Trip Summary This page is aimed to summarize a few facts from the trip in order to help future riders in their preparations. I had myself only ridden motor bikes for less than three years and had up until one year before heading off no mechanical skills. Preparations and equipment are also highly individual choices and this is by no means the absolute truth but simply what worked well for me and a few suggestions based on experiences during the trip. Bike KTM 640 Adventure 2005 2 Metalmule 31 liter panniers Garmin Zumo GPS with Touratech mount Big chain with padlock on luggage rack "Clean" pannier Bottom layer: Thin drybags with 5 T-shirts 5 Underwear 5 Socks Long thermal pants Long sleeved thermal shirt Thin trekking pants Middle layer: Panasonic CF-W5 Toughbook laptop in neoprene case wrapped in: Fleece jacket Pair of jeans Thin drybag with cables and chargers Top layer: Lonely planet guide book Plastic folder containing passport, bike title, temp import and insurance (stuff police wants to see) "Dirty" pannier Bottom layer: 2 Spare standard innertubes (front / back) Toolbag Spare oil Middle layer: Spare parts Medical / toilet kit Robust trainers containing Hair trimmer Soldering iron (no one from start but bought 3 to fix electrical problems) Multimeter Top layer: Book Bike clothes insulation layer with winter gloves Tools Torque wrench with sockets for oil bolts Allen keys Screwdriver Polygrip Chain braker Syringe with hose for clutch bleeding 2 Tyre levers Leatherman multitool 7 - 13 mm keys KTM T-tool 40 cm hose for frame oil change Feeler gauge for valve inspection Suggested bike tweaks These are modifications that I did on the road or I missed and noticed others have done and that I would do before a second trip: Install reusabled oilfilters (no need to hunt KTM stores) Pushbutton fork bleeders and neoprene fork protectors (to prevent fork oil leakage) Get a steel rear sprocket, std aluminum only lasts about 10000km Rethread upper luggage rack bolts from M6 to M8 Use ultra heavy duty innertubes (no flats!) Separate hold for rear mirror (so not to brake expensive brake fluid cylinder when you brake mirror) Electrically heated grips for cold weather |
Service needed Roughly every 5000 km you need to do this or get to a mechanic to get it done. You can find good tutorial on http://www.advrider.com Change tyres (front might last a bit longer) Change oil Check and adjust valve clearance Check loose spokes (more often if offroad) Clean airfilter (more often if offroad) Clean / change sparkplug Other things you also may have to do: Bleed forks (daily! so get push button bleeders) Change brake pads Change fork oil if it starts leaking Reverse bleed clutch Also good to learn: Kick start Change carb needle for high altitude Basic operation of the engine Change ignition cycle for low octane fuel Spareparts Chain Back and front sprockets Light bulbs Fuses Sparkplug Oil filters Small oil filter gasket Valve inspection gaskets Copper oil plug washers Brake and clutch levers Brakepads Mixed screws, bolts and nuts (M6 & M8) Crimping connectors 1 meter wire Helmet cam system Archos 504 Recorder 2 Archos helmet cams (first broke after 7 months) 1 Extra battery (first burnt out after 6 months) Archos car charger under bike dashboard (charger broke early on by vibrations but after fixing the problem and filling the circuit board with epoxy it worked well for the remainder of the trip) Medical kit Originally brought big kit but lost it and never replaced it fully since pharmacies are everywhere. However useful to have is: Charcoal pills for bad stomach after exotic street food, works better than imodium Pain killers (paracetamol or if you can get hold of kodein based stuff which is stronger) Wound disinfect wipes or small container with alcohol / ionide Altitude sickness pills like Dramamine (only cures symptoms) or much better Diamox (Acetazolamide) which makes you acclimatize faster) Leukoplast tape for blisters Standard toiletries (toothbrush, shaving stuff, bodywash, travel tovel) |