sportsguy
searchgeek - author
Alright.
I have always admired long-haul bikers and have great respect for those completing rides and rallies based on distance-over-time coverage. The riding is only part of the equation, and I feel the pre-planning involved is often the unsung hero in the successful completion of a run or rally.
With that in mind, I've come back to the idea of doing an SS1000 on the FJR.
It appears - well, the plan is - that I'll be buying a car soon, so the FJR will get some time off from commuting duties. This should allow me time to plan a run next summer.
Some initial thoughts are:
1 - solo run (just the initial thought, not in stone)
2 - need to replace the seat and add risers
3 - need a waterproof GPS with tracking built in (have ram mount and n/Line dash already)
4 - considering an external fuel tank - need to research this further
5 - the Sturgis rally is August 9 - 15th, 2010, so I'd like to hit Sturgis on the 7th or 8th to check into a hotel a night or two earlier
6 - would stay at least 24 hrs after the 1000 miles to relax and rest up - probably take 2 or 3 days on the return to Bellevue, WA
7 - might be fun to cruise the Black Hills (this time on a bike)
8 - from Bellevue, WA to Sturgis, SD is 1157 miles (should cover odometer variances) - Google maps is saying 17 hours and 52 minutes, so should be doable with breaks for fuel, bios, and maybe a bit of en-route rest - I'm basing calcs on a 60 mph average, so that puts it closer to 19.5 hours
9 - depart at 7AM sees me arriving at around 3AM, according to the rough math and a 60 mph average I suspect it'll be an earlier arrival given some stretches of I-90 are 70 mph zones
10 - I need to do a ton of research, as I've never ridden this type of distance
11 - I'd probably do a couple of 500-mile runs early next spring to get a better feel for spending that kind of time in the saddle
12 - going to need to upgrade the electrical on the FJR to cover the GPS and maybe charging for the ipod
13 - might look at mounting a set of aux lights up front, too - maybe a nice set of 4" Hellas.
14 - will definitely be wearing the Camel Bak for hydration
15 - considering cruise control instead of heated grips - maybe even just a throttle lock
16 - want to stick to pretty much major highways if possible to ensure fuel, facilities and minimize the mental fatigue of riding a twistier route (plus I drove this route en route to Seattle this past summer and enjoyed it)
17 - might not coincide this with the Sturgis rally - that's just a stake in the ground - might make more sense to d this earlier or later in the summer to ensure more moderate temps on the trip
18 - could also alter route to head to Nevada or California - requires further thought
Anyway, just rambling and capturing my thoughts here to reference later. Obviously, feedback is welcome.
I have always admired long-haul bikers and have great respect for those completing rides and rallies based on distance-over-time coverage. The riding is only part of the equation, and I feel the pre-planning involved is often the unsung hero in the successful completion of a run or rally.
With that in mind, I've come back to the idea of doing an SS1000 on the FJR.
It appears - well, the plan is - that I'll be buying a car soon, so the FJR will get some time off from commuting duties. This should allow me time to plan a run next summer.
Some initial thoughts are:
1 - solo run (just the initial thought, not in stone)
2 - need to replace the seat and add risers
3 - need a waterproof GPS with tracking built in (have ram mount and n/Line dash already)
4 - considering an external fuel tank - need to research this further
5 - the Sturgis rally is August 9 - 15th, 2010, so I'd like to hit Sturgis on the 7th or 8th to check into a hotel a night or two earlier
6 - would stay at least 24 hrs after the 1000 miles to relax and rest up - probably take 2 or 3 days on the return to Bellevue, WA
7 - might be fun to cruise the Black Hills (this time on a bike)
8 - from Bellevue, WA to Sturgis, SD is 1157 miles (should cover odometer variances) - Google maps is saying 17 hours and 52 minutes, so should be doable with breaks for fuel, bios, and maybe a bit of en-route rest - I'm basing calcs on a 60 mph average, so that puts it closer to 19.5 hours
9 - depart at 7AM sees me arriving at around 3AM, according to the rough math and a 60 mph average I suspect it'll be an earlier arrival given some stretches of I-90 are 70 mph zones
10 - I need to do a ton of research, as I've never ridden this type of distance
11 - I'd probably do a couple of 500-mile runs early next spring to get a better feel for spending that kind of time in the saddle
12 - going to need to upgrade the electrical on the FJR to cover the GPS and maybe charging for the ipod
13 - might look at mounting a set of aux lights up front, too - maybe a nice set of 4" Hellas.
14 - will definitely be wearing the Camel Bak for hydration
15 - considering cruise control instead of heated grips - maybe even just a throttle lock
16 - want to stick to pretty much major highways if possible to ensure fuel, facilities and minimize the mental fatigue of riding a twistier route (plus I drove this route en route to Seattle this past summer and enjoyed it)
17 - might not coincide this with the Sturgis rally - that's just a stake in the ground - might make more sense to d this earlier or later in the summer to ensure more moderate temps on the trip
18 - could also alter route to head to Nevada or California - requires further thought
Anyway, just rambling and capturing my thoughts here to reference later. Obviously, feedback is welcome.
