Topic: Lancaster, PA to Elmira, NY route planning?

[Maraakate]

Hi guys, not sure if this is the right area to post this (if not, my apologies and please move!).  I'd say at this point my CB550K is pretty reliable.  Been using it almost every day for months now.  New tires, tubes, wheel bearings, all that good stuff.  I've been on some 3-4 hour round trip almost non-stop rides.

My girlfriend has family in Elmira, NY and we are going up there next month.  She will be going a few days earlier than me.  I was thinking of taking the CB550K up for fun.  I've checked and taking a car going route 15 the whole way up is about a 3.5hr drive.  To take a motorcycle and using Garmin's BaseCamp software to "optimize" it for motorcycle use is a 5.5hr trip.  I'd like to be able to cut it down to 4 or 4.5hrs.  With some toying around with MapQuest's route planner I can get it to 5 hours.

I'm basically trying to avoid cruising more than 65mph for extended periods.  I don't feel very comfortable going 70+mph on this bike, plus if something happened I'd rather it be 55mph or lower.  Cruising at 55mph is ideal for me.  I'd like to avoid many steep hills if possible.  I have never been to upstate NY/erie, PA/etc area that often so I don't remember what parts get tricky and alternative routes to avoid them.  My plan is to put the route into my GPS with it's trip planning function via the BaseCamp software and use that to guide me the way up.  I bought a RAM mount for the GPS and I have confirmed the GPS can last about 3 hours on battery power.  I also bought a power bank to keep it charged that additional two hours that I may need.  I do not want to splice wires going to the battery for powering this as we know these older bikes don't take too kindly with you upsetting the charging balance and I don't want this to be a test for something like that.

Basically, what I'm asking is does anyone know of good routes going up that or any suggestions?

Here is the current path I have: http://mapq.st/32oD9WH  -- admins please note that this is not the real address for the starting and ending destination, but close to where I need to be for privacy reasons.

[Maraakate]

Took a different route, basically took the 220 "scenic" route which got me there in about the same amount of time.  About 4 hours.  I originally took a large bag filled with just about every thing I thought I would need:

* Spare points plate and points advancer.
* Spare voltage regulator.
* 4 new spark plugs.
* Spare rear and turn signal bulbs.
* Spare fuses.
* 22mm and 24mm for tires (missing in my tool kit).
* RPM/Dwell meter.
* Timing light.
* Butane powered soldering pencil, solder and flux.
* Misc wire.
* 1/4" socket wrench with assorted metric sockets from 8mm-14mm.
* Needle nose vice grips.
* 1 Quart Honda GN4 10W40.
* Spare tubes for front and rear.
* Used air filter (put a new one on from David Silver Spare's before I left).
* Four 16g CO2 cartridges and CO2 cartridge tool.
* 2 tire irons.
* Carb cleaner.
* Electrical contact cleaner.
* Cam lube.
* 85W gear oil poured into one of those tiny 2 stroke oil containers.  For chain lube.
* Paper for cleaning the points.

There's probably other stuff I'm forgetting.  I also took a 2 gallon gas can with me just in case, but was unnecessary.

On the way back, I left most of this stuff behind (my gf is bringing it back to PA in a few days) except the tubes, tire irons and CO2 cartridges.  I ended up not needing anything which is good!

The GPS was used with a model specific RAM mount and I ran a long USB cable under the gas tank with some zip ties which led under the seat.  From there I used a 10000mAh power bank.  This kept it charged without overloading the bikes charging system.  Worked out great because even after 4 hours of straight driving the power bank only used 10%!

[seanbarney41]

Wow!  More stuff than I bring when I moved out of my last garage! lol  Just kidding, seriously though, next time, if you want to be safe, just tow an extra running bike behind you!

[seanbarney41]

No seriously though.  Points plate is small and cheap insurance and failed condensor was the only thing that has caused serious inconvenience traveling on these.  And fuses...actually your list is pretty good.  I bet next time though, you will bring less.  I never bring tire irons and stuff because I have never actually successfully changed  a tube with tire irons, even in my shop.  Can't imagine trying to do it in the middle of nowhere.

[Maraakate]

Tire irons are a pain in the ass, but if I was stuck in the middle of nowhere I would have nothing but time.

Yes, next time I will bring less.  I've put about 7,000 miles on this bike myself in the past year before the trip.  But none of it was super long trips, usually no more than an hour of straight driving, 1.5hrs max.  This was kind of an ultimate test for it so I wanted to be certain I had everything I needed in case a wire gave up and things like that.