I can't give you any bike-specific suggestions, since my ol' ZX-10 already makes a good sport-touring platform. But it can be done on almost any bike if you plan correctly. You just have to know you and your bikes comfort zone and limitations.
First thing you'll need to consider is what type of trip are you making.Will you be gone a full week, or just overnight? Will there be a lot of highway involved, or primarilly backroads? Are you trying to get somewhere at a specific time, or just out touring? All these will dictate what/how much gear you need to pack, your route, and the amount of saddletime and length of rest stops you need to take.
Packing
When packing, no matter how much your taking, let the bike carry as much of the load as possible. You may have a backpack that you love, and can carry a Wal-Mart load of stuff, but carrying it on your back all day will double your fatigue. A tank-bag and soft saddlebags will allow the bike to carry the weight, and keep it off your shoulders. Just an over-nighter to a freinds place? All you really need is socks, undies, and a spare t-shirt tucked into a tank-bag, and your good to go. Heck, with a big enough tank-bag (like my Givi), I can go a full weakend, and still have the essentials I need to feel human, while having room for a few other neccesities (camera, tools, rain gear, etc..). For longer, or more involved/active trips, the addidion of saddlebags might be neccesary. What you can carry is only limited by the size of the bags you buy. If you don't have bags, or want to invest in them, look into a tail-bag, or find a decent, nylon duffle-type bag. The size you would use as a carry-on for flying. You probably already have a couple floating around. Just load it, strap it down to the back seat, and off you go.
Pack only what you need for the trip. Traveling light is the essence of motorcycle touring (unless you're on a Wing!). If your riding boots are comfortable enough for walking around in, do you really need that extra pair of shoes? How many days are you comfortable wearing the same pair of jeans? That same sweatshirt thats keeping you warm today - guess what - it'll keep you just as warm tomorrow! Obviously, you don't want to smell like a goat, but if you'r gone long enough, laundry-mats can be found all over the US!! It's more important to have room for your rain gear, spare gloves, and facesheild, than it is to take that $150 pair of sneaker.
Comfort - you and the bike
Before you start your trip, it's a good idea to know your confort levels. Obviosly, there is no way to truely know how comfortable you are on a 1500 mile trip until you actually do it, but you can get a feel for it before the time comes. A week or two before, do a couple of "test" rides.
You may be perfectly comfortable doing 70mph on the highway on your 10 mile daily commute, but what about after 150 miles? Take an afternoon, get on the highway, and go out 40 or 50 miles, turn around, and come back home. Are you comfortable with the wind buffeting after an hour at speed? Did other traffic push you around too much? What spots on your body got sore and cramped? Were you able to change you body position enough to help alleviate some of this? These are important things to know. No matter how well you plan a trip, inevitably, you'll almost always have some stints on the super-slab. The highway is actually one of the most fatiguing places to ride, with buffeting, wind noise, and the constant drone of the road, all while sitting in the same position on the bike. At least on back roads, your working the bike, constantly changing RPMs, gears, and body position. So while you may be doing more work, your brain is constantly stimulated.
Take a similar length trip, or longer, on backroads. Notice how all the same things feel. And how long before you feel like taking a break.
At least once before a trip, load up the bike with similar gear to what you'll take with you, and go for a 10 mile ride. Notice how the additional weight affects the bikes handling. Are you comfortable with the additional weight? Is it evenly balanced? Does any of the luggage press against you uncomfortably? It's better to know now, and be able to make adjustments, then get 300 miles from home, only to find out that the exhaust is melting your saddle bags, or the tail-pack is pressing against your spine.
Stock seats can be notoriously uncomfortable after a few hours. A Corbin is a good investment if your willing to spend the money. If not, something like an AirHawk seat cushoin will help alot. Or find a peice of sheepskin, and strap it to your seat. Anything you do to make your saddle mor comfortable, will add to the distance you can go in one day.
Some other comfort notes to consider. Earplugs can make a world of differance on highway stints. The eliminate a lot of wind noise, thereby lessening fatigue. If you comfortable listening to music on the bike, an iPod/MP3 player can make life on the road a bit more pleasent. But remember, it may not be legal, and the music you listen to can affect your rythm and pace.
Route/time planning
Ussually when we travel by bike, we are basically vacationing to some degree or another. Generally speaking, it's not normally something we do when we need to be "time-sensitive" (though it does happen periodically). Best thing you can do, is keep as open of a timeframe as possible, as well as keeping your route "loose." But do have a general plan in mind, set some basic goals, and most importantly, let someone know your intentions, just in case something goes wrong!!
If you know you can be in Podunk in four hours, plan for six. This does a few things. It gives you time to take extended breaks if needed, allows for wrong turns and getting lost, and lets you change your route if the map shows a really twisty road, or the worlds largest ball of twine that you just MUST go see. And when you get to Podunk, call someone and let them know your alive.
Know how far your bike can go on gas. If you get 150 miles, start looking for gas at 120 - not when you hit reserve! Nothings worse than running out of gas somwhere with no cell-phone coverage. Trust me, I know!! Use your fuel stops to their full advantage. It's the perfect time to stretch your legs, get something to drink, check your map, etc.. Make every 2nd fuel stop a 'mandatory' breather. Even if you think you feel fine.
Most highways have a secondary route that roughly parallels it. If you have a long highway stint, use these to your advantage. Go 50 miles on the highway, get off, and follow the 'feeder' for awhile, and repeat the cycle for a bit. It'll keep you much fresher than droning down the superslab for endless hours. It has the added bonus, of giving you more interesting places to eat, sight-see, or what ever.
A loose route will allow you to see places you might not think of. When you get fuel at the little gas station in the middle of nowhere, ask the cashier if there is a nicer road over to Podunk, or if ther is a large ball of twine somewhere close. On a trip to Lancaster, PA once, I met a couple of riders who invited me to tag along with them. They were headed to the same general area, but had a vastly differant route, that I would have never considered. And it was a much better ride!
The essentials
There are some things you just don't leave home without on a bike trip. Be it two days, or two weeks, some things just MUST be packed.
Now a days, the cell-phone is top of that list. It's your life-line to civilization should something go wrong. I know we used to make trips without them, but for the life I've me, I don't know how!
Rain gear is also very high on the list. For obvious reasons. Keep it stashed in a place readily accessable in a hurry. Nothings worse than having to dig for it in the bottom of a bag, in a torential downpour, while you, and the rest of your gear get soaking wet!
A small, but well thought out, tool kit. You won't need to swap out pistons (hopefully) on a trip, but you want to have the right tools to do emergancy repairs on the side of the road to your bike. What tools do you need to get to the battery? Or adjust the chain? Change the oil? Switch out a burnt-out light? My bike, for example, can be almost completely torn down with 2 allen keys, a 12 and 14mm wrench, and a Phillips head screwdriver. So I keep two of each in my kit, along with some other basics. Like a good multi-tool, spark-plug wrench, some zip-ties, a shop rag, etc.. And don't forget a tire patching kit of some sort. A plug-tool, tire plugs, and a CO2 kit take minimal space, and will get most flat tires up and running until you can get to a shop to have it replaced.
I also keep some spares in my tool kit. Nothing major or bulky, but again, enough to get you going again. Two or three fairing screws, exta bulbs for both the headlight and signals, electrical tape and a lenth of wire, and a spare bungee or two. Just enough to get you down the road to where you can get it fixed properly.
I always keep a spare pair of gloves in my tank-bag. Even when I'm just running around town. Lose one? Got an extra pair. The rain clears up? Got a dry pair. I wear sunglasses in the helmet all the time, even on grey days, but when it gets dark, I have clears at the ready. That way, I can still ride with the facesheild open for ventilation. And wind-pants and extra, light layers. Kept close to the top, so I can adjust what I'm wearing when it gets colder or warmer as the day goes along.
It's a little long winded, but I hope it helps. Again, alot of what I listed will vary based on the length and purpose of the trip. The most important thing, is use common sense, and don't try to over do it. If you feel weary, pull over. If you overpacked, UPS stuff home.
Most importantly, enjoy the experiance of traveling by bike!!!!!!
