Seattle to San Diego (And back...) - Think the Tenere is up for it?

[sportsguy]

::002::

I KNOW the Tenere is capable, but...

Am I ready for it? Been riding a ton lately, but all on my Vespa. Oh, did I mention I bought a Vespa (2012 GTS 300 ie)? I thought of taking that to SD, but figure the Tenere has better range, so that seals the deal...

OK, the plan is this:

Ride from Seattle to San Diego, following the coast on the way down, slabbing it in reverse. Looks to be 4 days of riding to reach SD, 3 back. Of course, the entire pan could be flipped around.

With 9 days, that should allow me a couple days to chill...one of which I plan to spend with the Motoport folks getting measured for a new suit. That's allow me one extra day in SD, or a quick turn around would see me with a day to chill back home.

Regardless of how that plans out, I figured I'd ask for folks to post up ideas on what I might need.

It's safe to say if you post an idea, I probably own it.

The only reason I haven't bought any farkles for the ST lately is because it already has EVERYTHING!

She's riding on TKC-80s right now, which are a bit worn, so I'm considering tossing the stock tires back on her for this run. Not planning any offroading, really, but I may regret that...we'll see.

Wondering if I should do a preemptive oil and coolant change. She's just over 7k miles now. Looks like it's about 2500 miles round trip - maybe a bit more.

Timeframe would be "sometime in August".

duane

 

[catang5oh]

Heck Yes. We just did 11 states, 3000 miles, in 5 days through the midwest, and southern states. Hope you have cruise control, it sure is a nice feature on long rides. The only thing i changed was my seat, i went to a Seat Concepts only to stop the slide forward thing.

That ride is on my bucket list, grew up on west coast. Only i will be going south to north and back.

Good luck, Safe riding.

 

[Zepfan]

That's only a 3k/mi RT. ???
I put 20k on one trip, San Diego to Prudo then south to Darien's Gap ! ( and back)

 

[sportsguy]

Heck Yes. We just did 11 states, 3000 miles, in 5 days through the midwest, and southern states. Hope you have cruise control, it sure is a nice feature on long rides. The only thing i changed was my seat, i went to a Seat Concepts only to stop the slide forward thing.

That ride is on my bucket list, grew up on west coast. Only i will be going south to north and back.

Good luck, Safe riding.

I have yet to find an aftermarket cruise control that will work.

Kaokoe worked well, but won't fit the Flexx bars I have. All the clip on ones are useless and simple rotate around releasing the spring and slowing. No matter how tight I clamp them down (to a point). After that, they become dangerous, being so tight they wont rotate back when I twist the throttle closed. Yes, I put the rubber band in place to increase friction. Same failure. I've seen an aftermarket cruise installed on an FJR using vacuum control from the motor, etc...no thank you. That was complex and required ongoing maintenance.

That said, if there is some new gadget that solves the cruise control issues, I'm all ears!

 

[itlives]

I've just did 3,000 miles in 5 days . Louisiana - Grand Canyon and back. The first 24 hours I did 1,200 of those miles. The west coast is in my sights for next year - I want to see the Red Woods.

No problem. Have fun.

 

[sportsguy]

I've just did 3,000 miles in 5 days . Louisiana - Grand Canyon and back. The first 24 hours I did 1,200 of those miles. The west coast is in my sights for next year - I want to see the Red Woods.

No problem. Have fun.

Avenue of the Giants. Well worth your time! Redwood heaven for mile after mile of riding.

 

[tubebender]

A few random thoughts:

When you say coast, I take you mean Hwy 101. Are you planning on Hwy 1 in Cali?
If so you will need to factor in a slower pace due to the summer traffic volume.

Motels or camping? Campgrounds on the coast are usually booked solid in Cali during the summer.
You may need to look inland for accommodation or do some stealth camping.

Rain gear. Better to have it and not need it.

Carry plenty of water and stay hydrated. Temps are in the 90's in the central and southern parts of the state.

Get rid of the TKC's. You'll have a much smoother ride.

Make sure you can remove the wheels from the bike with the tools you carry in the event of a flat you cannot patch.

As I live just a few miles from the Motoport folks, if you need anything when your here I'd be happy to help.

 

[HeliMark]

I wouldn't worry about the coolant. Yamaha has it as every three years. But always nice to have fresh oil for that length of a trip.

I have a 3K mile trip in August and switched my tires. I did not think I had enough tread left on the K60's for the trip, and most likely will not see much if any dirt. I went with an 80/20 tire, and it is amazing how much smoother and less fatiguing it is.

Mark

 

[AVGeek]

As far as camping, San Simeon State Beach should be able to accommodate a single tent without much notice. My wife and I were able to get a spot for our motorhome back in 2005 when we did the coast tour, and we didn't need reservations a year in advance!

The coast route through Oregon is stunning, but slow. There are lots of little towns along the way, and I don't think the road is posted for anything faster than 60mph. You will also pass through the Oregon Dunes; while the Tenere is a good dirt road bike, I don't recommend taking it in the sand! There are several outfits that offer dune tours that are worth checking out. You also have the option of stopping at Oceano Dunes State Vehicular recreation Area, aka Pismo Beach, down in California. These are the only coastal dunes open to vehicles in California, and the approach ramp is such that its mostly hard packed down to the water, so you should be able to get the Tenere there.

Down in San Diego county, there are plenty of fun roads, with a popular destination being Palomar Mountain. I also recommend pie at the Julian Pie Company! The SD local guys can chime in with more details, but you really can't go wrong in the SD foothills...

 

[OX-34]

The Tenere is capable. I've ridden mine over 5000miles in 4 days ::26::

As for the cruise control, the MC Cruise works on the Tenere, but that's between US$700 - US$1000 so maybe not what you're after.

I've used Kaokos on a dozen or more bikes and think that they are great. Having changed your bars there will still be one or two that work even though they may not be stamped 'Tenere'. That will require trial and error so may not be what you are after.

I used an el cheapo Go Cruise on my 5000mile ride:



I was very impressed.

I've since put the Go Cruise onto another bike:




Now I have an Omni Cruise on the Tenere:



It works great.

Is that the kind you have used and it failed?

I have seen them fitted upside down on a number of bikes in parking lots :'( I'm sure they would have difficulty adjusting them correctly...... ::010::

 

[rider33]

I picked up a '14 Tenere a couple of weeks ago and just rode it from Wisconsin to SF getting in yesterday (~2,000 miles in 3 days). I sort of had my doubts about the distance thing on it but that made me a believer. Thru Wyoming I hit heavy rain w/ gusty side winds and it was as stable as a tank, better in wind actuallly than the fully flaired ST that I use to use. Everyone's needs for distance are diiferent but this would be what I'd recommend:

1. some kind of cruise or throttle lock (right hands get tired). The std cruise on the '14 by the way is the best I've ever used
2. a bigger screen (buffeting is a bad thing). I mounted up a Parabellum tall (6'2"), YMMV.
3. highway pegs (so you can move around). I have a seporate posting on that ("Leg Room") but I'm using Rivco products on a Happy Trail engine guard (great!).
4. always, always bring an electric vest. I almost didn't this week (July?) but the driving rain I hit thru Wyoming never got above 60F and dipped down to 50 at times near the continental divide (7,000 feet), it made a HUGE difference. I think you'd find the same on the PCH as well.

By the way, I also have a large frame Vespa (GT200), I've always wanted to take that on a longer trip but the 1.9 gal. tank always gives me pause. Range on a distance bike is a very good thing. 'Safe travels.

 

[Lutsie]

Excited for you sport !

Have you tried using an oversized o ring for cruise control?

Riding the coast in California is beautiful but we'll cost you time. My father in law did it up and back last year, said it was epic views but people gocking at the views killed his pace.

Palomar mountain is a popular run. There are some awesome rides in east county. You can get from north county to the border doing awesome twisties the whole way.

South of big bear down through cherry valley, idlewild, to Temecula is a good way to travel north or south.

Feel free to pm me when you nail down your dates in San Diego. I'd be happy to do a ride all day if you want, or point out some of the best roads.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk

 

[barkingllizard]

I rode Astoria to San Francisco along the coast last year, sportsguy, and it was amazing.
the Super Tenere is more than capable and just a whole lot of fun.....

 

[sportsguy]

EPIC support gang - great advice, tips, ideas and suggestions. Thank you.

Fred - saw the PMs - will respond as my plans firm up in the coming couple weeks.

Looks like I'll have 78 days for riding this trip. I need to stop in Thousand Oaks, Escondido and San Diego.

I suspect I'll blitz down towards Medford OR, then explore options to filter through CA to SoCal. Open to input here.

Would love to ride the coast in CA, but I also suspect traffic will be a drag here.

In land (coming through Nevada, for example, I think it'll just be crazy hot.

What say you all on routes?

 

[sportsguy]

Alright. Dates are booked for vacation. I'm allowing myself two extra days for flexibility.

TKC-70s arrived today, so the 80s will come off in favor of something a bit more road friendly, but with enough bite to tackle gravel roads should I add some to the route (planning is this weekend).

Swung by AltRider today and picked up the pillion rack, a water container from Rotopax and a rotopax lockable mount. All installed and with my existing parts, I can now carry an extra gallon of fuel and water.

Reinstalled my Omnicruise. Now, this thing did not work for me the last time I tried it - just kept vibing loose, unless I clamped it down so tight it was hard to roll the throttle back, which I didn't like for safety reasons. I think the design is sound, so wondered if maybe it was just the rubber band I originally got. I ordered 4 replacements form Omnicruise and they added a couple more gratis - really nice touch that!

I'll go for a blast tomorrow or Saturday and spend some time arsing on the highway to test it out.

Next up, I need to start laying out the gear I plan to take and pick the dates I need to be in select places. Chief among them is an appointment with Wayne at Motoport to get measured for a custom suit - expensive, but worth it.

I still want a headlight guard. Now I can either buy one form Yamaha Canada and have it shipped to my parent's place, then have them send it to me, but I'm unsure if the timing will work before my trip. Or I can buy another grill unit from Touratech like I used to have. I'd prefer the acrylic clear unit from Canada (or from AltRider if they'd ever get their into production), but maybe something is better than nothing. We'll see. Might just ride into town to Touratech and snag one tomorrow - we'll see.

 

[sportsguy]

Progress and preparation!

Decided on my routes.

My Butler maps for Oregon, Northern California and Southern California arrived today - all I can say is that if you ride a bike, the Butler maps are worth every single penny!

TKC 70s are mounted and tested - so far, so good.

Remounted the Rigid Industries 6" light bar and sorted the wiring. It's not ideal, IMO, as it's simply on/off with a toggle switch. I may need to reposition that switch form the home-made dash panel I have down near the gauge cluster, though as its a reach. And since its wired direct to the battery, it can be left on when the bike isn't - not ideal, IMO, but the toggle is lighted, so should be more obvious. I have a Skein unit, so I might try to install that prior to the trip - we'll see. Bottom line still remains that turning it on is like inviting the sun to sit under your headlights...LOL New amber lens cover is enroute as well.

Delorme InReach powered mount arrived, so I'll mount that this week and give the system a test run - can track me and report on a website, send/receive text messages while I'm off the cell network and has a built in SOS feature that alerts police, ambulance, Coast Guard and Military services when activated - essentially, a different version of a SPOT.

Packed the panniers yesterday for a trial run - top box is empty after the panniers swallowed:

~ tent
~ ground sheet
~ sundry stakes, ropes, ties, etc.
~ sleeping pad
~ inflator for sleeping pad
~ camping hammock
~ sleeping sheet
~ memory foam pillow
~ camp kitchen
~ stove
~ tool set (wrenches, allen keys, lock tite, screw driver, bits, socket, axle tool, pliers, tape, zip ties, etc.)
~ camp chair
~ extra riding gloves
~ tarp
~ tree straps (for hammock)
~ cycle pump
~ tire plug kit
~ first aid kit
~ survival kit
~ two flashlights
~ signal light (flashing)

Top box remains empty, but I need to account for a blanket for camping, clothes, toiletries, some extra water (in addition to the gallon rotopax on the bike and the Camelbak I'll wear) and I'd like to bring a second riding jacket to help deal with the heat during part of my inland run (wearing an evap cooling vest for this section, too). I think I'll be strapping a dry bag over the rotopaxes mounted to the pillion. That should also make taking stuff into hotels easier at the end of the day.

Tank bag can carry batteries for the Delorme, the disc lock, second pair of shades, manual compass, dry bag with survival tin, small bottle of water. some snacks and the map pocket will see the day's ride maps inserted as backup to the GPS mounted on the Madstad. Though I have to say, those Butler maps - they list some of the best motorcycling roads in the state (Oregon and Cali) so while the GPS will be the main navigator on this trip, the maps will point the way to juicy side roads. AND on these new maps, they list dual sport roads and trails, too! Woohoo!

Slowly but surely the plan is coming together.

 

[CentralCal]

I don't know which I like better, my bike or the people on this fine forum that ride it.
There's a lot of people between here and there that would be more than happy to help you if you need it.
Great advice and if you need anything let me know too. I'm along the 5 freeway in Frazier Park. Not by the coast but if you stray this way and need anything let me know.
::021::

 

[RockyDS]

You'll have a great ride I'm sure. Last year my wife & I did a 7,300 km (about 4,500 mls) trip from Alberta to the Oregon coast then on down to San Diego following the Pacific Coast Highway and returning via Lake Tahoe, Lake Payette, and Waterton/Glacier National Park.

BTW, I recommend the Excel throttle lock. www.excelthrottlecontrol.com

 

[Don in Lodi]

The DeLorme won't need extra batteries. The mount will keep everything topped off. I used a USB outlet to charge mine.
Make sure of your power sources for your pumps. Remember, the dash outlet won't do that.
A hammock and a tent?
I'm 30 some-odd miles south of Sacramento off the 99. Have trailer, will travel. (I work tho )

 

[sportsguy]

The DeLorme won't need extra batteries. The mount will keep everything topped off. I used a USB outlet to charge mine.
Make sure of your power sources for your pumps. Remember, the dash outlet won't do that.
A hammock and a tent?
I'm 30 some-odd miles south of Sacramento off the 99. Have trailer, will travel. (I work tho )

Epic support gents! Thank you all. Have smartphone, will holler of needed.

Tent because I've used it before, is small and can be pitched anywhere. Camping hammock because I much prefer them to tents, but...I have yet to try this new one, some places won't let you hang a hammock for fear it'll damage trees, and sometimes there simply are no trees! LOL

That said, ah... most nights will be in hotels.