Bike Prep / Take Two

The days are getting longer and I am getting more excited everyday. Though I am still in Tallahassee, I have been busy ordering camping supplies and additional items for the bike. After much research, I have decided to switch my tires over to the Michelin Commander II, with a slight increase in size for both front and rear tires. I have also ordered a Vista Cruise throttle control and a Mmoto rear rack. Considering the distance I will be traveling and the areas I will be in, National Forest/Parks etc. I have also decided to add a deer whistle to the bike accessories. This might seem like overkill to some; however, having seen the damage a deer can do to a bike and rider I will take the extra precaution. Who knows, maybe it will even disperse the alligators while I'm riding through the everglades. 

Bike Prep / Take One

I actually began preparing the bike months ago. I decided that even though the stock foot rest were very comfortable, it would be nice to have an alternative position for the "old knees", thus came about the installation of highway pegs. Replacing the stock halogen headlight was next. I replaced the halogen bulb with a HID Bi-Xenon bulb. The Bi-Xenon lights up the road much better than the halogen bulb and draws much less power from the battery. Of course a LED headlight would probably have been an even better choice but at a much higher cost. I replaced the brake lights, running lights, signal lights and dash lights with LED bulbs and installed LED driving lights. I now have a battery reading of 13.8 volts at a 1000 rpm idle speed with all lights operating. That is a 2.3 volt gain just from the light conversion. Excellent! Exactly what I was looking for.

Pictures will be added to this post after May 4 as I am currently bonding with my grandson, Ezra, in Tallahassee, Fl.

Preparing for the ride..

I started planning this trip about year ago. I don't mean actual routes or daily destinations, that will come on the fly. Planning for me has been more about preparing the bike for the trip, what clothes will be needed, mental preparation, safety, etc. I will be riding my 1998 Honda Pacific Coast PC800. The intent is to camp in National Forest as often as possible. The only definite plans are to spend a week at our home in NC, visit my brother in Cape Coral, FL and my son in Tallahassee, FL. My hope is to tour the countryside between the four corners of the USA, which are Madawaska, ME, Key West, FL, San Ysidro, CA, and Blaine WX.  The ride will begin in June 2016. Check back soon as I will be posting more details regarding bike preparation along with photos.