Novice rider... planning 9 day, 1500 mile tour summer 2017... thoughts?

cydisc · 04-13-2016, 02:53 PM

I have a bit of dirt bike experience as a kid. Getting licensed late Spring. Originally thought I'd get a super-cheap dual sport to learn on, but now think I'd go straight for the Zong RX3.

Will do some day or weekend trips this summer to get some experience and figure what I'll need for a bigger trip.

I'm lurking ADVRider and other resources for info. Would like some china bike perspective as far as what to consider planning such a trip.

I'm planning on riding from central Iowa east to the central IL/WI area near Lake Geneva, where I have some childhood memories to revisit, Chicago, up the lake side of MI to Mackinac Island, where I have relatives who live on the island, west through the UP, up the Door Peninsula, back down and west to Shawano, where my family has a summer place, then back home via LaCrosse.

What say ye?

Gear? Camping spots? Sites to see? Good routes? Safety concerns?

Questions? Comments? Criticisms? Smart remarks?

Louis Angel · 04-13-2016, 08:11 PM

Often overlooked, often not mentioned, but extremely important:
A decent basic 1st Aid kit.

BlackBike · 04-13-2016, 09:48 PM

Ugh..., wear a helmet?

SeerAtlas · 04-13-2016, 10:06 PM

best advice i can offer is properly prep the bike and yourself and don't pack too much 'stuff'!
do whatever you feel you need to do to put your mind at ease

a fun trip is a relaxed trip! and for that area, take some good insect repellant so you don't get chewed up while enjoying the sunsets

oh and start with new but not brand new tires

brand new tires with which u r unfamiliar, on roads wet w the morning dew/fog/mist etc. can take the fun out of a new journey in a hurry.

cydisc · 04-13-2016, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackBike

Ugh..., wear a helmet?

'Smart remarks'... check.

culcune · 04-13-2016, 11:19 PM

Can't hurt, since you have so much time (well over a year), to take a MSF rider's course; preferably on your Zongshen.

cydisc · 04-13-2016, 11:46 PM

MSF is in progress. Bike will have to come later.

04-13-2016, 02:53 PM	#1
cydisc Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Iowa Posts: 7	Novice rider... planning 9 day, 1500 mile tour summer 2017... thoughts? I have a bit of dirt bike experience as a kid. Getting licensed late Spring. Originally thought I'd get a super-cheap dual sport to learn on, but now think I'd go straight for the Zong RX3. Will do some day or weekend trips this summer to get some experience and figure what I'll need for a bigger trip. I'm lurking ADVRider and other resources for info. Would like some china bike perspective as far as what to consider planning such a trip. I'm planning on riding from central Iowa east to the central IL/WI area near Lake Geneva, where I have some childhood memories to revisit, Chicago, up the lake side of MI to Mackinac Island, where I have relatives who live on the island, west through the UP, up the Door Peninsula, back down and west to Shawano, where my family has a summer place, then back home via LaCrosse. What say ye? Gear? Camping spots? Sites to see? Good routes? Safety concerns? Questions? Comments? Criticisms? Smart remarks? Last edited by cydisc; 04-13-2016 at 06:07 PM. Reason: Adding detail to message
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04-13-2016, 08:11 PM	#2
Louis Angel Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: TENNESSEE Posts: 392	Often overlooked, often not mentioned, but extremely important: A decent basic 1st Aid kit. __________________ " If it ain't broke, I can probably still fix it!" ---- Tim Allen
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04-13-2016, 09:48 PM	#3
BlackBike Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: George West, Texas Posts: 4,097	Ugh..., wear a helmet? __________________ ***************************************** 2015 Bashan"Blaze" BS250GY-31 (DB-07K-250) GONE 2017 Suzuki V Strom 650 XT "We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid." ~Benjamin Franklin~
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04-13-2016, 10:06 PM	#4
SeerAtlas Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 770	best advice i can offer is properly prep the bike and yourself and don't pack too much 'stuff'! do whatever you feel you need to do to put your mind at ease a fun trip is a relaxed trip! and for that area, take some good insect repellant so you don't get chewed up while enjoying the sunsets oh and start with new but not brand new tires brand new tires with which u r unfamiliar, on roads wet w the morning dew/fog/mist etc. can take the fun out of a new journey in a hurry. __________________ Seer's First LAW-"FLY THE PLANE!", fail that, and nothing else matters. 12th Law- Consider what marvels you might do if only you had tomorrow to live over again. Third Law-When someone tells you some thing "Can't Be Done", what they're really saying is They can't do it!!14th Law-Just because something "IS", doesn't necessarily mean it SHOULD be.. Eighth Law-The only true personal security is anonymity.Ninth Law-Humans tend to learn very little when speaking.10th Law-Some lives ARE worth taking
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04-13-2016, 11:19 PM	#6
culcune Join Date: May 2006 Location: Yuma, Arizona Posts: 9,056	Can't hurt, since you have so much time (well over a year), to take a MSF rider's course; preferably on your Zongshen. __________________ "They say that life's a carousel, spinning fast you got to ride it well..." TGB Delivery Scooter 150 TMEC 200 Enduro--carcass is sadly rotting in the backyard
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04-13-2016, 11:46 PM	#7
cydisc Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Iowa Posts: 7	MSF is in progress. Bike will have to come later.
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