Cressey, CA to Fernley, NV – 330 miles
Ray Blair arrives on his “new to him” V-Strom DL650 at 10AM. After a brief introduction to my folks, we are off to Fernley, NV at 10:30AM. The loosey-goosey, wobbly feel continues (again only at walking speeds). At freeway speeds there is no hint of instability. Ray and I get to Fernley around 3PM. In the drveway, we lined up three VStrom’s and shook the handlebars. On mine, the wobble was drastic! My entire bike frame would almost counter sway opposite the handlebars! I’m resolved, if I can’t fix this problem, I’ll abort the Alaska ride, return home and start from scratch trouble shooting the problem.
Brian Roberts is the VStrom expert! He’s knowledge about VStroms is golden! Plus when I got my first VStrom, Brian took me out on my first dirt roads along the back way to Gerlach NV.
Brian, Ray and I spent from 4PM to late in the evening working on the wobble problem. First we removed all the luggage, tires, bags, etc. Brian almost had a cow! “Dean, this is way to much crap!!”
We pulled off plastic and rechecked the torque on all reachable frame bolts, wheels bolts, steering head bolts, etc. Everything seemed normal. Then Brian said, “let’s take off that Scott Steering damper.” Then like magic the loosey-goosey, wobbly feel goes from a BIG problem to a minor problem. I took it for a ride. Brian took it for a ride. There’s still a little of it but the stability is well in the normal range.
We spread my stuff all over the garage and Brian and Ray cut my load in half! No carrying tires! Buy them in Fairbanks. No backup sprocket, chain, and tools. I have a new chain and sprocket on the bike now, it will last this trip. Half my flat tire kit was left (all the bottles). Half my bike tie-down straps, the Scott Steering damper. There are a dozen other misc backup stuff was thrown into the “stay at Brian’s pile”. We have eliminated at least 50 lbs!!
This is what I left behind!!! I get nervous thinking about this …
At 10AM the bike is re-packed with the “must take” stuff and we do test rides. It’s good. Still a faint wobble but we decide to take the VStroms out on dirt in the morning to see what happens in slow, dirt riding.
So does that mean that now you are only carrying half a ton of stuff?
I can’t believe I got you to leave that Scott Steering Damper. Had lunch with Reno John the next day and we were going to put that on my Vstrom and realized that we did not take the anchor off the frame on your bike. Damn – best laid plans of men and mice and all that. I thought I had a new (Free) $450 farkel! Now I will just have to be satisfied with the new set of TC80′s that I have inherited. I think I can finish off the set on my bike before you get back here
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Well, we might have a lop-sided TCK80′s trade here. I’m getting your ol’ beat to hell set of TCK80′s with approx 800 miles (that Jack has in his basement) and you’re getting a brand new spick-n-span untouched by human hands set of front and backs.
I think you are the third user of those tires! I remember Jack was going to let someone else use them last year IIRC. Boy, those things sure have helped out enough people going up the Haul road. Glad you thought to check with Jack to see if he still had them – I think they still have the little rubber nubs on them – barely used!
Even better yet – maybe Jack needs to take a ride up to Prudhue. He is one hell of a guide and just a good person. Tell him hello for me.