Going on a long-distance motorcycle trip is sure to be a lot of fun, but if you don’t prepare well for your journey, you could run into problems. So, take note of the following important recommendations to ensure your trip runs smoothly.

Plan Your Route

You might be tempted to simply add your smartphone to a mount, load GPS, and head off into the sunset.

But when you embark on a long-distance trip, you won’t be familiar with roads and places, and you could make alterations to your route as you travel, so it’s important that you keep a good old-fashioned map with you and mark your route as you go.

Plan your route on a paper map, highlighting the major turns and stops. As you reach milestones, mark them on the map to ensure you never get lost.

When it’s just you, your bags, and your motorcycle, it’s essential that you take precautions. So, map your route in advance and keep note of where you travel.

Know What to Do if You’re Involved in a Crash — and Be Prepared to Call a Lawyer

As long as you remember to take all the necessary precautions to stay safe while riding and follow the rules of the road, you can reduce your chances of being involved in an accident.

But accidents can happen at any time. So, you need to remember what to do if you’re involved in a crash. If you’re seriously injured in a crash, you need to call 911. Therefore, always make sure you have your cell phone with you.

If the crash involves another driver, make sure you get his or her details. You should also get the contact details of any witnesses and take photos of the accident scene.

Once your injuries have been attended to by a medical professional, you should contact a personal injury lawyer if the accident was the fault of another.

With expert motorcycle crash attorneys on board, you can then pursue claiming compensation to cover the costs of things like medical bills and lost earnings.

Make Sure You Pack the Right Stuff

When heading onto the open road for a long trip, it’s essential that you remember to pack everything you may need.

You should take clothing with you for every climate and weather condition, as temperatures can fluctuate a lot when riding, regardless of your location.

It’s a good idea to invest in clothes made out of synthetic materials so that sweat can be wicked away easily. You also need to make sure you pack your waterproofs.

Other items that you should pack include:

• A flashlight.
• A motorcycle repair kit.
• Your license, proof of insurance, and medical information, in case you’re involved in an accident.
• A separate visor to wear as lighting conditions change.
• Balms and sunscreen to prevent wind damage and sunburn.
• Earplugs to reduce wind noise and prevent you from getting headaches.
• A first aid kit.
• Extra toiletries, such as bug repellent, toothpaste, wash cloths, and so on.
• Plenty of food.
• A cooking kit, if you’re planning on camping.

You should also remember to pack plenty of water. That gets a special mention because if you run into problems on the road in the middle of nowhere, you could potentially have to survive until help turns up.

You can survive weeks without food, but only a few days without water. So, pack multiple sources of water and make sure you refill them throughout your journey.

It’s best to pack three bottles of water in your backpack and four one-liter bottles of water in your saddlebags.

Do Practice Runs

With all the additional gear you need to take with you for a long-distance motorcycle trip, your bike will feel heavier than normal.

Therefore, you should take a few short trips around your local area, with all of your gear packed, to get used to the difference in weight and balance. You could find you’ve packed too much and need to adjust the amount of stuff you take with you.

Also, you’ll be able to note things like whether you need additional air in your tires and whether your suspension can accommodate the extra cargo.

At the end of the day, as long as you prepare well, you can have a safe and exciting long-distance trip on the open road.