So my trip is back on...
06-11-2009, 10:57 AM
#1
Member
Squid
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: NC
Posts: 62
So my trip is back on...
I'll be riding a 2004 Superhawk across the country in about 2 weeks. 
So I will give you all the feedback on how she does, and how the modifications work that I will be doing to her. The owner has purchased a Ventura luggage rack that I will be installing soon. Will be mounting some fresh Michelin Pilot Roads for the trip, will let ya know how they hold up. 
So if any of ya want to give a feller a biker a place to stay one night
that is anywhere near Oklahoma City, Alburquerque NM, Durango CO, or Grand Junction CO, please let a brudda know, 'cause I'm onna tight budget. 
Wouldn't mind if anyone wanted to join up for part of the ride also. Just let me know, I will be leaving NC on 6/26. 
So I will give you all the feedback on how she does, and how the modifications work that I will be doing to her. The owner has purchased a Ventura luggage rack that I will be installing soon. Will be mounting some fresh Michelin Pilot Roads for the trip, will let ya know how they hold up. So if any of ya want to give a feller a biker a place to stay one night
that is anywhere near Oklahoma City, Alburquerque NM, Durango CO, or Grand Junction CO, please let a brudda know, 'cause I'm onna tight budget. Wouldn't mind if anyone wanted to join up for part of the ride also. Just let me know, I will be leaving NC on 6/26.
06-11-2009, 03:13 PM
#5
Senior Member
Back Marker
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 147
I dont have a sargeant to loan you, but I would say, that beg, borrow, steal, or even charge one on your credit card before your trip. It will be the one thing that will keep you mind focused on the road and not the pain in your ***....
06-11-2009, 03:35 PM
#8
Senior Member
SuperBike
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: moncton nb canada
Posts: 1,269
awesome!!! good for you.
michelin pilot road 2s? that's what's on my hawk. they work well and haven't worn much at all.
i have a corbin and would recommend you listen to us - get something more comfy! corbin is real leather and sargent isn't.
be careful and enjoy your trip!
michelin pilot road 2s? that's what's on my hawk. they work well and haven't worn much at all.
i have a corbin and would recommend you listen to us - get something more comfy! corbin is real leather and sargent isn't.
be careful and enjoy your trip!
06-11-2009, 04:00 PM
#9
I could ride in
SuperBike
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Dayton, TN
Posts: 1,729
well, my time is limited, so the 1st half sucks. But you're still more than welcome to join in at anytime. It don't get good until I hit Alberkerkee.
Route
But you're still more than welcome to join in at anytime. It don't get good until I hit Alberkerkee. Route
slabbing? you oughta come through Deals Gap and spend a nite in Dayton. Then out Rte30 to the west wherever, lol!
06-11-2009, 04:19 PM
#10
Senior Member
SuperSport
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Fredericksburg, VA
Posts: 714
Go to Walmart, find the taxi driver seat beads, buy them, go home and cut them carefully and tie up the loose ends, strap them on that stock seat, and laugh at all the boneheads who think $300 for comfort is a "good" deal. Seriously, they look like hell, but when your *** is nesting on them for a week straight and your ***** are like newly hatched chicks, you will thank me. It's like air conditioning for your *** and you have picked the hottest time of the year to head to the desert. I used them on my cross country ride last year and I probably wouldn't have made it without them. $8 is all it will cost you.
06-13-2009, 11:07 AM
#18
Senior Member
SuperSport
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 987
I would recommend a ZG touring windscreen and a tankbag to rest on. I got the cortech saddlebags to fit well enough and stay off the exhaust.
The stock seat sucks after 400 miles a day. You can try giving yourself one handed butt massages to keep your butt awake, or dance on the bike, but its the bikes biggest limitation for touring.
Also you should call your credit card co, or bring multiple cards, or your gas purchases in several places can trigger their fraud protection. This happened to me and took awhile on the phone to straighten out and get reactivated. Being on hold with a call center in India at a gas station in 100F heat isn't fun.
Get some good earplugs and some music! If you put thin speakers in your helmet the earplugs will make the tunes sound very clear.
Sometimes I use the rear pegs to stretch my legs while laying on the tank.
Consider building an ironbutt ride into part of the trip. Google their website.
Throttle lock is also a necessity!
The stock seat sucks after 400 miles a day. You can try giving yourself one handed butt massages to keep your butt awake, or dance on the bike, but its the bikes biggest limitation for touring.
Also you should call your credit card co, or bring multiple cards, or your gas purchases in several places can trigger their fraud protection. This happened to me and took awhile on the phone to straighten out and get reactivated. Being on hold with a call center in India at a gas station in 100F heat isn't fun.
Get some good earplugs and some music! If you put thin speakers in your helmet the earplugs will make the tunes sound very clear.
Sometimes I use the rear pegs to stretch my legs while laying on the tank.
Consider building an ironbutt ride into part of the trip. Google their website.
Throttle lock is also a necessity!
06-13-2009, 10:37 PM
#19
Senior Member
SuperSport
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Fredericksburg, VA
Posts: 714
Definitely get some music. I took the XM out of my truck and velcroed it to my fairing.
A throttle lock is nice too so you can have both hands to make adjustments to gear or rest your throttle hand from time to time. They are <$20 too.
Keep all your stuff organized and waterproofed too. Ziploc bags work great. Also keep things versatile. For instance, in the above pic all my electronics and other important things like a road map, windex, and a rag for my visor are in the tank bag. Everything can be quickly disconnected and the whole bag fits into the topcase for security or waterproofness. I also hide a spare key somewhere on the bike with some tape just in case I lose the other. Something like that would only happen at night, in the middle of nowhere, and there would be no cell service. The more you do to trick Murphy, the less likely he is to ruin your day or trip.
Last edited by Hotbrakes; 06-13-2009 at 10:45 PM.
06-16-2009, 05:19 PM
#22
Senior Member
SuperSport
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 987
Spare key is a good idea.
One time I tossed mine out by accident, it was very strategically crumpled up inside some trash in my pocket. I went trash digging and found it!
I make it a point to not put a bunch of other **** on my keychain as it scratches the bike up and rattles around, but I guess a little foam deal of some sort would at least make it harder to lose. Sort of like you'd put on boat keys.
One time I tossed mine out by accident, it was very strategically crumpled up inside some trash in my pocket. I went trash digging and found it!
I make it a point to not put a bunch of other **** on my keychain as it scratches the bike up and rattles around, but I guess a little foam deal of some sort would at least make it harder to lose. Sort of like you'd put on boat keys.
06-16-2009, 05:20 PM
#23
Senior Member
SuperSport
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 987
Also get all your luggage and **** installed a week before your trip. Do some test riding and make sure it's not going to fall off or shift on the freeway or during emergency braking.
Bring an extra bungee net or cords anyways, you might end up needing to store more **** during your trip or resecure something.
Here's my setup:
Cortech saddle bags, and a bungee net up top that clips into the Cortech gear where the top bag would normally go. I didn't buy the top bag, this setup here is more versatile. You need some sturdy rear turn signal stalks to make this work, otherwise everything will just slide forward.
And it stayed on the bike at 160 mph.
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Bring an extra bungee net or cords anyways, you might end up needing to store more **** during your trip or resecure something.
Here's my setup:
Cortech saddle bags, and a bungee net up top that clips into the Cortech gear where the top bag would normally go. I didn't buy the top bag, this setup here is more versatile. You need some sturdy rear turn signal stalks to make this work, otherwise everything will just slide forward.
And it stayed on the bike at 160 mph.
Last edited by CentralCoaster; 06-16-2009 at 05:25 PM.
06-16-2009, 07:12 PM
#24
Member
Squid
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: NC
Posts: 62
^ nice! I don't have the bags secured here, but this is the setup I will be using, as a matter of fact, just got finished installing alot of this last night, here's the rundown...
Ventura rack
fresh Pilot Roads
fresh chain and sprockets
Genmar risers
Zero Gravity double bubble
with the Ventura bags
Ventura rack
fresh Pilot Roads
fresh chain and sprockets
Genmar risers
Zero Gravity double bubble
with the Ventura bags
06-20-2009, 03:48 AM
#27
Junior Member
Squid
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 8
Ventura racks (I know some of you are familiar with them) are made in New Zealand. The bags shown in the pics attched to the rack and are zipped together. The two bags will carry about 90+ litres of stuff. Here is a pic of the same setup on my speed triple.
It might look like its overloaded but there is enough stuff in there for a month away, and with all the heavy stuff in the front bag over the passenger seat...you hardly know its there.
By the way Cheap....if you take up that offer of a track day at jennings on the road trip.....you and I are gonna have some terse words my brudda.....
Last edited by legman; 06-20-2009 at 03:55 AM.
06-20-2009, 05:31 AM
#28
Slacker
Superstock
Superstock
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 489
Spare Parts
I am not a touring kind of person, but if I were to do a long distance ride on a SuperHawk then carrying a little extra insurance would be a good idea. Insurance in the form of an extra voltage regulator and a couple of spare 30 amp blade fuses. It's just a suggestion!
