Re: preparing bike for 10,000 km trip

ceat vertigo sport 100/90- 18 tube type. for rear tyre hunk. because it has block type pattern, it will help in gripping in mud, sand or slush which is expected in leh and ladakh. it is also helpful in dispersing the water on the road. this is all theory. dont know how well it will grip the road while hard braking. will install the tyre next week along with other repair to the bike.
this is ceat f85 tube type 2.75-18 front tyre. it has a rib and rectangular pattern. ribs are good for dispersing the water and thus help in gripping the road. however it is a pretty old design, and some people do complain of slight wobbling on braking. will test it next week myself. anyway there arent too many patterns to choose for the front. some people do install rear tyres to the front if they meet the specification of thier front rim. example mrf moto series. someone correct me if i am wrong.
anyway, these tyres being brand new, irrespective of their tread pattern will give acceptable grip on wet roads and puncture resistance if not the best in business. compared to old tyres they will surely be better. so it is a win situation.
by the way i paid Rs.1450 for the front tyre and 2000 for rear tyre with original tubes. total 3400 after slight bargain.

Re: preparing bike for 10,000 km trip

hi all, yesterday I got my bike serviced at my trusted mechanic in preparation for the trip. he took two days to complete my work. all the while I was sitting beside him. . all parts are original hero parts, except the rear wheel bearings which were not available. so had to settle with aftermarket bearings which my mech said were very good quality. I feel bad that I could not take the pictures of all the work that was being done. the following are works done and parts changed. AIR FILTER - Rs 130 CHAIN KIT FOR HUNK- Rs 840 WHEEL BEARINGS - 220 BRAKE SHOE 210 CLUTCH PLATES- 1290 PACKING 50 CLUTCH CABLE - 65 SPARK PLUG- BOSCH- Rs 70 GREASE 60 ENGINE OIL HONDA 10-W30 -Rs240 FRONT SHOCK OIL 150 SHOCK OIL SEAL - 90 HEAD BEADING- 70 ANABOND- 40 ACCLERATOR CABLE - 70 CLUTCH STEEL PLATES - 130 APART FROM THESE A COUPLE OF OTHER MINOR PARTS WERE ALSO USED.

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things we did were- replaced chain sprocket set. replaced clutch plates, center rod, steel plate and clutch cable. replaced accelerator cable, replaced both tyres. brake shoe rear. and rear wheel bearings, replaced oil seal and oil in front shock as it was leaking oil, replaced air filter, replaced front indicator as it was broken. replaced engine oil. adjusted timing chain. As discussed in another thread of mine regarding oil leak from head, the threading of the screw from where the oil was leaking was rethreaded with a copper stud and the screw was tightened. for all these works my mech took Rs 800 as his charges. the bikes feels fine now and couldn't see any oil leak from the head. the tyres being brand new, I feel they are a bit uneven, rough ride but am sure it will be fine maybe after running them for 100km. today I may go for a test drive on the highway to see if the engine oil leak has completely sopped or not in hot engine conditions. the engine surely feels very smooth, may be because of the engine oil and clutch change.

Re: preparing bike for 10,000 km trip

[MENTION=61632]nishibds[/MENTION] : way to go... looks like uve got all the bases covered... pls test ride her for about 200kms on different terrain to get a feel of how she will be for the real thing. Also rest assured... in India, a bullet mechanic is probably the easiest person to find... No matter what state u r in. My personal best wishes for ur trip. Jai ho.

Re: preparing bike for 10,000 km trip

I think you did your homework well, now its time to hit the road. Keep as posted with pictures. Good luck, ride safe!

Re: preparing bike for 10,000 km trip

I think most of the points are covered but i would like to add a simple one.
Hoping that you will be carrying a printed Map, Please mark a Service centre every 2000km for a regular checkup. It will save headache..
All the best for the ride. Carry a medical Kit and also keep yourself hydrated.

Re: preparing bike for 10,000 km trip

All the very best for your trip from my side.

As many points have been covered already but would like to add something more.
Apart from keeping extra cables,spark plug,and bulb. Also keep some tools like pilers,screw driver set, #8,10,12,14,15,17 size or ring wrench or a adjustable wrench,torch,some piece of wires.cutters,blades,scissor,..bottle opener u know what i mean). You Should keep wrench for tightening your chain because if u get it tighten from somewhere else they will tight it too much and hence will losing performance and life of your drive chain. So keep a wrench for sure, and also keep SAE90 oil with u to lube your chain every 1000~1500 km. Because if u get it lubed from out there, they will lube it with drained engine oil which is very bad for your new chain.

I would also prefer to keep air pump that cost Rs.300 to inflate your tire anywhere. I don't know what kind of tire u have, but if need u can also keep rod to open tire and puncture seals (that cost rs.20 and 100 punctures can be make).

And go for good engine oil that have maximum drain interval. Probably synthetic. or u can also go for Veedol super swift this is semi-synth and a very good oil and u can drive up to 4000+ kms easily.

Keep yourself tool to adjust free play for your clutch. brakes & all.

And while driving keep noticing your engine tone whenever u stop. Train your ears to detect any abnormal noise. Give rest to your engine after few hours of continuous driving. I don't want to say this but everyone who drive at highway speed always had one thing in their mind wondering about engine seizer. So i want to let u know to how to know about this before it happens... Whether u drive at full throttle or not, when u feel that is engine to too much hot then notice your rpm level. If u feel that rpm decreased even after engine is hot then its the sign to the problem. Then let your engine cool so that rpm becomes normal and then drive.
But i don't think there should be any problem, its a HERO Moto!! but this is the thing u should be aware off. Using 80% of its peak performance is safe.
last but not least "Keep checking your oil level" & "keep yourself a thermos bottle to keep water cool" ...very important.

Good luck with your journey.