SuzukiSavage.com - How to prepare for a looong bike trip ?

mpescatori

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How to prepare for a looong bike trip ?
04/08/13 at 03:20:57

I will be collecting my Savage in a few days (God willing... she's been sitting at the dealership's since 1 August last year!)

Quite a lot of work carried out:
- new front brake (rebuilt) brake pump (rehauled), and brake line (braided)
- new cam chain,
- new K&N pancake air filter (no more airbox),
- repositioned the voltage regulator and all the wires away from the rear fender and where the old air box was,
- chain drive conversion, (it's a 17/49 = 2.88:1)
- starter gear upgrade,
- new 32" drag bars,
- new speedo w/trip meter mounted on the handlebars,
- new leather saddlebags,
- new HORN ! Cheesy

Now it's time for a nice road trip.
I will ride a bit back and forth to check the carburation, but I would like to hope that, by the end of May, everything will be spot on.

Time for my often dreamed of "solo road trip".

My concern is, what kind of preparation would you recommend ?
(No, I do NOT mean "jog 10 miles to the sound of Rocky" Cheesy

)

- new tires, check,
- new cam chain, check,
- new brakes, check,
- new chain drive, check,
- new horns, check,
- saddle bags with pull-out inner liners Wink

check,
- navigator... Huh

who wants a navigator for a solo road trip ? Grin

- tools ? spares ? 32 oz. hammer ? Cool

... well, maybe one thing I still have to check out is a fly screen of sorts...
... nothing that looks like it fell off a Road King, but not a toenail, either Wink

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Maurizio Pescatori, Esq.
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Mikuni BST40, K&N filter, Stage2 cam, Verslagen tensioner, Sportster muff, 120 proof moonshine, Pirelli MT 66 tourers... and a chain conversion too !

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ToesNose

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Re: How to prepare for a looong bike trip ?
Reply #1 - 04/08/13 at 04:20:38

For a good long road trip I would bring along-

*Spare Fuses
*Spare Spark Plug
*Spare Head Light Bulb (if you are heading rural and plan on any night riding)
*Tube patch kit, Spare tube and Tire spoons
*Electric Tape
*Duct Tape
*Zip Ties
*Spare Oil
*Some type of lube

Also if you still just have the stock tool kit, check the tools and replace any of the cheapo ones with good quality tools Wink

Nothing worse then being stuck in the middle of nowhere and having a tool break or bend on you Shocked

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Dave YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 18600 Camp Springs, Kentucky Gender:	Re: How to prepare for a looong bike trip ? Reply #2 - 04/08/13 at 04:34:09 I would ride the bike around locally for a week or two to be sure that everything is working. Sitting for 7 months and all the work you had done has the potential for problems to show up......and you can handle them better at home than you can while on the road.
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Re: How to prepare for a looong bike trip ?
Reply #3 - 04/08/13 at 07:15:57

Cell phone, credit card, bike title (so when it leaves you stranded you can sign it and walk away). Wink

Lots of shorter rides before hand to make sure everything is dialed in. Spare plug and bulbs, bottle of oil, real tools. Don't waste space on tire/tube repair tools, the bike has no center stand so unless you want to lay it on its side...

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mpescatori

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Re: How to prepare for a looong bike trip ?
Reply #4 - 04/08/13 at 07:49:24

Dave wrote on 04/08/13 at 04:34:09:

I would ride the bike around locally for a week or two to be sure that everything is working. Sitting for 7 months and all the work you had done has the potential for problems to show up......and you can handle them better at home than you can while on the road.

Yup ! That's for sure !

If all goes well I'll collect her by the end of... (insert favorite unlikely date here) but will not actually do the ride before... September ?

I wish I knoew how to post a googlemaps route, I plan on riding to Bosnia to see the places where I served during SFOR 1999.

The Bridge in Mostar

Sarajevo as was then

Sarajevo as is today

All in all, anything from 2000 to 2500 Km. Cool

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Maurizio Pescatori, Esq.
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Mikuni BST40, K&N filter, Stage2 cam, Verslagen tensioner, Sportster muff, 120 proof moonshine, Pirelli MT 66 tourers... and a chain conversion too !

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Blinky-FSO Serious Thumper Offline Three Eyes Are Better Than Two Posts: 528 Kentucky Gender:	Re: How to prepare for a looong bike trip ? Reply #5 - 04/08/13 at 07:51:59 Here is a link for a similar discussion from last fall. The only items I used were the oil, rain gear, and Maker's Mark. http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1346362055 have fun!
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Pine Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 1694 Mississippi, USA Gender:	Re: How to prepare for a looong bike trip ? Reply #6 - 04/08/13 at 11:27:51 PICS!!! we demand PICS!! of the bike first then the trip!
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CaramelQT Junior Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 57 RI Gender:	Re: How to prepare for a looong bike trip ? Reply #7 - 04/09/13 at 10:33:10 Extra fuel?
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Re: How to prepare for a looong bike trip ?
Reply #8 - 04/09/13 at 16:16:35

Lucky you! I once rode my savage from portland or to Illinois and zig zagged thru a bunch of states. My bike ran perfectly and the only problems I encountered was everything vibrating loose. Maybe it was lots of crappy roads but every night no matter how tight I tightened everything, always some things were about to fall off.
I ran on 50 wt oil as it made the bike run cooler and smoother.
I paid the extra $10 a year for towing on my bike insurance. it might come in real handy
If there is a chance you have to ride a bit further between gas stations more than 120 miles, buy a rubber hot water bottle from the dollar store and fill it half up with gas.

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mpescatori

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Re: How to prepare for a looong bike trip ?
Reply #9 - 04/10/13 at 03:13:05

Thanks all for the comments

Thank you Blinky for the old thread

Thankl you Stinger for the advice on the vibrations; as for the extra fuel, I must say Europe is so densely populated, it would be like fearing to be left stranded in a deserted locaiton in... Rhode Island ? Massachssetts ? Wink

Really, anywhere you go in the Old World you can hardly drive/ride any more than 10 miles and you're bound to find any kind of a built up area... knock on anybody's door and they will NOT answer the door with a shotgun; a beer and a newspaper, maybe; a pick handle behijnd their back, but no firearms, not even in gun-riddled, formerly war-torn Bosnia.
We're Old World. Cool

Anyway, I DO have a nice 4-5 gal. tank from a Dyna; unfortunately the boys at Suzuki would have none of this "measure up, cut&weld" so I'll have to have it done by another workshop.
Something like "West Coast Customs, Old World Style" Cool

I'll most certainly have to cut up a bit where the Savage upper frame opens up in a "Y" fashion, but I hope I'll lose no more than 1 liter/quart.
Overall, 15/16 usable liters is quite an upgrade over the stock usable 9... increases reliable range from 100 miles/160 Km to almost twice that.

Roger for the comment on spare tires and tire irons, and I do agree.
Anyway, having new tires and tubes means the most I'll want to carry is a Fix-a-flat can made for inner tubes; it'll fix anything short of a machete slash...
... and if I should see such a gash, never mind the bike, RUN!!! Grin

Hopefully, I'll test ride the bike this afternoon (certainly before Verslagen has his first coffee of the day Cheesy

) and hopefully collect her Friday pm.

After that, it's just bolt on the new speedo and horn, throw on the saddle bags and start shopping for a decent flyscreen Cool

I like this style from Piaggio Vespa

OR from Aprilia scooters (same Piaggio Corp.)

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Maurizio Pescatori, Esq.
Gentleman Rider

Mikuni BST40, K&N filter, Stage2 cam, Verslagen tensioner, Sportster muff, 120 proof moonshine, Pirelli MT 66 tourers... and a chain conversion too !

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mpescatori

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Re: How to prepare for a looong bike trip ?
Reply #10 - 04/10/13 at 10:19:59

WOOHOO !!! TEST RIDE !!!

Got to test ride my little bike this afternoon.
Cheesy

Oh, boy, has her character changed !

Originally, with the stock airbox, she would be OK up until 4000-4500rpm, now she pulls HARD up to 5500... then the clutch starts slipping Cheesy

New braided brake line, overhauled brake pump and caliper, new brake pads, she BW-WAKES !
But the brake lever is a bit too far away for my short pudgy fingers so I guess I'll have to look for new, adjustable brake levers - which means clutch lever too.

Loped along up to the 2nd traffic light just to get her warmed up, then opened... well, not quite WOT but, as I said, WOOHOO !!!
Within a few hundred feet from a standing start I was at 4500rmp in 4th (top) gear at an indicated 90-95Km/h (58-60mph) and she was still pulling eagerly !

That's my girl Kiss

Will collect her Friday afternoon after they fix what is possibly vaguely lean carburation at the lowest revs; she hesitates a bit when I slow down and pick up again from 2500-3000rpm, then "wakes up" at 3500 and goes like the wind.

After that, it'll be a few cruises just to see average cruising mileage and city riding to calculate commuting mileage.

Then, time to start some serious planning... Wink

PS New 32" drag bars make her very nimble and manoeuverable, tried the OEM buckhorns but I felt like an old lady on a stroller... Tongue

...how can some people ride with the stock buckhorns?
OR maybe it's just me... Wink

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Maurizio Pescatori, Esq.
Gentleman Rider

Mikuni BST40, K&N filter, Stage2 cam, Verslagen tensioner, Sportster muff, 120 proof moonshine, Pirelli MT 66 tourers... and a chain conversion too !

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MMRanch Serious Thumper Offline Evil flourishes if Good Men do Nothing. Posts: 6178 LYNCHBURG TN Gender:	Re: How to prepare for a looong bike trip ? Reply #11 - 04/10/13 at 20:17:33 The best thing to take on a trip is ...... drum roll ...... is a buddy ! on his/her own bike ... That larger fuel tank makes me druel just at the thought of it !! how about posting a picture for us to rub our wet little fingers on ! ? !
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mpescatori Serious Thumper Offline Romanum Thumperium Cavalco, yeaaah !!! Posts: 3547 Rome, Italy Gender:	Re: How to prepare for a looong bike trip ? Reply #12 - 04/11/13 at 10:46:58 Well... wll be collectng her toorrow after whch t'll be a few hours to set up the last details in proper order... After which, starting next Monday, I expect to be enjoying myself on my commute home ! A few pics here and there...
Back to top	Maurizio Pescatori, Esq. Gentleman Rider Mikuni BST40, K&N filter, Stage2 cam, Verslagen tensioner, Sportster muff, 120 proof moonshine, Pirelli MT 66 tourers... and a chain conversion too ! IP Logged