Preparing '20 900GT for longer tour. What do I need?

[DavidS]

On 5/3/2023 at 6:58 PM, Wintersdark said:

Oh, I desperately wish I could just "go wandering" like that.  

I absolutely plan a route with twisty roads and such, but I need to have "I'll be here at this day" markers because I'm always squeezing trips into small bits of time off that are in no way flexible.  

I do something similar, though just with Maps on my phone, and have multiple individual-day routes pre-saved so I can just load up a route and go.  It's really handy to see each day how much riding time is left, so I know when I need to push, or can spend some time checking out something interesting I've happened on.  Doing individual days also lets me go off-route and have it recalculate to my original destination for the day live.  

But yeah.  I dream of the day that I can just... Go explore.  Props to those who can, it'd be an awesome low-stress way to travel.

Wandering is actually how I ride these days. Now to be clear, I am retired, and have the time to take trips (and I do). I also take day rides locally, typically averaging about 300-400 miles per day, 2-3 times a month.  (I do slow down considerably in the winter, and spend my time wrenching in the garage to get ready for the next Spring)  About once a year I plan a big trip, usually to see friends that I have abandoned in different parts of the country (US). But sometimes, I just pick a location and ride there, just to see what I find interesting.

My longest trip was from Fresno California to Jacksonville Florida, North to Deals Gap (Tail of the Dragon) and across the middle of the US through Denver back home to Fresno CA.  This trip required quite a bit of planning, and I had my daughter, who was my remote support team helping me find hotels and stopping locations for each night. ~7,000 miles round trip. I got new tires in Huntsville Alabama, and saw a lot of old friends along the way.

I found that when you pull into a hotel on a motorcycle, anywhere across the country, and try to check in, there are lots of folks who want to ask you questions or chat with you about your trip. 

Occasionally, my wife insists I spend some time at home, and fortunately, I live in Central California, and can find many good motorcycle rides throughout the central and southern parts of the state. I haven't ridden much in Northern California, but I plan to get up there soon to check it out. To the South I can get to Los Angeles/San Diego, north I get to ride the Pacific Coast highway from Santa Barbara up to Monterrey. Depending on the weather and season. In the summer, I can ride to the Southern US Border south, or north to the tip of California. (While I can ride up to Oregon and Washington, I spent 20+ years in Seattle, so you won't likely see me making that trek anytime soon.) And if I head east of my home, I can ride Yosemite and the Sierra Mountains, or north to several National Parks and Forests.

I certainly recognize how lucky I am, and plan to continue riding for as long as I am able. I'm sure the trips will someday get shorter, but there is really nothing like the experience of riding a motorcycle. I got my first bike at 19 years old, God Willing, I will continue to ride for another 20 years or so......

 

[jiker69]

On 4/23/2023 at 8:41 AM, DavidS said:

I have done several long distance trips on my Tracer, including a trip from Fresno CA to Jacksonville, FL and back. Here are my suggestions, feel free to ignore if they don't apply to you, but think about each of them, they have saved me a lot during my long distance rides.

1) Don't install a new screen right before you take your trip (or any other modification for that matter) f. Make sure all your equipment, (windscreen, seats, and any new items you purchased for your bike, etc.) have been used by you for a while before you take them on a long trip. 

2) OEM top box and OEM Panniers should not be a problem on your Tracer. Just be careful about how much weight you carry in each bag. I found that If I carried 4 sets of clothes, I could always do my laundry at a friends house, or if necessary there are plenty of places to do your laundry in almost every town in America. Store heavy items in your side bags, not high in the top box. Makes the bike much more stable and less likely to shift when riding.

3) I used the Shad liners with the Yamaha hard side cases and they worked great. As a bonus, they have handles to make it easier to take them off the bike and carry into a hotel. Also, just opening the side cases and putting the shad case with my clothes in and locking it was super easy when I arrived at hotels.

4) ***Do Not use a NEW seat before a long trip*** please break it in first, and make sure it is comfortable for you, especially  make sure you take a few long rides with the new seat. (or keep using your old seat if you don't have time to properly break in the new seat.)

5) Tires wear out, and I had to purchase new tires on my trip. You can do the same, but it can be a bit of a hassle to find a shop on the road which has the tires you want and the time to service your bike. If you can make the trip without changing tires, no issue. If you will have to change tires, you should call ahead and have the shop where you plan on getting the tires changed order the tires you want and reserve a spot in the schedule to have them swap out your tires. But beware, you now have a date that you HAVE to be in a specific city at a specific time, while you are riding across country. (you could also replace the tires before your trip and not have to worry about them

6) Bring all the tools you currently use when doing basic maintenance on your bike. Get used to performing the maintenance tasks on your bike with only the tools from your tool roll. If you need something you don't have in the roll, you might want to add that in the roll, so you will have all the tools you might need on the road.

7) AMA Membership - Great for breakdowns on the road, they will tow you and your bike to a shop, so you can get it fixed and get back on the road quickly.

I'm sure I've missed something, but this is a good list. You might search for posts by me, as I did a more comprehensive post on my Cross Country trip from Fresno CA to Jacksonville FL and back again. I'm sure there are things in there I forgot to include here.

Good luck, and let me know if you have any questions.

 

I see you used “Shad Liners” do you happen to remember the item number? I can’t find it oh their web site. Thank You

 

 

 

[PhotoAl]

On 4/30/2023 at 11:51 PM, Jayzonk said:

I was thinking about skipping the top box and just going with the panniers.  It'll be a bit tight but could work (I'd like to find some new FJR bags and put them on but they go for $4500 Canadian!).  

Although I have a small top case my luggage are the two side cases and a 58 liter waterproof duffle I bought 4 1/2 years ago from Amazon.  It has held up very well and always keeps my stuff dry.  I like it as I can take it off without too much trouble and take it in my room or tent.  

[BarryGT]

I always make room for toilet paper.

[OldBikers]

I use a tail bag for my Depends.

[TomTracer]

15 minutes ago, OldBikers said:

I use a tail bag for my Depends.

Years ago the EZleaker was advertised. Consisted of a hose with a funnel at one end, the hose ran down your pant leg, idea was to not need P stops. Not sure a pillion passenger would like it very much.

[BarryGT]

6 hours ago, TomTracer said:

Years ago the EZleaker was advertised. Consisted of a hose with a funnel at one end, the hose ran down your pant leg, idea was to not need P stops. Not sure a pillion passenger would like it very much.

or the biker behind you. lol

Edited May 16, 2023 by BarryGT
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