Jammin thru the Continental Divide

[TrashCan]

Super ride report!!!

Thank's for all the work.

[LXIV-Dragon]

Hi Jay,

Congrats on an epic RR. A couple of questions...

I see the camera in the mirror in the odd photo but what is it? Did you use the same camera for all pics? Excellent photos & I know that it is not just the camera!

I note the DR was white and that you painted it. What did you use? Any specialist paint or prep work? Has it stayed in place?

Thanks again for a great report.

[Jammin]

Originally Posted by TrashCan

Super ride report!!!

Thank's for all the work.

Originally Posted by LXIV-Dragon

Hi Jay,

Congrats on an epic RR. A couple of questions...

I see the camera in the mirror in the odd photo but what is it? Did you use the same camera for all pics? Excellent photos & I know that it is not just the camera!

I note the DR was white and that you painted it. What did you use? Any specialist paint or prep work? Has it stayed in place?

Thanks again for a great report.

Hey Peter,
My point&shoot is a Canon SD400 5 MP camera and I also had a DSLR, Konica Minolta 5D 6 MP. The Canon was used for the majority of the shots and most of the evening, low-light shots were done with the SLR.

The SD400 is a good robust camera and I realized that these kind of trips are hard on cameras (broke one in Mexico, another got drenched in Alaska with water leaking into the tent), so I've resorted to buying this same camera on eBay and they can be had for around $50. I brought a spare this time in case something happened to the primary

Yeah, white was too plain for me and the olive green seemed just the ticket for the bike's and my mood.

I bought plastic spray paint, Krylon Fusion and I actually sanded the plastic surfaces before spraying on after reading that that was needed for a good adhesion and that it would cover up the sanded scratches, but didn't work so well and I think you dont need to sand with these new plastic paints. But anywho, I like the rough surface, gives it character up close

It's been holding up well, except some rock ships on the front fender have removed some small areas. And anywhere it might rub on something, the paint flakes off. I'm thinking about applying some low cost clear coat to see if it'll protect it better.

Cheers,

_________

Update (July 2010)
Clear coat spray from Krylon or any other brand works well to protect spray paint on plastics. I even srapyed my Arai XD and it`s been holding up to good abuse on my ride thru Latin America.

[LXIV-Dragon]

Thanks.

My side panels are / were white. The rest of the bike is black. I was not too sure paint would work so I got a buddy to use vehicle wrap material to cover them....would have looked great but black turned out dark purple!! Still better than white I guess.....

Plan 2 to to use some of that cardon look decal you can get. Time will tell.

Cheers,

[xilimmns]

Cool! Quite an adventure. Thanks for sharing such a great RR.

Have you noticed that trip layout resembles the map of Brazil?

[BlackBeast]

Hi Jay,
Nice RR yet again. Following your trip prep with interest.
Daryll

[Jammin]

Originally Posted by xilimmns

Cool! Quite an adventure. Thanks for sharing such a great RR.
Have you noticed that trip layout resembles the map of Brazil?

Haha, never thought of that and interesting, cause I'm hoping to be riding through that amazing country next year...

Originally Posted by BlackBeast

Hi Jay,
Nice RR yet again. Following your trip prep with interest.
Daryll

Hey Daryll, thanx

[Cannonshot]

Great report and pictures. I appreciate your sharing so much detail. I'm sure it will be very helpful for the next guy.

[Bob]

Wow great report, way to keep going after the injury!

[Artlocks]

Great report I really appreciate all the preparation details. Written like a true engineer. I am taking note of your many good ideas as I prepare my DR for similar adventures.

[o_O]

Great write up, very entertaining! As a Colorado implant I'm finding lots of great places to explore and you've shared a few more. Thanks!

[Jammin]

Originally Posted by Cannonshot

Great report and pictures. I appreciate your sharing so much detail. I'm sure it will be very helpful for the next guy.

Originally Posted by h20pumper

Wow great report, way to keep going after the injury!

Originally Posted by Artlocks

Great report I really appreciate all the preparation details. Written like a true engineer. I am taking note of your many good ideas as I prepare my DR for similar adventures.

Glad to share and help out other riders

Originally Posted by o_O

Great write up, very entertaining! As a Colorado implant I'm finding lots of great places to explore and you've shared a few more. Thanks!

Yup, lots of good stuff to ride in that beautiful state.

[in2dabluz]

Originally Posted by Jammin

Packing List

Over the course of many motorcycle trips during the past four years, I've learned what to carry and what to leave behind, becoming an efficient packer. The two biggest factors in deciding what to take are weight and space. Weight is always an issue as a heavier bike is harder to handle, tougher to pick up if you drop it and reduces fuel mileage. Space is obviously limited on a motorcycle and items that pack small are preferable.

I prefer to run hard luggage instead of soft bags due to the increased weather protection and safety of belongings, which is not that much of an issue in developed countries, but I’m planning to head into some developing countries in the near future. Additional benefits of hard luggage include using them as camping stools and the ability to rivet additions features, such as spare tire-carrying mounts, etc. The downside of the aluminum luggage set is the added weight of the metal boxes as opposed to cloth saddle bags. Each box weighs about 10 lbs. However, to me the benefits out-weight these costs.

Along with clothes, tools, spares and food in the side panniers, I'm also taking along minimal camping equipment, a Digital SLR camera and other electronics in the top box.

Gear
Regarding riding gear, I follow the motorcycling ethos of “All The Gear, All The Time” (ATGATT), meaning full protection of the whole body anytime I’m riding, even for a short distance. Sometimes wearing all the protective gear can be cumbersome, but if it helps me in surviving an accident, then it’s worth the effort.

Motoport Riding Suit
Teknic Speedstar Summer Glove
Rev'It Celsius Winter Glove
Aerostich Triple-Digit Rain Glove Covers
Silk Glove Liners (x2)
Champion Insulated Glove Liners (x1)
Oxtar TCX Comp Boots (with torsional ankle protection)
Arai RX-7 Corsair Helmet


Motoport Air Mesh Kevlar Jacket


Motoport Air Mesh Kevlar Pants

Clothes
In terms of clothes, I'll primarily be wearing my Motoport Kevlar Riding Suit with base layers. For the body to be comfortable, it's all about layering. If it gets colder, I'll throw on the windproof and waterproof liners of the riding suit and if it gets still colder, I have a performance thermal set, which I use for skiing. In extreme cold, I also have an electric heated vest. On the other extreme, for really hot temperatures, I have a cooling vest that works on the principle of evaporative cooling. Besides changing out the base layers, I only require a few other clothes for the evenings and days off from riding.

Base Layer Tops (x3)
Base Layer Bottoms (synthetic x3, silk x1)
Bicycle Shorts (with padding)
Thermal Top
Thermal Bottom
Dry-Fit T-shirts (x1)
Regular T-shirts (x1)
Travel Pants (x1) (pants that zip-off into shorts)
Shorts for sleeping (x1)
Swim Trunks (for the hot springs)
Boxers (x2) for off-bike; on-bike it’s commando under the base layers : )
Socks: Smart Wool (x1), Motorcycling Padded (x1), Silk (x2)
Neck Gaiter
Widder Heated Vest
Kidney Belt (to aid lower back support)
Sandals
Cooling Vest
Rain Liners
Camp Towel (quick drying)

Miscellaneous
Toiletries
Anti-Monkey Butt Powder (to reduce soreness of the posterior muscles)
Toilet Paper (small roll)
Sunblock
Eye Allergy Drops
Insect Repellent
Mosquito Net with Boonie Hat
Nail Cutter
First Aid Kit
Eye Glasses
Spare Contacts
Eye Shades

Camping
Catoma Twist 1-person Tent
GearGuide Light-weight Sleeping Bag
GearGuide Sleeping Pad
Coleman Exponent Xtreme Stove with Fuel
Food (various hydratable items such as couscous, miso soup and fish packets)

Electronics
Digital Camera: Canon SD400 5 MP
Digital SLR Camera: KonicaMinolta 5D 6 MP with zoom lenses, remote, tripod
GPS: Garmin 60Cx
Radar Detector: Escort 9500i
iPod nano with Etymotic ER-6i earphones
Chargers for all devices
3-into-1 Wall Socket
iPod Speakers with AA batteries
LED Head Lamp

Bike Related
Even with all the precautions taken before the trip regarding the bike itself, things can still go wrong and one must be prepared for various situations. I have the tools required to fix a flat tire, change a tire, quick weld any pieces that break and other miscellaneous tools for upkeep and repair. Not taking any chances with running our of spare tubes like on my Alaska trip, I carried 2 sets of tubes.

Spare Tubes (Front and Rear)
Tire Irons
Tire Pliers Bead Breaker
Tube Patch Kit
Bike Krtuch
Slime Air Compressor
Vice Grips (x2)
Socket Set
Epoxy Bond
JB Weld
Leatherman
Cruz Multi-purpose Tool
Clear Helmet Shield
Electrical Tape
Duct Tape on wrench
Spare Clutch Cable mounted next to current clutch cable
Spare Shift Lever

Great list for future CDR riders. Thanx for the RR and keep us posted on future rides.

[Jammin]

Originally Posted by in2dabluz

Great list for future CDR riders. Thanx for the RR and keep us posted on future rides.

Thanks, yeah, hope it helps in other riders' preparation for this awesome ride.

I'm actually currently on a RTW trip and have been 11 months on the road. I'm coming to the end of Latin America (Ushuaia tomorrow ) and heading to Africa next.

Here's my ride report for the current trip:
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=556240

cheers

[Gripforce]

Really, really awesome RR! Just found it the other day after seeing your current report, so I decided to go further back before catching up to your Africa ride. Great info on all the prep you did.

Now onto the Alaska ride.....