If you like our site, please consider joining our club!
By joining you will help ensure that we can continue to provide this service
JOIN HERE!

Musing on a Journey

Post Reply
User avatar
Slash2
Posts: 538
Joined: Sat Oct 17, 2015 10:22 am
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 2 times

Musing on a Journey

Post by Slash2 »

Life's funny and I've found myself in a place where I have nothing but time and freedom with no responsibilities on the horizon and no one holding me back. I would guess that there won't come a better time in life to hit the road and be gone as long as the feeling carries me.

So, fellas, the only predicament I face is the selection of a steed from the stable. Once that decision is made, then it's just a matter of prepping the right bike for the journey. I live in Western PA and haven't settled on a route, but would like to eventually see the Pacific ocean and perhaps make my way up north to Alaska.

While I have a lot of options, I don't think the R67 is quite suited to the task in her current tick and I'm not in the position to have her ready in the next few months. The R60/2 has a fresh rebuild on the motor and an original transmission and final drive. The US bars on this one make it a good option and the Earles front end is just so solid. Another option is my 1968 R69US. I love this bike and have put about 3k miles on it in the past year. It's just about original, aside from a 1st over piston job done about a decade ago. She's got 20k on the clock, a big comfy Meier wide bench and cravens. The euro bars and US forks make for a slightly less comfortable touring position, but this could be swapped out for a US bar as I've got one in the shed with controls and cables all ready to bolt on. The R69S has a bit more power which is noticeable but the /2 seems to be capable of higher average speeds. That said, I don't intend to be scooting with any kind of intensity. Secondary roads only. The /2 has an old set of Cravens which I've never installed but are in good shape and a Wixom fairing that I removed immediately upon purchase. I don't know that I'd want a fairing, as they tend to bother me and spoil the simplicity of the bike. I've also got a nicely tuned, low mileage R100RS, but I really don't enjoy this bike all that much, particularly when compared to her older sisters.

I guess if I had my choice, it'd be a hoot to take the R67, I've only put about 100 miles on her, but the riding position is what I would call "perfect." That said, she's got half hubs, no rear brake light, no turn signals and she's never been cracked front to back. Currently sporting 21k on the original functioning clock.

Of course I ain't even considering my R27 and while I've got some more modern bikes, I'd much rather give this a go on something pre 70's. So what do you fellas think? Ideas? Tips? Suggestions. Let me have it.

Chris
Western Pennsylvanian - Airhead Extraordinaire

User avatar
Twocams
Posts: 781
Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2014 8:42 pm

I guess I would figure out

Post by Twocams »

I guess I would figure out how far im going. West Coast? Just down the road and back to see how far it is? So which bike would be the best with the least cost per mile. Which one would you need to fix if something catastrophic happened to it ( engine/transmission).
If you get into Oregon give a holler.

twocams
Twocams
92 R100RT/69 R69S
2004 Aprilia Atlantic 500cc single cylinder Scooter
83 Honda V65 Magna, fastest production bike in1983
2015 Can Am Spider SE6 1,688 miles
2018 Moto Guzzi V711 Special

khittner
Posts: 369
Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2012 8:45 pm

If the riding position suits

Post by khittner »

If the riding position suits you for a long day's ride, you'll be glad to have the RS's fairing for Alaska's mosquito & bug, and gravel-spitting season on the Alcan. I may be a man of little faith, but I just see a long-distance return shipping problem with any of the pre-'70s bikes.
Konrad

User avatar
Slash2
Posts: 538
Joined: Sat Oct 17, 2015 10:22 am
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 2 times

I suppose if I were going to

Post by Slash2 »

I suppose if I were going to take a modern bike, I'd sooner take my K1200R before I'd take the RS. I've done plenty of 400 mile days on the K bike.

That said, I'm really set on choosing between the R60/2 and the R69US. As for the event of catastrophe, I'm an optimistic fella but it seems to me, the simplest solution to that is renting a Uhaul van, loading the bike up and either hauling it home or to a decent place to fix her up.

I do intend to see Oregon. Been to Crater lake twice in my life but I've never seen it. Blizzard both times.
Western Pennsylvanian - Airhead Extraordinaire

User avatar
Twocams
Posts: 781
Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2014 8:42 pm

I think the R69 would be a

Post by Twocams »

I think the R69 would be a good bike to ride. Not sure how far I can ride my R69. With S1 vertebra problems and old man syndrome (68) just can't do it anymore. I am going to the Chief Joseph BMW Rally, John Day Oregon June 23-24-25 about 300 miles from me. But ill take the 92 R100RT cause it will be a 1200 mile ride before done.
Ive lived within 200 miles of Crater Lake since 1992 and only been 3 times. But nice place to see. With lots of history.

twocams
Twocams
92 R100RT/69 R69S
2004 Aprilia Atlantic 500cc single cylinder Scooter
83 Honda V65 Magna, fastest production bike in1983
2015 Can Am Spider SE6 1,688 miles
2018 Moto Guzzi V711 Special

User avatar
stagewex
Posts: 460
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2014 8:18 am

Take the r60/2. You already

Post by stagewex »

Take the r60/2.
You already admitted the US bars add to comfort. If you don't mind adding the ugly yet very comfortable wide US seat you've got it made for thousands .
And regular fuel.
Of course I'm prejudiced as an r60 owner. A tank that will run all day, all the way.
mike wex/stagewex
1969 BMW r60/2, US Model, 1995 BMW K75, 2006 Yamaha TW200, 2007 Ural Patrol, 1991 Honda XR250L

khittner
Posts: 369
Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2012 8:45 pm

There's Not a Lot of Civilization Up There

Post by khittner »

I suppose if I were going to take a modern bike, I'd sooner take my K1200R before I'd take the RS. I've done plenty of 400 mile days on the K bike.

That said, I'm really set on choosing between the R60/2 and the R69US. As for the event of catastrophe, I'm an optimistic fella but it seems to me, the simplest solution to that is renting a Uhaul van, loading the bike up and either hauling it home or to a decent place to fix her up.


Well, it's been 30 years since I last rode the Alcan home after ETS-ing out of my Army service at Ft. Wainwright, and, while it was mostly paved back even back then, with significant stretches of gravel/mud for reconstruction of the frost-heaved sections, it sounds like it may be somewhat more paved now. Nonetheless, I don't think the population density has increased much north and west of Edmonton---U-haul rentals may be pretty scarce/widely-separated/non-existent. George Rahn, who used to be the BMW dealer in Fairbanks (a single-wide trailer Vis-Queened to his log cabin, the last time he serviced my R90/6 back in '86) has passed into the next realm; I don't know whether anyone has assumed his duties. He was an irreplaceable character, and bombed around Fairbanks on his /2 sidecar rig (flatbed for a "chair" made for easy firewood hauling) at anything above -10F. If you make it to Haines Junction travelling north and west, be sure to turn left, and head down (well, up and then down) to Haines, AK---I remember that stretch of road through the St. Elias range as the most beautiful motorcycling road I've ever been on, even though it was dirt/gravel.
Konrad

Post Reply