Traveling things I love, Sept 2018 (updated)

Purely my opinions here.

2013 BMW K1300S

Besides its lack of cruise control, this is an incredible bike.  I have an R1200RS now too, but it is not the KS.

The bike's fit, function, power, stability, geometry, curves, and edges, were near perfection.  Upgraded to a Sargent seat, and it went from being great to being insanely great.

However.

While the electronics on the K1200S were basically 5 years ahead of their time when they debuted in 2004, and minimally updated when they updated to the K1300S in 2009, the world moved on.  BMW has been building their current bikes with modern electronic functions like cruise control and GPS integration with the bike's computer systems, and they discontinued the K1300S instead of updating it.  Sigh.

Cruise control is particularly important to me; the K1300S wants to be ridden fast, and has gotten me into trouble once or twice.  So I'm storing it in Heidelberg, Germany for this year and the next, perhaps to bring it back later next year so I can install an MCCruise kit.  Oh, what a bike it will be then!

Part of me knows I will want to buy another K1300S in a few years, to ensure I always have one.

2001 Honda VFR800

The updated release of the 5th gen Honda VFR800, representing years 2000-2001, was incredible.  I had a 2000, more or less wore it out after 187,000km, and though I replaced it with a 2003 CBR1100XX and the 2013 K1300S (above), I found I missed the VFR and managed to find another one, a 2001 this time.

I currently store it in California as my West Coast bike.  I'm toying with the idea of riding it back to Ontario next year once I'm sure I'm done with head office visits for the riding season.  Got a list of things I'd like to update and install on it.

Schuberth C3 Pro

I've owned several Shoei full-faced helmets, and they're nice.  I jumped to Schuberth when I wanted to try out modular helmets (meaning I haven't tried the Shoei Neotec or whatever modulars).

I've had two C3's, just had a C3 Pro stolen, and just got the newly-released C4.  I was disappointed enough with the C4 that I ran out and bought another C3 Pro.  Incredible helmet, assuming it fits your skull.

In particular, I LOVE my fluro yellow Europe graphics C3 Pro.  It is only available from Europe (if at all now), so it is only ECE R 22.05 certified, not US DOT, so while it is legal throughout Canada (or most of it), this specific graphics model is technically not legal in the US.

Sena 10C helmet camera/communicator

One reason I'm underwhelmed by the C4 is its built-in speakers and microphone cannot easily be integrated with the Sena 10C, as far as I know anyway.  The optional SC1 comm system for the C4 is swell, but integrating a camera into that kit had no good solutions that didn't require serious compromises to the way I operate.

My requirements require multi-ride battery life with camera on.  No camera can do this, so you're looking at some kind of off-board battery.  I have a decent system with an Anker battery pack in my jacket pocket, and a cable that runs up and into the camera to keep it charged.  Basically lets me record all my riding for the archives, and doubles as a "dashcam".  

Also, the camera can be manually twisted to be level.  My OCD permits nothing less.

The communicator in the 10C is basically a Sena 10U.

The 10C Pro is announced but continuously delayed.  I'd like to dream that they'd include the 20S Evo communicator in it, but its numbering suggests otherwise.  (The 20S Evo does bluetooth source mixing, so you can listen to multiple sources at once, instead of having one input muting out other inputs.)  My Pro is on order, but it has been again delayed from "late October" to "late December".

That said, there can be some issues with the camera, but I'm not convinced that they weren't the fault of overheating microSD cards.  The jury is still out on that.

Dainese Latitour motorcycle boots

Discontinued.  Bought a second set out of desperation!

Goretex mid-height touring/commuting boots.  Modest amount of ankle protection, suitable for all-day wear.  46's fit my feet perfectly.  Zippers have survived over a year now.

My fallback is the Dainese TRQ-Tour; Goretex, etc.  I've gone through 3 pairs of these, with the rear zippers failing at a fold point, fortunately not until after they've had considerable use.  Otherwise an excellent boot.

Note, Dainese warranty coverage sucks in Canada.  I just keep buying new, because they're the best boots I've owned, and I tend to wear them all day long while at work.

Rev'It Fly motorcycle gloves

Extinct.  I'm freaking out.  No other glove makes me as happy or has fit my hand as well, and I've tried a LOT of gloves.  Of course, you have to try on 5 pairs to find one that fits.  They seem to have changed their fit for the Fly 2 and they're a bit longer which conflicts with my watch and coat sleeves.

I think I'm down to my last pair, and I'm screaming inside.

The Fly 2 gloves aren't terrible.  Slightly different fit, and I had to go up a size (from L to XL), but close enough to stop me freaking out.  The primary fingers are touch-screen enabled, but not perfect for triggering a failed touchID auth on my iPhone 8 so I can bring up the login keypad.

Anyglove for Leather

I use this on all my leather gloves, to touch-screen enable them.  I even use it on my Fly 2's (with touch-screen enabled fingers already) so the finger can be sensed by the touchID sensor.

I love this stuff.  I have to re-apply it often enough, but it really solves a huge usability problem with my phone mounted on my bars.

Anker USB products

I threw a lot of money away on cheap cables, cheap battery packs, and cheap USB chargers.  Then Benson Leung from Google started doing USB-C cable and charger tests looking for good manufacturers that follow standards.  This lead me to Anker, and through experience, I have never bought something from Anker that wasn't top quality.

I have a stupid collection of USB batteries, but in summary, the PowerCore+ series is heavy and excellent quality, the PowerLine+ cables can double as automotive tiedowns, and the PowerPort+ 5 USB-C is my standard carry charger for all my toys, MacBooks, etc.

Garmin Zumo 595 motorcycle GPS

Excellent GPS, relatively.  One of my bigger likes about it is actually on its motorcycle mount; the wired headphone jack, and the USB charging port is nice too.  Once you come to terms with having wired headphones, it is trivial to plug in.  

I listen to audiobooks while I ride (when things aren't blowing up around me, like traffic).  Audio is important to me.

This is not to say the Zumo 595 is flawless.  Garmin failed to bring their Audible audiobook player forward from the Zumo 660, I'm often having a problem where the Zumo takes over 30 minutes to make a route (sometimes longer than it actually takes to ride that route), is unable to draw the map on the screen, crashes and reboots if there's a loss of bike power (despite its internal battery), Bluetooth, etc etc etc.  However, I've largely found acceptable workarounds and I understand its routing personality; I usually know when it is leading me astray!  

Bluetooth pisses me off; every single motorcycle ride starts with me pulling over within a block to fight with bluetooth issues.  Every single ride.  Hell, last night, middle of a ride, my GPS and phone forgot who each other was at a gas stop; had to delete the pairings and re-pair, then do the usual wrestling to get things working how I like.  And this morning, my phone's BT decided that while I had a bluetooth headset paired and on, it felt I would much rather use the handset for a phone call, so people were listening to traffic instead of listening to me talk.  I hate bluetooth.

Merino Wool longjohn/longtop layers

I almost always wear Merino Wool underwear when I'm riding.  Microweight (or T1 from MEC) in summer, T2 on cold days or in the fall, and T3 in the winter.  Excellent for temperature regulation, wicking away sweat, etc.  Fragile though, especially the microweight stuff.  Find I'm buying several sets a season to replace the broken stuff, and they ain't cheap.

The cheaper underwear is usually some form of polyester, and after wearing the material for hours a day, days at a time (yes, clean stuff every day), my skin starts getting VERY itchy.  Perhaps an allergic reaction?  My body does not react that way to the wool or the spandex in the wool, so wool is where I'm at.

And you don't wear cotton; it just collects moisture and glues itself to your flesh between the seat and your bones.  *shudder*

Anyway, there'll be more, but that's top of mind!  Two people asked my opinion on things this morning, and this got the synapsis firing.

Quad Lock phone case and mounts

This is a very clean phone case solution when you want to be able to mount your phone securely to a motorcycle, a bicycle, your car windshield, etc.  The motorcycle and bicycle mounts even lock, so they won't accidently detach.

I use the scooter mounts on my DL650 and my R1200RS motorcycles, as it supports like a 12mm bar (like the handlebar crossbar on my DL650), though I leveraged the arm from the motorcycle mount on my R1200RS to raise its profile.

Quad Lock also recently released a RAM ball to locking mount unit.  This might be a gamechanger.  I expect I'll be changing my R1200RS to it, and this opens up my mount options for my K1300S.  I also just picked up another one of these as an emergency answer for my VFR800; flew out without my Zumo, so this lets me use my phone conveniently as my primary GPS.

Neutrino Black Box

The Black Box is a power distribution module, similar to the PDM60, but so much more.  In particular, it is managed from an app on your phone over bluetooth, unlike the PDM60.

The PDM60 requires physical access with a custom serial cable to change its config, and it does not have a low-battery shutdown, both of which are issues for me. 

I use the Neutrino Black Box on two of my bikes so far (R1200RS and VFR800).  I have a PDM60 on my K1300S still, but as that bike's config is largely static now, I'm not sure I'll be bothering to upgrade it.

An issue with the Black Box is its price.  Gosh.  However, they've since tweaked their product line to have two Black Boxes; the Element, and the Aurora.  The Element is really just a PDM, while the Aurora adds automation functions (like speed and temperature triggers).  The original BB is now the Aurura.  The Element is about USD100 less than the USD380 Aurora, at least using today's Neutrino site's pricing.

GL.iNet GL-AR720S-Ext WISP portable router

I'm a geek.  When I inhabit a hotel room, I tend to unpack enough electronics to run a small country.  phone, tablet, one or two laptops, some kind of media streaming stick (think Amazon Fire Stick or Roku), possibly a smart speaker, possibly some Arduinos, possibly some Raspberry Pies.

Many hotels tap out at 2 or 3 devices on wifi.  Many devices (like smart speakers) don't work on wifi with authentication portals.  Sometimes, I want to experiment, especially when it comes to micro-devices.  And sometimes, I think it would just be easier if my home wifi SSID followed me around.

A WISP is a Wireless Internet Service Provider device; it joins an existing network (be it wired or as a wifi client), then creates a new wifi network behind it that you connect all your devices to.

The AR720S has a decent CPU, lots of internal and speedy flash, and runs OpenWRT (offering a great package ecosystem).  The -Ext model adds two external antennae, for better range.

Knowroaming roaming SIM 

When I started traveling through Europe, I was stopping in each country to buy a SIM.  In many countries, the SIMs had a price (usually around €5), plus the pay-as-you-go plan.  It also involved checking several carriers to find a decent deal.  It worked, but it was a pain.  I used to carry around well over a dozen SIMs.

Then I heard about Knowroaming.  They have a slick "SIM sticker" that sticks to the contact-side of your existing SIM, nearly making your phone into a dual-SIM phone.  Through a SIM app, I can switch from my home SIM to my roaming SIM, without ever pulling out the SIM tray.

Their rates are good.  Worst pricing is about USD8/day unlimited data, but they started offering some bundles, like multiple unlimited data days for a discount, or a 5GB plan over 14 days for a great discount, etc.

One really nice aspect is when you buy a European plan (like USD8/day), that isn't country-specific; you can roll between lots of European countries on that one deal. This contrasts well, to, say, the Apple SIM that offers roaming agreements but those are country-specific; you buy your plan in Germany, it won't help you if you cross into France.