The Bikes

While it was conceivable that this trip could be made on Nick's 2001 Honda Magna there was no way Roy's 1974 Honda CB550K was ever going to make the trip without major surgery.  Even if the CB was resurrected, we specifically wanted to minimize time spent on maintenance so the old CB wasn't a candidate.  The Honda's would sit this one out!

Our major criteria were:

• ability to travel comfortably over thousands of miles of high speed highways
• ability to travel comfortably over thousands of miles of gravel roads, including in wet conditions
• ability to carry gear for 6 weeks worth of travel and camping
• No chain!  (Chain maintenance can be so time consuming on a long trip)
• reputation of reliability

That makes for a very short list of candidate bikes.  The "no chain" precludes KTM's like the Adventurer, as well as the popular Suzuki VStrom.  We drooled over some Moto Guzzi's, but couldn't find enough real world reviews of them to satisfy my reliability concerns.  Nick was interested in the Kawasaki Concours, but the BMW is much more suited to extended gravel and perhaps some trail riding.

We both eventually chose to look for used BMW R1200GSs.  They are some of the largest bikes designed for dual-sport (Gelände/Straße is German for "off-road/road") making them more highway friendly than many dual sports, but less nimble off road.  That description fits very well for the riding we foresee on this trip, and the riding we'd likely do after, if we decided to keep the bikes.  Their size and wide variety of luggage make it easy to carry lots of gear.  They have a shaft drive, which is very low maintenance.  The GS line has long been the motorcycle of choice for adventure touring riders.  They have a strong (but by no means iron clad) reputation as capable, flexible, and reliable rides.

In July 2009 Nick bought a 2005 model from Max BMW in North Hampton, NH.  It came with:

• Ohlins front and rear suspension
• BMW hard bags
• spoked rims
• handlebar risers

 Since then he has added:

• SW-MOTECH lower engine crash guards
• Bags-Connection "Engage" Quick-Lock Tankbag
• Touratech drive shaft crash bung
• Touratech side stand foot expander
• Touratech throttle potentiometer guard
• front fender extension
• Maier USA rear wheel forward mud guard
• magnetic oil pan plug
• headlight protector
• radiator guard
• Yuasa YTX14H-BS battery

After arriving at Nicholas' place, the day Roy purchased his bike

A month later Roy bought a Desert Yellow 2006 model from a guy in Vermont who took immaculate care of it. After purchasing it new from Max BMW in Troy, NY the first owner Greg added:

• Cee Bailey headlight protector
• Cee Bailey Windscreen
• Cee Bailey Vario bag liners
• Piaa 540 Extreme white driving lamps, on flat mounting bracket
• Touratech hand guard extenders
• Touratech throttle potentiometer protector
• Touratech oil cooler radiator protector
• Touratech front fender forward extender
• Touratech brake lever extender 
• Touratech steering stop  
• BMW Vario side bags
• BMW engine guards & crash bars
• Kacko Cruise control 
• Black wool seat covers for both seats (nice) 
• Marsee 15L  tank bags with map pouch
• Pirates Liar pillion seat back rest (also nice says his wife)

Since then Roy has changed\added:

• Jesse Oddesy II bags, c\w liner luggage and pack-strap loops, exchanged for the BMW Varios
• Touratech side stand foot
• Touratech drive side bung protector
• Illium bar backs
• Maier USA rear wheel forward mud guard
• magnetic oil pan plug
• Yuasa YTX14H-BS battery

He has also purchased new spare brake pads (front and rear) and K & N oil filters to have on this trip and exchanged the Metzler Tourances front and rear tires with the same thing (after 13.000 miles).