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SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Road Trip... /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1168620191 Message started by EntropyofMe on 01/12/07 at 08:43:11 |
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Title: Road Trip... Post by EntropyofMe on 01/12/07 at 08:43:11 Ok, so i'm new to this board and still a little new to the S40 (almost a year, close to 5,000 miles). i initially bought it for my wife as an anniversary gift, but i've definitely become very attached to this awesome bike, and i'm seriously considering getting another when we've got some extra cash. Ours is completely stock right now (besides the duct.. er.. "high-speed" tape on the rear turn signal from when i layed her down avoiding a dog- in our yard, and not even our dog! i'll be fixing that soon, don't worry). i'll probably be doing the seat lift before we go long distance as i'm 5'9" and i need just a smidge (about an inch) more height for it to be absolutely perfect. a couple months from now (after we get our tax return) we're planning to ride off into the sunset from here (washington, d.c. area) to phoenix, az. we'll be staying in AZ indefinitely so my wife can go work with her mentor at a tattoo shop out there. but, we're mainly looking forward to a few weeks (if not more) on the road. probably via rt. 70 mostly, and a LOT of back roads. i'd really like to hear any and every suggestion. i've done some research on here about replacement parts and good stuff to carry in general (i.e. belt, fuses, cables, zip ties, fix-a-flat, etc.). i worked at an auto shop when i was a little younger with the title of "Shop Bi---" so i'm somewhat mechanically inclined. "hey go stamp these cylinders!" "move these tires! yes, all of them!" "go sweep the parking lot!" ok, so not all of it was mechanical, but gimme SOME credit! haha! we've also done long distance road trips before. we're born travelers, so we pack pretty light and efficient, but i'm open to everything. lay it on me! i'm also curious about the load capacity of the savage, and can this be improved in any way if it is of concern? i weigh about 150 (tops, on a good day, soaking wet with a brick in my pocket), and my wife weighs about 125ish, but even with both of us the bike still seems fine. we'll be camping the whole way so the other things we'll be carrying are a small tent, tarp, bedroll, and a few other small supplies like basic 1st aid, maybe a sterno can, and a camping mess kit (it's aluminum so it's very light), etc. at any given time we may also be carrying a can of beans or something as well. a few toiletries- toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant (we'll definitely need that), etc. oh, i'm bringing a small laptop and digicam (+25 pounds... maybe... overestimating) i'm also going to have sissy bar and a rack put on before we go, as well as saddlebags. i saw something on here about making bags for the gas tank, which i might do also, to even out the load, as well as a fork bag for tools. all in all, i'm thinking that we'll be adding another 125 pounds to the bike. so 150 + 125 + 125, do we think the bike can handle 400 lbs, for a few thousand miles? let me know what you all think. from everything that i've read so far there are some really great people on this site, with extremely valuable knowledge and experience. i'm really looking forward to any comments and suggestions. thanks! |
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Title: Re: Road Trip... Post by Greg_650 on 01/12/07 at 08:48:35 So, you are going 2 up on the Savage40? |
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Title: Re: Road Trip... Post by EntropyofMe on 01/12/07 at 10:08:19 Greg_650 wrote:
yes sir. |
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Title: Re: Road Trip... Post by Rockin_John on 01/12/07 at 10:26:38 Greg_650 wrote:
EntropyofMe wrote:
Sure hope you are both in the feather weight catagory. Especailly whoever spends the most time on that pillion pad. I'd rather be drawn and quartered and just get it over with. But then I'm at the large end of the Savage rider scale! ;) |
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Title: Re: Road Trip... Post by EntropyofMe on 01/12/07 at 11:51:32 Rockin_John wrote:
haha! we definitely are. we're actually pretty comfortable on the stock seats for the most part- believe it or not. we might check out some gel seats or something though just because it's sooo freakin far. i don't want to have sciatica by the time we get there. |
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Title: Re: Road Trip... Post by Paladin on 01/12/07 at 12:17:27 Beg borrow steal whatever it takes, but get the second Savage before going. 1. Any breakdown will not strand you. 2. You double your carry capacity. 3. Any breakdown will not strand you. 4. No one has to ride pillion. 5. Any breakdown will not strand you. 6. In the unlikely event of an accident it will *most likely* only take out one, giving you immediate assistance by the other. The peace of mind is worth whatever it takes to get the second bike. Mapquest.com has an option for [x] No Highways With the Laptop, if you have WiFi, AT&T FreedomLink is available at many if not most McDonalds, as well as from many home networks that have not enabled WEP, so you can keep on line as you go. I have not had any problem the few times I've asked to plug my laptop into AC at McDonalds; otherwise you might consider adding a 12v power outlet and carrying a small 12vdc-110vac converter to recharge the laptop. p.s. Sounds like a memory of a lifetime in the making. |
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Title: Re: Road Trip... Post by TVR on 01/12/07 at 12:41:16 EntropyofMe wrote:
Thats a lot of together time! If your butt don't hurt, your ears will! |
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Title: Re: Road Trip... Post by EntropyofMe on 01/12/07 at 12:58:34 i really would like to get another one, but the money isn't there. plus i don't think the wifey would be comfortable riding that far on her own just yet. good call on the mc d's. as much as i'm tired of seeing starbucks on every corner i'm pretty sure they all have wifi as well. some camp grounds have electricity on the sites, so i might take advantage of that as well. Paladin wrote:
definitely, another one. nothing can top our biggest road trip though (almost 2 years ago), unless we did this one again, on a bike. our trip went a little like this- asheville, nc - nashville, tn - memphis, tn (went to graceland), new orleans, la (pre-katrina, best jambalaya EVER) - dallas, tx - roswell, nm (definitely had to see the UFO museum) - las vegas, nv (got married by elvis), back to kingman, az (hotel on rt. 66) - grand canyon - riverside, ca - sold the car in riverside, took a shuttle to L.A.X. and flew to hawaii - lived in an apartment in kailua on oahu for 7 months doing odd jobs and riding a scooter around. melody (my wife) learned how to tattoo, i learned how to do piercing. money got tight and we missed family and friends so we came back home to maryland. i might be broke my whole life but i'm at least gonna see every corner of the world while i'm part of it!! ;D |
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Title: Re: Road Trip... Post by vroom1776 on 01/12/07 at 13:52:24 road trippin' (http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?board=cafe;action=display;num=1140323430;start=1#0) |
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Title: Re: Road Trip... Post by EntropyofMe on 01/12/07 at 14:13:19 vroom, definitely a good thread. thanks. i was figuring about 6-8 hours per day, max. we'll be doing a lot of stopping to look at scenery and doinkin around, too. a lot of it will be low stress riding with no urgency to get anywhere at any particular time, other than to the next camp site. what you said in that thread about soda is true, too. we'll probably have a camelback with us. |
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Title: Re: Road Trip... Post by verslagen1 on 01/12/07 at 14:52:02 get a tank bag and put the heavy stuff in it. With you and the wife and everything else sitting on the back tire, there's not much on the front. So load what ever you can forward. And an extra pint of gas strapped on somewhere would sure make me happier about a long trip. |
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Title: Re: Road Trip... Post by Dr_Jim on 01/12/07 at 16:46:48 - |
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Title: Re: Road Trip... Post by Dr_Jim on 01/12/07 at 17:05:40 - |
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Title: Re: Road Trip... Post by stinger on 01/13/07 at 02:06:41 Wow! I rode across America last spring on my little savage alone, and everyone said I had guts! You sure you want to do this? I cant see how your going to fit the both of you and all of your other stuff on this bike and still be able to ride safe. With that load you will need almost as much room as a aircraft to just stop! Not saying it cant be done but this bike is a bit small for long riding 2 up, if you ask me. Im only maybe 5'6 and 145 lbs and all I had was a bag on my rear seat and a back pack to haul all my gear in and I was crowded. Anyway, Ive bored everyone in here with my stories of my trip, so if you want, email me and Ill give you some suggestions on things to take and look out for on your ride. By the way, 800 mile riding days? Figure on more like 250 to 350 a day. 6 hrs a day is barely tolerable riding single up on any motorcycle. And open the thing up with a supertrapp muffler and a k@n air filter or stay out of the mountains! The last thing you want is a semi truck climbing up your butt cause you cant go over 40 with all that weight. This bike will hang with anything on the highway on a long trip one up but two up....??? |
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Title: Re: Road Trip... Post by slavy on 01/13/07 at 07:33:11 When in Az, or close by, don't hesitate to contact me in case of emergency or just for a ride or for help with the maintenance of the bike. Send me an e-mail and I'll give You more info. About the decidion to go 2 on 1 Savage- definitely BAD idea. The bike will hold with no problem, BUT WILL YOU? You will not be able to change the riding position, so You will have to stop more frequently and spend more time at the gas stations and at the rest areas. Plus it is way more fun to ride next to each other, thah Your significant 1/2 to wach the back of Your head. |
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Title: Re: Road Trip... Post by georgekathe on 01/13/07 at 11:29:08 maybe I'm soft, & I've read all about the Iron Butt Rally (11000 miles in 11 days going all over the place) but I rode across the states years ago (6 months, 16000 miles so it wasn't straight across & I stopped for periods of time). I found continual 250-300 miles a day too much (500 in a day & I'd have to rest up & go a very short distance/not at all the next day) I was younger then (30) & weighed 140 lb & had a 120 lb friend on back for 1/2 the distance. Moreover this was a water cooled v-twin (a CX500 Honda) with shaft drive so was much smoother than Savage. it also weighed a deal more (shaft, watercooling & engine jacketing & heavier frame all ads up) so was not as effected by winds/trucks going past. would cruise @ about 60-65 (I really did not want to break it) I had a saddle bags, tank bank, "saddle bags" that sat across/round the tank (heavy stuff went in tank bag & these) & a pretty good size duffle bag strapped to the rear carrier (should have seen customs in NY when they saw us arrive off the plane with all this stuff with 2 helemts strapped to the whole bundle - LOL as some of you say). OK, that was a long winded way of saying I had a hell of an experience but would never ever try it on a Savage, one or 2 up. sorry guys - just my way more than 2 cents worth - promise I'll never go on about my trip again, OK, everyone? |
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Title: Re: Road Trip... Post by steveh on 01/15/07 at 16:37:53 Go for it! Just after we were married, my wife and I left Orlando, Florida, for the Grand Canyon on a Yamaha 350. We had hard saddlebags, a tank bag, and a windshield fairing. We carried our clothes in plastic trash bags in the saddlebags and took a lightweight tent, sleeping bags, cookware, etc. The guy that sold us the bike said we'd never make it, but we sent him a post card from the Grand Canyon. We were gone for 5 weeks, went 6200 miles, and had a ball! Of course, that was in 1973, when I was a little younger. |
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Title: Re: Road Trip... Post by barry68v10 on 01/15/07 at 19:09:45 When I was about 20 years younger, I rode a CM250 all over the place. Carried everything I owned (not much) with me. With a windscreen the CM250 was tolerable but a little slow. The Savage is considerably more powerful so it's 100% better! Go for it, keep a log, and let us know how you fare ;D |
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Title: Re: Road Trip... Post by steelwolf on 01/15/07 at 19:40:14 Not trying to step on toes, but I have a few things to add. 1st, The bike will haul the weight. 2nd, That far on the stock seats two-up? Really BIG balls 3rd, Contrary to what was stated and maybe what is common knowledge, it doesn't take any more room to stop a bike loaded than a bike with rider alone. If that were the case you @ 150# could stop your bike shorter than I @ 180#. That is simply not true. However, you are talking about asking your 350# bike to stop 3 times that with every squeeze of the lever. The brakes will wear out fast. And they will get hot much easier which leads to brake fade. Once that happens there is no brake. Careful on those down hill grades. 4th, Should you actually make this trip with just the one bike, consider some sort of breakdown insurance. If you do have a breakdown, a tow is only a phone call away. BTW take a cell phone, two if possible and don't forget to wire up a power socket so you can charge the phone battery while riding. 5th, Take your time. You will take your time like it or not so figure for it. 6-8hr days? I doubt it. If you can I congratulate you. However, riding alone I would find it hard to do 6hrs. Especially for 2 or 3 days straight. The safety of you and your wife would be compromised by the riding conditions. And this doesnt include inclimate weather conditions. Highway speeds are very physically demanding for hours on end. I would suggest a windscreen of some sort to help deal with this. Good Luck! |
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Title: Re: Road Trip... Post by Fido_the_Cat on 01/15/07 at 21:03:08 I can only speak from my own experiences and opinion. "Can I go too?" Sounds like a blast. Alas I suffer from being on this rock to long as well. Back in he "70's", how long and far weren't an issue. Today I can ride for 10 hrs one day and turn around the next day and due another 3 hrs. After the 3rd day, I park it for a week. I can not see me keeping to the schedule your planning. Lots of good information here. If she needs more seat time "get her out" so she can feel more comfortable. I strongly suggest 2 bikes. Good luck Load up the bike and cruise for a weekend or 3 days at your pace, regardless of the weather, see what you learn. I am not trying to discourage you, I think it would be a great trip and you two seem to be "free spirited" so I think it will work out for you; better if you realistically assess the situation. |
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Title: Re: Road Trip... Post by justin_o_guy on 01/16/07 at 02:50:21 So far, the cheapes cell phone I have found is one of thoise 10 cent a minute things. My wife was spending in excess of $50.00 a month on a cell phone. Now she is spending about 30 bucks every 3 months. Tha doesnt count the cost of the phoine itself. They can be had pretty cheap. Gotta shop all the usual p[laces, target, Walmart, etc, |
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Title: Re: Road Trip... Post by allan on 01/16/07 at 11:05:51 Re cell phones have a look on ebay for a windup light come phone charger, god send in an emergency, invented over here (UK) by Trevor Bayliss he did a radio thing for places that had no power, I take one with me, go for the trip you'll love it just take your time life is not a race its to be enjoyed. we are going through 6 european countries in june but not 2 up Krope watch out we may drop in. 3542 km's in 14 days we hope. allan. |
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Title: Re: Road Trip... Post by EntropyofMe on 01/16/07 at 12:51:18 great suggestions everyone. i sincerely appreciate all the input. it's great to hear everyone's opinons as well. since the money is definitely not there for a second bike, we're most likely just going to throw a little money at this one to make it more comfortable. let's see, what stuff has everyone covered: security, definitely getting the targus motion alarm- a friend of mine had one of those they're awesome. cell phones- have two, no roaming anywhere, 911 gps. the bike also has lojack. comfort- looking at some seats on ebay. i do sorda have an iron ar$e as well. trucking is in the blood (dad, uncle, great grandad, great uncle, and some others on some other side of the family that we don't talk to :-X ), and i've also been known to go an extra few miles before my bum goes numb myself. on that note, however, this is a leisure cruise, and i won't be bothered if we only ride for 2 1/2 hours a day at 50mph. there's a lot of cool scheiße to see out there and we plan to take it all in. i've allowed enough $$ for that, and for days where we don't ride at all (i.e. weather too bad, too tired, otherwise preoccupied, etc.). we also have AAA, which will get us towed somewhere in a worst case breakdown scenario. that being said, anyone is welcome to join us at whatever point. i'd definitely like to stop and meet some folks from here along the way. allan, our next big trip after this will definitely be to europe. maybe by then i'll have the 50' ketch that i've been dreaming of and i'll be able to haul the savages across the pond on it. |
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Title: Re: Road Trip... Post by steelwolf on 01/16/07 at 14:22:04 Might ought to check with AAA. I'm not sure that they offer motorcycle towing with their auto policies. If they do that's great!! |
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Title: Re: Road Trip... Post by mornhm on 01/16/07 at 14:34:09 Most everything that needs to be said about long distance on a Savage has been said in this and other threads. With those things in mind. 1. Plan your gas stops carefully. 2. Rain gear takes up more space than you would believe possible. 3. A GPS and mapping software is your friend, but if money is tight this probably isn't an option. The internet makes a good substitute for this. 4. If you're comfortable on your MC 6-8 hour days aren't bad and leaves plenty of time for ... 5. I haven't done it, but if I was planning on travelling on the cheap, I'd figure out how to put a backpack on my MC rather than saddle bags. (OK my MC has hard bags, but if I was going to live off my MC I'd want my backpack). 6. On the Savage, I'd condsider a tank bag and a trunk before I added saddle bags. (I commuted on mine without ever having saddle bags.) 7. Sunscreen on your face (assuming that everything else is covered by gear. After a week on the road, I had a sunburned face inside my FF helmet. 8. Some Advil helps me feel better when taken before a long days ride. 9. A leatherman or multi-tool is a good thing to have. 10. Lots of water containers. I find quality for tools rather than quantity is preferred. 11. I think you'll run out of volume on any MC before you run out of weight capacity (unless you stick to the manufacturer's recommendations). 12. Think safety first. You want to arrive alive at the end. 13. Think personal/property protection second, not everyone out there is friendly. You sound like you won't be in possession of much "stuff" so if you lose any of it you might be in trouble. 14. If you don't know how, learn to fish. Carry hand lines or full gear to feed yourself, money will go a lot further that way. Have fun |
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Title: Re: Road Trip... Post by justin_o_guy on 01/16/07 at 17:45:37 I use a backpack on Bull, my 05 BOULevard, I use a bungee cord thru the helmet lock, across the seat, to the top loop of the pack. I sewed a D-ring on a piece of 1/2" webbing to the rear leading edge & secure that to the shock mnount w/ parachute cord. Tacky as heck, but the pack is still usable as a backpack. The prob here is it puts a bungee cord under the pillon arse. Might not be a hassle with a little padding. Got 2 @ walmart for about $20.00 I think, just a bit under that. It has sraps with clips that are used to tighten the thing up, close it down on itself so it doesnt flap when it's not ful;ll. I use them to contain the shoulder straps even when it is full. I've had it very loaded several times. Now, the other side has the pipe. I've never needed a second bag so I've never gone to the trouble of figuring how to mount it. I will say I like parachute cord along with good bungee cords.Tubes of cords at walmart or lowes for 10 or 12 bucks will have the options necessary to get the right fit. Parachute cord is light, strong enough for any packing job like a bike trip. Doesn't fray. Small enough to pack extra. If you know how to tie a bowline & use a halfhitch you can tie as tight as you can pull X2 by using a loop for a pulley(bowline for a loop) Bowlines can always be untied no matter how tight the load. Halfhitch is nothing to get loose.Especially if you do take a Leatherman tool,The needlenose will make quick work of a knot that gets a bit tighter thAN intended. |
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Title: Re: Road Trip... Post by franch on 01/17/07 at 05:09:52 one thing that has helped my wife and I (we do alot of 2 up riding on the savage) was when i shaved off about 1.5 inches off of the sissy bar pad. it was pretty easy. just took the cover off, shaved and shaped off the foam with a serrated bread knife and hand sewed the cover back on. the cover looks a little cheesy and i am sure somebody could do a better sewing job than I did. But, this allowed my wife more room to skid backwards and i was no longer squishing my cojones on the front of the tank, especially when braking. Definitely do the drivers seat lift too ! good luck on your road trip |
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Title: Re: Road Trip... Post by EntropyofMe on 01/17/07 at 06:42:24 mornhm wrote:
definitely! i keep line, a few hooks, and a tiny jar of that paste-style bait in my "bug-out-bag." of course, i'll be transferring some of the contents of my bug-out-bag to the luggage of the bike. we have a LOT of camping gear, as we go hiking/backpacking/camping pretty often. so finding just the right stuff should be no problem. we'll probably make a big trip to Ranger Surplus before we go. franch, interesting suggestion about the sissy bar pad. i never thought about that. i might have to check that out. |
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Title: Re: Road Trip... Post by Savage Librarian on 01/17/07 at 15:02:09 EntropyofMe wrote:
Another option is to take the pad completely off and reconstruct it. I've had good luck with 1/4" plywood, memory foam (just buy a foam pillow from walmart for that), and then covering it with marine grade vinyl. That way you can make it thinner/thicker as desired, as well as make it taller/wider as you may want. |
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Title: Re: Road Trip... Post by Digger on 01/26/07 at 20:25:03 Stay off the interstate, the smaller the (paved) road, the better. Take care of yourselves....lots of water and rest stops. The bike can take a lot of abuse. Keep an eye on engine oil and tires, especially the rear tire. Keep up with the tire pressures. Have fun! |
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