across the US and back on the PCX125... my experiences

[kramnala58]

Finally, the lettering across the windshield isn't Graffiti --it's an old trick from endurance rally riders of writing out each day's general route. Makes a good backup in case of equipment (GPS) failure, and also lets you see the overall plan for that day. Typically one uses a grease pencil to jot down the major roads and distances between directly on the windshield, but I came up with a slight mod and wrote the directions a strip of Scotch Tape. (Sometimes it's the little things that make a big difference...)

What an excellent idea! Thanks for sharing.

[pozo]

That is brilliant. Was that your first long-haul trip?

Also, how did you find the Numi overall? I'm looking at Garmins myself, an they say the zumo is better built for motorcycle use, being made for the elements, better touch screens, etc. but man, are they way pricier than the Numi's!

Thanks, this was the longest single trip I have taken with the PCX so far (I have also rode form Washington DC to Montreal, CA) but did take several multi-day trips to surrounding states beforehand.

The Nuvi 500 model I had (no longer made by Garmin) was about $250 new when I got it. These days I use the bigger Nuvi 1450LMT, which has a larger 5" screen. This one is not as "waterproof" as the 500, but comes with free lifetime updates, there are third-party waterproof enclosures for it. Frankly, I wouldn't shell out the extra $$$ for Zumos.

I should state that am not the greatest fan of Garmin. Their BaseCamp software and route planning seems a bit clunky to me, and unnecessarily complicated. I have spent countless hours trying to transfer a Google map route directly to Garmin, but have been unsuccessful.

[pozo]

I started to draw out an approximate route on Google Maps and will post it shortly.

I'd like to see that! Particularly where you crossed the Mississippi river on the return trip. Crossing around St. Louis seems fairly intimidating to me on such a bike.

Crossed St. Louis along US 50, but don't remember it being any problem. Of course, by that time, I had ridden about 5,000 miles on the trip...

[dustin91]

I should state that am not the greatest fan of Garmin. Their BaseCamp software and route planning seems a bit clunky to me, and unnecessarily complicated. I have spent countless hours trying to transfer a Google map route directly to Garmin, but have been unsuccessful.

That's been my dilemma, nothing I've found online or in an iPhone app allows a pre-routed Google Map to be downloaded to anything. One app sorta worked, but was for cycling, and couldn't prompt the turns fast enough because it didn't expect the user to be moving at 45 mph. Base Camp seems to be the closest program out there, but I've heard only middling things about it. If Google would just let you transfer the online routes to their Maps app on the phones, there'd be little reason to even own a GPS these days!

[SportRiderrr]

Props for doing this on a PCX. Question, what kind of bags are those? I've been tempted to buy some but haven't yet. Your thoughts will really help.

[Darth Emma]

Props for doing this on a PCX. Question, what kind of bags are those? I've been tempted to buy some but haven't yet. Your thoughts will really help.

He said in his first post..."GIvi topcase and the Kuryakyn 4141 tour bag."

[Lee.R]

I love road trips!. Made one last spring of 6500 miles in about 14 days.

If some of you are pondering GPS options give a tablet some thought. I use a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 on a RAM mount with OSMAND+ (Free) maps and it works better than a Garmin imo. The maps are more detailed by far. I also use Backcountry Explorer for USGPS topo and satellite imagery. All of this is offline so no cell coverage or anything needed. I create routes in Google maps or Bing as that's the easiest interface then export them as a kml or gpx. From google with a kml a quick conversion to gpx is needed via gpsbabel which is extremely easy then you can use your homemade routes on the tablet. The 7" tablets would be the ideal size as the 10" is kinda big.
Sony also makes a waterproof one that's still much cheaper than a Zumo. I just throw a ziplock over mine without issue.

http://youtu.be/lPrctiPwads

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Xperia-SGP31 ... ony+xperia
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... mand&hl=en
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... ense&hl=en

[dustin91]

Lee, if your recommendation allows me to set a route on Google Maps and download it to my iPhone to run on some app, then let me profess my love for you now.

[Lee.R]

Lee, if your recommendation allows me to set a route on Google Maps and download it to my iPhone to run on some app, then let me profess my love for you now.

Here you go.

Select Google maps, you will need to "return to classic" until they finish the new version. Upper right corner drop down.



Now build your route and "save to maps"



Click "my places" (you'll need a google account to use this function)



Select your saved file



Download the KML file.



Convert it to GPX
This is GPS babel in online format
http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/convert_input



When your finished load it to whichever device or application uses gpx routes and go have fun. For OSMAND it needs to be in the tracks folder. I use dropbox so I don't even need to connect any wires and conveniently export it right to the needed folder.

Hope this helps some people wondering how to do this.

Lee

[dustin91]

Thanks! I've heard of OSMAND, but that doesn't run on the iPhone. I've tried some other apps that allegedly allow downloads, but the only one that worked was one for cycling, and it couldn't keep up with the speeds of a scooter or motorcycle.

[Lee.R]

Alternately you can copy the link to your map from google classic maps and paste it into the web link portion of gps visualizer, from there you get the download link to your gpx file. That's the easiest method. I tried adding pictures for that but the forum is giving me sizing errors.

Try Motion X, users manual says you can import gpx tracks via some steps.

[dustin91]

Thanks again Lee. I've tried MotionX, but it isn't the most intuitive of apps. I'd love it if Google just allowed you to create a route on their mapping website, then send to Google Maps on the phones. Easy enough!

[maddiedog]

I'm fully jealous of this experience. I've been on lots of long rides (I only use my PCX for fun nowadays, not commuting), but never to more than 4 states in one ride. You summed up my philosophy on touring well here:

To anyone who thinks that long-distance touring is impractical on a 125cc scooter, I would suggest otherwise. Not only is it practical, but actually quite ENJOYABLE. With the right mods, the PCX can take on just about anything. And considering it is fuel-injected, water-cooled, and has no chain to maintain, it is in some ways the ideal lightweight touring bike.

Touring on slab with a huge bike is dull. You get the most scenery, personality, and experience from the country on backroads on a scooter.

I'll be watching this thread, and look forward to some stories from the Cannonball.

[pozo]

Touring on slab with a huge bike is dull. You get the most scenery, personality, and experience from the country on backroads on a scooter.

Well said. I have toured on big bikes and keep coming back to smaller displacement engines for the ultimate fun. They force one to slow down and enjoy the ride. I rarely take major highways these days, instead opting for quiet back roads that take me through local countryside. We are spoiled here, having the Shenandoah Valley (Skyline Drive & Blue Ridge Parkway) just across the Potomac River in Northern Virginia. But the back roads of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and nearly every state I visited were just as gorgeous. Did not miss the slab AT ALL...

I love my PCX and ride it by choice. In the past four years I have owned a Honda ST1300 sport tourer, a BMW F700GS adventure bike, a Yamaha V-Star 650 cruiser, a Ninja 650R sport bike, a KRL650 dual-sport, a Buell Blast, a Yamaha XT250 dual-sport, a Suzuki DR200SE dual-sport, my Honda PCX125, and a Honda Metropolitan 50cc scooter. Each of these bikes were great, and each had their own personality. Today, my garage has only three bikes: the BMW F700GS (for two-up riding and camping), the DR200SE for horsing around the local dirt trails, and the PCX125.

Next year, I am thinking of doing the ultimate coast-to-coast: from Key West (Florida) to Alaska and back. Guess which bike I'm taking....? ;-)

[snake]

pozo just to say I've thoroughly enjoyed this thread, if you post up more pictures or text anywhere else do let us know, I'd love to see them - you take great photos, what camera did you take? SLR kit takes up quite a bit of space so wondering if I can just take one lens on trips. How did your scoot stay looking so clean?! It's also been educational, I've done a few long journeys on scooters, but sadly not my PCX (Honda Activa down the Western coast of India and a Zongshen from Nanjing to Shanghai) and none of these were as long as yours, so I didn't have to really plan as carefully. I did do a 4000km trip in a Bajaj autorickshaw, from Nepal to Kerala in south India, but that was very low tech and we had much more storage space. I'm aiming to do a trip across the Himalaya next year, from Kathmandu to Lhasa, but again it's not going to be on a PCX, in fact it's going to have to be on a motorcycle. You've given me plenty of things to think about. Cheers!

EDIT: Did the Florida Keys on a Suzuki Van Van, what a great place - your Florida to Alaska trip sounds completely amazing, go for it!

[pozo]

pozo just to say I've thoroughly enjoyed this thread, if you post up more pictures or text anywhere else do let us know, I'd love to see them - you take great photos, what camera did you take? SLR kit takes up quite a bit of space so wondering if I can just take one lens on trips...

Thanks! For this trip I took only one camera, a point-and-shoot Canon S95. I have been involved in photography for a number of years, but keep my DLSR's for my studio work (http://www.modelmayhem.com/243730) and specific assignments. DSLR cameras and lenses are just too bulky to take on the road. Furthermore, most pros know that getting a good shot is not so much about the camera, but about the planning and conceptualizing that occurs before the picture is taken. These days I mainly use my iPhone and small cameras for travel, like the Canon S-series.

Whatever you decide on taking, I would suggest bringing a camera that can at least shoot wide-angle (about 28-30mm lens on 35mm frame) since most of your shots will be sweeping landscapes or locations. If you really want to bring an SLR, then I would suggest a "do-everything" lens, like a 18-200mm (DX format) or 28-300mm (FX format) lenses. They are heavy, and expensive (about $1K) but adequate for travel, and will replace several conventional lenses. But again, unless you are on an assignment, DSLRs + heavy lenses are overkill. Best to leave these at home.

Hope that helps...

[you you]

pozo just to say I've thoroughly enjoyed this thread, if you post up more pictures or text anywhere else do let us know, I'd love to see them - you take great photos, what camera did you take? SLR kit takes up quite a bit of space so wondering if I can just take one lens on trips...

Thanks! For this trip I took only one camera, a point-and-shoot Canon S95. I have been involved in photography for a number of years, but keep my DLSR's for my studio work (http://www.modelmayhem.com/243730) and specific assignments. DSLR cameras and lenses are just too bulky to take on the road. Furthermore, most pros know that getting a good shot is not so much about the camera, but about the planning and conceptualizing that occurs before the picture is taken. These days I mainly use my iPhone and small cameras for travel, like the Canon S-series.

Whatever you decide on taking, I would suggest bringing a camera that can at least shoot wide-angle (about 28-30mm lens on 35mm frame) since most of your shots will be sweeping landscapes or locations. If you really want to bring an SLR, then I would suggest a "do-everything" lens, like a 18-200mm (DX format) or 28-300mm (FX format) lenses. They are heavy, and expensive (about $1K) but adequate for travel, and will replace several conventional lenses. But again, unless you are on an assignment, DSLRs + heavy lenses are overkill. Best to leave these at home.

Hope that helps...

I ditched the SLRs a while ago and now my bridge cameras are feeling to be a bit redundant. The cameras on phones are just getting so much better

The iphone 5s camera is now more than acceptable

[prenders88]

I keep a a Canon Powershot A2300 in the glove compartment.

[you you]

Anymore on this story, it's going a bit cold

[pozo]

Anymore on this story, it's going a bit cold

Bear with me --I have been swamped with things, and slowly getting back to this write-up. I'm in the process of setting up a website to document the trip, where I can tell a coherent story, rather post it in haphazard segments. I'm also trying to retrace my route in Google maps, which has proven time-consuming. There are a large number of photographs to edit as well, so the whole process is taking more time that I originally anticipated.

Rest assured, I will get to it. (There are folks outside the PCX Forum that are requesting this write-up as well.) In the meantime, I would be happy to answer any specific questions...