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Touring tips - the little things
- Thread starter MacDoc
- Start date
In total, I think it was just over 30 days, and about just over 18,000 kms.
3 sets of tires. 3 oil changes in the field. 2 air filters And I still have grime on my bike from that trip.
Quick Q. If you change oil on a trip what are you draining it into?
Great question. I bought a cheap oil pan, and when I was done I poured the old oil back Ito the container the fresh oil came from (in my case Rotella T6). I did the oil changes in the parking lot of either a Canadian tire or a Wal Mart, which both have service bays. I either left the oil outside the garage bay doors or walked in and handed it to them while I was chatting them up.
They were always happy to take it and recycle it along with all their other oil.
Oil pan either went into the trash or to the garage.
Neat, clean, and no mess. Leave it the way I found it.
I noticed some early posts about throttle locks ...
I will chime in that if you are TOO CHEAP to go and buy a throttle lock (either bar end or vista cruise style) just take a metal coat hangar or stiff piece of wire, snip it and then wrap it around your throttle and twist it down around your throttle grips... when you want to use it you just push down on it with your thumb and it hits your brake lever thus 'locking' it. When you want off the gas then you just roll fwd.
Simple, cost is basically free since you probably can find a coat hanger or stiff wire anywhere.
I will chime in that if you are TOO CHEAP to go and buy a throttle lock (either bar end or vista cruise style) just take a metal coat hangar or stiff piece of wire, snip it and then wrap it around your throttle and twist it down around your throttle grips... when you want to use it you just push down on it with your thumb and it hits your brake lever thus 'locking' it. When you want off the gas then you just roll fwd.
Simple, cost is basically free since you probably can find a coat hanger or stiff wire anywhere.
The one that wraps around the inside of the grab and has an arm that presses against the brake lever (sorry, can't remember the actual name) costs under $20 and works surprisingly well.
I have that one on my bike ... on my other bike, I was too cheap to buy one so I just wrapped this around... I wrapped around stuff like 15+ years ago before they had these clamp on type ones.
$20 bucks for that or $20 bucks for gas ...
By traveling without a GPS you can get lost and find things you would never have run across otherwise. Also nothing is more liberating than coming to an intersection and just taking the road that looks more interesting. The Squeeze and I travel without a GPS (or a phone for that matter) and every morning the sun still rises.
statsman
Well-known member
A few things I have picked up over the years.
When riding in the summer in bug country, I always put two coats of wax on the bike before I leave.
It really makes it much easier to remove them.
The windscreen and helmet visor also gets two coats of the recommended polish for the same reason.
Turtle wax on the helmet works well. I have had people say it will ruin the finish.
I have done this with five different helmets from 5 different makers never a problem.
When riding in the summer in bug country, I always put two coats of wax on the bike before I leave.
It really makes it much easier to remove them.
The windscreen and helmet visor also gets two coats of the recommended polish for the same reason.
Turtle wax on the helmet works well. I have had people say it will ruin the finish.
I have done this with five different helmets from 5 different makers never a problem.
That would be a particularly good idea for anyone doing The James Bay road...geez
Posted this up elsewhere but some ideas that served us well last year
Poly gear dries realy quick and you shold avoid cotton except for boxers anyway. Two polyriding shirts ( I use Olympia fishing shirts for their big pockets - camera gear goes in real well, couple of underlayer dryfit and 5 boxers did me for 3 weeks. Nothing worse than cheap undies on a long ride.
Good item for us was a rack on the top case. We used it for everything and in particular drying wet gear.
was really useful.
Good advice on route timing.. the only issue is ferries usually need to be booked ahead.
We used this all the time to see what was coming up....you can burrow in and it's near real time.
http://radar.weather.gov/ridge/Conus/full.php
Most fronts go west to east so we tracked home behind one...had to hole up in Chicago for a few hours to stay behind it but never got wet from Vancouver to Toronto.
Posted this up elsewhere but some ideas that served us well last year
Poly gear dries realy quick and you shold avoid cotton except for boxers anyway. Two polyriding shirts ( I use Olympia fishing shirts for their big pockets - camera gear goes in real well, couple of underlayer dryfit and 5 boxers did me for 3 weeks. Nothing worse than cheap undies on a long ride.
Good item for us was a rack on the top case. We used it for everything and in particular drying wet gear.
was really useful.
Good advice on route timing.. the only issue is ferries usually need to be booked ahead.
We used this all the time to see what was coming up....you can burrow in and it's near real time.
http://radar.weather.gov/ridge/Conus/full.php
Most fronts go west to east so we tracked home behind one...had to hole up in Chicago for a few hours to stay behind it but never got wet from Vancouver to Toronto.
wonderings
Well-known member
You know you do not have to have your GPS actually navigating right? Unless I am on a trip, my nav is showing me other information, i.e. speed, temp, etc.
Just as easy to get lost and explore with a GPS, in fact it is more enjoyable as when you are done and just want to get home, you click a button and off you go. Each to their own, but a GPS does not hold you back from any of that, it is how you use it.
Next time you are low on fuel on a Sunday in the remote areas of Pennsylvania let us know how that works for you.
Map does squat for you if you don't know where you are.
I explore all the best roads for motorcycles in an area ( TomTom WInding roads app does it for me ) and I have no idea what they will be until I'm on them .....but I do know they lead in the general direction I want to go and if something else catches my eye.....away I go..
and I always know how to get to the nearest town or fuel and how far it is.
When it comes to riding in remote areas....doing the seat of the pants thing can get you in trouble right quick. A map is useless unless you know where you are.
Getting dark in PA, deer are stirring, gonna rain....and you have no idea where you are....
not my idea of "liberating".
CAA (or equivalent) travel medical insurance. It's so cheap, you'd be stupid not to get it.
I buy the yearly insurance from CAA that covers trips up to two weeks per trip and is valid for the whole year, costs around $100 if I remember right.
When I crashed and broke my arm in VA they paid out around $7500. More recently, tweaked my lower back in December needing a visit to a walk in clinic and some Vicodin, they paid about $400
I buy the yearly insurance from CAA that covers trips up to two weeks per trip and is valid for the whole year, costs around $100 if I remember right.
When I crashed and broke my arm in VA they paid out around $7500. More recently, tweaked my lower back in December needing a visit to a walk in clinic and some Vicodin, they paid about $400
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