i'm trying to go from Albuquerque to Phoenix in october. mapquest list it at about 424 miles and 8 hours. so i figure its about 6 to 7 hours of saddle time not counting break time. the only supplies i can think to take are tail bag and camelbak.

is it insane to tavel this distance by myself?

what other supplies i'm i over looking?

is it better to take main highways (I-40) or smaller roads (US 60)?

any tips you've picked up and would like to pass along would be most welcome.

Do it on a day that's going to be a little overcast or cloudy. I went from L.A. to Vegas (3:15 of riding) and I was COOKING!! It was 119 when I stopped for gas, ouch. I'd assume Albq. to Phx. will be similar.

Good luck, have fun!

I take Sunday rides of 400 to 600 Miles every weekend. If I can do it on my R6, I know you can do it. All I every take is a book bag, with maps, a change of clothes, and tools. All nicely sealed in 2 lbs Zip Lock Bags. The clothes seal up well, you squich them down and then zip it up. Your color Ink jet Maps stay dry, and you always needs your tools no matter what. I take my camera sometimes too. Other than that, I take my Camelbak, but it's usely only good for about 2 to 3 hours then the water start heating up. Oh, just some advice, if you blow the water in the tube back into the bag, it stays cold. Makes your water last longer too.

P.S. I'll be posting in here a lot really soon. I'm waiting on my 2002 Yamaha FZ1 to come into the Dealer. All the dealers I've talked to say 3rd week of September.

Does anyone have any suggestions for bolt-ons or add-ons for the FZ1?

Minfinger, what tools do you carry? i have the "road side emergency kit" in the tail.

Yeah I carry that stupid pack with me every where. I just figured one day it might save my life or something. I'll pull a MacGyver Seriously, you may never know when you need to adjust something. The screw driver that came with it sucks. I keep it in my Book bag which I keep up on the rear seat attached with a Cargo Net.

Other than that I bought some little shorty Screw Drivers from Walmart, a Flat and a Philips. They come together in the same pack, I think it's made by Pro Mechanic, or Popular Mechanics, something like that. They work great for the Fairings, and have big fat handles so you can really muscle on them if you need too.

I also found a really cool looking and very functional Air Guage at Advanced Auto Parts. It's got about a 1.2" round face and a about a 1" or so Nozzle where the Air Stem goes. It's about 2.5" long so it fits really good over the top of the Air Stem with out hitting the rim. It's also easy to get it in and out of the Rim without bumping anything. My hands hardly get dirty.

Other than that, if I need any other tools, than it's some kind of Major damage LOL

I hope I helped.

I just did 600k ( 400mi) on my gsxr, ) I use a " wrist-rocker" on the throttle so I can relax my grip. ( its a piece of plastic that clips onto the grip , it allows you to control your throttle by resting the palm of you hand on it, thus allowing you fingers to relax.) It cost about $10. and really worked.

thanks for the input guys, oldgsxr, where do you get the wrist rocker?

For real, I'm all over me some wrist-rocker! My fingers numbed up about every 20 minutes. I'd take my throttle hand off and wave it in the wind for a few miles, while holding the throttle with my left hand.

Oh one more thing on the tools. I look at it like this, with the exception of my socket set, if I have to use a tool at my house to work on my bike, then it's going with me.

I recommend a cell phone so when your ass is so stuck to the seat you can call a doctor to have it surgically removed
Stay on major hi-ways, less accidents for you.
You don't read in the news to often about a bike death on a freeway.
Take breaks as often as you feel the need & don't wait to do it.
I use a throttle lock for my trips, then I can leave the throttle alone.
Plan your route & tell plenty of people your plans. Keep in touch with some of them so they know where you're at, & have a plan in case there's a mechanical failure that's not repairable (blown tire etc.).
Good luck,
Oh, try to drive in the bigger cities in off peak times (don't attempt it during a rush hour situation).

Hey good tips Rocket...I always forget to say the obvious thigns about riding LOL On that trip I took last week, I stop almost every 100 Miles or so just to top the tank off. Plus, by stopping the rain I had been chasing all day would move further away from me. Meaning, I stayed dry more It made the trip more interesting too. So every little town I stopped in that had a Yamaha Dealer, they got a visit LOL They were like, you're from where and you've ridden how many miles today LMAO