Welcome to the IBA Australia forum
- Thread starter tj189
- Start date
Welcome Nukat, plenty of great riding to be had around here. See you out there.
PS. Late notice perhaps Nukat but there is a catch up this Saturday in Cooma NSW, here is the link to the thread. You would be most welcome to come along.
http://forum.ironbutt.org/index.php?threads/gtr-cooma-06-02-2021.4412/
PS. Late notice perhaps Nukat but there is a catch up this Saturday in Cooma NSW, here is the link to the thread. You would be most welcome to come along.
http://forum.ironbutt.org/index.php?threads/gtr-cooma-06-02-2021.4412/
Good on you for being a true W.E. Johns reader! I never owned many of the books, but read every one our library had. I was given the nickname independently of the book reading, by a teacher at a school I taught at, based on my passion for flying.
You're right to get the lights up to spec. To really do Ironbutt rides with any degree of comfort the cruise control can make or break you. One obvious advantage is the speed control aspect- it's just too easy to roll on the speed when you're getting fed up with progress. The next item for comfort is highway pegs to give your cramped legs a stretch. You might be happy with the Beemer's seat, but a budget improvement is an Airhawk under a sheepie. A bit of luggage (a tankbag at the minimum) will make life much easier on a trip. You probably know all that and lots more. Go raid the piggy-bank and get into the mods! It will soon be perfect Autumn riding weather- just don't miss that one week!
You're right to get the lights up to spec. To really do Ironbutt rides with any degree of comfort the cruise control can make or break you. One obvious advantage is the speed control aspect- it's just too easy to roll on the speed when you're getting fed up with progress. The next item for comfort is highway pegs to give your cramped legs a stretch. You might be happy with the Beemer's seat, but a budget improvement is an Airhawk under a sheepie. A bit of luggage (a tankbag at the minimum) will make life much easier on a trip. You probably know all that and lots more. Go raid the piggy-bank and get into the mods! It will soon be perfect Autumn riding weather- just don't miss that one week!
I have used the SPOT tracker for several years. I do think that their service charges are becoming quite cumbersome, especially since my riding exploits have declined over the past year. I had one cause to use the Spot emergency contact facility when out of telephone range and it worked well. My wife wants me to maintain the Spot subscription for her piece of mind more than anything. Phone apps are great when there is telephone signal available. I want to have Spot more for the "emergency" use rather than just ride log tracking. I know of several riders who now use the Garmin In-Reach unit and speak favourably of that device. I guess it really depends on whether you are after a communication and tracking device, or something that will truly assist you in the event of any emergency. I have not explored any of the phone apps.
I wonder if people are using the Garmin in-reach because, from the little I’ve read it connects up with some Garmin navigation units, which make sense.
I’m not wanting to make a hurried purchase, I’d like to see these things and have a play, mostly because at this stage I know exactly where I’m going and phone coverage mostly keeps me out of trouble, however I do plan to take a few roads less travelled and as I mentioned, happy wife- happy life.
I’m not wanting to make a hurried purchase, I’d like to see these things and have a play, mostly because at this stage I know exactly where I’m going and phone coverage mostly keeps me out of trouble, however I do plan to take a few roads less travelled and as I mentioned, happy wife- happy life.
I have used Spot for many years, Lynne and I see it as an insurance policy in case we need the SOS alert via satellites . The tracking is a side bonus for us.
Prior to Covid I did swap to Bubbler Pro and tested it on a SS1600 with Hackle, but it gave me the shites keeping my phone charged then trying to keep it dry when it rained later in the day, and of course if there is an emergency, good luck with phone coverage. So I went back to Spot again.
Prior to Covid I did swap to Bubbler Pro and tested it on a SS1600 with Hackle, but it gave me the shites keeping my phone charged then trying to keep it dry when it rained later in the day, and of course if there is an emergency, good luck with phone coverage. So I went back to Spot again.
Garmin inReach is utilised as subscriptions are cheaper than SPOT. Unless regularly going outback/off road like me just use a phone app for tracking. If you need peace of mind for emergencies get a PLB (wearable). I wear both a SPOT & KTI PLB as no good stuck to bike. SPOT is on a casual plan so only activate it for the month I need it & PLB is registered with AMSR with trip details updated prior to departure.
With these devices, you still need to activate them in an emergency situation? They don’t have a tether or “tilt switch”? Which I can only imagine would have certain restrictions on the way they could be utilised but also, for example a solo traveller coming off the bike and not in a great situation, an automatic trigger would be conceivably life saving
perhaps I’m just over thinking, I realise I am totally uneducated so be gentle when telling me they do have these options
perhaps I’m just over thinking, I realise I am totally uneducated so be gentle when telling me they do have these options
I started using spot when I first got in to this back in 14. Every time I head out I flash up the spot and the little orange lights let me know that there is a link between me and some one else if the undesirable happens. If your using it to track your rides for the purposes of certification, more than half this country has no cell service. This works and in conjunction with Spotwalla is just a great tool. If you set up Spotwalla correctly you have a record of every ride you do at your fingertips. I tend to mark corners and gas stops in my route with the OK message button on the device and it sends anyone on my email notification list a message “ all good no problems” and a link to my exact location. The emergency service doesn’t work in and of itself it requires human input, you can carry it in your pocket if you want, if you have a Klim jacket they even provide a pocket for it, however it’s a bit hard to use it if your unconscious. So I leave mine on the handle bar in the purpose built cradle and hope that in the event the unpleasant happens, that a passerby may just push the emergency button if they can’t get their phone to connect. A lot of this place is very remote and LD riding is very addictive, you may be surprised where you end up. I certainly was and chuffed as well. Of the nearly 50 IBA rides I have had certified the little spot has been on every one , except for the last and I felt off the whole ride, guess it boils down to what you get used too.
I just renewed my subscription, $206 USD.
What price peace of mind?
I just renewed my subscription, $206 USD.
What price peace of mind?
My Spot renewal notice is $US 224.60, not including taxes (whatever they may be) 
Update 12/02. Overall annual renewal due this month is US$247.48, which rounds out to about AUD $ 319.94 (based on today's Reserve Bank exchange rate). When I first started using SPOT in 2015 the annual registration charge was US $164.99 (AUD $ 213.30).
Update 12/02. Overall annual renewal due this month is US$247.48, which rounds out to about AUD $ 319.94 (based on today's Reserve Bank exchange rate). When I first started using SPOT in 2015 the annual registration charge was US $164.99 (AUD $ 213.30).
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