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
2009 - May 15 to November 8	71,496	73,854	2,358
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 - - - -			44,351

Gearing Up for Touring Equipment and Accessories for the K1100LT
BMW K-bike Tank Bag	An absolute must for touring. This has performed beautifully!	Local Dealer
BMW Bag Liners	These are like my helmet and gloves. They keep me ready to go anywhere.	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
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. Eventually, we'll upgrade it to use a better music system and inter-bike system.	AutoComm America
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.	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. 7 plus 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
Metzeler LaserTecs	Late summer, 2007, I picked up a set of the Lasertecs. The K11 Owner's Group folks that were running them and recommended them. After several thousand miles, I have nothing bad to say about them. They feel good and run well.	American Mototire
Michelin MacAdam 50	Previous tire was a Metzeler 880. This was removed with ample tread for a set of MacAdam 50's. Love the MacAdams.	Tire Reference
Street Atlas USA	Mapping software from DeLorme, Yarmouth, ME. Good all around. Like the interface to the GPS.	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!	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.
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 !	Rider WearHouse
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
Michelin MacAdam 50 & 50E	Front and rear tires. Prefer these over the Metzler. I love them. Really run well and smooth.	Tire Reference
Garmin GPS V	The GPS V is the latest. Some additional functionality over the GPS III+. I've been using the GPS V for years now.	Advanced GPS
Bel 940 Radar Detector	Purchased Bel 940 Cordless. Got a good deal at a TA truck stop! Supplemented this with a used Valentine One last year. 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.	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!	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.	Top of The Line
CATZ XLOs driving lights	St. Andres was slow delivering and resonding. 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 EasyPass.	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

A Little of my Motorcycling History

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