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Could the bike handle a roughly 6,500 mile trip?

Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2018 6:25 am
by skwavy
x2 mileage for return. Leaving from London; passing through France, Italy, Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia. A large part of the mileage will be done on trains and ferries, however the PCX has to start every time.

Not here for advice on physically handling it, simply need advice on how to keep the bike running and mechanically sound.

Appreciate it

Re: Could the bike handle a roughly 6,500 mile trip?

Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2018 6:40 am
by Oldie
I guess that it depends upon how old the bike is and how many miles has it done already. If it's newish, then I'd just take some brake pads and an air filter. Oil should be available anywhere on the road and I guess that spark plugs are easily obtainable too..

Re: Could the bike handle a roughly 6,500 mile trip?

Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2018 6:45 am
by gn2
Completely the wrong machine for that trip.

Re: Could the bike handle a roughly 6,500 mile trip?

Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2018 11:06 am
by Mel46
Let me put it this way. There is a scooter Canon Ball run that goes from coast to coast here in the United States. That is approximately 2700 miles X 2 (have to return home, you know). In years past there have been PCX 125s that have entered and completed the run. There was also a recent story on this forum about a Korean who rode to the UK on his before someone stole his bike.

So, yese, it can be done. However, I am not sure about comfort and having enough power to climb the mountain passes. I would get a larger bike, maybe even an 'Adventure' bike if I wanted to do that.

Re: Could the bike handle a roughly 6,500 mile trip?

Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2018 12:02 pm
by fish
I'd install an Iridium plug and a battery with the most cca's that will fit. In those dusty conditions bring an extra 2 or 3 airfilters. Do freq oil changes as well. A spare belt takes up no room. Fuses. Bulbs. One set of pads.
Start the trip after full servicing, incl. new top quality dual purpose tires.
Sounds like fun.
Bring your camera!
Good luck.
Fish

Re: Could the bike handle a roughly 6,500 mile trip?

Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2018 12:34 pm
by gn2
Mel, does the Cannonball run take place on the sort of roads you would find in Sudan or Ethiopia?

Re: Could the bike handle a roughly 6,500 mile trip?

Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2018 1:15 pm
by springer1
Ted Simon did a lot more than that on a 500cc 1970 Triumph. If you haven't read his book, consider doing so .... its a fascinating story of riding, cultures, and more. Really a great read.

https://www.amazon.com/Jupiters-Travels ... 7s+travels

" Simon rode a motorcycle around the world in the seventies, when such a thing was unheard of. In four years he covered 78,000 miles through 45 countries, living with peasants and presidents, in prisons and palaces, through wars and revolutions."

There's also another cool read/ book about two guys on scooters who went across America on 2 stroke scooters in the 1960s, but I can't remember the title.

Re: Could the bike handle a roughly 6,500 mile trip?

Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2018 4:06 pm
by Mel46
I doubt that the Scooter Canon Ball Run was on unpaved roads, though I do know that there were deserts involved. Even with paved roads it sometimes gets quite dusty out in the desert country.

I remember going across the desert many times in/on many types of vehicles. My most memerable was in a VW Super Beetle. I went from Georgia to San Francisco. I had to carry several air filters, and I changed the oil often. It still needed a valve job half way there. Air cooled engines tend to hate heat.

Still, think about that Korean who traveled all the way to the UK on a PCX 125. That had to include deserts and unpaved roads.