Field Testing Kit For A 50CC Plus

Willsmotorcycle

Willsmotorcycle

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Joined
Oct 26, 2020
Messages
1,795
Location
Makefield Highlands PA
Bike
2016 ST1300P
2024 Miles
004917
After multiple false starts, I'm queued up for one month from now. I will be going from the Bronx, NY to the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, traveling the entirety of I80 and doing it all in 48 hours. Not wanting to add anything to the bike before I go, I added it all last week. Most of it worked out.

First up is a waterproof tank bag, similar to @Mellow Joe's, at first I missed my outside pockets, then decided to not care. Joe was kind enough to explain the pocket in my heated jacket was for the controller (I previously kept the controller in the tank bag pocket). Will it be uncomfortable, turns out no, I didn't even notice it was there, thanks Joe!
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It's a SWMotech that is currently on sale, nice piece of kit, however the straps hold my seat back and I could not get the seat in my normal position, will try to rework the straps. The bag sits low enough that moving it to refuel is unneeded, this is a big bonus to me. Did I mention waterproof? All my stuff fits inside and a generous map pocket, almost 8.5 x11. It's a keeper.

I have PSR pegs and when using them the OEM mirrors become difficult to read, I also have those ape hangers which don't help either. I picked up some cheap blue glass mirrors from amazon and fixed to fitting. They almost work, the beginning of the ride was fine (save my lights are a little high for oncoming traffic), will address because by the end of the ride the assembly had loosened up to useless.

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Being able to put the Cramp Buster back on the throttle was a relief, literally. My previous tank bag had the pockets and twice it got caught and caused some chaos, one resulting in a tip over. It was during a IBA 1500, and the poor guy next to me was shocked when I said I'll be right back, because I had to go in to the store for the receipt. When I came back out I explained and we had a good laugh.

Tire pressure, I'm a DD, previously 42 psi front and 30 rear. Today I upped it 44 front and 37 rear. Wow, no slow speed clumsiness, and was brilliant through the turns, hot was:
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Really hot was:

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I also tested my time at the pump, hit the stopwatch as I exited the freeway, pumped, pictured, and stowed the receipt, and down the ramp, 8:07. I did dismount to get some Marvels oil out of the top box and put in the tank. Maybe can do better.

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Not as exciting as my normal rides, but fun none the less, about 175 miles, and as always thanks for coming along.
 
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Looking good.
I like the ThrottleMeister I see better than the Cramp Buster, but if it works for you, it works.
The RDL saddle looks ideal as well.
 
Do yourself a favor and get the $20 GoCruise. It flat works 100% better than the TM bar ends. I had them on my ST too but once I used a GC I never used the TM again.
 
I hope you can complete that challenging ride wish you good going throughout. I'm sure the bike can do it. I do have a few questions.

Is this an IBA ride or just a personal goal? I don't know of a 50cc plus ride. The IBA 50cc Quest you get 50 hours.
 
W0QNX said:
I hope you can complete that challenging ride wish you good going throughout. I'm sure the bike can do it. I do have a few questions.

Is this an IBA ride or just a personal goal? I don't know of a 50cc plus ride. The IBA 50cc Quest you get 50 hours.
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Thank you, I’ll need good vibes. The “plus” is 3k in 48 Hours and I80 end to end. I added the plus, the IBA has it as separate rides.
 
Willsmotorcycle said:
Thank you, I’ll need good vibes. The “plus” is 3k in 48 Hours and I80 end to end. I added the plus, the IBA has it as separate rides.
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Sounds like one heck of good ride. I'll be 100% cheering for you once you get going on the ride.

Any chance it's near the dates of NEWstoc? 6-14?
 
W0QNX said:
Sounds like one heck of good ride. I'll be 100% cheering for you once you get going on the ride.

Any chance it's near the dates of NEWstoc? 6-14?
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Im headed out about 3am 6/14, napping Sunday morning at the bridge, up to half way between Eureka, CA and Klamath for Sunday night, 6/16. Then diagonal to Lolo, stopping somewhere before, then straight to Spearfish... sounds even more ambitious when I wright it out. :rolleyes:
 
I liked the look and the weight of the TM. It never looked like an add-on, unless you recognize the red stripes in the right end.
 
marc11 said:
I've done this ride (and many further) several times. Do not underestimate the importance of hydration and efficiency of stops.....make sure your fuel, receipt, break routines are well practiced.
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The more I think about this, would you share your experience? I'm a humble listener and consider myself a novice LDRer. The 1500 gold was hard both times, the 2000 gold was not, this 3000 still seems way out there. Although I am thinking about the 49th hour, you know, where to sleep.
 
Willsmotorcycle said:
The more I think about this, would you share your experience? I'm a humble listener and consider myself a novice LDRer. The 1500 gold was hard both times, the 2000 gold was not, this 3000 still seems way out there. Although I am thinking about the 49th hour, you know, where to sleep.
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I'm happy to. I've done the 50cc the hard way in around 41 hours with some sleep, crossed the country both ways at least a dozen times, a bunch of BBG+ (like Orange County NY to Key West in under 24 hours) and a couple of IBRs....I won't mention the SS1ks as those are a ride to dinner these days, they don't count anymore....

Seems you have experience in distance riding so you know the basics, routines are key, especially when tired, efficiency is key, it's easy to lose time at a gas station, and its important to combine things at one stop. If you need gas, then take a bathroom stop, have some water or gulp a cliff bar while fueling, multitasking is your friend.

Having snacks and drinks with a flip up helmet so you can eat/drink from your tank bag while riding saves lots of time and gives you an energy boost.

As for sleep, you'd be surprised what a 20 minute power nap on your bike or on the top of a picnic table can do for you, but mind that 20 minutes, set an alarm, don't sleep for an hour you'll regret it...

During my first 50cc I rode from Coney Island to the Golden Gate Bridge, my first stop for a rest was the Nebraska/Wyoming boarder, and I regretted stopping as I didn't need it, I THOUGHT I needed it. So I suggest don't plan or worry about sleep, don't book a hotel or you'll be focused on that stop, your mind and body will push to that stop.

If you have to stop, you'll know and you'll find a place when you need it, don't worry.

It gets cold out west, bring heated gear if you have it, borrow it if you don't, nothing kills an IBA ride more than cold.

If you don't have full gortex gear, meaning boots to gloves, make sure you have rain gear and know how to use it at the side of the road. Again efficiency, it is far easier to keep riding in gortex and close a few zippers into the rain vs stopping and eating half an hour putting on rain gear, but either is better than being wet. Get wet, ride over.

You will hit a wall, you gotta mentally push through, for me it's usually a few hours before sunrise. Sour and red hot candies will perk you up during those times.

Music and podcasts helped me a ton too.

Don't try or install or buy anything new before the ride, you want comfort and familiarity, last thing you want is a shirt tag rubbing your neck for 3000 miles.

You know well every ride is different and every rider is different, so what works for me, may or may not work for you, we are all built different.

Oh and when you are in parts of Nevada and Utah, get gas anytime you are at half a tank, I rolled in on fumes a couple of times and it sucked.

Did I mention hydration? I can't stress it enough, hydrate before the ride for weeks, sip water, even warm water throughout the rise, don't chug at every gas stop or you'll just piss it out 30 minutes later.

Eat light meals, and, depending on your own internal ummm clock, taking two Imodium to hold back things for a day or two works for me. You'll not be eating much, you'll not need to poop much but one bad burrito while getting fuel could cause you time in a dirty toilet....Advil in the tank bag is a good idea, crap starts to hurt after 2000 miles, a few Advil help....a lot.

Happy to answer any questions you have about this ride or LD riding in general, I'm no expert, far better riders out there than me, but I can (and have) chewed the miles....
 
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On my 50CC it was hot, over 100F for about 1500 miles of the ride between Jax Beach and San Diego. When it hit 100 I stuffed half an 8 lb bag of ice into the front of my 1 pc Aerostich at each gas stop. All day I took 3 to 6 long pulls on the water cooler bite valve every 30 minutes to regulate water intake to waste out so I could wait to pee until the next gas stop. The ice in the water cooler was purchased hard frozen at a gas station - not that half frozen stuff from the hotel ice maker. Shuey gave me this advice and it worked for me.
 
dduelin said:
On my 50CC it was hot, over 100F for about 1500 miles of the ride between Jax Beach and San Diego. When it hit 100 I stuffed half an 8 lb bag of ice into the front of my 1 pc Aerostich at each gas stop. All day I took 3 to 6 long pulls on the water cooler bite valve every 30 minutes to regulate water intake to waste out so I could wait to pee until the next gas stop. The ice in the water cooler was purchased hard frozen at a gas station - not that half frozen stuff from the hotel ice maker. Shuey gave me this advice and it worked for me.
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That's a really cool idea! :rimshot1:
 
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