Idle hands can get you in trouble....

[SarahP]

It's been a pretty easy winter for us so far in Virginia, USA - no real snow to speak of, but too cold for me to ride. We're expecting 5-8+" of snow tomorrow (you Canadians can quit laughing now!), so I decided to pull out the bikes and run them a bit.

Fired up the trusty little Honda CRF dirt bike...hmmm, it sounded...off a bit. Kind of -- muted. I puttered around for a few moments, with the odd exhaust sound nagging at the back of my reptilian brain.

Looking over at the bike, I saw a long piece of silver HVAC aluminum tape dangling from my tank bag and fixed onto the seat. What th'....

OH NO!!!!!

I raced over to the bike and hit the kill switch - leaned over the exhaust and....yep, the exhaust was sealed up with HVAC tape.

I had read somewhere about critters nesting inside the exhaust pipes, so guys seal them up. I had left the tape there as an 'obvious' reminder that all was not well, that something was amiss, and that *should* have triggered questions about what the h*ll tape was doing on my bike.

Upshot is that the bike didn't seem to have suffered any harm, and I *did* reseal the exhaust. But I left a big note on the ignition switch reminding me of that!!

Do you all think I did any serious damage to the bike? It ran fine after I pulled the tape off the exhaust.

 

[Rocky]

things like that happen and I'm quite safe in saying that you wouldn't have done any harm to the engine.
It's always a good idea to put a note in an obvious place when you do things like that; taped muffler, disc lock, whatever.

I'm surprised that you get that much snow down there. It's -12C (10F) here this morning with no snow and barely any at all so far.

 

[DaveM]

I think the worst that would have happened here would have been that they bike just cut out. Funny we don't even think about things like that being able to ride all year round like we do.

 

[SarahP]

I envy people who can ride all year! When I retire in 295 days, I'd love to plan a year of riding according to this 70*F Chart!

I know y'all have seen this, but I enjoy looking at it and planning where I'd like to be!

 

[shanered6]

Now that would be an amazing trip to under take and some thing i dont think you would ever forget ...... what a great retirment gift to your self COOL

 

[Rocky]

That is an amazing route and would be a real test of stamina for rider and bike.
But it's in North America where language and services aren't a problem compared to those who ride around the world in foreign countries.

 

[SarahP]

Ohhhhh, let me hasten to clarify: I don't think I'd have the stamina or the money to do this ride solely on a bike! I'm going to throw the bike(s) in a toy hauler, drive to an area, park, ride for however long I want, and then hit the road when the spirit moves me. I admire the folks who can motocamp their way across thousands of miles. I think I'm a little past that now! Just wish I had started riding about 30 years ago!

 

[shanered6]

Your never to old !!! ..... i think the small hauler is a great idea you can still do the trip but with the added bonus of allways having some where to to put your head down .

 

[Rocky]

The hauler is a great idea! Knowing you limits is the most important thing to not let yourself get into trouble.

I'm always in awe of those who hit the road on a bike and travel for months/years around the world.
I guess it takes a certain mind-set to carry on every day - especially in some foreign countries.
One of those was Brit, Lois Pryce, who rode the Americas top to bottom and the same thing in Africa, top to bottom - and she was alone!
In Africa she didn't understand a road sign and nearly rode into a mine field. She figured it out in time and turned around, phew!!

 

[triumph david]

Sarah, thats a good plan having a auto along with you makes a trip like that better and also a good retirement present!

 

[CarlS]

Ohhhhh, let me hasten to clarify: I don't think I'd have the stamina or the money to do this ride solely on a bike! I'm going to throw the bike(s) in a toy hauler, drive to an area, park, ride for however long I want, and then hit the road when the spirit moves me. I admire the folks who can motocamp their way across thousands of miles. I think I'm a little past that now! Just wish I had started riding about 30 years ago!

I have toured over half of the lower 48 using a toyhauler. My wife does not do distance riding; so the toyhauler is way for us to explore new areas together. I am planning a solo cross country trip for the summer. I will camp alomg the way if the weather permits.

 

[Qship]

Trailer thing is a great idea, methinks as well, Sarah.
They can be heavy trailers, so hope you have the rig to tow it with.
There are some smaller/lighter examples out there.
If you decide to head Nor'easterly in your travels, you'll have a tour guide up here if you want.

 

[triumph david]

I think you have the right idea about taking the bike with you, i just can't help but give advice, if you decide on a trailer you might consider getting a enclosed one I have seen some at Walmart that look like they are built well and are nice and shiny, i checked out the construction welds and material fit up they looked ok but the ones in your area may be built different. The other thing about a enclosed trailer is that you can put stuff in there with your bike out of the weather and out of sight, just think of all of the stuff you can buy to bring back with you, then when you get back home look at all of the extra storage space you will have!

 

[Rocky]

There is much to what TD has said about protecting your bike with an enclosed trailer. You may be able to rent one rather than buying one outright. But sometimes the cost of the rent over time would pay for buying one
It would also protect the bike from the sand-blasting effect on the bike as you run at high speeds for long distances.
An enclosed trailer is perfect - or at least some sort of shield at the front to deflect the air/debris around the bike.

 

[SarahP]

Oh, guys, I am loving this thread, y'all are playing my song.

First off, I will GLADLY take all the advice and inputs that anyone cares to give. I appreciate your expertise!

Second, I am definitely planning on having the bike(s) enclosed in some fashion. Whether that's a simple enclosed trailer or a small toy hauler of some sort, I definitely want the bike enclosed. And I want the tow vehicle to be small -- no 40' monsters for me.

Here's what I need some advice on: what setup should I start off with? To reiterate, I want to drive the Trans-Canada Highway, stopping wherever, making camp, riding around for a while until I'm ready to move on. When I get in the Alaska area, I'd like to drive the Dalton Highway and maybe the Alcan as well. I wouldn't have the trailer behind me for those Alaska drives; I think those drives are a little too rugged for that. I would rough it by sleeping in the vehicle for those couple of drives.

So here are the vehicle choices:

(1) Ford Transit cargo van, long wheel base, medium roof (can stand up in it), pulling a 12' enclosed trailer. I don't need a fancy van setup - just a bed and platform for a hotpot of sorts. I've done a lot of sleeping in my Toyota Sienna minivan over the last 5 years and am pretty comfortable with a minimalistic setup.

(2) Pickup truck pulling a small toy hauler.

(3) Big SUV like a Chevy Suburban or Ford Expedition pulling a small toy hauler.

All of these will be used vehicles, not ancient but definitely at least 2-3 years old or older. I can't see buying a brand new vehicle and driving on a gravel road pulling a trailer....

Any thoughts, ideas, and/or criticisms would be appreciated! Thanks!!

 

[SarahP]

Sarah, thats a good plan having a auto along with you makes a trip like that better and also a good retirement present!

TD, I like the idea of a separate vehicle in case the trailer breaks down. I can just ride out of town if necessary - my living quarters aren't tied to just one vehicle.

 

[Qship]

Can't see needing the big SUV if you are pulling a toy hauler as your sleeping/living will be done in that.
Extended cab P/U would probably be your cheaper option. A cap on the back will help with any extra storage and fuel economy.
The cargo van and enclosed trailer is a good idea as well.
Considered a Road Trek van and enclosed cargo trailer?

 

[shanered6]

If it were me i would go down the ford transit route !
1) its simple and easy
2) and you have your bikes with you and were you can see them
3) no towing and much cheaper to run
4) you modify it in any way you want to suit you
5) and it is also a very handy vehicle to own in your every day life picking up furniture , garden supplies , etc etc .

just my thoughts and it just keeps things nice and simple .

 

[CarlS]

I would opt for a smaller toyhauler trailer with living quarters in the front and a crew cab pickup as a tow vehicle. I would chose this over a Ford Transit van because I don't like the gasoline/petroleum fumes enclosed with me while traveling. My monster 40 ft fifth wheel has the garage sealed off from the living area. The garage is ventilated and airconditioned separately so we get no fumes in the living area.
If I did not have to consider another person, I would have a smaller toyhauler with minimal living quarters in the front and a crewcab pickup for towing. I would have the toyhauler airconditioned for those hot nights and have built in generator or a portable generator for those hot nights.
We have lived in our toyhauler for six months at a time - and we are still married! .

 

[SarahP]

Can't see needing the big SUV if you are pulling a toy hauler as your sleeping/living will be done in that.
Extended cab P/U would probably be your cheaper option. A cap on the back will help with any extra storage and fuel economy.
The cargo van and enclosed trailer is a good idea as well.
Considered a Road Trek van and enclosed cargo trailer?

Hi, QShip -- I can see your points about pickup vs. the large SUV. I was regarding the SUV as a secondary sleep facility, if necessary, whereas it's more difficult to try and sleep in a pickup truck. Just planning on a backup to the backup. But a big plus side to the truck is that you can *always* resell a truck, at least in my part of the US. There's always a strong market for used trucks.

Now, about the Road Trek van -- I got a steal of a deal on a 2001 Road Trek back in 2014. Ended up putting in about $5000 of repairs on it. Learned a ton of valuable info on RV maintenance, at least with a Class B RV. So much work needed to be done to the RoadTrek that I named her That B*tch Roseanne, as in Roseanne Rosannadanna.

If you're from the US or have seen the early Saturday Night Live comedy TV shows, Roseanne Rosannadanna was a character whose signature line was, "It just goes to show you, it's always something. If it's not one thing, it's another."

And that's how I eventually felt about the Road Trek. Every time I turned around, there was another $400+ repair that needed to be done, LOL.

I sold TBR for $500 less than all I had in it, and I considered that awesome for the education I received.

Just my personal feelings, I didn't like the Road Trek because the Road Trek ground clearance was minuscule - about 3-4 inches. I want something substantially higher to travel through Canada and Alaska. But the Road Trek could haul an impressive amount of weight, surprisingly!