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Tour de France road trip

805 views 9 replies 6 participants last post by  Roadhog 
#1 ·
back home from a +/- 4.300 km 'Tour de France' road trip on the DX
except for snow i've enjoyed all other poss types of weather but most important for me was to know the answer to the question 'is my DX in all respects fit for that kind of travel ?' meaning : handling in the mountains w/luggage, riding long hours - without windshield - in rain and sometimes combined w/heavy winds (yes it wobbles), that strange non-ergonomic seating position and how would that fat ass behave in general
answer : YES ! it was just amazing how well it all went, to enjoy that extra power when racing up a mountain, doing twisties & hairpins, perfect stability, excellent front brakes, the sound and echoes in the mountains when engine braking during downhill stretches...
for those who doubted or asked earlier about handling that 280 : see above ! no problems whatsoever, it only takes a bit more effort (shoulders and upper arms)
damages : punctured rear tire (nail), both footpegs shaved + radiator shroud is a bit shorter on the bottom right side due to the twisties and some minor 'marks' (no scratches) on the rear fender due to luggage so no worries... so now i'm thinking on selling the road king ...

ps : a Garmin Zumo is a top notch piece of equipment, excellent and accurate guidance + as much music as an SD card can hold + you can even mount the Ram mount directly to either the clutch reservoir or front brake reservor clamp; just replace the stock bolts with the ones from the install kit

took some pics along the way, for those interested : see my gallery, enjoy
grtz !
 

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#3 ·
I am envious, I have family comitments and can not just "disappear" for a few weeks :(

I have a Garmin Quest, that I have been using for the last two years.
Damn fine bit of kit.
I am using a Ram Mount, with a U-bolt off the right hand handlebar.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for posting all the pictures in your Gallery. I actually viewed them before running into this thread. Congratulations on your fun trip!

So you like the ZUMO? I'll be ordering mine soon.

Take care and post more pics of your future trips.
 
#5 ·
The_Apprentice said:
I am using a Ram Mount, with a U-bolt off the right hand handlebar.
that's the second option (also included in the kit) but to avoid any poss damage caused by the U-bolt (it pinches so could crack up the powder coat) on a black pc'd handlebar i've used the other mounting option, steady as a rock, gonna leave the cradle on at all times so just have to paint the 2 bolt heads black
grtz
 

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#6 ·
joe_s2k said:
So you like the ZUMO? I'll be ordering mine soon.
hi Joe
1 minor flaw : no visual difference (e.g. color) between major-minor roads; they all have the same color, even with map detail set 'high' (my old TomTom in my car however showed that very nicely) but the spoken instructions help a lot
btw, the Zumo saved me at least 3 speeding tickets ... those speed cams were actually there... talk about return on investment :D
joe_s2k said:
Take care and post more pics of your future trips.
will do, already planning to re-visit the Scottish Highlands or go to Corsica in September
grtz & ride safe !
 
#9 ·
PeytonVRSCD said:
And this is why scoots were made. Somday, I'll be road trippin down to Anchorage. Should be great. I'll make sure to post up pictures. Congrats on the trip
thx & please post pictures, from the tv-series Northern Exposure i do remember the beauty of nature there, must be fascinating
grtz
 
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