Long Distance Touring with the K1100LT

"I can see for miles and miles . . . "

The 1997 K1100LTB, Mystic Red
My favorite shots...

Part of the Crowd	K11LT or Kiilt??	The Rest of the Crowd	No, Its not a sled	Cover Shot
Evening Cover	Packed & Ready	The Summer Home	On the Kancamagus	Behind my local LEO

Mileage Tracking 1997 K1100LTB, Mystic Red
Year (Dates)	Starting Mileage	Ending Mileage	Total
2018 - July 5 to August 25	87,202	87,397	195
2017 - June 22 to October 3	86,643	87,202	151
2016 - April 17 to October 17	85,881	86,663	762
2015 - May 16 to December 25	84,711	85,881	1,170
2014 - May 2 to October	83,272	84,711	1,439
2013 - April 8 to October 27	81,005	83,272	2,267
2012 - March 21 to November 6	78756	81,005	2,249
2011 - May 8 to October 9	76,032	78,756	2,724
2010 - March 17 to October 25	73,919	76,032	2,113
2009 - May 15 to November 15	71,496	73,919	2,423
2008 - May 2 to October 15	70,194	71,496	1,302
2007 - May 12 to August 28	67,085	70,194	3,109
2006 - May to October	64,726	67,085	2,359
2005 - April 8 to September 8	62,068	64,726	2,658
2004 - May to October	58,772	62,068	3,296
2003 - May 16 to October 13th	56,648	58,772	2,124
2002 - February 23rd to October 13th	43,840	56,648	12,808
2001 - April 13th - December 31st	29,503	43,840	14,337
- - - - Total Miles - - - -			57,894

Gearing Up for Touring Equipment and Accessories for the K1100LT
BMW K-bike Tank Bag	An absolute must for touring. This has performed beautifully! - the elastic straps wore out a couple years ago and I've been without it.. Really miss it. It's been on the bench to get the elastic replaced for a long, long time... soon, hopefully.	Local Dealer
BMW Bag Liners	These are like my helmet and gloves. They keep me ready to go anywhere. Highly recommend bag liners if you have hard bags.	Local Dealer
Russell Day Long	This Day Long custom seat was on the bike when I purchased it. It was customized for the previous owner, yet it has been very comfortable for me. All Day Long! My Recommended Seat!	Russell
Sena Bluetooth Communications	Upgraded to the Sena SMH10-11 dual kit bluetooth communications system. This has the ability to receive and make cell phone calls individually, listen to music individually, as well as communicate between rider and passenger. Not cheap, but got a good price from RevZilla. The old system was become frayed and frustrating.	RevZilla
AutoCom EuroCom System	Riding with my co-pilot isn't the same without being able to talk. Yelling over my shoulder gets old really fast. This unit, though a much older model, makes all the difference. I've finally retired the use of this system for the new Sena SMH10-11 (dual) bluetooth.
Apple iPod	After several CD/Radio players, this has it all. Volume continues to be a challenge though.
Kenwood UBZ-LF14B also Kenwood UBZ-LH14	FRS Radio for Bike to Bike communications -- Sold as part of BMW systems -- Chan. 1 and Chan. 8 the same as the Chatterbox freq. - - - Chan. 1: 462.6525 / Chan. 2: 467.6525	Dunbar EuroSports
Cobra HH38WSXT CB Radio	CB Radio for Weather and Traffic listening. Very short range CB reception, transmission. I carry this as backup, but will likely never end up mounting it to the bike. A future comm system will have inter-bike communications and a connection to a weather enabled GPS system.
Garmin V GPS	GPS for Tour navigation and other uses - - Purchased new many years ago, its features are still useful, though connecting to updated maps have become a challenge. This has seen many miles on and off the motorcycle. The original GPS III+ this replaced was purchased through the IBMWR Marketplace. - - It's time to replace this unit, but with what? So pricey, and so many. Maybe a mount for my smart phone?	IBMWR Marketplace
Schuberth Concept Helmet	Red, size Large... One of the first flip-up helmets on the market, the Concept has served me very comfortably and functionally. This is the second as an SUV ran over my first after I left it sitting behind my bike on a ferry terminal ramp. Crunch! Crunch! $400!!	Dunbar EuroSports
Helen Two Wheels	Helen's packing system is a tremendous tool for LD Riding or even short trips! Waterproof, sized right, and the system works well. 10 years and still working well and looking good.	Helen 2 Wheels
Dry Bags for Camping Gear	Have purchased various bags, straps, and velcro from RiderWearhouse, LL Bean's and EMS	Evaluated
Michelin Pilot Activ - We'll see	The last set of LaserTecs only seemed to get about 7,000 miles before they needed changing. I ran them for about another 1000 miles before I finally got them swapped out with a new set of Michelin Pilot Activ's from Max's BMW July 13th. What feedback I found was good and these are supposed to be the replacements for the MacAdam 50s. And... I loved the MacAdams. We'll see how these work out. So far, I like the ride and they feel good. Even did a solid day of rain with them.	MAX's BMW
Metzeler LaserTecs - Didn't last	Late summer, 2007, I picked up a set of the Lasertecs. The K11 Owner's Group folks that were running them and recommended them. Not real happy with the results. 2011 and only about 6k on the tires... in the spring the tires had already begun to cup. They need replacing in Sept. with only about 8k on them. Still no match for the MacAdams.	American Mototire
Michelin MacAdam 50 & 50E - Loved em!	Previous tire was a Metzeler 880. This was removed with ample tread for a set of MacAdam 50's. Love the MacAdams. Seems Michelin has replaced the MacAdam 50 with the Pilot Activ. LaserTecs replaced with the Pilot Activs..	Tire Reference
Street Atlas USA	Mapping software from DeLorme, Yarmouth, ME. Good all around. Like the interface to the GPS. New version out every year. I haven't used this or upgraded for a couple years. This is good for planning, but on an everyday	DeLorme
R-A-M GPS Mount	The GPS V has been mounted and direct wired to the bike on a RAM-B-149Z-GA2 handlebar mount. Some photos of the mount. Love the mount, it has worked great for many years now! I've used the RAM mounts for my GPS, my airplane gps and radio, and now for cell phones in the car.	RAM Mounts
GPS Direct Power	The GPS direct power cable has been installed in the fairing and leads to the handlebar, ready to plug into the Garmin V GPS.	Garmin
Widder System 2	A requirement for extended riding seasons. Now have the vest, leg & arm chaps, and gloves. Though gloves are too small. A great group of folks! NEWS: I just discovered that Widder Enterprises has retired and closed the business! A great loss to the riding community! My co-pilot has been using a Gerber heated jacket for the last two years and loves it. So, Gerber it is for future heated gear.	Widder Enterprises
Accessory Lighting	Will be doing a CATZ lighting solution similar to that done by Karl Rosenbaum on his '94 K11LT. The CATZ XLOs mounted on Top of The Line light mounts. Unfortunately, I've discovered that Maine makes mounting driving lights above the line of the headlight illegal. So, at some point I'll have to remove the brackets and find another solution.
Joe Rocket Phoenix Jacket	Have purchased 2 Phoenix jackets to date. Both wear well. Protection is always a debated matter of the opinionated.. This has all the padding, is said to be made of Kevlar threaded fabric and is very cool in all ways. A bit of a racing look, this jacket is very cool in warm weather and I feel like I'll have some protection in a get-off. - I've had and worn this jacket for at least 10 years now. Joe Rocket Rocks! I love it and would buy another Joe Rocket.
Joe Rocket Phoenix 5.0 Jacket	"I love it and would buy another Joe Rocket." Well, I did. Bought a Red/Black from RevZilla. This one has a waterproof zip out lining for chillier weather or rain. I had to return the first one because it was too snug (my mistake - read the sizing carefully and give yourself breathing room). The second fits and feels great. The first Joe Rocket Phoenix is still in good shape, it is just getting dirty and hard to clean. Really, I wanted the new one for the color choice and the zip out waterproof lining. Awesome jacket. I love my JR Phoenix in the summer. If you're thinking about it, do it!	RevZilla
AeroStich Roadcrafter Suit	This one-piece fits great and really makes a difference. Especially in the cooler weather. The full suit is important for me as I use the bike to commute to my clients each day. Rolls up to fit in the TopBox !	AeroStich
Parabellum Windscreen	Purchased a new windscreen that is +4" in height and +2" on each side in width over the stock windscreen. This has eliminated the buffetting at highway speeds. It hasn't been too warm in the summer and makes for a much quieter ride. Mounting was a simple task.	Parabellum
BMW 35 litre TopBox	Purchased used off the IBMWR Marketplace. Added hinges and lock. The fit is perfect for my briefcase or my 'stich.	IBMWR
Bel 940 Radar Detector	Purchased Bel 940 Cordless. Got a good deal at a TA truck stop! Supplemented this with a used Valentine One. This serves full time in my F150. Works well.	Beltronics
Auxiliary Fuel Cell	Found a used and ready fuel cell with cover, pumps, etc... Purchased with a rare Reynolds rack and brackets. Have never had the chance to use this, so if somebody is interested...	IBMWR List
Car*Mate 7'x12' Trailer	Enclosed trailer to haul/store the BMWs when needed. Spurred by a winter trip to South Carolina and Daytona for Bike Week. Electronic brakes, ramp door, side door, supports, wheel chocks, tie downs, etc... Dwarfed my F150 ! This trailer came in handy on many occasions. If you HAVE to trailer a BMW, this is the way to go! Gone now, but made for great winter storage for the bikes and a makeshift office inside my aircraft hangar for a couple years.	Bill's Trailers
Top of the Line light mounts	These mounts are custom designed for the K1100LT. They install behind the stock mirrors on the fairing. Unfortunately, I've discovered that they mount the driving lights too high for Maine inspection law. No driving light can be mounted above the line of the headlight. So, I'll have to replace these.	Top of The Line
CATZ XLOs driving lights	St. Andres was slow delivering and responding. The lights still aren't mounted yet, but reports are strong.	St. Andres (defunct)
Custom accessory shelf	Working on building a custom accessory shelf for the dash of the LT. I'll use this to mount my GPS V, Valentine One, and EZ-Pass.	Ron Ayres' example
Valentine One Radar Detector	Purchased used from another BMW rider. This has served well in my MX6 and will be mounted in its own case on the coming accessory shelf.	Valentine One

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