I've been hunting tigers... no, not this kind:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4782/40737954051_e9bbf06379_o.jpg)
This kind:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4788/40737953971_ac6fb4a078_o.jpg)
Finally found one in my price range so I'm flying to Arizona and riding home via Moab and a few other places. :)
Congrates. When you leaving?
Sounds fun!
Very cool! Riding Tigers home is fun. Hope you can take your time and enjoy the trip!
Ooooooooooh....... SO jealous it makes me hurt!
That is a fine ride. I think I'll be adding to the DDSR Tiger litter in the next year.
Wacked
Me too. Very jealous.
Love me some Tiger
Quote from: Bogus Jim on May 08, 2014, 08:03:40 PM
I've been hunting tigers...
Finally found one in my price range so I'm flying to Arizona and riding home via Moab and a few other places. :)
Nice.. good time to go south for a ride!
so maybe a few weekend trips to the Bighorns this summer Jim? I've been wanting to do some exploring over there.
Quote from: Lonesome Dave
When you leaving?
Wanted to fly out today but something came up at work so probably next weekend?
Quote from: Fletch
so maybe a few weekend trips to the Bighorns this summer Jim? I've been wanting to do some exploring over there.
Sounds good. I know you also want to do some exploring on the Morrison Jeep Trail. ;D Not sure I'd take the Tiger up that but it's tempting to ride the WRR over there and get some video of the 1190 in action. There is something funny about taking big bikes where people say you can't go.
Quote from: Bogus Jim on May 09, 2014, 10:49:36 AM
Quote from: Lonesome Dave
When you leaving?
Wanted to fly out today but something came up at work so probably next weekend?
Quote from: Fletch
so maybe a few weekend trips to the Bighorns this summer Jim? I've been wanting to do some exploring over there.
Sounds good. I know you also want to do some exploring on the Morrison Jeep Trail. ;D Not sure I'd take the Tiger up that but it's tempting to ride the WRR over there and get some video of the 1190 in action. There is something funny about taking big bikes where people say you can't go.
as always I'm prepared to fail, or chicken out before that point.
Nice bike Jim.
I've never done a fly and ride. It seems like a fun thing to do. Let us know how it goes.
I see a bit of humor in the picture, a Triumph parked very conspicuously in front of a Victory sign.
I think a big bike gettaway ride in in order at some time. That would be fun.
Quote from: greatbuffalo
I think a big bike gettaway ride in in order at some time. That would be fun.
I wouldn't mind riding the TSDAT again, hopefully when it is not pouring rain. Seems like we could start from Mitchell and squeeze it into a 3 or 4-day weekend.
It would be pretty cool if we could get a few more players to ride the Adventure trail before the rally this spring. Tom, Hipster, and I are gonna make plans to do that before the rally. I think we will leave Rapid/Hill City area on Monday so we can be done on Thursday at Fish N Fry.
Is anyone else interested in doing this?
Well the Tiger is in my garage now. I don't think WRR is very happy about it, she's leaning towards the KTM, trying to avoid the Tiger.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4782/40737953901_76960b761e_o.jpg)
I picked up the bike from the Victory dealer in Mesa AZ. They took it in on a trade; the bike was immaculate and judging by the non-blemished skid plate, I'm not sure it had ever been off road or even on gravel. My brother met me at the dealer on his KLR, and we headed northeast via some backroads. Soon the bike was completely covered in Arizona dust and the washboarded roads tested the suspension a bit. The suspension did OK I thought, but the Shinko 705's would easily washout in sand and loose gravel so I didn't push it too hard.
We stopped in Young AZ at the Antler Cafe and Bar to eat supper. Really exceptional food, probably the best food I've ever had at the end of a dirt road. The ADV crowd in Arizona raves about this place and it's well deserved. The chef there knows what he's doing and has put together an excellent menu.
Next morning, the Tiger had trouble starting... we figured out pretty quickly that the bike was running OK, it just wouldn't idle. Died immediately if you let the throttle close. We'd been riding in pretty dusty conditions and my brother thought this sounded like the stepper motor issue that's been discussed on the ADV Tiger threads, so we sprayed some WD-40 on the motor shaft and linkage (stepper motor controls the idle on this bike), cycled the key a couple times and that solved the issue (for now).
Little brother looking for WD-40 in his top case.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4790/26866761038_2bf9856b49_o.jpg)
My brother had to be back at work so we parted ways at this point; he headed home and I headed to Moab. I had planned a dirt route to Moab, but he advised me it probably wasn't possible or advisable to ride across the reservation so I took highway 191. Moab was quite crowded, understandable for a Saturday in May I guess. There was an hour wait at the Moab Brewery so I ate at a place called Blue Pig or Blue Hog, something like that. Had the pulled pork and have to say, it was not as good as the pulled pork that gerry1eye serves at the DDSR rallies.
My camera battery died and I forgot to bring the charger so unfortunately, no pictures after AZ.
I hit a couple big bike trails in Moab... the stepper motor issue was surfacing again on dusty trails so that took some of the fun out of it. Would've like to stay longer in Moab but had to be home in a couple of days. So, headed to Grand Junction and then up the west side of Colorado on 139, over Douglas pass. Excellent motorcycle road. Wasted about 2 hours and 100 miles, trying to find a road from Dinosaur National Monument to Flaming Gorge, but eventually found something that worked. Meandered around the south end of Flaming Gorge (beautiful) and then up the west side... that section of the road got a little boring.
I hadn't been to Jackson in years so decided to stay there for the night. 700 miles, about 100 of that was gravel... I was tired. Went out and had a $40 steak at one of the many restaurants in Jackson. The steak was good but I'm not sure if it was twice as good as a $20 steak? Plus the receptionist looked at me like I was lower class... maybe it was my grungy riding clothes.
Wanted to leave early next morning... it was 36 degrees in Jackson (6,200 ft) and I was headed over a pass that crossed the Continental Divide at 9,500 feet. Probably my dumbest decision of the trip. Holy frozen lizards, IT WAS COLD going over the pass. 6-7 feet of snow in the ditches, the road was plowed or never would've made it. Stopped to warm up in Riverton for an hour, drinking coffee. Was planning to ride home via Bighorns but decided I'd had enough of mountain passes so detoured down to Casper and then home via Lusk and Edgemont. Finished with about 2,100 miles in 3 1/2 days.
So... my impressions on the Tiger 800. It doesn't have the acceleration to hang with a liter bike. That shouldn't surprise anyone. But it has a boatload of torque throughout the entire rev range... usable torque even at idle, and starts pulling really hard at 2,500 rpm. No vibration from idle to redline. The flat torque curve means you can dispense with shifting gears if you're lazy... just leave it in 6th for the two lane and leave it in 2nd / 3rd for easy trails. A really nice powerplant I think, for a middle-weight adventure bike.
The stock suspension is probably going to be good enough for 85% of my riding... the other 15%, I'm not sure about yet, but I need to get better tires on before pushing it much harder in the dirt. Suspension is better than I expected, happy with that.
The transmission shifts really smooth... much like my WRR. Triumph could've done a better job on the gear ratios... first is a bit tall (even for big bike) and 6th could've been taller. 70 mph shows about 5,000 rpm but this motor could easily pull that speed at 4,500 or 4,000 rpm. And first gear shows 15 mph @ 2,000 rpm... you can slow it down to 9-10 mph but at that speed, any obstacle will stall the bike so you've got to slip the clutch.
I really enjoyed the ride home. The Tiger doesn't seem to have any bad handling characteristics, on bumpy twisty pavement, or on trails. Not sure if this will be a long-term relationship but I know for the next year at least, I will enjoy riding the Tiger 800 XC.
I suppose I should have looked down a bit before asking that question on how the ride went on the other thread. Some just like I thought it would be. The Idle problem is interesting. Have you looked into any further?
Sounds like a great ride home! I set the valves on Caras 800 this winter (it was a bit of a PITA, 8 of 12 were out) and while I was in there I cleaned and lubed the stepper screw with Teflon. No issues yet.
I completely agree with your review of the bike too. My only bitch after my ride home was the gear ratios.
Sent from my Pocket Altair 8800
A new bike is always nice. A bit of a trip on a new bike is always nicer.
Congratulations Jim!
I should add that the gear ratios (in my opinion) are far from terrible too. But it is one of the few areas where the bike is less than perfect. I really think I like the 800 just a little bit better than the 1200.. Maybe.
Sent from my Pocket Altair 8800
Quote from: greatbuffalo on May 23, 2014, 10:04:49 PM
The Idle problem is interesting. Have you looked into any further?
The bike has been idling OK since leaving Moab. The solution according to ADV is to disassemble / clean the linkage and lubricate with Never Seez (copper grease), or some guys just blow the area clean and use Teflon spray lube.
I also noticed the bike doesn't have an oil + foam pre-filter installed, so I'm going to add one of those. Paper filters are not ideal for off highway riding.
Well I put a Madstad windshield on after work today. Jumped on the interstate and did a run to New Underwood and back. Doing about 85-90 mph on the way back to Rapid, with a 20 mph headwind, trying to beat the thunderstorm (I didn't make it, oh well).
Pretty major difference from the 21" Givi windshield that was on the bike when I bought it. The wind noise with the Givi was deafening @ 85 mph w/ 20 mph headwind; with the Madstad it's tolerable. I'll play with the height / angle adjustment a bit more and see if I can improve things further but I'm pretty happy based on my first ride.
Almost done with the farkling, still need to get my heated grips on for those cold mornings in the fall / spring.
I think the Madstad is the best mod I've ever bought. I have mine set with about a 1" gap and set about nose level. Unless I have a 30+ mph quartering headwind or straight headwind, I almost never close my visor, even at interstate speeds. At 60-70 mph under "normal" wind conditions, its just dead calm and quiet in the pocket. The stock shield was pretty bad.
I've found that windscreens aren't a one fits all scenario. The screen that works for some, don't for others. I love the Vario with the adjustable lip on my Tiger but others I've read, hate them. I have heard great things about the Madstad screen from more than a majority that mount them. I think it works well for many because of the adjustability.
Quote from: greatbuffaloI have heard great things about the Madstad screen from more than a majority that mount them. I think it works well for many because of the adjustability.
The adjustability is probably part of it, but I think the airflow underneath the windshield is what reduces the turbulence. Some people cut holes or put NACA ducts in the bottom of the windshield to try and achieve the same effect.
Seemed like it was raining off and on all day today, so I did a few maintenance items on the bike. First up was checking the paper air filter. Oil changes are dead simple (5 minutes, really) on this bike, but getting to the air filter requires removing quite a few body panels and the gas tank. Nothing too difficult, just lots and lots of bolts to undo.
Here's the filter... kinda dirty but not totally plugged. Most of this is probably Arizona dust from the ride home.
(http://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx177/photoquark/Miscellaneous/Miscellaneous%202/P1000282_zps31403565.jpg) (http://s753.photobucket.com/user/photoquark/media/Miscellaneous/Miscellaneous%202/P1000282_zps31403565.jpg.html)
I didn't have a new one on hand, so just blew it off with the air hose and put it back in for now. Need to order a couple.
I added a Unifilter - basically a foam + oil prefilter that replaces the snorkel that attaches to the air box. Supposedly this can be removed and cleaned without opening up the airbox or removing the gas tank. I'll find out soon enough how easy it is to remove and clean, but getting it fitted was difficult because the ABS modulator is in the way.
I added a Triumph center stand. Now the bike is 5 lbs. heavier, but I think it'll come in handy when I have to fix a flat.
Removed the charcoal evap canister, and the solenoid that cycles the fumes back to the intake. I was worried that unplugging the solenoid might throw a check engine code, but the guys on ADV say the ECU doesn't care. There's a hose running up to the throttle bodies that needed to be plugged, I used a small bolt and a zip tie.
The kick stand switch on this bike is just begging to be smashed by a rock... it's sitting right in front of the kick stand mount. I wanted to remove this, but for the life of me I couldn't figure out how to unplug the connector. The wires need to be a closed circuit, I was hoping to build a connector that was shorted and just plug that in to avoid cutting and soldering the factory wiring. So... put the switch back on. I'll have to think about this one.
Finally, took a look at the infamous stepper motor that controls the idle speed. The mechanism is a lot easier to see with the air box removed, and I understand how it works now. I think applying any type of grease here is just going to attract more dust and make the issue worse... so I just cleaned up the linkage and stepper screw, and sprayed some teflon lube on the screw. I doubt that's a permanent solution, perhaps some type of foam or rubber dust shield could be fabricated, but it might be tricky designing something that doesn't accidentally jam the throttle linkage.
Didn't get the heated grips on, maybe I'll do that tomorrow.
Thanks for the update. This info helps when making a decision on the next bike.
I'm planning to leave next weekend for a 2 week trip, so wanted to do a few updates to make the Tiger a little more dirt-worthy and get it ready for the trip.
I revisited the kickstand kill switch. In the photo below, you can see the mounting position, between the foot peg and the shift lever. Just begging to be smashed by a rock that flies up. What was Triumph thinking? I believe they changed the mounting in 2013, but I haven't looked at a 2013+ model to see what they did.
I did figure out how to unplug the switch harness, but after studying the switch I realized all you have to do is unbolt it and secure it somewhere out of the way. That's simpler than removing it and either cutting the wiring harness, or making a closed-circuit plug for the harness. You can see the zip tie in the upper left of the photo; I just fastened the switch to the crash bar lower mount.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4776/40024098154_585258a041_o.jpg)
Next I wanted to balance the throttle bodies, install a new air filter, and take another look at the stepper motor that controls the idle (known issue with 800 XC's). To balance the throttle bodies on this bike, you buy a software program (DealerTool) and plug your laptop into the bike's wiring harness... no vacuum gauges needed. DealerTool runs only on Windows... I've never had a Windows laptop but I used Bootcamp to install Windows XP on my MacBook and that worked OK with DealerTool. The throttle bodies were a bit out of balance, a few tweaks with a screwdriver and that was corrected.
Here's a view of the throttle bodies and the stepper motor (lower right) that controls the idle speed. I don't think there's a consensus on how to permanently "fix" the stepper issue, but for now I'm going to stick with cleaning the screw and linkage, and lube with teflon spray.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4780/38924041160_e7eeaac437_o.jpg)
A closer shot of the stepper motor linkage. To the upper left of the nut / bolt with yellow paint is the rocker linkage that the stepper uses to adjust the idle speed. Since cleaning this linkage the first time, I've only had a problem idling once or twice, and cycling the key took care of the problem.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4800/38924041000_cba64b797a_o.jpg)
Nice clean airbox... that's good to see because it means the air filter and pre-filter are doing their job.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4778/38924040650_10fe99f54d_o.jpg)
The red foam thing in this photo is the Unifilter pre-filter... it's an oil / foam filter so it tends to make the surrounding area pretty dirty, but at least it keeps most of the dirt from entering the paper filter and plugging that up.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4784/38924040820_760180c0e3_o.jpg)
The first time I removed the air filter, I actually removed more bolts than I needed to... Doh! After doing it the second time, it's probably only a 15-20 minute job to remove the body panels, gas tank, and air filter. Here's a photo of all the fasteners that need to be removed... I count 36 bolts / screws here... quite a difference from my WRR and KTM 2-stroke.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4790/38924041360_6a33843f53_o.jpg)
I put on a new set of sprockets and chain. I had a really hard time getting the master link plate on... it was definitely a press fit. Ended up using a small C-clamp. It's a 525 chain, but not sure why the plate would be so much tighter than the 520's on my other bikes.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4794/40024098574_f53771dd3f_o.jpg)
When I first rode this bike down in Arizona, there was a terrible clanking noise coming from the chain area when I rode across washboard. I thought the bike was falling apart. It turns out, this noise is due to the chain slapping against the lower chain guide on the swing arm. A guy on ADV rider said that placing a piece of weather stripping foam between the swing arm and the lower chain guide would fix the noise... I was skeptical but I tried it and that does eliminate 90% of the noise. In this photo you can barely see a white line between the lower chain guide and the swingarm... that's the weather stripping foam.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4776/40024098694_a4d1b4aac6_o.jpg)
After riding on some muddy trails, I noticed the radiator and rear shock were both getting pretty plugged up with mud. I installed a Triumph mud guard extension on the front fender, and a Acerbis mud flap on the rear swing arm.
The front mud guard installed with some strange plastic pop rivets. I've never seen these before but they seem to be pretty secure.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4797/40024098384_91d2e0839e_o.jpg)
Here's the rear mud guard. This is just a generic Acerbis item; it's a little too narrow for a 150/70 tire but it should keep 80% of the mud from piling up on the swingarm and rear shock.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4793/39839250895_3890869af5_o.jpg)
I installed a set of Fastway footpegs. I have these on my WRR and KTM as well; I like them because they lower the footpegs about 1/2", nice if you're tall. These are a little bit wider than the standard Fastway pegs. I'm not going to say how much they cost, in order to avoid horrendous ridicule by the KLR owners.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4775/38924039520_4de0051d3f_o.jpg)
Also installed a folding shift lever. The stock shift lever does not fold and I'm sure the first tip over on the left side would bend it like a pretzel. This is a Touratech unit... I think it sticks out a little too far, but it's better than the stock fixed unit.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4791/39839250995_ec6d7c8dea_o.jpg)
I wanted to install a set of heated grips. I got a set of Oxford Heaterz at Bike Bandit for $49. They seem to be a quality item but the amount of extra length in the wiring is ridiculous. They must think the average modern motorcycle is 17 feet long... but better too long than too short I guess. Luckily the Tiger has space under the gas tank to store the extra wiring. I looped it and put a few zip ties on the wiring.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4785/40024095664_0497ed457a_o.jpg)
Triumph makes heated grips for the Tiger, but they're $250... I decided to go with the Heaterz, and the Eastern Beaver kit ($25) that lets you plug after market heated grips into the factory wiring harness.
Most people mount the heated grips controller on the handlebar but I didn't want to clutter up the bar, so I mounted it just beneath the instrument cluster.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4777/38924040060_b1416fbb3c_o.jpg)
Here's a close up of the controller. It uses PWM (pulse width modulation) instead of a resistor, to control the current and grip temperature.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4794/38924039900_414291ab6b_o.jpg)
Next was power for my GPS. The Tiger has a powerlet right next to the key. I decided to tap into that circuit, and leave the powerlet open for other uses, maybe a heated vest. I used a couple of the Posi-tap connectors to connect the wires... I've never used these before, I'm not sure if they will stand up as well as a soldered / heat-shrinked connection, but we'll see.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4779/38924040490_40c7cc5008_o.jpg)
For plugging the GPS into the bike, I use these SAE connectors. If you wire one of these to your bike, make sure the exposed terminal is ground, that way if it touches metal it won't blow the fuse. I have the same connectors on my WRR and KTM, that makes it easy to use the GPS on all the bikes.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4782/38924039730_718f4c5f1f_o.jpg)
I bought this LED light for camping... the elastic band mounts on your head, so the light follows where ever you're looking. More convenient than a flash light, I think. It also works really well in the shop. I use it all the time when I'm working on my bikes.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4787/38924040320_7296c10345_o.jpg)
Also recently bought this automatic wire stripper... wow, should've bought one of these 10 years ago. Makes wiring jobs so much easier. There are a lot of these out there, from cheap to expensive. This one is only about $17, it gets good reviews and has worked well for me so far... but the real clincher was the "GB" initials on the handle. "GB" stands for GreatBuffalo... our own wacky DDSR member from Mitchell. It also has a wire cutter and crimper, but I would use other tools for those functions... the cutter and crimper don't work as well as the stripper.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4782/38924040150_7b7e7146a8_o.jpg)
Here's the Amazon link if you want to buy one.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004WLL0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004WLL0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
Tomorrow I'm going to put on these bad boys. The rear is 6.5" wide! 150/70 knobbies are pretty wide compared to what I run on my 250's. The Shinko 705 has about 5,000 miles on it... I think it would go another 1,500 but it wouldn't last for the trip.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4777/40024098274_7c7c175e1c_o.jpg)
Also want to put some Paint Protection Film on the gas tank, so my tank bag doesn't wear off the paint. I've never used this 3M product so it will be a learning experience. This seems like a pretty good tutorial on YouTube.
Bogus, just so you know.............. I invented that tool.
I put that 3M paint protector on my Tiger after my kid painted it. It worked well for the season. A few things to remember:
- It self levels Quite well so if you get a lump that looks milky, leave it. it will settle out and clear in time.
- Pull the tape off your edges long before it starts to set up. Makes sure you use the tape to create a hard edge, otherwise you will srtuggle to get it off when its time to redo it.
- The product is designed to spray straight down on a relatively horizontal surface. It does sag on a vertical surface. I did mine with my tank on a table and was able to tip it some to prevent too much sag. That is the biggest learning curve there is.
- Let it set over night. Avoid the urge to touch it.
Those electrical connectors you used, i've not used them either. All the hard care ADVer's swear by them in their kit.
That kick stand switch shows that engineers take a nap from time to time or think that sometimes, good enough is enough.
Could you have cut that heated grip line down. I guess being pulse width mod you don't have to worry about resistance.
I put Fenda Extendaz On my Tiger right after I bought it. They had gone out of production for my bike but there was a guy on ADV that had a set of unused ones. They came with an epoxy to puit them on and I didn't trust it but did it anyway, Lesson learned. It came off on the road but I saw it happen so I picked it up and remounted it with Aluminum rivets and have had no issues since. I have one on the back as well. Goes a long way in keeping things free of debris.
Lastly, with that software, can you change mapping as well?
Have a great trip.
Quote from: greatbuffaloLastly, with that software, can you change mapping as well?
You can change the mapping, bleed the ABS system, reset the service indicator on the dash, and a couple other things. There is a freeware program (TuneECU) that lets you change mapping but it won't do most of the other things that DealerTool does.
The 3M paint protection that I applied is a clear film. I didn't realize there is a spray-on product as well. The clear film works pretty well but if you apply it to a surface with compound curves, be prepared to spend a LOT of time getting the wrinkles out.
Here's a shot after I applied the paint protection. Most of the gas tank is covered now with the film, although you can't really see it in this photo. I guess that's kind of the point. The hardest part of applying the film is getting the bubbles out.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4786/40024097454_82207260b2_o.jpg)
I bought a Giant Loop tank bag for the Tiger. You can unzip one side, and flip the bag up to access the fuel filler. The bag also has a waterproof port so you can run a USB cable inside the bag and charge things while riding.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4771/40024097184_c4cc9071a3_o.jpg)
I added this Triumph sticker to the windshield (bit out of focus in this pic), and covered it with some of the 3M clear film to protect it from bugs. Now all the Harley riders will know what kind of bike it is.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4779/40024097864_23efb83b6a_o.jpg)
Swapped the front tire for a knobby. Then took the rear tire off to change it, and noticed this strange defect on the tube. Looks like the tube was folded over or something. Hmm, I don't think I want to reuse that, hope someone in Rapid CIty carries 150/70 tubes. The rear rim on the Tiger has a safety bead... so it's really hard to break the bead. Managed to do it with the 2 tire irons that I carry, but it took a good 15 minutes of working around the rim.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4771/40024098014_cbed4447c3_o.jpg)
Still need to get the rear tire on, change oil, and get packed.
Looking good. Where are you off to?
I have dealertool too.. works good. I also use tuneecu on the 690.
Quote from: Hank on August 17, 2014, 08:55:05 PM
Where are you off to?
Planning to do a loop of WY, CO, UT, NV, ID, MT. I saw this trip report on ADV a couple years ago and put it on my list.
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=647968 (http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=647968)
Did I see you yesterday between Rapid and Hill City?
Nope, was working on the bike all day yesterday.
Quote from: Bogus Jim on August 18, 2014, 09:00:19 AM
Nope, was working on the bike all day yesterday.
didn't know what the new bike looked like until these pics, met one yesterday. Should have know it wasn't you as you would have chased me down...
Hey Jim I reconize alot of the RR on this trip from a little stroll that Dale Gerry Wacked Greatbuffalo and Lonesome Dave and I took in July some body might have pics at Deerfield lake
I too looked at that RR with much interest when it was done. Would like to do it sometime. There are several others I'd like to do; a Lewis and Clark trail, a Mississippi River trip, Trail of Tears route and lastly the Custer Expedition route. I've been working on tracks for that one on and off for the last couple of years. Maybe I'll get it done by next summer. After completing the rest of the DAKAL, I'll do it as my next big ride in SD.
There are other trips out there as well, railroad routes, Pony Express routes and the outlaw trails. Would be worth putting some of these into my bucket.
Lots of history out there to connect with, what better way to do it, but on a bike.
Quote from: NDave on August 18, 2014, 12:11:50 PM
Hey Jim I reconize alot of the RR on this trip from a little stroll that Dale Gerry Wacked Greatbuffalo and Lonesome Dave and I took in July
You're right Dave, this loop follows the CDT for a while. Parts of MT and WY, I think. I heard somebody got lost on your CDT trip and ran out of gas because they didn't have a GPS? What was that all about?
Powersports did not have a 150/70 tube but Rice did. So I got the Kenda Big Blocks mounted tonight. I was a little worried about mounting the rear... someone on the Tiger thread said the Big Block was the hardest tire he's ever mounted and he's not going to run it anymore because he doesn't think he could fix a flat on the trail. I have to admit, it has a VERY stiff sidewall... I think you could run it flat if you kept the speed under 15-20 mph, although that would destroy the tube. I was able to get the tire on with a little Windex and two irons, but because the bead is so hard to break I am wondering whether I should try a tubeless conversion on the rear. Fixing a tube flat on this bike won't be fun.
Jim, Keep us informed with the "Big Block", I hear it has a recalibrated rubber, more mileage. Could be a good KLR tire...
Thanks, and sounds like you enjoy the bike!
I looked at those Big Blocks a couple years ago too but they were getting south of 3000 miles out of them then. I heard they changed compounds as well.
Well the bike is loaded and ready... leaving tomorrow afternoon.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4788/40024096974_b092abb990_o.jpg)
Here's the Kenda Big Block. Total mileage for the trip is 3,600, if my butt doesn't give out. I have a feeling this rear tire will be toast by the time I get back. I'll take another photo upon returning.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4801/40024096734_c2dea8d4fc_o.jpg)
Had a dream a couple nights ago that a bear was chasing me. Not a good sign, I try not to be too superstitious though.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4779/40024095744_f650ab426b_o.jpg)
This will be the longest off-pavement trip I have done. A little apprehensive but looking forward to riding new trails every day for 2 weeks. Here's the SPOT link if you want check in and see where I'm going.
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0ZGqfZyBB1lMlPNI9AyqFt0vbi5xh5f9I (http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0ZGqfZyBB1lMlPNI9AyqFt0vbi5xh5f9I)
I've been reading that trip report, that ride looks awesome. Some of those desolate areas, I don't blame you, I'd be apprehensive too. You be safe and come back in one piece. We need you to lead when you get back. :) And, keep that spot on, we'll be watching.
Well I've been watching Jim's progress and have text him a few times. Apparently he's not having the best of luck with the weather. He turned around at Rawlins early in the afternoon and later told me the rain was to bad. Now I see he's Utah and hasn't moved for a couple of days. I asked him if the Mormons may have got him! He said it was raining too much, way toooooo muddy. He said thinking about calling it quits. Haven't heard anything more. I don't think he has internet access to fill us in.
I wished him the best of luck........
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0ZGqfZyBB1lMlPNI9AyqFt0vbi5xh5f9I
I've been watching too. I think I'd find asphalt and say the hell with the trail until I found dry ground. Wishing him luck and dryer weather.
Well made it back to RC yesterday, a bit early. I rode a little over 2/3 of the 2,800 mile loop, but skipped the Utah section and Pinedale to Rawlins because of mud. It rained every single night except one night in Montana.
I got into some gumbo south of Dinosaur National Monument. The front fender plugged up with mud and locked the front wheel. It sucks picking up a 500 lb. bike + 40 lbs. of luggage in the mud! Took me almost an hour to turn around and get out of there and I was only 60 yards into the bad section. After that... Bogus says NO to gumbo.
It really is a beautiful route. I'd like to ride it again someday and complete the entire loop... and hopefully have better luck with the rain.
Here's a before and after shot of the Kenda Big Block. The tire has 2,900 miles on it. I think it could easily go another 1 or 2k miles. Not bad considering it's half the price of a TCK80. I don't think I'm going to run full knobbies all the time, but I was glad I had them on this trip.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4791/40024095874_25f60d358b_o.jpg)
The front fender cracked when it got plugged up with mud. Mud causing the fender to crack, or even break completely off, has been a problem on the Tiger 800's, so I reinforced the lower mounting point with a piece of flat aluminum. Of course, if you reinforce point A, then it just breaks at point B.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4788/40024096514_8beccf1ef3_o.jpg)
You might notice one of the bolts is too long in this photo... that's because the mounting bolts on both sides rattled out on a 40 mile section of bad washboard. I zip-tied and taped the fender on until I got to a hardware store, and the only 6mm bolts they had were too long.
Other than the front fender problem, the Tiger had no mechanical issues on the trip.
That tire didn't far too bad. I think better than I expected and seems to be in line with that of the TKC.
It looks like a high fender mod may be in order. I've often considered doing that to my big cat. Quite often when riding down gravel roads you can hear the rocks get picked up and squeezed between the tire and fender. some day it gonna be a bigger stone than what can easily fit in that space and broken fender may be the result.
Looks like a great ride, just wish you'd had better weather.
29k miles, time for new brake pads, front and rear. I decided to try EBC Double-H pads. They're slightly lower in cost than the OEM pads, but mainly I was looking for better performance.
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I did about 150 miles today to seat the new pads. So far I like them a lot better than stock... you need less lever / petal pressure to get the same amount of stopping force. They feel more like KTM brakes now. ;D
I suppose it's not fair to compare new EBC pads with old OEM pads w/ 29k miles. The real test would be comparing new EBC pads with new OEM pads but I don't want to go through all that monkey business.
Too bad the package was empty.
Sent from my TRS-80
Put a pair of Shinko 705's on last night. I've been running knobbies (2 sets of Big Blocks) for the last 9,000 miles, I'd forgotten how much they vibrate on the highway.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4796/38924036180_c99353c36d_o.jpg)
Also finally bought some of these reusable spoke weights. Should've done it a long time ago, it's a pain to remove the stick-on weights and get all the adhesive off the rim.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4783/38924036150_17ecef66a5_o.jpg)
Nice and smoooooth on the highway now.