[Bangorbob]

Naw, I grew up in Bangor Michigan. 28 miles West of Kalamazoo and 10 east from Lake Michigan.

 

[CB61]

In 1986 my wife and I took my 1982 Honda GL500 Silverwing Interstate on an 8 day ride from Houston to Tampa.
We first stopped in New Orleans and spent the night. Then Panama City, then down Hwy 19 to St Pete, and Tampa.
We stopped often and enjoyed the trip. We then had to make a mad dash on the hwy, 1017 miles in two days, to get back in time for work.
We have taken several trips since then. But we always take the time to stop and enjoy, appreciate, the sights, sounds smells and local flavor. I learned that the destination is not nearly as important as the trip.
Your trip is ambitious. The CTX700 is 4 times the bike I took for our 1986 trip. Good thing, because I am twice the size I was in 1986. But this bike is more than enough for your trip.
My wife and I ride two-up from Houston to San Antonio, and Dallas at least twice a year to visit the grand kids.
Here is a pic of a bike set up the way we rode it in 1986 .
View attachment 89230


This is not my bike, but the same model, color and set up.
The engine is a 497cc V-Twin putting out a top 38 HP and getting about 42 miles to the gallon.
I think about the bikes I have had since and I am amazed at the trips and miles we put on this one.

The CTX700 is a much better touring bike.
The only advice I can give is pack a little LESS than you think you will need. Make it really easy for yourself when you stop and have to unload.
Don't be afraid to buy a new shirt or jeans on the road. You might spend too much time in the laundromat otherwise. Easier to buy a new shirt.
Do this trip. But if you are tired and burned out after it, do NOT let that stop you from taking road trips. Just make them shorter. 500 miles a day is easy in a car. Not so much on a bike. And doing it day after day for two weeks
might be a bit much.
Everyone wants to take an Iron Butt trip once. Just to say "I did it" but traveling with someone, and enjoying the sights and restaurants and people in new towns and places is a real treat.
My wife and I just got back from a short trip to Tampa, FL to spend some time in Ybor City and enjoy the Cigars and Cuban sandwiches.
You will Love this bike. It will do the job and you will enjoy great comfort.
The only other thing I would do is get a good seat. I have a Seth Lam but Corbin makes a great one.
The stock seat is a little "wanting" in the long haul.
Good luck.
Ross and Angela
View attachment 89231
this is the ride we have as it is set up now, only we have added front crash bars and sliders

Your reminiscing about the Honda GL500i made me smile, I’m a collector and at one time I owned 12 GL500’s, GL500i’ and CX500’s at the same time. Your recollection of the GL500 specs wasn’t so good, the GL500 is 50HP and had many features ahead of it’s time, Air Forks, Air adjustable rear Monoshock, Dual Caliper front brakes, fully synchronized 5 Speed transmission etc. I put over 40,000 miles on my favorite GL500 and typically got 50-52mpg. The bike desperately needed a 6th gear but swapping the rear tire for a high profile MT or MU (Harley) letter series dropped the RPM’s drastically on the highway. I had so many accessories on my “favorite tourer” it got attention everywhere I went. (AM/FM stereo from a HONDA CRV in the left pocket with controls for my 6 Disc CD changer in the matching Candy Muse Red GoldWing trunk. On a trip through Deal’s Gap, a man much older than myself saw me at a scenic overlook and commented that it was Honda’s best, he referred to it as the “BDMEM” (Best Damn Motorcycle Ever Made!) I still have fond memories of a great bike. I have moved on since then and currently have an ST1300, CTX1300D and a CTX700D. I have to be honest, the CTX1300D is closer to the mark of being the “BDMEM” than the GL500’s, but for a 500cc twin the GL500/CX500’s were quite remarkable. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!

 

[CB61]

Newbie rider, hoping to check off a slot in my buck list of motoring cross country. Plan is to learn and ride this year to cross the country in 2023. Starting from North Carolina to California and back. Routes are still in the works, I'll have about 2 weeks to do the trip. Still researching and reading about others experiences to help me plan mine. Question is what would you have done differently if you had to do your trip again? What to pack and not to pack, best times of the year to travel...etc.

Check out this website, hopefully it will help you plan your trip.

Motorcycle Roads

Motorcycle Roads

www.motorcycleroads.com

 

[tvkjcltdkhgk]

Rough plan is Petrified Forrest, Grand Canyon, Tetons, Yellow Stone, Four Corners, Sturgis, Mount Rushmore loop. Doesn't look like California this time around.

Added things to bring: extra key, sun block, med kit.........

 

[SpudMonkey]

Rough plan is Petrified Forrest, Grand Canyon, Tetons, Yellow Stone, Four Corners, Sturgis, Mount Rushmore loop. Doesn't look like California this time around.

Added things to bring: extra key, sun block, med kit.........

Between the Grand Canyon/Petrofied Forest area and the Tetons/Yellowstone, you could also take side trips to Zion NP or Bryce Canyon NP, Moab NP. There's also smaller/lesser known places like Craters of the Moon or the Golden Spike National Monument can be good for a brief rest. Pick up the annual National Park pass instead of paying park-by-park.

For the choice between the CTX and V-star, if you're planning on taking highways while out west consider that the speed limits tend to be higher. Around here, with its 80MPH limits, it's not uncommon to find traffic flowing between 85~90. I've not taken my CTX on a long highway trip out here yet, but I think it might struggle a bit to keep up with traffic on some of the uphill portions or when encountering strong headwinds.

 

[rossmcgrath]

Your reminiscing about the Honda GL500i made me smile, I’m a collector and at one time I owned 12 GL500’s, GL500i’ and CX500’s at the same time. Your recollection of the GL500 specs wasn’t so good, the GL500 is 50HP and had many features ahead of it’s time, Air Forks, Air adjustable rear Monoshock, Dual Caliper front brakes, fully synchronized 5 Speed transmission etc. I put over 40,000 miles on my favorite GL500 and typically got 50-52mpg. The bike desperately needed a 6th gear but swapping the rear tire for a high profile MT or MU (Harley) letter series dropped the RPM’s drastically on the highway. I had so many accessories on my “favorite tourer” it got attention everywhere I went. (AM/FM stereo from a HONDA CRV in the left pocket with controls for my 6 Disc CD changer in the matching Candy Muse Red GoldWing trunk. On a trip through Deal’s Gap, a man much older than myself saw me at a scenic overlook and commented that it was Honda’s best, he referred to it as the “BDMEM” (Best Damn Motorcycle Ever Made!) I still have fond memories of a great bike. I have moved on since then and currently have an ST1300, CTX1300D and a CTX700D. I have to be honest, the CTX1300D is closer to the mark of being the “BDMEM” than the GL500’s, but for a 500cc twin the GL500/CX500’s were quite remarkable. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!

You're splittin' hairs with me.
50hp @ 9000 rpm!
I never ran mine at 9k.
but at 55mph i'd run 5000 rpm all day long.
the highest i'd get would be 7k when passing, but I usually ran at that 5500 to 6000 rpm.
In 2014 I had my last GL500 dyno'd by a group in Dallas and we hit 38 hp at 6000 rpm.
that is where I ran it.
Now, I did give that bike to my Son in law when my first granddaughter was born so he could go to the base where he and my daughter were stationed, and she would have the car. I actually bought that bike in 1984 for the same reason. So my wife would have the car with my new daughter and I could go to work and do what i needed to do.
But i never EVER came close to 9000 rpm.
Maybe the magazine editors of the day might have tried. I do remember that every stat published in the '80s were
a bit optimistic. When I first started riding it was common to assign 10hp for every 100cc's but that almost never
played out.
I know the spec sheet you are quoting.
and thanks for the acknowledgment. One of the best hp to cc ratios I ever owned is my 1982 Yamaha XV920R
a bike that used the new Virago engine in a straight Euro Frame, and a chain drive fully encased in an oil bath.
That one, at 920cc gave a true and awesome 69 hp!
I still have that bike.

 

[CB61]

I’m grinning at the various ways people ride, I have restored motorcycles for over 45 years and have owned north of 400 of them. I’m 99% certain I had every one of them at redline 😎. Growing OLD is mandatory, growing UP is fully optional! Ringing all you can get out of a little bike is at times more fun to me than riding a big bike on the same roads. You gain another second and / or mph with each attempt and your still at speeds a cop wouldn’t even bother you!
I had many CX500’s / GL500’s that I bought for next to nothing that I ran at 9,800 RPM just to loosen them up after years / decades of sitting in garages, sheds and barns. If you only got to 7,000 RPM you missed the happy zone. Mechanically the engine is near bullet proof. Electrically, not so much.

 

[rossmcgrath]

I have suffered from tunnel vision for the better part of 50 years, and riding, especially with a helmet, my tunnel vision kicks in at about 65 to 70 mph. I just can't make out the periphery. It is really crazy, Kinda like Speed Racer. That is the one thing that has really slowed me down. But I still ride. Regularly.
And you don't have to tell me about smaller bikes.
It IS more fun to ride a slow bike fast, than a fast bike slow.
I have loved the mid size bikes for almost 50 years.
I do have a 1999 Kawasaki 1500 Nomad. That thing is a tank. Changing lanes is like driving a truck. If I think
"change lane" my CX is already in the next lane. It is so intuitive and smooth.
I am sure, at 66 years of age, that the CTX700 is my last bike. And I will ride it 'till I can't.
I have taken apart the GL/CX500 engine a couple of times. I actually have a spare engine in my garage.
I just don't believe anyone ever got a full 50hp out of that thing.
I don't care what Honda published. In fact, several of the magazines that reviewed it when new also doubted that number.
But it still is a little tank of a motor. Easy to work on. easy to balance. the final drive is easy to replace. If fact, I threw the bearings in the final drive a dozen years ago, bought the bearings, and could not find the tool needed to get it in. So I bought a final drive on Ebay and popped that on.
I got a lot of parts for that bike from England, on Ebay. Some delivery service in England used the CX500 for their delivery vehicles, and a ton of parts wound up there.
It is a Great Bike!!

 

[BuddahWolf01]

Rough plan is Petrified Forrest, Grand Canyon, Tetons, Yellow Stone, Four Corners, Sturgis, Mount Rushmore loop. Doesn't look like California this time around.

Added things to bring: extra key, sun block, med kit.........

Hey neighbor! My bike is for sale in statesville if you know anyone looking. It already has the oem hard cases and luggage rack. It also comes with Madstad windscreen! I've also listed it here on the forum, but it's waiting for admin approval or something

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My wife and I were planning a road trip before covid, using my crosstrek, driving, camping, hotels, for about 2 weeks. Best we could do was south to new orleans, west to TX, north west to Colorado, then back home straight shot. Even that was pushing it for 2 weeks. We used a website/app called road trippers, that you do have to pay a subscription for, but it would be great if you do your trip, then just cancel afterwards.

 

[tvkjcltdkhgk]

Hey neighbor! My bike is for sale in statesville if you know anyone looking. It already has the oem hard cases and luggage rack. It also comes with Madstad windscreen! I've also listed it here on the forum, but it's waiting for admin approval or something

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

My wife and I were planning a road trip before covid, using my crosstrek, driving, camping, hotels, for about 2 weeks. Best we could do was south to new orleans, west to TX, north west to Colorado, then back home straight shot. Even that was pushing it for 2 weeks. We used a website/app called road trippers, that you do have to pay a subscription for, but it would be great if you do your trip, then just cancel afterwards.

I roughed out a route and can do a round trip hitting, petrified forest, grand canyon, tetons, yellow stone, four corners, strugis and mount rushmore.

 

[BuddahWolf01]

I roughed out a route and can do a round trip hitting, petrified forest, grand canyon, tetons, yellow stone, four corners, strugis and mount rushmore.

Sounds like the trip of a lifetime. Make sure and create a social account, or share on your current one or something so everyone can follow along!

 

[tvkjcltdkhgk]

With every passing month, my trip gets closer. Thanks to everyone's comments and help.

 

[Bangorbob]

If I were taking your trip and had a choice of your 2 rides, especially on the super slabs. It would be the Royal Star. I currently have a CTX700 but have had several Yamaha including the royal star. It's a heavier ride and won't beat you to death out west with the higher speeds on the highways and crosswinds. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[tvkjcltdkhgk]

Just leaning towards the smaller Ctx700 mainly because of it's fuel injection for the higher elevations vs the Royal Star. No comparisons when it comes to just eating up the miles, the Royal Star is the clear winner.

 

[Vulcan Mediator]

Lots of good comments and suggestions. Two things to add: good pair of sunglasses, especially when driving east in early morning, and a good tire pressure guage for regular checking.

I did a Maritime trip about 4 years ago, but got cut short with hurricanes coming north. Cut it short and returned from Cape Breton to Ottawa cutting through Maine, NM, Vermont and NY. Ended up doing 4000 km in a week. Saw some nice areas, but would have preferred doing half the driving and more enjoying. The bike will handle the long miles easier than the rider.

I wore a set of chaps. Driving in early September, they provided added warmth when it was cooler in the am and later in the day.

 

[dick.brandt]

I did the 3 flags classic on my ctx dct. Its a 5 day ride from Mexico to BC. It was comfortable, but no time for sightseeing. I would consider an ironbutt 50cc in one direction. You need to go coast to coast in 50 hours. That way you would have lots of time to get back home and do some sightseeing on the way. I did that a number of years ago on a Honda cx500. On both the 50CC and the 3 flags I noticed you need to be careful about gas. Don't pass too many open gas stations.

 

[tvkjcltdkhgk]

I'll be traveling with an older retired friend, his ironbutt days are over. We don't plan on riding more then 450 miles per day and just taking our time. He is older and I am a total noob, so just going to enjoy the trip and see where we can end up in 2 weeks.

 

[tvkjcltdkhgk]

 

[Vulcan Mediator]

I think you will benefit from the full fairing for wind and sound. nice looking ride.

 

[BackRdRider]

I road my '15 CTX from Oregon to Utah and back in Sept. '21. 80-85 mph was fine, but your mpg will go down by 10 mpg iirc. A few extra items I had for the trip made a big difference. Cooling vest, you soak it in water and wear it under your jacket. Kaoko Throttle Lock. AirHawk cushion makes the stock seat more comfortable. A way to carry some extra fuel.