Preparations
As I write this, the countdown to my departure for the west is T minus about one month and counting. There are many preparations to be made to take a motorcycle trip of this length - I'm expecting to get home with 7 or 8,000 miles more on the bike than when I leave. Parts of the preparations are maintenance oriented (oil changes, tires, air filter, etc.) and the other parts consist of accessorizing the machine to better equip it for extended touring duty.
My ride for this trip is my 2000 Honda VFR800i Interceptor. I purchased it new and it's been a wonderful bike - it may be the best compromise machine of all time. It's got plenty of power, great fuel mileage, handles and stops well, offers decent weather protection, and is exceptionally comfortable for a sport bike. I have already replaced the stock seat with a Corbin saddle - I've found them to be a big improvement in all cases and a huge improvement in some. I have known Mike Corbin for 20 years or more, back to the days when he used to drop by my family's 7-Eleven store for coffee every morning. His operation was much smaller in those days! I don't mind the stock handlebars for day riding, but I knew that a set of Heli Bars would no doubt improve comfort on those 6 and 700 mile days of fairly straight road. A cruise control or throttle lock seemed in order also. Interestingly, all the accessories I have bought for the VFR up to this date have come from eBay - all purchased used for half of new prices or less.
I normally do not listen to music, CB radio, or anything else when I'm riding, but again, the prospect of endless miles of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona without something to listen to was a grim thought. I decided to get a Sirius satellite radio and mount it on the handlebars with a RAM mount. At the same time, I decided I'd like to have a navigation system on the bike - one I could also use in the car once I got back home. I did a lot of research and despite some negative reviews related to quality control, I ended up purchasing a Lowrance iWay 500c - partially because the combination of features, price, and ability to be customized to the motorcycle environment. It's also got a 10gb section of hard drive available for MP3 files, and I have a ton of those. Lowrance has a great rebate offer going right now and I'm expecting mine any day.
Yesterday I installed the Heli Bars, NEP cruise control, and the RAM mounts for the radio and the GPS. As usual with aftermarket accessories, there were configuration problems with almost everything, and I'm not happy with the positioning of the radio and the GPS required by the use of a tank bag. At this point I am considering not using a tank bag at all. That would be a first for me - I've been a believer in tank bag use since the late 70's when I bought my first Eclipse bag - I still have and use it to this day, though not on this tour. I have a Bagster tank cover/tank bag combo that I especially like.
Next, I'll need to add the grip heaters (not necessary for this trip, but since it's going to be apart anyway ...), the audio amplifier/mixer (useful when you have multiple sound sources), and accessory fuse block and wiring they will all attach to.
More as I move along.
My ride for this trip is my 2000 Honda VFR800i Interceptor. I purchased it new and it's been a wonderful bike - it may be the best compromise machine of all time. It's got plenty of power, great fuel mileage, handles and stops well, offers decent weather protection, and is exceptionally comfortable for a sport bike. I have already replaced the stock seat with a Corbin saddle - I've found them to be a big improvement in all cases and a huge improvement in some. I have known Mike Corbin for 20 years or more, back to the days when he used to drop by my family's 7-Eleven store for coffee every morning. His operation was much smaller in those days! I don't mind the stock handlebars for day riding, but I knew that a set of Heli Bars would no doubt improve comfort on those 6 and 700 mile days of fairly straight road. A cruise control or throttle lock seemed in order also. Interestingly, all the accessories I have bought for the VFR up to this date have come from eBay - all purchased used for half of new prices or less.
I normally do not listen to music, CB radio, or anything else when I'm riding, but again, the prospect of endless miles of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona without something to listen to was a grim thought. I decided to get a Sirius satellite radio and mount it on the handlebars with a RAM mount. At the same time, I decided I'd like to have a navigation system on the bike - one I could also use in the car once I got back home. I did a lot of research and despite some negative reviews related to quality control, I ended up purchasing a Lowrance iWay 500c - partially because the combination of features, price, and ability to be customized to the motorcycle environment. It's also got a 10gb section of hard drive available for MP3 files, and I have a ton of those. Lowrance has a great rebate offer going right now and I'm expecting mine any day.
Yesterday I installed the Heli Bars, NEP cruise control, and the RAM mounts for the radio and the GPS. As usual with aftermarket accessories, there were configuration problems with almost everything, and I'm not happy with the positioning of the radio and the GPS required by the use of a tank bag. At this point I am considering not using a tank bag at all. That would be a first for me - I've been a believer in tank bag use since the late 70's when I bought my first Eclipse bag - I still have and use it to this day, though not on this tour. I have a Bagster tank cover/tank bag combo that I especially like.
Next, I'll need to add the grip heaters (not necessary for this trip, but since it's going to be apart anyway ...), the audio amplifier/mixer (useful when you have multiple sound sources), and accessory fuse block and wiring they will all attach to.
More as I move along.
posted by Matt Lewis at 1:59 PM
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