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Originally Posted by bull
Thoroughly enjoyed the write up as I plan on making several 1100 mile round trips on my "new to me" Roketa. I was curious about what I should carry in the form of spares and tools. Any thoughts about spares and tools as well as camping gear like a tent that you care to share?
I have been wanting to build / buy a trailer and use it to haul things with, especially on those trips. I've looked closely at those multi wheel utility type bicycle trailers sold at Wal Mart. Of course modifying them will be a given.
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Sure... Best thing is to (try to) travel light. I learned that the trailer can be overloaded and let me tell you it can be a bit frightening... and dangerous.
The loaded trailer back there has inertia; it takes a little bit for it to catch up if a quick maneuver is made and a little bit again for it to stop moving into a lean. In other words there is a lag time when executing abrupt turns at speed. The heavier it is loaded, the more pronounced the effect. Loaded properly and conservatively it is not much of a problem at all.
I carry enough tools to be able to remove wheels, clutch, variator, muffler and bring other smaller misc. tools like pliers, screw drivers, spark plug wrench and other appropriate wrenches, ratchets & sockets as might be needed. Also tire pressure gauge, tire plugging kit along with a small 12V tire inflator, flash light, duct tape, zip ties etc. No need to take a full compliment of tools, but one should have tools to fix things if they can. (and are willing to) Otherwise save the weight of most of that if you would rather just call for a tow should the bike become disabled.
For long trips, the tires should have enough tread for the trip X2 just as a safety factor... For exceptionally long trips, you might consider having new tires put on before you go. Depending on the ride environment and duration, you might consider taking an extra quart of oil and a small 1 or 2 gal. gas can (usually red plastic)... just in case a fuel stop is missed.
I also carry a spare drive belt and my service manual. (because I can't remember everything)
I have used my big 3 season 4+2 tent when I plan on staying somewhere for a while, otherwise I use a small dome tent that packs smaller and weighs a lot less than the "Big blue palace". Self inflating sleeping pads just don't do it for me so I use cheapie twin size inflatable mattresses. They are a bit heavy and bulky, but they are SOOOO nice... (when they don't leak air) Got to be careful on stony or stick strewn ground to avoid punctures. Keep ALL sharp objects away.
I'd be wary of using a trailer intended for bicycle use that is built for much lighter loads and much lower speeds than are capable by a scooter. Tire speed and load ratings would need to be higher than bicycle tires. This also goes for wheel bearing speed and load capabilities. Motor vehicle laws regarding trailers may also come into play there as well so you should probably check first before committing to a bicycle trailer.
Whatever trailer you decide to use, load it as if you were going on a trip and drive it around locally as practice to get used to the feel and handling response before you go out on a trip. In any case, you will need to account for poorer fuel economy, longer stopping distances, slower acceleration and slower climbing inclines (momentum is your friend there)... even more so if the roadway is wet. Your cruising speed will probably not be quite as it would be as if you were riding solo due to the extra weight and wind drag. One thing I did notice when using my trailer was that gusts of wind from passing traffic had less influence on the bike and seemed to afford it more stability in that regard.