78 days? We did DC - Alaska - SanFran - home in less than 30.
You ought to have a GREAT time.
You ought to have a GREAT time.
Seattle to San Diego (And back...) - Think the Tenere is up for it?
- Thread starter sportsguy
- Start date
itlives
New Member
Just a couple observations here on your list. I think you're packing too much water. Water is very heavy. I like the RotoPax and have a 2-gal. one myself. It proved to be too big (but I did not lack for water even supplying for others' coffee in the AM).
I bought a cheapy WalMart 2L water bladder I put in my tank bag and used while riding (it worked great BTW). The last gas stop of the day, I would fill the 2gl. container for the campsite. I have a 100 oz. Camel Back which didn't make the grade. I put it on and rode around with it a day before my trip. It will weigh on your shoulders and make your back sweat all day. As said, just a thought.
Another - two flashlights and a signal light when you can get one that does all that and carry extra batteries? I have a headlamp type flashlight (also a WalMart buy) that will run approximately 40 hours on three AAA's. I can see having that and a signal of some sort.
I wouldn't take a tent and a hammock. I would only take a hammock if I knew I could use it .
These are just thoughts of a fellow camper. I usually pack too much (but, I'm getting better). Note what you didn't use and become lighter next trip!
I know you'll have a great time and I'm envious!
I bought a cheapy WalMart 2L water bladder I put in my tank bag and used while riding (it worked great BTW). The last gas stop of the day, I would fill the 2gl. container for the campsite. I have a 100 oz. Camel Back which didn't make the grade. I put it on and rode around with it a day before my trip. It will weigh on your shoulders and make your back sweat all day. As said, just a thought.
Another - two flashlights and a signal light when you can get one that does all that and carry extra batteries? I have a headlamp type flashlight (also a WalMart buy) that will run approximately 40 hours on three AAA's. I can see having that and a signal of some sort.
I wouldn't take a tent and a hammock. I would only take a hammock if I knew I could use it .
These are just thoughts of a fellow camper. I usually pack too much (but, I'm getting better). Note what you didn't use and become lighter next trip!
I know you'll have a great time and I'm envious!
Good point about the Camelbak. It made me think back to a week long trip two years ago. As I recall, I ended up strapping the Camelbak to my rear rack for much of that trip. I'll do a run this weekend with it and judge.itlives said:
As for the hammock and tent, well, its an extra 3 pounds or so, so the bike won't mind, especially as the full Touratech suspension is adjustable and tuned for my weight and riding. The duplication is borne from my desire to try the damn hammock out for the first time since buying it well over a year ago.
Squibb
Well-Known Member
Sounds like a great ride.
We had a similar deal on our bucket list, with a loop up to relatives in Canada, then down through Yellowstone & the miriad of National Parks, returning up the Pacific Coast - trouble is it's all got expensive when you have to start out from here in the UK, what with flights & bike hire, so we have adjusted our horizons a little. Needs 3/4 weeks to absorb it all really - 9 days sounds a bit 'Iron Butt' to me. Still it's set me thinking............. maybe next year. ::008::
Enjoy .............. KEN
We had a similar deal on our bucket list, with a loop up to relatives in Canada, then down through Yellowstone & the miriad of National Parks, returning up the Pacific Coast - trouble is it's all got expensive when you have to start out from here in the UK, what with flights & bike hire, so we have adjusted our horizons a little. Needs 3/4 weeks to absorb it all really - 9 days sounds a bit 'Iron Butt' to me. Still it's set me thinking............. maybe next year. ::008::
Enjoy .............. KEN
shrekonwheels
New Member
You will still be riding in civilization so you won't need to carry extra flashlight or shades.
The less you bring the easier your life is on the road.
The less you bring the easier your life is on the road.
rider33
New Member
this.shrekonwheels said:
Going unprepared is bad, going over prepared can be as well. The best trick I ever learned is to have a packing list and when you get back cross off anything you didn't really use (save for the tire kit!). Next time, work off the paired down list. After a few years of that, you'll get down to the basics which on a bilke is really all you need....
I like this idea.rider33 said:
In fact this thread has me rethinking a few of the things I have packed right now.
Thanks gang!
duane
SingleTrackMind
Member
That said, ah... most nights will be in hotels.
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Not to judge, but I'm thinking more along the idea of a tire kit, shave kit, flip flops, board shorts and a couple of tees. To balance the load a fistful of cash and credit card would be much easier to pack into your hotel room.
If you really want to camp look for motel behind some grungy bar, I'm sure it'll be quite "rustic". Have a great trip! Looking fwd to following your progress.
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Not to judge, but I'm thinking more along the idea of a tire kit, shave kit, flip flops, board shorts and a couple of tees. To balance the load a fistful of cash and credit card would be much easier to pack into your hotel room.
If you really want to camp look for motel behind some grungy bar, I'm sure it'll be quite "rustic". Have a great trip! Looking fwd to following your progress.
Yeah, yeah...I know...hardly roughing it.SingleTrackMind said:
But...it's an options. If I decide to simply stop, I can. I'm not booking hotels until the morning they're needed, so I may run out of luck, or might decide in the morning to camp v. hotel it. We'll see. If all I do is camp in Joshua Tree, I'll need the gear anyway.
But I hear ya... Marriott Courtyard is hardly a tough way to travel.
Excellent point here Don. I jettisoned the camping hammock from the kit today. I can test it some other time, closer to home. Tent stays in case I decide to camp - I know that gear works and is all there.Don in Lodi said: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
Alligator clips for the battery for the Cycle Pump.
The only thing the 12v on the dash will be powering is the Delorme. If I'm in such a state I need someone to trailer me, I'll gratefully wait until after work for rescue.
With this advice I mind, I tried something today. I took the 100 ounce water bladder from the Camelbak and tried it in the Giant Loop Diablo tank bag I have. I filled it up, dropped it in and it works nicely. Not too heavy, the bite valve is easily long enough to reach and there's still enough room in the tank bag for my sunglass holder, a monocular and the case for my custom ear plugs. Great idea this one! Might still grab a cheap bladder somewhere and keep the CB one in the bag for hiking.itlives said:
Simply awesome advice and ideas gang! Thank you all very much!
itlives
New Member
Camp or dont camp, its good to get the experience of handling the fully laden Tenere. It is a pack mule and can carry more than I can pick up by myself ( I'm guessing because i haven't dropped it yet).
I've done week-long, full loaded trips on the Tenere prior to this.itlives said:
In this case, there is a difference, however...On past trips, I was going to a location, and exploring from a central location, so unloading the bike made day-rides simpler. This will be the first time really "living off the bike" for a week plus.
As for picking her up? Well...
Dustriders motorcycle hoist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tzecbg5-KEY
itlives
New Member
I don't know why but had assumed you weren't very experienced in camping. Sorry.....
Sounds like you have a plan. Rock on brother!
Do you have one of those jack'm up thingies?
Sounds like you have a plan. Rock on brother!
Do you have one of those jack'm up thingies?
Embarrassed to admit it... yes, I bought one of those jacks...lol I chuckle now, but it could be a real problem solver in the right circumstances.itlives said:
Besides, when you already own pretty much every mod for a Tenere, what do you do next? That's right... buy more "related" sh1t!
And so the pre-launch drama occurs!
Two weeks ago we installed new tires on the bike. That day, I turned the preload adjuster knob on the rear Touratech Expedition shock up two clicks to better deal with the added weight I had on the bike.
By the time I got home and hour later, I knew one click would be enough, so dialed it back one click. Bike rides so smoothly it's insane. Just beautiful.
Few days later while prepping the bike, I noticed a bit of fluid around the hydraulic connector for the preload adjuster. Hmmm...that's odd. The suspension is about 2 years old with only 2,000 mile son it to date. Could me turning the clicker have caused this? I decide to chill about it for a couple days, which bleeds into the weekend. Honestly, I forgot about it because I was busy with so much else for the trip.
Done a ton of prep to date - swapped my TKC-80s for fresh TKC-70s. Oil, filter and rear diff fluid changed. Sundry new bits added, mounts placed for the GoPro, batteries charged, heck I even rewired the 6" light bar and got it working...and added a snazzy new amber cover for that "European" look while I melt oncoming corneas. Swapped the pillion seat for an AltRider rack, added a gallon of water on top of the gallon of gas on there.
Spent the weekend packing, unpacking, jettisoning, and repacking.
Hold on...is the suspension leaking more now? A deeper coating of fluid on the preload adjuster...hmmm... I sent an email to Alex at Konflict Motorsports (they did the original install) and he said to swing by on Monday.
Alex looked at it and we agreed - it'd be fine until I returned from my trip. Shock was fine, this is a leak on a seal for the hydraulic preload adjuster. Likely a speck of dirt got into the seal, sat for a while and when I turned the knob...nick...slow leak. No biggie, Alex ordered new O-rings and they'll be here in a couple weeks, if not sooner.
Except yesterday it's a faster leak. ::007:: Dripping on all the spring coils, the underside of the bike is coated in fluid, all down the driveshaft and so on. And on my garage floor. First leak from any bike. Ever. For any reason... boo, hiss! Bad Tenere!
Hmmm... *dials Alex again*
Duane - Alex, it's fubared...(I'm crying, my tears mixing with the hydraulic fluid on the floor...)
Alex - Uhg, I was afraid of that, drop the bike to me tomorrow, I may have found a replacement o-ring we can use. Oh, any chance you can unload the bike for me, too? *I can hear the smile*
Duane - *sniff* OK, tomorrow morning... (bike was unloaded in 10 minutes. smile emoticon )
Not being one to leave things alone, I call Touratech to examine a back up plan. Would they have a new unit in stock - the whole new shock and adjusters. I'd buy a new one, Alex can rebuild the old one and I'll sell it on. It'll cost me a bunch of money out of pocket in the end, but I've been planning this trip a while...
I explain this to the Touratech guys. They chuckle politely and say Alex has called, they're working with him on it, and assure me I will be leaving, on time, on my Tenere. They have a couple solutions and full confidence in Alex. (As do I.)
Hand to God, Alex is amazing and Touratech blows my mind with service every time I need them. From the odd freebie rubber grommet I needed for the KTM years ago, to things like this, or even just going to look for an extra RokStrap in the color I want.
Bottom line is this - I'm sitting in my garage thinking of plan B options for my road trip/vacation and Alex and the guys at Touratech are sitting in their respective locations thinking of solutions to ensure I'm riding my bike on that planned trip of mine! I swear, it literally feels like I have a team making this happen!
Bike will meet Alex's expert hands later today, and if the stars align, the new o-ring should fix the problem. Plan B is a locking collar for the spring preload. Either way lets me adjust r=preload on the rear shock, one just makes it easier. With or without my hydraulic preload adjuster, the trip is on! I just have to clean the bike before I go...and reload it...which means I'll probably repack everything again...LOL
Sure hope the trip is as much fun as the prep!
Two weeks ago we installed new tires on the bike. That day, I turned the preload adjuster knob on the rear Touratech Expedition shock up two clicks to better deal with the added weight I had on the bike.
By the time I got home and hour later, I knew one click would be enough, so dialed it back one click. Bike rides so smoothly it's insane. Just beautiful.
Few days later while prepping the bike, I noticed a bit of fluid around the hydraulic connector for the preload adjuster. Hmmm...that's odd. The suspension is about 2 years old with only 2,000 mile son it to date. Could me turning the clicker have caused this? I decide to chill about it for a couple days, which bleeds into the weekend. Honestly, I forgot about it because I was busy with so much else for the trip.
Done a ton of prep to date - swapped my TKC-80s for fresh TKC-70s. Oil, filter and rear diff fluid changed. Sundry new bits added, mounts placed for the GoPro, batteries charged, heck I even rewired the 6" light bar and got it working...and added a snazzy new amber cover for that "European" look while I melt oncoming corneas. Swapped the pillion seat for an AltRider rack, added a gallon of water on top of the gallon of gas on there.
Spent the weekend packing, unpacking, jettisoning, and repacking.
Hold on...is the suspension leaking more now? A deeper coating of fluid on the preload adjuster...hmmm... I sent an email to Alex at Konflict Motorsports (they did the original install) and he said to swing by on Monday.
Alex looked at it and we agreed - it'd be fine until I returned from my trip. Shock was fine, this is a leak on a seal for the hydraulic preload adjuster. Likely a speck of dirt got into the seal, sat for a while and when I turned the knob...nick...slow leak. No biggie, Alex ordered new O-rings and they'll be here in a couple weeks, if not sooner.
Except yesterday it's a faster leak. ::007:: Dripping on all the spring coils, the underside of the bike is coated in fluid, all down the driveshaft and so on. And on my garage floor. First leak from any bike. Ever. For any reason... boo, hiss! Bad Tenere!
Hmmm... *dials Alex again*
Duane - Alex, it's fubared...(I'm crying, my tears mixing with the hydraulic fluid on the floor...)
Alex - Uhg, I was afraid of that, drop the bike to me tomorrow, I may have found a replacement o-ring we can use. Oh, any chance you can unload the bike for me, too? *I can hear the smile*
Duane - *sniff* OK, tomorrow morning... (bike was unloaded in 10 minutes. smile emoticon )
Not being one to leave things alone, I call Touratech to examine a back up plan. Would they have a new unit in stock - the whole new shock and adjusters. I'd buy a new one, Alex can rebuild the old one and I'll sell it on. It'll cost me a bunch of money out of pocket in the end, but I've been planning this trip a while...
I explain this to the Touratech guys. They chuckle politely and say Alex has called, they're working with him on it, and assure me I will be leaving, on time, on my Tenere. They have a couple solutions and full confidence in Alex. (As do I.)
Hand to God, Alex is amazing and Touratech blows my mind with service every time I need them. From the odd freebie rubber grommet I needed for the KTM years ago, to things like this, or even just going to look for an extra RokStrap in the color I want.
Bottom line is this - I'm sitting in my garage thinking of plan B options for my road trip/vacation and Alex and the guys at Touratech are sitting in their respective locations thinking of solutions to ensure I'm riding my bike on that planned trip of mine! I swear, it literally feels like I have a team making this happen!
Bike will meet Alex's expert hands later today, and if the stars align, the new o-ring should fix the problem. Plan B is a locking collar for the spring preload. Either way lets me adjust r=preload on the rear shock, one just makes it easier. With or without my hydraulic preload adjuster, the trip is on! I just have to clean the bike before I go...and reload it...which means I'll probably repack everything again...LOL
Sure hope the trip is as much fun as the prep!
itlives
New Member
This just shows to go you, it's the little things....... speck of dirt maybe.
I'm sure you'll have fun. I was wondering why you couldn't just put on your oem one?
I'm sure you'll have fun. I was wondering why you couldn't just put on your oem one?
Oh, I probably could...but...itlives said:
Once you install an aftermarket suspension on a motorcycle, you won't ride with anything else.
Honestly, it's that big a difference - I'd rather shell out for a new unit, fix the old one and sell it, than go back to stock. Ride comfort, control, safety - just all mo' better. Unless, of course, you're the exact model the manufacturers build for - I am not that 165 pound rider...
itlives
New Member
Ha! Maybe that's why I like it so much. Even though im 6'2" I'm only around 165-170 lbs.
The Tenere is prefect for me. Of course coming off a Honda NC700X doesn't hurt. Well, actually it does I still have the NC just rode it today. What a rough ride!
The Tenere is prefect for me. Of course coming off a Honda NC700X doesn't hurt. Well, actually it does I still have the NC just rode it today. What a rough ride!
What a difference a few hours make. And so very glad I thought to call Alex over the weekend.
Brought the bike over to Alex. Touratech had the replacement part for the preload adjuster. We were in business!
As Alex started disassembly, he was looking for a cause. Was it a nicked o-ring somewhere? Maybe a loose crush fixture, or a loose fitting?
With only 2k miles on the unit, understandably the parts were in tip-top shape...and it's clear the Touratech gear (made by Tractive, the guys who left WP Suspension to start their own shop) is quality.
As we're waiting on the replacement parts to reach us, Alex continues to disassemble things. Checking each screw, bolt, bushing, etc. ...and what's this? There is a set screw that's loose. Wait...not just loose...the body of the shock is cracked right up the middle of the threads and down into the body. Yeah, that'll let the nitrogen and oil out...
The calls goes into Touratech. The response comes back - new shock will be ready in the morning. They understandably want the old one to see what the heck happened. It appears this was a one-off issue, like maybe the set screw was over-torqued and the body was flawed. Combine the two and you have a freak crack.
Should have the bike back tomorrow, ready to get back on track for the trip.
Nothing but air in there without a shock.
Alex starting in on the Expedition shock (tequila is a thank you gift for fitting me into the workflow - its not normally part of the kit in the shop )
Nothing abnormal...but look how thick that shaft is!
Pretty much zero wear.
I did not know the new TKC-70's were rated for mud and snow...LOL
...and the offending crack...the little bastard! (It should be noted the set screw has been tightened in a bit, which exaggerates the actual gap of the crack.)
Now, bottom line is we'll get this sorted tomorrow and I should be back on track for the trip thanks to Alex at Konflick and Touratech. Solid!
Brought the bike over to Alex. Touratech had the replacement part for the preload adjuster. We were in business!
As Alex started disassembly, he was looking for a cause. Was it a nicked o-ring somewhere? Maybe a loose crush fixture, or a loose fitting?
With only 2k miles on the unit, understandably the parts were in tip-top shape...and it's clear the Touratech gear (made by Tractive, the guys who left WP Suspension to start their own shop) is quality.
As we're waiting on the replacement parts to reach us, Alex continues to disassemble things. Checking each screw, bolt, bushing, etc. ...and what's this? There is a set screw that's loose. Wait...not just loose...the body of the shock is cracked right up the middle of the threads and down into the body. Yeah, that'll let the nitrogen and oil out...
The calls goes into Touratech. The response comes back - new shock will be ready in the morning. They understandably want the old one to see what the heck happened. It appears this was a one-off issue, like maybe the set screw was over-torqued and the body was flawed. Combine the two and you have a freak crack.
Should have the bike back tomorrow, ready to get back on track for the trip.
Nothing but air in there without a shock.
Alex starting in on the Expedition shock (tequila is a thank you gift for fitting me into the workflow - its not normally part of the kit in the shop
)
Nothing abnormal...but look how thick that shaft is!
Pretty much zero wear.
I did not know the new TKC-70's were rated for mud and snow...LOL
...and the offending crack...the little bastard! (It should be noted the set screw has been tightened in a bit, which exaggerates the actual gap of the crack.)
Now, bottom line is we'll get this sorted tomorrow and I should be back on track for the trip thanks to Alex at Konflick and Touratech. Solid!