Xs400 adventure! Gear anyone?

[ken56]

I've also thought about doing an overnight camping ride but haven't put as much thought into as you guys. Don't plan on going too far away and if the weather is that bad or too cold the trip can wait for another time. Interesting thread. I'm getting some ideas for my Christmas list.

 

[gtg2034]

For coffee this is the way to go

It's called Aeropress and all the Chef's and coffee geeks I know swear that it's the best coffee you can make at home or otherwise (though I haven't gotten around to trying it myself), better than instant garbage for sure!

 

[16VGTIDave]

I have to agree, that is why I suggested it earlier! I use one every day, many times a day. I've retired an espresso machine and a high end coffee maker at home, the Aeropress is that good. I got the optional fine stainless steel filter disk as well, but that is more a personal decision. I pack mine in a small toiletries case along with beans and a Hario Slim hand grinder. The folks at http://www.aeropress.ca/ have everything available in packages and ship promptly. There are other distributors as well, but I haven't dealt with them.

 

[Recreateme]

I am certainly going to look into the Aeropress! That looks exactly like what i wanted lol

Ken56 - I have no trips planned until the spring, no way am I going anywhere until at least April lol But now is the best time to look into gear and get an idea of what you're doing. But If i was up in Lindsay i would be out there every weekend!

I started seeing bags like this:

and i think I am liking the idea. It is probably less space then a duffle and saddle bags but being one bag with legs it seems easy enough to strap down and seems like it fits a good amount of stuff. This one in particular is 110$ CDN. Not as versatile as saddle bags for everyday use, but can't really see myself riding around the city with saddle bags for any reason..

 

[16VGTIDave]

A few thoughts on that bag:
The top grab handle is a waste, when loaded the bag will be heavy and the zipper will fail.
The zippers won't be waterproof, so expect water to get in.
The mesh pockets on the ends will snag on every branch and twig and get destroyed in short order.
Unless it has internal stiffening, which it doesn't appear have, it will flop and sag.
It will be a bother to get the gear from the bottom corners, especially if it is raining.
The 2D pockets on the sides are useless, everything I own is 3D and won't fit in them.

In general, I'd guess that this bag was designed for suburbanites going to the gym on a cruiser, not for ADV use...

 

[gtg2034]

16VGTIDave - So you did! Excuse me for the double post!

 

[Recreateme]

The 2D pockets on the sides are useless, everything I own is 3D and won't fit in them

oh boy, here comes Dave braggin' about all his 3D things again... lol

Nice review, it certainly explains why the price point is so low haha

 

[willem]

I agree with Dave - this bag doesn't seem very sturdy nor does it seem to be waterproof at all, besides the zippers the bag material itself is probably leaky like a basket.

Although unless you're riding through forests, I don't expect you'll snag the mesh sides.

I'd say it's nice because it's cheap and you'll be able to take stuff with you (better this than no bag) and also you can get to stuff quite easily with the zipper on top and the tie down rings along the side. That makes it a lot easier than a normal duffelbag which is strapped down with ropes or elastic cords or something. But personally I'd go for the cylinder-shaped dry bag like the one posted on the first page (in a bigger size though). You can often get those for very little money, like a 60 or 80 liter bag which is completely waterproof. That, along with perhaps some saddlebags or tank bag would make for a pretty decent and cheap set-up.

But if you're truly going AVD riding you should get hard lockable cases (2 side, 1 top) mounted on a sturdy rack, and a small tank bag (preferably with shoulder straps as well so you can use it as a backpack when not on the bike)

 

[Recreateme]

Willem - If i was going true adventure riding i wouldn't take an xs400 lol Mostly, with this bike right now, the best i think I'll get is a backroads/gravel/fire roads trip to a camp ground where I will spend the night(s) and move on. Not even close to what people on KTMs and GSs do.

 

[16VGTIDave]

FYI: the Nelson-Rigg Adventure Dry Saddle bags are on sale right now with free shipping in Canada from Canada's Motorcycle.

 

[willem]

That's probably true for most people here the xs400 wasn't really built for AVD riding

It would add an extra dimension to the journey though.. I'd say it's much more badass to go for a 5000 mile journey on a xs400 than on a bmw gs1200 adventure

 

[16VGTIDave]

Small bikes go places where the big bikes get stuck! All the guys around this area won't take their big bikes on anything tougher than a gravel road, but mostly on the highways. The little bikes, on the other hand, are being run on trails usually reserved for quads or enduro bikes, and only brief runs on highways. The choice of bike determines the terrain, or vice-verse...

My goal is to build my Maxim into a reliable and comfortable commuting bike with a ~400km range and a top case for laptop and gear. Adding saddle bags with camping gear for 2 or 3 day trips. No serious off-road riding, just gravel roads and easy trails, highway runs to the cottage, weekend trips exploring the country side, etc.

 

[Recreateme]

How do you manage 400km outta this thing! ?
When i bought mine the PO said i should fill up every 250km or so haha

 

[16VGTIDave]

I don't, yet. I plan on a larger tank. Either finding one that I can make work, or expanding the stock tank. I'm aiming for 20+ Liter capacity, plus 3 L in fuel bottles for my stove as emergency reserve. Hopefully that will do me.

 

[willem]

my seca does 23 km/L with a 18 Liter tank - that's 414 km range. Not too shabby

 

[Recreateme]

Willem - Is that a stock tank? I was thinking my 79 had a 12L tank (maybe 3L reserve?) When they say reserve, is that 12+3 or the last 3L of the 12L is the reserve ?

Dave - I was SO tempted to buy those bags, but i think I would rather wait until i have a real need for them, the site usually offers free shipping and it was only like 40$ off which i don't mind paying later...

 

[willem]

Yes the seca has a big tank

although I have to say it's not very well designed - even on the RES setting you can't get all of the fuel out since the petcock is not positioned in the lowest position of the tank. Idiots. That way any water in the tank will accumulate over time and cause all sorts of rusty issues plus the fact that the tank may be 18 liters, but you can only access about 17.5 of those before stalling

 

[16VGTIDave]

Willem - Wow! That is great fuel mileage! I'm averaging 19km/L (5.24L/100km, 45MPG US, 54MPG UK) since I put my Maxim on the road with 17/35 sprockets. I don't have enough tanks of fuel run through with the current 17/38 sprockets to have a good idea how they have effected the fuel economy, which is why I'm aiming for a 20+L tank to reach my 400km range goal.

Recreateme - I gave the info for the bags to my wife in the hopes that they will be an X-mas or birthday gift. Time will tell...

 

[willem]

It sure is

Have to admit, it's been a while since I calculated some and the bike has been changing a little with the fixed exhaust and all, so it might not be 100% accurate anymore. I have the stock sprockets on there, 16/38. Haven't really done anything to get the fuel mileage up except just regular maintenance I guess - valves in spec, carbs synced and adjusted.

The thing though is that my reserve is so big that I still need to fuel up every 200-250 km if I don't want to switch to RES every time. So in the end I just log around lots of extra weight which I'm not really using. But I guess I'll likely never get stranded without fuel

cutting the tube in my petcock is on the to-do list

 

[Lou Ranger]

Willem and Dave, you guys really need to swap tanks.

My Maxim consistently gets between 20.5 and 21.5 kms per litre. I've got the standard 35 tooth rear sprocket (since it's only a 5 spd) and I went up to a 17t front shortly after I got the bike.

I did not notice any measurable change in fuel consumption with the 17t - just a more pleasant/lower engine rpm at cruising speeds. I attribute this to the fact that while the engine fires fewer times per kilometer, it's still pushing the same weight against the same air resistance and therefore needs to have the throttle open a touch more.