).

Good luck and enjoy your trip...

I like that.   :)

+1 on the waterproof bags from OR.  I'm taking off for a 7 day ride shortly and picked up a few dry bags from Outdoor Research as well as some Exofficio underwear - figured I'd give it a shot and see how well it works.  Not camping on this trip because I didn't feel like buying all the gear, but I will in the future. 

The other thing I'll suggest is an old fashioned, treeware road atlas.  Costco has them cheap.  The atlas will still work when the GPS won't. 

Good luck on the trip.  You might get some additional Monster-specific advice on advrider.com.  Those weirdos will tour on anything with two wheels and an engine, so a Monster isn't uncommon. 

Throttle rockers (wrist-rest thingies(tm)) help me a lot when touring on any bike.

+1 on the fluids intake. I travel with a camelback.

I also find that I can travel longer distances, or for longer periods of time, if I'm off the freeway. Taking twisty roads keeps my mind in the game, and I have to move around the bike more, so I don't get stiff from sitting in one place for very long.

Enjoy the ride!

I've gone coast to coast on my m900 a number of times with a number of trips over 10,000 kms and many days over 1000kms.

the first thing you should do is gather together everything you plan to take with you on your trip..........then put half of it away because you won't use it.

The most important item is a credit card.
Next to that, cold gear and rain gear, including a  neck warmer (as someone mentioned).
Someone also mentioned a camel back.......they are excellent.
Someone also mentioned a tank bag to carry stuff and lean on........a must for me.
A cell phone and charger.
A small tool kit is a good idea as is a small can of chain wax.
A small channel lock (vice grip) wrench makes a great break lever or shifter if either break.
A throttle lock gives the wrist a break on long, flat stretches.
duct tape and zip ties.
wet wipes for helmet screen.
sunscreen stick for lips and nose. (at least I need one)

As for a monster being a good touring mount........it's more than adequate for the job, it's just a matter of whether the rider is or not.

Have fun!!!!!

One quick note, get a helmet that will allow you to slip the mouth piece under it. My Suomy Extreme flower joint won't allow it.

Thanks everyone for the words of wisdom.  We're back from the trip and it went great!  I will try to post a ride report with pics before I lose track of all the great things I learned!

Of course now I am in the midst of trying to get caught up on work....   :P

Monsters really aren't very good touring bikes, but that is just my opinion.

When I have road tripped, I used to take a duffle back, flip it upside down and attach the handles to the frame on the passenger seat, then zip tie it down.



It is pretty bootleg, I might be able to find a picture tomorrow.

Trip report posted here:

http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=27767.0 (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=27767.0)