| Author | Message | ||
     Rodclement |
Hello everyone! Next week I am heading down to NC to meet my brother and his family for a week long vacation. I am going to ride there from NJ, about 650 miles each way, my only concern is Uly reliability or should it be? My 2006 Uly has 5K miles on it, 1K since I got it, and was serviced at 4K with full check-up and rear wheel bearing replaced. Should I be worried? I am not concerned about having to deal with an issue, but I am concerned about missing my time with my brother and his family while waiting for a repair somewhere in between NJ and NC... So what say you fellow Uly riders? I really want to ride down there instead of flying on a plane! Thanks! Rod | ||
| Dynasport |
Any bike can have a break down. There simply is no guarantee that something won't go wrong. Would I be worried? Not at all. I have had my Uly just under 2 years. I have ridden it from Florida to NC twice and from Florida to Wisconsin for Homecoming once. I have never experienced a single problem. It is true that my bike is newer than yours, but I also have a good bit more miles. Enjoy the ride. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Pffft. You are barely out of break in. Just ride the bike. The biggest threat is simple stuff like a flat tire, or breaking something because you dropped it. Actually, you are probably the weak link if you have the wrong gear or wrong prep. It does pay to be prepared... every bike has a list of things that more commonly go wrong, so know those. If you have had the wheel replaced and don't know if the torque sequence was followed correctly, it wouldn't hurt to bring new bearings and spacers. Don't start the ride with a tired tire (thinner tires puncture easier, and hard riding on good roads can wear a tire a lot faster then you would think possible... especially NC chip and seal). Other general "fix it" type stuff is also nice to pack along (tools, electrical tape, wire, multi-meter, flashlight, rescue tape, quick set epoxy, etc). I have all that and more, but so far all it has done is let me be smug... the Uly is running great. Check fluids, and check them again on the road (hard riding can flush out new problems that never showed up around town... I killed a KLR-250 by making that mistake... never burned a drop of oil until I rode it HARD over deals gap and the Cherohola, and burned up all its oil, and I spun a cam bearing before I figured out what was happening). In other words, common sense. | ||
| Bike_pilot |
Ride and have fun. For a short trip like that all I'd pack would be a tire plug kit and a bicycle pump. | ||
| Buewulf |
All good. You just replaced the bearings and had the bike looked over. So long as you have relocated the ECM, I don't think you are at any more risk of losing time with your brother than if you were to make the trip on any other bike. Ride and enjoy. | ||
| Schwara |
Have fun Rod ... I'm jealous. I'm still getting out but not as much as when it was warmer and dryer. It's raining in Cincy right now. I actually never even felt comfortable doing a trip until I got the Uly. Now I just look for the time. I've put more miles on her since March than I have on my car. That's a first for me. Nothing else really to add besides whats already been sent ... tires, oil (take some), good charge on the batt, tire repair stuff, tools, zip ties, ECM relo, silicone tape (very cool stuff), GPS, phone, and access to Badweb. Like I said ... have fun. | ||
| Schwara |
Rod ... I did not think to mention some mods that helped make longer time in the saddle more fun for me: lowered pegs, bar riser, and huge HVMP bar end weights. I think a more neutral riding position is more comfortable and will probably even go to the adjustable 2" Rox Risers at some point. I couldn't remember if I mentioned any of this stuff to you before or not and it would require me to search for myself to check so there you go. | ||
| Dadeoh |
If you have any problems, I am in the Raleigh area( Chapel Hill)Glad to help if I can. | ||
| Hooper |
To me, the worst feeling in the world is being stranded far from home (or even close to home). I bring a printout of the BRAN (a list of friendly Badwebbers across the world who can lend a hand, found elsewhere on this site) and bike shops/Harley dealers in the area. When I bought by Uly (and my Harley), they gave me a nice atlas that had a list of all the shops in the world. My wife just signed up for AAA, which automatically gives me the same towing benefit. Nice. | ||
| Rodclement |
Thanks everyone! I have done plenty of long milage trips so I am ok there, my biggest concern was having any major issues that needed towing and shop time that would take away time from my family... In any case I am going on the Uly since this is what I bought it for, and this is my vacation so I want to spend it riding! Great ideas here! I love the list of members so if I do have an issue, I may be able to find a kindred spirit that can land a hand!  The bar risers are on my list of purchases but they will have to wait untill after the trip, I will make a list of things I would like to change during the trip and make the mods when it's snowing! So far I have lower pegs, bar risers, and the wind shield adapter. Tool wise, I am taking the basic stuff along with a full tire repair kit, I have to trust the new bearings since they were just done at Liberty Harley! GPS, cell phone, printed directions (yeah...triple redundancy!), list of dealerships...bad web list, all check. Camera and tablet pc...check! The plan is to ride down the quickest route, probably I95 all the way and then take a few days to come back home and enjoy the trip. I will be in Rock Hill so any suggestions for the trip back are appreciated! Rod | ||
| Reepicheep |
Forget the bicycle pump... you can get a tiny DC compressor for $15 or so that will fit under the seat. Got one for the bike, and it was so handy, I got one for each of the cars as well. | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
"Forget the bicycle pump... you can get a tiny DC compressor for $15 or so that will fit under the seat. Got one for the bike, and it was so handy, I got one for each of the cars as well." Sorry for the thread jack, but Reepi, what did u get and where? | ||
| 7873jake |
Rod, Along with the BRAN list, check your insurance policy for towing and roadside assistance info. Get those numbers together and keep them handy. As an example (not an endorsement), there's a level of membership in the AMA that includes roadside assistance for around $30 bucks a year. | ||
| Rodclement |
Good call jake! Will do that! I got the "slime" brand pump at sports authority in the bike section. I know they sell at strauss auto as well for $15! Pretty good deal and they plug into the Uly 12 volt outlet. Also found a power cord for my cell phone/gps/music player that fits in the space provided in the Uly control panel power outlet so I should be good...also have 3 batteries for my phone and an old GPS unit for redundancy. Rod |
