Stacking Up A Biker's Wish List Faster Than I Can Check 'em Off

A fella with my finances has plenty of time to drool over gear catalogs, and build lists. He's got lil' fear of emptying the list faster than he can add to it! But I can hope!

I've got motorcycle wish lists that run from bikes themselves to Riding and Motorcycle Camp gear to a bucket list of Long Rides in the Wind I'd like to get done before I get too old and feeble to keep the scooter upright.

My Motorcycle Wish List; I'd really like to be able to add two scooters to my bike garage before I'm too decrepit to ride 'em;

*The first is a step out of the comfort zone; I'd like to build a mix of a mechanically correct military matt finish - sand colored? chromeless, metric, back roadable, bobbed, semi knobbied, bagger, rat ride, dual purpose, 650+- give 'er hell and let-the-chips-fall scooter with an attitude!

Starting from maybe a Yamaha Seca core? ;) ... yup... twist the imagination a touch.

I've just found a representative pic that gives a flavor of the vision I have in me warped brain... ;)

...just shave the teeth and such. ;) make the bags bigger 20mm. cans use a 650-750 for enough juice to get deeper into trouble a lil' quicker ;) ...THIS just looks like a fun ass hoot of a project to me!

*The second would be a normal KLR sort of good and proper dual purpose back roader that I could explore with while NOT getting so many stares of What-the-hell-izzat?" from folks. :)

Then there's the Motorcycle Gear Wish List;

Lux Lite cot; This has been recommended to me by several riders as the cat's meow for aging bones that still admire to sleep under canvas motorcycle camping on their touring rides... I want one!

Bohn Armor;

I've wanted a full set of this gear for a while. It'd be nice to allow a lil' less weighty and cumbersome motorcycle safety gear on those 90 degree summer runs...

Being able to wear full impact and skid protection under my jeans and shirt would be a nice change I believe.







Yamaha Parts;

First, the Yamaha Tail rack in the black powder coated version. It's my intention to add this to my existing Yamaha back rest in the very near future. I lost the rack when I swapped out my back rest last year. I truly need to find the dinero to complete that change!

and second, the Yamaha Tank Bag designed specifically for my Roadstar Raider...

Having a convenient place for cameras, maps, and all the miscellaneous bits and pieces you want quick access to on the road is a big improvement on those long rides.



Gear Dry Bag;

 I like the look of this bag from Wolfman luggage by way of Revzilla.

There's nothing worse at the end of a long wet day in the saddle and you pull gear out of your bag, hoping to change into something dry... only the waterproof tail bag wasn't... and you have no dry socks to put on. arrrggggghhhh.

A true DRY BAG is a change I'm gonna make and forget the failed but flashy cruiser bags and covered duffles I've used and seen in the past.

If they keep a rafters gear dry on a river... they should keep a bikers gear dry on the asphalt.

LED Camp Lantern;

Reading at night in the tent on the road is problematical for motorcycle touring. But now-a-days with the rapid improvements in LED technology... the problem's been solved!

...and they've got 'em at my favorite motorcycle camping gear provider; REI. They sell the lux lite cots too!



A better camp chair;

 While this isn't really on my list any more... 'cause I already got one! ;) I thought I'd include it here 'cause it is a big improvement in a small saddle bag suitable package... for more comfortable camp sitting.

It beats the old, flat, sit on the ground stadium seat I've been using ... by a pretty wide margin.


Semi Rectangular Sleeping bag

I've changed a mite in the past few years and the mummy bag I've used for a long, long time is now just way too tight for comfort. I just can't stand being that snugly wrapped any more.

I want to change out to a lil' roomier sort of bag that can still compact as needed for packing on the bike.


Somewhere soon I need to replace my stolen motorcycle helmet cam... I'm leaning toward the Drift Ghost video camera

 My HD 170 predecessor was one of the camera's that got stolen.

I liked the way it fit far more compactly and aerodynamically than the Go Pro arrangement... against my helmet or bike... buuut the new Go Pro's still look pretty good too! ;)

Then of course, there is the seemingly unending search for Truly Waterproof, comfortable and functional Touring Gloves... since I can't say I've found anything that's really impressed me... I'm still looking for them...

... as well as a few ideas I have for a custom, removable, fuel bottle rack mounted under the yamaha tail rack using Quick fist clamps to hold fuel bottles for my Auxiliary fuel... and the fuel bottles to go on it...

 I'm leaning hard there toward replacing the thin walled, backpacking MSR bottles I've been using with something like these from Tour Tank.

I've got a "Design" rattling around in my head of a poly plate with those quick fist clamps mounted to it that could be strongly zip tied under the tail rack; for those trips in places where the distance between fuel stations are stretched out to make a rider like me a lil' nervous.

Yup... I just keep adding wishes to my list faster than my anemic earning ability can add 'em to the bike! :)

Keep tuned in... the next bit of my wish list is the Motorcycle Touring Bucket list of Rides...

Grab Your Handles and Ride.
Brian

A Short Loop is Sometimes All That's Needed to Clear Your Head

I rolled down the mile of two track to the pavement below camp. Another mile took me to Hwy 72 that passes through the dusty lil' town of Bouse.

A short detour was required to a fuel pump back in town. I thought it best to pump enough fuel to shut off the low fuel light than risk the 40 plus mile roll to Parker on reserve.

Once the tank was replenished I rolled up on the highway. With a light twist of the throttle that big 113 cubic inch V Twin rumbled us up to 70 mph long before I caught fifth gear and we split the wind headed for Parker along the Colorado river.

We didn't even stop in town, just rolled by the south end and crossed the bridge over the Colorado. That thing has been under reconstruction for a couple of years. Not sure why the work is going so slow, or if they have any intention of it ever being completed but the Raider carried me across and we turned north up the west side of the river.

It's a nice roll through there, even if the pavement is in poor condition and laced with tar snakes. The road winds along through dry hills on the west and RV parks and campgrounds set along the banks of the Colorado.

You have to pay a lil' attention to things through there as a good number of fair sized wild donkeys call the area home. I've ridden that road several times and prior to this ride only had to dodge the piles of leavings from the abandoned miner's partners.

This time, one lone jackass was drifting down the center line of the roadway as I came around a left hand sweeper. Yup... you might want to keep your speed down in there! :)

The north end of my short 80 plus mile loop was made crossing Parker Dam.

A fine bike on a winding road on a sunny day... It don't get a whole lot better.

Once across the dam I dropped off along the river road going south for a short ways before moving back up onto Hwy 95 heading back south returning through Parker. Made a quick refuel stop at Terribles before turning back into heavy traffic going east.

There's a big off road race running this weekend in the desert east of Parker. The town and whole area is filled up with the competitors and fans of the high dollar off road racing rigs... so the run back to Bouse was more of a slow commuter cruise than a free in the wind ride. ;)

But then, any day on the scooter in the sun is a good day.

Grab Your Handles and Ride
Brian