Mod my r1150rt for a BIG trip. Tailbag and electronics and etc.

[rhetoric]

Planning a 4-5 week trip this summer with a buddy (doing maine, key west, CA, WA, etc.) and I'm getting my 04 w/ 20K ready for the trip.  Not camping (but bringing a small tent and roll, just in case)... trying to stay with friends and family.  Changing all the fluids, gas lines and filters, pushrods (noisy... already tried the tensioner), and hoping to change and bleed the brakes and etc.  Will change tires in Florida, sometime in late May, probably. Never done a trip this long and looking for advice on a few matters... (oh, and for the record, I'm a bit of a tightwad, so happy for suggests that involve keeping my marriage intact -- the long time away from home is already pushing it.)

#1 Tailbag?  I'm guessing that the OEM bags won't be enough, but I'm thinking like a T-Bag kind of thing (big square canvas bag) on the rear seat would be ideal.  I can use it as my "carry on" so I can take my clothing and etc in and out of the hotel/house without unpacking all my bike bags or trying to take them off the bike everytime. Like this?

#2 Small magnetic tank bag?  I'm imagining a place to put glasses, wallet... man-purse kinds of things for going in and out of diners, gas stations, and the homes of famous people we visit along the way.  :-)

#3 Electronics?  The first owner took it to Alaska (and not much else) and he put an aftermarket bracket on top of the handlebars (I'll try to post a pic later) so there is a logical place to hang a GPS, my phone, or maybe a tablet, but I'm not really sure what I'll need.  Riding buddy has a 2015 Beemer with the built in GPS, so I could just rely on him, but I'm guessing I'll want something too, so: GPS, phone, or Tablet?
AND as far as I can tell, there isn't a jack/plug/charger anywhere on the bike (I can't imagine he took it off, but I can't find anything).  So I would love recommendations/threads on how to wire my bike for juice -- what I'll need, how to do it, etc.  This electronics part?  You'll need to explain this like you're talking to a 4th grader, because I just don't get electricity!  :-)

#4 Tire change?  I have tires with about 2K left on them, which means changing tires in Florida, most likely.  Would love to buy my tires and ship them to Florida... probably the Fort Myers/Tampa area.    Would love to know of a reputable (and reasonable) place to get those tires swapped... in that area (and would rather not be at a dealer, if possible). 

#5 Cup holder?  Seriously.  I think the idea of a bottle of water or  a Slushie  hanging off the handlebars or something would be loverly!  Any simple/cheap options?

#6 Been watching lots of generic "long trip" videos/recs on youtube, but anything else you've got that's essential... let me know!

[dirtrider]

30 minutes ago, rhetoric said:

Planning a 4-5 week trip this summer with a buddy (doing maine, key west, CA, WA, etc.) and I'm getting my 04 w/ 20K ready for the trip.  Not camping (but bringing a small tent and roll, just in case)... trying to stay with friends and family.  Changing all the fluids, gas lines and filters, pushrods (noisy... already tried the tensioner), and hoping to change and bleed the brakes and etc.  Will change tires in Florida, sometime in late May, probably. Never done a trip this long and looking for advice on a few matters... (oh, and for the record, I'm a bit of a tightwad, so happy for suggests that involve keeping my marriage intact -- the long time away from home is already pushing it.)

#1 Tailbag?  I'm guessing that the OEM bags won't be enough, but I'm thinking like a T-Bag kind of thing (big square canvas bag) on the rear seat would be ideal.  I can use it as my "carry on" so I can take my clothing and etc in and out of the hotel/house without unpacking all my bike bags or trying to take them off the bike everytime. Like this?

#2 Small magnetic tank bag?  I'm imagining a place to put glasses, wallet... man-purse kinds of things for going in and out of diners, gas stations, and the homes of famous people we visit along the way.  :-)

#3 Electronics?  The first owner took it to Alaska (and not much else) and he put an aftermarket bracket on top of the handlebars (I'll try to post a pic later) so there is a logical place to hang a GPS, my phone, or maybe a tablet, but I'm not really sure what I'll need.  Riding buddy has a 2015 Beemer with the built in GPS, so I could just rely on him, but I'm guessing I'll want something too, so: GPS, phone, or Tablet?
AND as far as I can tell, there isn't a jack/plug/charger anywhere on the bike (I can't imagine he took it off, but I can't find anything).  So I would love recommendations/threads on how to wire my bike for juice -- what I'll need, how to do it, etc.  This electronics part?  You'll need to explain this like you're talking to a 4th grader, because I just don't get electricity!  :-)

#4 Tire change?  I have tires with about 2K left on them, which means changing tires in Florida, most likely.  Would love to buy my tires and ship them to Florida... probably the Fort Myers/Tampa area.    Would love to know of a reputable (and reasonable) place to get those tires swapped... in that area (and would rather not be at a dealer, if possible). 

#5 Cup holder?  Seriously.  I think the idea of a bottle of water or  a Slushie  hanging off the handlebars or something would be loverly!  Any simple/cheap options?

#6 Been watching lots of generic "long trip" videos/recs on youtube, but anything else you've got that's essential... let me know!

 

 

Afternoon  rhetoric

 

I guess I don't understand the push rods??????  If the valve adjustment is staying put without significant lash gain & the adjusters (elephants feet) all look about the same height then push rods sound OK. (early bikes a possiblity but on later bikes I haven't ever seen a push rod failure).

 

Maybe look into rocker arm side movement as that can  cause noisy valves at lower RPM's. They will never be totally quiet as the  thing doesn't have hydraulic lifters.

 

I guess if you want to do 'something' for trip security without issues then remove the starter, zip tie the clutch lever in, then rock the clutch disk on the trans input shaft looking for rotational play. Stripped trans input shaft spines can absolutely ruin a trip.

 

Most of us old motorcycle travelers have our own (evolved) packing procedure but the one thing that I might suggest is to look into waterproof roll-top to bags (kayak  waterproof bags).  Especially if you are camping along the way.  One (or two can go on back seat or one large one on the rear rack.  Your wet (dew covered) tent & ground cloth can go into one dry bag & your sleeping bag & sleeping mat (plus clothes & other soft items) can go into the other.

 

If you are camping along the way  then you 'WILL' wake up to a wet tent & wet muddy ground cloth. You don't want to put that in with other dry or good items.

[rhetoric]

I have the old pushrods with screws threaded into each end.  They come loose and make loud noises. The new design has a one piece pushrod that doesn't clunk.  It's easy to change when doing the valve adj, so I thought I'd give it a try. 

The input shaft splines are a worry, but have you a thread to recommend for this "fix?"  Sounds strange!

I like the waterproof sack idea.

 

[dirtrider]

42 minutes ago, rhetoric said:

I have the old pushrods with screws threaded into each end.  They come loose and make loud noises. The new design has a one piece pushrod that doesn't clunk.  It's easy to change when doing the valve adj, so I thought I'd give it a try. 

The input shaft splines are a worry, but have you a thread to recommend for this "fix?"  Sounds strange!

I like the waterproof sack idea.

 

 

Afternoon  rhetoric

 

I'm not sure there is (A) recommended fix-- First you have to identify (IF) you have a spline problem. (radial clutch disk movement)-- Good news is that the 2004 bikes seem to have less issues than the older 1150RT's.

 

If your bike does have that problem then  it will take  a new trans input shaft & new clutch disk (at least).

 

Then, to prevent future failure (in my personal opinion anyhow) you should mount the trans front housing back on the engine then mount a (small) dial indicator on the extended indicator mount  extension, then extend the indicator mount out through the center of mounted trans housing then zero it on the cover bearing bore, THEN turn the crankshaft & sweep the trans housing bearing bore. If you find more than few thousandths runout then you will either have to make offset alignment dowels (then center the housing on the engine with those), or try a new trans front housing to see if it has less runout.

 

You also need to check for excessive rear main bearing lateral slop (if the crankshaft  moves latterly on the firing strokes that can also wear the splines).

 

If you have spline wear issues AND  the housing bearing  bore sweep shows little to no run out then you will probably have to replace the clutch cover & clutch housing parts also as something is probably wobbling with those.

 

If (big if here) your bike has impending spline issues then it isn't an easy or guaranteed fix. I have had pretty good luck in stopping future failures with a stellar trans housing to engine alignment but I don't have a large sample group to compare-to to be able to say it is a 'for-sure' thing.  

[Skywagon]

When I travel for a long time, I use this.  https://www.thenorthface.com/shop/base-camp-duffel-l-nf0a3etq?variationId=KZ3#hero=0

 

As DR said...I set it on the rear seat and either tie it own with bungees or small pieces of rope.  It is very tough, waterproof, and will hold a week's worth of clothes easily.  You can find cheaper ones but this should give you the idea.  It also makes a nice backrest.  I've had mine for at least 10 years now and it still looks like new.  It has been on at least a couple dozen motorcycle trips and in heavy rain.  It is also my off-shore fishing bag and has been on countless fishing trips....I bought it when I had an 1150 just like yours and continue to use it on my LC.  Good luck with your trip(s).  One of lifes little pleasures.

[CNred]

"Small Magnetic Tank Bag"?

I don't think that will work, the tank is not metal. 

There are several strap and zipper tyoe bag on the market to consider.

[Boomer343]

Personally I would change out those tires before leaving especially since you will be putting miles on during spring weather. Also gives an opportunity to check other things out. You can waste a lot of time running around having tires put on and shops may not be willing to drop other jobs for you who only wants tires mounted.

 

Get a sheep skin or something similar for the seat. Watch out for monkey butt and be prepared, some swear by bicycle shorts. 

 

Figure out how to stay hydrated, one of the biggest mistakes I've seen riders make is not to have access to water while in motion. You may want to consider a hydration pack. I have a large diameter thin wall aluminum pipe zip tied to my handle bars for bottled water. Make it a habit to crack the top before starting out.

 

Figure out a throttle lock or helper. You will be wishing you had cruise control. Take a couple pairs of gloves and trade off, be sure to keep your riding boots dried out, a nasty foot problem will not be fun.

 

I'll second the dry pack sacs but be sure to air them out every couple days, take along some laundry detergent pods for doing wash and figure to spend more hours doing laundry than you expected.

 

Have a bag of various medications handy, bandaids, ointments, eye drops, tweezers, scissors .....

 

Tools .... whole other list...

[rhetoric]

1 hour ago, CNred said:

"Small Magnetic Tank Bag"?

I don't think that will work, the tank is not metal. 

There are several strap and zipper tyoe bag on the market to consider.

Doh!

 

[Claudio]

Hey Rhetoric,

 

Sounds like a great trip.  For something that duration, I can make a few suggestions that I would't live without.

 

Comfort/Convenience

1. Set yourself up with some heated gear if you don't already have it.  You can opt for a bike mounted thermostat and plug for a convenient and clean setup or a simple plug and go.

2. For hyrdation, I use a small camel pack (holds about 1.5-2 litres of water) that I situation in my tank bag. Drink easily and safely while riding. No need for silly cup holders.

3. Tank Bag: I use and recommend an electrified bag from SW Mototech (the EVO tank ring series).  Works well on the RT and is easy to move out of the way for fuelling.

 

Mechanical/Bling

1. Consider some extra lighting for night riding (I avoid night rides but sometimes....unavoidable). Some decent LEDs that will give you both more distance and can be pointed to the road edge (wildlife) is a very sound investment.

2. Invest in a GS-911. Although it can't tell you as much about the RT (relative to a newer bike) it can mean the difference between a tow and a simple fix (e.g., bad kickstand sensor preventing starting for example).

 

[eddd]

I've used Seal Line Baja Dry Bags for years.  They are 100% waterproof, not just water resistant.  I had an expensive water resistant bag initially.  After riding through a heavy storm I had a bag full of wet items.  The bag did a great job of resisting any of the moisture on the wet items from escaping.

 

Roll top bags come in several sizes; I have 4 different ones so I can match the bag to what I want to carry.  The 30 liter size is a good option for most situations.  One downside to the roll top bags is that access to items inside isn't always the easiest.  It is a bit like digging around in a very dark tunnel.  Rok Straps and Bungie Buddies added to your side bags is  the way to go.

https://www.seallinegear.com/dry-bags/baja-dry-bag-0
https://rokstraps.com/

https://www.twistedthrottle.com/bungie-buddies