Sorry it's been so long, we're just riding the scooters and nothing has broken.  :-)  It was a hot and humid day and I did four tire swaps, so I was a little tired.

Time to do a front tire change, so here is a short video on front tire removal.  Front axle nut torque is 59 Nm/ 43.5 ft/lbs (I round up to 44 ft/lbs)

https://youtu.be/RApWJIJvwPw

Here is a bonus video on front brake pad replacement.  Caliper Bolt torque is 30 Nm/ 22.1 ft/lbs (265 in/lbs NOT 101 as said in the video).  The pad slider pin torque is 17 Nm/12.5 ft/lbs (150 in/lbs)

https://youtu.be/lt3PRJlgya4

Here is the front wheel installation video.

https://youtu.be/aQL8bkdkQx0

Installing a Quick Change Oil Drain Valve

 Oil changes, we all do them, and sometimes it's messy.  The ADV150 has a 4000 mile oil change interval after the initial 600 mile change.  When I did the first oil change on the scooter I discovered that the location of the oil drain plug is close to the center stand.  My drain pan has to be just right to avoid some spillage.  I decided to re-visit my research for quick oil change valves.  These have been around for probably as long as engines, but technology progresses and I poked the internet to see what was out there for the correct size of the ADV150 scooter.  I had used them in the past on motorcycles, but wasn't impressed with the previous ones I had used.  No protection for the valve, which concerned me with the low clearance of the scooter and it's adventurous nature.  😇

I found many options, from a simple valve threaded in to the drain hole that had no protection, to industrial solutions that might have been as time consuming as the standard drain plug.  What I settled on for the ADV150 was the Stahlbus Oil Drain Valve.  This slick device is precision made in Germany, offered in the correct size, (M12 x 1.5), and includes a protective cap as well.  I found them for $45 on Amazon, Part Number SB-210111-S-NA.

The Stahlbus design fits well on the scooter.  It's a little tricky to tighten w/o a thin wall socket, but can be done with an open end wrench.  The threaded portion is shorter than the threads in the engine, so you get a full drain by opening the valve with the included mating part.  It comes with a protective cap that has an o-ring, so it securely threads in place and doesn't come off with vibration.

You get the valve that threads into the engine, a protective cap for when you're using the scooter and a quick insert drain connector with a length of flexible tubing to attach to it.  The tubing was much longer than I needed for the scooter, so I trimmed off a piece the right size to drain into my oil pan with the scooter on the center stand.

Inside the box:

The drain attachment with tube installed and the OEM drain plug:

Installation is as simple as removing your drain plug, draining the old oil, cleaning the drain area, then screwing in the new Stahlbus valve and tightening it to the recommended torque value of 18 ft/lbs.  That's just the normal torque for a drain plug, not super tight.  Easy to do with a hand tool.

Here is the Stahlbus valve installed.  You can clearly see the spring loaded stainless steel check ball inside.

Here is with the protective cap installed.

The drain connector just presses in and has a bayonet twist, at which point it begins draining, so make sure you have the drain pan under the hose when you insert it!  The cap is not difficult to get off after 4000 miles of scootering all over and the Stahlbus quick change oil valve makes for a super clean and easy oil change.  I was pleased enough with the quality and super easy install and use that I bought a second one for my wife's ADV150 as well.

At the 8k oil change interval, the protective cap is still in place and was easily removed.  The oil change was a simple matter of removing the protective cap, lining up the oil pan, an easy push of the drain connector, which snapped easily in place and the oil flowed out.  I like to remove the oil fill cap first to allow smooth oil flow.  Once the oil was finished draining, a smooth 1/4 turn twist of the drain connector and it came right off w/o any mess.  Re-install the protective cap and on to clean the oil screen before filling with 0.8L of fresh oil.  Wow, what a quick and easy process.

Oil changes still require removal and cleaning of the oil screens on the side of the engine, but since no oil runs out when doing this, (after draining the oil, naturally!), it's a nice clean process now.  I'm very pleased with this somewhat boring upgrade to the scooters.  😁

Rear Tire Change Time

 

At just under 4000 miles in the pic above I am into the wear bars on the OEM rear tire, an IRC GP-212R.  I took one more ride and it was getting smooth in some spots in the center with a total mileage of 4150.  This did include a variety of multi-speed rides, off pavement perhaps 10% and one 22 hour, 1078 mile ride at mostly WOT speeds of 45-60 mph.  Many of our day rides are 35-55 mph speed limit areas.

I was very pleased with the overall handling of the IRC tires for both pavement and off pavement.  I found that airing down from the recommended 29F/33R pressures to 20F/25R for gravel roads was worth doing if we were going to on gravel for a while.  More stable and a little more forgiving on the my rear end too.  😉

The 2021 Honda ADV150 scooter uses somewhat unique tire sizes at this time.  Front is 110/80-14 and Rear is 130/70-13.  

Because of a lack of dual-sport or adventure tires in the correct sizes for the ADV150 scooter I had to look around for alternative sizes.  Currently I was only able to find dual-sport tires in 130/60-13 or 150/70-13.  I have read about an Indonesian rider mounting a 150/70-13 tire and it barely cleared the shocks, but was concerned about rubbing with tire flex since I weigh quite a bit more than most of the Indonesian riders.  Because of this I chose to use a 130/60-13 tire.  

The first number of the tire size is the Section Width or Cross Section.  This tells you how wide the tire is in millimeters.  Stock size is 130mm.

The middle number of the tire size is the Sidewall Aspect Ratio. This indicates how tall the tire is as a percentage of the width of the tire.  The sidewall height or "aspect ratio" of a 130/70-13 tire is 70% of 130mm which would be 91mm.  In regards to wheel diameters, it's not always an exact representation of the measurement of the wheel, but rather the industry standard for that size.

So this meant that my alternate choice in tire sizes gave me a shorter height tire, (130 x .6 = 79 mm), or put another way, the outside diameter is smaller.  This means for the same revolution, less distance is traveled.  Revs/Mile changed from 1001 to 1054. The consequence of this is that my speedometer now reads 2 mph faster than I am actually going, (GPS verified), and that my top speed is 2 mph slower than with the correct size tire.  I can live with this for now and hopefully by the time I need another tire, there will be more options in the correct sizes.

I chose to give the Dura HF903 tire in 130/60-13 a try for the new rear tire.  It was very cost effective at around $40.

The Dura has a nice deep and chunky tread pattern and does a little better in mud than the OEM IRC 212 tire did.  I'm pleased with it so far after the first 300 miles or so of street and dirt/gravel.

On to removing the rear wheel!  The Honda ADV150 requires a bit more parts removal than I am accustomed to on motorcycles, but is average for scooters.  Before you can remove the rear wheel you first need to remove the complete exhaust, the lower shock bolt, then pivot the shock back and up and tie it out of the way, the inner rear fender and lastly the right side swing arm, the last fastener being the 24mm axle nut that rotates with the rear wheel.

Here is a list of tools required to remove the rear wheel:

And the tools I used:

I like to use an old muffin tin or mold for keeping track of my fasteners when I remove them and I label each spot for the fasteners I remove with masking tape and a sharpie as I remove each subassembly.

Here is a 5 minute video of the wheel removal process.  I'm no pro at doing videos, but tried to cover the process without it being painfully long.

Here is a picture of the old and new tires:

You can see that the new tire is slightly smaller in diameter than the old one, as previously discussed.  It has no effect on handling and only a minimal impact on top speed and speedo accuracy.

I did add a 82º metal valve stem while I had the tire off.  Blue was on sale. 😀

The re-assembly of the rear wheel is very strait forward, just a reverse of the removal.  It is suggested that you clean the axle splines and apply some multi-purpose grease of your choice before re-installing the rear wheel.  I used some wheel bearing grease, but a good Moly based grease would also be a good choice.  Personal preference there.  

For convenience, I have referred to the fasteners by the size tool required to remove and install them, not the size of the threaded diameter.  Honda give general torque specs by the size of the threaded diameter for fasteners not specifically called out in the Factory Service Manual.  Torque values for the fasteners are as follows:

M14 head right side swing arm bolts = 29 Ft/lbs

M24 Axle nut = 87 Ft/Lbs

M12 head flange bolt for lower shock mount = 20 Ft/lbs (upper nut that I did not remove is 18 Ft/lbs)

M5 Allen bolt for left side of rear outer fender = 2.5 Ft/lbs or 31 In/lbs (not very tight!!)

M10 head hex bolts for the right side of the rear outer fender = 7 Ft/lbs

M10 acorn nuts for the exhaust manifold = 21.3 Ft/lbs

M14 head flange bolts for the muffler mounting to the swing arm = 36/Ft/lbs

I made a video of the re-assembly in real time, but because I left the radio on, youtube blocked it for copyright restrictions and it's too large to upload directly to the blog.  Add the frustration of iMovie to that and my apologies, no re-assembly video at this time.

Thanks for reading, I hope this is useful for others.  😀

EricV

SHAD Terra TR37 On The Job!

Previously I showed the SHAD Aluminum Mounting Plates and them mounted to the scooters.  You can mount either of the Terra top boxes on these mounting plates.  We chose the TR37, a 37 Liter size.  Both sizes have the same footprint, the TR48 is simply taller.

SHAD USA Terra Cases

The TR37 uses a double locking system, locking to the mounting plate and the lid locking with a well thought out and easy to use latch.  No concerns about accidentally un-latching the mount when you want access to the case, they are separate parts of the design.  You can not un-latch the top case from the base w/o first opening the lid latch and it is not possible on this top case to leave the lid un-locked.  The key must be in the locked position to remove it from the lock.  This is described as a premium lock system and with anti-dust technology and I agree!  

Insert the key, rotate to unlock, then lift up on the tab which engages a two stage process, first releasing the cam tension, then moving the wide, metal latch hook away form the lid.  Here is a picture with only lid latch open:

At this point if you wish to remove the top case from the mounting plate, you then press down on the flat below the key tab area and it pivots out, unlatching the top case from the mounting plate.  Latch shown here in un-latched position, prior to lifting the box off the mounting plate:

At this point you can just pull the top case slightly up and to the rear and it will easily come off the mounting plate.  When re-installing the top case, insert the front tabs in the mating spots on the mounting plate, then set it down on the mounting plate and make sure it is all the way forward.  Move the lower latch on the top case closed and it solidly snaps in place, securing the top case to the mounting plate.

The TR37 is listed as having a 1 helmet capacity*.  The internal dimensions are approximately 8.75" of height, including the lid area, with a width of 19.25" and depth of 15".  There is a swell for the latch mechanism and the dust/water seal area overhangs the inside of the box sides a small amount.  

There is a very nice pad in the bottom of the top case that fits perfectly and is contoured on the bottom to exactly fit the shapes of the bottom of the aluminum box.  (bottom shown)

You can see the riveted and bonded/sealed construction here:

The dust/water seal also incorporates strap loops for an optional cargo net similar to this one:

Also available for both size top cases is an optional back rest double pad if you have passengers.

*In regards to fitting a helmet inside the TR37 top case, a half shell helmet will certainly fit, but neither my 3/4 face or modular helmet would fit, sitting up or on their sides.  I knew this ahead of time, and if it was a priority for my needs, I would have ordered the TR48 which is tall enough to fit full face and modular helmets and is listed as having the capacity for one helmet (Trail) or 2 helmets (Flip-up and jet). 

The top cases themselves are made of hardened aluminum with stainless steel hinges.  SHAD describes it as:  "hardened aluminum alloy, a stronger and lighter type of aluminum which allows a reduced cross-section of 1.2mm to obtain a minimum weight with maximum resistance. AISI 304 stainless steel hinges."  They have very little flex and for the weight and thickness, feel very sturdy and secure.

I'm really looking forward to packing the optional liner bag.  It is padded and has an external pocket large enough for a lap top and an internal mesh pocket in the 'lid' with straps for securing your clothing as well as the bag is expandable.  I think this will hold my clothes and assorted travel items for both over nights and extended trips. 

It is perfectly shaped to fit the interior of the TR37 top case.  Even with a designed in indent to fit the latch swell.  Very well thought out and implemented with high quality stitching and materials throughout.  Both web grab handles and an included shoulder strap.  This quality bit of luggage came packed inside it's own cloth drawstring bag and then in a plastic bag for even more protection!  I may keep the gray cloth drawstring bag as a laundry bag for trips as it will fold nicely and take up little room inside the bag.  Here is a shot as they came shipped to us, inside the top case, still in the plastic and cloth bags.

Here are some beauty shots of the fantastic SHAD Terra 37L top case mounted on my Honda ADV150 scooter.  

Thanks for reading along and I hope you enjoyed it.  Please feel free to ask questions in the comments or offer suggestions or requests for future blog topics related to the SHAD products or our Honda ADV150 scooters. Please subscribe to stay up to date on new postings!

https://www.shadusa.com/   NEW!!  SHAD USA has give us a promo code to share.  C&EADV20 will give you 20% off at check out on SHAD products.

Traveling With Shad!

 In our on-going challenge to prepare our Honda ADV 150 scooters for the 2021 Scooter Cannonball Run in July of '21 and simply for traveling and touring for more than day rides we have explored many options and looked at countless web sites.  Many times we have queried vendors with questions about their products and gotten various responses from silence to instant answers or better, answers and questions about our needs.  I often use the 'contact us' link on a brand's web page to get more info and share the adventure we are preparing for to help explain our needs.

Recently I contacted several motorcycle luggage companies and got a diversity of responses.  Part of the problem is that the Honda ADV 150 is not available in all markets.  Some companies simply told me they had no plans to offer products for the Honda ADV 150 scooter because they did not have access to one.  Others did not respond at all.  Some offered suggestions or clarified fitment.

When I contacted SHAD USA with a short explanation of our plans and a link to my wife's blog I did not know what response I would get.  I was quite surprised when Michael Schuiten from SHAD USA responded that one of his associates had forwarded my contact to him and he was excited to help us prepare for our adventures!  He asked for more information on our scooters and our needs.  SHAD USA wanted to know what we thought would best meet our needs and we discussed options and availability.  While SHAD does have some pannier brackets for the Honda ADV 150, they are not yet available in the US.  SHAD USA ordered a set to have on hand and helped us decide on top boxes that would best meet our needs.

Since one of our needs for the Scooter Cannonball Run is to mount a 1 gallon fuel jug on each scooter to handle some of the longer stretches w/o easy access to fuel on the route, the SHAD Terra line of boxes seemed ideal for us.  The potential to mount a jug on the top of the sturdy aluminum top box would simplify things and keep the weight centered on the scooter.  SHAD offers an aluminum mounting plate option as well as a plastic mounting plate.  To be able to solidly mount the aluminum mounting plate to our existing aftermarket luggage racks seemed ideal.  SHAD USA asked for pictures of our luggage racks to ensure the SHAD mounting plates could be securely mounted w/o additional fitment kits.

My wife and I are thrilled to team up with SHAD USA for our adventures!  Michael was amazing in his questions, positive attitude and follow up communication.  He let me know the boxes were out of stock, but should be available in a couple of weeks and asked if I would like the mounting plates shipped right away so I could install them.  I responded yes to that, hoping to have them ready to go when the boxes were available.

Only a few days later Santa Brown, (UPS), showed up at our home in Tupelo and placed THREE large boxes on our doorstep.

We were super excited to open the boxes and see the SHAD products!  They were extremely well packed to avoid damage with cardboard and foam, plus each top box was inside it's own foam bag.  Even the liner bags were inside a cloth bag, which was inside a plastic bag.  The mounting plates were individually boxed, each inside a plastic bag, and both boxes were carefully packed inside a larger box with ample packing materials to prevent any shipping damage.

Before I go into more details about the SHAD products I want to mention some background.  SHAD has been making products since 1973.  They have a diverse background and much experience has been gained over the years of production of motorcycle products.

I have owned SHAD top boxes in the past, decades ago.  Back then they were well known as a lower cost option to more well known brands like Givi or Touratech, etc, but were not considered a top tier brand of motorcycle luggage.  Both my wife and I have owned and extensively used various brands of top tier motor cycle luggage over hundreds of thousands of miles of riding.  Some were better than others, some leaked water or had other issues.  Some were easier to live with than others.  We have experienced quality products and sadly, seen & used poor quality products too.

SHAD offers a wide range of products today.  When we opened the boxes and explored the SHAD Terra top boxes and the aluminum mounting plates we were stunned by the quality of design, craftsmanship and attention to detail.  These are not the SHAD products of yesterday, these are top tier products, rival to anything else on the market and superior to many as well.  The level of thought and detail that has gone into these is incredible.  Everywhere you look you see effort has been made on the smallest details to make a product that will last, and work well, be easy to use and provide the function and protection of your gear.

The aluminum mounting plates - P/N - D1BTRPA

Complete with hardware and installation instructions.  

These are 5mm thick aluminum that has been laser cut.  All the attachment points are well designed, heavy duty plastic and better still, bolted to the plate and easily replaceable in the event of damage.  

Installing the mounting plate to our scooter's one piece aluminum racks was super easy with the included stainless steel bolts, spacers, washers and nylock nuts.

SHAD does offer a top case Mounting Kit for the Honda ADV150 scooter.  It is currently available in the Indonesian market, but SHAD USA has ordered two dozen as of 11/03/20 for the US market and they should be available in around mid Dec 2020.  These are a very nicely designed product that works with the OEM passenger grab handles and is quite solid looking.  Here is the only picture I have at the moment.  A great option for those that don't have a luggage rack yet.  Pre drilled for SHAD top case mounting plates, either plastic or aluminum.

Next post I will go into vivid detail on the SHAD Terra TR37 top boxes and liner bags.  Thanks for reading and please subscribe to keep up with our adventures!

NEW!!  SHAD USA has given us a promo code to share with readers - C&EADV20 will get you 20% off at checkout.   https://www.shadusa.com/

EricV

1078 Miles to Nowhere - Scooter Insanity Ride

A small diversion from the farkling and tech posts.  I have had the itch to attempt an IBA Saddle Sore 1000 all on the Natchez Trace Parkway ever since we moved to Tupelo, MS in Sept of 2018.  The stars had not aligned previously.  I've done many Iron Butt Association certified rides before and competed in many endurance rallies, including finishing the 2013 Iron Butt Rally, so long distance riding is not new to me, but the scooter increases the challenge!

I worked up a route plan for the scooter, taking the range and fuel stops into consideration.

Google Map Link of route

With barely over 1000 miles on my Honda ADV 150 scooter, break in and first service were complete and I had some basics sorted.  I realized that the ideal time to do a Natchez Trace 1000 would have been late June to maximize daylight hours.  That time had passed, but I was not to be deterred.  Looking at the weather forecast for the next few days I realized that in mid September, we were on the cusp of Fall.  Temperatures were starting to drop from daytime highs in the 90’s and night time lows in the 70’s to Highs in the low to mid 80’s and lows in the low 60’s.  The next couple of days had zero rain forecast and comfortable temps.  It was now, or wait until next year.

My planned route based on the scooter’s range minimized stopped time by carrying a 2 gallon gas can strapped to the passenger seat area of the scooter.  I used Rok Straps to securely attached the can using the passenger grab rails.  The luggage racks we ordered from China had not yet arrived.  (They showed up two days after I finished the ride!)

I also needed a way to drink water to stay hydrated while riding.  I already had a Tal 40 oz insulated bottle set up with a drinking tube, so made a quick trip to Walmart to find a container to use for securing it to the bike.  In the above pic you can see the results.  Total cost was about $4 for the flatware caddy and it bolted to the passenger foot peg easily.  A mini bungie cord to secure it so it wouldn't bounce and that problem was sorted too.

I needed more light for night riding on the Natchez Trace!  What was on hand was a 20” LED light bar that drew 126 watts and had a mix of spot and flood pattern LEDs.  Some wiring, a relay, a switch, some aluminum flat bar and Ta Daa!  We have Zombie Lights.  All from things on hand in the garage.  Voltage only dropped 0.2V, so I felt confident that the scooter’s electrical system could handle the load fine.

It's not pretty or aerodynamic, but at 50 mph it had no discernible effect on mpg and it throws a huge amount of light, filling the road side to side and much higher than the headlights, allowing me to see signs and critters much farther away that w/o it.  This light worked tremendously well during the ride, with the exception of having to shut it off for oncoming traffic.

With the scooter now set up for the long ride and night riding I quickly packed the scooter with my rain liner for my mesh riding jacket, extra gloves in case it was cooler, a half cover and my CPAP machine.  

While out shopping I had picked up a bag of beef sticks for on scooter munching and I put some of those in a zip lock bag, then stored in the scooter’s handlebar bag for easy access.  A small notepad for rider log entries, a couple of pens and I was ready to depart.

With my Beautiful Wife’s blessing, I geared up and hit the road South to Clinton, MS where I planned to grab some sleep at the conveniently located Quality Inn before starting the SS1K attempt at 10 pm, hoping to maximize the darkness during the beginning of the ride while I was freshest.

Omens or just the randomness of life?  You decide.

As I got on the Natchez Trace in West Tupelo to ride South to Clinton, MS, a solitary, small, brown fawn stood sentinel in the grass at the side of the road and watched me pass by.  I had never before seen deer here, especially not during daylight hours.

When I got to Clinton, MS and checked into the Quality Inn, I got a nice sleep cycle followed by a quick shower, then geared up, re-packed the scooter and headed across the street to the Tiger Mart for a receipt for gas to officially start my ride.  As I got to the street from the Quality Inn parking lot, a lonely black cat crossed the road casually in front of me.

At 10:10 pm I pulled my receipt from the pump and wrote my starting odometer mileage on the receipt… 1313 miles.  Thankfully, I’m not superstitious.  😅

And it begins!

Starting receipt safely tucked away, I was off on surface streets with minimal Friday night traffic for the 2.4 miles to the Natchez Trace where my official miles would start.  Once on the Trace, I had empty road and complete darkness as a companion, with no moon to speak of and only a sliver of a crescent when it did rise later that night.

Barely 30 minutes later as I rode North, I spotted my first deer of the ride.  A herd of approximately 30 small deer were in the grassy area West of the road.  The scooter didn’t seem to bother them, some looked up, showing me their green tinged eyes to match their gray shadowy outlines as I rode by.   None were startled or bolted.  This became a theme for deer during my ride.  Never in the road, rarely more than one or two, but no bolting and if they looked up at all, they might just casually walk into the woods away from my lights.

At just after Midnight, I spotted blue & red Disco Party Lights up ahead.  The scooter is not capable of excessive speeds.  I knew the bell did not toll for me.  As I approached the party, I found a LEO vehicle parked dead center in my lane with a pick up parked in front of that, and an unfortunate soul in the process of receiving a field sobriety test right there in the middle of the road on Saturday morning, in the middle of no where, on the Natchez Trace Parkway.  Not the recommended way to start your weekend off.

During the next five and a half hours on my way to Nashville, TN I would see numerous deer, both more of the green tinged eyes and much larger red eyed forest rats, along with possum, raccoons, owls, bats, turkeys, vultures, feral cats, dogs, one very large cat, a medium size bear in TN and a solitary skunk, (well off the road, thankfully).  Of them all, only one very confused or myopic raccoon was in the road, walking straight down the centerline.  I first noticed that the yellow center line was disappearing and reappearing as I approached.  Pavement gray raccoons shouldn’t walk the center line!

Arriving at the Northern Terminus of the Natchez Trace Parkway was a solitary event at 5:30 am on a chilly 54 degree Fall Saturday morning.  Nothing open except the well lit 24 hour pumps of the Shell station and not a soul around except me and my scooter.  

Another Splash-n-Dash™ and I was back on the Trace, heading SouthWest.  444 miles to Natchez, MS and another turn around.  About an hour later the sun started to come up and by 7:10 am I was able to turn the aux lighting off and comfortably see w/o the benefits of extra lights.

My planned via points came and went as the miles ticked by.  Much of my travel was Wide Open Throttle, (WOT), to manage the hills and stay at or near the 50 mph speed limit along the Natchez Trace.  Some hills, though mild on anything else, drove my speed down to 45 mph climbing them.  Down hills at least gave me some better mpg.  The day riding portion was uneventful with only a few passes or over taking traffic to break up the beautiful scenery of the Parkway.

I arrived at the Southern Terminus of the Parkway in Natchez, MS right on schedule and little worse for wear.  My butt felt no worse after nearly 17 hours than it did after the first 2 hours.  Another Splash-n-Dash™ and I was heading back to the Natchez Trace Parkway to head NorthEast once again.

Early on during this ride, I realized that my planned range was not the same as my actual range under Saddle Sore conditions.  My usual 130 miles to reserve became ~105 miles.  And the reserve on the scooter is only good for ~14 miles, mathematically derived, but not fully tested, as yet.  Some things are best not learned during a certificate ride!  Like many ride plans, I had to adjust my plan to work with the range I had.  This meant an earlier stop at one point, but allowed me to skip another stop.  In Natchez I realized that if I added a fuel stop back in Clinton,MS I would have enough fuel to ride all the way home to Tupelo w/o any additional fuel stops.  Despite the crappy receipt issues at the Blue Sky #638, (no receipt paper at the pumps), they did have other positive features there.  Hot food being one of them.

I wound up the rubber band on the Honda once more and spun my wheels the 90 miles back North to Clinton, MS where I had started this adventure.  Naturally, at this point in the ride all of my credit cards had stopped working at the pumps and I had to go inside and pre-pay for two gallons of gas.  Note to self, remember to look at the price of gas before going inside.  I know how many gallons it takes to fill, but that info doesn’t do you any good when asking to pre-pay for fuel.  You need to know what dollar amount you want.  I scored a corn dog of dubious age while in the station, thus gaining not only a receipt for gas, but also for food.  My only other receipt for food had been at the same Blue Sky station many hours before.  

Here I was, nearly 900 miles into my SS1K and finally on the last leg.  I felt good, not overly tired and still alert.  I realized that I was also not going to make my destination before darkness fell once again.  I knew that the final miles of this ride would be the most challenging.  As I closed in on Tupelo, traffic would increase and I wouldn’t be able to use my aux light or even high beam, while simultaneously being blinded by oncoming headlights, often from trucks towing trailers that left their headlights poorly aimed.

After only a slightly slower gas stop in Clinton, MS, I was back on the Trace and heading for Tupelo, MS and my final receipt to officially end my SS1K ride.  I had about two hours extra over what I needed, so it looked pretty good at this point.  As darkness once again descended upon the Natchez Trace Parkway, my lights came back on and I enjoyed being able to see well in the darkness.  I stopped briefly at a Historic pull out to do my last on road fuel stop from the gas can strapped to the seat of the scooter and continued NorthEast along the Parkway.  Being able to see well using my lights lasted for about 174 miles.

Near Houston, about 30 miles from my exit I knew there was a badly broken section of sunken grade that would eat the scooter for dinner if I hit it wrong.  The only safe line is close to the center line.  There is a warning sign “Rough Road”, but if you don’t know what’s coming and can’t see it, it could be catastrophic for anything on two wheels except maybe KTMs.  I passed the first exit for Houston and knew I was coming up on the rough road only to have a long string of on-coming vehicles, spaced just wrong so I had far too long w/o high beam or aux light.  The moment I saw the Rough Road sign, I gritted my teeth and moved as close to the center line as I dared with oncoming traffic swishing by closer than I preferred.  The moment the last car in the line passed, I snapped on the aux light and just glimpsed the broken pavement passing by to my right.  There is a second section just up the road, but it’s not nearly as bad.  I was easily able to see and avoid it with the aux light and high beam on.

12 Miles.  I just needed to get 12 more miles to my exit off the Natchez Trace Parkway.  Up until this point I had really enjoyed the ride.  Even the 8 hour slog in the darkness at the start had a certain tranquility to it.  All the more for not having wildlife issues and getting a chance to see the Trace at night w/o traffic, just my scooter and my lights blazing through the tunnel of darkness.  But now, traffic.  Traffic behind me, traffic on-coming.  No chance to use my lights and constant strings of vehicles, often with poorly aimed headlights or running bright aux lights of their own, and far too often not bothering to dim them.  I hugged the fog line as much as possible and kept my pace up.  I know I looked at the odometer far too many times during this last stretch.  Like the school clock, the miles crept by much too slowly.  Eventually I saw the sign for my exit and slowed, carving that final corner off the Trace and slowing to a stop under the streetlights of West Main Street in Tupelo, MS.  1.9 miles of well lit surface streets to my chosen official ending location and final receipt of my Natchez Trace Scooter Saddle Sore 1000 Gold.  

Like any rider on home ground, the final 1.9 miles over familiar roads were easy.  I pulled into Sam’s Super C Texaco station and filled my tank for the last time that night, 1.283 Gallons costing a whopping $2.31 gave me the final receipt to officially end my ride at 10:12 pm, 22 hours and 2 minutes after I started it.  A half mile later I was safely ensconced in my garage, ride over, paperwork waiting to be done.

This was my first Scooter Saddle Sore ride and a few things that helped me complete my longest SS1K ride were also things that help on any ride.  Auxiliary Lighting.  For this particular ride, much like riding in the Wilds of Nevada, light was critical.  W/o the big light bar I would not have finished this ride.  I wouldn’t have been able to maintain 50 mph speeds at night on the Natchez Trace Parkway.  Managing stopped time.  In the endurance rallies I have ridden, every minute is on the clock.  This teaches you that every minute is critical and not to waste them, because you may really need them later.  More than any other Saddle Sore ride, I was super critical of my stopped times.  No wasted time loitering at stops.  After 12 hours I still had barely more than 35 minutes in stopped time.  (I forgot to check at the end of the ride)  Hydration was also important.  Even though the weather was cool, having the ability to drink while riding kept me hydrated and alert through the night and during the long day of riding.

Total Odometer Miles = 1076                              Total Fuel cost - $37.05

Total GPS miles = 1078                                       Fuel cost per mile - ~$0.035

Total Off Trace Odo Miles = 15.6

Total Odometer Miles Ridden on the Natchez Trace = 1060.4

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Some boring route details and info.

10:10:37 PM - Depart from TIGERMARKET EXXON, 101 Johnston Pl, Clinton, MS 39056  

(-2.4 miles)

On Road fuel @ 110 miles. (Realize I won’t have enough fuel to get to planned Chiska FoodMart)

1:43:17 AM - Arrive at Shell, 835 Barnes Crossing Rd, Tupelo, MS 38804 (Filled only main tank)

Miles = 181 (-1.8 miles)

2:51 AM - Arrive at Chiska FoodMart Exxon US-72, Cherokee, AL 35616 (Filled main tank and jug)

Miles = 56  (-2.6 miles)

5:31 AM - Arrive at Shell 8456 Hwy 100,Nashville, TN 37221 (Filled only main tank.)

Miles = 125  (-1.0 mile)

On Road Fuel @ 115 miles.

9:23:59 AM - Arrive at Shell, 835 Barnes Crossing Rd, Tupelo, MS 38804 (fill only main tank)

Miles = 179  (-2.8 miles)

On Road Fuel @ 115 miles.

12:54:41 PM - Arrive at Super Store / Bluesky #638 401 Northside Dr, Clinton, MS 39056 (filled main tank and jug) 

Miles = 180  (-0.8 mile)

2:52:11 PM - Arrive at Circle K / Bluesky #507 138 North Shields, La., Natchez, MS 39120  (filled only main tank)

Miles = 90  (-1.0 mile)

4:52:05 PM - Arrive at Super Store / Bluesky #638 401 Northside Dr, Clinton, MS 39056

Cards declined at pump.  Had to go inside and pre-pay for $3.50 gas.  Purchased a corn dog and 2x 5 Hour Energy.  Ate corn dog at pump.  (filled only main tank)

Miles = 91  (-0.8 mile)

On Road Fuel @ 115 miles.

8:12:43 PM Finish at Sam’s Texaco 2126 W. Jackson St, Tupelo, MS 38801

Miles = 183  (-2.4)

Thanks for following along, I hoped you enjoyed the read.  Please subscribe to read more scooter adventures!

EricV

Let the Farkles Begin!

Farkle:  N: An Accessory intended to improve or embellish the original system; opulent luxury item; V: to add pleasure or comfort; to add additional items to stock unit thus improving value or performance.

Stock doesn't last long.  From our first ride on the Honda ADV 150 scooters we learned a few things needed immediate attention.  You had a great view of your elbow in the mirrors with a touch of rear street view.  That needed to be addressed.  Thankfully, I already had a source for a fix.  Lucky Bike sells mirror risers/extenders that address this issue and give you a view of more street and less elbow.  For $17.95 a pair, this problem was solve-able.  The Honda ADV150 uses (2) right hand thread 10mm bolts for the mirrors adjusters that thread into the lever boss.  Note that the mirrors themselves are 8mm and (1) RH and (1) LH, but it works much better to move the mirror and adjuster over than just trying to move the mirrors alone.

I ordered two sets as soon as we got home from that first ride.  They arrived in a few days, and installation was very straight forward.

Extra Mojo installed as well.  This little koala was given to me by a Tasmanian friend when she visited us in Tupelo.  My little mate has kept me safe ever since.  👍

And done!  We can SEE!

We are entered in the 2021 Scooter Cannonball Run in July of '21.  To this end, much of our prep is aimed at that event and the epic travel to and from it that will occur.

Next step to address was Hand guards, both for some weather protection for the hand in wet/cold, but also just as a preventative measure to prevent broken levers in the event of a drop or fall.  These are adventure scooters, and dirt/gravel is part of the Scooter Cannonball Run event too.  I found some generic hand guards of the type and size I thought would work well, so ordered two pair from Amazon along with some brake light strobe controllers and installed them at the same time as the mirror risers.  You can see them in the picture above.  Install was pretty straight forward, using a longer bolt at the bar end to use the stock threaded insert in the handle bars.  I did install a rubber gasket between the steel hand guard bar and the OEM bar end weight to both dampen vibrations and to avoid marring the bar ends.  The aluminum mounting bracket that came with the hand guards worked very well to fit over the scooter controls and allow the other end of the steel bar to mount.  I didn't use the included bolt or jam nut since the Honda already had internal threaded inserts in the handlebars.

Next up was increasing the rear visibility/conspicuity.  Another motorcycle forum I was on had previously raved about this brake light strobe controller as being inexpensive and effective.  

I also looked at other options and discovered www.vizi-tec.com which can make a plug and play version for a higher price, but offers more features too.  I sent them the following pictures of the stock wiring so they would have the ability to make up a plug and play brake modulator if someone else wanted one. These are of the bike harness side connector, (which is what vizi-tec asked for),, that gave them the info to make a plug and play version.

Doing the inexpensive brake light strobe controller involved some wire cutting.  I opted to make it reversible by using wire connectors so I could easily bypass the strobe controller if need be.  It took some plastic and part removal to get access to the wiring under the left rear panel.  The scooter is assembled from the rear to the front, so all plastic removal starts at the front, which can get a little involved!

I chose to cut wires on the brake light side of the harness, NOT the bike side.  The solid green wire is ground and the black is for brake light, the green with yellow trace wire is taillight and I did not cut that wire.  The ground and brake wires were cut to install the strobe controller inline.  I used weatherproof spade connectors in such a way that the strobe controller could be bypassed or removed w/o any further wiring, if need be.

The end result was the stock LED brake lights now flash four times rapidly, followed by four times slowly every time you hit the brakes, front or rear, then goes solid to avoid annoying the daylights out of people behind you.  This really gets people's attention and we noticed that we got much greater distance at stop lights.  Traffic behind us did not tailgate at stops any more.  Any improvement in this area is welcome.  If you are stopped and traffic comes up on you, you can release the brake and re-apply to get another does of flashing.  Here is a short video I made to show the effect.

I also took this time to install a few RAM mounts for GPS and Spot use.  My wife's scooter got a Garmin Zumo 550 with XM/Sirius satellite radio from her previous bike.  I installed a Garmin nuvi 40S on my scooter.  Also shown are the Sena SM10 to connect the 550 to the Sena 20S Evo sets we use for comm.  The Zumo cradle and the Sena SM10 have their own power supply cords tapped into the OE power port in the glove box.  The Zumo is discontinued, but still allows XM control thru the GPS, so it's there for tunes and still does duty as a navigation tool, even though the maps are no longer current.  The Nuvi 40 is discontinued, but CHEAP on Ebay and has lifetime maps still, so current mapset.  A RAM mount holds it securely.

The Spot 3 lives in another RAM mount.  Both scooters have RAM balls that allow the Spot to move back and forth as needed.  Note the tether.  This is a Good Idea™.

Next on the list was some form of luggage rack.  We knew we would be wanting some kind of top box, but really hadn't sorted out what yet.  I scoured the internet looking at luggage rack options and was not satisfied with the US offerings, which were very slim for the brand new 2021 model scooter.  Thailand and China had so much more to choose from.

Having seen tubular steel racks crack in the past, I really wanted to find something more durable.  I finally found an all aluminum rack that replaced the factory grab rails with a rack that incorporated the grab rails and was heavily reinforced underneath.  This looked like what Honda should have offered to begin with!  I questioned the seller about the claimed 100 Kg load limit, (220 lbs!) and they checked with the manufacturer and were told, yes, it's rated to 100 Kg.  I still have my doubts, but I ordered two for our scooters.  The Ebay vendor was very good with communication and shipping info.  They had a couple of minor issues with shipping due to the boxes being large, but sorted it out and got them to us in only a couple of weeks once straightened out.

I neglected to take pictures before I installed the racks, being as it was only 4 bolts to swap out the stock grab rails for the new racks.  These look great, don't have much rise and place the luggage platform close to the back of the bike, which appeals to me, giving the eventual luggage a smaller moment arm and hopefully less chance of fatigue and failure.

That's it for now, the search for some kind of extra luggage will continue.  We are uncertain if a top box alone with the 27L under seat storage will do the job, or if perhaps we need to consider soft bags/panniers as well.

Thanks for following along, please subscribe to see how our adventure progresses and read about the trips we take on our scooters as we prep for the Scooter Cannonball Run and just learn to travel and adventure on and off pavement with the Honda ADV 150 scooters!

EricV