Road trip from Florida to California

In 3 weeks i will be taking about a 9000 mile trip to California and then to Colorado and up to Washington.
The bike i have now is 2001 Triumph Sprint St. It has 9500 miles on it. Here are the upgrades.

Triumph Sport touring windshield
Stock 3 piece panniers. (factory)
Two brothers exhaust slip on.
Heated grips(factory)

Anyways some days i will be traveling 800 miles a day. Usually averaging about 400 to 500 most of the time.
Now before i do this i thought i would consult with you Triumph gurus and see what your suggestions are to better prepare this bike for the long trip. The Chain is original chain and has been kept care of. Do you think it will last up to 18000 miles? Also i have brand new avon azaros on the bike. Driving 80% highway will those tires last 9000 miles? Has anyone ever ridden that many miles in a day with the stock seat? Should i go ahead and look into the Sargent seat and bar risers? I appreciate any responses. Joshua

[kwellzz]

chances of you NOT having to replace tires is slim. My main suggestion would be to get a set of ear plugs and a lightweight hydration pack that you can either put on your back or in a tankbag. You tend not to even realize when you get dehydrated and it will cause fatigue and slower reaction times. Change your oil before you leave and be sure to bring a tire pressure gauge. Rain gear can also come in mighty handy.

[oldndumb]

I have done 1000 miles in one day. If someone told me I had to get up the next day and do 100 more, I would have probably cried like a little girl.
If you can do 800 miles a day, for the length of time it takes to get to the Left Coast, you have my respect. :

[Saigon5]

If you treat your chain properly there is no lasting problems. Mine has 30,000 miles and I am nowhere near changing it.

The tires I am afraid that you will have to change. I did change tires many times on the road and so far I can not complain about it too much. I live in Canada and changed a tire 2 weeks ago in Savannah, GA for a lot cheaper than I could do it here.

Metzeler Sportech M3 for 192, including installation and taxes. Too bad my front was good, the were doing teh pair for 249 installed plus taxes.

On seating and the seat you will get as many opinions as riders. I do long days, with stock seat, stock bars, no problems to me but I take many breaks.

Go with fresh oil in the engine and have a good trip. 800 miles a day is rough on the butt.

[JasonS]

You'll eat up tires on the highway. I have an extensive trip report in the trip report forum. I went loaded for bear... Givi top box and the two factory hard cases, and a tent,sleeping bag and bedroll. In 18000 miles total, you should budget for a rear every 5k, maybe you'll get 8k if you load light and stay off the throttle on starts. I installed a Pro-Oiler for my trip as I knew that I'd be eating a chain and sprocket set. An oiler can be a bit messy, but it removes the worry. I have over 22k on my original chain and sprockets... and a dirty bike..

Hydration is the huge! Drink water like a fish... you'll be evaporating much faster as a result of the wind. Be prepared for scorching heat. A long sleeve shirt thoroughly soaked with a vented over jacket acts like a/c. Look at an evapodana from aerostich for a similar effect in a neck wrap.

Get a few #321 orings for a throttle lock. Adjustable on the fly and will save you from hand cramps.

Get your butt ventilated. Use bike short with the chamois lining. wear them everyday. Consider a sheepskin seat cover.

I had zero mechanical issues with my ST on my trip.

Please ask anything you care..

[norcaltriumph]

Looks like most of the critical info. has been covered. Might be a good idea to get a Sargent seat for the 800 mile days. You can always sell it when you get back.

Might I suggest an iPod with some nice in-ear earbuds (the kind with silicone surrounds) for those boring stretches. When you don't want music, the earbuds will dampen sound quite well...

[ This message was edited by: norcaltriumph on 2007-07-05 18:46 ]

[norcaltriumph]

Also, the normal valve check is at 12K. I'm sure you'd probably be OK, but if you're prone to worry, or obsessive-compulsive in any way, might be worth it to get this done before you leave.

[omaz]

Man, you're going to have one serious case of MONKEY BUTT fella! Here's to a great trip! :chug:

[BMWK100]

Good luck! That is one of my goals, but 800 miles a day sounds like it will take the fun out of the trip. I highly recommend an aftermarket seat and some type of music (satellite or iPod).

Ride safe and let us know how it went.

[PaloAlto]

Westward,

I'm sure you have schedule requirements that are forcing you to put in so many high-mileage days but I can't imaging enjoying a road trip with so many butt-busting days. Are most of your days going to be cruising at 80 mph on the interstates?

I agree with the other comments re tires - yes, you'll need new ones, especially if you're straight-lining it at high speed. The front may be OK but the rear will flatten out. Be careful about that - you can go from safe tires to going through the cords in one day. If you can, you might want to plan in advance where to get a new rear (at least) tire installed to match the front.

Are your chain and sprockets in good shape now? If the chain slack had been set too tight before, they could already be in poor shape. If they've been well maintained and you keep it that way, they should last through the trip. As a quick check, pull on the chain at the very back of the rear sprocket - you should be able to just barely lift the chain from the sprocket. More than a millimeter or two and you'll need to check more thoroughly. Chain slack should be kept at 1½ inches. A bit too much is better than too little.

Sprints have a history of mushy brakes. Here's an easy way every evening to keep them firmed up on the trip:
Check the little tab at the top of the brake pads for ANY movement against the disk. If there's even the slightest sideways jiggle on one, remove the retaining bolt and pull that pad out. Turn it sideways and set it in front of ONE piston. Squeeze the lever until you see the other piston move just a few mm (too much and you'll have trouble getting the pads back in). When you've set one piston, take the pad set out, slip it in front of the piston you just adjusted and adjust the second. Put the pad set back in, replace the retaining bolt and you should be set. If you've never done this, you may have more than one or two pistons sticking open.

As others mentioned, ear plugs will make the trip much more comfortable.

Good luck,
Bern