Doing a Pandemic ride around the southwest

[Clegg78]

32 minutes ago, betoney said:

I don't have an SOS or a tracker but I at least always let someone know my exact route for each day.  I plan my trips out in advance on Google maps and break them down by each individual day instead of one whole route.  I email each days route map to family, if I will be gone 7 days, they get 7 individual map routes.  

yeah that's solid, and I do similar in email to a few friends and family.   The tracker is a great piece of mind when riding in areas I know are hours away from civilization.   I primarily use it for backpacking though, where I could easily be 4 - 5 hours hike from other people.   That's a good strategy you have. 

[daboo]

The inReach tracker is good insurance.  I've traveled some places out west where there is no one around.  Luckily, I've never been broke down.

In the local area, there are places where you can go off the road and there's no cell coverage too.  I heard they found the body of one motorcyclist and his bike ten years after he went missing.  At least my wife would be able to tell the police where to go looking.

I recently had an opportunity to use my inReach SE for more than motorcycling.  I was hiking near Mt. Rainier and my friend started getting totally out of breath and over-heating.  He could barely stand up for over an hour.  We couldn't get in touch with rangers to get him out either.  I went back to the bike to get my inReach with the intention of using that SOS button.  In the end, we didn't need it...but it was there in case we needed it.

Chris

[Clegg78]

So I got the authentic SW-Motec plate in today.  From my non metalurgist expertise... I'd say its made of significantly superior aluminum alloy.  They are slightly different designs but I weighed the SW and it was heavier by an oz or two which would account for the differences between some shit 6061 or lesser aluminum, and 7075 or 7000 series aluminum on the motec one. 

I am going to lay down a 3x6" strip of 3mm 304 alloy stainless steel covered with a 3mm strip of adhesive EDPM rubber on top of it under the sump area to super double protect that side and overall strengthen the plate.   Probably not needed, but if something is worth doing, its worth doing right    (The materials are all ordered from McMaster-Carr  easy to order!)

 

 

Edited September 25, 2020 by Clegg78

[Clegg78]

All fixed

[2and3cylinders]

 I didn't know you had the Real McCoy

Check out the thread on which skid plate where I posted what I did to my SW plate, drilling a hole for the drain plug, I have a 15 with the plug underneath, and a hole next to the left front bracket to the plate for oil that drips down the bracket. I also safety wired the oil filter. I see you use a filter I also use. I'm also thinking of reinforcing the the bottom of the skid plate.

It's definitely a fairly hard I don't know what temper 7000 series I don't think it's 6061 because it was very hard to drill.

 

[Clegg78]

So I am going to try and wrap up my planned ride.  I cant get to everywhere I was going to go on the original ride due to winter rolling in on Sunday in the mountains.   But Still should do a solid 1000mi in 3 days.     https://joekelly.co/moto/well-lets-finish-this-thing/

[betoney]

18 minutes ago, Clegg78 said:

So I am going to try and wrap up my planned ride.  I cant get to everywhere I was going to go on the original ride due to winter rolling in on Sunday in the mountains.   But Still should do a solid 1000mi in 3 days.     https://joekelly.co/moto/well-lets-finish-this-thing/

What map program are you using?  It is very difficult to read, or tell which roads are which.

[Clegg78]

41 minutes ago, betoney said:

What map program are you using?  It is very difficult to read, or tell which roads are which.

Ahh,  yeah those pics are of garmin base camp.  Since the legs and some days are 350 miles, when zoomed out I lower the detail to keep it less cluttered.  I can share the actual gpx files.   But my google maps prints look equally shit :).  I am testing using Here maps in this ride a bit.  Google maps has gotten very buggy for me.

[betoney]

5 minutes ago, Clegg78 said:

Ahh,  yeah those pics are of garmin base camp.  Since the legs and some days are 350 miles, when zoomed out I lower the detail to keep it less cluttered.  I can share the actual gpx files.   But my google maps prints look equally shit :).  I am testing using Here maps in this ride a bit.  Google maps has gotten very buggy for me.

I have never had a problem with Google Maps, in fact when I brought up Google Maps side by side with the photos, I was able to tell the route and highway numbers.  Looks like a fun route. 👍

Good luck, hope you stay ahead of the snow.

[mellow]

On 9/25/2020 at 3:55 PM, Clegg78 said:

yeah that's solid, and I do similar in email to a few friends and family.   The tracker is a great piece of mind when riding in areas I know are hours away from civilization.   I primarily use it for backpacking though, where I could easily be 4 - 5 hours hike from other people.   That's a good strategy you have. 

There's also the life360 app, it's free and you can create a circle of friends that can see where you are and you can send messages.  It does require cell service so it's not a 100% solution but not bad for free and cell coverage is always getting better.

[Clegg78]

So I am day 2 into the ride  ~ 700 miles down and is all going just swimmingly.   Even took the bike on some mining roads on the edges of Paradox Valley.   Figured I was pushing my luck so I went as far as to drop pressure out of both tires to give a bit more predictable grip on soft gravel, then reinflated when I got back to the highway. 
All great, and some stunning views.   Tomorrow I ride home, sad but happy I was able to round out most of the trip I planned. 

 

By the time I am home I am pretty sure the bike will be over 4000mi on it now. 

 

Edited October 11, 2020 by Clegg78

[Clegg78]

Frame Grab from one of my cameras.   Thought it looked neat seeing the canyons ahead of me in my visor. 

[2and3cylinders]

Very scenic but desolate, nice photos.

[Stew]

I'd love to ride around where you took those photographs, it looks like another world to here.

[2and3cylinders]

Fa sure

Here its either heavily urban, humongous suburban or farms an hour away, all green and lush with rain in small buckets between dry weeks, with medium height trees and secada, small mosquitos and moderate humidity but FLAT!  In other words, Midwest boring.  We do have Lake Michigan and his 4 bros though...