TAT bike prep

[turtlemoye]

I'll be doing the TAT in a few weeks and am looking for advice on prepping my bike. So far I have just over 17K miles with zero issues. I've done the pod mod and drilled the swing arm but that's about it. I'll be replacing the chain and sprockets, putting on new brake pads, and installing a power outlet. Once in OR I plan to ride back to NC on 95% pavement, so around 4K miles of dirt and about 4k of street.

I figured I'll stick to the same size rear sprocket and drop down to a 14-15 in the front. Hoping this will make 2nd more usable especially in the rougher sections but I'll also be taking a 16 with me for the mostly road route back.

Tires. I figure I have 2 options: A) ride the K-60's I have on now (maybe 4K on the rear) to CO, put on a set of knobbies, ride those to OR and swap back to a new set of K-60's or something more road biased for the trip home. I'd kinda hate changing 2x on the trip though.
B) Putting on a new rear K60 here and trying to make it all the way there and back. So far I've been really impressed with the mud performance but have yet to ride it in deep sand. Anyone ridden a K60 (without the center strip) on the TAT before?

Any other suggestions or mods you feel like I should do before leaving? While I don't plan to ride after dark things do happen. Should I consider swapping the bulb in the headlight or possibly adding LED auxiliary lights.

 

[Motosportz]

Nothing to add other than take a lot of pics and update us often please.

 

[rook]

Very timely post! I've lurked here since just before I bought my Terra last December. I'm leaving for the TAT in mid July from Winston-Salem. Small world...

My hit list has been as follows:

• AX-FIED (My bike needed it, huge difference, no stumble)
• Oil change
• Valve Check
• Coolant Flush (probably zip-ty's but still debating)
• Chain
• Sprockets (I was looking at changing the gearing as well)
• Brake Pads Replacement
• Power Outlet(s)
• Spark Plugs Replacement
• Fork Oil Replacement

Already done by previous owner

• POD Mod
• Air Temp Thermistor MOD

Tires
I'm still trying to figure this out. The K60, TKC-80, and Mitas E07 or E09 seem to be popular but all the reading really hasn't left me with much of a consensus yet. It appears that most people don't go with a matching set but some combination . I'm interested to know what others would run if they were riding the TAT with a TR.

 

[MotocycleWriter]

What are you using for luggage?

 

[turtlemoye]

I've got the factory Husky (Givi) hard bags and racks but I use these for soft bags. They are water resistant but I also use dry stuff sacks that I already owned with them. For only $20 a pair I just ordered another set. http://www.petandhorse.com/versa-packs-tm-back-pack-saddle-bag-model-vp-100-clearance-item

I also use these bags from Twisted Throttle mounted to my Nomadic rear rack: http://www.twistedthrottle.com/drys...g-modular-packing-system-in-black-grey-orange

 

[JonDirt]

How fun! Riding solo?

The bike itself should be fine. I assume you have a bash plate and handguards?

A tire change to knobbies before Colorado and again at Oregon sounds about right. You are unlikely to get away with 1x change IMHO, but it does depend on your riding style and how comfortable you are riding on slicks... My riding buddy Sam and I went through two sets of D606's from San Francisco to Colorado on the TAT, coming back by motorway. We did add a detour to Salt Lake City, though. A lot of the TAT is gravel and you could be on just about any tire, but there are sections of sand and a few more technical bits, mostly in Colorado, Utah and Nevada. And then there's the rain/washouts. Best to be prepared for the worst. No regrets on the D606.

I'd suggest rim locks and double-thickness inner tubes. I didn't do that and sheared my inner tube valve, and had to change the tube on the trail, which Sam found highly amusing (he had Bridgestone ULTRA Heavy Duty tubes and rim locks, and no issues).

Moab has a lot of dust. If you have a rider in front, that all ends up in your air filter. Probably carry a spare air filter... Actually its a good plan to call ahead to a garage - many will agree to let you ship parts to them that they will hold it for you - we did this. Good to have the right oil, filters, air filter, tires etc waiting at a refresher/pit stop midway. Worked well.

LED aux lights are really a good idea. As you say, things do happen. On the TAT we ended up night-riding twice in order to find a good camping spot. I've also had my headlight bulb burn out while riding at night. I did carry a spare, but I was very relieved to have LED lights.

The rest is down to pack and gear. The TAT has a lot of weather extremes. For the desert sections, we each had an Ortlieb 4L water bag that we strapped on. We were very happy to have those. We also went with vented/mesh jackets and then packed an evaporative cooling vest, an electric heated vest, and a waterproof layer - all saw loads of use. If you post some photos of your pack-out I'm sure you'll get plenty of feedback!

 

[JonDirt]

PS. If I were doing a full TAT, instead of motorwaying it home, I'd uShip the bike back from Oregon and take a flight. This would free up the itinerary to spend more days on the trail, adding a couple of dirt side trips in Colorado/Utah/Nevada, or a day sitting in a hot spring. Costwise, the difference may not be that much. It detracts a bit away from the "there-and-back-again" bravado, but the Western parts of the TAT are so worth it.

 

[Next]

I am incredibly jealous! The TAT is on my bucket list of rides. I did most of the TET last year and have been itching for another long ride ever since.

Do you have a PLB, SPOT, or Delorme? I think of them like I do a helmet--Hopefully you'll never need one, but if you do, it's pretty great to have one.
Keep it on your person, so that it's in reach if you need. it.

I know it would be a pain for you, but if you want all of us to be able to live vicariously through you, you might post a pack list.

You are planning to use the soft luggage only, right?

 

[JonDirt]

+1 on the PLB especially if riding solo.
Also +1 on the envy/vicarious living thing - right now I am very desk bound.

We took a Spot on the TAT. It kept losing the signal and after the trip Sam returned it. Disappointing. I have since purchased a McMurdo FastFind. I also think the Delorme is interesting - but I am not a big fan of plan-based systems.

On the gizmo front, I travel with a camera, gopro, phone, and iPad mini. One of the issues is keeping things charged. Right now I have a USB outlet on my bike, and then I carry this thing:

http://www.amazon.com/PowerGen-Multi-Purpose-Universal-Battery-Charger/dp/B004B8CAZA

It a single small gizmo that lets me charge camera/gopro batteries on the bike, and charge my phone at a wall outlet. I don't know why this one is "currently unavailable" - there are other clones of the same thing, but most of them don't have DC in, which is key.

What I've found is that this solution tends not to be vibration proof. I keep thinking something is charging away when its not. Next long trip I think I'll get something along these lines:

http://www.amazon.com/RAVPower-Portable-Capacity-Protection-Flashlight/dp/B00SH1SN6C

The main advantage is that it charges on 12V - so during the day you can direct charge up from the bike battery with a rugged connector. Then overnight or at lunch breaks use it to charge the camera/phone/tablet/gopro or whatever else. The jump-start is a bit of a gimmick, but maybe useful.

 

[turtlemoye]

I will be headed out solo but have also made contact with a few others who will be out on the trail about the same time. The plan is to have one of us wait for another (assuming we are only a day apart) as we get to the hard stuff in CO.

I have considered a Spot or similar but right now I'm leaning against it mostly just due to cost. I do realize that is extremely short sided compared to the consequences of not having one. I'll look into the McMurdo though and PLB again. One of the guys I'm supposed to meet up with in CO is carrying a Spot.

Defiantly going with HD tubes but not sure on the rim locks and will be carrying spare air & oil filters. I have a heated jacket linger but hadn't even considered taking it. Just planning on my Klim Latitude jacket & a vented jersey for those very hot days. I'd love to take a pair of vented enduro pants as well but due to space limitations I'll just take my Latitude pants.

I'm taking a 1 gal rotopax for extra gas and am also considering taking a 1 gal rotopax for water if I can figure out how to mount them to my outside of my racks. I don't want to stack them both if possible. Otherwise I'll have a 100oz camelbak, a 96oz water bag, and as many bottles as I can load up before hitting the very remote sections.

Next, yes, only using soft luggage.

Rook, small world indeed. Too bad we couldn't have timed it to leave together as we only live 20 mins apart. Check out my local DS/ADV group: http://www.meetup.com/NC-Piedmont-Triad-Dual-Sport-Adventure-Riders/members/?op=pending

I'll eventually post a pack pic and will try to do a blog or some type of regular updates. I have considered shipping back as well but my plan is to head down HWY 1 to Big Sur, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, and then on to see friends in Denver & Nashville. My daughter starts 5th grade on Aug 19th so I want to be back no later than the 12th which would be exactly 6 weeks. Realisticly I think I can do it in 5 (3 out, 2 back) but we'll see. If I'm running behind I might consider shipping it from Denver and grabbing a flight from there.

 

[JonDirt]

On rim locks - see http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=939391

During the daytime it can get blistering. I started out with a Rallye 3 suit. It was impossibly hot. My guess is the Klim will be too. A jersey is ok, but I wanted something with armor for the street sections. After a few days I broke down, sent the Rallye jacket home in the mail and bought a mesh jacket. I kept the Rallye pants and used the evaporation vest on hot days. It was SO much better.

On the other hand, the mountain passes drop to 5 c, roads will be clear but there will probably still be some snow on the ground, and when it rains the wind chill makes it pretty miserable. Then I put on the heated layer and the Gotex layer.... This is my riding buddy Sam Cuttriss on the TAT, July 15:

 

[DeLewis]

Hi guys,

Sounds like a great trip planned!

Two recommendations. First if you've done the PodMod then using Glitch's pool filter sock as a prefilter trick is an excellent idea - especially for dusty conditions. You don't have to cut down the OEM filter cage at all - just stretch the pool filter sock soaked in filter oil over the cage and screw back on to the filter door. I just returned from a long dusty trip and took a couple of spare oiled prefilters which I swapped out during the trip - quick 5min job and much easier than accessing the pod filter:

http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/pottering-around.39580/page-2

Also, I'd consider bracing the tailguard as it is prone to breakage. Here's how I did it:

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=26646277#post26646277

Finally, I found a screen to be useful. I got mine from Aussie-based Screens for Bikes.

Happy riding!

 

[glitch_oz]

I'm interested to know what others would run if they were riding the TAT with a TR.

If only given the chance...I'd ride it on the bare rims

 

[turtlemoye]

Also, I'd consider bracing the tailguard as it is prone to breakage. Here's how I did it:

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=26646277#post26646277

I got just over 27k klm's (17K miles) on mine and beat the crap out of it (jumps when loaded, etc) and I've never heard of this being an issue. Still, it's really cheap insurance so I think I will copy your design.

I'm also a little unsure of the crank case breather issue that you made a filter for. Can you please explain this or point me to the appropriate link? I'm on ADVrider but that thread is a complete mess and I find it impossible to wade through.

 

[DeLewis]

Basically if you do the PodMod you will (most likely) remove the stock filter. Once you do this there is no longer any filtration in front of the crank case breather outlet which is plugs into the bottom of the airbox. To remedy this, some have installed a small pod filter in the same location. But in my opinion this is fiddly to install and requires the OEM filter cage to be modified/removed in order to replace the filter cover. The OEM filter cage is important because it allows you to install a prefilter (pool filter sock) which simply works brilliantly.

Bearing all that in mind, I found the simplest solution to be to remove the crank case breather hose where it plugs into the bottom of the airbox and install a filter directly to the end of the hose. The filter consists of a small small screw top soft plastic bottle (smaller than the bottle I originally chose as pictured in the link above) stuffed with filter oil soaked foam. It has a small hole drilled in the end to enable it to breath.

There was another unexpected advantage to this setup that I discovered on the trip when I overfilled the engine with oil. I had oil spewing out from the breather bottle which made a bit of a mess over the engine etc, but nothing that wasn't easily washed off with degreaser. But it would have been a lot messier and harder to clean up if I had an airbox full of oil.

I'll try and post some pics after work to demonstrate what I'm talking about.

 

[JonDirt]

Does the TR have a centerstand? If not this is a good $30 investment: http://www.endurostar.com. I've swapped wheelsets, changed tires, and lubed chains on my 610 and KLR with this little fella.

196oz of water plus some plastic bottles sounds plenty.

If you do change your mind on rim locks you could have them fitted and balanced when you put on the knobbies in Colorado.

Your daughter will be impressed when you turn up bow-legged after six weeks of riding. Very cool!

 

[turtlemoye]

No center stand and I agree the Endurostar is great. I've have one for 2 years now.

 

[4play]

The no pinch is a cool shop tool, I see no point in carrying one on a bike. You have to have spoons anyway to remove the tires, why carry more stuff to put them back on? If you do it correctly, spoons are easy.

 

[drzcharlie]

I have the European version of the no pinch. It is great but too bulky for a proper adventure ride.

 

[turtlemoye]

I have the European version of the no pinch. It is great but too bulky for a proper adventure ride.

I have the original version as well. Currently planning on taking it but it's on the short list to get the ax once I lay everything out. Considering the time of year the tires that I put on should be warm enough to go on pretty easily.