Procrastination...

How does the saying going? "If it weren't for the last minute nothing would get done?"

So okay, the concept of organizing and packing is taking place slightly early. In preparation, as it were. But some things have woefully been left to the last minute. It is amazing how many things you think of that you want or need only when the last minute comes along.

Granted, a major service isn't quite something that is forgotten about. We saw it coming on the horizon. Oilburner wanted to get them out of the way two weeks ago. I wanted to hold off a week to try and get a few more miles on the clock. Sure a service is needed. But if I can get it 500 miles early instead of 1200... Unfortunately with my illness and the 108F/43C temperatures the miles didn't quite rack up the way I would have liked. So the GS is 900 miles early and the RT is 1200.

Oilburner really wanted our regular mechanics to take on this service and not leave it to another dealer along the road. So our shop is being gracious and squeezing us in, even though the shop is full and some mechanics are sick. They originally said to drop them off today and they would have them for us by Friday. When we explained the timeframe they offered to get them back to us tomorrow.

Little did they know what they were getting into.

I don't know about the RT. The GS will require brake fluid change, valve check, final drive fluid change, gear box fluid change, and regular ol' oil change. Sshhhooottttt. A couple weeks ago the GS went through an astounding amount of oil on a very long, hot, pushed ride. Oilburner was concerned because his bike hasn't used any oil in 12,000 miles. How could the GS be such a lemon that it used half a quart in 356 miles (573 km)? So he was considering requesting a leak and compression check during this service. However, in the last 600 miles (965 km) she hasn't been using any. So we will keep our eyes on it.

I don't think the RT requires anything special. The only non-standard issue to assess is a stalling at take off from idle. (Guess my GS isn't quite the damn lemon someone thinks it is. Hehehe)

So there really wasnt anything too out of the ordinary here...

 

until...

 

...someone started worrying about the rear tire on the GS. The bike is currently wearing the Metzler Tourance tires that came with it. With only 5,100 miles (8200 km) the rear tire has decidedly flat topped. I guess she has seen more highway than I would like. :(

Mind you, she could probably make it to Maine on the tire. There is decent tread left, but with at least 1000 miles (1609 km) of interstates ahead of us, history shows us it would probably be gone by Maine.

So what do you do? Do you replace on the road? Or just replace now so that you don't have to worry about finding a tire and fitting it into the schedule on the road? I understand if you are definitely putting enough miles on during a road trip that you have to change the shoes mid-trip no matter what. But this instance was squeezing another 1000 miles out, and then try to find an unusual tire.

Yesterday I started calling around just to see about availability of the tire locally. Hmmm...none to be had. I was leaning towards just making an appointment with the BMW dealer in Maine and have them get a tire in, in advance. But we also decided to see what our dealer might have. They have surprised us in the past.

Yep. They just made more work for themselves today. They had the stock Tourance available. They might even have had the Anakee. The problem was that they brought out the Heidenau... It was love at first sight for Oilburner.

We had to sit there and discuss economics versus practicality with everyone! Economically we should just put the rear Tourance on. Practically we should put the Tourance on since it is a street tire and will have less road noise.

Since when did economics OR practicality EVER mean a thing to us?!? At one time or another down the road those Heidenau's were going on that bike. It might as well be now. As one guy said, "They are sexy!". I know that I've been drooling over them since before I even had the GS. One gentlemen said that his experiences with them have been great, offering great traction in rain in the [paved] twisties, even being quieter than street tires. Who am I to argue with that experience? It wasn't like I was going to listen to the truth anyways. ;) Others chimed in that the longevity of the tire rivals the Tourance.

You can probably guess the outcome. :)

In addition to impulse tire purchases, we have also been fitted for ear plugs. I have tiny ears that don't tolerate foreign objects happily. I can't wear ear buds without severe pain within 30 minutes. The foam ear plugs are out. Literally. They won't even stay in my ears. Hoping that the ear plugs will reduce the wind noise and associated fatigue that it can cause, I pushed for an appointment last Friday.

It is a vicious cycle outfitting ourselves and motorbikes. Where's that winning lottery ticket??

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What A Mess!!!

Uuumm.....yeah...it's a disaster.

Unlike RichardM, GeorgeF, or Bobskoot who have been compiling the lists and gathering the items and piling it all together, organizing, reorganizing, packing, and parring for the last three weeks, Oilburner and I only got down to brass tacks, as it were, this weekend.  One week prior to departure.  And we aren't nearly as organized or ready as the others.

 We have been talking, debating, and weighing.  I was only able to take two weeks from work.  As much as we desired to attend the IMBC in East Oregon to finally meet some great blog friends IRL (In Real Life), we couldn't swing the distance required and still enjoy seeing the country.  We weighed flying and renting, driving and towing the bikes, or just riding the bikes, but couldn't figure out an economical way.

So while many of my blogging friends are gearing up and hitting the road for the IMBC in two weeks (July 20-22), we are packing the bikes up for a trip north. We are taking our two weeks...and heading north.  We don't have any definite plans, but think we might end up tripping into Canada.  Possibly...probably.  :)

And I might have plans to meet a few special people along the way...  ;)

Tube-o-Healing

Yeah, yeah.  It ain't the fanciest sounding title, but I get a chuckle out of it.

Just because we are on motorbikes does not mean that we have all of the space in the world to pack everything we could possibly take on a trip.  More and more of my friends are getting their motorbikes in check, sorting gear, and getting ready to strap the bikes together with all they need for a long distance ride.

George from Riding the USA will be starting from darn near the Atlantic Ocean in Pennsylvania and traveling to Deadhorse, Alaska.

RichardM of Richard's Page will be motating from Fairbanks, Alaska to Santa Cruz, California.

Bobskoot from Riding the Wet Coast and the SonjaM with her intrepid hubby from Find Me On The Road will be cruising from Vancouver, British Columbia to Baker City, Oregon.

The motorbikes are seeing services for oil, brakes, and tires.  Camping gear is being gone through for sturdiness, weatherproofing, and packability.  (Or credit cards are being exercised for 4 star hotel swiping.)

But one thing commonly being collected are "items for the road".  This could be as simple as determining the best snacks to pack in the heat.  Or as complex as the tools required to perform routine maintenance, or for some all out full duty repair jobs.  For others, it is another exercise to limber up the credit card to summon the tow truck.  (Unh Hmhh....that would be me with Roadside Assistance!)

Everyone's list is incorporating a first aid kit or two.  Yes, if there is a big accident of some kind an ace bandage probably won't do the trick.  However, if you happen to snag some delicate skin between the tent poles and have a bleeding mess on your hands, literally, the band aids will come in nicely.

So I figured that I really needed to share this when I wandered across it the other day.  This is geared towards backpacking.  However, I find that it can be useful in everyday first aid kits on bicycles, motorbikes, in the car, for the Multiple Sclerosis ride, and the list goes on.

You wouldn't think a tube of antibiotic ointment would take up that much space.  And it doesn't.  On its own.  But when you add a tube for anti-itch cream for bug bites, and poison ivy cream, that kit is taking up more and more space.  What is the likelihood of needing it on the trip?  What are the chances that the heat it will experience might turn it bad by the end of the trip?

Enter: Single Use Antibiotic Packs.  I found this on Brian's Backpacking Blog, and have actually made my own at home.  Yes, you can purchase single use packs, but they are fairly expensive when broken down, and usually have way more than a single use in them.  You wind up tossing a large amount because it can't be sealed or saved.

So Brian came up with his own single use packs.  Ingenious!

 

Simple tools:  Straw, lighter, needle nose pliers, scissors, healing balm (mine was anti-itch cream because I didn't want to find the antibiotic stuff.  Anti-itch cream is good for my first aid kit since mosquitos and bugs love me, and this helps.)

Inject cream into the straw...to a desired amount.  My straw isn't quite transparent, but holding it up to the light will reveal how much is present.

Then squidgy the contents into the straw a little so the end is accessible to get a good bite with the needle nose pliers and lighter.

Burn the end of the straw up to the pliers, and a good seal is made. 

Cut the other end of the tube.

Seal...  And Voila!!

Single serving, single use, compact, portable, light weight.  I could see these being super useful on a bicycle adventure.  I will be making some for my first aid kit for the Multiple Sclerosis marshaling.  I won't even have qualms about putting them in the small first aid kit on the motorbike, or to keep with the camping gear!

Some people questioned if the heat would ruin the contents.  Some replied that the needle nose pliers acted as heat sink and the contents didn't get hot.  I cut open my first one and the cream was in perfect condition.  No separation or discoloration.

If you intend on packaging multiple ointments or creams consider different colored straws or permanent marker to label.

Hope this might be useful to some of you out there.

Atlanta to Athens....again and again and again

It's that time of year again. The Multiple Sclerosis 150 from Atlanta to Athens, back to Atlanta.

The ride started Saturday in absolute downtown Atlanta, weaved through the various and sundry cities, mixed with narrow streets, road construction, bad drivers, and a full moon, to name a few obstacles. Within 15 miles the riders are farther into rural areas and aren't as harrowed, but that is a long 15 miles. I can barely survive it on the motorbike, I wouldn't want to attempt it on a bicycle. Then these riders headed out through the bucolic country side for another 65 or 85 miles to reach the little college town of Athens, GA.

If yesterday didn't do them in, they hit the start line and ride right back to downtown Atlanta the next day.

Needless to say, there are usually far fewer riders on Sunday than were present on Saturday. (And I don't blame them at all!)

The motorcycle marshals don't start downtown. We pick the riders up about 8 miles out. They get a police escort a portion of the way and don't need us getting in the way. But the police don't make any bones about when they stop the escort. We heard cyclists saying their absence was abrupt. Farther along they may not get an escort, but key intersections are manned by police or sheriff's that stop traffic for the larger groups of cyclists.

Our job as marshals isn't to stop traffic or escort the cyclists anywhere. We ride the route, faster than a cyclist, but generally slower than traffic, or posted speed limits, to keep an eye on the cyclists and help if they have any troubles. The most likely troubles are flat tires, broken spokes, derailed chains. We hope to never have to encounter a cyclist that hits something and is injured, or far worse, is hit by something and is injured. We have plans in place in the event that these are encountered, we just don't want to encounter them.

This years event was completely without events...with the cyclists.

Unfortunately, participation has dwindled each of the three years that Oilburner and I have been involved. (No, I don't believe there is a correlation there!) This event has only been in place for three years. So I can't say why participation is decreasing. I surmise it might be due to the location. I can't say that I would love to ride through downtown Atlanta, nor some of the outlying cities. Would participation increase if the start/end point was somewhere else?

I would have thought so, until I spoke with a rider Sunday morning that remarked on more cage drivers being more tolerant this year, thinking more drivers are becoming more aware of cyclists. Do events like these bring more awareness of cyclists (and possibly motorbikes)? Is it worthwhile to force the interaction, hoping nothing bad happens, to make ourselves (as bi-cyclists overall) more visible?

I'm just not sure of an answer to that.

I'm not going to say this is old hat for us. This was our fifth time volunteering as marshals for MS rides. We have progressively gained more experience overall, as well as increased our bag of tricks for what is needed or how to handle situations.

The big news is that this year we both received our HAM radio licenses (Amateur Radio). This was going to take our involvement to a new level. In past years communication had to occur through cell. Given where some of the routes took us cell coverage could be a bit sparse or command central could be busy with calls. Therefore, it could be difficult to contact the control dispatchers (Net Control) if we had a rider that needed to be picked up, or worse yet, had an emergency.

With our HAM radios we could just dial into the proper frequency and speak directly with Net Control. And even listen in to all of the chatter traffic. A few other marshals have their licenses, but all Support and Gear (SAG) vehicles have a driver and radio operator in the vehicle (two separate individuals). There is tight communication across the course of where the first riders are located along the route, to notify break points of when they should be ready. Or where the absolute last rider is on the course, since the Turtle van is right behind them. Or when another SAG is needed to pick up a rider that doesn't want to continue, needs a lift to the next break point that has a mechanic, all sorts of contingencies. Amateur Radio allows all of the people to be connected with each other to run as a tight unit and facilitate the event as a whole. You aren't going to get that if everyone is calling in to talk with operators on cell phones.

This year Oilburner and I get to be part of the "IN" crowd. We get to listen in, and participate when needed.

Right out of the gate the level of involvement was great! I took the first shift on the route when the first cyclists started to pass. As I was hitting every single stoplight I was able to call Net Control and have them inform my leads to spread the next marshal back farther than our original 10 min schedule. I wasnt going to get anywhere in 10 minutes, so the next marshal didn't need to get that close.

We were able to listen in when support vans were fending off loose dogs. In one instance, there was a request for a motorcycle marshal to sit with the dogs as the support van was needed to pick someone up on the course.

We learned when someone messed with the route signs. New signs were needed quickly. And oversight was needed when the second set of signs was removed.

I was able to inform Net Control the location of SAG #6, because it had just passed me. (The one support van that didn't have a radio operator on Sunday.) I was then dispatched to chase it down and tell it to phone into Net Control as it was desparately needed to pick up a cyclist. That was a fun one as I bent a few rules of the road to catch the van.

We were all on hand to listen to the Turtle van call in to report that it had stayed on the primary course, while the actual turtle cyclist had taken the Century route. (The Century refers to the 100 mile route.) We all got to hear the radio silence just before Net Control asked them to repeat. ;)

With so few attendees this year the riders were either bullet fast, finishing by 12:30, or turtle slow, coming across the finish line between 5 and 6. There wasn't much of an in between. It was the same thing on Sunday. There were large gaps between groups or riders, spreading thin, leaving us with very little job to perform. I was actually stopped by more non-involved cyclists, asking me what was going on, and sheriff's, asking me where everyone was, than I was by cyclists actually needing help!

We had been obsessing about the weather all week. I was hoping for intermittent rain showers since the temps were supposed to be in the 80's F. It would cool things of a little bit. And the weather patterns toyed with me as the predictions varied every day. Unfortunately the actual day of events say high 80's to low 90's with absolutely no rain. Of course, this had to be the hottest weekend that we have seen here this year. Murphy seems to be working overtime.

In all this was an extremely uneventful weekend. No accidents, no injuries, no flats. Many miles, many smiles, much sweat and some great people to ride with.

I took exactly four pictures the entire weekend. They were all the same shot and this was the best. ;)

 

 

Mine. All Mine.

Ya know, it's a real dilemma trying to decide which bike to ride sometimes. The hazards of having multiple bikes. Of course, the GS is the new baby on the block and is like playing with a new toy. Of course you are going to be partial to the new toy. It just begs to be played with! But the R is the tried and true bike that has stuck with me through thick and thin, I've bonded with, I have a deep seated passion for.

So I face a real conundrum when deciding which bike for what adventure.

The R has the super large capacity side cases that hold the same volume. And I have the gargantuan top box purchased from insurance after Oilburners fatal bike wounding last year. I don't love that top box, but it is darned handy on a long trip. I usually only keep the camera backpack in it. Therefore when I stop someplace I grab it and can stuff my helmet and riding jacket in it. I don't have to lock anything special. I don't have to rearrange the side bags. Easy peasy.

I also appreciate the gas mileage at a steady 47 mpg when keeping near the speed limit. But the sport style leg positioning can get a little cramped on longer rides. Mind you, I wasn't bothered too much by the leg position until I had the GS to compare it to. I had always been able to stand, stretch my legs, or scootch to the back seat for a minute to alleviate pains.

The GS, on the or hand, has a "wider" stance for all around positioning. It feels extremely natural to sit up straight, the handle bars are wider, the pegs allow for a less cramped position. But those damn Vario side cases! The expanding feature is intriguing. (In case you aren't aware, these cases have a lever that allows you to expand the side lids out about two inches to increase volume.). Which is absolutely required to give any useful storage space for the muffler side. Collapsed, that case can barely hold a jacket. Truthfully, it isn't much better expanded.

With the engine still breaking in, the fuel mileage is variable. It has been consistent between 42-44 mpg. But lately has started to creep up to 46.

So that leaves the question of a long distance ride... For slabs, the GS is more comfortable but the storage is lacking. For slabs, the R gets better fuel mileage and great storage. For twisties? They are both hard to beat. I haven't yet figured out which one is more fun.

So I ventured to make my first big purchase for the GS in the form of a top box. I had bolted my old Pelican on to the rear rack, and I really like it. But it doesn't hold a candle to being able to stuff a helmet and jacket into it.

I just happened to be flipping through Beemer Boneyard looking for an RT rack that would hold the trusty top box and could be modified to fit onto the GS rack. No luck. But I did find the matching Vario top box for a ridiculously low price.

They described the only damage being to the aluminum top being scratched and dinged. But upon arrival, we also discovered a missing back edge cover. You can't win them all. The back edge cover doesn't affect functionality and I wasn't concerned about replacing it. But at a small cost of $15, I'll do it.

Oh yeah, there is the standard crack along the bottom hook and this is the older model when they discovered there needed to be a centering pin to prevent the box from separating itself from the bike at the slightest provocation. All things that can be fixed or retrofitted thanks to those pioneers on ADVRider.

The first, and most important, thing to tackle was the lock. Someone had kindly removed the lock and all I needed to do was purchase a replacement one and key it to my keys. I had always been interested in how those things are rekeyed, but hadn't the nerve to try my hand at it.

This was my time!!

For a measly $35 I acquired a new lock cylinder with many pretty little "followers" to key to my hearts content.

This is an example of incorrect keying where the "followers" are too "proud". They should be flush with the cylinder.

This is an example of proper keying. The last follower sticking up from the cylinder is the lock. It prevents the cylinder from being slipped out. That tab will catch being a plastic tab preventing it from moving.

If you look closely at the top of the cylinder you will see the tab.

Here is the cylinder installed in the handle, with the key in the "locked" position.

The mounting rack for the bike, the lock, the retrofit locking pin, the top box, and the rear edge and I'm still at less than half of the price of a new one. Of course, it isn't quite as large a capacity as the one on the R. And as Nikos has found out, it might have difficulty holding a regular sized helmet. But it does increase storage. We shall see if it will fit the bill.

On a side note...Oilburner and our friendly parts guy continued to harass me about the ding in the top aluminum piece. They both encouraged me to replace the part. My question, why does it have to be fixed? I'm fine with the damage. It isn't extensive, it doesn't affect usage, it is only cosmetic. I'm going to damage it in some way, shape or form. A sticker will even cover the entire issue. So why do I need to spend money unnecessarily on this. What are your thoughts?

 

 

 

Carburetors and Fuel Petcocks

So what happens when someone has become spoiled on his state of the art, fuel injected, luxury liner on two wheels and is put on a 1986 Honda duel sport?  He completely forgets about carburetors and fuel petcocks that need to be turned into the proper position...

I figured he had stalled the machine when he didn't follow me through the right hand turn out of the parking lot.  But I could see his frustration level skyrocketing when it died again a quarter mile down the road at the next light.  His furious kick starting wasn't having effect.  Luckily there wasn't anyone on the road behind us.  I just pulled over and headed for the gas station.  He was there jumping up and down on that kick start lever to save his life.

I was curious to see if he would pull it over to the gas station and just kick it over on its side.  (He had spent all day Saturday trying to kick start that darn machine.  You would think the fact that it wasn't getting any spark would have saved him tons of kicking.)

It didn't take him long to realize that the fuel petcock was in the "Off" position.  Well...it didn't take him much longer...hehe

Just goes to show that you have to relearn some things on those older vehicles that you used to be proficient on.  :)

How's the GS?

I realize I have been away a little.  Work and life balance is not one of my strong points.  :)  I was facing a product (software) release the week after purchasing the GS.  Many hours of overtime and a Sunday deploy kept me grounded and merely watching the GS sit in the garage.

Really.  A brand new bike and I get to watch it sit in the garage...  Argh...

During the interval the GS has received:

1) It's 600 mile service (965 km).  Do you conceive of how difficult it is to put 600 miles on a bike when you cannot ride on the freeway??  This was the longest and most difficult 600 miles I have ridden!

She got new oil:

New final drive fluids:

2) Received engine and tank guards:

3) Installed a Centech unit for all those electronic accessories. Oilburner did a great job, didn't he?

4) Auxiliary headlights, to better be seen:

5) Hyperlights (no pictures)

6) We took a quick trip to snag a tag and she saw her first bit of dirt...errr water:

I think the next item should be a Fender Extender to save those pipes.  :)

Can you believe? Even the RT was showing RTA (Adventure) stripes:

A Button. A Door. It's a Simple Thing Really.

When is a door not a door?

When it's ajar!!

It's a simple thing really.  At it's simplest it is some semi-flat and thin plank that can be set or pushed in front of some sort of opening to enable or prevent ingress/egress of some one, some thing, snow, rain, etc.  Slightly more complex and the plank is attached by rope or metal or something that forms a hinge and the planking can be swung to admit passage.  Add a little more complexity and the hinge can be at the top, and some electronic mechanism can even perform plank movement automatically.  Really.  I've seen it.

That fanciest of all versions contains an "Automatic Door Opener."  Cagers figured this thing out long ago that allows them to carry, in the car, a small box with a button that will control that "Automatic Door Opener" remotely.  When they leave, a press of the button will close the door.  And when they arrive it will open the door.  There is a matching button usually mounted on a wall within the garage that will control the "Automatic Door Opener" from an internal stationary location.

This is a spectacular achievement when the vehicle is going through that portal.  The user does not have to exit the vehicle to open or close the door and get back into the vehicle.

So what about us no-account motorbike riders that don't have storage space to keep that box with the button?  Or easy accessibility if one does?  Or fingers that are not the size of a Christmas ham wrapped in leather casing?

We are "attached to another object by an inclined plane wrapped helically around an axis."  Some people have devised a form of the boxed button that will activate that "Automatic Door Opener" with the honk of the horn.  Unfortunately, that only seems to work when the appropriate receiver is nearby and tuned to your horn's frequency.



But wait!

A couple intrepid inventors saw a possibility here.  Could something be created for a motorbike?  Something other than velcro-ing or gluing the boxed button onto the bike?

One such system is the Flash2Pass.

Image taken from Web

This product involves hooking into the high beam wires for your motorbike, and then stashing the small attached mechanism on your bike somewhere.  This will usually fit behind a fairing or headlight, but could be mounted under the seat in a pinch.  A second mechanism is attached to/or replaces that button that is mounted on the wall internally.  This is all wrapped up neatly, allowing the motorbike operator the luxury of pressing the "flash" high beams in quick succession to activate that lovely "Automatic Door Opener."

No, it isn't difficult to dismount a motorbike and open that door.  But when it also entails unlocking the inside door, disarming the alarm, preventing the geriatric dog from breaking a leg as she jumps all over you panicking to be let out, unlocking the back door and escorting the dog through the screened porch, all the while looking and feeling like an astronaut walking on the moon with this heavy orbed object on your head, baubling along the rooms trying not to knock it against the cabinet or doors.

No.  It isn't completely necessary.  But it is such a simply thing and so nice to have.  :)

I Think It's Fair

It's only fair.  I get an accessory for my bike in the Hugger.  Mr. Oilburner gets this pretty little fender extender.  It seems to serve the same purpose as the Hugger: prevent rock flingin' from the tire.  His little extender is more for the benefit of others riding or driving behind.  Mine is a little more selfish in mostly protecting my shock.  His is plastic, mine is carbon fibre.  His cost $39 US, mine was only 8 times more.  :)  I think it's fair.

The installation looked difficult and even came with an installation manual.  (?!?!)

Insert extender into the existing fender.

Insert screw.

Tighten screw.

Done.