Security on the Road

Carry a gun.......especially if and when riding in certain sections and time of day in Chicago.
Am being facetious...but...there is a truth to my comment.

Hello again T-bird!

The orange reflective triangle would be a good item to pack for both emergency and parking use. Many US spec bikes also have a "P" position on their key switches that let you turn on the tail light, then remove the key and walk away. Handy when parking on the street at night. There are even advanced turn signal moduals available that flash both turn signals in unison, which is commonly understood to mean an emergency here and prolly there too.

Spare gas is a good idea. I think Jay at DMCSidecars.com has a variety of modular plastic cans that can be nested together for compact storage. Besides gas, there are cans for water, tools and first-aid kits. Rotopacx I think they are called.

Communications:
If you stick to the interstates, cell phone service gaps are rare. More likely to have gaps when you are off the main roads. If you plan to hit the forrests and deserts, then you might want to have a backup plan. CB (citizen band) radios can be had and will give you a range of a few kilometers (assuming there are other CB'ers within that range). They are available in hand-held and dash units. On some high end touring bikes have CBs (and radio, MP3 players, passenger comms) integrated with a helmet system so they are usable while driving. CBs have up to 40 channels available. Channel 09 is usually monitored by law enforcement for emergency use. Channel 19 is typically long haul truckers. You could also rent a sattelite phone if you want near 100% coverage.

AMA (American Motorcycle Association) might also be a good place to find roadside assistance.

Weatehr reports can be found with a NOAA (National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration) radio. Otherwise, most radio stations here will broadcast weather info once an hour or so. Some road side rest areas here play NOAA in their lobbies. NOAA radio is, of course, dedicated to weather.

Hope this helps!

LOL!!! some days I wish we had that option Jay,...we have to resort to small hand tools and hammers,. still love Chicago tho!,...hehe crawf.

1- Flag down a passing motorist from either direction.
2- I always take spare gas. 1 gallon in a plastic container. Mine fits a saddlebag but I have carried it on the luggage rack or in the hack. Had a 2 gallon TourPack tank that I used to swap bikes with but it was too much trouble and it seeped in hot weather.
3- A hack is mush easier to push off the road than a solo bike. If you must leave it a warning reflector may help (It may also be stolen).
4- Again, a relay from another motorist can help. I got towing assistance with the help of a Ranger's radio patch call in 2010. CB (Citizens Band) radios are units used by many truckers, fishermen, hunters and others that do not have a FCC (Ham) radio operators license. RadioShack and other electronic outlets have them. Channel 19 is the emergency frequency.
5- A TomTom or other GPS is always a good tool to have along for locating places and amenities.
6_ I'm also a HOG member by virtue of bike purchases. Have never gotten prompt assistance, but did get a $100. rebate from being towed in Nevada in 2010. My AAA Plus also covers bike towing and roadside service and there are many more providers. Same with hotel/motel etc. discounts.

Carrying an exposed firearm is allowable in some places in some states. Carrying a concealed weapon (gun included) can get you prison time in most all states if you do not have a concealed weapons carry permit on your person. The CCW permits are not Federal so some States will not recognize a permit from another State. Even with a permit there are restrictions regarding where and when you are legal.

Lonnie

Hack'n - 1/31/2012 1:47 PM CB (Citizens Band) radios are units used by many truckers, fishermen, hunters and others that do not have a FCC (Ham) radio operators license. RadioShack and other electronic outlets have them. Channel 19 is the emergency frequency. ...

I think you mean channel 9, don't you?

I wouldn't put a lot of faith in a CB. They were big in the 70's and early 80's, but you can shout all day and seldom get a response anymore. I worked for the county back in the middle 90's and we had already removed them from patrol cars by then. You still see them on bikes, but most riders using them are on an off channel to talk to riding companions.

A GPS is a must. If for no other reason than pressing the "WHERE AM I" key which will show you the location of the nearest Police, Hospital, Gas Station, etc.

All of the information already posted is good, CB radio won't help you much unless you are riding with other motorcycles. Make sure that you have a way to carry water, if you will be riding in any of the South, or Southwest States. We have a electronics chain store over here called Radio Shack, you can find them in most cities, where you can get a small hand held weather radio, I think that they have seven channels, that cover most of the country and broadcast weather 24 hours a day and sound a tone when there are storm warnings. Have a great trip, enjoy your ride, and don't worry too much about security, just stay aware of what is around you, act confidently, and most people will leave you alone.

I thank all of you for your advice. I appreciate the very valuable information. I wasn't even thinking of the human threat. I do have a gun here (Swiss Army P210) for shooting sports only; there is no way for a foreigner importing or wearing a gun in the states. I'm absolutely convinced to meet only decent and nice people in your country. I will be avoiding big cities anyways, and on the roads of the countryside there will be the potential dangers as discussed above.

Hi Lloyd

you're apparently located right on my route from Austin to Marfa/Big Bend. Would be nice to meet for a chat.

Best
Lorenz

Hi Lonnie

what are you sitting on in the picture?

I may be travelling in your region, would be nice to meet for a chat.

Best
Lorenz

A SPOT locator is a good thing to have . You need a designated person to monitor it. It has saved a lot of people who ran off the road and couldn't be found. As for the gun thing, hand gun laws vary from state and being in possession of one can get you jail time in some places. A safer way to go would be a shotgun, carried unloaded. They are legal everywhere (except probably New York City). If I were traveling the route you describe I would want a weapon of some sort!

Hi Lorenz,
In the Avatar pic I'm sitting at the helm of an electric battery powered coal mine locomotive in Wayne, Alberta, Canada. A relic once used in the historic Atlas coal mine nearby to pull several coal cars.
If you get to Canada, the Alberta Badlands and Drumheller area has a wealth of geological and cultural sites. The Royal Tyrell Museum has a huge dinosaur and fossil display that takes hours to view.

Lonnie

Hi Lorenz,
We are located about 45 miles northwest of San Antonio, Texas right beside Interstate 10 and about 90 miles from Auston, and would really like to meet you, if you are in our area. We are in the Texas Hill Country, with some of the best riding in all of Texas. We are full time RVers, campers. If you are camping, you could stay at the RV park here, and there is a Motel a block away. Also my wife is from Mannheim, Germany, and speaks German, so if you need a telephone interprepitor, feel free to give us a call at (830) 992-7111. Last summer here, it was very, very hot and dry, near 100 degrees F. every day for months. It helps to start riding early in the morning, and plan to stop in early afternoon, and get into air conditioning. Always carry enough to drink. Looking forward to meeting you. I don't know when you will be here, but on May 4-5-6, there is a small sidecar rally going on in east Texas, north of Houston. You can find some information about it listed under East Texas Spring Sidecar Muster, on the site. Hope to hear from you, and meet you.
Lloyd

A man after my own heart. I could go on all day about this, but I'll try to be brief.

I don't have any experience doing this on a hack rig, but I've got a lot of experience going everywhere in the US on a bike. Among many other trips, a few years ago I consecutively rode all 49 continental United States, four Canadian provinces, and two states in Mexico. With that under my belt, here's my two cents:

1. A wave will draw the attention of most motorists, and a smile goes a long way once you've got their attention. In my experience, many people will slow or stop to ask motorcyclists whether they're OK when sidelined.
2. Yes, but generally not because the distance between stations is too great. IMHO, the only place where you *need* extra gas is the Dalton Highway in Alaska; it's 240 miles from Coldfoot to Deadhorse, which is obviously beyond the capacity of most tanks. What got me was not paying attention: a few years ago on my way south from Fairbanks, I planned to fill up in North Pole, AK. I forgot. I realized my gaffe an hour later, and shortly thereafter, 90 miles from the closest gas station, my bike sputtered to a halt. I thumbed a ride from a friendly family from Ohio that took me to Tok, but it was unnerving leaving my bike abandoned in the middle of a lonely Alaskan highway. A retired railroad worker from Alberta drove me back north after I bought a can and gas, and I was relieved to find my bike still there. It was great meeting all those folks, but in hindsight maybe having a half gallon can with me would’ve been smart.
3. I'd just bring a good retro-reflective vest along. Hazard triangles are great if they’re not too bulky or heavy, but I like to pack as light as possible. The vest could either be worn if you end up having to leg it down the road for some reason, or strapped to the back of the rig if you're pulled over.
4. The first time I took a long trek, I fretted a lot over this. If you're really concerned about it, the very best bet is a sat phone. However, I've never had anything more than a cell phone and it’s been fine. If you’re in an area without coverage, there’s still someone around. Even the most remote, unpaved roads I've been stuck on have always had someone come along sooner or later.
5. You've already got plenty; just do your best to watch the forecast and stay out of its way. I find that no matter how technologically prepared I am, weather finds me anyway. Despite my best efforts, I've had to outrun looming hurricanes in the south, flood washouts from thunderheads out west, you name it. The one that scared me most was one none of the weather services even predicted: a string of tornadoes blew up in Mississippi near the foot of the Natchez Trace Parkway, and after taking cover under a bridge I spent 20 minutes literally pushing against my BMW R1150RT to keep it from blowing over and on to me.
6. I recommend Allstate Motor Club's RV RoadHelp ( http://rvservices.koa.com/rvresources/rvroadhelp). I had their service for years, and it covers you for just about anything with zero hassle.

One other thing – I strongly recommend AGAINST carrying a firearm of any kind. Don’t get me wrong; I'm a proponent of firearms and a carry regularly. However, having had a lot of legal experience in this area, I’ll put it this way: If you go looking for trouble, you'll find it. If you're trying to avoid trouble but have a gun with you on a long road trip, trouble may find you, either from law enforcement or the shady element of society. Your best bet is to listen to your spidey sense and get the hell away when trouble is coming. If it’ll make you feel better, a reasonable alternative to protect yourself in the face of an imminent violent threat would be to carry a small knife (i.e. a blade of 3" or less in length) on your belt.

So much for brief...

Hi mmmpies

thank you very much for your great advice on various important concerns. I particularly liked your wheather &forecast note and your description of stemming your BMW against the wind. I shopped around about the roadside assistance, and your tip Allstate Motor Club is the best regarding coverage: unlimited free towing (amongst other items), most others have free towing up to 35 miles only. In the SW it's clear what I need, it's worth to pay the 20 bucks more. By the way, the basic HOG roadside assistance isn't even offering the 35 miles towing - with this "glamourous" program one may be an SOL in case of a desert emergency - good I asked! Regarding the weapon question, I couldn't argument better.