I find the budget to be the deciding factor on all this, and if you're stuck to our lame budget, it makes the job THAT MUCH HARDER. At the start of the year I had enough money to take off for the trip, but its been an expensive summer...yes lady, expensive, but the best of my life, dun worry the marriage fund still has few monies in it. Since August, I've basically had to restart the trip fund, and I will only have enough money the week I leave, yeah its THAT tight. Beyond my love and family not wanting me to take off for so long, its this reason I find next hardest to face when doing this trip at my age. No regrets...not yet anyway, but when I come back, I'm gonna need money and that part scares me. This better damn well be a good trip for what its worth, i should be buying a house instead. I guess though this is what people do, cause in the end its really about the experiences you make in life, not the money right? Well, this is my one big selfish individual experience that I'll get, so I suppose its worth it.
Heres a brotip on budgeting if you plan on planning a lot. Save, then save way more than you think you should need, cause that's pretty much whats happening to me now. There's always 1000 things to save for, but you end up missing another 1000 you either weren't sure about or forgot entirely. In the budget's I posted earlier, well...I've added A LOT of stuff onto it since then. As the time gets closer, you realize more and more minor details.
I've discovered, prices to cross borders quite aren't as cheap as I thought, what the hell is with some countries charging you 20 + American bucks to cross, then charge another 20 for a billion copies of your documents, and so on so on. Border crossings I am LEAST looking forward to, a massive struggle every time. Anyway beyond that point....this is what I purchased tonight to get the bike ready; how I'm gonna pack all this I have no ide......SHIT SHIT see...I forgot a tankbag, theres always something extra and another hundred bucks gone I don't really have.
Progressive Suspension 465 Series Rear Shock for Kawasaki KLR650 Motorcycles 87-07
SKU: 465-11301
$377.42
D.I.D 428 NZ Series Non O-Ring High-Performance Motorcycle Chain - D.I.D 428 NZ Series Non O-Ring High-Performance Motorcycle Chain - 120 Links - Black
SKU: D18428NZ1201
$44.38
Moose Racing Ultimate Tire Repair Kit
SKU: 0364-00041
$35.87
Shinko 705 Dual Sport Front / Rear Tire - Shinko 705 Dual Sport Front Tire - 90/90-21
SKU: 87-45282
$86.61 (two of these)
(I've never seen Shinko's for 43 bones a piece, not the best tire, but for the price how can we go wrong)
Shinko 705 Dual Sport Front / Rear Tire - Shinko 705 Dual Sport Rear Tire - 130/90-17
SKU: 87-45222
$104.67 (two of these)
From JCMotors.com, thank you guys for being SOOOOOOOOO much cheaper than anywhere else
..and that's the half of it, heres the rest, bought in Canada.
| Front sprocket KLR650 steel (16 tooth; No) | 1 | $CAD 19.95 | $CAD 19.95 |
 | | | |
| KLR rear steel sprocket (43 tooth) | 1 | $CAD 38.99 | $CAD 38.99 |
| | | |
| UNI filter service kit | 1 | $CAD 16.95 | $CAD 16.95 |
| | | |
| TIROX CHAIN CLEANER WITH 360 BRUSH | 1 | $CAD 15.95 | $CAD 15.95 |
| | | |
| Motion Pro Tire Lever | 2 | $CAD 5.95 | $CAD 11.90 |
| | | |
| Signals KLR | 1 | $CAD 17.95 | $CAD 17.95 |
| | | |
| Spark plug KLR DPR8EA-9 | 2 | $CAD 3.79 | $CAD 7.58 |
| | | |
| Fram Oil filter | 2 | $CAD 8.50 | $CAD 17.00 |
| | | |
| HiFlo filter HF123 KLR650 | 4 | $CAD 5.99 | $CAD 23.96 |
| | | |
| AllBalls KLR650 front wheel bearing kit <05 | 1 | $CAD 13.95 | $CAD 13.95 |
| | | |
| AllBalls KLR650 rear wheel bearing kit 87-09 | 1 | $CAD 11.95 | $CAD 11.95 |
| | | |
| Kenda Tuff Tubes (80/100-21 HD Tube) | 1 | $CAD 19.95 | $CAD 19.95 |
| | | |
| Pirelli/Metzeler 17" Tire Tube | 1 | $CAD 28.95 | $CAD 28.95 |
| Shipping cost (3 Day Shipping):: | $CAD 25.12 | ||
| Subtotal : | $CAD 270.15 | ||
| HST : | $CAD 35.12 | ||
| $CAD 305.27 | |||
I think the toughy is to get the tires packed on the bike, Nik's gonna set up his rear, but I'm gonna bring along both tires, I have enough tread to get another 8,000 k out of the rear and maybe 3000 km out of the front.
(remember I rode my last tire to the metal, its a bit hard to see but you get the picture, I get the most out of my tires haha).
 |
| If you look close, you can see the tear line down the middle of the tire, I was shitting brix that morning |
With a big burden off the chest of buying stuff, the only things left are maps, the bag, an sd card, the lock, and a compass. This makes life a little easier for the next couple months.
I'll leave tonight trying to figure out how to make a decent lock for the panniers so our gear doesn't get stolen, one thing about the happy trail panniers you can pinch the lock even with shoddy wire cutters :(. TIME TO GET CREATIVE,
Robeeeez
P.S. Everything seems to be fine with the bike from when I dropped it; a little sore on the leg, the handlebars are a bit crooked, but it doesn't affect the control, so we're still golden!
