After a couple weeks of packing, unpacking, and test rides, I am ready to roll. New bike, new gear but an old list. Had to do a couple mods to get some not plastic ties down points and figure out how to lock things up in case I want to go for a hike. I love the new bike. The previous bike (Kawasaki Versys X-300) was my first introduction to lightweight touring. I sold both beemers (R1100RT's) last year with both over 100K miles, and went to the small X300 at first just to ride back roads, but I figured out that the small guys are much much more fun, you can go on goat paths and most importantly, I can pick it up when I drop it (which I try not to do). But sometime I need to get somewhere and the speed limits are 75 out here in the west, so the Honda CB500x has another dozen horsepower or so and not much more weight. Post Covid, these were impossible to get but my local dealer found the only two in the state of Arizona and I got my name on one of them up near Phoenix.
I put a couple hundred miles on it before I left for our car trip back east, but my two friends finished the break in for me (thanks Mark & Dan) while I was gone. I did the 600 mile break in service (oil & filter) when I got back and I have been doing fast loops all over since then to test out all the gear.
The plan is to leave Monday morning (July 26) and head east. My brother will head west sometime after July 28 and we meet somewhere between Vermont and Arizona.
Stay tuned!!
