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[TheNaker]

Hi there,

I just closed the deal on a tangerine FXR4 with 241 miles on it.  Next week I'm flying in to pick it up and riding home.  The ride will be approximately 900 miles.  I plan on doing the ride over 2 days.  Would welcome any advice on comfort or any other preparations for the ride.  I've done lots of long rides before on various bikes but never even ridden an FXR.

Thanks,

Sean

[Buy early]

Would make sure that a 12 year old bike with only 241 miles has new rubber & fluids at least. If it were me, I would have a good HD mechanic look it over before heading out.

[Fired00d]

Would make sure that a 12 year old bike with only 241 miles has new rubber & fluids at least. If it were me, I would have a good HD mechanic look it over before heading out.

Along with that I'd be real concerned about seals, gaskets, etc. too.... that old of a bike with that few miles has done a lot of sitting... not sure I would want my first long ride to be before I had it home for a qualified technician (if you can't do it yourself) go over it from head to toe. Nothing would be more frustrating and put a bad taste in your mouth than being stuck on the road somewhere with a bike you just purchased.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

[Twolanerider]

No way I'd just get on and ride a more than decade old bike that had never been ridden/maintained.  You might get home ok.  Or you might blow dry rotted tires that had little visual clue or break down due to a host of other problems ranging from seals leaking to brakes going out.  Bike that old that's not been used and maintained regularly needs a careful front to back going over.  Careful and slow.  Showing up, getting on it and riding it a thousand miles is just plain stupid (he says with your best interest at heart).

[mjb765]

I have to agree with all the advice you have just been given. There is no way I would embark on a ride that long on a bike that old without a thorough check of the entire bike...and a new set of tires is a must! Not to mention replacing any rubber hoses, changing all the fluids and at least lubing the cables. I would check with the seller and see if there is a reputable bike shop he could take it to for the check and you could fly in, meet the seller and take care of any business and then go pick the bike up and ride home.

[TheNaker]

I guess I should have mentioned that the bike was inspected by a HD dealership last year with new fluids, tires etc... to get it road worthy.

[Fxr4Rider]

So, where is the ride to an from?

[TheNaker]

So, where is the ride to an from?

Georgia to Toronto.

Here is a simple question - how far can I expect to go on a tank of gas?

[Fxr4Rider]

A tankful depends on your driving habits. 
Assuming you drive the speed limit you should
get hopefully a 150 miles to a tank. Drive it like you stole it and
All bets are off.
With a 900 mile trip you'll figure it out quick

stops will also depend how long your butt can take
the ride.

I assume you have researched the import process
And your paperwork is at the American border?

Nice scoot.  Enjoy the ride home.

[ltank]

The guys responses were correct.  I bought my FXR4 from a Ohio dealer online. They changed the oil but not the tires. They were dry rotted and had cracks. I only put a few miles on it then changed the tires
Good tires protect you and your new bike. I highly recommend that you either ride it to a bike shop for new tires or get a trailer to bring it home. The Ohio dealer shipped it to my local dealer then I picked it up on a trailer
Ltank

[hdfxr3]

Let bike shop check it over to be sure. New tires a must!  Rocker box gaskets soon.

[FXR2evo99]

I guess I should have mentioned that the bike was inspected by a HD dealership last year with new fluids, tires etc... to get it road worthy.

I think he has the new tires thing already addressed!!!

So, congratulations on your new bike.  It's always the age old question to ride, to trailer, to ship, to __________ get it home.

I purchased my 1999 FXR2 from a private party who was the original owner and gave me all the wonderful news my ears could handle.  It had 5,400 miles on it at the time which was considered low mileage of course, while yours is crazy low miles.  I drove 350 miles to go get it and my buddy drove my car behind me while I rode it home, all but 50 miles, my buddy rode it the last 50 miles.  Got home pulled it into the drive way, and oil was all over the bike.  

New rocker box seals, new jackshaft seal, new inner primary seal, did I mention I needed new seals.  Oh and I had to wash the bike for hours getting all the oil off to see where it indeed was leaking from.

But I enjoyed the ride, I hated the sound of the SE pipes though....killed my ears....lol.

Had a buddy just purchase a bike 550 miles from his home, it was a Triumph Tiger and what should have taken him 7 hours took him 14 hours with problems with the bike, he wishes he would have done something differently than he had done.

So....no one can tell you for sure, but going home you are going to be putting that bike through a "trip" process, like any of us do that own these bikes....most of us know the actual condition of our bikes....personally for 900 miles, it's hard what to say.....I would take it easy the first 200 miles or so getting off the bike at 50 mile intervals for sure just to check everything carefully and I WOULD certainly be carrying some sort of tool bag for tightening bolts that might come loose.  I would also be changing up the intervals of how I rode, heck that bike isn't even broken in yet....

I am not certain I would do what you are going to be doing.....

I would also wear a helmet and bring some advil if you aren't a rider....Make sure you know how to do a pet cock as well.....which way is up or down for the reserve that would suck if you ran out of gas, not realizing you have turned your pet cock up for reserve.  

The first 80 miles are really going to be strange....so draw no conclusions at all.  You will begin to get a feel for the bike after 150 miles or so.

You didn't mention if you are a "rider" or not or whether this is your first bike.....if it's your first bike bring along a couple of sets of ear plugs (in case you loose one pair) sun screen, hydrate yourself well.

Make sure you push in the "Enrichner" cable after about 30-45 seconds after it starts or so....make sure you don't forget about that....

Bring an extra set of spark plugs and make sure you have a 14mm spark plug socket and small rachet.  Simply purchasing OEM HD plugs are fine and gap them to .038 - .043 Thousandths (I believe).  

If you don't have a windshield on that bike, good luck with a half helmet, you are going to get so much buffeting, your neck is going to get sore, better make that a full bottle of advil.  If the bike comes with a windshield then half helmet would be great.  Not sure what the helmet laws are out there...but a full face without a windshield would be more comfortable.  You know if you are a rider than don't worry about this, as you already know, this is just being stated if you aren't a rider.

A low profile shoe would be better than big heavy boots this bike has mid range controls and depending upon your height you might feel cramped up....with big heavy boots on....

Just remember 70% rear brake 30% front brake application.....don't over analyze this however....just a thought to throw out there.

The bike's top speed probably around 110 mph, don't use this TRIP to figure that out though.....DON'T EVEN be tempted.

Realize this the gearing is set up such that 5th gear is pretty much an OVERDRIVE gear, so keep the bike in 4th gear up to around a minimum of 70-75 miles per hour then you can shift into 5th gear...
70 MPH 5th gear = 2700 RPMS
75 MPH 5th gear = 2900 RPMS

70 MPH 4th gear = 3300 RPMS
75 MPH 4th gear = 3550 RPMS
you shift prior to 65 MPH from 4th to 5th gear and you will feel like you are LUGGING the engine.....  65 MPH 5th gear = 2500 RPMS, spin the gears more than this for extended periods of time.
FOR GOSH SAKES DON'T LUG THIS ENGINE THIS EARLY IN THE BALL GAME.....

DON'T ride the bike down the highway at 2200 RPMS you are better off going down the highway at 2800-3200 RPMS.

continue...

[FXR2evo99]

DON'T WORRY ABOUT what your FUEL GAUGSE says....they are worthless, use your trip odometer for measuring when to get gas....which as has already been offered around 150 miles an hour....after you can then check each time you fill up to check your MPG via a calculator on your phone and then you can better judge when to stop for gas....it's a 4.2 gallon tank inclusive of the reserve.  By the way while driving the bike after 100 miles and you are comfortable begin trying to reach while keeping your eyes on the road and finding the pet cock and practice turning it....JUST In case this happens....and remember if you sputter or begin to hesitate with the running of the bike it could be fuel related so know how to operate that petcock, and if it happens don't panic you have about 15 seconds to figure the pet cock out, in fact count 15 seconds right now and SEE JUST how long that is.....just know how to operate it.

Did I mention to keep yourself hydrated.  However you plan to ride your bike ride it that way, meaning if you are going to use ear plugs then ride it like that from the beginning....don't go back and forth because you will begin freaking out one way or the other every time you change to the other direction....you will swear that bike is falling apart without ear plugs vs if you wear them then don't wear them.  

Do not attempt to shift DOWN into first until you are just about ready to stop.....like 5-10 miles per hour.....don't RIDE the clutch.  

AND FOR THE LOVE OF OWNERSHIP.....here is what I would do.....

for warm up purposes....let the engine run for about 3.5 to 3 minutes from the moment it starts inclusive of pulling out the choke....get the idle set with the "dead man" locking dial on the right side handlebar which will lock in your speed...it's like a dead man cruise switch....lol, anyway after 2:30 to 3:00 minutes turn off the bike and wait 5 minutes then turn on the bike and you are ready to gently take off.....the concept of this is that it warms up the cylinders SLOWLY and doesn't FORCE heat into the cylinder from letting it idle for 5-7 minutes....in fact I suggest all of you check this idea out, my son-in-law turned me on to this idea last summer....it's so simple and easy....take the 5 minutes to get yourself completely ready to ride....ie: gloves, helmet, or whatever....but take off in a min of 5 minutes and don't wait 15 minutes to go....the bike will cool again....and then once you take off....keep RPMS at not OVER 3000 for the FIRST 10 mles after 10 miles then you can ride it however you choose....and the closer to 25 miles the better....but at least 10 minimum.  NEXT if you stop for lunch, start the bike, sit on it for 90 seconds or so and then take off Do not ride it like you stole until you have gone a couple of miles....this will be VERY FRUSTRATING to your friends....you will always be the followerer after lunch but that's the best way to let these evos warm up....anytime you are off that bike for and 1 hour or more treat it as though you went to lunch....if you are getting gas, no worries at all....no warm up procedure.....do not PULL ON the throttle when you are starting the bike thinking you are cute that bike needs to COME UP TO TEMPERATURE......before you do that....if you ride in the colder months that time might need to be increased to 4 minutes and then turn off the bike and wait 5 minutes...

Study your map and see if you can look up 10 -12 dealerships on your route and put their numbers in your phone directory so that if you have a problem just call them.  Also make sure you have a towing program on your insurance at least until you get home.  

One final thing there are highway pegs on that bike....depending on how tall you are sit on the bike or even take it for a small spin before you leave the home of the person you are buying it from and quickly check out whether they are set up for your legs correctly, if they are not ask him if he could help you change them real quick...takes about 5 minutes but will add to the pleasure of your trip...and if you don't do it you will have wished you had the whole time....

Have fun....let us know how it goes...and Sean....CONGRATULATIONS!!! YOU PURCHASED A FINE MACHINE......

 :jalapeño:

Tim

[FXR2evo99]

Sean....

Sorry just read that you have done lots of rides.....well just take what you can....perhaps something will spur on another helpful idea.

Tim