Suzuki GSX650F Forum - www.GSX650F.biz

Hey Guys -

I'm in the midst of planning a cross country trip for this summer on my GSXF. Anyone have any advice (maintainance, safety, or otherwsie) that they think would be of use?

Which country?
If it's England I'd say pack a lunch and take 5 quid for fuel.
Across Australia or USA may take some more planning though...

Sheep skin seat cover is a must and they are pretty cheap ,if you don't have a better seat.
Take your spare key.
Tire repair kit and know how to use it ....see you tube .
Good wet weather gear.
Cash ..
....the rest is just extra weight.

Easier way is join a touring forum ALL the info you could ever need.

http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php?action=forum

Make sure you take heaps of photos and do a ride report here when finished.

Chain lube/clean.
Got a centre-stand? Take a shifting spanner big enough to loosen the rear wheel nut...
Cannot recommend a Camelbak or similar highly enough either.

Travel light and hook in
I found that when i first started doing the multi day trips i was taking tons of stuff I didn't need... I.e, other shoes, multiple pairs of pants etc... I had far too much shit on board. After my first big trip, hauling around all that stuff, packing and unpacking all the time, never using it i realised, "I'm a motorcyclist! I should pack like one". I now just spend every trip prowling around in my dragon's and bike boots with a spare few shirts and other essentials. Roughing it. As my mates old man told us when we were heading down to the MotoGP this year, all he used to take on a long trip was a pack of smokes, a credit card and a chammy (cleans both the bike and the rider!)

Maybe don't travel that light, but you get the idea...

Condoms.

Another essential of course

I'm a chronic over packer myself. Just can't break the habit. I do like having some shoes I can hike around in though and they take up way too much space.

I'm still hoping to come across you in the Snowies mate. Just back from a couple of days up there but had to abort and come home via the Hume Hwy due to my fuel pump restricting me to under 6,000 rpm. Bike ran fine the first day and had a blast on the way to Khancoban. Second day I'm heading up the mountains to Bright, twist the throttle and nothing! I was lucky to get there. I was heading for Omeo via Mt Hotham which is one of the nicest rides I've ever done. No way the bike would have made it up those twisties so I headed for Mt Beauty given it's down hill. I just barley made it to a petrol station. After filling the tank it was back to working well enough to get me to Dartmouth where I spent the night.

A friend joined me with his car to follow me back to Canberra as I didn't think I could make it. Talk about a boring ride! So I'll take the fuel pump out now but I talked to my mechanic and he's already checked it and says it just doesn't pump enough fuel. So looks like I'm stuck until I can afford the $700 in Jan to replace it. Talk about frustrating. However, the portion of the ride that I did finish was the usual Snowy experience. Fantastic!

Lol. Reminds me of my lovely treck home through the mountains in 6th gear on the weekend of the snowy's... I have nothing but sympathy for you mate. I know the feeling lol. But over Hotham, mate, what a top ride! We're actually heading down around that way in late February. After doing the great ocean road we'll be ducking across to bright, over Hotham to Bairnsdale, up to Tathra, then home over Clyde mountain and the snowy's. It is absolutely sensational up that way around this time of year. A road you can really hook in on and have some fun. And take some nice pics. Which, is another thing you should definately pack for a big ride. A camera so you can take some action shots of your F flexing its "awesomeness" at various lookout locations throughout the ride!

When I rode across the USA I spent as much on maintenance (new tires, drivetrain) as I did on pretty much everything else combined. If you're riding across America you can pretty much bet on necessary repairs as my trip was pretty short but it still ran over 11,000 miles...

For me, a Sargent seat and good leather that's thoroughly broke-in made all of the difference. You gotta be comfortable in the saddle. I also used a modular helmet for quick drinks and photos from the shoulder of the road.

The biggest thing I should have taken with me: powdered laundry soap: My stuff got rank. Really, really rank. I eventually learned how to hand-wash my clothes with a bit of powder in a bathroom sink while in Thailand. If you can get a day off the bike in a drier climate, laundry is huge, and a packet of Tide doesn't take much room. I've got a synthetic riding shirt that still smells like B.O. after several washes.

Be sure to have the time and money to do it at least part-way right. Don't be in a big hurry to see the other ocean. It'll still be there. Someday when I have 3 months more and enough money, I'm going back out there. You'll never see it all, but you sure will hunger for it later...

Absolutely great advice, this.
Don't make the journey about the destination, and don't feel like you have to stick to a "timetable" or a defined route.
If a road looks like fun, go ride it. If you see a sign for something that looks interesting, go see it. If that means you pull up 50 miles short one day, so what?
It's an adventure, not a commute

There are a couple of these on the 'net but I found the checklist helpful for planning my trips:

http://micapeak.com/checklists/mclist.html

Thanks a lot for the tips, guys. As of right now I'll be heading from NYC to San Diego sometime in June.

Here here NK and Lord .38! Half the fun of a big trip away is the adventure No accommodation bookings, no time table, no womens, just ride and have fun... That's what owning a bike is all about!

Btw Darrell, I just had a look through that checklist... how the fuck do they expect you to carry ALL of that stuff on a bike!?! 0_o
-Cooking pots and pans!?! (counter meals are what SHOULD be devoured upon any bike trip. There is no hunger that a chicken schnitzel with gravy, chips and veggies, washed down with a nice cold schooner of VB can't quench)
-Laptop computer?
-Radar Detector? (this one i do like. Where do i buy? )
-Camp saw, air matress and aLantern?
NK will be pleased to know that they do however mention to take condoms... Chances are when you rock into town on a bike as hot as the 650F, you'll be getting lucky
Unless someone riding with you has something like a 675 Daytona or somethng... Better