50cc - Ya Baby!!!!

[Harry Biker]

Democracy works for me. Thus I say we take a vote. People that have commited get 2 points and people that have yet to decide get 1 point /vote.,(that sounds fair right)? I only know of 6 riders thus far that should be voting: Harry, Henry, Jeff, Ralph, Gary and Dalton.

Just to clarify 1 last time my rationale for going West to East,(and it's not for potential sporties to get to Vegas, that was last on the reasoning rictor scale)

#1) I'll assume I currently have the most experience in long distance touring ABOVE 1000 miles in 24 hours-maybe not, but....the most I've ever ridden in 24 hours thus far,(and it's not worthy) is 1130 miles in 19 hours. Although I actually did feel fresh @ that last gas stop and new I could've gone further, I was pretty fried the next day.

It is 1750 miles from Denver to Jacksonville,(taking the East to West route) and that MAY be just far enough to fry out some riders or even 1 rider so as to prevent them from even doing the 50CC! Do we want to risk that?

#2) Give me the setting sun @ my back ANY DAY vs the setting sun blinding me for hours in my face. I'll go out on a limb here and state that nobody prefers to drive with the setting sun blinding them! I believe all drivers/riders/walkers would prefer to have the sun go down as you head EAST. Now, add semi high speed and time zones keeping that sun up longer in your eyes. I experienced that yesterday skiing and was blinded for 2 runs while on the lift and it sucked!! Obviously this is a non-issue traveling North or South, but you want to travel extreme West in the desert!?

So, what's the real issue here-? Could it be FEAR? Fear of the dark, fear of hitting a deer etc. etc?? I respect the potential hazzards that the dark can bring out. especially with deer, but the reality of this EPIC ride is we will not escape the dark. Will 2-3 more hours of blinding light increase your odds? Is it more dangerous to be riding in the blinding light that gets magnified in the desert sand vs. 3-4 bikes riding close together with their high beams & PIAA's lighting up the night,(not to mention the cooler temps)

#3) If we time it right, we should be able to lessen the degree of intense heat that will be west of El-Paso. Yes, I know the entire trip will be hot, but not as hot as it is in desert of Cali, Arizona and New Mexico.

#4) Automatic cop/biker witness!!! who lives 1470 miles from SanDiego, thus making one issue easier for the BUN BURNER GOLD,(did I mention I really want this pin) and free lodging IF we wanted it.

#5) Jeff's camping- which means he can literally sleep almost anywhere,(don't forget your "screaming meanie"). For the remainder of us less- hardy riders, it'll be easier to find lodging after 1500 miles going West to East vs the other way. Van Horn TX. anyone?

So, that is my "story" why my vote is to travel West to East-"2-points",(nothing but net)

If you vote the other way,(and please everyone vote) don't forget your


SIDE NOTE: Henry came up w/ a pretty good way to carry extra fuel. REI and similar stores carry fuel bottles primarily used for backpacking/camping. The 1 liter bottels sell for approx. $10.they are very light aluminum, have an o-ring to stop leaks and they are easily portable. I think I'll be using these in place of the plastic gas cans. Chances are, these won't be needed except for maybe a Super Hawk. However, I have experienced while traveling a planned gast stop in the middle of Wyoming and this station actually ran out of gas themselves!! Talk out feeling like you just got punched in the stomach! So, ideally every rider carries a little extra fuel.

ONE LAST THING....
With the toy run next Sunday, assuming you're riding in it- Can the 50cc-ers get together after it for lunch and discussion? Should be a good opportunity to get together.

[Harry Biker]

Jeff,
I just got Rider mag in the mail and they have an article titled "operation silk purse" that may interest you & your spunky ZZR-12.

[Harry Biker]

that would be, "silk purse" not sill purse

[gary n]

Here's a complete package for the CB radios that I found. It's a little pricey but not bad for all you get - just plug and play.

http://sierra.safeshopper.com/41/505.htm?227


In case the link doesn't work it's at:

www.sierra-mc.com

[Anonymous]

Harry, I'm down for meeting up after the ride next Sunday to talk about stuff.

Gary, thanks for the link! I almost forgot about the weather radio part, YES we need that! We're travelling through Texas and points east right in the beginning of the strongest part of storm season (plus tornado alley coming back home). There is a high probability we will experience severe weather along this trip including high wind, rain, hail, maybe worse. Plan on it and pack accordingly.

Sounds like that CB package would work well, now what about the helmet headsets? That package needs a 12v power cord too, and probably some bike rigging. If people are not comfortable messing with the power on their bike like that, I'd be happy to have a "rig day" whereby you can all bring your bikes over to my house, use the BBQ grill (someone's buying my burgers for this), and I'll hook it all up for ya, since I have pretty much everything one might want for electrical jobs here already.

[Nick_Ninja]

So, what's the real issue here-? Could it be FEAR? Fear of the dark, fear of hitting a deer etc. etc?? I respect the potential hazzards that the dark can bring out. especially with deer, but the reality of this EPIC ride is we will not escape the dark. Will 2-3 more hours of blinding light increase your odds? Is it more dangerous to be riding in the blinding light that gets magnified in the desert sand vs. 3-4 bikes riding close together with their high beams & PIAA's lighting up the night,(not to mention the cooler temps)

With the stock dual beam headlights that I have blazin' out front (and the additional PIAA 1100X driving lamps going to be installed prior to take off) I doubt that night visability of hazzards will be too much of a factor. I have had the unfortunate encounter with two deer in my riding escapades , the last being over 120,000 miles in the past. I don't intend to add a third notch to the Buck Knife .

:arrow: Harry, FEAR has nothing to do with my vote to travel East to West. But it really doesn't matter. In 50 hours I'll be snoozin in the Jacksonville or San Diego Marriott (I prefer SanDiego) with an order of room-service, lots-o-champaign, and a fine Havanna cigar. I guess I will see you guys on the toy run :wink: .

[gary n]

The CB kit includes:
Cobra HH38WXST 40 channel cb with weather radio
J&M RHD-10 headset
PTT harness (which accepts any 5 pin din dynamic headset, J&M or Hondaline)
Heavy duty mounting plate with stainless steel hardware

I'm not sure about power, but it should be as easy as connecting to the battery.

I will be at the toy run on Sunday and can meet afterwards. I understand the pros and cons for heading in either direction. I would prefer to go west to east only because if I make it to the Florida I am going to ride down to the Keys and would prefer to do that after the coast-to-coast.

[Anonymous]

The CB kit includes:
Cobra HH38WXST 40 channel cb with weather radio
J&M RHD-10 headset
PTT harness (which accepts any 5 pin din dynamic headset, J&M or Hondaline)
Heavy duty mounting plate with stainless steel hardware

I'm not sure about power, but it should be as easy as connecting to the battery.

Also - that CB is HUGE! The midland is a lot smaller it looks like, and has a neat little adapter with a cig lighter adapter (I can make some plugs for that for the bike pretty quick). I do like those handlebar mounts they have, that plus the headset cable (plus a headset - note this is not included, still need that part) would be nice. I'd also like some way to mix in a CD player or something, and output from a radar detector; their prices for the audio "integration" things are ridiculous, I'm going to check around and see what else I can find there.

The power should be fused, and should likely come off an accessory wire (like headlights or something). Would be the least impactive that way I think. We'll see, as we get closer and get a headcount I can order all the parts at once from some place like digikey and get a quantity discount or something.

I like the idea of riding to the west first, then East on the 50cc as well. If people want to ride with to Vegas that's fine, but I intend to spend as little time there as possible (the town just doesn't do it for me) so I will not be massaging my schedule to meet theirs. That's about what Harry's thoughts were I think too.

I can camp some of the time as well, though after a LONG day of riding, I'm sure as f'in hell gonna want a hot long shower and possibly something soft to sleep on. An entire week of riding and sleeping on the ground, showering in tents, will quite possibly make me want to beat someone by the end.

[Harry Biker]

Page 3 :!:

www.jmcorp.com should also be considered. I'm currently using their products in my helmet system and the quality of the speakers is very good.

I do have a weather band on the "dresser", so if you'd have to pay xtra for that consider that I do have one and with a quality cb radio with a range of 5 miles or so, good vision and nose, I believe we'd have plenty of time,(@ least Jeff will ) to out run an F1-F5. On my 1st documented 1K/24 hrs, I missed an F5 tornado by 22 hours which is an eternity, but I swear I could just feel it coming!

Cb's are just a great way to go because they can and do act as a weather band, radar detector, hazzard alert etc. However,while I was drooling on the '03 BMW's yesterday,(Gary, they have $1500 off brand new R1150rt's and K1200rs's and between 500$-1000$ off most other models-assuming you wanted/could go new) I came across their FRS connection system which looked very complete,(for anyone still wanting to go this way).

Ralph, I might take you up on your offer to help me wire some driving lights.
One suggestion for all is to do all mods to your bike way before the trip as many a long distance/endurance riders have learned that the hard way with things like charging systems that could not handle the extra load, shields that caused uncomfortable buffeting and seats that just hurt. I'd also recommend a new battery for any bike who's battery is > 2 yrs old,(I got 3 yrs out of my old battery and got very lucky on my last big trip that it died slowly instead of leaving me stranded- I won't make that mistake again)

Harry

[Nick_Ninja]

I currently use a SENG/TA radar mount. It is solid at speeds well in excess of the century mark. They also have available numerous driving lamp configurations with a nifty wireing harness system that looks like a snap to install. (I already have the hookup for the Eclips Electric Vest that will work with this system. :wink

You can find them here:

http://www.saeng.com/cutters.htm

[Harry Biker]

Argghhh, I can't find my book that has a great packing list. I've seen a few on the net in the past, but uually just end up making my own. Prepping for a trip like this is a good portion of the fun and we all bring some shared and different ideas as to what works. With Xmas approaching my guess is we could all use something to have us well stocked so I'll share some of my thoughts and hope you do as well.

1)TOOLS. If you're only relying on what came with your bike, you're fooling yourself,(even if I'm the only one on a Harley) that nothing will go wrong. My FZ1 tank almost fell off while riding it yesterday!! know you bike!!!
...this list could be very long and Ralph seems to know his stuff so enlighten us.

2)$$$. Speaks for itself. Bring more than you think you'll need. Also, if for some reason you do not have a credit card, clean up your credit now and get one. You'll need it for your gas receipts. Possibly travler's checks.

3) TOWING PACKAGE. Hopefully we do not need this as this will most certainly mean you will be a DNF!! I've only used AAA before, not counting HOG/HONDA or other factory plans. Any one with good info on this speak up. AAA is about $130/year.

4)SPARE BIKE/LOCK KEY

5)TWO TYPES OF LOCKS

6)OWNERS MANUAL

7)EAR PLUGS. May be an issue if you have helmet mounted speakers. If your speakers are "ear buds", you can kill 2 birds....

TIRE REPAIR KIT AND INFLATION DEVICE

9)FLASHLIGHT/S-ROAD FLARE

10)SPARE BATTERIES/BULBS/FUSES

11)SUN SCREEN

12)SUN GLASSES X 2 OR VERYING SHADES/FACE SHIELDS

13)MEDS/ IBUPROPHEN,(prophylactic)HEALTH INSURANCE CARD

14)1ST AIDE KIT

15)TOW STRAP

16)MAP/GPS

17)CELL PHONE

1OIL/CHAIN LUBE/RAGS

19)EXTRA FUEL-this could be dangerous. But hey, life is dangerous

20)BIKE SPECIFIC DEALER LOCATION

21)RAIN SUIT,(even the mighty Aero-Stich is not 100% waterproof)

22)CLEAN-DRY CHANGE OF CLOTHES large zip lock bags work well.

23)"LECTRIC GEAR"/OR COLD WEATHER GEAR-sun burn plus cool desert temps @ night =chilly!!

24)REFLECTIVE VEST OR SIMILAR

25)EMERGENCY WATER

26)REGISTRATION/INSURANCE LICENSE CARDS

27)CRUISE CONTROL/THROTTLE LOCK, @ the very least a trottle rocker

2GLASSES

29)EYE DROPS

30)KNIFE/LEATHERMAN

31)MUSIC-This can be a life saver.

32)ALARM CLOCK,preferably a "screaming meanie"

33)CAMPING GEAR

34)TANK BAG-for sportbike comfort

35)BICYCLE SHORTS-again for comfort

36)SHIELD CLEANER

37)FINGER RAIN WIPER

3COOLING SYSTEM-these vary greatly, drinking water on bike is huge!

39)GUM/HARD CANDY

40)CAMERA

41)NOTE PAD/PENCIL

42)ZIP LOCK BAG/S- for gas receipts and other uses

43)RADAR DETECTOR

44)SHOES/SANDALS

45)IBA WITNESS STATEMENTS AND RULES FOR 50CC

46)WEIGHT BELT/KIDNEY-HEAT PAD,(Portable-for the old farts)

47)CIGARS

4EMERGENCY SURVIVAL KIT

49)SEWING KIT/EYE GLASSES REPAIR KIT

50)FIRE-LIGHTER/MATCHES

51)RIDING CLOTHES-Not gear. I've started bringing wearing old stuff and throwing it out after it's used.

52)RIDING GEAR-armored/reflective/water proof. "Subway" bags work ok for inside non-water proof boots.

53) : :

Harry biker

[Nick_Ninja]

Just received word that SAENG/TA will be introducing a new Night Cutter model for sportbikes in three weeks. I've been told there is NOTHING like it out there. I hope it creates visual melt-down when applied to the black surroundings of the Mojave. Turn your mirrors DOWN toward the ground if I'm behind you :wink:

[towneh]

al right, all right!!!!
i 'checked out" for the holiday weekend!

harry, jeff, gary, nd ralph >>> being the "weakest link" with the old motorcycle and no ld experience.... i opt for the west-2-east route AND leaving at 10pm from SanD and exploiting Harry's dad for a witness/flop-house. Then sleep for 6+hours, exiting Hous at 4am (with nominal traffic...), arriving at JacksV approx 7pm with an easy backtrack to the police station for a wittness.

ralph >>> i want to add a three-port cigarette lighter socket system to my old rf..... i've got ideas but another set of eyes keeps me honest! at this point, i want to power a midland cb 75-822 (i need ideas for a fixed baseless antenna also) AND my little GPS. i'm reluctant to add more lighting to my old rocket. the draw on the system adds up quickly and i'd rather not risk an electrical melt-down.

it would be a wonderful thing if Sunday-Santa were just like today!!!! hopefully my tires will hang in there so that i can be there!
living -on-th-edge,
henry

[towneh]

oops; didn't see the Dalton ref til i read back thru the threads.....

additional info: i've got microsoft streets and trips software for 2003 that gens maps and turn-for-turn route descriptions which make a nice supplemental doc when you turn your other logging items in for validation!

my vote is in,
henry

[Anonymous]

To add to Harry's list (maybe)

I didn't read his list in it's entirety, but here's another list which will hopefully compliment Harry's:
http://my.execpc.com/~ytk/trippack.htm

I wish I was going with you guys!

[Anonymous]

Henry,

Adding the cig lighter plugs won't be an issue. And powering a CB will not be hard either, though for all the stuff you're plugging in we'd probably want to add fused wires and some other sort of quick disconnect method, cig lighters aren't terribly vibration resistant (or weatherproof). Wouldn't be hard to do it that other way and the cost would be about the same.

Check out that site with the Cobra package, they had some license-plate mounted antennas you might want to look at. Personally I like that smaller midland radio they have on there (I can't remember if it had weather radio features, will have to check); the 12v power adapter has a plug for an external antenna on it as well, so that and the fixed handlebar mount and you'd have a nice setup that didn't take much power. Not sure what the best route for a helmet headset is really...

I'm going to see what it would take to even maybe build a small circuit in a 2"x3" enclosure I can put in the tank bag, whereby I can mix together all of the audio signals I might want (i.e. CB, mp3/CD player, celly, radar detector) cleanly. I have an idea in my head, I just need to try it out and see what happens. Assuming it works out ok I'd be willing to make them for this group (i.e. the trip group, not CSC as a whole, at least not until I can get the boards mass produced) pretty cheap, since it sounds like we're all going to need something like that.

[Harry Biker]

Spidey,
It's very cool that you're contributing,(I appreciate you forwarding that list). You know you're a frickin Super Hero!! Did Superman cave to Lois Lane?, Did Aquaman cave to Aqua chick? did Batman cave to Robin? yuck!
We could really use an almost fast bike bike just in case someone get's ascared and has to be zoomed to safety by the impressive 998!

Ralph,
Sign me up w/ you whatchamacallit thingy!! I'd love to be wired in to make a phone call while riding!! I could order a pizza or make prank phone calls to the insect while @ warp speed!

Henry,
Welcome back. I thought you/we wanted to depart @ 4am to keep people's sleep schedule a little more on the norm vs the "graveyard-shift"?

Soooo it sounds like the tribe has spoken,(although Dalton's a tad quiet) re: go East young men!! Where are the women bikers ?? Alicia???

Now onto the next question....
What is the best time to start the clock in San Diego? Give us your input and of course consider Houston traffic. Also consider if you can sleep pre-ride to awaken @ ----------? My vote is 4 or 5am to give the best? possible odds of getting some sleep.

[Anonymous]

So, just to clarify ... we're of course sleeping in SD before riding like madmen (or women if any go) to Houston - where we are staying again for 6 or so hours, then riding like madmen (or women if any go) to Jacksonville, where I know I for one will be sleeping a lot, then riding back at a semi-non-mad pace? Getting confusing...

Also - what is the expected stay in the land of steers and queers? I think as long as we don't hit the main rush hour traffic we'll be ok there, the Houston highways are actually designed kinda nice with the fast moving traffic separated away from the exit/on-ramps by large pieces of concrete. Still, we should have a good alternate strategy for getting around there. I know some peeps down there as well, I know time will be uber tight but if we're eating dinner down there or something it'd be cool to meet up with them. (the gixxer.com crew...)

[towneh]

hello ralph,

the 75-822 by midland handheld cb comes with a rubber-ducky antenna and consumes 6 AA cells BUT reduces to a mobile unit living off a 12v source and external antenna. for a nice picture and features see>>
http://www.durhamradio.com/midland-75-822.htm

i like how my shoei full-face helmet fits so i'm reluctant to cut up my helmet interior for speakers.... instead, i'm thinking about some jack
re-configuration so that i can use something like these Koss earplug speakers. http://www.aerostich.com/isroot/ride...ucts/3081.html
i've also found a few places that sell small, low-profile microphones that i could glue in place on the chin bar of my shoei..... i'll probably buy this kit
http://www.soundradio.com/mc_cable.html
and integrate the Koss earplugs in lieu of the speakers. additionally, i'm thinking of solutions to their posted limitation (i.e. not capable of multiple audio input devices to-date...)

engineering for entertainment,
henry

btw, thanx for more ideas for an ext antenna..... i know there is some dark science pertaining to ext antenna cable length for reception.... :wink:

[Anonymous]

hello ralph,

the 75-822 by midland handheld cb comes with a rubber-ducky antenna and consumes 6 AA cells BUT reduces to a mobile unit living off a 12v source and external antenna. for a nice picture and features see>>
http://www.durhamradio.com/midland-75-822.htm

Yep, thats the one I was looking at. Shop around, I'm sure we can get 'em cheaper. Especially if we can do a group purchase of this stuff all at once, that should get us some discounts.

i like how my shoei full-face helmet fits so i'm reluctant to cut up my helmet interior for speakers.... instead, i'm thinking about some jack
re-configuration so that i can use something like these Koss earplug speakers. http://www.aerostich.com/isroot/ride...ucts/3081.html
i've also found a few places that sell small, low-profile microphones that i could glue in place on the chin bar of my shoei..... i'll probably buy this kit
http://www.soundradio.com/mc_cable.html
and integrate the Koss earplugs in lieu of the speakers. additionally, i'm thinking of solutions to their posted limitation (i.e. not capable of multiple audio input devices to-date...)

Well, that box I was talking about building would let you plug all sorts of stuff into it, including multiple microphone outputs for things like cell phones. I think that soundradio.com headphone thing would work well. I put some small headphones in my Arai not too long ago (took them back out eventually) and didn't have to modify anything to do it.

btw, thanx for more ideas for an ext antenna..... i know there is some dark science pertaining to ext antenna cable length for reception.... :wink:

Remember, the antenna cable is (and should be) shielded. you will not gain anything by messing with the length of the cable, except that longer wiring means more signal loss - though we're talking 6 feet max so it's irrelevant. If you want uber signal, get the biggest antenna you can put up with... However we're all going to be within 200 feet of each other so I don't think it'll matter. I'm planning on getting one of those license plate antennas, I think that's a great idea personally and automatically makes the wiring neat since I can run under the fairings and inside the frame without having to modify anything - literally bolt-on.

What I'm also considering is a small LED battery/electrical system monitor on this power adapter I want to build. I already have the design done for it since it's part of another device I designed a few months ago that I plan to build and sell; basically you have a row of LED's that indicate your charge condition at all times, so you don't wind up with problems somewhere in the middle of the desert. It would be like $5 extra in parts to include it... I'm going to build this stuff and use my bike as a guinea pig, and you guys can decide if you like it. I'm only going to make one design however (i.e. the power harness will come with the LED monitor, it's not an option) so whatever I end up with is what you guys end up with. :mrgreen:

[towneh]

hello harry et all

" I thought you/we wanted to depart @ 4am to keep people's sleep schedule a little more on the norm vs the "graveyard-shift"? "

well harry, the truth is i learned that i have a 'fickle' mode. i got to thinking about the heat of the cali/newmex/tex deserts and how there would be less traffic when EVERYONE ELSE is sleeping. that became appealing to me along with an easy witness source/etc. (yogi never responded and i'm not keen about trying to use people from the MTF tour in march) reliable people are a valuable asset!

btw... you are right, my current battery is 4 winters old w/o trickle tending! REPLACE!

"more input...johnny 5",
henry

i need to find a place that i can post the "turn-for-turn" route descriptions so that we can come to some sort of consensus (sp?)

[Anonymous]

btw... you are right, my current battery is 4 winters old w/o trickle tending! REPLACE!

You don't ride in the winter? Even if I'm not riding I make a point of running it every week or so for about 20 min to warm everything up, charge the battery, keep the fluids fluid, and burn out any condensation.

i need to find a place that i can post the "turn-for-turn" route descriptions so that we can come to some sort of consensus (sp?)

You can't post 'em here?

[Nick_Ninja]

Henry, are you an insomniac : I like the idea of cruising through the desert at night myself, that way it really doesn’t matter which direction I’m headed. Because of this I will load my system with x-tra lighting and radar electronic counter measures before the cell/tuneage/cb stuff. Info only -- Dalton is NOT on the internet but I’m keeping him informed. He’ll ride with the consensus (if he goes at all).

[towneh]

alllrrigght!

ralph>> i occaisionally ride the winter providing the option for ice riding is VERY nominal. yes, i do run it for a bit on every Sunday (the neighbors really appreciate it). as for the posting of 'trial' route descriptions here; i'll do it but i don't like to 'clutter' (i.e. as the routes evolve the old stuff will need to be removed so there won't be conflicting data posted....) thanx, i try it tomorrow evening...

jeff>> i've had the opportunity to work for several places where you get so charged up by the mission that you've got absolutely no idea what time it is or how long you've been at it!!! i will gladly fall in behind you with my low-beam blazing! while i appreciate radar detection devices, the cb provides a multitude of services (entertainment, smokey reports, and bike2bike commo). but then again, spaghetti cableing does not look cool

maybe i am an insomniac ,
henry