Now that I’ve returned from my Summer of 2021 Odyssey, I want to write down a few thoughts, not so much to share with others, which is fine, but so I have them recorded where I can easily find them and to remind me about things for next time. Yes, there will be a next time.
The first couple days back were focused on getting the bike unpacked, everything in the laundry, the tent cleaned, dried, and repacked, and all the stuff I’d otherwise brought with me put away: tools, camp stove, mess kit, fuel bottle, etc. I did create a box for stuff and labeled it “Motorcycle Camping” so I won’t have to spend as much time rounding things up for my next trip.
The Clean Up
The bike itself was filthy, especially from the plague of grasshoppers I was smited by in North Dakota.
I probably spent 6 hours just doing the cleaning. I hadn’t cleaned it at all during the trip and even though I rode through some pretty heavy rains, the corpses of bugs clung to their dying spots tenaciously. I tried hydrogen peroxide, dish soap, hot water, and, finally, some Rain-X Bug and Tar remover. It came down to multiple washings and lots of elbow grease. Where the bugs were finally removed from the fairing, they left some rough spots that were erased with some Meguire’s Scratch and Blemish Remover. I couldn’t believe how messy the bugs have been as even the front wheel rim was coated.
There was a sizable number of dead bugs covering the radiator so I spent some time figuring out how to remove its plastic guard so I could brush all the bits and pieces away. This entailed removal of the horn and some of the bolts that hold the left side and center/bottom fairings in place. All went well and now I feel better about the radiator getting a full flow of air.
Thoughts on Equipment
There is no better time than unpacking to look at what I brought and never used as well as thinking about what I should have brought. I had both side cases packed as well as my duffle bag and really didn’t have room for anything else that I’d pick up along the way. As I went through everything I had these thoughts:
A chair - Instead of bringing my 3-legged stool that I use for sketching in the field, a friend loaned me a collapsible chair. It was nice since it has a back on it but I think I’d leave that type of thing behind next time. Every place I camped had a picnic table and at the end of the day’s ride I want to write in my blog and I feel better sitting up at a table and writing on my iPad than sitting back in a chair.
Tools - I brought plenty and would reduce it by half. If the bike breaks down it would probably need more than a set of tools to fix it. The small set of hex wrenches, a few metric sockets and a ratchet, a few combo metric wrenched and a screwdriver or two is about all I would ever need. Zip ties, a knifes, and a few other items come in handy if camping.
Cooking - My MSR stove (circa 1979) worked great and I’d take it again if camping. I’d planned to prepare some meals but after picking up some instant oatmeal for mornings and Backpackers Pantry meals for dinner, I’m sold on them. All I have to do is boil water and there is no clean up. The little mess kit I brought works great but a small pot holder would come in handy as would a small silpat to set the stove on when cooking.
Clothing - I probably brought 50% more than what I needed. I was able to do laundry at my son’s place in Pittsburgh both ways and I certainly could just go to a laundromat otherwise. Compression shorts were the key, along with the air cushion, to reducing butt fatigue. When I switched to them, no more hot spots. I did wish I’d brought a sweatshirt as one more layer would have been nice on those cold mornings. I had my summer mesh jacket with its rain liner in as a windbreaker but it really wasn’t enough, even with 2 long sleeve t-shirts under that. Of course, if I brought my other touring jacket, it has a thermal liner which would have worked fine.
Running clothes - I could have done fine with just the boots I wear when I ride but, as a regular runner, I couldn’t go for 3-weeks without a run and I wasn’t going to run in those boots. That means bringing my running shoes. I was able to squeeze them into my duffle bag along with socks, shorts and a shirt but the problem was that I ran in the mornings and the shoes usually came back wet and, sometimes, sandy or muddy. Repacking them that way, I needed to isolate them from the rest of my dry stuff. The dry stuff was in a big plastic garbage bag in the duffle because that bag itself isn’t totally waterproof. I put the shoes in plastic bags, which works, but after a day of riding that way they get a bit ripe. I think strapping them outside the duffle with my cargo net would work but I had other stuff under that. Reducing overall cargo would free that up for the shoes.
Rain gear - I had the rain liner for my mesh jacket which worked but the jacket only goes to the upper hips so water runs down to the upper parts of my pants. I’d brought the rain liner for my touring paints and pulled those on over my Levis but they fit like chaps and don’t cover what is getting wet from the jacket’s runoff. I think a dedicated rain suit might be the solution, even if I just get the bottoms. As long as they come up over the waist they should do the job.
Other Items
I’d brought my sketchbook and except for while I was waiting for my son at his doctor’s office, I didn’t sketch a thing. The trip was about riding and I didn’t spend much time in one spot. By the end of the day, time was devoted to setting up camp, drinking a beer, writing the blog, and getting dinner made. The sketchbook doesn’t take much room but it might get left the next time. I have Procreate on my iPad and an Apple Pencil so if I feel the urge, I can sketch with that.
I brought my cooling vest and never used it. It wasn’t as hot as it had been in Billings before I left and when we did encounter heat, it was so humid I doubt that the vest would have provided much relief.
My air mattress worked great until it developed a leak with a couple days left on the trip. It had a patch kit but the prospect of finding the leak while on the road dissuaded me from even looking for it. When I got home I found it and applied the patches that came with it and they didn’t work due to the leak location, in a seam. I ordered the better patch solution, a glue-based one, and will take that along next time. Update: the patch kit didn't work and I could see what I thought was a manufacturing defect. I contacted the company and they sent me a new mattress.
My sleeping bag, the same one I used in 1979, worked great although I was a bit chilled the last two mornings. I might consider taking a warmer one next time depending on the the season and where I am going or, perhaps a flannel sheet to line it.
The Marmot tent worked great. No issue and no complaints.
I’d brought a quart of oil and I’d leave that behind next time. If I need oil I’d just buy some on the road, even if it wasn’t my preferred YamaLube.
My big Rand-McNally road atlas was worth bringing but I think I’d look for a slightly smaller version. I do like to have a paper map spread out in front of me when planning even though I ride with route instructions coming from my phone.
The electronics I took worked out great. I had my iPhone, iPad, Cardo helmet communications, and my Kindle. It was a bit of a challenge to keep them all charged but I got a system figured out eventually. I made up a cable that plugs into my battery tender connection and that goes into my tank bag. On the end of it I have 2 USB ports. I can charge my phone while riding as well as my Anker extra battery. Later in the day, usually about 3pm, the Cardo signals low battery and I have a cable that can run under my jacket up to my helmet to keep that charged. Keeping the iPad charged is a bit more challenging. It rides in a side case and if I don’t have electricity where I stay for the night, I have to ration the charge it has. I can charge it off my Anker battery but it would pretty much drain it. In the future, I may look at running a charging cable to the side case where it rides. I never had to recharge the Kindle. I have a charging port in my glove box and the Anker battery fits in there but I had some times where it was in there all day and it never charged. It might be the USB adapter. Something to check out.
I should say something more about the Cardo PackTalk Bold unit. This small device attaches to the outside of my helmet and is connected to both a microphone and a pair of headphone inside the helmet. The primary feature is that it allows riders with similar units to talk to each other while on the road. This worked out great when I was riding with my son from Pittsburgh to Maine and back because we could talk about road conditions, things we see along the way, and anything else that comes to mind while we are riding. That’s worth the cost of the unit but that is not all it does. It automatically connects to my phone through Bluetooth and I can stream music to my helmet and operate the player by voice commands: music on/off, volume up/down, next/previous song, etc. It also interfaces to the phone feature so with a Siri command I told it to call my wife and we had conversations while I’m riding. The only glitchy part is that I haven’t totally figured out the whole “Hey, Siri” sequence. It works but I think there’s a trick in terms of how quickly the command has to be said. The handiest feature is that it connects to the Google maps routing feature so it will drop the volume on the music, if it’s playing any, and tell you to turn right at the next corner, etc., removing the need to look at a map or routing instructions. I’ll write about the music feature in a separate posting.
The 2 half gallon water jugs that I brought using custom holders on the passenger foot pegs worked out fine. However, one was set up with a drinking tube and a bite valve and that was more trouble than it was worth. I stopped often enough and pulled my helmet off so I could drink from the pint bottle I carried in my tank bag. The 1/2 gallon container on the other side was useful in terms of volume, but I think I’d just replace it with 2 quart/liter size Nalgene bottlse that I’d carry in a side case. I only camped in a couple places that didn’t have water.
One item I’d definitely bring next time is an inflatable pillow. In the old days I’d just roll up my jacket but the ones we use today have armor in the elbows, shoulders, and back so they don’t make a very comfortable head rest.
The Rok Straps I brought were awesome. They are so much better than bungee cords or regular tie-downs. I had three pairs of 42” straps and could have used one pair that was longer. I’ve ordered one that is 60” for next time.
Other than those thoughts, equipment worked out well and I never felt I was short of anything.
The bike itself, the main piece of equipment was stellar. Except for the weird cruise control issue on the last day, which seemed to resolve itself, I have no complaints or desires about it. It has plenty of power, gets excellent gas mileage, handles great, provides good protection from the wind, and is quiet. The grip heaters and the cruise control were my favorite features.
I’ve done some research on the cruise control problem. I initially called the local dealer to see if I could bring it in but their next appointment is in October. So, I got on one of the FJR Owners forums and posted the problem and a knowledgeable guy explained what could have caused it and suggested that, like my son did, that it’s probably OK since it works now. The ECU has probably saved the error code which is why the engine warning light is still illuminated. I would need to plug in an OBD2 reader to get the code and reset the light. Luckily, I just acquired a reader with a car we got and only need an adapter cable that will allow it to be connected to the bike. I ordered one and it should be here next week. In the meantime, everything is running fine. Update: I was able to read the code. It referenced the inertial unit locate behind the rear seat. I keep my tire repair kit there and it's possible that it pushed against the unit when hitting a bump in the road. The service manual indicated that the code problem would effect running and starting and since that never happened, it's a fluke. I cleared the code and all it well. I will bring the reader and the adapter on the next trip. I bought the service manual from Yamaha and scanned its chapters into PDFs and have it in the cloud and on the iPad.)
That covers what I wanted to cover in this entry. In a coming post I want to write some thoughts about the route and some of the nuts and bolts about life on the road.
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