Hand adjuster tool for preload/comp/rebound on front shocks?

[2and3cylinders]

1 hour ago, Clegg78 said:

Hey guys, everyone who sent me an order for one of the tools, they shipped today and should be do you on Tue or Wed it seems.   I am doing a final packing to head out for a 7-8 days on the bike around the southwest on Monday, when I get back I will be working on getting a website up to actually formalize the sales process for these

Are you going to post up photos or your trip?

I have a high school buddy who lives in Denver or thereabouts Boulder really for the last  40 years  and got to get out to see him was going to go this year but back problems change that .  So if you have some good routes  for me to take out from Chicago  I'd appreciate it .

what states will you hit?

Hopefully the weather cooperates for you!

 

[betoney]

4 minutes ago, 2and3cylinders said:

Are you going to post up photos or your trip?

Where are you starting from exactly and what states will you hit?

Hopefully the weather cooperates for you!

 

Agreed. 

@Clegg78 - for those of us that got thrown a curveball or 3 this year and had all road trips cancelled, I eagerly await a few photos and brief write-up on your trip.  If it includes Arizona and New Mexico, I have never been and would love the inside scoop on the "good roads" through scenic mountains or canyons.  👍

[Clegg78]

Yeah I started catalogging my planning here:  

Motorcycle Travel – Interwebs of Joe

  ( the most recent post) 

I have another post ready to put up later today or tomorrow once I finish getting the initial pack done on the bike.    I am in the middle of getting stuff packed upright now!

[Clegg78]

36 minutes ago, 2and3cylinders said:

Are you going to post up photos or your trip?

I have a high school buddy who lives in Denver or thereabouts Boulder really for the last  40 years  and got to get out to see him was going to go this year but back problems change that .  So if you have some good routes  for me to take out from Chicago  I'd appreciate it .

what states will you hit?

Hopefully the weather cooperates for you!

 

• Silverton, CO
• Meteor Crater,AZ (Winslow or Flagstaff for that leg, leaning toward Flagstaff cause from what I understand the majority of Winslow thinks COVID is a hoax),
• Los Alamos, NM to check out the area ( I am a big geek for nuclear history, I cant go into any place/museums or anything because they are all closed still and NM has a 14 day quarantine before you technically are able to do anything like that so just scoping out the area, taking some fun routes to get there)
• Delores, CO
• Grand Mesa, CO
• Aspen/Leadville, CO 

Should be ~ 1980 miles when I am done, probably more since I have a day built in to just meander around Grand Mesa and such. 

I delayed an extra day to let the 23" of snow in Silverton melt a bit before I head out there  

[betoney]

12 minutes ago, Clegg78 said:

Yeah I started catalogging my planning here:  

Motorcycle Travel – Interwebs of Joe

  ( the most recent post) 

I have another post ready to put up later today or tomorrow once I finish getting the initial pack done on the bike.    I am in the middle of getting stuff packed upright now!

A year ago a buddy and I rode to Colorado for the first time.  550 from Ouray to Durango was absolutely stunning (I rode it back and forth twice in each direction) but we really loved 141 from Grand Junction to Naturita, miles and miles of roadway twisting through the base of a canyon, now THAT is a motorcycle road! 😎👍

[Clegg78]

46 minutes ago, betoney said:

A year ago a buddy and I rode to Colorado for the first time.  550 from Ouray to Durango was absolutely stunning (I rode it back and forth twice in each direction) but we really loved 141 from Grand Junction to Naturita, miles and miles of roadway twisting through the base of a canyon, now THAT is a motorcycle road! 😎👍

Its an awesome road, I've been on it a number of times!    Its one of the reasons I am going down to Silverton.

I know this is WAY off topic, but this is my thread so...   

My current struggle is getting weight down on the bags/bike.   I found I can stuff my 12v air pump (aerostitch that I've had for ages) in the nook under the seat.   But my luggage is pretty maxed.   All together I have the 2 side cases at 21# each, or around that.   Which is good.   The rear though is a real problem.   The rear case itself weighs half the load rating!!  I have my backpack with my HP Spectre Laptop, Sony A7RIII camera (using the same USBC charger), and 2 lenses (Sony 24-105, 12-24), and some other minor things in a backpack I will take when I do some small hikes.  The backpack loaded 100% is 11# itself.   The trunk all up is 20#.   Since the suspension is already kind of unhappy on the bike as is to keep it in sag range, its a bit frustrating. 

I remember my Triumph Sprint where I would have 100 - 125# in gear in the big 40L Givi side cases, and the 37L trunk, and a big dry bag on the seat!  This load out is half that and its making me nervous. 
 

For my side cases is:

(in the pic Right to Left)

Right Case:  

4x days of clothes, Toiletries, and a sack with other riding gloves in it. 

Left Case:

Sony 100-400mm GM lens, Sack of tools/repair bits/tire repair stuff, First aid kit, USB charger, disinfectant wipes, down quilt (I am not going to use the hotels quilts for COVID reasons), extra pillow cases (Same as the last item), small Tripod, Small emergency tarp (its .5# I use it as a tarp backpacking, made it myself), and probably a few other things. 

Tank bag : Snacks, Charging cables and such, USB Battery, Individual cleaning wipes, tissues, lens cleaning wipes. 

 

[Clegg78]

On the topic of 3D printing,  I also designed in a few hours a Hide-A Key for my bike.  Now I am obviously not going to say where I found a place to hide it, but I wanted a case to hold it and velcro to the location I placed it.  Its held stable in the block and the cover and can snap out by putting some pressure on the exposed end. 

I'll post it to Thingiverse when I get back from my trip. 

[betoney]

@Clegg78 - Holy cow, that is a lot of stuff for 4 (?) days, though I understand that you will be hiking as well.  Our trip was just over 9 days and I only used my Shad bags with my rain gear in a vented laundry bag bungeed to my seat, my buddy only had a Nelson Rigg tail bag on his passenger seat.  Just a few changes of clothing and basic toiletries.

 

 

 

[Clegg78]

1 hour ago, betoney said:

@Clegg78 - Holy cow, that is a lot of stuff for 4 (?) days, though I understand that you will be hiking as well.  Our trip was just over 9 days and I only used my Shad bags with my rain gear in a vented laundry bag bungeed to my seat, my buddy only had a Nelson Rigg tail bag on his passenger seat.  Just a few changes of clothing and basic toiletries.

 

 

 

8 days, doing laundry, I am checking now on potential hotels (not booking anything until the day before everywhere) for laundry availability, I could get down to 2 days + what I am wearing. the camera gear takes up the most space.  The 100-400mm lens on its own takes up 1/3 of a Yamaha sock side bag.  I could leave my laptop at home, but its pretty damn light and its 8 days during COVID so Its not like I am going to be hanging out with people to burn time.   The pillow cases/down quilt(Backpacking quilt) to use in hotel rooms is also extra stuff I would normally never bring.   But #covid. 

Also I've been stranded before in the middle of nowhere, and I've had to make emergency repairs on a bike that would otherwise leave me stranded unable to ride out.  So the tools I carry are minimal but still comprehensive.   I could drop a few small things.   The big weight concern is the tail.  Because I know I will add more stuff in there along the way.   Its really only carrying an insulating layer, and my camera/Laptop.   Given the case itself is 7# almost and the max weight is 11#, its pretty silly

  I just did a ride and the bike was fine, handled good at 90Mph in buffeting winds, handled uneven broken roads well,  so I may be over thinking it.   But I still may go through and reorg some things. 

Edited September 12, 2020 by Clegg78

[2and3cylinders]

I thought I was bad but I don't carry camera equipment such. I know what you mean about covid-19 I have a sleeping bag liner that's very thin and picks up to nothing that I was planning on using instead of a quilt. You'll find out if you need to do more and tweak the suspension, full kit front and rear maybe and you your future the best money you can spend on the bike besides flashing the ECU Maybe.

I remember doing roadside repairs on my 61 BSA 500 gold star in a Rickman metisse frame but all I had was a backpack and old army navy rain suit and some cheap nylon throw over saddlebags. Those were the days!

[Clegg78]

I did some repacking, thinning out and thinking of what I may actually need.   It has been 5 years since I did a big ride and in the past I just threw anything I wanted on the bike     If I was riding all in the same climate, this would be easy, but accommodating for traveling in 90F weather, and 40F weather makes things kind of fun. 

Removed the insulating layer for the jacket as I have a heated bib, and I have a pair of wool base layers packed instead, removed a few tools I probably dont need, changed the packing method for clothes and removed a few things from that set, removed the tarp (...not sure I am all in on removing that, but its probably a good call), Moved a couple things from the top case to the bottom.    Dropped ~ 8# total, but stuff fits a little better.  If I didnt need to worry about COVID this would be easy. 

I also threw some lightweight shoes in a drysack I have on the back of the bike seat, I hate hiking in my riding boots. 

And yes over winter the entire suspension is going to be redone - going to pull the fork and shock off and mail it all to Norwest suspension.  Terry there is a genius. 

[Clegg78]

I posted a blog post tonight about plans, packing and things I 3D printed for the bike:  https://joekelly.co/moto/final-plans-and-packing-the-bike/

 

[2and3cylinders]

That's why I went for the Shad SH36 panniers with the fitted liners and I already had their SH46 top case.  Those alone give me 118 liters, more than the new Gold Wing.  Then I have a 40L roll top dry bag on the pillion and the SW-Mototech Engage tank bag, or a twice as big Held tank bag.  I cut the dividers away from the under seat tray and carry my customized tool it.  Very few wrenches / sockets are needed, as most fasteners are driven by one of 4 sizes of hex.

Do you use freezer ziplock bags for clothes and squeeze the air out before zipping up!  Lots of other space and weight saving tips available on the web.

[betoney]

9 hours ago, Clegg78 said:

If I was riding all in the same climate, this would be easy, but accommodating for traveling in 90F weather, and 40F weather makes things kind of fun.

We encountered the same thing, 104F in Moab and mid 40's and rain/hail storm in Telluride and one of the heaviest torrential rain storms I have ever encountered riding between Utah and Wyoming.  We kept our rain gear readily available for quick access, taking it on and off a few times a day as conditions changed.

One thing I discovered that works extremely well in a downpour is fleece lined neoprene ice fishing gloves.  Warm, 100% dry and they have a 'shark skin' like tacky non-slip grip.  They won't protect in a slide but are amazing to get you through a cold rain storm.

WATERPROOF Ice Bay Glove by Glacier Glove 813BK

---

Best Selling Neoprene Waterproof for Cold Weather Ice Bay Glove by...

 

[Clegg78]

2 hours ago, 2and3cylinders said:

That's why I went for the Shad SH36 panniers with the fitted liners and I already had their SH46 top case.  Those alone give me 118 liters, more than the new Gold Wing.  Then I have a 40L roll top dry bag on the pillion and the SW-Mototech Engage tank bag, or a twice as big Held tank bag.  I cut the dividers away from the under seat tray and carry my customized tool it.  Very few wrenches / sockets are needed, as most fasteners are driven by one of 4 sizes of hex.

Do you use freezer ziplock bags for clothes and squeeze the air out before zipping up!  Lots of other space and weight saving tips available on the web.

Yeah, I think the main issue with the Tracer stock OE bags is they are weird odd shapes, where my Givi 40L cases I used to have were super easy to fill. They were also gigantic    I do like the sleek nature of the OE Cases.   And really if I wasn't carrying camera gear, and COVID gear, I could get all this in the 2 side cases alone with no issue.     I am using waterproof compression sacks for the quilt and my clothes.   And some roll up vacuum bags for the base layers.   New loadout arrangement is below. 

1 hour ago, betoney said:

We encountered the same thing, 104F in Moab and mid 40's and rain/hail storm in Telluride and one of the heaviest torrential rain storms I have ever encountered riding between Utah and Wyoming.  We kept our rain gear readily available for quick access, taking it on and off a few times a day as conditions changed.

One thing I discovered that works extremely well in a downpour is fleece lined neoprene ice fishing gloves.  Warm, 100% dry and they have a 'shark skin' like tacky non-slip grip.  They won't protect in a slide but are amazing to get you through a cold rain storm.

Yeah the weather out here either requires you to be hard as nails, or have gear accessible     This is why I carry 3 sets of gloves, one super comfortable "warm weather" gloves (Reax Superfly I think), and a set of rain gloves with good grip and dexterity, and a set of leather insulated riding gloves.   I really don't like cold hands     The heated Aerostitch bib I have is a life saver as well... just enough heat so I can skip packing the heavy insulating layers for the jacket and get by with a base layer or some light long sleeve shirt even in sub 40 riding.