Just got back from my 2000 mile trek to Austin, TX and back from Nashville, TN. As the title suggests, I encountered one of the most harrowing rides of my life.
On the way back from Austin, we stopped just south of Dallas on Sunday night after the MotoGP. The following morning we rode under cloud cover for a couple of hours until the sky dropped out. We found ourselves in the middle of a massive thunderstorm with 30-40 mph winds. We were on the open plains and there was not an exit or bridge to be found for miles. The temperature dipped down to 40 degrees, so our wet hands began to freeze up. Just when hypothermia set in, the sky unloaded with marble size sleet coming down in sheets. At this point it was totally unsafe to pull over. We had to ride in flooding conditions at a slow pace until we could find an exit to pull over a couple of miles down the road. I have ridden in tornado conditions, but this had to be the worst. We were not prepared for cold weather in addition to rain. My only concern was keeping my wife's spirits up as she was trying to hold on for dear life. We reached a motel 10 miles down the road. We were shivering so hard the lady at check-in was totally scared of us. Four hours later and dry gear, we followed the cold storm for two days until we arrived home. Lesson learned, never leave home without waterproof, winter gloves.
The good news:
My bike performed flawlessly. The MRA Touring Screen made the 2000 mile adventure a breeze. The Zeta handguards were a lifesaver on the open road doing 70 - 80 mph. Texas backroad highways have a posed 70 mph speed. Sweet. The interstates are 75 and one toll road was 80 mph posted. The Seat Concepts seat was good for about two hours until it started working me over. I consistently made 120 miles a tank before my reserve came on in standard mode. The Michelin Pilot Road 4's show very little wear after 2000 miles, handled fabulous through the Ozarks, and saved my ass in the torrential downpour as they did on my wife's R6S Yamaha. I set the GPR stabilizer on 7 clicks on the road, and the bike tracked like it was on rails. My cheap FZ6 knockoff rubber footpegs kept the vibration to a minimum through my feet. Lastly, my waterproof technique that I shared on another post on the cager Garmin worked like a champ. If it made it though that storm, it will make it anywhere. It saved my ass many times
The Circuit of the America's facility was fantastic. I spotted an Orange FZ-09 in the Geico motorcycle parking with the factory windscreen and factory radiator guards. On the way home as I was refueling at a gas station, a guy from Wichita, KS on a Graphite FZ-09, VIN number 5, pulled up beside me. His name was Brian, and he could not believe all of the mods that I have done to my bike. I told him that we would love to have him on our forum, that we have all benefitted from each other observations, and have found ways to make our bikes unbelievable.
The bad news.
In my quest to pack light, I left out some essential items. I should have ridden in my one piece suit and brought better rain and cold weather gear. My new rain suit arrived at the house one day after I left for the trip. I always carry a fleece lined sweatshirt and rain gloves, but gave the gloves to my wife as she was suffering immensely, and I left the sweatshirt at home. When I replaced my levers with the Mad Hornets and replaced my lines with steel and pads with HH compound, I did not file off my brake light trigger. I thought the light was working from a garage test but on the road the brake lever travel was not enough to trigger the light. Fortunately, with Sena SMH10 communicators, I confirmed it with my wife, so I had to use the back brake to alert motorists that I was braking. I solved that problem as soon as I got home. Thanks to triplethreat for that tidbit of information.
In summary, the FZ-09 can be made into and adventure bike with a minimal amount of effort. The only thing that I would change would be to go to a plusher seat option. I can swap out the windscreen for a more aggressive one for daily use to return the bike to a naked standard. I plan on using this bike for many more weekend rides than I I have taken on my previous motorcycles. I am totally pleased with my purchase and with the mods that I have done so far.
On the way back from Austin, we stopped just south of Dallas on Sunday night after the MotoGP. The following morning we rode under cloud cover for a couple of hours until the sky dropped out. We found ourselves in the middle of a massive thunderstorm with 30-40 mph winds. We were on the open plains and there was not an exit or bridge to be found for miles. The temperature dipped down to 40 degrees, so our wet hands began to freeze up. Just when hypothermia set in, the sky unloaded with marble size sleet coming down in sheets. At this point it was totally unsafe to pull over. We had to ride in flooding conditions at a slow pace until we could find an exit to pull over a couple of miles down the road. I have ridden in tornado conditions, but this had to be the worst. We were not prepared for cold weather in addition to rain. My only concern was keeping my wife's spirits up as she was trying to hold on for dear life. We reached a motel 10 miles down the road. We were shivering so hard the lady at check-in was totally scared of us. Four hours later and dry gear, we followed the cold storm for two days until we arrived home. Lesson learned, never leave home without waterproof, winter gloves.
The good news:
My bike performed flawlessly. The MRA Touring Screen made the 2000 mile adventure a breeze. The Zeta handguards were a lifesaver on the open road doing 70 - 80 mph. Texas backroad highways have a posed 70 mph speed. Sweet. The interstates are 75 and one toll road was 80 mph posted. The Seat Concepts seat was good for about two hours until it started working me over. I consistently made 120 miles a tank before my reserve came on in standard mode. The Michelin Pilot Road 4's show very little wear after 2000 miles, handled fabulous through the Ozarks, and saved my ass in the torrential downpour as they did on my wife's R6S Yamaha. I set the GPR stabilizer on 7 clicks on the road, and the bike tracked like it was on rails. My cheap FZ6 knockoff rubber footpegs kept the vibration to a minimum through my feet. Lastly, my waterproof technique that I shared on another post on the cager Garmin worked like a champ. If it made it though that storm, it will make it anywhere. It saved my ass many times
The Circuit of the America's facility was fantastic. I spotted an Orange FZ-09 in the Geico motorcycle parking with the factory windscreen and factory radiator guards. On the way home as I was refueling at a gas station, a guy from Wichita, KS on a Graphite FZ-09, VIN number 5, pulled up beside me. His name was Brian, and he could not believe all of the mods that I have done to my bike. I told him that we would love to have him on our forum, that we have all benefitted from each other observations, and have found ways to make our bikes unbelievable.
The bad news.
In my quest to pack light, I left out some essential items. I should have ridden in my one piece suit and brought better rain and cold weather gear. My new rain suit arrived at the house one day after I left for the trip. I always carry a fleece lined sweatshirt and rain gloves, but gave the gloves to my wife as she was suffering immensely, and I left the sweatshirt at home. When I replaced my levers with the Mad Hornets and replaced my lines with steel and pads with HH compound, I did not file off my brake light trigger. I thought the light was working from a garage test but on the road the brake lever travel was not enough to trigger the light. Fortunately, with Sena SMH10 communicators, I confirmed it with my wife, so I had to use the back brake to alert motorists that I was braking. I solved that problem as soon as I got home. Thanks to triplethreat for that tidbit of information.
In summary, the FZ-09 can be made into and adventure bike with a minimal amount of effort. The only thing that I would change would be to go to a plusher seat option. I can swap out the windscreen for a more aggressive one for daily use to return the bike to a naked standard. I plan on using this bike for many more weekend rides than I I have taken on my previous motorcycles. I am totally pleased with my purchase and with the mods that I have done so far.