Pre-trip maintenance tips please

[ThomWill]

Will be heading out for a 6K+ mile cross country trip at the end of may on the 2005 RSTD (10K miles on her now). I will have new tires on her and an oil change, coolant check before we go. Any thing else I should make sure gets done? Final drive oil?

 

Anything special I need to make room for on the trip?

 

Thanks,

[OutKast]

being an 05, flush & change brake and clutch fluids, and the rear differential oil, if they haven't been done. Check all brake pads. It is still the stock battery? Consult the owner manual for anything else they might list.

[Flyinfool]

Check your steering bearings.

 

Pack an oil filter if your normal oil interval is less than 6K+.

You can always find oil almost anywhere, but not necessarily a filter.

Spare brake and headlight bulbs.

[ThomWill]

Thanks Y'all, good suggestions so far.

[RedRider]

Multiple gloves for different weather. Depending where you are going, it can get quite cold at elevations. Good, and I mean very good, rainwear is worth its weight in gold. If you intend to ride at night I would change out the headlight bulb with a Silverstar Ultra. It makes a huge difference vs. the standard dim candle (take along the stock bulb as your spare along with a spare brakelight 1157 IIRC). Take some tools - wrenches thru 19mm, set of hex wrenches, multitool, duct tape(small roll smashed flat), electrical tape. And of course, the most important is a phone and a credit card.

 

Have a great trip.

 

RR

[LilBeaver]

Make sure that any maintenance you do before your trip is followed by a DECENT test ride (I'll usually do a couple hundred miles through wide ranges of speeds - some highway, some backroads, some stop and go, etc) then go over the bike with a fine tooth comb looking for leaks, funny noises, loose nuts/bolts, etc. Obviously on your test ride you should be paying attention to that kind of stuff too.

 

+1 to the tools, flashlight, extra bulb(s), extra fuses, spare wire, first-aid kit that includes your favorite pain killers and muscle relaxers, multi-meter, spare spark plugs, tire patch kit, portable air compressor with the appropriate wiring to be attached directly to your battery, spare fuel container (sized appropriately for the places you'll be riding), good clothing for ALL weather, VR Assistance list, spare key or a few stored in a safe place that stays with YOU at ALL times (or on the bike so that you can get it if you happen to loose your main one). If you don't have a driver's backrest and a set of highway pegs on your bike I would highly recommend both of those to be additions to your bike before your trip.

 

I don't know how much or how frequently you usually ride, but if you are the kind to get out for a short run every other weekend and you plan on having a couple hundred mile days back to back, it would be my suggestion to make a point of working your way up to those longer days starting as soon as possible. Get your self used to what you will be dealing with and make sure that you can do it SAFELY. It wouldn't be a bad idea to load your bike how you would have it loaded for your trip (or some reasonable approximation therein) to allow yourself plenty of opportunity to figure out what you are actually comfortable with, what is needed and what isn't. I know that on my first couple of long distance multiple day trips I packed WAAYY more than I needed.

 

Something else I like to in verifying that my tool kit is as complete as necessary is to go through the normal maintenance and troubleshooting operations and making special note of the tools that you use for them then KEEP THOSE IN YOUR BIKE and it wouldn't hurt to make sure that you are comfortable with the tools in your tool kit to be doing any of this on the side of the road, potentially in the dark.

On my last trip I ended up needing to replace a windshield and troubleshoot an intermittent electrical problem (total loss of electrical power) on separate occasions. I was fortunate enough to be able to take care of R&I the windshield in a fellow member's driveway. I did, however, have my tank, trunk, seats, front fairing and lower cowlings off in troubleshooting my electrical issue and I wouldn't have been able to get that fixed as quickly as I did if I didn't have all of my nice tools there with me. For a long time I had one of those 'compact emergency toolkits' that I carried in my vehicles with me on long trips. One day I decided (in the garage) to try to use one to do some very basic tasks and realized IMMEDIATELY that they were absolute junk. Yes it cost some money to do but I went ahead and assembled a tool kit that includes higher quality tools that I actually LIKE working with and that I can rely on for either the emergency repair on the side of the road or the routine maintenance in the garage. My tools have paid for themselves time and time again for these nasty bugs that turn out to be minor things but if I didn't have the tools with me, I cannot even begin to imagine the kind of money I would be out of after having to pay for a tow and for some shop somewhere to troubleshoot my problem for me.

 

Staying hydrated and eating healthy is important before and during your trip.

 

Sorry this is a tad 'mixed-up' I wrote it on the fly and now I need to get back to real work for a bit... I may revisit this later to clean it up...

 

ENJOY YOUR TRIP!!!!

[teza51]

Whatever you take allong and we all seem to take more than we need try to distribute the weight evenly across the bike it makes a huge difference to the handling.I invested in a set of liner bags for the panniers makes it so much easier to carry and find stuff when you stop at the end of each day.

[RedRider]

Beaver, good point on the spare key. Also, carry a tire plug kit and know how to use it.

 

Hopefully you wont need them, but I carry a couple of soft straps. If you need to have your bike towed/trailered, the tow jockey won't have them. It might save some serious scratches if you have a problem.

 

RR

[dalv]

You got coolant check but if not flushed in the last couple years, I would replace with fresh. Did mine in the 08 this winter -easy to do if you have a lift.

 

I'm doing the Blue Ridge end of June so your post comes in handy. Thanks.

 

Enjoy the trip, ride safe and post pics!

[eagleeye]

My thought if you didn't do it when you changed the tires is to lube the rear splines.

And I'd take a small first aid kit along.

 

Steve

[Guest Reno]

Just having completed a similar trip last mid June to Mid July I have a few tips. First and I think most important is to find out where the Yamaha(cycle) dealers are in the areas you are going. Harley dealers are everywhere but a cycle metric shop is sometimes hard to find.

I know it's 2011 but gas stations out west can be hard to find in some areas. Always get gas when You think you need it, don't think there will be a station "just down the road".

Pack all your old underwear and sox and toss them when you are done with them. Buying more on the way and tossing them is a cheap part of the total trip and "dirty stuff" is hard to repack. Waterproof or over boots are a must. No fun riding with wet feet especially if it's in the mountains and cold. Bread type bags to go over your boots so you can slide on your rain pants in a hurry without having to sit down. Can of fix-a-flat and wire ties. Sunscreen, SUNscreen, SUNSCREEN!!! Last a really good cable lock incase you have to leave it somewhere. I hope some of this helps. Have a safe trip. I'm sure my wife would have some tips for the ladies but that's another post.

Reno

[Leland]

How old is your battery?

[ThomWill]

Wow a lot of good information here:

 

Now will be changing out all the fluids (not just topping them off), making a dealer list for the route, checking the age on the battery, getting some spare bulbs... etc. Just got new rain suits but will pick up some boot covers too.

 

I will make sure my tire guy lubes the splines, I plan to have the tires put on about 3 weeks in advance of the trip to make sure I have time to adjust from the brickstones and get the E3's scuffed in.

 

We have been training into the trip as well, I have been doing lots of weights, cardio and esp. core training and have lost over 20 pounds since January. We have also been making practice runs of 300+ miles two days in a row.

 

Have been planning this trip for a LONG time and it is getting very exciting as it nears an actual start.

 

Thanks to everyone!

[Drkngas]

Great stuff here! Thanks y'all! I plan on running away from home for a week as soon as kids school lets out for the summer. I dont think I'll be carrying my spare headlight but there is alot of things here I didnt consider.

[davecb]

Make sure everything is tight on the bike. Check torque settings on bolts that require them, and check the rest for tightness....

Edited April 14, 2011 by davecb
can't type

[CalhounWV]

A good attitude, dont lose your sense of humor and take things as they come... it is the trip, not the destination.

 

Best of Luck.

[Globewalker]

Good thread.

 

Hope this isn't a dumb question even if there are no dumb questions

 

Will the Shock absorber 0-60 hand pump inflate a tire if you had to, or not enough leverage?

Or best to just get a small compressor?

 

Has anyone tried the type that inflates from a spark plug cylinder? Are they more trouble than they're worth?

 

Thanks,

Keith

[RedRider]

Good thread.

 

Hope this isn't a dumb question even if there are no dumb questions

 

Will the Shock absorber 0-60 hand pump inflate a tire if you had to, or not enough leverage?

Or best to just get a small compressor?

 

Has anyone tried the type that inflates from a spark plug cylinder? Are they more trouble than they're worth?

 

Thanks,

Keith

 

Keith,

 

The shock pump will fill the tire, but it will take all day, at least. The small compressor from Walmart is about $20 and works fine. Slime also has one that is pretty cost effective.

 

HOWEVER, don't expect to run these compressors from the outlet in the fairing. These compressors pull about 8 amps and it will blow the fuse immediately (don't ask me how I know). The Walmart compressor has a connector that mates to the BatteryTender lead currently installed on my bike. The BT lead is fused to 10A and directly hooks to the battery. Also, most of the compressors come with clips that will allow you to connect it directly to the battery, but you will need to pull off seat.

 

The spark plug type inflator won't work too well on these bikes since it is difficult to remove a plug without taking off a bunch of other stuff. Stick with the Walmart/Slime compressor.

 

RR

[Globewalker]

thanks - good info!