Weatherproof? - No
Motorcycles maintained? - No
It was great fun and we felt very adventurous. Thankfully we only had one breakdown (black box failed) and one small accident in thousands of miles. Nevertheless, we had two strong advantages: we were physically on top of our game, and had lots of vacation days to accommodate adverse weather conditions or bike trouble.
With growing up (my ego doesn't allow the term 'older') there are more thoughts about the what if's. Am I fit and strong enough? Is my bike in decent condition? And what route can I squeeze into the little numbers of days off?
Fitness:
"Tomorrow I start running again and go to the gym more often." Is one of my favourite sayings. Then there come along frequent 12 hour work days, a late conference or business travel. There are errands to run, a household to maintain and a social life to manage. Long story short I haven't been able to keep up with my fitness schedule. Not good.
Bike maintenance:
I have a Beemer and trust that the Teutonic technology won't fail me. In the unlikely event of a breakdown I carry a metric tool kit and the Anonymous Book of the BMW MOA, and hope for a Samaritan who can fix the bike, otherwise I got to have it towed. My aspiration for bike maintenance is limited to infrequent tire pressure and fluid level checks. If I need to pay for repair so be it, as long as I am getting back on the road.
Route planning:
I love to discover new places, and to be surprised. Meticulous planning is not my thing, because it takes away the element of surprise. That is why I am always tentative to buddy up or ride in groups. Everything becomes foreseeable, something that doesn't happen when exploring routes alone. On most occasions I just want answer the call of the road, hop on the bike and ride, without the why, and where and how long.
However, it doesn't hurt to learn more about preparation of road trips.
I grew up in the pre-digital world, and books (the paper version that is) are my preferred media for studying. I am not going to go philosophical about books vs. internet, lets just say, I always loved the printed word. My membership with Free Wheelin' Canadian Women Motorcycle Club opens me a whole new world of books about riding and traveling by bike. They keep a library of various motorcycle related topics. A great idea to spend the membership fees on, I think.
My review: For an advanced motorcycle traveler the chapters about gear, equipment and bike modifications are no news flash. Hence 'essential' in the book title doesn't quite cut it, 'basic' would have been more accurate. However, it will be a good read for the new rider, planning his/her first journey to avoid mistakes that are easily made being inexperienced in long distance traveling. 3 1/2 stars out of 5.
You are much more organized. I usually end up with a pile of stuff in the middle of the garage, put much of it back on the shelf and pack the rest. This is usually done at most one day before leaving...
ReplyDeleteSonja:
ReplyDeleteAs much as I like to just hop on and ride in a certain direction, I take a lot of time to explore route alternatives trying to use alternative roads on which I have not yet been on. It is more about the journey, than the destination. As for packing, the bike has forced me to carry less. Don't be surprised that on a multiride journey of a week, the same T-shirt could be in every photo. This is something I have learned the hard way
bob
Riding the Wet Coast
Not too good at this Blog thing, so I don't know if I'm putting this in the right place. In response to your comment on "Scooter in the Sticks": I once took a test ride on a Boss Hoss, an exuberant experience I will never forget. However, 650 about the size I prefer, after 48 years of riding. Current rides: G650GS like yours, DR 650. BTW I have a friend in Vancouver, Julie, who never owned a car, only motorcycles and bicycles.
ReplyDelete~Poppawheelie~
@RichardM: Actually, this is how I used to do it ;-)
ReplyDelete@bobskoot: Same T-shirt every day? Never happens. But I usually buy T-shirts along the way that I carry home, and throw old ones out.
@Poppawheelie: Hi Poppa, thanks for visiting. Nothing wrong with 650cc, but sometimes the single cylinder vibrations can get a bit enervating during 12 hours of riding. I hope to see Julie on the road somewhere.
I always wonder what people plan to do roadside with tool kits. Beyond a chain adjustment (which I haven't had to do in 7,000 miles oh blessed Loobman)I wonder how many riders are qualified to manage water cooling electronic ignition, electronic fuel injection etc...all those blessings of the modern world designed to squeeze one more hp out of an engine for riders who "need" more power.
ReplyDeleteI read years ago the best thing you can do to survivie a long journey by vehicle is not to overload it. And for people like you and me who value paper over electrons that's hard advice to follow.
@Conchscooter: Michael, not overloading? Good advice, I am quite good at 'forgetting' stuff anyway but for me this is the hardest thing to do.
ReplyDelete@Conchscooter: I make a point of doing all of my maintenance and repairs on the bike using the tools in the tool roll. If I need other tools, they may get added in depending on what it was. So far the only unusual tool were the internal and external snap ring pliers. And I don't carry a torque wrench. If I have to, I can guess pretty well.
ReplyDelete