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This is an account of a 3-day trip I made in September of 2012 up through British Columbia from my home in Poulsbo, WA. The map below shows the route, which I did in a clock-wise direction. Total mileage for the trip was about 1080 miles. I occasionally like to do solo rides like this one. This was my first tour on a cruiser-style motorcycle. I'm normally a sport touring kind of guy who's done tours on a Suzuki VX800, Aprilia Falco, Honda ST1100, Kawasaki Concours 1000 and a Ducati Multistrada 1000DS. So this was pretty different. I rode a 2004 Kawaski Vulcan 1500 Classic that I'd bought earlier in the year. I wore a half helmet and prescription motorcycle googles. My thoughts on this setup vs. a sport touring bike with a full face helmet:
Pros
-It's relaxing. You don't feel like you need to be getting on it and risking your life in the corners to have fun and do justice to your sporty bike.
-It's fun. There's something about swinging your leg over a cruiser and stomping down on that heel shifter to head out.
-It's easier to take in the views. The riding position is better for it and you're typically going slower so you can take the time to look around.
Cons
-Half helmets are fine for around town, but they don't cut it for "real" riding. Getting hit with a grasshopper in your face at 70mph hurts, and is scary. Plus you get sunburned and your lips get chapped.
-The relaxing aspect is great, but it's just not as fun in the twisties. Many a time I wished I was on my Multistrada.
-My back hurt after 3 days. This was probably mostly due to my tendancy to slouch after so many hours in the saddle.
-You can't stand up while moving. You have to brace yourself in funny ways when a big bump comes.
Regardless, it was an interesting experiment and a fun time. I'd never been this far north in Canada, and the scenery and terrain were very different than the Douglas fir forests and farm fields of areas further south.