3/11/2008
I guess it's Just coincidence that i started this page exactly 6 months before the day of the event, as you can imagine I've got a lot of things to do to prepare for my first Cannonball Run. I've already
purchased a few things (windshield,
gps,
fullface helmet,etc.) but certainly need to purchase a few more to be ready for the trip. My list of parts, equipment, clothing, toiletries, etc. keeps
growing I am trying to research from other people as much as I can before I buy some thing but I'm sure a few things I'll just have to use my own trial and error through the next six months.
Right now
Tulsa Scooters has agreed to sponsor me, as of yet I'm not quite sure what that means since I'll be riding my own scooter.
But I do know that they will be doing all
of the service work and any modifications before I go. A special thanks goes out to Sacha, David, Brad, and all the great folks at
Tulsa Scooters Genuine Scooters has not yet agreed to sponsor me in any way, though I did get a promising e-mail from Phil saying he'd "think about it."
First gear review...
The GPS ended up buying is the Garmin Mobile X 10 mainly because it integrates with my phone's bluetooth so I can use my smartphone for yet another function. I've decided on a RAM-mount to mount the gps onto the windshield's frame but have yet to purchase. The Garmin software works great for the scooter because you can choose to avoid highways and even busy streets, because it's connected to my web enabled phone it will give live traffic updates etc. I know live search and google maps does some similar functions but to avoid highways is a major plus for me.
The helmet I chose after much research on full-face helmets was the Scorpion EXO-700.
I had made the decision to buy the EXO-400 but they were sold out when I went to buy it so I spent the extra $30 to get the 700 and I'm still not sure what the difference is. I love this helmet either way, granted it is my first full-face helmet but it is comfortable, the face shield can be changed so easily a monkey could do it, they have all kinds of face shield options, I've tried to fog the ever-clear shield and I just can't do it (and as you can tell, I'm full of hot air), it looks like a cool space helmet, you can ride with the face shield up at highway speeds and it is still supposed to protect you face. So far I love it, and I haven't even needed to use it yet. update 3/24/08 believe it or not it was actually warm enough here, last Thursday and Friday, to open up the vents on my helmet, I opened them all up and was a little disappointed in the airflow that came through. When I tested the vents in the winter I could tell a big difference but I really couldn't tell much of one in the warm temps.
3/11/2008 part 2
Registration is open for anyone who wants to join the Cannonball Run 2008 Registration is fairly inexpensive as support is DIY this year. Apparently this is the first time they have not had support vehicles or Sag wagons are what we used to call them on long distance bicycle trips. This means planning is essential for every rider, but especially those who will ride a vintage bike (god bless 'em). Spare parts, oil, tools will have to be carried along the road, and/or stops at scooter shops will have to be planned for very carefully along the way. This is one reason I have chosen to keep the scooter completely stock, I want to avoid as many unforeseen obstacles as possible. Obviously everyone will have to do at least an oil change or two no matter what type of scooter they are riding. I will try to plan for these but after so many miles or when that oil starts getting dark I'll have no choice but to change it even if it's a late night. Right now I'm relying heavily on the newness of the scoot, and AAA. But some riders in the cannonball may put money together to fund a support vehicle and person, but that is still up in the air.
3/12/2008
The gear that I'm trying to research now is storage such as saddlebags and topcases etc. and auxiliary gas tanks.
I actually have been sewing some saddlebags together, I asked for a sewing machine for Christmas just so I could make up some scooter gear. Now after approx. 90% completion I am having second thoughts and thinking about mounting some hard cases on the sides instead of baggage of any kind. I guess I should at least finish the bags and give them a shot, but I really like the idea of being able to lock everything up in hard, waterproof containers, which is why I originally wanted a hard top-case but I think that space on the rear rack will be reserved for a
second gas tank.
I thought I had my heart set on the right
auxiliary gas tank called the
tour tank it's affordable and they come in a smaller 1 and 2.5 gallon size (which is all I need). I've been warned to stay away from the metal tanks simply to avoid anymore sparks flying than I'll already have if there is a crash, but that is what the majority of
auxiliary tanks seem to be made of. Plastic leaves me with a few options I could just get a one gallon plastic gas can and strap it to the floor or something which is what many riders have done in the past. I have come across a couple of plastic
auxiliary tanks made for either dirt bikes or for
atvs that may work well, they are ported with a 1/4"
npt end at the top. I'm probably gonna try to do a gravity feed or even simpler still I could put a hose with a shut-off valve and not even connect it to the tank but instead just use it to fill the
under seat tank when it gets empty. I'm talking with the guys at
Tulsa scooters and trying to do any research that I can on the
interweb.
3/17/2008
Happy St. Patty's day! Not a lot has progressed so far; I finally contacted the charity that I am riding the ride for to let them know about it. I figure that might be a good idea.
I believe I have made the decision to purchase the tourtank, I've talked to a few owners of the tank that have ridden them long distances from a ruckus rider to a vintage small frame and it has gotten a lot of endorsements. I e-mailed tourtanks with some questions about their product and they have yet to contact me.
Gear Review
The Fieldsheer Moto Morph jacket is an all season jacket that I got in December, and it has proved to be a great purchase. The jacket is very well made with lots of attention paid to details. The best part about it is it's the only jacket you'll ever have to buy. The core of the jacket is mesh with tons of ventilation and pockets great for hot weather riding. For Spring and Fall the mesh jacket comes with a waterproof fleece lined liner that zips easily into the jacket, or you can put a waterproof outer layer onto the mesh jacket to prevent wind from coming through. For cold weather riding you can combine all three layers to make a very warm and comfortable jacket. All in all I am impressed with the jacket, and as I buy other gear I will look at the Fieldsheer brand.
3/20/2008Well, I took a test ride today to see how I could withstand a couple hundred miles in the saddle. I just got back and I thought I'd tell you a little about it. I took a ride to my family's lake cabin and back, it was a great ride through lots of curvy, hilly
back roads. According to
google maps my route was 103 miles one way, but I did have a couple of detours on the part of the route
I'd never driven before.
On the way to the cabin I did fairly well, even fighting a fierce 20mph wind, I got down there in just over two hours. I stopped once for gas and was able to put 1.36 gallons in the tank. I would guess I was cruising at an average of 50-55mph. You would think that with the new
gps I could give more exact information, but to be honest I haven't really figured out all the nuances of pairing it with my new tilt phone. The
gps did help me out a few times, when I would get turned around I would pull my phone from the glove
compartment and consult it. But every time the phone turned off to save batteries it stopped recording any information. At one point on a good downhill stretch I hit an indicated 79mph, but the max speed on my
gps say 59.8mph. I know the speedometer is off but surely not by more than 20%.
The ride back
seemed at first like it would be so much faster because I had the wind to my back. For the first 20-30 minutes I probably had a cruising average of 65+mph, then I had to turn heading west. The wind had apparently picked up substantially from earlier in the day (the nation weather service reported gusts of 36mph) and it was moving around the road at it's will. My
knuckles were probably white under my gloves, as I couldn't release the death grip that I had on the handlebars for several miles. That kind of wind speed just makes your whole body tense from riding in it. I was constantly riding with my body leaning 10-15 degrees into the wind, and I noticed for the first time that the wind hitting the side of your full face helmet can really move your head around. My wrist was really starting to hurt and as I drove into Muskogee I rode right by a
Lowe's I stopped and bought a rubber o-ring to create a make-shift cruise control which helped out tremendously. The other problem I had on the return trip was the pain in my back. I used a dry bag stuffed with rain gear as a makeshift back rest and it gave some relief but I still need to figure out something a little taller to support more of my back.
I'm also looking for a good seat pad now perhaps lambs skin or something.
All in all the ride made me feel much better about riding long days on the 125cc scooter. While it was a long ride it was nothing quite like the ten days of long trips that I'm awaiting in September.
If you have any input on my gear questions please drop me an e-mail at
robonz@yahoo.comMore Content to follow
