Coffee - If You Need It, STOP
Drugs are no substitute for rest when you need it
By: James R. Davis
You're out on a tour and 400+ miles are behind you. Every hour or so you have made a pit stop for gas and/or food. Now you're really getting tired. Time for a cup of coffee, right?
WRONG!
Coffee, Coke, No-Doze and other stimulants/drugs DO NOT WORK to keep you alert when you're tired. Better, find a place to stop and take a nap. Even half an hour is sufficient to re-charge your battery enough to let you go on, if you need to.
Better still, find a place to stop for the rest of the day and get a normal night's sleep.
Though I have done more than 600 miles in a day, in terrible weather, I find that I can sustain any number of days on the road so long as I don't average more than 350 per day - and make plenty of stops along the way. (If you are planning a long leg on your tour I suggest you make it for the first or second day. Later than that and the odds are you will not be able to complete it safely.) Coffee and drugs are no substitute for getting some rest when you need it, and a little thoughtful planning of your itinerary will help as well.
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(James R. Davis is a recognized expert witness in the fields of Motorcycle Safety/Dynamics.)
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