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Nukeblue
| | Posted on Monday, August 30, 2010 - 03:16 pm: | 
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i just used a sheep skin cover for the first time. highly recommended. i just laid it across the seat. if i was gonna do it, i would ride the first half on the seat then bust it out for the rest |
Stingaroo
| | Posted on Monday, August 30, 2010 - 05:14 pm: |
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740 miles in one day on the Ole M-2. End of August 2005 on the way to meet up with Prior and Ferris for the big Uly ride. I left Toledo (spent the nite there) got to Chicago, got a call about Hurricane Katrina, turned around and went to Indiana, PA.
A Camelbak is the way to go for Hydration. I pulled the bladder out of one of my old issued ones and stick it in the top part of my tank bag. |
Superdavetfft
| | Posted on Monday, August 30, 2010 - 05:49 pm: |
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Last fall on my 06 Uly, did it for giggles... (and to see if I could do it...)
Orlando to Omaha
1450 or so miles
26 hours
straight thru, stopping to refuel & eat only...
One hell of a trip too, it's pretty wild when you get to watch the sunset in front of you and then watch the sunrise right behind you! It wasn't easy but nothing worth doing is...
superdave |
Whatever
| | Posted on Monday, August 30, 2010 - 07:27 pm: |
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The documentation seems like a pain in the arse... are they really gonna screw you out of a few lousy miles... I think I will get my start witness to crash here with me the night before 'cause I plan on getting up at 3:30 AM and being out the door by 4:00 AM... if it is in the 40's I will be screwed... ah well, you only live once!!! |
Mikej
| | Posted on Monday, August 30, 2010 - 10:28 pm: |
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Have a fresh battery in your bike. 
How is your bike (what's a piglet???) set up for the trip? Saddle bags? Tank bag? If you have a tank bag then throw some snacks in it, something moist, nothing that will make you choke or gag or need a drink.
Someone once said to never buy gas and go to the bathroom during the same stop because it gets you out of the flow, but sometimes I would have been dealing with a flow issue if I hadn't combined both aspects during the same stop. Do what works for you and figure it out on the way.
Always buy gas before you need it, and look ahead to where your next gas need might put you.
Print out a copy of the RAN pages and have specific contacts highlighted along the route to make them easier to find.
Go to a bicycle shop and get one of those small LED mini headlights with the velcro strap on them. They're only about a inch long and come in handy. They don't make a very good headlight though.
When your bike is fully loaded have someone follow you at night to ensure your tail lights are not covered up by luggage or coat tails or rain gear.
And like Court said, have fun. |
Ratbuell
| | Posted on Monday, August 30, 2010 - 11:20 pm: |
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Some tricks I've learned over the years:
Bathroom breaks aren't nearly as critical as you'd think. Chances are, you've got more chance of dehydrating than of having to pee every gas stop. I have both a hydration pack, and a water bottle cage, on the Uly - the cage is literally a mountain bike cage held to the left mirror stalk with a pair of hose clamps. Sexy? Not a chance. But, it holds my travel mug, and is "adjustable" (i.e. "just bend it") enough to hold a 16.9 oz Propel bottle or a 20 oz gatorade too. Drink more, your body will thank you. (Yes, my modular helmet helps with this).
Check your fasteners. I mark all mine with touchup paint when I torque them - makes a quick visual check go much more quickly. If the paint on the screw doesn't line up with the paint on the part...I tighten. If it's still lined up, I ride. Caliper bolts. Fork pinch bolts. Axle nuts. Oil filters. Drain plugs. Header flange bolts. Touchup paint is cheap 
If you're riding at night, on back roads or superslab, pick a car and stay about four car lengths behind. Ride with their headlights AND with yours. Deer suck, and they're unpredictable. I did nearly a tank of fuel on the way to WVBR a couple weeks ago, at night, in WV, at about 90mph (for the whole tank). My point-man? A fire/rescue Tahoe. Not running code, just movin' down the road. Figured what the hell...even if I do tag a deer, there's an EMT *right there* LOL.
I chew gum, it keeps me from drifting off into la-la-land and tunnelvision. Dunno if its a circulation thing, or my imagination, or what...but it works for me. The Scala Rider bluetooth headset paired with 8GB of music on the Blackberry doesn't hurt either
I have a seat cover. I swap it on and off. The cover isn't any better or worse than the seat - it's the *change in pressure points* that helps me. One tank of fuel, pad on; next tank, pad off.
I ride in armor. Depending on weather, either nylon or mesh overpants with armor, over shorts. COMFORTABLE shorts, like gym shorts (I don't get into the bike shorts, sorry). Dress down, dress comfortable, wear stuff that won't bunch or pinch. Keep good gear on the top layer.
Take a heated jacket. You'll be surprised how much you miss it if you don't. Hell, I wish I had mine for WVBR...and that was what, two weeks ago? Long hours in wind and god forbid rain, and you cool off...and so does your core. Just like moisture...all that warmth is blowing right away.
My tank bag holds gum, propel water mix (water fountains are easier to find than propel most times - and cheaper!), cell phone with charger lead, LED flashlight, gum, and depending on where I'm riding, EZpass. Quick access stuff.
Top case holds rain gear, spare gloves, spare socks, and lighter items like toiletries (I camp a lot so I tend to BYO toothpaste and stuff). Not "quick access" stuff, but more "if I need it en route but won't be messing with it in motion" stuff, and lightweight "I don't wanna swing heavy stuff around in the turns" stuff.
Side bags hold "destination" stuff - clothing, sleeping bag, camp gear - and some emergency stuff that I hope I don't need so I don't make them easily accessed - tools, spare oil, my .38.
Tent, bedroll, and camping chair typically go on the passenger seat.
Operator tubes hold fuel under one bag, first aid under the other.
Kuryakyn voltmeter is on the GPS mount bracket, RH switch housing. If you don't have one...PUT ONE ON. It saved me a stator on the Uly after ResRide, because I "saw" the voltage drop before I got any driveability symptoms. Only put about an hour on a bad 77 connector before I got it fixed, and no component failure. If you don't like the voltmeter...put one on anyway for the trip. They come with double-side tape to mount, and a long enough lead that you can just go straight to battery if you want. But...a vital part to have IMO.
Your rear tire will wear out LONG before you expect it to. If you think "I should make it..." - you won't. DAMHIK (but Toledo is pretty nice, if you have to wander around aimlessly for an hour or so). Load it down and ride heavy, and you triple your treadwear.
And in the end...if it don't fit in a saddlebag (underarmor is your FRIEND, it packs nice and small), that's what MasterCard is for! Pack tight so nothing moves around, and just hit the road and have fun. Keep friends posted on your where's and when's, and have your cellphone handy and charged. Everything else will work out, especially with this crowd. If you're within a couple states' range...someone will come for ya
Did I mention to have fun? Not that you need a reminder...that part will come naturally. |
Blasterd
| | Posted on Monday, August 30, 2010 - 11:33 pm: |
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I did just under 600 miles one time on my CityX, couldn't feel my rear for 3 days!
Wouldn't have been able to do that without the Streetfighter seat because I couldn't even make it to 100 on the stocker. |
Mikej
| | Posted on Monday, August 30, 2010 - 11:41 pm: |
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Which Blackberry model do you have and what ap are you playing the music with? Do you have a charger running it as well? |
Crusty
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 31, 2010 - 06:28 am: |
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My first "Iron Butt" type ride was from Colorado Springs to Lafayette, LA in 1973. According to the odometer on my bike, it was 1203 miles and it took 22 hours. I stayed in Lafayette for one day, then rode back to Colo. Spgs., taking another 22 hours. Over the years, I've done that several times, but I don't enjoy it like I used to. Now, I like to average 500 - 600 miles per day, and enjoy the ride a bit more.
No matter how you try to prepare, you're going to do something wrong. You'll learn what that is on your ride. I suggest that you don't take a companion, unless you've been riding together for a long time.
Keep an eye on your oil level.
You're going to hurt. you'll get pains in your neck, back, butt and legs. Bring a bottle of Motrin with you. You'll want them the next day.
It's going to be a challenge. Around mile 800, you're going to be questioning your sanity. When it's all done, you'll have Bragging Rights, and you'll know that you did something that few motorcyclists accomplish. |
Ducbsa
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 31, 2010 - 07:07 am: |
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What are "Operator tubes hold fuel under one bag, first aid under the other. "? |
Ratbuell
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 31, 2010 - 07:46 am: |
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Blackberry 8330, with an 8gb microSD card and the Blackberry media player (go to media/music/all songs, and it brings up a windows-media-player type thing). My Scala will pair with it and I get to listen wirelessly. I just leave it on "shuffle" and see what comes next I can also plug it in to a harness I made, so I can hear both it, and the GPS lady telling me where to turn (the BT and the hardwired GPS interact funky; if I'm using both, I wire up and they behave better together).
The Operators Tubes (you can do a search here on badweb, they're popular especially with us Uly folk) are owners manuals tubes from tractors, that I (and many others) have bolted to our bikes in various places to hold stuff. Watertight, room for a big first aid kit in one and the other holds a 1 liter MSR fuel bottle (good for about 15 miles of not-pushing).
Here's a pic from this years' homecoming trip. The blue and red decals are reflective, I had them made - one for first aid, one for fuel (with the DOT flame logo). Just in case my bike is in one ditch and I'm in another, hopefully someone can figure out what's what:
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Bienhoabob
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 31, 2010 - 08:54 am: |
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I believe the first gas receipt is your start time. You can have your witness sign the form and put in the odometer reading the day before. Put the date and time in at the first fill-up.
Be prepared, but don't over think the ride. You will stress yourself out before it begins. I've done SS1000's in 14 hours, you have plenty of time for a safe ride.
The key to this ride is to minimize your stop times. Gas, restroom, eat, stretch, etc at the same stop.
Bob
IBA# 11458 |
Xbrad9r
| | Posted on Thursday, September 02, 2010 - 07:50 pm: |
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I finished my SS1000 today, did 1023 miles in 16 and a half hours...we had a thirty minute stop at the turnaround point and i got stopped for about 45 minutes of lost time in construction. Take some really sour candy (cry babies, etc) to snack on if you get tired, they kinda startle you back alert...I also did a monster energy drink on one of the stops too. I got up at 7am Wednesday and worked a 10 hour shift 8:30-6:30, (not counting the 45 min to work and 45 min home), and got absolutely no sleep, before heading out at 9:30pm (rode and hour and a half) to have time to fill out all the registration forms and to depart at Midnight for my run...I do not recommend this, and will not work a full shift or miss out of sleeping the day before my next one. |
Videoninja
| | Posted on Thursday, September 02, 2010 - 07:54 pm: |
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Brad - I dont know if i should congratulate you or question your sanity.
Seriously though congrats! |
Whatever
| | Posted on Thursday, September 02, 2010 - 08:39 pm: |
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I plan on leaving at four am... only person I would ride with I have not asked yet... as I need to call him after work tomorrow... he has done Trans Labrador and gone down to South America...
I am a basic mechanical retard... which is where Rich would come in if he could even do half of it...
It isn't because I am a girl... some people are directionally challenged... not me as I have hiked all over Morrocco, Sierras and Blue Ridge... back when all we had were paper topos and a cheap compass... and no cell phones... but I am the mechanically challenged scientist...
The cold is my main concern... especially crossing over eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina mountains (Knoxville to Ashville) around sun down... before that probably wont be a problem...
I am getting the Hepco Becker hard bags installed next weekend... hoping to be able to score a gel seat or have one made... have not figured out the City X tank bag options... have 5K on my original Pirelli's... have no clue what the hell a voltage meter is...
Have never riddent to tunes... but figure Eminem can keep my mind occupied... what else...
I bought "top of the line" Tourmaster rain gear and the crotch leaks... gonna have to figure out how to weatherproof that... never thought of carrying gasoline but I could strap a gallon on the rear seat... now if I could figure out how the hell the nozzle on it works that would help...
Oh well all I can think of right now...
Congrats Brad... that is very cool... post some photos up soon.  |
Ulynut
| | Posted on Thursday, September 02, 2010 - 08:59 pm: |
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Char, this type of trip is where a heated jacket liner is really worth the investment. You can wear it all day and just flip the switch on when it starts to get cold. Adds another month to the riding season as well. Hands down, the best money I ever spent. |
Rams
| | Posted on Friday, September 03, 2010 - 02:52 pm: |
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Not sure how you calculated the distance, but 1000.5 miles you are cutting VERY close, they suggest your route to be at least 4 - 5% over, I have done a few and usually have 10% over the distance.
Good luck with your ride |
Whatever
| | Posted on Friday, September 03, 2010 - 03:09 pm: |
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The proposed route is now Madison to Knoxville to Chapel Hill which would be 1022 miles...
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