GEARING UP FOR THE LONG HAUL TRAVEL

Tips From Adam Sandoval

We first met Adam Sandoval and his furry sidekick, Scooter, on the 2018 Hot Bike Tour. Adam was riding cross-country raising money for Veterans’ charities. He ultimately rode 88,000 miles and visited 720 Harley-Davidson dealers and donated over $300,000 to Veterans.

Adam is set to embark on The Great American Convoy (greatamericanconvoy.com), from April 22 to July 14 to visit and raise funds from as many dealerships in the lower 48 that he can hit until he makes his pilgrimage to Milwaukee for HarleyDavidson’s 120th Anniversary Celebration. Since Adam just recently started The Convoy we felt it would be wise to get some travel tips before he heads out: what to pack, any helpful tips, basically any advice for motorcycle touring this year. “My first trip, which I did over 88,000 miles and visited 720 Harley-Davidson dealerships, I got rid of half the stuff I packed.” If there’s one takeaway you can employ from Adam’s wisdom: Pack light and enjoy the journey.

Clothing

“For packing clothes, I do laundry once a week because on the bike you’re just so limited on space,” Adam says. Laundromats are quick, cheap, and you can get it all done and have a place to hang for an hour or so. He also says he’s had a lot of luck just reaching out to the two-wheeled community in general. “If you put it out there that you’re on a motorcycle going through town, chances are somebody knows somebody who is into motorcycles in that area and they’re going to help you out,” Adam says.

Because it will get cold, Adam likes to layer up. “I grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, so dressing warm was three quarters of my year,” Adam says. “I’ll wear a base layer, then I’ll usually put a t-shirt on over that, and then a flannel. My favorite right now are Dixxon flannels. They hold up, you can wash them, they last, they’re thick and warm. They’re just a good flannel.

• 2 PAIRS OF JEANS

• 7 T-SHIRTS

• 7 PAIRS OF UNDERWEAR

• 7 PAIRS OF SOCKS

• 2 HATS

• 2–3 DIXXON FLANNELS

(If it gets very cold, Adam will wear base layers underneath these items)

Necessities

When it comes to the necessities, Adam once got stuck in the middle of nowhere after his GPS steered him to an abandoned gas station. With no fuel or provisions in any direction, he and his two riding pals arrived at the vacant station with nothing. They ended up cozying up in one tent to stay warm, but long story short, Adam vowed to always bring a woobie (military-issued blanket that packs easily, dries easily, and is durable), and a few other necessities no matter where he’s going. “I usually keep a thing of sardines, a thing of nuts, a bottle of water, a blanket, and a rain tarp or fly or something,” Adam states. “If I have to sleep outside in the weather, I can get underneath something dry. Those are necessities. Whether I’m hotel camping or staying with friends, it doesn’t matter, I always have those things on my bike because you never know when plans are going to change, right?”

Riding Gear

• 1 FULL-FACE HELMET

• 1 PAIR OF COWBOY BOOTS OR BOOTS WITH RUBBER SOLES (preferably not leather soles)

• 1 THICK JACKET OR RIDING VEST (weather permitting)

• 1 HARLEY-DAVIDSON HEATED JACKET

• 1 PAIR HARLEY-DAVIDSON HEATED GLOVES (Adam says, “if you can keep them hands warm, you’re going to go for a long time.”)

• 1 PAIR OF GLOVES

• 1 SET OF RAIN GEAR (jacket and pants)

Tools

Most riders pack a toolkit, and Adam is no exception. “I don’t try to eat up a lot of space with tools or a lot of weight with tools,” Adam says. “If I’m using tools, it’s just to get me somewhere. I’m not going to do major repairs on the side of the road. I would end up calling for service at that point and relying on my food and blanket.”

Small Medical Kit

Adam says he also carries a small emergency medical kit. “I took a motorcycle first responder’s class with the Law Tigers, and they provided me with this medical kit, including tourniquets and all that stuff,” Adam says. “I carry that because, man, accidents happen and a kit like this could be the difference of saving someone’s life, or even possibly somebody else saving yours.

BIKE UPGRADES/ACCESSORIES

For The Great American Convoy, Adam will be riding a 2023 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special Anniversary Edition, complete with Heirloom Red and Gold badging. “It is, in my opinion, the most beautiful paint job Harley’s ever put out,” Adam says. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a factory paint job I like more than this one, so I’m pretty excited about it.” And after he received the new steed taking him on the road for the next few months, he definitely has established some must-do upgrades prior to the trip with certain things to make it that much more of an enjoyable riding experience.

• LOWER FAIRINGS (factory H-D)

• LEGEND SUSPENSION REVO-ARC REAR SHOCKS

W/REMOTE RESERVOIR

• LEGEND SUSPENSION AXEO CARTRIDGE FRONTEND KIT

• ASR SEAT BY CIRO (a signature Adam Sandoval designed seat made for long-distance riding and comes with gel)

• UPGRADED HANDLEBAR SETUP (varies, but has had luck with Kraus and Fly)

• D&D 2-INTO-1 EXHAUST

• THUNDERMAX FUEL TUNER

• LUGGAGE VARIES, BUT DEFINITELY WATERPROOF AND MOST LIKELY ROLL-TOP STYLE. Adam also likes the pliability of this type of luggage where he’ll run it on his passenger seat and luggage rack. He definitely recommends RokStraps and cargo nets for securing anything else in place. Adam has some ideas of designing his own luggage one day. After all, he’s pretty much tested them all and might know a thing or two about what actually works!

SHOESTRING BUDGET SUGGESTIONS:

If you’re looking to do any motorcycle travel where you won’t be frequenting the Ritz, hit up your homies within the motorcycle community. “You’d be surprised at how many people open their doors for you,” Adam says. If you’re looking for somewhere to sleep, Adam suggests rest areas, churches or rural areas— anywhere that has land for sale. “If I could find a ‘for sale’ sign or something on the road, I figured nobody lived there and I’d just pull back behind the tree line and set up a tent and sleep. For showering and grooming, look into large corporate gym memberships before you hit the road. “Typically they have multiple locations throughout the US any given day within 50 to 100 miles,” Adam says. “For a $20 monthly membership that means you’re showering all month for $20. And you can even get a workout if you’re so inclined.” HB