Hey, I'm planning a trip from Minnesota to Texas. I want

>>893525
What gear do you have already?

>>893537
Everything required to properly maintain the bike and an aftermarket subframe I'm going to swap out the stock one for.

I have a backpack and saddle bags, a helmet, and a gopro mount and that's about it.

>>893539
lol, you're gonna wear a backpack as you ride?

>>893558
I-is that wrong m8

I actually do it daily, but I suppose strapping gear on the bike is a better idea.

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>>893525
Sounds like a fun trip.

Go through the bike between now and then and replace anything that's worn.
Make sure everything's 100% before you leave - Fork oil/seals, clutch plates, brakes/pads, air filter, tubes/rim strips, coolant, seals (countershaft, gaskets, crush washers, etc), valves in spec, battery/electrical/ignition system.
I'd also add a tank bag and pull 12v (along with added USB charger) in there to keep your shit charged while you ride.

Plan for tires and oil changes along the way. Cheapest route is to stop by an auto parts store, buy what you need and /diy/, but not all places will let you change oil in their parking lots. Tires, probably worth having the shop you buy from mount and dispose of the old ones. I'd run something more dualsport-street-oriented than a knobbly dualsport-offroad, you'll be a lot more comfortable knocking out highway miles on those. Play with gearing to find a good setup for the riding you're doing - deep offroad gearing sucks for highway miles, and tall highway gearing sucks in the dirt.

Outfit your moto to haul some of your luggage (especially the heavy stuff), and get the suspension set up for that weight. A pack isn't a bad thing, but it'll wear on you after a while. Camelbak is nice, nice to have some storage for stuff when you're off the bike, but get the big/heavy stuff off your back. Fender pack for tools is nice and inexpensive.

I'd be a little nervous about security in "large cities" - motorcycles disappear fast. Cables help, but 2 guys can throw a small dualsport in a van and be gone before you even turn around. Alarmed disc locks can be hit-or-miss, I had a LOT of false-alarms with the xena I had (Ended up pulling the alarm batt out and just using the lock as a regular disc lock).

Dress for the crash, not the ride. Good boots (enduro/adventure boots with good ankle support), pants, jacket, gloves. Armor, either integrated or worn underneath (Knees, elbows, shoulders minimum).

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>>893525
> left coast
> right coast
> dirt bike
> missing all the dirt of WY, UT, AZ & NM.

Enjoy you shitty asphalt vacation.

t. Pic related, filename.jpg

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>>893625
>4 wheels
>not 2
discarded.nef.png

Are you gonna be riding around the city with this? Isn't it illegal? Well at least in FL it is.

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>>893754
Dualsport, yo. My moto's plated just like a car/truck.
50-state street legal.

>>893762
The cops don't say anything? Also do you have blinkers and shit?
Also you ride on the highway?

>>893748
> 4 > 2
> simplemath.png

Enjoy LA fuzznuts.o

>>893575
I've done 2k single shot trips before, trust me, you're gonna bungee that backpack onto your bike the first time you fill up for gas.

>>893788
Dual sport motorcycles tend to be 4 stroke dirtbikes with headlights and blinkers, yes

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>>893788
Got stopped once in town shortly after I got the bike plated... rookie cop stopped me because I was "riding a dirt bike on the street". Here's my license w/ endorsement, insurance, registration, carry permits, and a copy of the equipment compliance form signed by state patrol... Am I free to go? "Sorry sir have a nice day." Haven't been hassled about it since.

Took the moto for a quick run to the auto parts store last summer. On my way out of the neighborhood there was a guy pulled over by LE on an obviously-not-legal (no headlight, mirrors, or plate) Kawi. Rider and both cops looked right at me as I passed them... difference is I'm legal. Got the parts I needed, and in the neighborhood again I saw him pushing his bike home. Willing to bet he got a ticket out of that one.

I get more grief from old fucks. Stopped at BK for a quick lunch years ago, and some old guy was getting all worked up about how unsafe it was for me to ride a dirt bike on the highway, it's illegal, dangerous, blah blah blah. Like waving his cane, veins popping out of his forehead angry. All I wanted to do was eat my fucking lunch and go.

Interstate highway to dirt singletrack, yeah... bike goes everywhere. Pulled over another time doing 79 in a 65, right before the speed limit drops to 55 and again to 45 as you roll into town. Same deal, license, registration, weapons permits, compliance form... Let go with a warning, cop said "I didn't think a dirt bike could go that fast".

Bought the bike as an offroad-use-only vehicle, then did the equipment install, inspections, and title process to get it plated. Wasn't too hard, but that's easy to do in this state. Headlight, taillight, brake light, mirrors, DOT-rated tires are the big ones. Technically don't need turn signals to be legal here, but some states do require those.

>>893826
That is crazy man, I would love to own a dirt bike and ride around. Much cheaper than a car and easy to maintain.

How much did this bike cost you, and do you consider it expensive?

Whenever I move from Miami I am gonna buy one.

I'm in Minnesota yo. You wanna just do a run straight down 35 and come back along your route? If I get my 750 running right I'll ride to Texas with you.

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>>893525
I would get one of pic related

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>>893948
>That is crazy man, I would love to own a dirt bike and ride around.
Highly recommend building confidence offroad before venturing onto the street. Learn clutch, gears/shifting, braking, cornering, accelleration, etc innadirt where you don't have good traction, learn how to handle the bike when the rear tire starts to slide out, learn how to control the bars when the front starts to wash out.
Having that confidence off-road made me an immensely better on-road rider. The slow-speed parking lot maneuvers of the MSF class was a cakewalk compared to some of the shit I got myself into innawoods.
And when I'm turning the corner into the parking lot at the office, and all the gravel collects in the drainage at the bottom of the street, I don't panic and dump the bike when my rear tire starts to slide out.... I just handle it, second nature.

>Much cheaper than a car and easy to maintain.
More or less, yeah. Definitely easier to maintain, insurance is dirt cheap (like $200/yr for $500 deductible, full-coverage), registration's cheap. 50mpg around town is nice.
Gear costs money though. I destroy, on average, a helmet a year, at ~$200/ea. A good jacket, pair or three of pants (one or two for offroad, overpants for highway), gloves, boots, armor can run well over $1000, if not twice that for the nicer stuff.
You'll go through tires a lot faster than a car will, especially if you're riding it offroad in rocks. That'll destroy a tire in ~1k mi. About $100/tire.

It's paid for itself several times over in fuel/maintenance vs. driving my 3/4-ton pickup.

>>894016
>destroying protective equipment every year
how's the toll on your body?

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>>893948
>How much did this bike cost you, and do you consider it expensive?
I got a screaming good deal on it used.
Compared to my other hobbies (snowmobiling), the moto is pretty cheap. Depends on your budget though.

Every year or two (depends on how much I thrash it through the summer) the entire bike comes apart (both engine and chassis), disassembled, cleaned up, parts replaced as needed, new piston, cylinder honed or replated, and reassembled. Takes me 2-3 months "casually" working on it - could probably knock it down to a month if I set aside time to do that every weekend and evenings through the week.
Parts cost is about $1000 through the rebuild. Some years more, some years less, depends on what's broke or needs replacement. That's also with my sponsorship deals.
To have a dealer do that labor, and pay dealer prices for parts, would cost at least $5k to do most of what I do through my rebuild job. (Shops around here are $100-120/hour for labor.)
This year wasn't too bad - One of the crank bearings was a little "crunchier" than I liked, and it was a year the cylinder needed a replace ($300ish) instead of just running a hone through it. New chain, sprockets, plastics... replaced the clutch pack this weekend... battery needs replacement, it's filtering power fine but doesn't have the juice to turn the bike over when it's cold. Needs brakes (pads and discs, front and rear) before next summer.

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>>894018
I haven't had any injuries from the moto yet, the gear I wear is the reason for that.

Fractured a rib in the rodeo arena in college, busted up my ankle racing snocross a couple years ago, couple knee injuries in years prior to that on the sled.

Wreck in >pic related cost me about 3 places that race. Front tire caught a little edge between hard clay and soft dirt and down I went. Helmet, chest/shoulder protection, knee/elbow protection, and boots are well worth the money.

>>893625
ATV's are for boomer ranchers and pussies.

>>894023
cool

>>893575
Backpack in distance riding is suicide.
I couldn't do it when I was 20 let alone now.

>>894016
>>894022
So if you hurt yourself the insurance will cover it?

I really really want one now, or a 4 wheeler. Whenever I move to another state or place I will invest in one, just because it's a lot of fun.

Only problem is getting injured.

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>>894165
Talking about two different insurance policies.
Auto policy is the $200/yr full-coverage one.

>be me, going to dinner on the moto many years back
>two-lane go-straight for me, i'm in the left lane, minivan to my 5-oclock in the right lane
>jeep in the oncoming left-turn-lane hammers down to turn into the shopping center ahead of the minivan
>I saw him pull out, swung to the left of my lane against the concrete curb, attempting to squeeze behind him as he made the turn
>This is when he sees me, and slams on the brakes, perpendicular to my direction of travel, in my lane
>Minivan behind me to my right, that out's no longer available
>Foot or two between his rear bumper and the concrete curb, which would put me into that oncoming left turn lane, potentially into oncoming traffic
>Scrub off as much speed as I can, wasn't going to make it, my front tire hits his rear tire/quarter panel/bumper
>"I didn't even see you there"
>Wheel's taco'd, triple tree's tweaked, plastics fucked, handguard mashed in, pegs/shifter fucked, potential fork fuckage ($$$)
>Cheap knee guards I had under my jeans slid around my leg as I was sliding, knee got kind of scraped up
>Jacket took most of the impact on arm/shoulder/elbow
>Helmet bounced off asphalt, it was done (hated how that helmet fit anyways)
>I take my moto to an expensive dealer in town, have them do an estimate
>They missed half the shit I saw like the front rim
>"This is why your shop doesn't get my business. I need this estimate for insurance, go through it and do it right. You completely missed the bent front rim on this estimate; like you didn't even look at the bike. Call me when you figure out how to do it right."
>Called his insurance company, opened a claim with them
>Back and forth for a few weeks, they tell me to fuck off
>nope.exe
>Open a claim with my insurance, who sues the guy, turns out he lied to his insurance co
>Got a check a week later

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>>894560 cont'd
>I order parts, get to work on the moto over the next few months
>Bike's fixed, i'm riding again, knee's healed up
>Phone call from a lawyer, case in court, need my testimony
>Go over with him what happened
>couple weeks after that I get a check for my deductible
>my ins co lawyers won, his ins co had to pay, they filed a suit against the guy for insurance fraud, tl;dr he got fucked

That crash and the insurance/legal drama afterwards taught me a lot of life lessons.
Changed how I rode to make myself more visible, and paid more attention to oncoming turning traffic

>Few weeks later, i'm in a left-turn-lane with a red light at another major intersection in town, go-straight light is green turning yellow
>car coming up the hill behind me fast
>closing in on me
>fuckthisimout.png
>dump the clutch and roll to the right side of the SUV I was right behind
>dude behind me locks up his brakes, and comes to a stop inches from the bumper of the SUV I was now next to and not behind
>bought a helmet camera when I got home that evening, recording anytime i'm on the road

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>>894563 3/3
Haven't had any other major close-calls or accidents on the street since those two, and that was about 7 years ago.

On the health-insurance side ... i've got good coverage through work, along with a supplemental policy I took out because of my participation in activities and events like snowmobile and motorcycle racing.
Basically ... know your coverage, know your deductible/out-of-pocket maximum, and budget for that.
When my plan changed a few years ago to a HDHP/HSA, I dumped a lot of $$ into that HSA to cover the high deductible and out-of-pocket expenses. Since that balance is comfortably beyond a major injury I've scaled back on what I put into that account. Should something happen, 99% of those expenses can come off that account and I won't have any major financial concerns due to the supplementary policy.

If you've got a couple vehicles, home, financial assets, etc it's also worth considering an umbrella policy to protect those. Talk to your agent about your coverage.

And WEAR YOUR FUCKING GEAR! Kevlar, spectrashield, various densities of open- and closed-cell foams, UHMW plastic, fiberglass, lexan/polycarbonates... that shit's why I'm alive right now.

Just know that injuries can and do happen in motorsports. Stack the odds in your favor, ride within your capabilities.

ATV's are kind of lame... not street-legal like a DS, and they give you a false sense of security when you're riding it because of its stability. They have their applications, but for recreational use... "gaaaay".

>LE went into this house on a drug warrant, found several bodies

spare tube, tire irons, 12 v. compressor, pressure gauge. install a SAE connector for the compressor to your battery

I went on a solo round trip from Dallas to Cape Cod last September on my '14 R1200RT.

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>>894565

I quit my job with $60K in savings. I had a Summer before I was going to start community college for a different career path. I bought a beat up van for $3,200 and drove around the US for 2 months. Texas is a great place. Lots of cheap beer and pussy. I basically bought a twin mattress from Big Lots and threw it in the back with all my hiking gear and clothes. Slept in the van at rest areas traveling to various cities and destinations. Brought fishing gear and went fishing at some good spots and found some cool campgrounds as well. Didn't do much hiking. Was more focused on visiting cities with famous museums and zoos actually. I wish I bought a bicycle so I could have rode around cities instead of walking.

Would do again in the future, but be a little more prepared.

>>894022
How did you learn how to rebuild? Are you experienced at repairing things?

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>>894955
>SAE connector
Those are decent, but they're not rated for much current, 10A max.
Personally I'd recommend Anderson Power Pole connectors, the small ones of those have 45A terminals, and they're not much bigger than the SAE connectors.

Pressure gauge should be part of your toolkit anyways.
I have a MTB "hybrid" pump/CO2 inflator. One 16g CO2 will mostly fill the rear tire, I can top it off with the hand pump. They're fairly inexpensive (way cheaper than an electric pump). On a smaller dualsport you may not have battery/generation capacity to run a decent electric pump.

>>894958
kek, took me a minute

>>895180
>Are you experienced at repairing things?
Yes. I'm an electrical engineer, figuring things out is what I get paid to do. Also have background experience in machining/welding/fabrication, i'm not one of those good-on-paper-useless-in-real-life engineers.
>How did you learn how to rebuild?
Have a friend that raced snowmobiles for years, he helped me out the first time my sled needed a top-end. Same for the moto; he had a couple of the tools I didn't have at the time to get that job done. Nice to have a helping hand the first time through it, someone who's done it a time or two. Now I don't even think twice about pulling a top-end apart or splitting a crankcase. >pic related
Parts fiche and exploded diagrams help to visualize what goes where. Service manual walks you through all the steps, once you've done it a time or two you realize there's a lot of extra steps they put in there that may not apply to the specific task you need to accomplish.