Leaving for X-Country trip, a few qestions

[BubbaZanetti]

my motorcycle is old, it is beat up and it is ugly (well, beautiful to me) anyway, i've done the following:

oil and all fluids
all new cables
new seals/fluid front shock
new rear shocks from works
cleaned and balanced carbs
check valves and clearances
new front tire


gonna get a new battery

the bike has 44K on it and its an 84, prior to my purchasing it in late april, it seems to have spent a lot of time outside, its rusty in many places and the paint is bad. since i am gonna be "roughing it" across the county, i don't want to do a total restoration and then have it get beat up. i'd rather ride it "dirty" then do the restoration in the winter. this is gonna be a long trip (2 months +) and i want to know what you might do to get the bike ready for such a trip

1. spline lube (is this really as big a job as i've heard)

2. new bearings, steering head/wheel (or do they really last for ever like i've been told) they seem good or at least "ok" on my bike

3. any final drive stuff i should watch for, i've got a slight leak in my boot, but the fluids seem to stay at a good level. this is the part of the bike that worries me the most

4. electrical - any known trouble spots, or problems you have, mine is somewhat "ratty"


i realize this is long, but i'd appreciate you input, i'm young, don't have commitments and am not afraid to get stuck and maybe have to do repairs on the road. in the perfect world, i'd take a newer bike, but my budget just doesn't allow and i'd like to not have to keep my fellow riders (04 triumph and 01 ducati) waiting too much..............


i've put 2000 trouble free miles on it in the past 4-5 weeks


thanks for the input!

[jetdriverfla]

Suggested Stuff for the road...

Bubba, you probably know a lot of this, but my long distance road kit usually includes:

1. Complete BMW (or MotoBins) tool kit
2. A spare, gapped, spark plug
3. Tire plugging kit
4. A "Battery Doc" portable charger (bring the clamps...you can help your friends)
5. BMW spare light bulb box kit
6. Small roll duct tape
7. Cell phone with spare charged battery
8. BMWOA member's card / anon. book
9. Spare helmet face shield
10. Bike lock for "questionable" areas.

Good touring........ J.

[flash412]

Lube your steering head bearings, wheel bearings, swingarm bearings, side stand, center stand, clutch lever (at trans) and rear brake lever pivot, all with chassis grease. Steering head bearings CAN last forever if regreased periodically and adjusted properly. Same with wheel bearings. But adjusting them is a lot more difficult.

[rocketman]

Originally posted by flash412
Lube your steering head bearings, wheel bearings, swingarm bearings, side stand, center stand, clutch lever (at trans) and rear brake lever pivot, all with chassis grease. Steering head bearings CAN last forever if regreased periodically and adjusted properly. Same with wheel bearings. But adjusting them is a lot more difficult.

also grease the cable end ferules inside the clutch lever to prevent breakage of cable, single biggest failure point for cables, I had one fail at under 400 miles because I forgot to do this, plus take extra set or at the least replace them before you head out and bring the old ones along, just in case.

RM

[The_Veg]

I didn't catch how many miles you've put on since taking the bike out of storage but keep your eyes open for fluid leaks. Seals on things like pushrod tubes and final drive outputs can get leaky if they've sat a while then been brought back to activity.

[mikey]

I would be sure to carry a spare tube, unless your bike has been changed to tubeless(not likely or recommended by me). A front tube is OK for temporary use in rear if you only want to carry one. Your wheels weren't intended by BMW to be run tubeless, though some people do.

[flash412]

Originally posted by mikey A front tube is OK for temporary use in rear if you only want to carry one. No. That is bassakwards. NEVER put a 19" tube in an 18" tire. It is ok to put an 18" tube in a 19" tire.

[rtbuzz]

Put gas in your tank, some rum in your flask, then hit the road