Naked Bike 50cc?

rneal55555

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#21
I would probably bring the xtra fuel but only use it if I needed it. You would probably be better served practicing and getting your fuel stops streamlined. As Ira pointed out using the can is still a stop and after it all plays out may not save much time. You should really do some practice runs pull over park get of the bike unstrap the can pour the fuel strap the can back on and go. But you also have to account for the extra time spent filling the can at the next regular stop. It may be faster to just plan every other stop as a pull in to the pump and go don't even get off the bike.

Practice your regular stops and develop a routine the get the time down. I just pull in fill the tank pull the receipt and write the log info on the back make a quick trip inside for to pee grab a couple drinks and go. Might be tough for you but usually jab some sort sandwich I can eat on the road. I drop it in a pocket or tank bag and once back on the rad and everything's settled down a can gobble it down dry.

I'm not a super planner either but I have the route in the GPS and once I get down below 1/2 on fuel I start doing some searches for fuel on my current route. In rural areas typically you'll set them spaced out in what are probably exits and they be some distance away and use that to determining my stoops based on the MPG I getting at the time I pretty much what it usually is but sometimes bucking a head wind ir something it can be way off.

The big thing is practice and experiment to figure out what is best for you before the start. You're sure to learn things during the ride you just don't want to be learning the thing that will make the ride doable.

When I attempted an east toe east CC50 I leaned that I had completlry underestimated the effect of the time zone changes on my in ride planning and decision making.
 

Gatey

Premier Member
IBA Member
#22
Skidoo is a great user of the fuel can strategy. Hes has used it on some truly substantial coast to coast rides on very small bikes.
Think of it as a stop to streatch your legs as a direct result of stretching the bikes usable range. Really filling the fuel can is and the tank is honestly not going to take a zot longer that filling an ST1300. Getting that few minutes at your calling (remember the planning in this adventure) is as good as any other fuel stop and hells bells you even mentioned stopping at some point regardless once your gauge showns 1/3.
So Design the ride . Design the actual stops required . But You need to design the rest/sleep stops because this is after all a 50cc. Rest no matter how small is a gem in the rough.
Post a link to the route you have built so far. Im interested to study learn more about routes outside Australia.
Cheers
 
#23
@OX-34 I'm so jealous, I need to get back to Australia soon! I didn't get a chance to drive anything when I was there, it was more of a Scuba trip for me... It looks like you covered a ton of distance, when I was in Sydney even Wollongong seemed far away :oops: Either way, our gas tanks are basically identical in size, glad to see you were able to head out and have a fun day!

After all in planning a route you remove that whatif issue and thus you can relaxe and enjoy the ride more.
That's very true, I wasn't really considering that aspect! I used the tool on the 50cc page to plan out generous fuel stops, if they happen to be closed or nonexistent, or if I'm feeling great and wanna continue I'll use the fuel can and take the next stop.

@Ira Thanks for the input! My issue with gas stations is generally the 'while I'm at it' attitude where while I'm already stopped I'll get something to drink, go to the bathroom, etc, even if I don't really need to. The 3.8 gallon tank (in practice I find it's just under 3 gallons) doesn't help either since it means a lot of stops, I've drained a tank down to the reserve in ~2 hours on the stretch between upstate NY and NC.
 
#24
I completely missed the second page! @rneal55555 I agree, time zones always have a bigger effect than expected. Might help going East to West, as the sun will set earlier relative to me? I'm going to try to practice quick stops and logging procedure this week, as well as double and triple checking that spotwalla is working properly.

Here is my plan so far. The RDU -> JAX route is straightforward and I've driven it before by car and there's no real time press. Had to split the 50cc up into 2 parts as it wouldn't let me add more directions to one, I haven't decided where I am staying yet. The landmarks tab is a bunch of places I'm interested in going on the path home, definitely won't be able to do it all. Seems like Mulholland Highway is closed due to a rockslide, and I'd only go to Pikes Peak if I am completely certain there will not be any ice on the road, same with Deals Gap (been there before anyways). Might skip Joshua Tree National Park if it feels out of the way when I get over there, I'm super flexible with that route. I've wanted to go to New Orleans just to eat food for a long time so that's a big one for me. I'd appreciate any input on path planning, or advice on the path! The gas planner on the 50cc site went I-10 to I-8 so that's what I stuck with.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=15spGcLZ-Gl1NcoCYjONbbSL5UWYFNT5w&usp=sharing
 

kwthom

=o&o>
Premier Member
IBA Member
#25
Just some random thoughts...

Wilmington, NC is only two hours away. You could start there (it's a coastal city...), then maybe on-the-clock something like:

https://goo.gl/maps/T4c1Ce9vMav

The Wilmington, NC-to-Florence, SC leg - I think I'd research a bit about US-74 west to I-95, then near Florence, SC, onto I-20 west. It doesn't seem you'd lose a lot of time.

Perhaps time the ride to avoid Atlanta traffic (be there ~11am or so??)

The 'corners' on the first-half of the route above are reasonably self-evident, and might be well within your fuel range. Simply make a stop as early as practical when you get onto the next Interstate.

Example:
Sun-Do Kwik Shop
41 Kenric Dr, Lumberton, NC 28358

Closest gas I see closest to I-95 | I-74 | US-74 junctions. Kinda pain in the butt to get in and out of, but that's really all I see in the immediate vicinity.

That gas planner along I-10 is good, but the same information can be picked out of GasBuddy.com as well as simply study of Google Maps along your route.
 
#26
@kwthom I was originally planning on going from Wilmington because it would shave a full day off the total trip; I would go to Wilmington, take a break and start rather than spend an afternoon going to Florida and spend the night before starting. I currently have my planned date of leaving as Saturday, March 9th so aside from some spring break traffic (probably more north & south) I don't think there will be too much traffic. The main thing that worries me is the additional 300 miles, since it seems a lot of people seem to fail the 50cc even from JAX... The trip says 38 hours without traffic as compared to 33, so I don't know how tight the sleeping would get. I'm very good at oversleeping so a 2-3 hour nap every 10 hours might do me better than overshooting a night at a motel. I've done that on road trips way too many times, and been very close to missing international flights before :confused:
 

Ira

Staff member
Premier Member
IBA Member
IBR Finisher
IBR Staff
#27
@kwthom I was originally planning on going from Wilmington because it would shave a full day off the total trip; I would go to Wilmington, take a break and start rather than spend an afternoon going to Florida and spend the night before starting. I currently have my planned date of leaving as Saturday, March 9th so aside from some spring break traffic (probably more north & south) I don't think there will be too much traffic. The main thing that worries me is the additional 300 miles, since it seems a lot of people seem to fail the 50cc even from JAX... The trip says 38 hours without traffic as compared to 33, so I don't know how tight the sleeping would get. I'm very good at oversleeping so a 2-3 hour nap every 10 hours might do me better than overshooting a night at a motel. I've done that on road trips way too many times, and been very close to missing international flights before :confused:
Two words: Screaming Meanie

Ira Agins
Iron Butt Association
 

cacomly

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#28
@kwthom I was originally planning on going from Wilmington because it would shave a full day off the total trip; I would go to Wilmington, take a break and start rather than spend an afternoon going to Florida and spend the night before starting. I currently have my planned date of leaving as Saturday, March 9th so aside from some spring break traffic (probably more north & south) I don't think there will be too much traffic. The main thing that worries me is the additional 300 miles, since it seems a lot of people seem to fail the 50cc even from JAX... The trip says 38 hours without traffic as compared to 33, so I don't know how tight the sleeping would get. I'm very good at oversleeping so a 2-3 hour nap every 10 hours might do me better than overshooting a night at a motel. I've done that on road trips way too many times, and been very close to missing international flights before :confused:
Lots of reasons for people failing the 50CC, some due to the rider biting off more than they can chew, some due to weather, and probably 100 other reasons.

By adding 300 miles you are adding approximately 12% to the distance of your ride by starting in Wilmington. That is a lot of miles to add if you are not used to riding that many. It's certainly doable.

Have you actually done a ride where you stopped for 2-3 hours every 10 hours as your main break? Experimenting with sleep habits during a big ride could not go as planned. And can't you just as well oversleep after a 2-3 hour nap as you can after spending a night in a hotel? I know I can :)

Also note we set our clocks forward that weekend, so be sure to take that into account. And double check each fuel receipt in case they don't update their time

Best of luck on your ride! I hopefully will be heading to Jacksonville on that same day. I just need to decide on my route, do I go through Mobile AL or San Diego? (BBG or SS5K from PA)
 

kwthom

=o&o>
Premier Member
IBA Member
#29
I so recall having conversations much like these before *I* did my first (...and only...) 50CC. Thus, take my comments as simply another interested party in wishing you success... :D

<...>The trip says 38 hours without traffic as compared to 33, so I don't know how tight the sleeping would get. I'm very good at oversleeping so a 2-3 hour nap every 10 hours might do me better than overshooting a night at a motel. I've done that on road trips way too many times, and been very close to missing international flights before :confused:
Hehehehe...

Trust me - you're NOT going to sleep that much better, whether you're at home or whether you overnight it and start in Wilmington or Jacksonville. ;)

Chris' comments above mirror my thoughts with his reply. Many have written about the things that bit them in the a** when it came to doing a 50CC. Others have written about how close they were - and making it in the alloted time. All of us that *have* written about the "thrill of victory or the agony of defeat" have done so for those that have yet to make the attempt - here's what works, here's what didn't work.

You simply have to adapt your ride 'comfort' to the parameters that make the ride work. It's truly 'ride pace' that matters. The number of hours you can maintain that pace. You've done the math, you've mastered the time needed to do a fuel stop efficiently (practice, practice, practice...) and you know what your pace needs to be.

That first day, when you cross that 1000 mile threshold and realize you have another two to three hundred miles before the day ends seems to me to be that "wall" that a rider will hit. Especially the first few time you do this. It does get a bit easier.
 

cacomly

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#31
That wall is Texas. It is like a gut punch to realize you will be riding the next 1,000 miles in the same state. However, once you're out of Texas - the rest goes quickly. The best thing about your time in Texas is you can bump up the speed. ;)
LOL, as I read Ken's comment I was thinking the same thing. Over 1/3 (37%) of the 50 CC is in the state of Texas (880 out of approximately 2400 miles). I think east to west you have a slight advantage as the mile markers count down so you know how much further to the state line. Headed west to east I kept thinking it was 800 miles across and I wondered for over an hour when the darn state would end!
 
#32
Hi y'all, quick update since I've been super busy this last week. I'm probably going to be doing the Wilmington / San Diego route, but I might do it in reverse. I'm thinking that starting with the 50cc would likely tire me out much more than building up to it with 600 mile days on highways with mixed fun roads would; maybe getting home to my own bed would be a good motivator to finish as well. I got kinda hesitant about the whole trip today since I've been pretty stressed out though. I have 2 busy jobs, the mid semester crazy workload at school, 2 project bikes which have a hard deadline to finish (leaving for summer break in May and want both sold so I can buy a car while vacationing) and have yet to swap my rear tire or change oil yet... I'll see how I'm feeling about it all tomorrow, might delay it an extra day or end up doing a shorter trip. I don't want to set out on an incredibly long trip when I'm not in the correct head-space.

Thanks everyone who's helped me plan so far, hopefully I'll be able to put it all to good use in the coming week!!!

Also, I did a fully loaded shakedown trip on Monday for a couple of hours, incredible how a bunch of luggage and a gas tank makes it look like a much bigger bike (to me at least) :) I got a lot more attention on the highway than I'm used to, it felt great, nothing came loose and it was almost more comfortable than normal since I effectively had a backrest and somewhere to lean forward onto!

ressuze.jpg
 

Marc11

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#33
In my opinion that's way too much fuel. You really only need enough to get to the next station, 40-50 miles worth should be enough since it's not a plumbed aux tank. So if it were me, I'd carry a gallon of spare fuel max.

Not sure how long total you'll be on the road but consider carrying less. You'd be surprised how little clothes and things you need. Focus on essentials, food, fuel, water and gear for cold and rain.

Make everything organized, you don't want to spend 20 mins at a fuel stop looking for that cliff bar or trying to restrap your tank bag.

Long rides like this are as much about stamina as they are efficientcy. The more efficient each stop is, the more time you have for unexpected stops, like traffic or a longer rest stop.

A well packed lighter bike is less tiresome to deal with when your mind starts to go to mush. Things on the bike need to be automatic, you know where everything is, every time and it's easy to get to. Being able to grab a drink or a cliff bar while cruising down the road is a huge time saver and energy boaster.

Staying hydrated and fueled while riding goes a LONG way, chugging water at a gas station cost time, doesn't hydrate as much as you think and only makes you need to stop again before the next fuel.

Digging through bags, spending time at fuel stations just to repack, etc will cost you in the long run.

Anyway just some random thoughts in my opinion and what works for me.

Everyone has their own style for these rides, good luck.
 
Last edited:
#34
Hi y'all, quick update since I've been super busy this last week. I'm probably going to be doing the Wilmington / San Diego route, but I might do it in reverse. I'm thinking that starting with the 50cc would likely tire me out much more than building up to it with 600 mile days on highways with mixed fun roads would; maybe getting home to my own bed would be a good motivator to finish as well. I got kinda hesitant about the whole trip today since I've been pretty stressed out though. I have 2 busy jobs, the mid semester crazy workload at school, 2 project bikes which have a hard deadline to finish (leaving for summer break in May and want both sold so I can buy a car while vacationing) and have yet to swap my rear tire or change oil yet... I'll see how I'm feeling about it all tomorrow, might delay it an extra day or end up doing a shorter trip. I don't want to set out on an incredibly long trip when I'm not in the correct head-space.

Thanks everyone who's helped me plan so far, hopefully I'll be able to put it all to good use in the coming week!!!

Also, I did a fully loaded shakedown trip on Monday for a couple of hours, incredible how a bunch of luggage and a gas tank makes it look like a much bigger bike (to me at least) :) I got a lot more attention on the highway than I'm used to, it felt great, nothing came loose and it was almost more comfortable than normal since I effectively had a backrest and somewhere to lean forward onto!

View attachment 3421
I thought you said you were thinking of carrying 2 gallons? That container looks huge! Whats on the other side as a counter balance? I hope not another can... :)
 

cacomly

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#35
Hi y'all, quick update since I've been super busy this last week. I'm probably going to be doing the Wilmington / San Diego route, but I might do it in reverse. I'm thinking that starting with the 50cc would likely tire me out much more than building up to it with 600 mile days on highways with mixed fun roads would; maybe getting home to my own bed would be a good motivator to finish as well. I got kinda hesitant about the whole trip today since I've been pretty stressed out though. I have 2 busy jobs, the mid semester crazy workload at school, 2 project bikes which have a hard deadline to finish (leaving for summer break in May and want both sold so I can buy a car while vacationing) and have yet to swap my rear tire or change oil yet... I'll see how I'm feeling about it all tomorrow, might delay it an extra day or end up doing a shorter trip. I don't want to set out on an incredibly long trip when I'm not in the correct head-space.

Thanks everyone who's helped me plan so far, hopefully I'll be able to put it all to good use in the coming week!!!

Also, I did a fully loaded shakedown trip on Monday for a couple of hours, incredible how a bunch of luggage and a gas tank makes it look like a much bigger bike (to me at least) :) I got a lot more attention on the highway than I'm used to, it felt great, nothing came loose and it was almost more comfortable than normal since I effectively had a backrest and somewhere to lean forward onto!
Think this through. I have a full time job and have been spending many nights and most weekends helping to dispose of my father's machine shop for the past 3 years. I had an especially busy week two weeks ago when also trying to get my bike ready for a SS4K ride in to Jacksonville. I finished my bike at 10 pm the night before I left and still had to pack. I delayed my planned 5am departure by 2 hours and ended up pulling the plug on the ride midway through the second day due to several annoying but minor issues. Normally riding is relaxing to me and de-stressing, but the accumulated lack of sleep did me in.

Note I am not saying don't go, only you can make that call. I'm just saying be prepared to do so and have a plan in the event you do
 

kwthom

=o&o>
Premier Member
IBA Member
#36
A trip might be a nice diversion, but not necessarily an IBA-style trip.

There *is* more to motorcycling than this.