Taking a cross-country trip on a motorcycle is one of those things that almost every rider wants to do at some point. A rite of passage.
But it’s a daunting task, in large part because you don’t where to begin.
What do I bring?
Which route should I take?
Is my motorcycle capable of going cross-country?
What happens if it breaks down?
Then you decide you are going to do it, you map it out and realize how many miles you’re going to be putting on your bike and then ask yourself: how do I prep my motorcycle for this?
A straight shot from Boston to San Diego is almost exactly 3,000 miles one way. You’re bound to hit some maintenance intervals along the way unless you’re on a touring bike. Let’s go through a few pre-trip maintenance tips you can go use to ensure that you’re prepared and the trip is going to go well.
Quick Checklist:
- Tire life
- Brakes
- Chain
- Oil health
- Battery Test
- Lights/ Turn signals
- Air filter
- Electrical components
- Any big service intervals
We’ll go from the bottom of the motorcycle to the top:
- How are your tires? I would usually recommend getting a fresh set of tires for your trip just to cover yourself. If you just got a new set of Pirelli DRII’s on your bike for local canyon carving, you’re probably not going to want to part with them. That’s okay, but they’re still not the tires you’re going to want to take cross country. Your best bet is to get them replaced with a sport touring tire, my favorite are the Pirelli Angel GT’s. These will give you plenty of life and still allow you to hit some corners without feeling like you’re going to lose it. Conclusion: Ditch the soft compound tires for this trip, get some sport touring tires. Bonus tip: Bring a tire patch kit and know how to use it.
- How’s the brakes looking? Plenty of meat on there, or squealing when you come to a stop? Brake pads last a long time so this isn’t one you’re likely going to need replaced, but knowing where your pad levels are is good to know. Make sure you’ve got at least 50% life left. If you need to get them replaced, go with some EBC sintered pads that will fit your bike. Great life on them and great stopping power. Check your cables and calipers while you’re at it. Just make sure they’re in good working order. If you have an older bike this will be more important than a 2023 Tracer.
- Does your chain need to be replaced? Again, pretty similar to the brakes in that chains last a long time. Make sure it’s not rusted out or stretched too far and you’ll be in good shape. Check on your sprocket teeth for excessive wear while you’re at it.
- How fresh is your oil? Depending on the motorcycle and it’s service intervals, but it might make sense to change your oil before you head out on the trip. We mentioned at the beginning that it’s 3k miles one-way from Boston to San Diego– can your bike do 6k miles without an oil change?
- Test our your battery. Make sure you’re got the proper voltage and it’s ready to go. If it’s been sitting all winter and you didn’t winterize your bike then it might make sense to get it replaced.
- Do you need any bulbs for your lights or turn signals? Check everything here: front turn signals, rear turn signals, tail light, brake light, low beam, high beam. Being seen is an integral part of motorcycle safety and even more so when you’re spending a couple weeks straight out on the road.
- Check out your air filter. Actually you’re probably better off cleaning it before you head out. It’s quick and gives you that reassurance that you’re getting the best performance out of your motorcycle.
- Make sure your electrical components are in good working order. ABS, cruise control, traction control, heated seats… you get my point. Make sure they work as some (ABS) are more necessary than others (heated seat).
- Refer to your owner’s manual for any service intervals. There should be a service interval chart in your owner’s manual. Take a look at that and see if you have anything big coming up. Valve adjustment in 1,000 miles and you’re planning on doing 7,000 miles? You should probably get it done ahead of time.