Trip from Wisconsin to Florida

Clintpatt

Clintpatt

Clintpatt
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Planning a trip from Wisconsin to florida

I am planning a motorcycle trip from Wisconsin to Florida and back. It will be a 2 week trip and it will be me and my wife on my fz6. We will be staying in hotels so we wont have any camping gear. Basically all we will be carrying on the bike in enough clothes for one week (we will be doing laundry) and all of our cameras, toiletries, one laptop, phones, and other small living items. I am not a fan of hard cases but i know for a long trip like this they are a must so the wife has a back rest and they are more secure from theft.
1. My first question is what would be the best luggage setup for the two of us and all of our stuff?
2. I am new to touring so i am not really sure what to expect to be able to accomplish mileage/hours of riding wise for two people a day?
3. What kind of places should i try to stay in to get the best bang for my buck?
4. Finally from everyone's experience what are things that are a must to pack for trips like this.:confused:

The bike i have is a red 2007 FZ6
 
Sounds like you need to find someone to weld on an attachment to the back of your bike if you want to mount a large case back there.
 
This trip wont start until Wisconsin has warmed up but jackets will be brought and yes i have ordered a new seat that should be coming shortly.

Here is a pic of the seat i have on the way.
 
Clintpatt said:
What do you mean by an attachment ?
Click to expand...

Givi has hardware and bags to attach to the bike.....nothing special about it really, no welding involved but it can get pricey:


FZ6 S2 Fazer '07-'09 - Yamaha - Shop by Bike - TwistedThrottle.com

And cotton is not good....get some of the Under Armor or Nike heat gear. It breathes better, doesn't hold sweat, and it packs a lot smaller.
Start stocking up on "travel sized" everything and wet wipes, cause ya never know! LOL
 
Last edited:
Re: Planning a trip from Wisconsin to florida

Where to start... 2up make it quite difficult without hard cases but doable. I did weekend getaway with good side luggage and tank bag. Your wife might need a little back pack? Soft side luggage are cheap and work well. Just make sure you support them so they don't sag too much and use garbage bags to keep everything dry. Don't trust those little rain cover... If you think you will do those trip every now and then, spend the $$$ once I get the right stuff. You will save on the long run. You can always pull them off when you ride in town. I use the Givi E21 and a large top case I got from Zebay for $50.00 or so and I build my own rack.

Good rain gears and a world class tune up before you leave should do it. Bring some chain lube and squirt some every other gas fill. (Been there...)

Other than that, 500-600 miles a day should be it. All depend of how much your butt and wify can handle. A couple of week before the big trip take a little weekend out of town and test your gear and equipment.

Where are you going in FL? If you pass by WPB let me know.
 
Re: Planning a trip from Wisconsin to florida

We are starting in lacrosse WI and going through Champaign IL, Nashville, Atlanta, Tampa, Miami (spending a few days doing all the beaches and key west, then up to Orlando to do Disney for a few days. Then back to Wisconsin.
 
Re: Planning a trip from Wisconsin to florida

Why did you start 2 threads on this subject? It'll be hard for you to manage and it kinda clutters the forum :)
 
Re: Planning a trip from Wisconsin to florida

Clintpatt said:
We are starting in lacrosse WI and going through Champaign IL, Nashville, Atlanta, Tampa, Miami (spending a few days doing all the beaches and key west, then up to Orlando to do Disney for a few days. Then back to Wisconsin.
Click to expand...

When are you going? Some time in early June, I'm riding from St. Louis to Atlanta for a couple days, then to Sarasota for a few days.
 
If you can fabricate a bit doing your own rack is much cheaper. Here's a link of where I got my hardware for my Givi E21. The Zebay Top case came with the base plate.

Here's few pics of my luggage rack and set up... kind of give you an idea.

GIVI Hardware Components
 
Re: Planning a trip from Wisconsin to florida

While they're not soft, I like GIVI hard cases (monokey). They are waterproof, lockable, and you can detach them and take them into your hotel room. In your situation, I'd get a top case and two side cases. You might consider a RAM mount for your iThing/phone/GPS or maybe a small tank bag to have quick access to the small stuff one frequently needs.

In terms of distance- that's up to you, your sweetie, and your butts... I'd say take it slow and build in days of downtime. If you get somewhere nice, you want to be able to stop and stay an extra day.

Balance inexpensive overnights at places like Days Inns/Motel 6s with someplace nice every few days. (I often follow 2-3 days of camping with a nice dinner/hotel combo.)

Packing - In addition to your clothes, toiletries, etc., make sure you have a 1st aid kit, necessary tools, snacks and liquids....

And forgive the obvious suggestion, but please make sure you are comfortable with the weight of everything. You are pushing the limits of the FZ6's weight capacity- so spend a good amount of time practicing cornering, stopping, etc. with the full weight load.

Be safe and have fun!

Clintpatt said:
I am planning a motorcycle trip from Wisconsin to Florida and back. It will be a 2 week trip and it will be me and my wife on my fz6. We will be staying in hotels so we wont have any camping gear. Basically all we will be carrying on the bike in enough clothes for one week (we will be doing laundry) and all of our cameras, toiletries, one laptop, phones, and other small living items. I am not a fan of hard cases but i know for a long trip like this they are a must so the wife has a back rest and they are more secure from theft.
1. My first question is what would be the best luggage setup for the two of us and all of our stuff?
2. I am new to touring so i am not really sure what to expect to be able to accomplish mileage/hours of riding wise for two people a day?
3. What kind of places should i try to stay in to get the best bang for my buck?
4. Finally from everyone's experience what are things that are a must to pack for trips like this.:confused:

The bike i have is a red 2007 FZ6
Click to expand...
 
Re: Planning a trip from Wisconsin to florida

Other option is to carry 2-3 days of clothing and ship some box few places you think you should stay along the route. Like if you reserve at some hotel you can have a box ship to that hotel with few days of clothing. Then you are good to go for another few days and ship back home your dirty laundry! Not the best option in my book but it is one.

Should be doing a trip too later this year, not sure where or when yet. Did Laconia Bike week last year from West Palm Beach.
 
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