Oh man...my bank account is gonna hate me.

[Boostedxt]

So I was going over the plans for my arctic circle trip and my other planned road trips and figured I would truly look at what I want and need to do to the bike in order to make it worthy in my opinion. I looked at what I want to buy and what its going to cost and I almost shat a brick. Its a good thing my wife is 100% awesome and is OK with me getting this stuff and supports my riding trips....

Happy Trails 9" Teton Panniers: $710
Alt Rider Crash Bars in Black: $368
Alt Rider Bash Plate: $352
Yukon Dry Bag: $120
Spot 2 Tracker: $149
2 RotopaX gas containers and mounts: $200


so far its at $1900 which isnt toooooo bad. ;D any advice? would you recommend I change things?

joe

 

[HoebSTer]

Not a thing! And surely don't change a wife like that!

 

[snakebitten]

So I was going over the plans for my arctic circle trip and my other planned road trips and figured I would truly look at what I want and need to do to the bike in order to make it worthy in my opinion. I looked at what I want to buy and what its going to cost and I almost shat a brick. Its a good thing my wife is 100% awesome and is OK with me getting this stuff and supports my riding trips....

Happy Trails 9" Teton Panniers: $710
Alt Rider Crash Bars in Black: $368
Alt Rider Bash Plate: $352
Yukon Dry Bag: $120
Spot 2 Tracker: $149
2 RotopaX gas containers and mounts: $200


so far its at $1900 which isnt toooooo bad. ;D any advice? would you recommend I change things?

joe

Nice plan.
I got the Happy Trail 9" Tetons for Christmas. Unfortunately, the mounting rack is delayed in production. Bummer.
Really nice craftmanship though. And they look like they wil stay nice and dry.

Only thing pecular, is in the photos on the website, the 45degree shamfer on the outside bottom edge is small on the Teton. The shamfer is much larger on the larger panniers. (cascades and Denali's) But when the Tetons arrived, they have the bigger shamfer.

They look great. But I was surprised the photos are not of the current design.

I also took advantage of their current internal "soft bag-it" special. Looks like a nice design for packing the panniers accurately.

Made in the good ole USA by some obvious craftsmen. And great price too.

I think you will be pleased.

 

[dcstrom]

Apparently Best Buy has a deal on Spot 2 for $70 right now

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=750259

or there are other places you can get a $50 rebate of the standard $149 till December 31 - try REI or Westmarine.

With your savings you can pay the Spot subscription - $99 - which you left off your list ;D

 

[Boostedxt]

Hoeb: No plans! My wife is amazing and I am blessed to have her in my life. I resigned from my last job on December of 2010, and took 1 year off before my new career started. I was a trophy husband who did nothing but shoot guns and ride my motorcycle all over the place. She is amazing.

snake: Thats great to hear! Thanks! I am just torn between the silver or the black. I am leaning towards the silver on the blue bike honestly. I really like the look of them and the build quality from what I have read and I am excited to get them!

dcstrom: Isn't that for the version that hooks through your phone? I am ok with spending a bit more money for the tradition version.

Thanks everyone
joe

 

[dcstrom]

dcstrom: Isn't that for the version that hooks through your phone? I am ok with spending a bit more money for the tradition version.

Thanks everyone
joe

both versions have rebates at the moment

 

[Tremor38]

I was a trophy husband who did nothing but shoot guns and ride my motorcycle all over the place. She is amazing.

joe

I hate you! J/k 8)

 

[pluric]

Well I don't know what other rides you have in mind so you may want the full list.
When I went to Alaska from Salt Lake I found out I was way over packed.

We did go to Prudhoe Bay. I had the stock plastic Strom rock guard with no problems.
I have at least 5 Kolpin or Roto-pax setups and ended up taking a $10 2&1/2 gallon gas
can in the Moto-fizz trunk bag. I did use it twice. Coldfoot to Prudhoe is a long haul.

The main thing to remember is you are in a US State. You can get supplies, gas, food just
about anything you need day by day. I did plan on camping and enjoyed the campsites.

Going through Canada was the same. Can't say the same for Eastern Canada, what's with
the French wannabes? :

Your list will make for a nicely farkled bike. If you need to cut a few items out before your
ride you should be fine.

If you're interested at all here is a RR from when I went. Some packing suggestion at the end.

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=196720

Enjoy your Arctic ride. It was my favorite trip so far. ::008::

 

[Boostedxt]

Thanks for the advice pluric. These are things I would want to do to the bike for protection because I have read that the Dempster can be hard and if it rains at all it will be even harder. I plan on hitting Inuvik and then over to Prudhoe bay. My other rides are going to be east to Boston and then up and to Nova Scotia and then back across Canada and down through Montana by way of country back roads. I have a few more planned as well and most of them have dirt involved so I figure the protection will be nice!

dc: thanks for the info! I might go spend some Christmas money and get one!

joe

 

[pluric]

Thanks for the advice pluric. These are things I would want to do to the bike for protection because I have read that the Dempster can be hard and if it rains at all it will be even harder. I plan on hitting Inuvik and then over to Prudhoe bay. My other rides are going to be east to Boston and then up and to Nova Scotia and then back across Canada and down through Montana by way of country back roads. I have a few more planned as well and most of them have dirt involved so I figure the protection will be nice!

dc: thanks for the info! I might go spend some Christmas money and get one!

joe

Dry not bad at all. Wet is a whole nother story. Man that is slippery goop. Good news it it does dry out quickly.
Get that crap off your bike as soon as possible. Sets up and stains everything. Bugger to remove.

 

[snakebitten]

Pluric, if you don't mind me asking........

The big soft Tailbag on the Strom? What is it?
And your likes/dislikes.......

I'm thinking a softbag on the back myself, to go with the Happy-Trail panniers.
Just can't find a Hard box I like.

Thanks

 

[pluric]

Pluric, if you don't mind me asking........

The big soft Tailbag on the Strom? What is it?
And your likes/dislikes.......

I'm thinking a softbag on the back myself, to go with the Happy-Trail panniers.
Just can't find a Hard box I like.

Thanks

Motofizz. My favorite bag. Opens from the sides, top, storage areas. All kinds of
mounting options. Dirty laundry bag in the top flap. Very well designed for motorcycles.

http://www.aerostich.com/motofizz-camping-seat-bags-large.html

 

[tomatocity]

Motofizz. My favorite bag. Opens from the sides, top, storage areas. All kinds of
mounting options. Dirty laundry bag in the top flap. Very well designed for motorcycles.

http://www.aerostich.com/motofizz-camping-seat-bags-large.html

pluric, that is a very nice bag. Like how it expands. Too bad there is no rain cover.

 

[Tremor38]

pluric, that is a very nice bag. Like how it expands. Too bad there is no rain cover.

I have a Motofizz. They have a rain cover, but your stuff still gets wet from road spray. Very versatile bag though. I use lot of zip lock bags on my longer trips

 

[pluric]

I had made an alloy plate the base size of the Motofizz for that trip. I don't recall water penetration
being a problem. I usually use those shrink down travel bags on distance rides. More room and they
are water proof. If I'm not using those a heavy duty garbage sack liner works too. Still a roomy bag
with nice cubby areas.

With the travel size packer my insulated liners went from this,

To this, plus the waterproof part is nice.

I almost got to check out how waterproof they are the hard way.....

 

[Tremor38]

I had made an alloy plate the base size of the Motofizz for that trip. I don't recall water penetration
being a problem. I usually use those shrink down travel bags on distance rides. More room and they
are water proof. If I'm not using those a heavy duty garbage sack liner works too. Still a roomy bag
with nice cubby areas.

With the travel size packer my insulated liners went from this,

To this, plus the waterproof part is nice.

I almost got to check out how waterproof they are the hard way.....

KLX250S! I had the motard version from 2006 to 2011, but had to get rid of it when I bought the S10 because of a silly one bike restriction we have here in Misawa. Wish I could have kept that bike. I had a KLX300 clylinder with Wiseco piston, high flow exhaust, stage 1 cams, Yoshimura pumper carb, and an ignitor that had a more aggressive curve and no rev limiter. The bike even had a Renazco seat, so comfort was actually pretty good. I racked up close to 40,000 miles on it before I traded it in...and it was still going strong with nary a problem. Chains, oil and tires were all it ever wanted. I took it around Hokkaido with a Motofizz bag on the seat before I had a luggage rack on the back and it worked a treat.

 

[pluric]

KLX250S! I had the motard version from 2006 to 2011, but had to get rid of it when I bought the S10 because of a silly one bike restriction we have here in Misawa. Wish I could have kept that bike. I had a KLX300 clylinder with Wiseco piston, high flow exhaust, stage 1 cams, Yoshimura pumper carb, and an ignitor that had a more aggressive curve and no rev limiter. The bike even had a Renazco seat, so comfort was actually pretty good. I racked up close to 40,000 miles on it before I traded it in...and it was still going strong with nary a problem. Chains, oil and tires were all it ever wanted. I took it around Hokkaido with a Motofizz bag on the seat before I had a luggage rack on the back and it worked a treat.

Well I've never met a thread I couldn't hijack.

I wanted a lighter trail bike than the DR400. Have a CRF230 plated, just wanted to try the KLX.
Balance bearing went out and damaged the crank so while it was down I added the Bill Blue 351 kit
and a pumper carb. That transformed it. So much mid range power. Stock there is little to jump and down about.
It already had a Q4 exhaust. I left the stock stickers just to turn some heads when group riding. No one expects
a KLX to be able to get out of it's own way.

Side note. I was in Japan in the late 70's for two years as a Mormon missionary. Okayama area and the island of Shikoku.
Nice to visit, but wayyyyyyy to crowded for me to live there.

 

[Tremor38]

Well I've never met a thread I couldn't hijack.

I wanted a lighter trail bike than the DR400. Have a CRF230 plated, just wanted to try the KLX.
Balance bearing went out and damaged the crank so while it was down I added the Bill Blue 351 kit
and a pumper carb. That transformed it. So much mid range power. Stock there is little to jump and down about.
It already had a Q4 exhaust. I left the stock stickers just to turn some heads when group riding. No one expects
a KLX to be able to get out of it's own way.

Side note. I was in Japan in the late 70's for two years as a Mormon missionary. Okayama area and the island of Shikoku.
Nice to visit, but wayyyyyyy to crowded for me to live there.

Yeah, I know the feeling. Even what the city folk here call 'country' wouldn't qualify stateside. I guess that's why I jump on the fairy and head to Hokkaido so often. Beautiful wide open spaces compared to anywhere on Honshu or even the southern islands.