2021 Pacific Northwest trip preps

Among my least favorite planning and packing chores is riding gear cleaning. Motorcycle riding gear has armored padding that must be removed before the rest of the garment can be cleaned (and made more water resistant). 

Removing this armored padding is a time-consuming nuisance, wrangling the padding and lots of hook-and-loop fasteners, all while having your arms in the legs and arms of the riding gear. 

I'm happy to report that I've completed that tedious chore in advance of this next ride!

First farkles

I rode with the new Sargent saddle yesterday, and installed the pillion saddle today.

I have a pile of farkles stacked up in the living room, waiting for time and weather to install.

In addition to installing the pillion saddle, I installed guards for the two stock fog lights. The Touratech guards were very easy to install, and look great.

I started the installation on the Altrider headlight guard, but ran out of weather. I'll get that finished as soon as weather permits.

R1200GS Adventure "Triple Black"

With great sadness, I traded in my well-loved, and oft-ridden 2010 R1200RT today. I returned home with a 2017 R1200GS Adventure "Triple Black". I'll be farkling this new bike over the next few weeks, as I get ready for next year's rally and grand tour season.

New bike

I have mixed feelings about getting a new motorcycle. The 2010 R1200RT has gotten me to some amazing places over the ~7.5 years I've had it. It's out of the extended warranty period, though, and has nearly 160,000 miles on it. 

The features on the newer bikes, such as water-cooling, tire pressure sensors, and better integration with the GPS receiver, make a compelling case for an upgrade.

So, I put a deposit on a 2017 R1200GS Adventure today. I'll have a new bike to farkle shortly.

I have one more longish ride on the RT this coming weekend, then it'll be time to retire that bike.

Sargent Saddle Review -- BMW R1200RT

I've been meaning to write a nice review of the aftermarket R1200RT saddle by Sargent Cycle.

Let's start with a statement of the obvious, and one that I'm sure nearly every R1200RT rider knows. The stock BMW saddle is a plank. That's true of nearly every other stock saddle I've ridden, and the BMW R1200RT is no exception. The stock saddle looks great -- it really fits in with the contours and look of the bike. My hind end refused to appreciate just how great that stock saddle looked, though, and it was time to make a change.

I looked online at a number of aftermarket saddles, and read a lot of reviews. I settled on the Sargent, and ordered it right after I got back from Washington State last summer. The new saddle showed up earlier than promised, and I set about performing the installation. I bought the heated pilot / heated pillion saddle combination. I had to replace the bike's saddle heat connectors, by snipping the original connectors off the bike, installing new backshells, and crimping pins on the exposed wires. Nothing required but a pair of side cutters, a crimping tool, a strong light, and patience. I really took my time, and spent about an hour getting the job done right.

So, aside from the fact that it is electrified, how does it feel?

Well, shortly after I completed the installation, I took it on the road. Where the stock saddle would start to get to me after a few hundred miles, the Sargent kept me solidly in the saddle. In early October, I rode The Void (1200+ miles in 30 or so hours) and felt GREAT. I rode with other folks who were standing on the pegs or nearly sitting side-saddle to relieve pain, and I felt just fine.

I can't say enough about the Sargent, and how it fits me just right. As with anything else associated with long distance riding, your mileage will vary.