First, sorry about the Patreon lock. I was testing it and the damn thing worked only half way (it did not unlock as scheduled.) There’s a limited amount of stuff I’ll be sticking behind the paywall, and much of it won’t be *that* important. Second, we’re a week out from the longest ride I’ve ever embarked on. HOLY CATS. This post is one of the behind the scenes posts for that ride where I’ll give you an insight into some of the preparation I have been doing.
So Let’s get to it. First up, the remedy for trouble.
So there’s my tool kit. It’s not everything one would need to tear down a bike, but I can do a lot with what’s in there. Starting at the top, there’s a metric tool kit. (Indian runs metric, leaving HD the only manufacturer in the dark ages of Imperial measurements.) Below that, is a Dynaplug air compressor. I have CO2 cartridges in the plug kit below that, but you only get one or two shots to make it go before you’re out of options.
The tire plug kit below the compressor should let me do tire repairs at the roadside, as long as the sidewall isn’t compromised. This will allow me to get to the nearest place I can get a new tire. Below that is the standard zip tie package, and finally red light sticks for night time issues.
Not pictured are the head lamp, which goes in my tank bag as well as the ASE to Power Plug (think cigarette lighter) cable that connects to my pigtail to power the compressor.
Next up we have the trouble prevention kit, aka. the Security Package.
I wanted to make sure that I could secure the bike at night or while I was away for extended periods of time. I have had the orange disc brake lock since I owned the Sportster in 2011, and I have added a second brake lock for the rear tire and the six foot chain with shackle lock. Even if the bike can’t be physically locked to something, someone will have to work to make off with my ride. (Spare keys to be someplace safe in my crap.)
Finally, the part of the package that makes me worry and yet will yield some awesome results if I do this right. The Tech Package.
With the exception of the red camera (this is why we test our equipment before rolling out…) this is the package that I’ll be using to document the journey. Clockwise from the upper left: Nikon D3000 with a 18-55 lens. I almost opted to bring the 55-300, but honestly, if I cant get a good picture with a base lens, I should just not take pictures. Also pictured are the extra batteries, so I should be able to avoid lack of charge issues. (Skip the red camera,) 2 GoPro Session cameras, I have a bar mount and have added a clip mount to my windshield so I can get some pictures and video while in motion. My Macbook Pro, so I can update effectively from the road with pictures and such. A Kelty cube case to store most of this stuff in, In the case is an Anker 6 port USB charger, so I can charge multiple things at once when I need to. To the left, is my apple watch charger, as well as my SpotX Satellite tracker/messenger. One of my projects this week is to set up a page where folks can see my location while I am out. The SpotX also allows me to SOS call if I encounter something that requires first responders and I do not have cell service. To the left of that is a SD to USB-C reader, a host of cables for charging and data transfer, cleaning supplies, back up ear buds, and above them bluetooth earbuds. In the center are clean SD cards in a waterproof case, a ruggedized 1TB Hard drive, my EZ-Pass and the previously mentioned ASE to power port cable with a USB Charger to go in it.
The rest of my afternoon is going to be spent charging things, dragging out the comfort and ride components and getting those into order. I’ll document those as I go, as they are just as important as any of the aforementioned stuff.