[kevdog]

I have a 2001 fi Fatboy with 27,000 miles on it. I just had new tires put on and it runs great. This August I'll be making my first trip to Sturgis on it from Boston and we're going to hit Yellowstone as well. I figure about 5,000 miles in 2 weeks.

What should I check on my bike before I leave? Also, what maintenance steps should I take and advice on what I should bring with me? Any advice is appreciated!

 

[kingoftheroad96]

cold at nite

bring some cold riding gear with you. i've been there when it's in the high 90's inthe day & 40 degrees at nite. and you always here people coming in from Wyoming,saying it was snowing.just do a complete service to the bike,before you leave,always pack some minor tools&tire repair kit withco2 cart. for air.

 

[Jams]

Pack light because each day is a new trip and you just need the things that you would normally need for a weekend trip when any kind of situation can be expected. Warm weather gear, cold weather gear and wet weather gear.

I scratch my head when I see riders packed down like Mongolian Nomads moving the entire village and trying to take everything with them.

Hey you will be gone for two weeks and you may have some spare time to read a best seller so go to the book store and get a couple books to pack along or you will be gone for two weeks and your tooth brush may get dirty so pack a couple of extra ones just in case. See how crazy it can get.

Anything incidental that you may need you can buy along the way so don't pack what you don't really need.
I never pack more than two sets of clothes. Wear one and pack one. Need more then stop at Wal~Mart and buy new clothes and ship dirty clothes and souvenir T-Shirts etc home via UPS.

 

[cwo2lt]

Change the oils so you don't need to worry about it on the road, and don't worry if you go a few over either.

What to bring? Tire press gage. And use it! I'd also come up with a way to carry a water bottle that can be reached while riding. I used to use a bicycle bottle carrier, you can hose clamp it to the handle bar and remove it when you get to Sturgis so it won't screw up the look, if thats important to you. I have Kruzer Kady (look right and click on link) I use now. Works good and the holder can be removed from the mount which doesn't look bad on the bars.

Also bring some lip balm with SPF protection. And rain gear. You might also do a search, this has been asked before................

 

[bagga]

always pack your rain gear on top. never bury it because you will use it. that means you pack the rain gear last.

 

[Almost There]

Hi Kevdog

Here’s my suggestions.

Bike

* You have new tires, so that eliminates that one.
* Do a complete service before you leave for your trip.
* Basic tools and tire repair kit
* Quart of oil

Clothing

* Leathers
* Rain Gear
* 2 pairs of jeans
* 2 or 3 T-shirts
* 1 long sleeved shirt or sweater
* Socks and underwear (bring extra socks)

Miscellaneous

* Soap, Shampoo, toothbrush, etc
* Maps
* Cell Phone
* Camera

You didn’t say what kind of luggage you were using, so pack your oil, tool kit, leathers and rain gear first. The amount of room left over is the space you have left to bring the other stuff. You’ll probably be buying a couple of t-shirts along the way, so you only need to bring 2 or 3. If I’m travelling to a specific destination, I pack the oldest, grubbiest t-shirts I have and toss them out as I buy new ones.

If you’re going through Yellowstone, it takes about 3 hours to go through the park from the west gate to the east gate and they won’t let you camp in a tent because of the bears. We timed our trip so that we camped on the west side of the gate the night before, and spent most of the day in the park and camped on the east side in Cody, WY the next night.

Hope this helps.

Enjoy the ride

 

[fourhour]

Hey Kev, Dennis down the Pike in Worcester here!

Schedule your bike with a dealer a week or so before you leave and let them do a 10K service on it. That should cover everything. That assumes that you don't do the work yourself. There is also a good DVD to teach you how to do your own service at fixmyhog.com

As far as the trip goes, everything said up above is good advice. I did it in '04 and it was on the cool side that year. Left on Thursday an returned 12 days later. From here and back it was cold. Left in the rain too!

My Deuce looked like the truck from the Beverly Hillbillies when it was loaded down. Had extremely large throw-over bags on it plus another that sits atop the fender and out over the bags. The bags did too much damage to the bike so they will not go back on it. I will have to plan differently this year. Nightly stops may include doing some laundry, or Wal-Mart for new skivvies!

Enjoy and maybe see ya on the road. I'm leaving Aug 3rd and heading out of New Jersey with some friends. ennis

 

[deb93fxlr]

Almost There......is that a new rule in Yellowstone? I can't believe they no longer allow tents. Last time I was there, that's what we did but it's been a few years.

 

[Jams]

My Deuce looked like the truck from the Beverly Hillbillies when it was loaded down. . ennis

Packed for Sturgis with planned side trip through Yellowstone :woohoo:

 

[Almost There]

Almost There......is that a new rule in Yellowstone? I can't believe they no longer allow tents. Last time I was there, that's what we did but it's been a few years.

It may be different now, but that's the way it was in 99 when I went to Sturgis.

Might be a good idea to check it out Kev.

 

[Almost There]

Packed for Sturgis with planned side trip through Yellowstone :woohoo:

Good one Jams .... I'm killing myself, I'm laughing so much. My OL just came up and asked me if I was OK.

 

[Jams]

Good one Jams .... I'm killing myself, I'm laughing so much. My OL just came up and asked me if I was OK.

I take it that you can relate to the need for the extra truck for the Yellowstone side trip then?

The O/L and I pack a small tent with inflatable air mattresses and a bed roll.

We do not pack cots, lawn chairs, shade arbors, barbecue grills, Kayaks, peddle bikes or any of the other things that some folks think they will need on a two week trip.

 

[fourhour]

Packed for Sturgis with planned side trip through Yellowstone :woohoo:

Kinda like that! Deb might have a picture of my bike on the Sturgis trip that she can post. Hi Deb!

 

[ginger]

come ready for a good time. sturgis is definately a MUST SEE/MUST DO in a life time for all the biker clientle:Banadance

 

[Almost There]

I take it that you can relate to the need for the extra truck for the Yellowstone side trip then?

I’m ashamed to admit it, but the embarrassing part is I can actually relate to it.

My first big road trip was actually a nightmare. I was going on a road trip for 6 weeks and figured I needed everything but the kitchen sink (just in case I needed it). Two weeks into the trip, we packed up 2/3 of what we brought and sent it home.

Now when we travel, the tour pack is for leathers, rain gear and basic tools. The OL gets the left saddle bag and I get the right. If we camp, the tent, sleeping bags and air mattress get bungeed to the tour pack, if we motel it, they stay home. You would be amazed how small camping equipment are these days.

I’ve learned a lot about packing over the years, and it never seems to amaze me what s*hit people pack on their rides.

 

[deb93fxlr]

hey dennis, I sure do have a pic of your bike I could post but unfortunately I'm in it. If you don't mind me cropping it, I'll post it for ya.

Almost There....I went and checked and 99 was the year I was there too. I remember getting strong warnings about not keeping any food in your tent and putting all trash in the dumpster before going to bed but we did indeed sleep in our tent. It might have been a certain campground where bears were a problem or something.

 

[fourhour]

hey dennis, I sure do have a pic of your bike I could post but unfortunately I'm in it. If you don't mind me cropping it, I'll post it for ya.

Almost There....I went and checked and 99 was the year I was there too. I remember getting strong warnings about not keeping any food in your tent and putting all trash in the dumpster before going to bed but we did indeed sleep in our tent. It might have been a certain campground where bears were a problem or something.

I don't mind at all Deb. I'm not a paying member here so I can't see any pics. Don't know if I can post any either. Just thought others might care to see the bike all loaded down for the trip.

 

[wyodude]

I don't mind at all Deb. I'm not a paying member here so I can't see any pics. .

Chip in your fifteen skins tightwad :wavey:

 

[deb93fxlr]

ok dennis, here is your bike. Too bad you can't see it...lol-

Didn't it kind of help though having places to stay every night? ^rolleyez^

 

[AK_Hog_Herder]

Oil, tires, belts, chains (primary), lights.

Do not do any modifications to your bike in the week immediately preceeding your departure. Murphy says that something will go wrong with it and you will be sweating bullets making sure your ride is 100% before you leave.

Decide what you're going to pack and load up and do some test runs to get an idea on how the bike handles and what kind of mileage to expect.

Take layers of clothing. So you can add and remove layers as needed to stay warm or cool.

Have good quality rain gear that fits over your riding apparel. Do some runs in the rain. Unless it is a downpour or you have infinite time on your hands you will not have the luxury of waiting out the rain. You will have to suit up and go.

5 of us are riding in from Alaska via the Alcan. The route and side trips we have planned will add up to about 8000 miles before we get back and we have 3 weeks to do it.