Don't leave home without it

Comfort — for the long haul.

Being prepared mechanically is just part of the touring equation, your comfort, though, is another major factor. "Never underestimate that," James says, "if your bike's not comfortable, then you don't ride it."

James feels it's very easy to make your bike, your ergonomically perfect bike. "With the wide selection of seats, handlebars, and foot-peg positions available," he says, "there's no reason not to tailor make a bike to fit you."

And as far as your seat goes, "I've still not found anything better than a good sheepskin seat cover," James says. "It's a timeless accessory that really works."

Another major part of touring is, well, making sure you know where you're at.

"Global Positioning Systems are the single biggest touring asset since tubeless tires," says James. "It's my own personal 'you are here' map. I never have to stop and look at a tank bag and try to figure out where I am.

"I love to go exploring back roads," James continues, "and if I am trying to get to a particular town, no matter where I am, all I have to do is punch it in, and it'll tell me how far it is and in what direction."

These little items aren't cheap, though, the least expensive ones start at over $100. But James says, "Once you have one, you'll wonder how you got around without it."

Riding great distances can get to be a real pain in the throttle hand. Luckily there are a few choices for relieving your hand momentarily, the cheapest in this case is also the one James recommends.

"The CrampBuster is great," he says. "Sometimes I go for a ride with buddies and we'll switch bikes, especially on long highway rides. And every time we do that, at the end of the day, my CrampBuster is no longer on my bike. But I'll look over, and there it is on my buddy's Ducati."

The CrampBuster fits over the throttle handgrip, and has a pad that your palm rests on. The benefits are that it is easily disengaged -- simply remove your hand -- and it's cheap at around $10. next —>

© 2002, American Motorcyclist Association