I have a few suggestions that I hope will help out.

1. Check the air pressure in your tires every morning before you leave.

2. Check your oil every morning (I burned lots of oil while tearing up mountain twisties).

3. If you're camping, create a list of campsites, numbers and locations before you head out on your trip... in case you get tired or end up taking an unexpected pit stop. Delorme mapping software has some great features... finding campsites along your route is one that I find very useful. I also strongly recommend that you have a good sleeping pad to put under your sleeping bag.

4. I have a Memphis shield on my bike. Heading out west, it didn't provide much protection (due to a strong headwind). Heading west to east, you won't experience as many problems with the wind.

[Note from Paul: Riders often don't take into consideration how much fatigue can occur just from wind alone. A good windshield that offers wind protection can signifigantly increase the amount of miles you are able to travel in a day, to say nothing of the protection you get from rain, hail and road debris.]

5. I started my trip on a stock seat. I DO NOT recommend that. I ended up trying a gel pad which gave some relief, but it elevated me about an inch higher... just enough to make my lean forward. That was enough to create some back pain...so, definitely make sure that you're comfortable on your seat. I found that the further I was in my trip, the harder it was to continue hitting my allotted mileage (my smallest day being about 600 miles). I found that standing on my footpegs for a while would help, too.

6. In order to make mileage to/from on my trip, I used the Interstates as much as I could. However, when in New Mexico, Colorado, etc, I only used small back roads and two lane highways. I found that in addition to looking at the map on my tank bag, I also hand wrote my directions (road names, how many miles on that road, etc) for the day on notecards and taped them to my windshield in a way that did not impede my vision. One benefit to this is that you don't need to look down to your tank bag (ie taking your eyes off of the road) and it also helps you to memorize your route so that you aren't constantly in need of referring to your notecards and/or map.

7. If you're going to have crash bars on your bike, I would recommend getting a couple of additional footpegs placed up front so that you're able to stretch out a little bit. I didn't do this on my trip because I don't have crash bars. If I were to do it again, this would probably be the only mod I'd make to my bike.

[Note from Paul: This is a HUGE tip. Even back in my Goldwing days, with a VERY comfortable seat I found that shifting my weight from the standard bike pegs to the extended pegs was a lifesaver!! Highway pegs are a MUST of you're planning a long trip.]

8. Ear plugs... you gotta have'em. I don't know if you wear them or not, but I use them as religiously as I use my helmet. Using ear plugs correctly, you'll, essentially, block out the majority of wind. This allows you to hear your bike better and allows you to be more aware of your surroundings. Additionally, it helps prevent hearing loss caused by wind noise in your helmets. Furthermore, it helps prevent fatigue.

9. A rainsuit is a must. I use a First Gear suit and I find that to be adequate. In addition to protecting you from the elements, there is a small reflective 3M strip in the back. The suit is black and yellow (for the likes of me... if the goal is to be visible, I don't know why rainsuits come in black...just doesn't make sense to me.

10. Try and stay away from caffinated drinks. Although, they help keep your eyes open, they don't necessarily ensure that your reflexes are up to speed... giving you a false sense of security. Avoid heavy meals (meatloaf, big burgers, steaks, etc) while you're riding... pasta dishes are good. I drank a lot of water and snacked on trail mix... would have a light breakfast, lunch and then I'd pig out in the evenings.

(These excellent tips were written by Joe and taken from Honda Nighthawk email group on Yahoogroups.)