Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Road Trip

The reasoning is spoked wheels are usually made of some sort of malleable steel and that makes them easier to repair in an emergency situation. If a cast wheel breaks off road you are toast.

This thread went to complete shixt.

Makes sense, tks.

I’m wondering if I’m right about the Honda Transalp having tube tires, seems highly unlikely in Honda’s flagship Adventure Bike.

I would think somebody that has logged 9 bajillion miles would know the advantages of a tube vs tubeless.

But you are pretty fugking stupid so who knows.

That tends to happen when one guy only wants to talk about one guy.

Dude, I've been telling you to avoid tube tires like the plague, I checked again and the TransAlp does indeed appear to have tube tires, which is a real puzzle, especially considering that the V-Strom apparently does not. And some editions of the V-Strom from photos and sale advertisements do or did come with cast wheels.

In the real world, prob'ly 90% of these "Adventure Bikes" ain't ever gonna see really gnarly off road, and its a bit of a stretch to imagine a 1,000cc anything as a "dirt bike" (I know, my good friend road an oilhead Beemer GS (1100cc ?) at the same two Nationals I rode my R100GS (1,000cc). What they are is excellent dirt road bikes, and in the Silverton/Ouray area at the '95 Nationals did get us up into a mountain pass. The very top of the pass woulda been challenging even for a Jeep though and it was just a stunt for us to negotiate that same stretch, on unloaded bikes.

The only question here was spoked vs cast wheels. I find spoked wheels to be a PITA, if only because they take longer to clean, I would guess 99.99% of Adventure Bike riders would never break a cast wheel.

I think it’s funny that you see yourself as an authority on anything.

Day one was pretty uneventful.

I live right against the Miami-Dade and Broward county line so I wanted to beat that infamous Miami and Ft. Lauderdale traffic. No issues at all this day. Made it to just south of Macon, Georgia.

Bike was very easy to get used to. Very forgiving. You can pretty much leave it in 6th gear on the interstate unless you need to drop below 60mph. Throttle back and it shoots to 90+ in no time.

Scored this room for $36.99. Very dark neighborhood. Lots of early morning arguments but I still slept like a baby.



This day started around 5:30a and ended sometime around 2 or 4p. I started this day pretty hungover so made time for a long....lunch.

Any selfies with the bandanna and goggles?

That place looks like a haven for Lot Lizards.
Cheap, Lot Lizards.
Win/Win.

$37 bucks ain’t bad as long as you don’t get bedbugs for free. Travel safe.

Day two started off very well. Up early and made it through Atlanta without hitting traffic. Obviously Atlanta is a well known fugking schit hole so I was happy to get past there quick.

After going through some passes up toward Nashville the BMW started doing its "danger Will Robinson" routine. There's not a single aspect of that bike that doesn't have a sensor and it told me pressure in the rear tire was down to about 35psi. I disregarded at first thinking maybe the elevation change was fugking with the Euro-trash built instruments. But as things kept dropping I decided to take it serious. Stopped and verified with a gauge and it mirrored what the sensors were reporting. Thought perhaps it was an uber slow leak so gave it shot and got back on the road.



No dice. "Mother" came back with the same schitty news so I stopped and got a can of fix o' flat.



Not the kind I prefer but beggars can't be choosers. Deflated it down a bit and gave it hell. Pressure came back to 41 and tire took the foam. Time to gamble.

Back on the road and you know what happens next.

I stop at a truck stop and get a access to a legit air compressor. Park next to it and start making phone calls. At this point I'm only about 15 miles (I think) south of Nashville. Get a hold of a Honda dealer and share my sob story. She checks to see if they have my tire. They don't.

I ask her if there are any shops that may have one and she recommends a place called "Sloans" which I had already overshot. She tells me they'll have it but won't put it on. But if I could get the bike to her by 4p (they closed at 5p) she'd have a tech put it on for me.

I call Sloans. YAHTZEE!

I pump up the tire to around 60psi but I know I'm on borrowed time. Guy from the truck stop comes out and starts asking what I'm doing. I explain. He doesn't like my explanation. I tell him to go fugk himself and that southern hospitality is a myth.

Haul ass down to Sloans. Tire is on sale. Give the lady $200, throw it on the back of the BMW and jump back on so I can haul ass to the Honda shop. I'm 99% sure my charm is great enough to convince their service department to put the tire on for me. I was wrong. They did not give a fugk and would not touch that BMW.

Just as I'm about to drive off, I see another private shop titled "Cycles & Stuff." The "cycles" means they work on cycles, the "stuff" means they give tattoos. I put the stand down and walk over. Explain my sob story. Lady says "No problem, bring it over."



These people could not be more helpful. Not only did they put me in the front of the to-do line (that's what she said) they came back and told me they could plug the leak. I laughed and said I didn't think anyone would plug a bike tire these days. She simply replied "We do."

I give the green light. Walk back over to Sloans, explain the situation and they didn't even blink an eye. Gave me my $200 back.

Back on the road but I know at this point I'm looking at rush hour in Nashville. No thanks. I am well within striking distance of Nashville. Time to stop and get hungover again.

This trip already happened. I'm not relaying in real time.

Winning!

There may be a youtube video soon....

Great thread, one of your best.

I'm assuming you got there in one piece.

Gotcha. Your last couple of posts indicated I might be behind. Looking forward to the rest.

Day three...

Up early and through Nashville in no time. Clear it 6:30-7a and I'm thrilled. Very little traffic. Up and through some hills. What the countryside lacks in elevation it makes up for with all the gorgeous hardwoods (that's what she said.)

I start thinking my view of the south is not accurate until I stop for gas and see this.



Yep. This affirms they're just a bunch of diabetic fat fugks.

I push to the Illinois line and then bad things happen. Rain. Lots and lots of rain and the temps drop to mid/low 40's. I push on thinking I'll clear it on the other side but speeds keep dropping and my vagina starts throbbing. I stop and check weather on the phone.

All of Illinois is green. With some red and yellow in the middle. 'Fugk this' I say. Walk back outside to the bike and ask the guy at a neighboring pump if Effingham is a big town. He says he doesn't know but he just drove by there and said it seemed like it had everything. I asked if there'd be plenty of rooms and he replied "Oh yeah. No doubt." I told him "Good, because I'm done riding in this schit!" He looked at the bike and replied "Yeah, you need to park that fugking thing." We both laughed and off I went.

Got a room at the Best Western. Dried all my schit out and drank some skis. Then dinner (twice) then slept. Still pouring when I go to bed.

Up and at it for the last day.





Radar shows rain in patches but nothing you can't blast through. Dig through my brother's bag that he keeps with the bike and find his rain/insulated pants. Only problem is that he bought them during a fitness/sobriety craze so they don't fit my fat ass. Ah, fugk it. I just leave them open.

I know there are no big towns between myself and my brother's shop. Only bad side to this morning ride was Sammy Hagar was a Mother's Day guest host on Ozzy's Boneyard so I had to continuously switch the XM radio. Sammy Hagar is a boring dumb fugk.

Anyway, clutch out, hammer down. 240 short miles later...

I greet him with a "Here's your POS bike you cock sucker" or something to that effect.




Morning beers, they was a flowin'....

I missed info earlier.....how are you getting back down south? Flying home I assume? Looks like a memorable run and a good chance to take a few days to clear out the cobwebs from winter, although Florida winters probably don’t suck. 👍