Milton - Vancouver on R6 - July 2012

He's got a month. And IMNSHO :D slabbing it home with the wind and you want to get home makes more sense.

I agree the cargo net seems like a better solution but how do you tighten it?

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Originally Posted by gjones4487
Thanks ive been looking for some sort of cruise control
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Palm throttle for sure ( cheap and works )
I use the Kaoka
Easy to use - looks good
http://www.kaoko.com/

http://www.kaoko.com.shopdirect.co.za/c13/How-it-Works.aspx

Had the Brakeaway and while it worked was fiddly to adjust and sometimes would no engage tho it always disengaged. More money too.
Worth it's weight in gold on long runs. ( don't look at the price - it's in Rand - should be $80 or so if you can find.
 
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MacDoc said:
Masking tape will wear through in a heart beat. Maybe a clothe or fiber tape might work
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Nope they will not work.

I go to an automotive graphics outlet & get some clear 3M sheet guard. Sorry as I forget what it is called. It is the highly flexible stuff they use as stone and scratch guarding on cars.

Last year I paid about $10 for a square foot. I have installed it over factory stickers on a bike and then peeled it off 2 weeks later with no bad results. It looks like a sheet of clear vinyl. It has a smooth surface. Apply it like a sticker: peel off the paper backing and stick it onto a wet surface.

Bungee cords will not rub through, it can be easily cut with scissors or a pocket knife (which I did once at a hotel room). Simply wet the bike's bodywork with some soapy water and lay it in place. Who cares if you get a wrinkle in it the 1st few times. I found it could not be reused because it stretched and thinned out when I removed it via pulling it off. I never used any heat to remove it. After 2 weeks I simply grasped a corner and slowly pulled it off paying attention to any stock stickers under it.

Come to think of it, the last time I applied it at the end of a 1st day's trip I simply wet cleaned the tailsection with water and a face clothe from the hotel, cut it with a knife and then I layed it in place over the water wet tailsection. Did not care if it looked like it was not trimmed perfectly because the bags and bungees hid it anyways. Besides it is not a permanent install. Though it probably could be.

No scuffs, marks.....on the bike after the trip. I have ridden to the east coast & back with this stuff on full sport bikes. And I never use any throttle assists; that's just wimpy (and I'm no 20 something). It's a motorcycle for C's sake. Lol.
 
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Thanks a lot for all the help guys! I will definitely get some of the 3M stone guard, I am going to be getting a set of Oxford Saddle bags and a Oxford 40x Tail Bag at the bike show in March. and will probably pick up a cargo net as well to secure my tent and sleeping bag seems like an easier idea considering I have an after market under tail with only the passenger pegs as proper anchor points.
 
Here is a basic layout of what I am going to bring and a rough day to day plan, let me know what you think. :D

The Gear I have:
- Oxford 30x Magnetic Tank Bag
- REV’IT! Ignition Jacket
- REV’IT! Sport gauntlet gloves.

Soon to purchase
- REV’IT! Gear Pants
- Alpinestars Web Gore-Tex Boots
- Short Sport Gloves (for the hotter days)
- Rain Suit (not sure what one)
- Oxford Saddle Bags
- Possibly an Oxford x40 Tail Bag
- Heated vest (maybe)

Estimated Clothes:
- 5 t-shirts
- 1-2 hoodies
- 5 pairs of socks and underwear
- 2 pairs of jeans
- 2 pairs of shorts

Electronics:
- Cannon Rebel T2i w/ Telephoto lens (have yet to buy)
- GoPro 960 (have yet to buy)
- Laptop
- GPS
- Blackberry
- iPod
EDIT: Spot GPS Tracker

Tools:
- basic set of tools, wrenches, screwdrivers etc
- wheel patch kit
- 12v air compressor? (are there ones small enough?)

Essentials:
- Toothpaste & tooth brush
- Body soap and Shampoo
- Mouthwash
- Water (bottles or camelback … not sure yet)
- Snacks – cookies, fiber bars

Misc.:
- Sunglasses
- Pair of running shoes
- Paper maps and compass.
- Scarf/balaclava
- 1 person tent
- Sleeping bag
- Basic First Aid kit

http://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?msid=...=47.989922,-93.427734&spn=31.994726,86.572266

Milton – Vancouver:

Day 1: Milton – Sault Ste. Marie
Day 2: Sault Ste. Marie – Thunder Bay
Day 3: Thunder Bay – Cooperstown
Day 4 & 5: Rest in Cooperstown with Family
Day 6: Cooperstown – Badlands.
Day 7: Tour the Badlands, Go through Black hills/Rushmore area to Casper WY
Day 8: Casper - Yellow Stone National Park
Day 9: Yellow Stone – Browning, MT
Edit: Day 10: Browning - Spokane, WA (through Glacier National Park)
Day 11: Spokane – Vancouver, BC.

Stay in Vancouver for a few days and see the sights

Vancouver - Milton

Day 1: Vancouver – Kamloops, BC
Day 2: Kamloops – Calgary, AB
Day 3 & 4: In Calgary
Day 5: Calgary – Regina, SK
Day 6: Regina – Winnipeg, MB
Day 7: Winnipeg – Thunder Bay, ON
Day 8: Thunder Bay – Sault Ste. Marie
*Home Stretch*
Day 9: Sault Ste. Marie – Tobermory Ferry (nap) – HOME!

This plan is flexible seeing as I have a month.

Any suggestions for anything I am missing/should take out? (Gear, necessities, etc.)
 
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Tools: Add a small pair of Vise Grips in case you bust off your gear shifter
Clothing: Turtle neck
Quality Ear Plugs a must !!!
 
gjones4487 said:
- 12v air compressor? (are there ones small enough?)
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I have an air compressor for my car which is the size of a tissue box. In terms of the relative space that you have on your bike, it is a lot but it is also very worth it if you need it.

Also if you're using a GPS as your primary navigation system, get a spare one just incase as well as backup power cords. My bike likes to eat power cords for breakfast...dont know why, maybe its the vibrations.
 
Optional:
- Inflatable mattress. It packs fairly small, alas quite heavy, but provides a much better rest at night.
- Sunscreen (you can pick up one anywhere on your way after the first sunburn ;)).
- Bandana for the helmetless states (dare to try it without the lid?).
- Flashlight, batteries.
- Swiss Army knife

The route:
- From Black Hills to Code try the route across Big Horn Mountains, more scenic than through Casper, also as mentioned on the other thread, go to the Devil's Tower, it's an impressive landmark that I wouldn't miss. Anyone remebers Close Encounters of the Third Kind (CE3K)?

http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=Devils...+Tower,+Crook,+Wyoming,+United+States&t=m&z=9


https://picasaweb.google.com/tiborgh/YellowstoneNPJuly2010?authuser=0&feat=directlink
 
Those are some awesome pictures and looked like a wicked trip.
Devil's tower looks like an interesting sight... is there a decent town to stay in between black hills and Yellow Stone if I go through Big Horn. or a place to camp?
 
Estimated Clothes:
- 5 t-shirts
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I'd stay off cotton entirely and get some technical fabric that keeps you dry and cool/warm - hikers/runners know all about it. Nike has Dri-fit and there are hiking shirts with multiple velcro pockets - I'd get one long sleeve and one short sleeve with sealable pockets as your main riding shirts - they rinse out easily and dry very quickly. Something like a plain Nike Dri-fit long sleeve will be good to sleep in and easy to keep fresh...or just use the poly long under wear top but I like a loose fitting slightly over size poly top to sleep in - the poly underwear tends to fit snug which is the idea.

Also a a poly prop set of long underwear which are thin and the shirt you can wear as a additional layer under the long sleeve.
http://www.theunderwearguys.com/product_info.php?products_id=174
I learned the hard way about cotton.
Bamboo socks are terrific for similar reasons - I wear them here and never get hot in my boots even when it's 33 out and they remain comfortable when wet.

http://www.hikingtripsandgear.com/hiking-clothes.html

Polyprop or poly cotton or similar that is designed to keep moisture away. Under Armour stuff is great but $$.

Even with a heated vest moisture will be a problem hot or cold weather.

Also add sunscreen as mentioned.

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Rain Suit (not sure what one)
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Frog togs seem a universal good choice. Important tho make sure you do the seals up properly front and neck. I often wear my rain jacket when it gets cool as an additional layer say early in the morning which is often the nicest time to ride - light is wonderful, very little wind and especially travelling west the on the way out the sun will be behind you.
Riding into the sun is a sure way to tire yourself out.

If a storm looms pull off early if you are going to ride through it and check your gear and get your rain gear on BEFORE it hits.

If it's a nasty summer storm find an overpass or a McDs ( free wifi everywhere ) and sit it out. There are some good radar sites for each area to get an idea of what's lurking.
 
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You've gotten some good advice and what isn't here, is probably on this site somewhere :-)

Probably the best of the many excellent suggestions is to do a trial run! Even before I went out to Arizona last year, and it was far from my first motorcycle road trip, I loaded up everything and ran to the Thousand Islands for an overnight trip. I thought I had found a jacket that would do double duty and I could just pack the pants part of my rain suit - quickly found out how wrong I was, better to learn that lesson a few hundred k's from home rather than a few thousand.

It sounds like you are planning on camping at least part of the time, which brings its own set of problems. I've found a geeky headlamp invaluable in setting up in the dark. I'm not brave enough to do "stealth" camping, though I've camped behind service stations with permission.

But the biggest problem is if you think riding is addictive, wait until you start long-distance touring. Welcome to life "outside the box".

Its good to have a forum like this where you can get support, because be warned you will be serenaded by the "Cantors". They'll tell you you "can't do this" and "can't do that". Its too long, too dangerous, you'll be lonely, you'll get tired, you'll get wet, you'll be hot, you'll be cold. Well, you probably will be all at some point in time - and you'll overcome it and those are the stories you'll share and laugh about around a campfire with strangers who are now friends.

To me solo touring is the ultimate road trip and aside from the travel and the adventure and the people you'll meet, you'll learn things about yourself and find strengths you didn't know you had.
 
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i did the trans canada 3 years ago in my cage was really nice...always be alert the moose think they own that road. i came around a corner to face one head on **** my pants.
 
BeastieGirl said:
But the biggest problem is if you think riding is addictive, wait until you start long-distance touring. Welcome to life "outside the box".

To me solo touring is the ultimate road trip and aside from the travel and the adventure and the people you'll meet, you'll learn things about yourself and find strengths you didn't know you had.
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Yup....she knows....
 
If you're looking to protect your bike from scratches / rubbing caused by luggage, I've had very good success with black electrical tape. It's cheap, it's soft, it's easy to apply exactly how you want it, it can be layered if you want, and it comes off easily with no residue.
 
BeastieGirl said:
...if you think riding is addictive, wait until you start long-distance touring. Welcome to life "outside the box".

Its good to have a forum like this where you can get support, because be warned you will be serenaded by the "Cantors". They'll tell you you "can't do this" and "can't do that". Its too long, too dangerous, you'll be lonely, you'll get tired, you'll get wet, you'll be hot, you'll be cold. Well, you probably will be all at some point in time - and you'll overcome it and those are the stories you'll share and laugh about around a campfire with strangers who are now friends.

To me solo touring is the ultimate road trip and aside from the travel and the adventure and the people you'll meet, you'll learn things about yourself and find strengths you didn't know you had.
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I agree even before my first long tour, i have always wanted to ride and now that i have had a taste i want to ride even more. I can't wiat for this trip.

i did the trans canada 3 years ago in my cage was really nice...always be alert the moose think they own that road. i came around a corner to face one head on **** my pants. .
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I have done the Trans Canada in ontario - thunderbay in my car and yes the moose do think they own the road! it's scary as **** when you see one ahead.


Again thanks for all the advice everyone, keep it commin, I can't wait for the spring to start so we can get back out on our bikes. and JULY can't come fast enough! :D
 
Suggestion for the route out to Vancouver.... After going through Wyoming, I would cut north from Butte, Montana to go to Browning, Montana and west to St. Mary. That's pretty much the west end of Glacier National Park. Take the Glacier Route/Going-to-the-Sun Rd to the west entrance of the park at West Glacier, MO. It's a super beautiful road and it only opens for a few months a year. July would probably be ok, although last year it didn't open until July 13th! I happened to hit that part of my trip on that exact day so I was pretty lucky ^^

After Glacier National Park, head to the border at Roosville, BC and take Hwy 3 to Vancouver. If you have time, take a couple days out to Vancouver Island.
 
As McDoc said in post 23, make sure that you have the CAA PLUS membership and not just the basic membership. With the upgraded membership you can get your bike flat bedded to a repair place in case you shred a tire or have some other catastrophic failure. Check with CAA to make sure that you have the right coverage for your trip.

Have a great trip!
 
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