I'm heading to Hamilton, MT to visit my sister's family and see her oldest graduate from high school. My wife is unable to go so that gave me the excuse to ride there!
My route will take me to Albuquerque for my first stop. Then I'm headed to Salt Lake City to stay with some friends and then the third day I'll head to Hamilton. Out of Albuquerque I will go through Moab which should be cool. I won't be stopping much as I will have to make decent time. I'll take pics when I can. I'm staying in Montana for five days then heading back south through Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park. I'll go from Jackson, WY to Colorado Springs then CO Springs back to the metroplex.
Things I've done to the bike over the past six weeks in preparation for the trip:
Hard-wired my GPS to my fuse block
Installed my Altrider skid plate to ensure my oil filter and oil pan don't get damaged from road debris
Installed the side wind deflectors
Installed new Conti Trail Attacks front and rear
Changed my final drive fluid with Amsoil synthetic gear lube
Changed the oil with Amsoil 10W-40 synthetic
I've also installed my Givi quick-release racks and have been riding to work with the side bags (Givi E360s) on to get used to the weight
Lubed the gear shift
The only thing I have left to do is to check the spokes and wash the beast.
I will be using my Givi V46 top box and E360 side cases and my Yamaha tank bag. I'm taking the rain cover for the tankbag and my rain suit. I'll also be taking both my 3/4 Tourmaster jacket and First Gear Mesh Tex jacket. I imagine I'll only wear the Mesh Tex jacket on day one as it should be cooler the further north I go. I will also be wearing my First Gear riding pants that my jacket zips to.
The tools I plan on taking are:
Spare rear spokes/nipples
Tire repair kit/Slime pump/long cord for pump
Spare fuses
Various hex head wrenches
Crescent wrench
Vise grips (small and medium)
I hope the weather is decent as I head north.
My route will take me to Albuquerque for my first stop. Then I'm headed to Salt Lake City to stay with some friends and then the third day I'll head to Hamilton. Out of Albuquerque I will go through Moab which should be cool. I won't be stopping much as I will have to make decent time. I'll take pics when I can. I'm staying in Montana for five days then heading back south through Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park. I'll go from Jackson, WY to Colorado Springs then CO Springs back to the metroplex.
Things I've done to the bike over the past six weeks in preparation for the trip:
Hard-wired my GPS to my fuse block
Installed my Altrider skid plate to ensure my oil filter and oil pan don't get damaged from road debris
Installed the side wind deflectors
Installed new Conti Trail Attacks front and rear
Changed my final drive fluid with Amsoil synthetic gear lube
Changed the oil with Amsoil 10W-40 synthetic
I've also installed my Givi quick-release racks and have been riding to work with the side bags (Givi E360s) on to get used to the weight
Lubed the gear shift
The only thing I have left to do is to check the spokes and wash the beast.
I will be using my Givi V46 top box and E360 side cases and my Yamaha tank bag. I'm taking the rain cover for the tankbag and my rain suit. I'll also be taking both my 3/4 Tourmaster jacket and First Gear Mesh Tex jacket. I imagine I'll only wear the Mesh Tex jacket on day one as it should be cooler the further north I go. I will also be wearing my First Gear riding pants that my jacket zips to.
The tools I plan on taking are:
Spare rear spokes/nipples
Tire repair kit/Slime pump/long cord for pump
Spare fuses
Various hex head wrenches
Crescent wrench
Vise grips (small and medium)
I hope the weather is decent as I head north.
