Making a long trip

[XJOK2PLAY]

Hey, Newbie...

I thought of a couple of more things to add that might help...

1) if the Venturer tank is too scarce, or too big of a PITA to deal with between now & the time you head out... here's another solution:
(A friend of mine has done this, so I know it will work for add'l fuel supply while keeping the stock tank...)

Add a 3 gal. fuel cell w/ an electric pump & switch... he mounted his below the luggage rack... fender area, and it looked great! Mounted a switch on the handlebar, electric inline pump (small), and ran the fuel line up & teed in. When the low fuel light would come on & the tank would almost be on reserve, he'd hit the switch, and transfer 3 gals... or whatever into the tank, and presto... another full tank. Pretty slick on a long trip when those gas station intervals are over 200 miles between...

OR:
Strap a 2 gallon plastic gas can on the rack & carry a couple of extra gallons.

I've also seen the alternator fail on a friends bike in the middle of nowhere...
and the bike battery didn't have enough reserve to get very far before going dead, so they bought a car battery, strapped it to the luggage rack, added some longer battery leads out of some extra wire they had... presto, reserve capacity to help the bike go 100's of miles without going dead... then they'd plug in their trickle charger at night at the motel... next day... good to go, made it home that way! Looked rediculous... but hey, guy's gotta do what it takes to get home sometimes, ya know? It worked....

just thought I'd throw that out there... ya never know how ingenious ya might have to get... but honestly... if that 11 is in any kind of shape... I wouldn't worry about it one bit. Get on it and ride.

A good friend, Bohn Frazer, told me not long ago when I was facing my first 250 mile ride alone, and I had some dependability doubts about my XJ...
"Bob, it's not about the ride, it's the adventure. If you take a trip, and nothing eventful happens... that's a good thing. But will ya remember it years later? No. But just like our last trip to Colo... when the four of us got pulled over by the OHP and got speeding tickets...and when you dropped your oil pump... and all we went through to get the bike home... and how we all pulled together to help ya out... and the fun we had in spite of it all... now those are memories. We'll ALWAYS remember that trip. It was an adventure. And adventures last a lifetime."

And ya know what, Newbie? He's right on the money... that's why I ride now.
Adventure.

I wish you great adventure on your ride.

[DGXSER]

You know Bob there is ALOT of truth to that. I have taken my kids through Mammoth Cave a couple times. They have vague recollections of it.

However my son and I just went an a REAL caving trip down near lake Cumberland in Ky. This was belly crawling, duck walking, slide down a hole you barely fit through on your back. The guys who knew the cave went ahead and got out of site and we made a wrong turn. So I was defacto leader since I am an experienced caver of a group of 6 boy scouts and two adults in a cave I had never been in. We did find the path and catch up with them. I can assure you my son will NEVER forget that trip. And since he was with me..neither will I.

[DiverRay]

I did a 7,200 mile, 13 day trip on my '79 standard three summers ago. I DID have a fairing, and the standard has the 5 gallon tank. I ended up burning out the battery because of a short I found six months later, but I DID have a great trip. I met John and Kat in Hurst, TX, replaced the battery at Cody's in Stillwater, OK, and then did an ironbutt ride toCleveland, OH yo see a cousin. That was the trip out, and back was across the top of the country!
I used the Elite 2 tires, and they went another 7K miles AFTER the trip! I didn't need brake pads, but The pistons and bores were CLEAN before I left, and I had DOT5 for brake fluid. I still have the saddle bags I used, and they were a MUST. Just remember, pack evey thing in plastic bags, cause the rain WILL get every thing wet.
The number one thing to remember, BE FLEXIBLE AND HAVE FUN!

[XS1100 Newbie]

My list keeps getting longer. Crash bars, new riding gear. (better stuff) Maybe a standard tank. I have another tci, so maybe a rectifier, and ?????? If i can't get my carbs right, and the cutout at 5000 rpm's, the trip will be postponed. But i am planning anyway.

[HobbyMan]

Don't overlook your tires and wheels. Don't know it had been mentioned before. You may or may not have to end up swapping out your tires. Make sure that they are balanced really well. After long periods on your bike, you really start to notice vibrations in your bike that you would otherwise not normally notice.

[Wildkat]

and a partridge in a pear tree...

I also always take along
- spare clutch lever (ahem... now... so some unsuspecting friend doesn't have to loan me theirs and ride without one because I can't)
- spare clutch cable
- spare brake lever
- small set of jumper cables (don't remember if that was mentioned already)

and I'm assuming when you said fluids, you also meant the middle and final drive oils (just checking... it's the mom in me)


I've also found that rather than the kitchen sink... the bathtub holds a great deal more stuff...

[madmax-im]

One thing not mentioned is your flexibility for your itinerary....for example say you plan a stay in a motel in some town thats 500-600 miles away...you feel locked into that and obligated to go that far...but say something happens or you just are tired and dont feel like riding that far...then you feel pressured to ride faster or further than you would like... You should never exceed your capabilities...I dont know how you feel about camping,but I know many people that do this...it gives them flexibility to stop where they want when they want and save alot of money too There are lots of State and National parks that accomdate moto-campers... You also need to give yourself enough time to stop and see things ...enjoy the scenery and maybe just stop whereever you feel like it...Remember its not the destination...its the journey. Good luck and with some good planning you will have the time of your life...oh and as was mentioned a riding buddy or two is always a nice thing...

[XS1100 Newbie]

All great ideas. I figure it is going to be a month long journey. I may decide to take a 200 or more side trip, at a moments notice. I think that is part of the fun. Camping is not bad, but i don't think it all the time. You are right though. Flexability will be a plus.

[Larrym]

Rider's Paradise

The USA has been described as driver's paradise cause of the roads here. If your goal is to get somewhere then it's your choice of routes. (I find Interstates and expressways to be quite boring...)

I did a 5 month trip last year. Only made it through 7 states because I used this website to select the roads I wanted to ride:

http://www.motorcycleroads.us

If you aren't going to carry a laptop with you then you can at least stop in at the town library to see if there are any side trips worth checking out in the area. I mean you may be driving past some of the most memorable roads/rides of your lifetime and miss them cause of being focused on the next planned destination.

[HobbyMan]

In case it hasn't been mentioned...
To add on to what Kat said about cables:
You can run your spare cables right up next to your current ones. I just fold the spare back under the tank and tape it so it isn't kinked. That way if it breaks, you can just unfold it and pull the old one out. Saves storage space also.

[XS1100 Newbie]

Thanks for the site Larry. I will be taking my laptop with me.

[XS1100 Newbie]

Just a thought. How do you carry a handgun on the trip. Don't want it exposed, but don't have a concealed weapons permit either. Must be some legal way, after all it is a vehicle. In the trunk maybe?

[DGXSER]

Not sure, but pretty certain you must have gun and ammo in different locations so you could not quickly load it. Yes that entails it not being loaded while traveling. So, not sure how that helps you out having it anyway.

Not to stir the pot of testosterone and put this thread in the hot buttons area, but I recommend taking a martial arts class instead. No one can question or harrass me for having my arms, legs, hands, and feet. JMHO

[trbig]

Yeah, but MAN... is it easier just working one trigger finger versus your whole body! lol. Have you fought lately? It was great when I was younger.. but holy crap! Even when you win.. you feel like you lost... for days! lol. And personally, I'd never want to have to be THAT close to an attacker if possible. Maybe better to train for a marathon so you can just run away?

But as you say.. to each his/her own. I'm glad we have choices.

As to the actual firearm question... each bike would have different places for storage. People with a naked bike would have a little trouble storing it in their fairing! You might check with local LEO. Personally, if possible.. stored somewhere easily accessable on the bike and the clip in my pocket... or other easy to get to area.


Tod

[Larrym]

Grass roots Gun/Bike info

You might just stop into a place like this and ask nicely about their policies and practices regarding various weaponry:



Then maybe again you might not like the answers or get the warm and fuzzy reception you'd like.

Might be helpful if you took off your mufflers first....