Getting the Buell ready to ride....

I have been doing some modifications to the Buell. I did a complete service, including all of the oils, spark plugs and I got a K&N air filter. I have used these before on other bikes and I find them to be very reliable and help the engine breath better. On the top of the tank (on a Buell, it is not a gas tank, as the gas is stored in the top part of the frame) I installed a Nelson Rigg tank bag. In it will be my gloves, maps and iPhone plus small items such as a jackknife and small flashlight.

I replaced the windshield that came with the bike for a tinted Zero Gravity product. It also has an adjustable mount so I can set it to where I want it.

I put a RotoPax mount onto the tail section of the Buell which is in the down position. On the bottom I have a 2 US gallon RotoPax gas tank. That will extend my riding distance by 50%. If I put two of those tanks on, it will give twice the range of the stock tank for a total of just over 8 gallons. With just one tank, I should have a range of about 300 miles, or about 500 kilometers. The top grey box is also a RotoPax unit. It is a container in which I will put my tools, such as flat tire repair kit (including an electric air pump), hand tools, duct tape, larger flashlight, and first aid kit.

I replaced the stock Buell side cases with aluminum ones. I got them from DirtBaggs out of Red Deer Alberta. They are an excellent box and made very well. I also got an aluminum top box, but I will have to modify the rear rack to make them work the way I want. That might be a project for this winter. The Buell Top Box is where I will keep all of my photography and computer gear. The side cases are non-removable so I got some 25 liter First Gear Dry Pac bags that fit in nicely. That way I will be able to remove them for security reasons at night. The Top Box comes off with just a key, so I can take it off the bike for security reasons also.

I also have a 70 liter First Gear Dry Pac that will hold all of my camping gear. It will sit on top of my RotoPax units. I will do a post later on my camping gear. I will also do a post on my riding gear.

In all of my years of riding, I have come to understand that the four cornerstones of succesful motorcycle touring can be divided up into the following;

1. The Motorcycle
2. The gear you attach to the Motorcycle and how you attach it
3. The clothes you wear when you ride
4. The camping gear you take

Add to that desire, fitness, patience and many more things that seem to become larger the further you get away from home.

I think that the beauty of Adventure touring, will be that I will never be very far away from home, as I will be sitting on it for a significant portion of my travels. I have always felt that motorcycles are a part of me. The older I get the better I understand that I am also a part of them.

It is a merging of a man, a machine, the road and the travels and the adventures they all undertake together.

All of the parts combined become a singular event.