2 month LATAM trip Necessary parts?

[WingVetteStrom]

Getting ready to leave on a three month trip through Colombia, Central America, and Mexico then back to WA State.

 

Bike is new.  Curious about any mechanical/electrical problems anyone may have had that would indicate what spare parts I might want to bring with me.  No comments about how reliable this bike is so I don't need any please.  Honest experiences requested.

 

As with my previous VStrom that I used to take through Latin America (LATAM), I've always carried spare wire, extra fuses, small amount of grease for wheel removal, blue locktite, assorted fasteners and push pins, oil filter, a starter relay, fiber clutch plates, and fork seals/dust boots, and screw type master link, fuel transfer hose/pump, and a 1 gallon roll up gas bag.  (Giant Loop.)   Have tubeless rims on the bike, and think I'll forego the spare 19" tube for unfixable punctures as it's just too much bulk and weight.

 

Thanks.

[Hollybrook]

How about an OBD2 reader and adapter cable? 

[WingVetteStrom]

10 minutes ago, Hollybrook said:

How about an OBD2 reader and adapter cable? 

Yup, just got one. 

[Windblown]

Starter relay? Sure why not,  though I don't think there is any one component that is predisposed to fail electrically with enough regularity on this bike to warrant carrying spares more than any other. PIcking one or two items is mostly a game of spin the wheel. Wire and fuses for sure though.  

 

Is this basically a road trip? I haven't traveled into Central America so I defer to your experience with the region but it strikes me as curious that you would opt to carry fork seals and a clutch pack both of which are not items that typically strand one trail side and can be ordered online if needed and shipped just about any  city in the world yet pass on packing a tube and a couple of spoons so that more extreme tire or rim damage that tends to occur without warning and usually in the most inconvenient of places would not leave you stranded trail side. 

 

Sounds like you're not stranger to long trips so I'm guessing like me you go thru the entire bike from front to back to inspect everything before before leaving.  Lube everything, change ALL fluids, and take no chances with anything that is the least bit questionable.

 

If that's the case then maybe you don't want to hear it but the spares you should be packing should relate to fixing things you're likely to break, not random parts that if in like new condition when you leave are likely to live as long as the bike itself. Or packing replacement wear items that if replaced before you leave will easily live longer than your trip distance.

 

Me? I'd be thinking Tubes, a spare air filter and or pre-filter, and replacement levers if I was so foolish as to not have stout handguards mounted. Oil filter? Maybe... the one in the T700 is so common it's likely to be availible along the way. 

[Redneckj]

1st thing I would make sure I could do is to repair a flat tire.   On a trip that long I would pack new 18 and 21 inch tubes.  In the event you get a flat, install the new tube and then repair your punctured tube when you stop for the day.  
 

Fuses and puddy are a must!  
 

what tires are you starting off with on your ride? Do you expect the tires to last the entire trip? 
 

Please post pics during your adventure. 
 

 

 

 

[WingVetteStrom]

2 hours ago, Windblown said:

Starter relay? Sure why not,  though I don't think there is any one component that is predisposed to fail electrically with enough regularity on this bike to warrant carrying spares more than any other. PIcking one or two items is mostly a game of spin the wheel. Wire and fuses for sure though.  

 

Is this basically a road trip? I haven't traveled into Central America so I defer to your experience with the region but it strikes me as curious that you would opt to carry fork seals and a clutch pack both of which are not items that typically strand one trail side and can be ordered online if needed and shipped just about any  city in the world yet pass on packing a tube and a couple of spoons so that more extreme tire or rim damage that tends to occur without warning and usually in the most inconvenient of places would not leave you stranded trail side. 

 

Sounds like you're not stranger to long trips so I'm guessing like me you go thru the entire bike from front to back to inspect everything before before leaving.  Lube everything, change ALL fluids, and take no chances with anything that is the least bit questionable.

 

If that's the case then maybe you don't want to hear it but the spares you should be packing should relate to fixing things you're likely to break, not random parts that if in like new condition when you leave are likely to live as long as the bike itself. Or packing replacement wear items that if replaced before you leave will easily live longer than your trip distance.

 

Me? I'd be thinking Tubes, a spare air filter and or pre-filter, and replacement levers if I was so foolish as to not have stout handguards mounted. Oil filter? Maybe... the one in the T700 is so common it's likely to be availible along the way. 

As I mentioned, I have tubeless wheels, so no need for spoons, etc.  Sometimes it's a good idea to carry a tube as I mentioned for a tubeless tire really bad tear, but it's just too much weight and bulk.  There are Vulcanizadoras/Tallers all over the place down there.   Have plugs, will travel.  Starter relay isn't random exactly, it's that I've seen them fail on two other modern bikes previously. Fluids good, bike is new.   Just did the 600 mile oil change.   Trip is a combination of on and off road.   Some say clutch plates last forever on modern bikes, but I blew the plates on my V-Strom this summer trying to get up a sandy hill, and several other "Overlanders" like myself have needed them.  Not much space for a set of plates and a clutch gasket.   Thanks.

[Windblown]

29 minutes ago, WingVetteStrom said:

As I mentioned, I have tubeless wheels, so no need for spoons, etc.  Sometimes it's a good idea to carry a tube as I mentioned for a tubeless tire really bad tear, but it's just too much weight and bulk.  There are Vulcanizadoras/Tallers all over the place down there.   Have plugs, will travel.  Starter relay isn't random exactly, it's that I've seen them fail on two other modern bikes previously. Fluids good, bike is new.   Just did the 600 mile oil change.   Trip is a combination of on and off road.   Some say clutch plates last forever on modern bikes, but I blew the plates on my V-Strom this summer trying to get up a sandy hill, and several other "Overlanders" like myself have needed them.  Not much space for a set of plates and a clutch gasket.   Thanks.

 

New bike or not I would lube all bearings, pivot points, and related shafts before leaving.  They tend to come quite dry from Yamaha on this bike. If a bearing goes bad and undetected for very long it will take out other parts along with it that are much harder to get than just a bearing.  Cheap insurance to know it's right before leaving. 

[WingVetteStrom]

6 minutes ago, Windblown said:

 

New bike or not I would lube all bearings, pivot points, and related shafts before leaving.  They tend to come quite dry from Yamaha on this bike. If a bearing goes bad and undetected for very long it will take out other parts along with it that are much harder to get than just a bearing.  Cheap insurance to know it's right before leaving. 

I've lubed the dogbone and lower shock mount bearings.  Didn't do the swingarm or steering head bearings.

[WingVetteStrom]

1 hour ago, Redneckj said:

1st thing I would make sure I could do is to repair a flat tire.   On a trip that long I would pack new 18 and 21 inch tubes.  In the event you get a flat, install the new tube and then repair your punctured tube when you stop for the day.  
 

Fuses and puddy are a must!  
 

what tires are you starting off with on your ride? Do you expect the tires to last the entire trip? 
 

Please post pics during your adventure. 
 

 

 

 

As I mentioned above, I have tubeless rims on the bike.  (Alpina rims from King Wheels in England.). I use Dunlop Mission Trailmax 50/50s.  Got 10,000 miles on my last set.  Trip may be as long as 15,000 miles.  Wife will fly down for a visit with a new set halfway thru the trip.

What's a "puddy"?

Will post a link to my blog.

Thanks.

[Redneckj]

Lol.  It’s Putty.  My bad.  

 

metal repair epoxy

 

 

 

[Ray Ride4life]

3 hours ago, WingVetteStrom said:

As I mentioned, I have tubeless wheels, so no need for spoons

And what if you dent the rim? No air will hold then .
When i travel with my Crosstourer i always carry tubes in case something happens and i dent a rim and with that bike i don't go on technical offroad.
Carry as less as possible but do take the most probable things or else you need a towbar and trailer for all the parts and you end up stranded because you don't have what you need.

I carry a toolset with all the tools i need to service my bike incl. a tyre change, a spear rear tube some JB weld (2K glue and putty), tystraps, electrical tape, ductape, fuses and other small electrical stuf, a universal cableset to repair clutch or throttle a roll hoseclamp you can cut to size, a small compressor and a startbooster plus a 1L MSR bottle with fuel (2 on long trips).

[Redneckj]

Good call on your list @Ray Ride4life

 

On that long of a trip a “start booster” is a must have.  
 

 

[BikeBrother]

On our long trips we always took 6 spokes for front and 6 spokes for real wheel. 

Have a safe trip.

[Windblown]

7 hours ago, Redneckj said:

Good call on your list @Ray Ride4life

 

On that long of a trip a “start booster” is a must have.  
 

 

 

I used to carry a jump pack on trips.  Now I install a AntiGravity Restart battery into bikes I'll be taking long trips on.  It's not quite as redundant as having a separate jump pack, but it's always charged.

 

Had occasion to use it twice and found it to be handy.  

[WingVetteStrom]

11 hours ago, Redneckj said:

Lol.  It’s Putty.  My bad.  

 

metal repair epoxy

 

 

 

Yup, got that.  Along with super glue, shoe goo, and WD40, and of course chain lube. 

[WingVetteStrom]

3 hours ago, Windblown said:

 

I used to carry a jump pack on trips.  Now I install a AntiGravity Restart battery into bikes I'll be taking long trips on.  It's not quite as redundant as having a separate jump pack, but it's always charged.

 

Had occasion to use it twice and found it to be handy.  

Thanks.  Also have an anti-gravity battery.  (Don't tell DHL as I'll be air freighting my T7 to Colombia soon.). Mine has the restart button with a charge reserve instead of having to carry a jump pack or cables.  Thanks.

[WingVetteStrom]

6 hours ago, BikeBrother said:

On our long trips we always took 6 spokes for front and 6 spokes for real wheel. 

Have a safe trip.

Never thought of that.  However with my Alpina wheels, their spokes are proprietary, with oil rings on them, etc, so don't think that would be possible.

Thanks.

[WingVetteStrom]

10 hours ago, Redneckj said:

Good call on your list @Ray Ride4life

 

On that long of a trip a “start booster” is a must have.  
 

 

Have an Anti Gravity battery with a restart button to use an extra stored reserve to start the bike in case the brain dead operator leaves the lights on.

[TenereTragic700]

Out of interest, what is the cost for air freighting a bike from Washington State to Columbia and what prep is required for the shipping? 

[WingVetteStrom]

2 hours ago, TenereTragic700 said:

Out of interest, what is the cost for air freighting a bike from Washington State to Columbia and what prep is required for the shipping? 

This particular Colombian company is easier than other carriers like Air Canada.  I only had to drain the gas down to no more than 1/4 tank, make sure the bike isn't dirty, and I took off the windscreen to allow for a smaller crate.  Don't even have to disconnect the battery. 

 

Also no prohibited items in the panniers.  Gas, oil, batteries, food, etc.  All my other stuff except for my riding gear/boots, my meds and clothes, computer gear, chain lube, etc. will be in the panniers. 

 

Part of the fee includes the Colombian company in Miami processing the bike thru Miami airport customs as well as the crate construction, interfacing with DHL, yadda yadda.

 

My T7 will be going by truck from my house here in Washington State to Miami.  $1545.  Then Miami to Bogota via DHL for about $3000 - $3,400, depending on the size of crate the Colombian company's branch office in Miami will have to build for it.  

 

Pray for me.  It'll be my 9th motorcycle trip to LATAM (Latin America), but the first time I've shipped.  LOL.

[Endopotential]

We're all living vicariously through you!  Is that amount above for round trip, or just one way?  How long does it take for the bike to arrive?

Hopefully that's roundtrip shipping.  Otherwise for $8000 could you just buy a bike down there?  And with it being Colombian, maybe you'll get a free kilo of some mystery white powder to make you go extra fast 

[TenereTragic700]

@Endopotentialhe is shipping down and riding home.

@WingVetteStromthanks for the detailed response - good luck and have fun.

[WingVetteStrom]

9 hours ago, Endopotential said:

We're all living vicariously through you!  Is that amount above for round trip, or just one way?  How long does it take for the bike to arrive?

Hopefully that's roundtrip shipping.  Otherwise for $8000 could you just buy a bike down there?  And with it being Colombian, maybe you'll get a free kilo of some mystery white powder to make you go extra fast 

One way.  I'm not going to buy or rent down there, as I'm going to spend a month in Colombia then ship to Panama and ride home through Central America and Mexico.   I'm told 7-9 days Washington State to Miami, then 3-6 days Miami to Bogota.  That time is the required time to build a crate for the bike and process it through customs, then deliver to DHL.  Not interested in lining my coffin with money.  Prices have soared post Covid for shipping, and options have narrowed dramatically.   That's why I'm sending the bike from Washington State to Miami.

Edited January 17, 2023 by WingVetteStrom

[S.Ga.Rider]

I'd change the oil in mine, adjust the chain and take it on that trip tomorrow. I carry a basic repair kit and tire repair and that's it. Not like when I used to have my ktm.... Lol I'd have 1/4 of my storage packed in replacement parts. Lol

[WingVetteStrom]

Here's a link to my blog if anyone wants to follow along on the trip.