Topic: Touring questions for a 750F

[GroovieGhoulie]

I'm planning on some long-distance trips when I get back and I'm planning on using my daily bike, which is my '76 750F.  Of course, I'm gonna break it in a little more when I get home (still gotta do the 1000 mile service), but once I get a couple more miles under its belt, I'm gonna start seeing the US.

What are some good tips to make it more suitable for long-distance touring?  According to period magazine articles, the F is not the ideal platform for such an endeavor, with it's shorter internal gears, plus the 17-tooth output sprocket, it is revving higher at given speeds and it's buzzier than the K, (I can verify this), plus the gas mileage is less than the K models, (I average mid 30s with my highway commute and around town, but that might partially be because the engine isn't broken in yet).

So what to do?  18-tooth front sprocket to bring the RPMs down?  Panniers, even though I think they spoil the lines?  A fairing, however effective, is not something I want to have right off.  If the situation changes, I'll re-evaluate things, but I just don't like fairings.

Or should I pick up a more broken in K to use and modify and spare the F, which is so nice, part of me doesn't want to subject it to the ravages of a multi-month (or multi-year), tens-of-thousands-of-miles touring regimen.  That WOULD destroy it methinks, and MANY F parts are made of unobtanium.

[UnCrash]

Well, I would consider touring on my 78 750F no sweat.

I have the stock sprockets and can cruise all day at 75 comfortable without feeling buzzy..  As you can see in my avatar (and the pic below) it has had that WindjammerSS fairing on it which is spectacular on the highway at speed.  There are two large "glove" compartments which are really handy extra storage.  This bike gets an average of 48 mpg when cruising.






For long distance touring I would recommend an old set of Bates bags and a luggage rack, like I have on my 76 750K tourer ---->




Whatever you choose to do.  You'll have a blast!!!

[gregimotis]

My F1 is pretty much stock and handles long distances just fine.
I ran it from Santa Fe through Arizona to Las Vegas Nevada and back through Utah and the Navajo reservation last summer in three long days temps between 60 and 100, and altitude from 4000-10000ft. It's at least as comfortable as (though a bit lower powered than) the V-Max and R-1150 I rode with.

I don't have any experience with K's so I can't compare.

[andy750]

Ive used both a K4 and F2 for long distance touring and no difference at all. The F2 managed an easy 500 mile day trip from Scotland to the South coast of England (and back a few days later). Then I used to ride up and down between Oxford and Glasgow (700 mile round trip) on the weekends (usually overnight) to see the then g/f. I also took the F2 over to France (Paris  - the Peripherique was fun  ) and then down to Alsace,2-up before the long journey back to England. For that bike I had soft saddlebags (recommend these as more flexible than hard bags) and a tank bag (must have one of these!) - these are enough for the solo rider. No fairing of course.

The K4 - well look at my signature links....its toured the US all over (a couple of times), the periphery of Mexico and the periphery of Europe from the highs (Alps) to the lows (Holland). No fairing and stock bike.

With both bikes the soft luggage was always there. Usual tools to carry and you are good to go.  Make sure you have comfortable handlebars for those 10- 12+hr days. And good suspension makes all the difference. Cruising on the highway at 75 - 80mph is no problem on the K4 or F2 and cornering ability was probably better on the K4 but I was older then and by that time a better rider so hard to compare.


cheers
Andy

[736cc]

   Vetter fairing on my K1 at 1st seemed a bit much but any hwy trip becomes infinately less tiresome, windburn blast and noise gets tiring quickly sans windshield. 80-100 mph cruising a piece-o-cake when conditions allow. Throw on a Cycle Sound cassette player and bring all your old tapes, you'll never regret doing so and you will sing all the way!
   Tank bag w/ a bungy net great for maps, quick tucking away of things and food/drink, and a place to lean on as a change of riding position. Bump your tire pressures up to 35/38 and bring assorted extra nuts, bolts, wire, and lots of tools just in case. If those comstars allow, tubeless repair kit. Upgrade your shocks. A sissy bar comes in VERY handy, BTW.
   Nice to hear from you again. All quiet on the Middle-Eastern front?

[ofreen]

I have had an 18 tooth countersprocket on my '75 750F since 1978.  That puts the rpms at 60mph at about 4200 vs. about 4500 with the 17 tooth.  A little nicer out on the road.  My bikes that I travel on have o-ring chains and I use Maxima chain wax.  It works well even when you have to deal with a lot of rain. 

You will notice after a couple of hours on the road, the seat will bottom out on the pan.  Mine did that when it was new and still does it even after Sargent did one of their recondition jobs on it with added foam.  It is my worst bike for numb butt. 

Several years ago, I got one of the Ortlieb dry bags that Aerostich sells.  The large one holds everything I need on a trip unless I am camping.  I strap it to the seat with tiedowns, then stack some stuff on top of that with bungees annd a cargo net.   It is tough and completely waterproof.  I've used the hell out of it and it still looks new.  If I am camping on the trip with a tent, sleeping bag and other stuff, I'll take one of the bikes with hard luggage.  The tent, bag, and thermarest go in the dry bag, everything else in the hard bags.  I have a nice set of soft panniers, but after I bought the R100GS in 1993 with its hard bags I was spoiled, so the soft bags have been in a box for many years.  I got a GIVI set up for the CBR, and last year I bought hardware from Happy Trails to fit the GIVIs on the 750F, but haven't gotten around to fabricating it yet. 

A tankbag is a must.  I prefer the magnetic ones.

[GroovieGhoulie]

Good thoughts on the tank bag.  Do they damage the paint though?  The tank is literally like new, and I hesitate to intentionally scratch or bung it up.

Tank:





(Pipes have since been de-blued, and the carbs cleaned; the source of the problem).

As far as buzzy, I'm not sure what it is, but at highway speeds, the handlebars and footpegs are vibrating bad enough that I know that a few hours of it would have my feet and hands going numb.  Also the mirrors are nearly unusable.  On my K0, there is next to no vibration and the mirrors are MUCH clearer.  Under 55, there are no complaints at all, but above that, at sustained freeway speeds, it vibrates more than my K0, mostly the footpegs and mirrors.

I guess my biggest concern is subjecting the bike to the ravages of the road.  Mechanically, I'm sure it'll be fine, (after all, it's a Honda).  But cosmetically, it'll wear, and wear hard.  Rain, heat, snow, mud, all that stuff, ya know?  I have no problem using it as a daily rider, and even for the occasional long trip, but as a lifestyle?  I dunno if I wanna do that to it.

I'll look into those sidebags and tank bags.  Sounds solid.

About a year ago: (600 total miles since new, I've since turned just over 10000)

[ofreen]

Good thoughts on the tank bag.  Do they damage the paint though?  The tank is literally like new, and I hesitate to intentionally scratch or bung it up.

That's why I prefer the magnetic bags - they don't move around.  The ones with straps will.  The main thing is to keep the bottom of the bag and the tank clean.  Even on the road it isn't a problem.  I keep a wet rag in a baggie along with a hand towel in the tankbag for cleaning the helmet and visor annd tank and tankbag.  If you take a couple of seconds when you have the bag off at each gas stop, you'll have no problems.  My CBR1000F has probably had my old Motoport tankbag on there for 40,000+ miles and you can't tell.

I understand your quandary about how to use the bike.  I can remember when my '75 looked like that over 30 years ago.  I can remember how all the scratches, nicks, and "patina" on the bike got there and I wouldn't trade the memories for it to look new again.  I might restore it to new appearance if it ever wears out enough to justify tearing into it, though.

[fuzzybutt]

try spraying the front facing surfaces with a cooking spray, that will keep most bad stuff from sticking and it washes right off

[UnCrash]

3m makes a protective film folks use on their bikes to protect paint and body work...

http://www.webbikeworld.com/t2/motorcycle-paint-protection/

What is it?  3M Scotchcal is a clear adhesive-backed urethane covering that is applied over clean and smooth surfaces to protect the paint or finish from scratches, nicks and dings.  It works very well in protecting a motorcycle's paint from scratches caused by things like errant zippers; motorcycle seats rubbing against painted parts; chafing caused by motorcycle clothing and of course, stone and bug dings. 

Motorcyclists in the southern U.S. say that it works great to protect against the infamous Love Bug!  If you don't know what Love Bugs are, you're lucky, because they can severely damage paint due to their very high acid content. 

[TwoTired]

I also wondered what a tank bag would do to paint surfaces.  Actually, not so much the bag itself, but the dirt and dust that inevitably gets between the contact surfaces.  Just about anything the contacts the paint is going to abrade the surface when vibration is added.  How fast, is just a matter of time and grit size.  The magnetic ones seem to make better sense than the strap-ons.  But, vibration is a serious factor to consider.

Toward the original point...
The reality is, that if you use the bike, it is going to be subjected to bombardment from whatever is on or near the road surface.  Sand, water, mud, pebbles, stones, rocks, oil, grease, tar, hamburger wrappers, battery acid, animal urine, and particles of anything else you can think of is going to make contact with a road vehicle.

You'll have to make the decision to either have a show piece that is awe inspiring to look at but rarely, if ever, gets used for it's original purpose, or just doing what you can to minimize normal wear and tear while enjoying machine to its fullest use.  even now, the machine will never be new again, though it may look like it.  But, it also tells a story of missing the point of it's original destiny.

So, did you buy it to save it, and does that give you the satisfaction value you seek?  Or, did you buy it for use enjoyment value.  It's a given, that use WILL cause deterioration that you can only minimize, not eliminate.

Cheers,

[ofreen]

I also wondered what a tank bag would do to paint surfaces.  Actually, not so much the bag itself, but the dirt and dust that inevitably gets between the contact surfaces.  Just about anything the contacts the paint is going to abrade the surface when vibration is added.  How fast, is just a matter of time and grit size.  The magnetic ones seem to make better sense than the strap-ons.  But, vibration is a serious factor to consider.

As I mentioned in my post, it hasn't been a problem for me after some fairly extensive use.  One thing I like about the old Motoport bag I have is that the base that contacts the tank is smooth vinyl.  As I mentioned, before I put it back on the tank at a gas stop, I wipe it and the tank the same time as I clean my visor.  I see a lot of tankbags that have a soft felt-like or plush base.  Everyone I see using one like that has a scuffed or dulled tank.  Those kind hold the grit.

[TwoTired]

I looked at Motoport web site.  No tank bags offered there.

[andy750]

Try these guys....

http://www.motopakluggage.com/

I use their tank bag and panniers and great quality for the money. very user friendly and no scuffing of tank for tank bag. They sell on Ebay as well.

Here is a pic of the magnetic tank bag....






cheers
Andy

[ofreen]

I looked at Motoport web site.  No tank bags offered there.

My mistake.  I just went to look at it and it is a Motoline, made in Germany.  I got it around 1990. 

[TwoTired]

I looked at Motoport web site.  No tank bags offered there.

My mistake.  I just went to look at it and it is a Motoline, made in Germany.  I got it around 1990. 

I had no success finding Motoline offerings with an internet search.

One thing I like about the old Motoport bag I have is that the base that contacts the tank is smooth vinyl

While looking at bag descriptions,  I saw "PVC coated cordura" as a tank contact material.  Would this describe what your Motoline has?

Cheers,

[ofreen]

I had no success finding Motoline offerings with an internet search.

One thing I like about the old Motoport bag I have is that the base that contacts the tank is smooth vinyl

While looking at bag descriptions,  I saw "PVC coated cordura" as a tank contact material.  Would this describe what your Motoline has?

Cheers,

I didn't have any luck finding a Motoline site either, just a lot of references to their products.  If I come across something, I'll post it.

I took some pictures of the Motoline bag.  I remembered I have an Eclipse bag somebody gave me awhile back, but have never used, so took a picture of the base on that, too.  The Motoline bag is a modular type and expandable.  The Cordura nylon fabric on the Motoline is heavier than on the Eclipse bag - probably why it has held up so well. 

Motoline base -


Eclipse base -


Motoline on bike -


Motoline expanded -

[KRONUS0100]

I've got the Vetter Winndjuammer # with the lowers.  Also have a Krauser luggage rack/ saddle bag( hard Bags) mount.  Bike handles well.  As I Also Have the 76F....I run and 18 tooth front and a 48 tooth rear (530 chain).  I have a newer (78) k model fuel tank  average 35mpg.  It is sad this has become my cruiser for me an the wife while my goldwing has become my sport bike.

[TwoTired]

Thanks for that, Greg.
Looks like quite a nice setup, there.  I can imagine it works well behind that Vetter.  And, on long trips...a handy chin rest, too! 

[ofreen]

You are welcome, Lloyd.  That Motoline tankbag may not be available anymore, but there are some similar ones around.  I haven't used it yet, but the Eclipse bag looks like it would be as kind to the paint as the Motoline if kept clean.

[gregimotis]

My eclipse bag has a layer of closed cell neoprene which the bag sits on like a tent on a ground cloth.  I imagine this is so the bag can shift around on the neoprene without chaffing the tank.  It's worked pretty well - not magnetic though, and the cordura straps probably would chaff a bit on a shiny restored tank like some of you have.