Bamarider Midwest Tour check in

Poised for Long Tour

My brother and I finished prepping the FJR last Saturday. We dropped the break in oil in the crankcase and final drive. Both operations are ridiculous easy. Unlike the ST the oil filter is right out there for a joker to twist off without gettin oil all over the exhaust etc.

We wired the zumo 390 and installed the mount. I have it between the handlebars like my other 2 rides but not with ram mounts. I failed to find a ram solution so went with a custom fabrication from a place called Twisted Throttle. Its a little more elaborate than a ram, and seems to work well. The bracket is rock steady, and easy to adjustment. It oughta be, set me back 80 bucks.

I made a executive decesion to leave ALL my cold weather home. Winter gloves, insulated vest, heated gear, turtleneck and sweat clothes all staying put. Look, its mid august I'm not gonna find 25 degrees in America this time of year, even in the Rockies. And if I do, it will be only for a short time (like early morning) but anyway I'm not lugging all that stuff for 5000 miles, makes no sense.

For now the GPS is hard wired right off the battery, but the plan is fuzeblock soon as I return. I have one on the ST and really like it. My set up means not on switched power, and I really don't like it that way, but I went this route just to get by for this tour. If I left the unit in the cradle anyone know how long before it would drain the battery?

All my routes are planned and in the 390. This is not a true cross country ride, more of a Midwest specialty. Highlights will be Rocky Mtn National Park, and Badlands NP in South Dakota, also have friends in Colorado Springs that wanna see me so stopping in there. I look for the tour to come in about 5000 miles.

My camping gear is packed. I load the FJ same manner as the other 2. Tent, fly, drop cloth, poles, pegs, plexus all go in the right pannier. The ST bags are slightly larger because I fit all that plus my winter vest and shop towel in ST. Can't get the last 2 items in the FJR bag, gotta do something else with them.

Downloaded 3 tv shows to my Ipad from the Tivo box for campgound entertainment.

Put the tag on.

It took awhile but I mastered the menus on both the Yamaha and garmin.

The included bag liners on the FRJ are fantastic. Well made and thought out. Look really nice and work well. I stuff the left bag with clothes I'll wear off the bike. Just put what ya need in the bag and it will fit in the pannier.

Not rode the FJ at night, so I still don't know how it will do, but I'm confident.

Tomorrow I'll pack the Motofizz, and my bedroll and sleeping bag and finish loading the bike. I'll take a pic of if I can remember to.

Re: Poised for Long Tour

If you are going to Colorado Springs you may as well ride up Pike's Peak and take a pic of the new bike in front of that sign.

The stock headlight bulbs are of a slightly higher wattage than the ST, IMO the FJR is slightly better as far as headlights.

When/If you put on a set of bar risers the Heli Bar Bridge comes with a Ram Ball right in the V of the bars. There are plenty of GPS RAM ball mounting options, one of the most common is to install a RAM ball in the polished aluminum steering head nut cover. A 36 mm socket I think. Or you can buy one already done and keep your stock one.

Good luck. Please start posting pics of that new FJR.

Re: Poised for Long Tour

BamaRider said:

If I left the unit in the cradle anyone know how long before it would drain the battery?

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Not sure of the drain for your GPS, but my old TomTom would make it start slow after 5-6 days of non use , so I don't think you will have any problems riding daily .

Have a nice trip .

Re: Poised for Long Tour

Have a great trip, Bodie State Park was 28 degrees the other morning and that is in California. :22yikes:

Re: Poised for Long Tour

Bamarider/Guy,
Sounds like a great trip. I along with 13 of my friends are planning a similar trip at the end of the month covering the same region as you. Wifeee is flying in to Denver where I'll pick her up and we plan to do Vail and Estes Park. Trail Ridge Road has always been a bucket list ride for me. I hope our paths cross. Travel safe.
Frank

Re: Poised for Long Tour

Well, it's about time, Bud! Hope you have a great trip.

Re: Poised for Long Tour

I've two friends traveling from Arkansas to Seattle via Rockies, down West coast, and back East through lower Colorado. Told me last night they had started each of the last 10 mornings with heated gear. Might want to reconsider the heated gear.

Re: Poised for Long Tour

Have a safe trip.

Re: Poised for Long Tour

Have a great trip.

I think you should at least pack the heated jacket liner....but that's just me. You'll be wishing you had it!

Re: Poised for Long Tour

My schedule has me coming through RMP mid afternoon from the west, and overnighting in Estes Park area.

You can have a cool morning ride in the mountains, but it has been my experience doesn't warrant all that winter gear for couple hours at most. I'd have to pack that stuff in the right side bag, and fight it everytime I open it, just not worth the trouble. It is going to be 100 degrees here today with like humidity, so a cool mountain ride might be just the ticket. Current temp in RMP is 66 degrees at 9:41am local time. (gotta app for that) so nah I'm not toting winter gear in mid august, but that's just me.

Rode Colorado many times including a couple of days with Uncle Phil back in 2007? 2006? But not in RMP, so looking forward to it. Rode by the Badlands a couple of times too but never went in. That place has intriqued me for a long time (after all they call it Badlands) so gonna check it out.

As far as riding across the Plains and Daktoas? I find a peace there I get nowhere else. I love those long lonely stretches across the Prarie and Front Range, a joker can get in some good therapy out there.

It has been awhile since my last really long ride. I've been semi retired from long riding the last few years while I was concentrating on other stuff, but now the bug is back and I'm ready to go. I'm even looking forward to my long drone up to Memphis and Little Rock to get to the Ozarks tomorrow. I-40 just not any fun, but the price ya gotta pay to get to the good riding. Having done the ride to the Ozarks from here a few times, I'm looking at a 650 mile ride tomorrow.

I'm still learning the FJR. In fact I don't even know how to take the seat off. I'm about to take the ST out for 70 mile ride, and when I get back I'll finish packing and loading the FJR. Its been a week since I've been on the Honda, and I need to ride it today, cos if I don't it will be 11 days or so before I get another chance. The bike is not on a tender so I need to ride it to keep the battery good.

Still got a few errands to run. Bank, SD card, lunch. I hope to have a pic of the FJR loaded for long ride in a few hours.

Re: Poised for Long Tour

Left side of the bike, just above and if front of the passenger peg is a key hole. Unlock that and lift the rear seat first. The front unlatches from the rear end, underneath.

Good luck.

Bamarider on trip minor setback

In eureka springs, ark. After 700 mile day.

Broken tent pole. I was putting the eureka up and bowing the pole and it broke at the top. I struggled over a hour to get the tent up but made it. I had to rig it to get by but it is a one time shot. It will surely break again tomorrow and will be no rigging it.

Can I buy a pole somewhere? Is there anything special about a eureka that I can't get in walmart? Or do I have to get a whole new tent?

Y'all see what ya can find out on this for me. See what my options are. This sucks. I'll be coming through Manhattan Kansas tomorrow can someone check if it has a outdoor/hiking shop I can whip by? I'll be in Colorado Springs Saturday night with friends I'm confident it will have such shop. Be nice to solve tomorrow though.

Re: Bamarider on trip minor setback

I'm guessing its a good enough tent that the poles are aluminum? You can probably find a replacement at a decent camping store like REI or similar, but Walmart might be a stretch. Can't say for sure I've never had to replace one so I don't know if they're typically a common size or if every tent is unique.

Re: Bamarider on trip minor setback

That is always a bad day when that happens. I would bet you will have a hard time finding a replacement on the road. I would get a tent to use during this trip and contact Eureka after you return for a replacement part.

Re: Bamarider on trip minor setback

fnmag said:

There's a Dick's Sporting Goods: 401 3d Place, 785)529-7800;
and Pathfinder: 304 Poyntz ave, 785)539-5639.
Between the two you should find something. Good luck.

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Thanks. I'm on this iPhone with slow connection. Is the pathfinder store a box or speciality store?

The poles are over 10 years old and bent a lot. My guess just metal fatigue got it. I should have checked the poles for cracks before leaving out.

Re: Bamarider on trip minor setback

Might find some wire like a coat hanger and try to wrap it at the split til you can do better. Twist it really tight with a pair of pliers.

Re: Bamarider on trip minor setback

Duct tape and a wood dowel?

Re: Bamarider on trip minor setback

Took this long before duct tape was mentioned???
Bunch of rich folks here apparently!!!

Re: Bamarider on trip minor setback

10 years and the poles are bent a lot? Ditch it and buy a new tent. That's what I would do anyway.

Re: Bamarider on trip minor setback

Twist it really tight with a pair of pliers.

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Phil-Pliers? This is Guy we're talking about. He would have to go buy some. (For those of you not in the know, it's a long running joke.)

Is the pole fiberglass and the end tube aluminum? Or the pole aluminum?

Replacement poles are available online. I realize that won't help unless Dick's, Cabella, Bass Pro Shop or a Gander Mountain type place can be found to carry them. Might be a mom and pop shop in Bolder that can help. One way or another, you'll be spending some time on the phone shopping.