Hi I'm quite new on this board, and tried to search out my question, but didn't have much luck. I'm planning a trip from NY to Cali. for the middle of September, to the middle of October. Can you suggest what essential accessories I might need. I know this is a very broad question, Thanks
Accessories
- Thread starter davebz1a
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El Toro Joe
FYYFF
Solo trip? How many miles?
masterguns
Active member
IMHO, priority of upgrades should be in the following order:
1) Comfort (longevity for staying in the saddle longer) - Upgraded seat, improved riding position and windshield to eliminate buffeting
2) Entertainment - sound system including cb radio. Includes GPS
3) Body hydratiion
4) Storage (insufficient storage on stock luggage)
1) Comfort (longevity for staying in the saddle longer) - Upgraded seat, improved riding position and windshield to eliminate buffeting
2) Entertainment - sound system including cb radio. Includes GPS
3) Body hydratiion
4) Storage (insufficient storage on stock luggage)
Thanks, I added a Russell seat, does have a aftermarket windshield, Throttle lock, A rack by Gary. I plan to use a large Givi bag instead of mounting a hard case I bought. It's not the Yamaha top case, I do have Satellite radio, iPod, etc. I'm going with a buddy who has a 2006 just like mine.
El Toro Joe
FYYFF
New set of tires, a couple pairs of underwear & a toothbrush :lol:
Oh, and have fun ya lucky Bas%@*d
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I've wanted to do this since I had my first motorcycle a Honda CB160, back in 1967, but something always got in the way, Raising a family, job etc.
Still have a job, but the family all grown up, so now is the time. Got the tires, pilot road 3's, and a folding toothbrush ;-)
TomInPA
Well-known member
Thanks, I added a Russell seat, does have a aftermarket windshield, Throttle lock, A rack by Gary. I plan to use a large Givi bag instead of mounting a hard case I bought. It's not the Yamaha top case, I do have Satellite radio, iPod, etc. I'm going with a buddy who has a 2006 just like mine.
You need to get the G2 Ergonomics Tamer Throttle Tube 40-4F-136-S and remove the excess throttle cable play on that bike. The abrupt throttle snatch on the 2006 makes this a safety upgrade, not a comfort accessory.
For a cross country ride I really like using a Dry Pak duffel bag. This bag is exactly the right width to fit across the rear seat and is easy to pack and carry into the hotels at night, or to hold camp gear. It carries very nicely on the bike with less buffeting than a top case, and good lord it's cheaper than anything you'll get from Givi.
The adjustable ROK straps are great for tying down a load.
One or both of you need a GPS. There are some great tricks to navigating in a way that keeps it interesting and off the interstates.
In hot weather, it's hard to beat having an evaporative vest to keep cool. In cold weather, it's hard to beat electric gear. I carry both.
Get a set of FRS/GMRS radios and a headset with a push-to-talk. Nothing more frustrating than riding for two weeks with your buddy and never being able to talk or plan and make diversions from your route. You don't have to go real expensive on this, but the better the radio, the more durable and longer range it should have. I use Kenwood TK3101 radios and it makes a huge difference on rides.
Radar Detector...nuff said.
You need to get the G2 Ergonomics Tamer Throttle Tube 40-4F-136-S and remove the excess throttle cable play on that bike. The abrupt throttle snatch on the 2006 makes this a safety upgrade, not a comfort accessory.
For a cross country ride I really like using a Dry Pak duffel bag. This bag is exactly the right width to fit across the rear seat and is easy to pack and carry into the hotels at night, or to hold camp gear. It carries very nicely on the bike with less buffeting than a top case, and good lord it's cheaper than anything you'll get from Givi.
The adjustable ROK straps are great for tying down a load.
One or both of you need a GPS. There are some great tricks to navigating in a way that keeps it interesting and off the interstates.
In hot weather, it's hard to beat having an evaporative vest to keep cool. In cold weather, it's hard to beat electric gear. I carry both.
Get a set of FRS/GMRS radios and a headset with a push-to-talk. Nothing more frustrating than riding for two weeks with your buddy and never being able to talk or plan and make diversions from your route. You don't have to go real expensive on this, but the better the radio, the more durable and longer range it should have. I use Kenwood TK3101 radios and it makes a huge difference on rides.
Radar Detector...nuff said.
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One of my top farkles have been custom hearing protection/speakers. Pricey but has made all the difference.
HelzBelz
HipHopLitePopMetalist
Rokstraps absolutely Rock..
custom seat - definite.
pack light. rain gear, couple of socks, couple of underwear, limit the clothing and plan to hit a laundry every now and then. a pair of lightweight comfy shoes for walking around at stops.
Powerlet stuff to power your bag/ electronics. I added the outlet to my tank bag, and added the powerlet outlet to my left side dash so I run one wire to my bag, and inside the bag I have two things charging at once.
Get a good touring tire.. it will last longer. I just put the Metzeler Z8's on, and ran through Yellowstone, Beartooth pass, and Cheif Joseph pass twice. These tires are GREAT, just not as sporty as my previous Pirelli Angel ST's. Gave up a little sticky-ness for longer tread life (I think.. we'll see) But I was still able to eat up twisties. (just not slow speed u turns in 4th gear. my bad :black eye: )
Keep tools for every bolt on your bike. don't forget to change the oil somewhere. Wallyworld parking lot maybe.
Hydration, Hydration, Hydration. Better than caffeine to keep you awake.
Avoid Kansas like the plague. Tornadoes will get you, or boredom will sleep you to death. (no offense to Kansas)
Follow the twisy roads on the map. they'll keep you happy and awake.
Don't bother waving at harley guys. you'll never see them again anyway and the second or so wasted might save your life.
I SWEAR by my micro weight smartwool underwear. ABSOLUTELY great in heat and cold. I wear them in 100 degrees and 45 degrees.
I absolutely LOVE my Sena SMH10's. Intercomm is great and bluetooths to my phone for music, calls, and listening to google maps. Volume in my Nolan helmet is great.
The SMH5 is cheaper, but less range, and I forget which features it is missing. (smaller batter I think)
custom seat - definite.
pack light. rain gear, couple of socks, couple of underwear, limit the clothing and plan to hit a laundry every now and then. a pair of lightweight comfy shoes for walking around at stops.
Powerlet stuff to power your bag/ electronics. I added the outlet to my tank bag, and added the powerlet outlet to my left side dash so I run one wire to my bag, and inside the bag I have two things charging at once.
Get a good touring tire.. it will last longer. I just put the Metzeler Z8's on, and ran through Yellowstone, Beartooth pass, and Cheif Joseph pass twice. These tires are GREAT, just not as sporty as my previous Pirelli Angel ST's. Gave up a little sticky-ness for longer tread life (I think.. we'll see) But I was still able to eat up twisties. (just not slow speed u turns in 4th gear. my bad :black eye: )
Keep tools for every bolt on your bike. don't forget to change the oil somewhere. Wallyworld parking lot maybe.
Hydration, Hydration, Hydration. Better than caffeine to keep you awake.
Avoid Kansas like the plague. Tornadoes will get you, or boredom will sleep you to death. (no offense to Kansas)
Follow the twisy roads on the map. they'll keep you happy and awake.
Don't bother waving at harley guys. you'll never see them again anyway and the second or so wasted might save your life.
I SWEAR by my micro weight smartwool underwear. ABSOLUTELY great in heat and cold. I wear them in 100 degrees and 45 degrees.
I absolutely LOVE my Sena SMH10's. Intercomm is great and bluetooths to my phone for music, calls, and listening to google maps. Volume in my Nolan helmet is great.
The SMH5 is cheaper, but less range, and I forget which features it is missing. (smaller batter I think)
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DeltaKappaZeta
Active member
Excellent advice.Rokstraps absolutely Rock..
custom seat - definite.
pack light. rain gear, couple of socks, couple of underwear, limit the clothing and plan to hit a laundry every now and then. a pair of lightweight comfy shoes for walking around at stops.
Powerlet stuff to power your bag/ electronics. I added the outlet to my tank bag, and added the powerlet outlet to my left side dash so I run one wire to my bag, and inside the bag I have two things charging at once.
Get a good touring tire.. it will last longer. I just put the Metzeler Z8's on, and ran through Yellowstone, Beartooth pass, and Cheif Joseph pass twice. These tires are GREAT, just not as sporty as my previous Pirelli Angel ST's. Gave up a little sticky-ness for longer tread life (I think.. we'll see) But I was still able to eat up twisties. (just not slow speed u turns in 4th gear. my bad)
Keep tools for every bolt on your bike. don't forget to change the oil somewhere. Wallyworld parking lot maybe.
Hydration, Hydration, Hydration. Better than caffeine to keep you awake.
Avoid Kansas like the plague. Tornadoes will get you, or boredom will sleep you to death. (no offense to Kansas)
Follow the twisy roads on the map. they'll keep you happy and awake.
Don't bother waving at harley guys. you'll never see them again anyway and the second or so wasted might save your life.
I SWEAR by my micro weight smartwool underwear. ABSOLUTELY great in heat and cold. I wear them in 100 degrees and 45 degrees.
I absolutely LOVE my Sena SMH10's. Intercomm is great and bluetooths to my phone for music, calls, and listening to google maps. Volume in my Nolan helmet is great.
The SMH5 is cheaper, but less range, and I forget which features it is missing. (smaller batter I think)
Garauld has an awesome hydration system. I used on my tour around Lakes Superior and Michigan and it worked flawlessly. Just get a carabiner clip to attach the hose/mouthpiece to your jacket for easy reach.
Good avice on the harley guys - somebody should...never mind...
I found a good quailty cycling pant under my riding pants works wonders. Especially if you spend a little more and get one with all the latest materials.
One Item I'd add to the list above is a pain reliever - Aspirin, Motrin, Advil whatever you preference believe me you'll be glad you packed it when you start to feel all the tiny discomforts adding up....
Have fun and if you can take and post some pix when your done.
DeltaKappaZeta
Active member
Excellent advice.Rokstraps absolutely Rock..
custom seat - definite.
pack light. rain gear, couple of socks, couple of underwear, limit the clothing and plan to hit a laundry every now and then. a pair of lightweight comfy shoes for walking around at stops.
Powerlet stuff to power your bag/ electronics. I added the outlet to my tank bag, and added the powerlet outlet to my left side dash so I run one wire to my bag, and inside the bag I have two things charging at once.
Get a good touring tire.. it will last longer. I just put the Metzeler Z8's on, and ran through Yellowstone, Beartooth pass, and Cheif Joseph pass twice. These tires are GREAT, just not as sporty as my previous Pirelli Angel ST's. Gave up a little sticky-ness for longer tread life (I think.. we'll see) But I was still able to eat up twisties. (just not slow speed u turns in 4th gear. my bad)
Keep tools for every bolt on your bike. don't forget to change the oil somewhere. Wallyworld parking lot maybe.
Hydration, Hydration, Hydration. Better than caffeine to keep you awake.
Avoid Kansas like the plague. Tornadoes will get you, or boredom will sleep you to death. (no offense to Kansas)
Follow the twisy roads on the map. they'll keep you happy and awake.
Don't bother waving at harley guys. you'll never see them again anyway and the second or so wasted might save your life.
I SWEAR by my micro weight smartwool underwear. ABSOLUTELY great in heat and cold. I wear them in 100 degrees and 45 degrees.
I absolutely LOVE my Sena SMH10's. Intercomm is great and bluetooths to my phone for music, calls, and listening to google maps. Volume in my Nolan helmet is great.
The SMH5 is cheaper, but less range, and I forget which features it is missing. (smaller batter I think)
Garauld has an awesome hydration system. I used on my tour around Lakes Superior and Michigan and it worked flawlessly. Just get a carabiner clip to attach the hose/mouthpiece to your jacket for easy reach.
Good avice on the harley guys - somebody should...never mind...
I found a good quailty cycling pant under my riding pants works wonders. Especially if you spend a little more and get one with all the latest materials.
One Item I'd add to the list above is a pain reliever - Aspirin, Motrin, Advil whatever you preference believe me you'll be glad you packed it when you start to feel all the tiny discomforts adding up....
Have fun and if you can take and post some pix when your done.
Now that I think on it add 2 more items to your list :
A cleaning kit - Plexus (or similar) and a microfiber towel - nothing quite as gross as putting on a crusty helmet in the morning
A tire repair kit that includes an air pump as well as patches
Just got back from 4.6k miles around Idaho/Montana/Wyoming/Colorado/Nevada/Norcal/Central Oregon (and, btw, make time in your trip for CO-141 and NV-50 is a totally pleasant road to go across). I'm not a "real" long distance rider, but my buddy and I try to enjoy as many roads as possible on our summer trip.
So, things I was relying on (I assume you're already on these, but it was a general question):
(1) Hydration, hydration, hydration. If you have to stop for it, you're not getting enough. Camelbak bladder in the tankbag worked out well. I usually carry a spare unopened gallon with me as well.
(2) Aleve/Advil, I just take every morning for basically the same reason - when you hurt, you should have taken it an hour ago.
(3) Tankbag with a map pocket, pull up to the first vistor center in each state and pick up the free state map.
(4) Earplugs, find some you can live with (I like the Moldex SparkPlugs) - the wind noise is a fatigue factor, aside from hearing loss issues.
(5) Off-bike sunglasses and a hat.
(6) Sunscreen
(7) A couple of bandanas, for dust or wrapping around your neck + water for cooling.
(8) General "patch me up till the next hotel kit" - 5-Hour-Energy (or equivalent) you don't actually plan to drink, for "I'm getting snoozy", to drink while pulling off for a bit, non-drowsy allergy pills, more painkillers, moleskin, bandaids, chapstick, $20 in cash for gas, eye drops.
(Spare glasses/contacts/fluid/etc if you use them)
Really nice/recommended/make things pleasant:
(0) Comfy seat/windshield, you have - I like the CalSci one I have, at 6'2" it's highest is about perfect
(1) Almost an essential - heated vest at least. Core temperature up on demand is between a safety and "just a real comfort issue", not what I'd consider critical in Sept, but I still took it with me heading into high-90s temps.
(2) Interbike comms are real nice. My buddy and I are real chatty all day, and the ScalaRider G4 units work... OK. Range is sometimes funny, they're a little finicky on getting connected on occasion, and you need to be religious about charging, but the price isn't terrible, sound quality is OK, the install is OK, and even if you're not chatty, they pay for themselves when you're discussing "hey, I'd like to stop in another 50 miles or so when there's something interesting" or "let's not stop at that hotel" without having to pull over.
(3) I wouldn't call a GPS required, but it's nice. Garmin GPSMap60CSx (discontinued) does a nice job, doesn't take up much space, and uses a NEMA connector for hardwired power. RAM makes a nice mount. Less satisfied with the newer Garmin 27xx unit I have.
(4) SPOT messenger - can create a nice route record, friends/family get some entertainment following along and don't worry as much, fairly cheap insurance which might well get you medevac'd if it comes down to it.
(5) Camera - take the pictures, they'll inspire you to do it again next year
Things I carry which I don't expect to use:
(0) AAA+RV card. I've paid for it for years, I think unlike most insurance I've actually basically come up even on price. Cheap "I need to get to a shop" insurance.
(1) Tire puncture kit with CO2 cartidges to inflate - I also have a pump, but it came with the bike, I don't think I'd have added it.
(2) Raingear - If I'm dumb enough to ride into the thunderstorm, I'm probably dumb enough to not put it on, either - but I do carry it, so it's an option.
(3) Extra tools - Add a LED light and a multitool (I carry a leatherman wave) to the base toolkit, an adjustable wrench, and some duck tape.
(4) Emergency mylar blanket - packs very small, warmer and dryer is good
(5) Extra brake/clutch levers - It's amazing how disabled you can be in the middle of nowhere in the mountains while otherwise unhurt, without a brake lever. See #4 "why I carry an emergency blanket because of a broken lever"
(6) About 2x as much cash as you can imagine you'll need, tucked away in several places between your bike and your leathers. Cash is king.
Things I wished I'd had:
(1) Aux lighting. It's _dark_ in the heart of darkness, and although we really attempted to be in before then, we got caught out twice during our trip. The FJR has (IMHO) truly excellent stock lights. Nice beams, better than average spread to the sides on high. But it's still awful dark out there. I didn't have time after necessary maintenance on my new-to-me '07 before the trip, so I just ran with what I brung, but I ordered a pair of the advmonster.com 60 lights immediately after getting back. The FJR lights were good, but I would have been a lot happier/more comfortable with a lot more mid-distance light to the side. I think those'll do what I need.
(2) Extra fuel container. Again, the FJR has good range. What drove me up the wall during this trip was how _variable_ the mileage was, and how little correlation there seemed to be to high speeds/elevation/octane/hooligan behavior. I got a low range of (IIRC) 180 miles before reserve, high of ~240. The fill up at (fairly close to) reserve indication was anywhere between 4.3 and 5.2 gallons. MPG between <=36 and >=50. So I had to conclude I couldn't put a lot of faith in either the tripmeter range or the gas gauge, I had to plan 200 miles between gas stops, even though the mean/median/mode of the trip was 43-45mpg.
The instant MPG indicator seemed to be pretty accurate, as was the average MPG indicator. It just felt... random. I thought it might be because of significantly better wind protection over my previous bike, so I just wasn't noticing the headwinds. Still. Another half-gallon of fuel in a bottle would have made me happier.
Thanks all of U guys for the advice. I'll have to start shopping soon. I like the idea of the 2 way radios. I have a couple of Motorola talkabout's 250. What and who sells the speakers, and mic setup for a full face helmet? One more thing, is there a way to switch between the 2 way and a iPod? It would be nice if you're listing to music, and the 2way overrides the music without manually switching back and forth. Does any thing exist?
TomInPA
Well-known member
The least expensive route for using your current radios is to buy a Motocomm MC-551 headset. This is a hard-wired setup with push-to-talk. You will install the speakers in your helmet and either the boom mic for a modular or open-face, or the wired mic for full-face. This will get the job done for your trip and will be very simple to setup. The drawback is that you will need extra battery packs and a means to recharge them. I'm not aware of a way to power your Motorola radio directly from bike power (car charger adapter), but that would be ideal if someone else is aware of a solution.
You will love bike to bike communications. There are lots of options for doing that, but this one is the cheapest and yet reliable. The main drawback is it doesn't get you phone, GPS, Radar detector and music as well, If you want to upgrade, the most economical way to go would be either aSena SMH10 or Interphone F5 Bluetooth unit. Both allow short-range bike to bike as well as music, phone gps etc. Beyond that you are getting into the realm of Autocom, Starcom and JMCB
You will love bike to bike communications. There are lots of options for doing that, but this one is the cheapest and yet reliable. The main drawback is it doesn't get you phone, GPS, Radar detector and music as well, If you want to upgrade, the most economical way to go would be either aSena SMH10 or Interphone F5 Bluetooth unit. Both allow short-range bike to bike as well as music, phone gps etc. Beyond that you are getting into the realm of Autocom, Starcom and JMCB
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