Cross Country Trip Prep

Hey lads-

I'm planning on taking the guzzi Cross the good ole U S of A this summer- Starting first week in June-
I'm going to change all the fluids and plugs before I head out- Battery is on a tender so that should be good to go-

Anything else I should hit it with/spare parts to carry along the trip?

Have you greased the shock linkage and swingarm bearings? Other than that I'd just give it a service/tune hop on and ride.

Have not greased eh shock linkage- How do I do that - quick check in manual and I didn't see that as a recommended service item

Just realized my tires have ~8.5k on them.. Might be best to swap them out before the trip and keep as spares- How many miles does everyone else get on theirs.

Um? I advise it. Swingarm bearings.

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They don't do it very well/at all at the factory.

I'm sure I've done a write up on the procedure somewhere.

Shock linkage will also be as dry as a nun's chuff.

Pete

I strongly recommend following Pete's advice about greasing the bearings and linkage. Mine were completely shot by 25,000 miles, and I had to replace the bearings and seats.

I and several others have found Leafman's photo essay on the topic completely satisfactory, here:

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The patient is a Stelvio, but a CARC's a CARC the world around.

Moto

Another thought. If you have the earlier version of the vehicle speed sensor, you should protect it with a coat of silicone seal around the wiring entry. (I don't know if a 2009 still has that early version.) You'll find it on the swing arm, where it can easily be removed for sealing.

My experience in cross-country trips is that at least one ferocious thunderstorm can be expected, and that might be enough to cold-cock your speedo sensor (until it dries out later, perhaps).

Enjoy your trip.

Moto

Tyres are a bit like oil discussions, we all have our own preferences. For instance I am just flicking the Michelin Pilot Road 5's as the milage increase promised over the "4's" is BS and the front tyre is cupping after 3,500kms.
Tyres wear is typically defined by riding style, type of bike and terrain. For instance a high torque twin (read GRiSO) will wear tyres our more quickly than say a 4 cylinder bike. Hilly country will wear a front faster than a rear, (opposite on flatter terrain). A heavy wrist is also a key determinant to wear. My skinnier friends also seem to eek out an exrea 1000 Kms or so than the full figured moi.
For your interest I am going back to the Pirelli Angel GT's with the rear being their heavy duty version.

I made this wooden shop stand with this job in mind
It takes me about 30 seconds to get the bike up in the air but if you plan on doing the swing arm you need to remove the LH side cover first, it should work with any of the CARC bikes
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