BIKE:
I could not skip commenting on most important part of my travelling gear which is my iron horse:
Above you see it at a German filling station during the last and also longest trip I've ever done.
How could I imagine when I bought it brand new an age ago as a compromise, that it would turn out to be the best fit possible for such use.The reliability is beyond belief:
156.000km on it now and I am still running mostly on its original parts, including the clutch and the WHOLE electric system. Speaking of clutches, I never wore out a clutch on any of the vehicles I had in my hands despite how old/used they were so that says something about the way I use them I guess.
Its oil consumption is still the same as new, its fuel consumption after the last tune up before this trip has come back to its original numbers. Both indicate the impressive (almost unbelievable) that after all these kilometres in a vast variety of conditions the engine's moving parts still maintain the original tolerances with minimal (if any) wear. It even sounds like it did when brand new though I haven't adjusted the valves for more than 50.0000km and I haven't changed anything inside. Which means that yes, it still runs on the original camshaft chain.
I just opened my service spreadsheet file to see what I had to do on this bike except routine maintenance and there were so few to notice that put a smile on my face once again:
65.000km: I changed the bearings of the head stem and the front wheel. The only weak point of this bike, both changed for better ones (tapered bearing on head stem and fully sealed on the wheel) and now almost 100.000km later they still run like new.
85.000km: One front fork seal started leaking so I changed both. Same thing happened around 50.000km later and I cleaned the seal with a DIY tool I made which cured the leak. It't not always the seal, sometimes dirt is the culprit and I might have saved them like that in the first time too. Therefore, not exactly a bike's problem, especially at that mileage.
126.000km: Starter's brush kit. No one can complain about it in such mileage, ease and inexpensive fix. If Suzuki part looks expensive you can buy the same from other brands which use the same (I bought it from Honda).
And that's all! The first battery lasted 8 years and 100.000km! Reminds me of a talk I had with my tire guy both praising the bike when he tells me: "If Suzuki knew how good their bike is they wouldn't allow it to make it to the production line. They sell much less parts than other bikes." 🙂
When this bike came out it was on the comfort side of things. I did modified it slightly though since good is good but better is better. So I made myself a DIY windscreen 4 years ago, a project that I also wanted to put in production and if I would I'd be the first and only to offer it at various sizes with option to engrave your own words on it. Check out the "promo" video I made back then:
I didn't manage to secure quality stability standards that I wanted so I didn't sell it but I made a couple of pieces for me and I'm very happy with it. See the absolute clarity this thing has to a level that it is invisible in some pictures like this:
I also modded the saddle, maybe the most critical part of a touring bike - you can see what I've done here.
Lastly, I raised the rear end a bit by changing the linkage of the rear suspension. Very cheap and effective mod as the bike has low clearance from factory. This was my first mod on this bike. And that's all with mods. The bike was almost perfect from the factory. Enough comfort, enough power, more than enough space, very efficient, very good handling, beyond bulletproof, it all made it a perfect base to start building your trip plans on. And especially with the evolution of tires through the years it handles even better now. I'd never believe that a bike, or any vehicle, would grow like old wine in my hands. Unbelievable...
I can praise it in one more way so you get the whole picture: My previous bike was an XTZ750 Super Tenere. This one:
What do I miss from it? Only the looks, the ground clearance and the less vibrations on low revs of its parallel engine compared to the twin V of my current one. Everything else is not just better but a whole world better.
One more comparison: I test rode a BMW 1200GS before buying my current Suzuki. Nice and comfy except minor details I didn't like (shaky windscreen on idle, small mirrors, uncool cockpit etc). I was VERY close to buying it but last minute decided that the BMW world is not my kind of party, mainly speaking of reliability and astronomical costs so I decided to stick with the Japanese school of bikes once more. I paid half the money that I would for the BMW and probably saved as much in running costs which makes this bike feel for free compared to a BMW. And it is so good that I never went drooling while meeting BMWs on my trips. Believe me I still pinch myself about it to realise it's not a dream.
That said, in no way I want to imply that you should first get a "perfect" bike before starting travelling like me. Just travel with whatever you already have. You will adapt your riding and trip planning on what your ride is and you'll be fine. Take care on its maintenance before starting and keep an eye on what it might need on the go and you'll be OK. Modifying the saddle like I did can transform the comfort of any bike so spend some time on it if yours is not that good. Especially for men it's no fun to expose themselves in an unpleasant "ballroom" 😉 And if something goes wrong that's what internet and social media are for. You won't believe how many people will jump in for your rescue if you participate in the right forums/groups. I never had to ask for such help (never!) but I track many of them and have provided my help to others over these years. And hey, I am here to help and would be glad to offer any helping info or tip you might wanna know and I haven't covered here so feel free to join with your input.
Safe rides to all!