Post #2. 06/06/2016
Ok, so I’m missing my original departure date by over a
week, and my secondary departure time by several hours (if not a full day).
It’s hard to believe I started planning this trip well over
a year ago. I bought the bike 11 months ago, and have been working on it
consistently and studiously ever since
to get the “right” gear, the “right” parts and try and turn a mostly street
oriented BMW F650GS into what I now refer to as the F650TAT.
This photo shows the bike as it was when I purchased it.
Not a bad little dualsport F650GS (Gelande Strauss = offroad
street). However definitely a street
oriented bike.
Below is as she now sits waiting for departure. I’ll try to go over the modifications and
give credit where due.
Headlight protector by TouraTech www.touratech-usa.com
Clearwater Lights driving lights from EuroCycles of Tampa
Bay – great people and they went above and beyond to advise and help me with
this project and make sure the bike was off-road ready and safe www.eurocyclesoftampabay.com
Side stand foot by yours truly – it’s shaped like a camels
hoof – never leave home without your “camel toe”… J
Again, the Clearwater LED driving lights did I mention they
were bright – I’ll burn your retinas out on high beam!!! Whahaha…
Holan crash bars from www.advmotorrad.com
Heavy duty fork spring's, fork protectors, engine skid plate
and frame skid plates by TouraTech www.touratech-usa.com
Foot pegs by Pivot Pegs, provided by TouraTech, as well as
new shift lever and rear break lever
Rear shock custom ordered by Ted Porters BeemerShop www.beemershop.com from TouraTech
Also rear master cylinder protector, chain guard, chain
guide all from TouraTech, www.touratech-usa.com
RockFox pannier mounts modified to hold RotoPax fuel and
water cans all from www.TwistedThrottle.com
RotoPax mounted to RockFox Pannier mount – aluminum mounting
bracket by your’s truly.
Giant Loop Tillamook bag (grey bag) mounted on top of Giant
Loop Great Basin U-bag. www.giantloopmoto.com
Green Rock Straps from www.eurocyclesoftampabay.com
Tool Tube from www.TwistedThrottle.com (the black tube with the TAT sticker on it.
Fandango Tank Bag by www.giantloopmoto.com
Wheels by http://www.woodyswheelworks.com/
And lastly, my office for the next 5 weeks:
On the left is a roll chart from Moose Racing from www.transamtrail.com
Along with their roll chart, maps in the tank bag, and GPS
tracks installed in my Garmin 665. Now about the Garmin – it is connected to my
helmet via InterPhone F5MC Bluetooth helmet headset and my old archaic iPhone 4
is synced to the Garmin. The Garmin also
has Weather Radar via Sirius Radio and Red Light warnings – yeah, I know where
all those nasty red-light cameras are in the USA.
Next is my helmet and backpack:
Helmet is Shoei VFX offroad helmet with Oakly goggles.
Kriega R30 Backpack by www.kriega.us
Attached the left shoulder strap is my Spot Tracker www.findmespot.com so my wife &
daughters know my whereabouts every 30 minutes.
It also has a button to GeoSat to activate First Responders in the event
I’m in critical shape and need evacuation.
I previously posted a photo of me in partial riding gear, and
after I get geared up for departure, I will get a selfie and post that on my
next blog. But for now that’s about it.
Again, I would like to thank all the vendors, and shops that
made this possible. If I’ve forgotten
anyone, it wasn’t intentional; there are just so many people that have been
involved and so many wonderful people in the motorcycling community that
answered all my stupid questions along the way.
I would like to take this time and opportunity to thank my
lovely wife Pam, by beautiful daughters Cassandra, Jennifer, and Catherine for
their understanding and being supporting of my obsession this past year to get
ready for this trip. You ladys are the light of my life, the wind under my wings, and i truly love you to infinity and beyond and back.
I would also like to apologize to all my friends and acquaintances with my obsessive talk about this
project and the trip. Oh, and my poor co-workers, I’m sure they are glad that I’m
finally out of the office and on the road so they don't have to listen to me anymore.
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