Im thinking of taking my GS for a spin from Moncton, NB to Kingston, On. Thats about a 13 hr ride.
Ill have to get a tank bag for sure and Ill throw a map in the top of it but any other suggestions about anything to do to the bike before I go?
Thx
Scott
PS
I just got my sport/tour windshield from Zero gravity today so Ill post some pis tomorrow if it clears up outside.
drink lotsa fluid and stop every couple of hours for a stretch and drink.
check your oil and tyre pressures and stay upright :thumb: :cheers:
Give the chain a squirt of lube a couple times while you are on the road. And snacks. Lots of snacks. When I did my Iron Butt, the only thing that I was sad about was that I ate through all of my munchines too soon. :cry:
p.s. Twizzlers and Slim Jims are easy to handle with gloves and can be poked under the chin guard easily.
Consider wearing earplugs, be prepared for all weather conditions. Keep your wet weather gear on top of the rest of your gear so you don't have to dig to get it out.
Take your time & plenty of stops, as Lukewarm said.
Most of all, enjoy yourself. :thumb:
The seat on my Concours just about killed me on long trips. I bought Alaska Sheepskin seat cover, much better.
Others have used those wooden beads, cut the cushion of beads to fit your GS seat.
Recommend a throttle lock so you can relax your right hand once in a while.
How about a water bottle holder?
And fruit- you can buy munchies at any Quikee Mart but fresh fruit is not often available there.
Ditto earplugs.
[Note- I haven't been able to get "my" GS yet, it's still at the dealer, but my initial "butt" test shows that its seat would be painful after a long ride too.]
How do you GS people pack extra tools- in your duffle bag or whatever that you strap on the bike?
What they said ^ ...Only thing that I might add would be to work you way up to it, taking a couple 4-6 hour rides leading up to the trip
Quote from: MikeNW on May 16, 2007, 06:09:19 PM
How do you GS people pack extra tools- in your duffle bag or whatever that you strap on the bike?
Yup
The best tip is to enjoy it, I find it is easy to over-plan these things but after a while your attitude changes, the bike probably won't break down or even get a puncture so you can cut your tools / spares to a minimum.
Stop every couple of hours to stretch and have a (soft) drink, make sure you can cope with changes in the weather and your footware is comfortable if you decide to stop and have a wander around somewhere, perhaps a light pair of trainers or something in the tank bag. carry a couple of drinks in screw top plastic bottles and something to snack on.
If I am going to unknown places like my eastern Europe trip last summer I took spare levers in case I dropped the bike (heavy with luggage & and ify surfaces) and busted a lever and a spare spark plug, a pump and the standard tool kit with a couple of extras and a flashlight but the most important thing is to stay relaxed and enjoy it. :thumb:
[5
have done the toronto - charlettown run a few times but in the cage took 18 hours .... montreal - edmonston on the south shore long straight and f....king boring so stop lots ... river de loop is a nice place to stop watch out for OPP (provincial police) @ the ont-PQ border
have a good trip :cheers:
Itchin to take a marathon myself.
1) tool storage: my bike has a little tiny area under the seat where I think the original tool kit was, but didn't come with the bike when I bought it. External baggage a must on a long trip, so whereever... Any suggestions for cheap waterproof saddlebags?
2) I can't even open a slim jim when I can use both hands... how the hell do you eat them when you're riding???
3) Since my bike didn't come with a tool kit, gonna start another thread for suggestions... see ya there...
Thanks a ton for the input. I do have the under seat tool kit since I bought the bike new in October.
Ill get a tank bag with a clear top for the route map from map quest,hehe. Ill put the ugly hard trunk on the back and I may use a back pack as well.
I also figure I had better invest in some decent pants since Im just wearing regular jeans atm. I do like my new Zero gravity sport/touring windshield so I guess Ill get a chance to see how well it works. The weather has been shitty since Ive put it on so I havent checked it out on the highway yet.
Lots of food and drinks and contact lense stuff in the tank bag and a well a oilded chain on the bike. Plus have fun. I think I got it.
Check the other post for tool sugestions as the stock tool kit is minimal. I also highly recomend some sort of tire repair kit.
It sounds like you have your luggage figured out for the most part, I'd just recomend that you avoid wearing a backpach at all cost. I oftentimes wear a backpack when riding, but for anything longer than an hour it really starts to suck and can ruin the trip. Tie your bag onto the back seat or trunk, or get some saddlebags.
Definitely DO NOT wear a backpack unless all you carry in it is some water and light snacks, otherwise your shoulders/neck will get sore after 300 or so miles.
That was the only part of my body that was hurting on my way to San Fran and that trip was 650 miles from 10AM-8PM. After I got north of LA on the 101, I basically was at 100-115mph all the way until I hit civilization again in the Bay area.
If you have time, order yourself some heavy bar-end weights. They really help cut down on hand fatigue.
Quote from: Wrecent_Wryder on May 17, 2007, 06:13:36 AM
Quote from: MikeNW on May 16, 2007, 06:09:19 PM
Others have used those wooden beads, cut the cushion of beads to fit your GS seat.
There's a company here locally that makes the bead cushion things specifically for motorcycles, and they have a stock size that fits the GS well. I was pretty enthusiastic about trying it out. I can probably still find it, if anyone else is interested...
I would recommend a sheepskin cover over putting a beaded cover on.
What's this about bar-end weights? Do they cut the vibrations? my hands have poor circulation as it is, and they go numb pretty quick when I'm riding, and I've gotta take turns leaving go and shaking my arms to get the feeling back. Where did you get them?
Ebay , Theres Loads , Just Look For The 7/8 I Believe
Even In The Uk , There Like 6 Pounds
Safe,
I will be going off an a 10 - 14 wander about fairly soon, I would never wear a backpack but whatever suits. I use my hard top-box for tools, spares and bike related stuff, this leaves a stack of room, my soft saddlebag luggage came with waterproof cover but i have never had any problems even without the covers but i line them with a plastic garbage bags just to be sure, in them I carry my underwear, t-shirts etc and walking shoes for sightseeing. In my tank-bag, map(s) snacks, drinks, washbag and one of those drums of moist-wipes or steriwipes etc for on-the-road hygine, general freshening up and cleaning the bugs off my visor. I do have a tail-pack as well but have never had to use it yet, perhaps I would in cooler conditions requiring more clothing but remember two or three T shirts are warmer than a sweater and much easier to carry.
Last summer I set of with a definate destination in mind, Prague, but this year I will simply go where the fancy takes me. If you want to enjoy a trip, don't overdo it. I recon 200/250 miles per day is enough.
I try not to set myself targets like "I must be at point B by 1600 hrs" I just start looking for somewhere to stay in the late afternoon and enjoy the place and hit the road after a leasurly breakfast around ten in the morning. This is the beast with all my kit. The pic includes the tail pack. This was for a "dry run" before last year's trip when I realised I could carry all I needed without it and still have a little space for collecting a few ods and sods on the trip.
(http://www.bbburma.net/CalPrice/FullLuggageSetup.jpg)
Cool, I have the top case as well and Im looking at an oxford tank bag and saddle bags.
With that I should be all set and I can leave the back pack home,hehe.
Im also getting a pair of alpinestars pairs so Ill be all saftey geared up,hehe.
Im Going TO Do A Road Trip Of England , Hopefully Meet With Some Of The Uk Gstwins , And Go For A Little Burn!
Make Sure U Have A Safe One Dude :thumb:
Jay