Tracer GT Maintenance on Long Trip

[keithu]

10 minutes ago, TomTracer said:

Arent the Tracer plugs irrodiums!? If not when I can change them they will be!

No they aren't, and you should not use them. Some other people here have installed iridium plugs and they apparently didn't work well. You should stick with the factory recommendation. 

[keithu]

@TomTracer read this thread:

This explains in detail a serious problem one member had with iridium plugs. 

[PhotoAl]

Not going with iridium plugs.  Ran them in my old FZ6 or maybe it was my 2012 CBR600RR years ago and didn't notice any improvement actually worse performance with a few thousand miles on them and wound up pulling them and putting OEM back in.  I figured 8,000 miles was short for plugs but still good to hear about them looking good at 18,000.  

Great comments, should have said it first that I'm putting a new rear tire on - just had it mounted.  OK Daboo I'm going with RoadSmarts one of these days 🙂 but once again wound up with a good front and needed a rear to match so it got a Road 5. Front is a Michelin Pilot Power 5 which is wearing well and I fully expect to get a lot more miles out of it.  I talked with the Dunlop rep at the Barber Small Bore event and he was telling me they had an independent test group test RS4 vs others and the wet traction was much better than the Road 5.  

I made all my reservations 2 nights ago.  My trips are simple, ride from one KOA to another.  From Alabama headed to Vernal Utah then up to Idaho and back thru Wyoming to Greybull then over to Devils Tower and a night in Hot Springs SD before heading home.  Looks like almost 5,000 miles with the first and last days being almost 600 miles.  My trips are about great rides not so much about going someplace but more enjoying the ride.  Get up most every day and go for a long ride 🙂  People are always going WOW you went out there?  Not so hard, pack a tent, sleeping bag and air mattress some clothes and get on the bike and ride.  If it rains just keep going but be safe, I ride the back roads.  Stopped one time in Norton Kansas, standing outside the convenience store drinking a coke and an older fella came up and started talking.  He found out my son was in Family Practice residence and wanted his contact info - wanted to recruit a doc who could do deliveries for the local hospital.  He was a great fella and fun to talk to.  My wife told out sone he couldn't move so far away.

Know about breakdowns on the road!  Last August set out for Idaho but only got to Nebraska when a rear bearing disintegrated on my bike.  Wass going to trade for Tracer GT when I got back.  Spent 6 days in Grand Island Nebraska repairing the bike (mostly waiting on parts) then rode to Sioux Falls SD and traded.  Didn't get where I intended but had a good time and some great memories.  Met some great folks along the way.  Have laughed many times remembering the owner of the KOA who looked at me after I'd been there a couple of days with my broken down BMW.  He said "this is Ford and Chevy country".  Stopped one time in Norton Kansas, standing outside the convenience store drinking a coke and an older fella came up and started talking.  He found out my son was in Family Practice residence and wanted his contact info - wanted to recruit a doc who could do deliveries for the local hospital.  He was a great fella and fun to talk to.  My wife told our son he couldn't move so far away.

[betoney]

6 hours ago, PhotoAl said:

My trips are simple, ride from one KOA to another.  From Alabama headed to Vernal Utah then up to Idaho and back thru Wyoming to Greybull then over to Devils Tower and a night in Hot Springs SD before heading home.

Sounds like a great trip but only a quick pass through South Dakota? 

I have a trip tentatively scheduled next year for the Black Hills area of S.D. and between Spearfish Canyon, Deadwood, Keystone, Iron Mountain, Sturgis, Needles Highway, Crazy Horse, Mt Rushmore, Rapid City, Vanocker Canyon etc. I'm having a hard time planning a route to fit it all in within my time frame. 

When I'm on a road trip I'm more into riding vs. stopping for tourist attractions but its still 2-3 full days of riding in the area plus getting to some of it on the way in (CanAm Hwy and Spearfish Canyon) and some on the way back home (Custer State Park area and Hotsprings).

There are a lot of twisty mountain and canyon roads in the Black Hills area.

sturgis

 

[TomTracer]

2 hours ago, betoney said:

Sounds like a great trip but only a quick pass through South Dakota? 

I have a trip tentatively scheduled next year for the Black Hills area of S.D. and between Spearfish Canyon, Deadwood, Keystone, Iron Mountain, Sturgis, Needles Highway, Crazy Horse, Mt Rushmore, Rapid City, Vanocker Canyon etc. I'm having a hard time planning a route to fit it all in within my time frame. 

When I'm on a road trip I'm more into riding vs. stopping for tourist attractions but its still 2-3 full days of riding in the area plus getting to some of it on the way in (CanAm Hwy and Spearfish Canyon) and some on the way back home (Custer State Park area and Hotsprings).

There are a lot of twisty mountain and canyon roads in the Black Hills area.

sturgis

 

Be aware that around Rushmore you may catch a glimpse while riding in the area but you will not be allowed to stop along the road. At least that was the case my last time there. Devils tower is isolated, interesting, but with nothing nearby I wouldnt go uot of my way to see it. Incidently, the little boy in Close Encounters of 3rd Kind was a neighbor years ago when in HS. Very nice kid. That part of SD is neat though, and a zoo during Sturgis.

[fddriver2]

On 6/7/2021 at 7:35 PM, betoney said:

I wouldn’t worry about the throttle bodies or spark plugs and if you change the oil before the trip, 6000 miles should be fine on full synthetic. When I go on a long trip the only thing I bring with me for chain maintenance is a can of chain cleaner and a can of chain lube and a rag in a Ziploc bag, I do a quick chain maintenance at the end of each day.

Yep. This☝️ I used to bring all the tools for almost anything. Now hardly anything. I haven't even needed to adjust the chain on a trip. Just make sure everything is up to snuff before you leave.

[betoney]

6 hours ago, TomTracer said:

That part of SD is neat though, and a zoo during Sturgis.

Agreed, I would never go there during the rally.  If traveling to a different state(s), I try to research where motorcycle rally's/events are going to be and plan a trip in a different location or a different time.

[PhotoAl]

Thanks all!  Lots of great suggestions.  Currently going over the bike to get it ready.  Last night put new tire on and checked chain slack - 1.5", today going to lube the cables and check other stuff and maybe install my LED turn signals/brake lights.  Will probably take enough tools to remove both wheels.

Yea it's just a quick pass thru the owner of SD.  I was there last June and went to Mount Rushmore - my wife didn't like the selfie I sent with a mask on and Mount Rushmore in the background LOL.  I literally planned this trip Tuesday night looking at which KOAs had availability.  My trips are basically very long rides and don't spend much time at a destination.  Destination is the ride 🙂

Going out from Laramie I'm catching the Snowy Mountain Road then Battle Pass down to Vernal Utah.  Decided to hop up to the corner of Idaho then come back over to Rawings as it looks like some interesting roads along the way.  From Rawlings to Greybull more Wyoming wilderness.  A couple of great roads out of Greybull towards Sheridan and from Devils Tower towards Hot Springs.  Picked 2 nights in Devils Tower so could have a day to mostly rest and maybe ride 100 to 150 miles.  Hot Springs sets me up to ride to Grand Island thru the Sandhills and a couple of different routes.

I'm planning on making another trip later in the summer and going to Idaho and Montana.  Being retired have the luxury of being to plan longer trips but my wife gets envious when she is here taking care of her mother and can't go.  Right now she is working on the poster for the Barber Vintage Festival and won't hardly know if I'm here or not haha.  The poster artwork is a large oil on canvas painting that they photograph and add the wording to to make the printed posters.  

[PhotoAl]

follow on thought, hopefully from Devils Tower will be able to get down to some of the northern parts of the Black Hills.  I've ridden thru the southern part and wasn't too impressed with the roads.  Last year rode into Rapid City then down to Hot Springs, some good roads but way too many cars and bikes and low speed limits.  It was a pretty Sunday afternoon and I think the whole town of Rapid City was out.  Mount Rushmore was nice to see again and relatively deserted with so few people traveling.  All the country out there is so different from back home it's fun.  Even Nebraska with endless corn fields is fun as we don't have anything like it here.