Minimum for touring?
 

Hi all,

What is the absolute minimum of mods one should make to his bike before leaving for a long tour? I buying a locally made stock Honda here in Chile for a tour around S.Am. My idea so far is to have a 42 litre top box and my Ortlieb 31lt rack_pack and little else. The big top box would only be half full as the extra space is for jacket, etc when not riding. I've read here that hand guards can be a mixed bag, as are engine guards. But would perhaps a bash plate be considered essential? How about a windscreen? I am on a tight budget but have enough to stretch for a couple of accessories. My ethos is travel light.

Thanks,
Rtw


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Here is my XR125 prepared for a trip to Central Asia. It has everything needed for the 6 month trip I had planned and would have been enough for a full RTW trip.
If your bike is in good condition, has a bash plate and luggage it is ready, perhaps a screen if you like one and plan cruising above 100 kph which won't be possible in a lot of places but I don't have one even on bigger bikes than this. This is about as minimal as you can get but everything is there.

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../0/L/034-L.jpg

depends
 

well, it depends on what you're doing on this trip.
a bash plate is useful, on dirt roads, but has no use off of them.
sounds like you have more than enough luggage space, again, depending on how long you are gone for and if you are camping.
as for crash bars, i think you'll be ok without, usually only the bar ends will hit the deck.
hand guards and screens? i like them for the wind protection but havent came across any situations that there were absolutely needed.

pretty much any standard bike will do any trip, with enough gumption.

You don't really need anything at all. Some throw over bags and a waterproof roll bag. 42L top box is BIG. Especially on a smaller bike. Pack light.. You need a lot less than you think.

Id be more interested in the kit. Tools, spares, etc...

If you want to go off-road, then things change a little and you start looking into protection for the bike.

Depends how far you're going and how far your going to get off the beaten track.
Last trip the bike was loaded crash bars panniers, tank bag ect, the spares which took up about a quarter of my space including spare clutch plates and fuel pump, not counting water & extra fuel is as follows.

Tubes.
Sprockets.
Spark plug/s.
Headlight bulb.
Chain, link and breaker.
Air, fuel & oil filters + some oil & coolant.
Clutch, throttle, break cables, levers & fluid.

The tools to replace the above items and service it, feeler gauges, plus a few cable ties, duct tape, WD40, a couple lengths of wire insulated & tie, assorted bag of nuts, bolts and washers, fuses, bike specific prozocators, flangamedangers and a cliporis or 2!

I am buying a brand new Honda and sell it after 12,000k so hoping I will not have to do anything to it in terms of repairs at all. Just basic maintanence which will be done mostly by Honda if not myself. I suppose I just need enough to change a tyre and I hope that will be it! In India I just bought a bike with cash, asked how the gears worked and wobbled off. Now I find myself overthinking minute details. For a brand new bike, what sort of basic spares would you be looking at aside from cables and bulbs?

Just take a puncture kit, pump, spare tubes and some tyre levers...

Then you just need a few basic tools for fiddling with it.

What are your time and cash limits? Platinum card with no limit and no where you need to be: just hop on and go, you can get what you need along the way and pay someone to fix what you break (eventually). $50 a day and have to be back at work in a month : a tent and some tools are maybe going to help you stay within your means and on track. I would suspect you are somewhere between and have a list of useful things to put in the luggage you've selected.

If you can't think of a reason to take anything, I would however suggest you've just identified the reason to leave it behind. Your kit as it is sounds good to me. ( I'm a top box hater though and would go for some throwovers instead, but that's just taste and preference).

Stuff like light bulbs I carry. Far easier to change one than start trying to explain to the coppers about travelling light. Same goes for a puncture kit if only to give the voices in my head something else to chatter about.

Andy

I've bought many new Hondas ... I seriously doubt you'll need any Cables or bulbs, quite unlikely in 12K kms. of moderate use. Relax. Concentrate on safe riding and survival! Pack Light! :thumbup1:

Are your planning a lot of Night Riding? :eek3: If you do lose a bulb ... any auto parts store will stock the common H4 bulb you need. Cables? Not a chance on a new bike. Keep bike out of mud and rain when possible. Keep rubber cable dams in place. (they help)

Flats may be only real worry. With 2/3 good irons, 2 spare tubes, and a bicycle pump, you should be fine. I store one tube on front fender (in special pouch) another in luggage. I'd carry one spare spark plug ... just for laughs ... you'll never need it!

Keep eyes peeled for Llanteria (tire shops) (AKA "Llantero")
Ask where one might be if you need a flat fixed. Take care your tubes, patch them (have a pro do it) when you can and SAVE patched ones. Good quality tubes may be hard to find in remote areas. (especially Peru' / Bolivia)

Be careful about overloading that top box. If it hangs too rearward it can stress sub frame/rack and rattle the crap out of contents.

If me, I'd just use a medium duffel or two or soft panniers on a rack.
Lighter and lower, stuff stays more secure on rough road.

I would not worry about bash plates or bark busters. I would bring set of levers. (clutch & brake) ... and try not to crash or drop the bike! :smartass:

Windshield is optional. I don't like them, but many do. Adds weight, expense and hard to look through if riding off road ... and it can decapitate you in a crash. (unlikely but has happened :helpsmilie:)

I would not carry chain tools on a brand new bike. Just keep your chain CLEAN, adjusted and well oiled. Clean and Oil daily, in 12K kms. should still look like new at end of trip.

If you're not camping then it's possible to travel pretty light. Keep an eye on your rear tire ... it will be probably be gone by around 6k kms. If you see a good replacement .. buy it and carry it on board till you need it. Rears wear out, fronts last for a LONG time.

¡que le via muy bien! bier

I am with Ted on that one.

For my next trip in April (London to Mongolia) we rebuilt 2 old honda XRs but we only fitted a bash plate and frame to attach the soft panniers.

Apart from that our kit is minimal. We are not even taking spare tubes. They are way too heavy and bulky and we never used ours when we spent a year round south America. The fact it, if you have a puncture (we had two in one full year of travel with 2 bikes!) , the puncture repair kit should get you moving, then, if you must, stop at a shop to get it professionally repaired.

We are only taking essentials, what would stop us on the road: clutch cable, throttle cable, levers... we bet that we should be able to repair and find spares in towns (the XR125 is same engine than the CG125!).

IF your bike is local, (and new!) you shouldn't need to carry a lot of parts. And if your bike is little, less is better... Sod Law applying (always!) whatever you carry won't be what you need in the end....doh

Maria, I like your pack light mentality..

However, I would pack at least one front inner tube as a spare between you. You can use it in the rear in an emergency.. I'd had plenty on punctures where the tube could not be repaired... Those rough tracks will surely earn you punctures...



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Ted, it's still heavy and bulky. (And we have different riding styles if I remember :rofl:..for me it is "slowly but surely").

I don't even know how we are going to pack all the camping gear... forget about spare clothes almost! :confused1:
I have not started filling the soft panniers but they seem tiny!


So the plan is, if we get a puncture than cannot be repaired, we have 2 bikes! I am sure that, for a price, one of us can ride off and get some inner tube. Remember that with those small bikes we will be able to find locally that sort of thing. Even in Mongolia, herders these days all have little chinese bikes. We should be able to get help and buy a tube if needed....
And after all, it's supposed to be an adventure! bier IF the trip is trouble free we will meet no one and it will be boring! :D

When are you off to BAs?

Wow, great advice all! Will print this off and make note!

:thumbup1:

Thanks for pointing this out Ted ... agree 100%. Not carrying a tube IS something that will STOP YOUR RIDE ... right now. I've seen many tubes ruined from just one puncture or a pinch ...both street and dirt. Maria, you've been very lucky in the past. If you go with no spare tubes ... you may just be "pushing your luck"! :rofl:

Sometimes a tube splits for no obvious reason, sometimes a nail (or whatever) is stuck in there and tears up the tube ... not repairable. Sometimes, like in my pic below, bloody valve stem pulled right OUT! doh
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-b...0/P1010545.JPG
Try fixing that one! (the green stuff is SLIME)

As Ted says ... at least one 21" tube. :thumbup1: (YES .. it will work in the rear) Use front fender pack for your tube. But if me, on a Mongolia ride? I'd take at least 2 tubes, maybe 3. They won't be for sale at every other Yert.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/--...0/P1020861.JPG
Note 21" tube mounted to front fender. Has never come off ... keep it tight.

In years of off road riding, lots of Baja riding I've seen many problems regarding tubes. Having a tube mailed in would take probably two weeks.

If cables are closely checked pre-trip ... I would opt for no spare cables.
i've not broken cable in 30 years ... since the "bad old days". No spares needed if cable routing is correct and no stress points exist and no wear shown upon inspection. If any doubt, replace with BRAND NEW cable PRE TRIP.

Packing camping gear is a challenge. Any way to leave it behind?

Maria, like you.. I never had a single puncture in all of South America in over 7 months... I think there is something in the water there :rofl:

However, during the same period of time in Africa I had over 50 punctures and went through over ten inner tubes. I'm not even exaggerating (for a change). I had the same tubes, same kind of bike etc....

What you pack is your own decision of course and everyone had different priorities. You have to do what makes YOU happy.

But.....Could you not tie one up in a bag and stuff it under the rear subframe of the bike ??? Puncture kits will only fix a SMALL hole and even then there is no guarantee that it will hold. Your trip to Mongolia is going to involve a lot of rough roads. Puncture heaven.

Whatever you do.. DON'T put slime or any other puncture sealant in your tubes. Even though I used it in South America and credited my lack of punctures to it (mistake), It will guarantee that you will never be able to fix that puncture. I got a small puncture in a 'Slimed' tube and it didn't seal it at all. The coating can not be cleaned out and it will stop any patch from sticking to it even if you are sure you've cleaned it away from the area.

South America in December... Can't wait to see old friends again :)

It's true, SLIME and like products make patching a tube hard (but not impossible).

If you're in a place where new tubes can be bought easily, then SLIME makes more sense. SLIME can stop small punctures or may turn a flat into a slow leak. But it does not always work. Ride-On is a better product.

But in Mongolia, probably NOT a good idea. Ted's right about patching: Hit and miss. Some tubes just can't seem to be patched ... or patch won't hold. The old school Vulcanized patch is a sure thing ... but bicycle patch kits are not. doh especially if not natural rubber but are Butyl. (synthetic rubber)

As an aside, SLIME'd tubes can be patched if you wash away all the slime.:smartass:

But how? Remove valve stem, add water to tube. Shake, Shake and Shake some more. Drain. Repeat.
Dry best you can. It works!! (but a major PITA!) On the trail we never patch a tube. Just replace with new tube and patch punctured tube later or have it done by a pro. (Vulcanize!!!) ... or often, toss it in the bin.

If the need for the huge top box is just somewhere to put your jacket when parked up, get a simple cable lock from a bicycle shop and thread the cable through the arms of the jacket and around the bike frame.

Agree no need for spare cables, personally I would take both front and rear tubes, but then I'm a puncture magnet.

.

Spares
 

Took spare tubes and a full tine of glue did uk to singer pore never had one puncture bet I would if I hadn't taken any as for cables always carry an inner rear push bike cable and screwe type ends didn't uses them that time but got me out of the shit before can be used for clutch or throtle

Ted, I will suggest to Alistair to get maybe a tube once we get in Central Asia.

Mollydog, yes we will need to be able to camp at some point once out of Europe... And nice to have the option.


We' ll see. We learnt a lot from our previous mistakes and no doubt we will learn a lot again from our new mistakes. AS long we make it to UB I will be happy! :D

I had an expensive Continental heavy duty tube in my DRZ. Filled full of slime. I got a small puncture in it. As I had a spare tube I changed it and carried on safe in the knowledge that I was close to my destination and could leisurely repair that punctured tube. I removed the valve, filled, drained , emptied, filled, drained emptied etc etc... It was an on-going event for about 6 hours. I didn't want to throw the tube as it was an expensive heavy duty tube that was irreplaceable in Africa.. In the end I couldn't stop Slime from seeping from that hole when I tried to patch it. It was a bloody mess. I even hung the tube up with the hole at the top hoping all the slime would settle at the bottom. It didn't. It was like like an explosion at a snot factory... I finally gave up and as an experiment, I cut the tube open with my knife and poured out the remaining slime. A LOT of it. I cleaned the tube again and again and still couldn't get any patches to stick to it. I was using professional patched and industrial quality solution.

I came to the conclusion that the slime is partially absorbed into the inner tube making a good repair impossible. It's probably why garaged refuse to repair tyres once they've been slimed...

It's a mystery :D

My wife and I toured two up on a BMW R65 for many years, many thousands of kms on dirt roads in Australia, sometimes on fairly hard dirt/mud/rock roads (alpine and Outback areas, Birdsville Track, etc.). Modifications - small fairing/windscreen, Metzler chunky rear tyre, that was it. No sump guard, no hand guards, no poofy mambi pambi lezzie my mother didn't breast feed me til I was seven modifications!!!:rofl:

Baggage - Panniers with a beefed up rack, stuff bag for tent and sleeping mats and about 4 litres of water. A pannier each to hold sleeping bag and clothes. Tank bag for valuables - camera, maps, etc. Pot racks for carrying cooking gear, spare fuel bottle.

Great stuff! Good to know! Cheers :)


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Couple more questions....

Am I right in thinking that there is a little screwdrvier type thing you need to remove something from the valve before removing the inner tube? Anyone know what the name of this little thing is? Is it necessary?

If I buy some cheapo throw-over the seat panniers, do I really need racks if I can manage to keep them away from the exhaust (which already has a guard on it, by the way), and use a few bungeys to keep them from flapping around?

Cheers!!!
rtw

Yes, the tool is a valve core remover. Some valve caps will have this tool built into the cap. It's like a little U shaped thingy. Most Auto parts stores will sell the proper tool or sell metal valve caps that have the tool built in. I prefer the metal one shown below in one of my tool kits:
http://patricksphotos.smugmug.com/ph...-CD5JSDS-L.jpg
See the plastic box at top of pic? (Tube Repair Kit). See that little metal tool sitting on top of it? That is a valve core tool. Never try to break the bead on a flat tire without first removing the valve core from the valve stem.

Many riders wonder why they are not able to BREAK THE BEAD on a "flat" tire. Sometimes the tube is not totally flat and retains enough air to make it impossible to break the bead. So, always remove valve core from valve stem.

I carry a spare valve core as well. They are tiny, kind of delicate. Put the core back in ... snug but not super tight. :thumbup1:

Panniers
Sure, you can use any panniers. On some bikes no rack is needed. But keep in mind, once you LOAD those bags with food and a couple bottles of good Chilean Malbec, they will PRESS IN HARD onto your side panels ... and possibly onto the pipe. :eek3: First, the very expensive plastic side panel will melt .. then the pannier will catch fire.

I'm an expert at this ... done it twice ... nearly burnt down a brand new bike one time.

Try to make sure you have a least an inch of clearance when bags are loaded. Rig some stand offs of some kind ... DO NOT use wood blocks!
(think Charcoal Burkets!)

Bungees are fine ... but won't last very long ... watch your eye balls ... bungees can let go at the worst possible time. I have TWO friends (in movie business) who BOTH lost an eye from a snapped Bungee cord. doh

The cheap Chinese ones can sometimes break without warning ... and not even show any wear. :eek3: I use Rok straps, but you won't find those in Chile. Nylon straps that cinch down are better if you can find them. (like on back packs) But use what you've got ... use your best judgement.

Highway riding the panniers will mostly stay in place. Off road all that changes ... so keep an eye on them.
bier

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-K..._Hs4MR-L-1.jpg
Note the Pie tin between the bag and pipe? This was post fire ... what you can't see is the whole inside of the pannier is burnt up. I wedged this Pie tin in there and some other angled metal ... to hold the pannier off that RED HOT
Stainless Steel Pipe. Alu is much cooler, as is Titanium or Carbon fiber, which does even get hot to the touch. Most stock pipes are Stainless ... and get very very hot.

Nice tool kit, can you do all/most road side repairs with that? Do you use the adjustable wrench to remove the sump plug for oil changing? I've been pondering whether it not to buy a wrench or something as my supplied toolset is insufficient to remove it, easily at least!

I would suggest you buy a cheap combination spanner of the correct size then cut it down to the shortest length needed to remove the drain plug using the ring end, adjustables are in my opinion a tool of last resort.

I normally don't carry that adjustable wrench ... not sure what I had in mind for it. You can see I have a 22mm and 24mm there (wrapped in tape).
That tool kit is 7 years old ... some stuff is changed.

Always good to upgrade the factory kit to better stuff. Make sure you've got basic stuff to do routine maintenance, tire changes. oil changes et al.

and NO my kit above will not do ALL work. It's only very basic. Any serious problems I'd have to get to a shop or home in the garage with ALL tools.
Here is what I consider essential (every bike is a bit different ... so figure out what sizes are appropriate for your bike)

Tools:
Open or Box end wrenches :
8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 13mm (not used on some bikes), 14mm, 17mm,
19mm, 22mm (not used on some bikes) 24mm.

Phillips (JIS is better) and flat blade screw driver.
Small Vise Grip ... essential and multi-use.
Side cutters, pliers, Allen (hex) wrenches for your bikes fasteners only,
1/4" drive socket (3/8" is OK, just larger) with 8, 10, 12, 13, 14mm sockets.

Most of the rest is optional. I carry jewelers screw drivers, small elec. kit,
VOM meter, tire patches and rubber cement (LOTS OF THIS), JB Weld Epoxy and QUIK metal, Super Glue, Tape (wrap around tool handles) loc-tite,
telescoping magnet (very handy for retrieving lost nuts and bolts .. a MUST HAVE. (shown on far right in pic)

The rest is up to you and your bike and what you're comfortable with.

bier

FWIW, we just did 5 months in SA on Chilean Honda CGL125s.

Only real bike mods were power sockets.

At 12000k, we had only replaced 1 rear tyre each and a set of chain and sprockets due to the abysmal std chain. Headlights and tail lights had blown once or twice. Headlight bolt came loose and so did the side stand ones.

http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/y...ps84c51d9f.jpg

http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/y...psc6126092.jpg

If the bike doesn't come with an o-ring chain, get it right at the start.

If you're going up into altitude, get a 75-80 main jet. Trust me. We spent 1000s of ks with a top speed of 40km/h.

They're good to go out of the box. :scooter:

There's a ride report on here if you want more info, or shoot me a PM. I don't check these forums often.

Rob.

http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/y...ps4c7c1a36.jpg

Crash bars might be an unnecessary weight load for such a bike. On the other hand, they do make getting the bike up much easier when (not if) you drop it. My old GS80 had them and they were very nice in that they kept the bike from damage (crushed valve covers are bad) and made it very easy to pick up. My 1200 Super Tenere would need a crane without them. If you are on your own you must be able to pick up the bike (with your back to the bike using your legs, not facing it wrecking discs). As to tools, take what you know how to use. If you are no mechanic, 5kg of tools will not be of much use. With older bikes I always routed spare cables for everything (heat-shrinked at the ends and nylon tied out of the way). With a relatively new bike you will likely have few problems (I once had to ride a 72 Triumph Tiger about 160 mi through desert roads using a broken throttle cable looped over my right leg, ( just push leg out to accelerate...),this added a measure of challenge and joy to the day...) This taught me the value of spares, but new cables are better, stronger, more waterproof and you are on a Honda (reliability is thy middle name). Buy a good patch kit (not synthetic rubber), use no slime, and get valve stem remover caps for both tires and carry a spare tube (or two). Practice pulling the wheel and tube prior to the trip (sitting in mud with a flat as night sets in is no time to learn). Enjoy your trip!