Farkles and the riding experience.

Farkles for the uninitiated are what some of the REAL long distance riders call electronics and other bike accessories. Stuff that you don't *need* but makes the rider easier in some way.

First the background. My general day to day riding is in the 1-3 hour long tour through twisty roads. I don't need bags, maps, heated seat or a coffee maker. My real joy (outside the perfectly twisty road) is longer distance riding - finding those perfectly twisty roads and strange people, places and things one finds on the back roads 2000 miles from home.

So - my first long distance rides were on my trusty Maxim. I had a backrest that had a rear-rack. I had a little leather bag that I stuffed with tools, a duffel bag that I bungeed on the rear seat, and my sleeping bag. That was the extent of my 'extras'. (NOTE I have always ridden in full textile gear, as it's great for touring and has good crash protection/pockets/water resistance).

After a few cracks at riding longer distances I started making improvements. First thing was a set of cortec bags. They clip on and off the bike better than a duffel bag, hold more, and come with covers. Funnily enough, the covers on most of them are either forgotten, lost, not on when you need them or in some way not effective. So I just pack everything in ziplock bags. Everything stays dry, even when I go off roading.

I still didn't have a GPS. I was using paper maps in ziplock bags. It worked up to now, but if you've ever done long distance solo with a paper map you'll appreciate this thought. You stop, pull the map out and read the next 200 miles, attempting to put it to memory. It's 4am. You're going through a town larger than you live in - on a freeway - trying to find the exit you need to take you around the town and on to the next town. You pull the map out, put it infront of the headlight - read it again - and keep going. It is stressful thinking about where/when the exit is.

So - time for a GPS. I brought my Nuvi 360 GPS for a really good price. Probably a lost leader. It has directions to speech, an MP3 player, a touch screen and it IS NOT WATERPROOF. Now - you've read this far, you know my ziplock bag fetish. That's the solution.

So - at the point I've switched from the maxim to the CBR 600. The front two bolts of the gas tank are perfect for a RAM mount. My GPS sits right below my speedometer, behind my windscreen... and within easy reach.

I also luck into an Autocom. If you want bike to bike, or simply audio on a bike - this is by far the best brand you can buy. It costs - but it works. I brought mine from a friend who didn't need it... and that was the best money I have ever spent.

So - now my helmet has a microphone and stereo speakers, which I can hear even with my ear plugs in.

I've gone and setup my auxillary power to be key switched on. For long distance riders, and I guess most people - it is very easy to get off the bike and leave the aux gear turned on. You do it in the middle of no where, come back from lunch and your battery is flat. You are in deep crap. So - do the smart thing Woot - make it turn on/off with the key. A simple $10 automotive relay saves your bacon.


Now - back to the riding part.

Some people like to ride to coffee shops, meet people and chat. Some really nice people, so I can sort of understand that.

Some people like to fly down twisty roads. I understand that... I like to feel the wind on my full face helmet too.

Some people just like the feel of the sun, the smell of the forest, the ping of the first rain drop. I understand that. I've spent hours in states and provinces watching fields go by, turn into forests, the deer on a distant hill... I love riding, even if I'm not ripping it up.

There is something about being on two wheels - where the rest of the world disappears, and what is hear and now is the only thing present. The purr of the motor, the sites going by... even the smells. The sun pops out from behind a cloud and you feel it warm you. I can't get enough of being out on my bike. Long distance riding lets you get into that moment sooner and longer. You stop thinking in 1 hour I need to be home and make supper. You ride until you want to stop, or until the tank is empty.

So what have the farkles done for me?

Well - it's made it easier, and some purists would say that it's taken something away from it. When the cloud tucks behind a cloud I can reach for my heated vest controller and turn it up a notch. I don't feel the worst of the cold, and as a result I don't feel the same relief when the sun pops out again.

Then again, while I might miss some of these experiences, I find new ones. I've taken my bike on roads I'd never have tried, or even known about -- had I not had my GPS.

I've gone offroading on my CBR on snowmobile trails in Ontario. I met a guy in the middle of the woods at his retreat, only accessible by 4-wheeler. I'd have missed that if I hadn't tried this crazy trail. The guy was so shocked and welcoming... he invited us in like we were long lost friends.

A two wheeled traveler is different than someone going by car. Anyone can drive across North America in a car... but a guy on a bike - tent strapped on top - with a licence plate from a province they've only heard spoke of. That's a curiosity. I've been at times overwhelmed by generosity. The free meal here, the offer of a night there... the directions offered, the road advice. People seem to open up to a guy on a bike. Perhaps it is the perceived vulnerability or perhaps the wistful thought of doing it themselves.

Everyone has a story it seems... but for me I like riding on two wheels, and I like the people and places I find on two wheels. The farkles just mean I can go longer, further and stranger.

Woot.

 

Well written. I haven't been on too many long rides yet. I've only been riding for a few months. Some friends and I went on a 500mi trip a few weeks ago that mirrored your experience with a GPS. It was nothing to wander down a road just to see where it went. Some of the best parts of the trip were spent on some back road we never would have ventured down otherwise.

Don't forget about the state highways. The hardest, longest miles I do are on the straight and boring interstates. Not only are State HWs more twisty (at least in Oklahoma), they run through many small towns and other interesting sights.

I think that the only thing better than having the ability to not get lost while on your way to a destination would be to not have a destination at all. On our next two or three day trip I want to simply head in a random direction and see where the roads lead us.

 

When I ride to work (commute) I have no choice but to ride on the Interstate (freeway.) But when I TRAVEL by bike, the rule is NO INTERSTATES. Two-lane blacktop all the way. But then again, I am about the most Farkle-less traveler there is. I LIKE disintegrating waterlogged paper maps, it adds to the "motoring adventure." (That, and I'm not about to ask the Norton's electrical system to support even ONE EXTRA WATT above what it has to do to keep itself lit.)

 

The guys I ride with have both added 12v accessory outlets to their bikes, but I don't have the guts to do the same to my Maxim. I run everything from battery power and use a solar charger when needed.

 

In the same vein as the Autocom - expensive but worth it - would be a good AquaBox mount from Ram as well:
AquaBox - Medium Wide

 

I'm probably going to get an aquabox for Christmas... either for myself to myself, or post it online and see if anyone bites.

For those not wanting to do the wiring themselves, this is basically what I did in one neat tidy little package. The price is pretty good when you consider the individual components are about half that anyhow, without considering wire, connectors, heat shrink, sheathing and time. It is such a neat tidy job, I'd definitely consider buying rather than home brewing again. I can do a more custom job at home though.

http://www.easternbeaver.com/Main/Produ ... /fb-6.html

Connect to the battery - connect the relay trigger to something like the tail light wire. Done.