| Author | Message | ||
     Rd3501 |
Ok I am finally getting out and doing some long rides and reallized that touring is the way to go. Less traffic. Last one was 900 miles. I have the Buell custom seat, double bubble wind screen and it works great but need some help with some other stuff. 1. I know I need the lightining foot pegs. But I thought I need something else to make the switch? Or is it just the pegs.. 2. Has anyone put a throttle lock on the bike? My right hand was killing me. 3. I know that some of you have the Heil Bars on the bike. Does anyone have pictures of them and how do you like them? 4. What kind of riding gear are you guys using? Need something for cold and rainy days sometimes? 5. What kind of tires are you guys using for long distance? I got 5,000 miles out of the original Dunlops. But need something that will go a little longer. ok will start with that.... | ||
| Gowindward |
1. The S pegs are a direct swap with the R pegs. 2. Vista Cruise 3. Heli Bar triple clamp  4. Aerostich Roadcrafter 5. Pilot Roads. OE D207 mileage for me was 2100 miles on rear....Pilot Roads 7000 miles on rear Road Trips Rock!!!!! | ||
| Ejiii |
I can't comment on all of your questions but I might suggest a two piece Aerostich Darien riding suit. I have used one for the past nine years almost every day, rain or shine. It has worked so good I just replaced the whole suit with another one. | ||
| Bake |
I do at least 1 big tour a year and am going to give in to higher bars (probably Heli's) my pegs seem OK. Hope you are using some type of throttle rocker, it isn't cruise control but helps. I am running Metzler Z6's and they hold the road fine and are lasting way longer than the stock Dunlops.As for the rain...you shoulda planned better  (Message edited by bake on August 16, 2006) (Message edited by bake on August 16, 2006) | ||
| Fl_a1a |
For lots of miles I tried Bridgestone BT-20. They last about 5k-6k. I'm on the Metzlers z6-roadtechs and they are lasting even longer. I got 2.5k on them and they look brand new. | ||
| Samiam |
For a throttle lock a cheap way to go is just buying a large o-ring from an auto parts store, put it halfway on in between the handgrip and the run/off switch location. I say halfway on so you can quickly remove it if need be. It cost me $2 when I did it. Sam | ||
| Bison |
A Metzeler ME 880 will give you the best mileage. I get a minimum of 12000 miles out of a rear and 18000 + for the front doing LD rides. regards ref | ||
| Vonsliek |
maybe soften susp. in the inverse way we do it for track .. one click less preload & 1/2-1/2 turn of the others. i did 5800 kms in mostly 8 days this summer for motogp .. only at end of ride did i find cramping in left wrist. legs adjusted quickly, tho back of upper hamstrings were real tender for all the time. had stock seat & mostly track susp. settings. i find duct tape & basic tools useful for the things that wanna vibe off. also, i had a new pirelli diablo on rear & a diablo corsa (w/ abt 1500 kms on it) & the center of rear shows little wear for all that hot riding (idaho/nev/cali/or/wa/canada) .. really impressed w/ what is seen as THE popular performance tire. | ||
| Vonsliek |
also, u can always look into aftermarket, soft grips or gel grips. splice in jack for heated clothing & grips. something to stop feet getting soaked in the merest rainfall. ?front mudflap?? longer s/arm to aid stabilty // like u'd need it. | ||
| Wildbuellrider |
I've got a Corbin seat a throttle rocker and the lightning pegs, and am much more comfortable on my XB9R. I also put on a zero gravity double bubble windscreen , and have been pretty happy with it--except that it melted my dash! ~T | ||
| Sparky |
My formula is similar to Gowinward's except a Throttle Rocker and Metzler Z6 rear works for me. 11k+ miles on the rear is not shabby. A tinted Zero Gravity touring shield practically eliminates neck strain by relieving air pressure on the helmet. It's almost like riding in a pocket of still air at speed. Spongy grips with the perforated surface like the ones that American Sport Bike sells help quell vibration fatigue. The Heli triple-clamp, with its open areas, provides a convenient place to zip-tie things like a thermostat control for my electric vest. I stuck some rather large wide-angle stick-on blind-spot mirrors from Pep Boys on the inward areas of the stock mirrors. These look ungainly but allow a straight view back at the outer edge of the stock mirror while providing the much needed wide angle view through the blind-spot mirror for adjacent vehicles, etc. In the back is a Ventura luggage rack with small grab bar. This is where all the stuff that doesn't fit in the tank bag goes. If you even think about carrying a passenger for any distance, you might consider reversing the passenger peg brackets. That is, swapping the left onto the right and the right onto the left. It takes a little rework to fit the plate for the ball-spring detent, but the end result is that the peg location moves forward and downward about 3 inches. Your passenger will love it. Ride on... . . . Sparky | ||
| Isham |
Whats this double bubble dash melting thing? I bought my bike with a double bubble and the dash was melted. How does this happen? | ||
| Tork |
Isham, do a BadWeb search and you should find lots of info on the double bubble melting. It's due to the curvature of the screen which focuses sunlight on the upper edge of the dash bezel. I believe it occurs when the sun is at the tail of the bike. My dash suffered some minor melting and I avoid further damage by tossing my gloves into the upper dash area whenever I park my bike. I've written Zero Gravity and they acknowledge the problem. It also happens to DB screens for other bike models. I told them it'd be nice if they included some sort of note with the screen about it. As far as I know, it only occurs with the smoked screens. | ||
| Diablobrian |
Isham: The inside of the screen acts as a parabolic mirror to melt the dash on the xbs. The focal point is perfect for doing this. The Double Bubble ST screen is the taller "sport touring" version and I highly recommend it for longer rides. Many racers use them on their race bikes to give them a larger bubble to tuck into. | ||
| Macbuell |
Instead of the Lightning footpegs I would recommend getting LSL CNC Billet footpegs from American Sport Bike plus the adapter with a 1" drop. The 1" drop would get you a foot position similar to the Lightning but the LSL pegs are much better. A number of people on here have had the standard XB pegs break on them. This would kill a couple of birds with one stone. I just purchased this same set-up for my XB12R but have not had then installed yet. | ||
| Cruisin |
I agree, spend the money on the LSL's from Al, you'll feel better doing so... Also, for a cheap "cruise control" pick up a set of bar ends (I paid $11 from Dave) and just make sure the right side is snug. It creates enough friction that it will hold the throttle wherever you leave it. Makes it nice to be able to let go of the bars and stretch your back. | ||
| Lpowel02 |
some time working on your personal fitness (gym, home, whatever works for you) can also help a lot for comfort...don't worry, not trying to comment on anyone's fitness level  but some extra strength in the back/shoulders/legs/arms can do nothing but help your riding, regardless of type or distance | ||
| Fullpower |
yoga. | ||
| Lorazepam |
Distance riding is just like riding a bicycle, or jogging. You wont ride 50 miles on a bike your first day, and you surely wont run a marathon right out of the chute. You can help your wrist and forearms by getting those "grip enhancer" spring things, or a ball you can squeeze. Keep it in the car, and alternate hands when you are driving. Heated grips are a must. I rode years without them, and after getting them, I will not own a bike without them. When your get a bit fatigued in your arms, it is like having a heating pad at your disposal. They also knock the chill off on those rides that last till after dark, and you have mesh on. A good set of bar ends will get rid of vibrations that you dont even know are there. It makes a difference when riding long distances. Remember that things that bother you on short rides will become agonizing on a long one. Fix things that bother you, but do them one modification at a time. Doing several at once, and having a new one crop up, makes finding out what the problem is more difficult. My budget doesnt allow for Aerostich gear, so I have opted for the First gear Kilimanjaro jacket and HT overpants. The jacket and pants are waterproof, tons of pockets on the jacket, a provision for a hydration bladder, another important thing to do when touring. It comes with a fleece liner, that can be used as a jacket around the campfire, one less thing to pack. I find that www.motorcyclecloseouts.com and www.newenough.com have good deals on touring gear. Metzeler Mez6 and the Avon Azaro are great tires for eating up miles. I can get 10k out of the azaros riding 2up almost all the time. I cant speak for the other XB models, but the Ulysses got me off of a BMW sport touring bike. It is a plush ride with pinpoint control, even 2up. I love the torque,and the smoothness of the motor for eating the miles, but I wish it had a bigger tank. If you have the Fuell with the homecoming pictures, my girlfriend and I are on the Uly 2up in the top right corner. 8+k miles since Feb 20, and I love the bike more and more every day. A great site to get information about touring, and get opinions about equipment, try www.yearroundriders.com . A very nice group of folks, and some amazing ride reports. It would be great to have some more buellistas there. | ||
| Lpowel02 |
you might also want to make sure your brake/clutch levers are at an angle that allows your hands/fingers to rest comfortably...ergonomics/fit are very often overlooked but can make a big difference | ||
| Teddagreek |
Motrin..... My Neighbor is a old harley guy. He's been all over North America on harleys. He shed some wisdom... Three day rule... After the third day it all goes numb and you don't give a crap anymore.. | ||
| Vonsliek |
u know the fitness angle is interesting, coz on my recent marathon rides in 100+ heat, i only got a little wrist fatigue on last day. i work oout a fair bit . mostly for track fitness - so thighs, core, pecs, odd runs & bike rides. i am 40 & wanna ride hard till i die! look into fitness & stretching. | ||
| Kootenay |
Another vote for the Helibars riser (especially good for us short-asses). Also put on Lightning pegs, decided against LSL's due to price and also would prefer the peg to fail than the mounting lugs, in the case of a fall... I was really thinking about heated grips this morning--rode for 3 hours early this morning to make a meeting in another city, my hands were freezing (even with pretty good cold-weather gloves). But the most important thing for comfort on a Buell while touring is twisty roads! I find I stay much fresher while strafing corners than I do just droning along straight... | ||
| Kootenay |
Oh, and I'm finding the Conti Road Attacks to be every bit as good as the Pirelli Diablos they replaced, but they "seem" be wearing better...we'll see when I have to replace 'em. | ||
| Kootenay |
And finally, a shameless plug for my trip report over on ST.N about one trip I did this summer on the 'Bolt... | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
#1 Rule...keep hydrated. I always tour with my camel pak and always keep it full of ice water. Keeping hydrated will go along way to preventing fatigue. Oh and buy a set of HVMP bar end weights, then use a CAT O-ring as your throttle lock. A throttle rocker is really nice too, but takes a little getting used to. | ||
| Kootenay |
What's all this stuff about throttle locks? Where are you guys riding? I can't imagine riding with the throttle in one position all the time--I roll it off and on through every corner! | ||
| Rd3501 |
Kootenay, How many miles on the bike and are you still using the 2003 belt? | ||
| Bake |
I coulda used on the Coquihalla last week | ||
| Vaneo1 |
1.The S pegs are one of the best things you can put onto your R. I you 5'10" or taller I think theyre a mandatory. 2.My hand used to fall asleep until I got the throttle Rocker. Its not a cruise control but I can ride 200 consecutive miles easily with it. 4.Eddie Bauer Rain suit, 2pc 5. D220 from Dunlop. I use the bike to vcommute everyday, and the tire is hard so it will last longer. Dont worry aboutcanyon riding these tires are gr8 I dont care what ppl think about Dunlop. | ||
| Kootenay |
Rd, I have over 18,500 km on my bike, and yes I'm still running the stock 03 belt with no problems. I'm on my third set of tires, though... Bake, I've wondered on occasion about taking the Coq or the Connector, haven't done so yet. Yeah, that's one road where some kind of throttle lock might be useful (one reason I haven't taken the bike on it yet--I'd rather ride the back roads). |
