Dave77459

Not to get too much credit, but if the wheels were both toed in or out, wouldn't it track straight but still wear fast? Dave

I guess I am willing to test the lower air pressure. Millions of miles is pretty good experience. The trailer is new (500 miles before the trip?) and was aligned when assembled. It is a pretty simple, fixed design... I reckon the tires are true. Maybe out of round.... I'll try the lower pressure and whatever someone wants to look at during the upcoming Houston MD. tx2sturgis, 20psi, you think when I pull the loaded trailer? 15 otherwise? It just seems like the rubber will fall off the wheels. The bearings were pretty darn cool, I must say. BEER30, I could feel and hear it bouncing. Otherwise, it tracked very well. I watched it in the mirror quite a lot. That passes for entertainment on those Oklahoma roads. I can well imagine the "airplane touchdown" effect. Not sure about the orange shag. Dave

By way of a bump, I'll mention what I might want to do at the MD. As I mentioned on my trailer thread, I have had severe wear on the trailer tires. I'll have to change them before my next trip, AND have all'y'all (maybe not ALL'y'all ) look to see if you can diagnose the vibration and wear (if it isn't figgered out by then). But is changing trailer tires do-able? I'd like to avoid buying new rims again, if possible. Oh yeah, and my rear bike tire. Possible? My E3 has lasted a nice long time, but I reckon I ought not push it on a 3K trip. I want to put on speed-bleeders. My clutch reservoir fluid is getting a brownish colour. It was fun watching it get darker as the trip went along. By "fun", I mean "worrisome". The last MD, someone had a super siphon... is it coming? I do have a Mighty-Vac that I can bring. If the rear tire change is too ambitious, please say so. I need to get that done before the trip, and I only have a week following MD to do it. I'll make other arrangements. I'll be bringing my lift adapter and DOT4. Dave

Thanks everyone for your ideas.... -and- I gather from Goose's post that he thinks the tires should not be wearing. But, Brian is thinking that the wear in the middle is indicative of too much air. I don't see much conflict. I'll reduce the pressure, so that the tire wears evenly across the tread. I guess I also have to look at the axle alignment? The bearings are freshly greased. I didn't mention it, but the trailer does not sway a bit when pulled. This trailer stuff is new and a learning experience. At least I am kinda learning how to back out of a parking spot without jack knifing! Dave

Thank you everyone for the suggestions. Lots of things to check! The original tires said max inflation was 60psi. Squidley and I inflated them to 25psi when he greased the axles. I thought my load was heavy, so I inflated them to 35psi before the trip. Wal*Mart did not have just the rubber, so I had to buy new rims as well. I left the old rims behind, because I didn't have room for two more tires. I went out just now and the left tire is at 45psi, and the right is at 50psi. These tires are also rated for max load at 60psi. When we originally assembled the trailer, Ponch was very careful to make sure the tongue was square to the axle. I can check again, but both tires are wearing the same. Does any of this change opinions, or does it confirm them? Dave

I recently posted another thread describing my 4424 mile ride to Michigan, towing my Harbor Freight trailer. Towing the trailer was largely a non-event. It felt very smooth behind me, and didn't impact me but for a couple hard stops where I felt the mass pushing me. The hubs always felt cool to the touch. I did have several issues that I would like resolved before my next trip in September. The first is a vibration. The contents of the trailer wore very fast. I had the shell of my wife's helmet wear off, exposing the inside. (I will replace it now) Our air mattress wore a hole; I guess it touched the very long bolts inside the trailer. (I need to cut them off, since they are probably jutting out a good half inch.) Drysacks look thin and worn. Pots and pans have shiny places, etc. The locks vibrated apart--twice! I had to replace them on the road. What causes vibration like that? Second, the tires were bald and showing cord by 2000 miles. (see photo) I had to replace them in the rain in Marquette. The Wal*Mart people wouldn't touch the trailer, but they did lend me tools to do the job efficiently. I was back on the road inside 45 minutes. Now, my new tires look almost the same. http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4142/4828385750_ce7696deed.jpg The guy at the Wal*Mart tried balancing the tires. They zeroed out despite the small size, but used 2.5oz on one tire, and 2.25oz on the other! I thought the out-of-balance caused the vibration, but that I still got vibration on the remainder of the ride. (Things inside got even more worn.) What causes this wear pattern? I was under inflated leaving home, and the guys at Wal*Mart made sure they were at manufacturer specs before they gave me the tires. Still, they are worn and I need new tires. I did pull at 70mph almost all the time. The last issue I blame on the Oklahoma construction. My license plate was almost literally torn off the trailer. The left corner was gone, including the bolt, and the right side was cracked and about to come off. I hit a "bump" at a bridge on a resurfacing project, and I think perhaps the trailer was severely tossed. Oh, and with the Wal*Mart inflation, the trailer bounced a lot. Any ideas? Should tires need replacing every 2000 miles?? Dave

It was epic, at least for me. 4424 miles in 9 calendars, 7 riding days, all of it towing a trailer. http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4114/4786266951_9ea6715e72.jpg I had been planning this trip for months, laying in supplies and gear. I intended it to be a trial to a shorter but more camping-oriented trip coming up in September. That one doesn't have as many fall-back options, so I wanted to shake the bugs out NOW. There were bugs, and please note that I will be posting a trailer-centric message in that forum, but in this post will just mention in passing the issues I had. My trip actually was to start a week-ago Friday (7/17). I wanted to get a jump on the trip, since I was flying my wife Jamie to Indianapolis to avoid the longest days. I had to be there in time to get her at the airport, so I left after work Thursday. I ran up to Shreveport to have dinner with a friend, then rode on the freeways to Jackson, MS. I wanted to avoid deer, so I took the major roads. After three hours sleep, I headed north. It was my first real night riding with the HID, and I have to say that I wasn't impressed. It just didn't seem that much brighter than my old Silverstar Ultra. I didn't see the doe feeding on the shoulder until she was lit by the passing lamps, for example. However, one fellow got pissed at me and tailgated me for a while with his high beams on. I guess it was plenty bright for him. LOL I was just considering braking and then tailgating him with the high beams when he slowed and turned off his brights. No harm, no foul. I completed an iron butt by 2PM, but didn't print the form nor have the receipts, so I let it go. Besides, I already have my certificate. I got to Indy around 4:30 and relaxed until her plane came in. I was so relaxed, that I forgot that there was a time zone difference! I took the hotel shuttle and got there just in time to collect her. The next day we traveled to Battle Creek, MI, where my family still lives. We had a short diversion to Ohio. LOL One thing I saw right away was the casinos. In Michigan?! Things change, I guess. Sunday was the family reunion—the reason for the trip—and an off day. I did a minor trailer repair (see other post) and we went to the reunion on the bike. It was nice family time. Monday we went to the Soo Locks in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Jamie had her first pastie in Mackinaw City, and it was delicious! The Mackinaw Bridge was scary to cross—the solid lane was closed for construction and we rode on the grating. I hate that stuff! At least it wasn't windy! The Soo wasn't busy, and we enjoyed watching a tour boat go through and I explained how the locks worked. Then we had an adult beverage before heading to the state park to camp. http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4101/4809470274_1644223e42.jpg http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4080/4810290320_741b8295b0.jpg It was our first night really camping with the bike. Our previous trial included a friend with a car, which carried supplemental stuff. This time we were on our own. The Powerlets I'd installed on Roxie had worked perfectly, keeping our electronic tethers charged. Now, it inflated the air mattress—almost. It turns out that a hole had worn in it. We rode back to Sault Ste Marie and got a patch kit, and it lasted most of the night. By morning, we were caught in the floppy water-bed feeling deflated air mattress. Ha! Tuesday, we packed and had breakfast at the diner outside the state park. Those were the greasiest hashbrowns I had ever experienced. I am glad I had listened to the LD riders' advice and packed Kaopectate. The roads along the Whitefish Bay Scenic Byway were gorgeous and deserted. We stopped to experience Tahquamenon Falls, which were even better than I remembered. http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4123/4812710574_a8f5a1efd7.jpg We hustled to Marquette, where I'd planned to get pasties and eat at a park by Lake Superior. However, the dark rain clouds and trailer repairs forced us to change plans. We left Marquette in a heavy rain that changed to a drizzle until we got to the Keweenaw Peninsula. We gassed up in Houghton, then took recommended routes along the western edge of the peninsula. By the time we took the Brockway Mountain Drive, skies were blue with fluffy clouds. Even so, we were done with the outdoors following the rain, and elected to stay in a motel instead. Snow gauge http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4075/4828386218_7c22f8f9ea.jpg The beginning of US41 http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4137/4828386706_02392e293b.jpg US41 is LONG! 1990 miles to Florida http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4080/4827779821_2ceb181148.jpg I was struck at how many conversations we heard of return visitors to Copper Harbor. SO many people return again and again. It seemed like a pleasant, tranquil place, and the thimbleberry cobbler was delish. I would like to go back. Wednesday, we took US-41 south out of Copper Harbor. Those first dozen miles are incredible, probably the best roads I can remember. Smooth, twisty, and covered by a canopy, they are magic! The remainder of the roads to Green Bay were pretty, but mostly looked the same. I put Jamie on a plane and then my solo trip resumed. I began to pound the pavement hard, eating up miles. I met a friend in Wausau, and continued to Minneapolis. I got there by 9PM, and had a late dinner with a friend. She insisted I try the burger at the Buffalo Tap, since she knows I am an avid burger connoisseur. It was "good", perhaps the best in the Minneapolis area, but would only get a B by Texas standards. Buffalo Tap Burger http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4137/4828387308_7bbc4c7d37.jpg Rain was coming, and I didn't want to fight rush hour traffic with wet roads, so I was traveling by 5AM. I wanted to get to Omaha by dinner time, so I of course went to Fargo. LOL! I had to collect North and South Dakota for my ride map. Minnesota and the Dakotas have surprisingly good terrain. Maybe it is that I am used to Houston Flat, but I loved these roads. What I didn't love was the construction. SO MUCH CONSTRUCTION! Very irritating! I am glad that they are spending the stimulus money (finally), but seriously. 300 miles of construction would be plenty, don't you think? It was raining or threatening rain until I got to Iowa, so I wore my rain gear. That did a great job of keeping in my body moisture, so by the time I got to my friend's in Omaha by 7PM, I was a stinky mess. Luckily, they had both a shower and a cold adult beverage (or two). The next day (Friday) was my first non-riding day since the Sunday before. I hung around town, met friends, and showed my friend's wife how to add water to her Suzuki Intruder's battery. She loved learning how to do something for herself, and an hour's labor just worked up my appetite for the burger at Stella's. Now, this burger is justifiably famous. It gets a very solid A from me. The fries were great as well. Stella's in Omaha: remember it! http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4140/4821785478_1a4d2cfb1b.jpg I wanted to be home yesterday (Saturday), so I got an early start. My phone kept thinking I had a text message, and kept making a noise every 15 minutes. It was my alarm, so I hesitated to turn it off. But when I rebooted it, the noise stopped and I still got my alarm. I was on the road by 5:15 despite a nearly sleepless night. Not much to report for yesterday, except a 900 mile day. Kansas and Oklahoma had some really nice roads. I dodged a bullet coming into Houston, when a terror of a storm blew in. My route let me thread the needle, and I stayed dry. Eventually most parts that I went through got 3+" of rain. Like I said at the top, I went 4424 miles on what amounted to a trial trip for the real McCoy in September. Most of my miles will be with the wife on that trip, I want them as easy and trouble free as possible. The technique of flying her so as to skip the longest days worked really well. She has shown that she can do a few 350 miles days without complaint. I'm looking forward to those! Dave

Thanks y'all for your customary encouragement! LOL Ride report coming up, but meanwhile... I'm just saying... Stella's. I have lots of friends who know I like burgers, and steer me to the good ones! http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4140/4821785478_1a4d2cfb1b.jpg

I left Houston after work Thursday, rode to Shreveport for dinner with a friend, then bunked down in Jackson, MS. Got up Friday after a couple hours and rode in the [relatively] cool air, dodging deer. Made it to Indianapolis in time to collect my wife from her flight. We rode together Saturday to my parents here in Battle Creek, Michigan. It was a good ride, collecting MS, TN, KY, IL, IN, OH, and MI for my ride map over 1500-ish miles. Today's the family reunion, with a 70% chance of rain. We'll get wet but at least I'll have a good time tell whoppers to my extended family. After that, rain rain GO AWAY! We're heading up to the U.P. on Monday, touring around until I deposit her in Green Bay on Wednesday. I don't like to camp in the rain! Worse, after I drop her, I'm heading to Minneapolis for another reunion and it calls for thunder. Worster still, I am planning to head to Omaha via Fargo to collect WI, MN, ND, SD, and IA, and it calls for more thunder. I guess its a good thing I have 5 days to go those 1700 miles, because my future looks to include sitting under overpasses. I hate spending so much time carefully planning a trip and then having it disrupted by weather. But I ride so as to be part of nature, experiencing the world without the insulating cocoon of a cage. I guess weather is a small price to pay. I don't suppose riding in thunder is a good idea? I miss hanging out here and catching up on your lives, but I have a horizon to meet! Dave

I'm gonna be in the UP Monday, leaving Wednesday. Gonna see Copper Harbor for the first time! (And get pasties for my wife!) Dave

I really enjoyed the read. Sent it to my wife, since we too are heading out to UT this summer. She thinks she needs to start keeping notes!

It looks rather nice to me. Thanks for your updates. I feel like I am riding along! Dave

They do look pretty good. I hope you can give us an update when you get a few thousand miles on them. What are the white blotches on the back bottom of the bag? Dave

I agree. But it is for a pair of lights... Dave

My buddy road a R1200GS for about 30,000 miles in 2 years. It was exceptionally reliable for him, while the upkeep was expensive. On the plus side, the dealers clearly knew what they were doing. I can pay a lot at a dealer and have them scratch their head and not really do the service I request. Or he could pay a little more and have excellent service. We did come across an identical bike broken down near Langtry, TX... about as boondocky as you like. His ride side cover had blown off. My friend carried a bag of zip ties, and that's all it took to get the bike back together. Serious question: how would a pillion enjoy that seat for touring? I do not think I'd even get mine to try it. Or is the "GTL" the model with the queen seat? Dave

That is a good thing as it makes you more vissiable to others. I don't know how true it is, but it does pass my 'gut' check. I'm getting used to the two different colours. But yeah, the Silverstar ULTRA is a great choice too. BTW, I got my HID from Canadian Cruiser Customizing. It's presently 49.99 CDN. Dave

Wow. Pretty impressive looking bike. I love the headlights with the glowy eyes. Sinister!

Well, I said they were spendy didn't I? But, they are the driving light of choice for Iron Butt riders, and that tells me what I need to know. Glad you are happy with your setup. Ride on. Dave

I like the lighting choices, but I did want to point out that the PIAA lamps I linked to were HID driving lamps. The ballast is contained in the housing. Dave

When I inquired about this, they told me this service was discontinued. And that $90 freight charge turned into $103 for me. Dave

Why is this Kregerdoodle character claiming credit for being as important as KBAY?

Looks good. Thoughts: * I want the jack stand that swings down and supports the tongue. * I'm not a fan of the taillight positioning. I fear they would scrape on the ground. I sometimes scrape the license plate on mine, which is about as low as these. This may or may not happen while I am manually moving the trailer because stooping hurts my back (theoretically). Otherwise, it seems very similar to the Harbor Freight trailer, and about the same price. Dave

Can you really call a motorcycle a "touring bike" if it has only 19,000 miles in 4 years? By "expected", I assume this is either the mean or median mileage accumulated. Either way, it's shameful. Call it something else. Dave

If I replace my passing lamps, it will be with something like this, the PIAA Cross Country HID. The essential feature for me is internal ballast and igniter. I may jump on another brand, because these are really spendy, but it will not have the separate ballast that I cannot hide; it will be in the housing. Dave