A Breakout CAN do "light touring" :)
#1
07-04-2014, 03:04 PM
A Breakout CAN do "light touring" :)
This morning, I think I pretty much reassured myself that my 2014 Breakout, with the inappropriate-for-touring Stage 4 Race kit, CAN do "light touring".
I live on the eastern edge of "Texas Hill Country", an area in Central Texas, starting at Austin, Texas and extending westward about 150 miles. Naturally, all the "best" motorcycling roads are in the westernmost portion, starting about 100 miles southwest of my home.
I only had time today for a "day trip" that had to start by 7am and end no later than noon, as our nightly temperature lows are now mid-70s, and our daily highs hit mid to high 90s, under a brutally hot direct sun. Regardless of any intent I might have to endure more heat, my body basically insists on a car versus a bike once the thermometer hits mid 80s .
I snapped the Garmin Zumo 660 GPS into my HD Garmin 660 mounting kit, and dialed up "Kerrville" as the destination. I had to say "Kerrville" because the GPS map does not include the REAL destination, "Medina", which is 24 miles further than Kerrvile, and which can be described as "extremely small". But the 24 miles or so between Kerrville and medina is the best 24 miles on Texas Hwy 16, and I've been told "you need to see it".
It's a LOT closer than the absolute best Texas highways, which are Highways 335,336, and 337, and which most bikers around here call "The Three Sisters" and some bikers call "The Twisted Sisters". To do THAT route, I'd need to do about 325 miles, and that's just not practically or legally doable in 5 hours on roads that have 15 mph corners and cattle grates, on a July 4th holiday day. So, I'm saving that for The Autumn, when temperatures get a lot more moderate.
The route to and from medina includes 60 mph "ranch roads", a couple of 70 mph highways, and the Texas DOT roller coaster known as "Highway 16 south of Kerrville", which one online guide to Texas motorcycling highways
http://www.hillcountrycruising.com/highway16.html
says is "for experienced riders only".
That may be coming on a little heavy with the praise for the road, but I do see their point; there are REAL 15 mph corners throughout it, and some of them have, in sequence before the corner, from each direction, (a) a warning sign, (b) an unmanned speed radar that displays your speed for you, and warns you to "slow down", while flashing the speed if you are going over 15 mph, and (c) yet another warning sign, so I quickly got the impression they are serious about the 15mph. Turned out my impression was correct too. I was in FIRST gear in those turns. On the faster sections I hit maybe 50 mph.
There must also be an overpopulation of deer in that area too. Normally, here in Texas we see (and hit
) deer only at night, dusk, and dawn. But today, there were plenty of them even at 9 and 10 am (dawn is 6:30 here now). That meant having to do a few quick slowdowns as one thing an y Texas driver learns quickly is that deer do NOT run in the "logical" direction AWAY from your vehicle; they can, and do, run in ANY direction. I once had a deer wait patiently at the side of a suburban highway while I started to cruise past him, and then he ran and jumped right into the SIDE of my brand new car (hadn't even made the first payment on it yet).
Anyway, I was out from 7am to 11:45am, and put on a total of 232 miles. The only times I was off the bike in the timeframe were for 2 gas stops. The first gas stop, at 141.7 miles, included a bathroom break and drinking 1/2 bottle of water. The second gas stop was 88.5 miles later, just 2 miles before returning home. So, there was lots of actual "seat" time - like a total of at least 4 1/2 hours of the 4 3/4 hours on the total trip.
The bike seat:
There is no way I can honestly say that the HD "Reach" seat I am running is "good" because, even with a gel pad that a custom seat maker retrofitted to it for me, it's just too thin for "long rides". It has been fine for the 30 to 50 mile outings I usually do, but today after about 55 miles, I started to "be aware of it" which means my body was alerting me that "this is not a good long distance seat". It never got to the point where it caused squirming, or a need to stop, but it just did not feel very comfortable beyond that 55 mile point.
I have a customized Corbin "Solo plus Pillion" seat on order, with alligator seating surface, electric heat (hey, it was only about $120 extra on an already costly seat), and a rider seating position 1 inch forward of Corbin's "standard" position. That seat struck me as a nice compromise between "sexy low slung" (like the Reach seat which looks great but is soooo thin) and "armchair touring" (which would be comfortable but way "fat" for this style of low slung minimalist-dragbike look bike).Corbin's "base" price for the seat is stiff at around $550, BUT they do minor customizing like the alligator seating surface, a "stealth" stitch versus the pillowy standard stitch I didn't care for, and the rider position adjustment for no extra charges. The electric heat adds about $120, but on a 40 degree ride, it sure will feel nice. So, I feel like with that change, I am changing the seat from "passable but not comfy" to "probably pretty good". That's one "light touring requirement out of the way.
The bike fuel mileage:
Gas mileage and range is another important light touring need. My Stage 4 race kit, with its higher rpm Screamin' Eagle 259E cam, undoubtedly hurts fuel mileage, but it's still VERY adequate.
For the first 141.7 mile segment, which includes running the 24 mile scenic section in BOTH directions (i.e. 48 miles of "fun" acceleration/deceleration), I used 3.4 gallons, so I averaged 41.7 MPG.
For the second 88.5 mile segment, I used 1.95 gallons, so averaged 45.4 mpg. The majority of the miles in this segment were run at 65 to 70 mph, with no dramatic speed changes except at normal highway intersections.
The combined gas mileage for 230 miles of the 232 mile trip was 230/5.35 = 43.0 mpg. I consider that excellent.
That average will undoubtedly fall bit once I have my HD rolling luggage bag (with rollers and extensible handle!
) slipped onto my sissy bar, but since the bag will weigh, fully loaded, well under 35 pounds, and will basically be right behind me acting as a backrest, I don't think there will be MUCH impact on gas mileage.
Ergonomics:
The wind envelope on the Breakout is surprisingly excellent. Because the seat is so low and thin, the handlebar assembly and accoutrements, plus the fuel tank, manage to block an appreciable amount of wind. I did the standard tests of moving my left hand outward and upward incrementally until it got "pushed back" by the wind. I found that only about the outermost 4 inches of each shoulder "get wind". Going vertically, I finally encountered the wind stream when my hand was about level with the bottom edge of my full face Schuberth helmet. The wind force is moderate enough that when I take my longer planned trips (3000 miles to 5000 mile trips in the next year or two), I will seriously consider not installing my small "Windvest" sport windshield for the trips. Note that I seldom travel at more than 70 mph when touring, even when I can, and I plan on only 350 mile days, so I am NOT saying this would work for other Breakout owners!
The forward controls take away two features that "mid controls" would have provided, which I normally like: (a) the ability to "partially stand on the pegs" versus keeping all your weight on the seat, when about to hit a visible bad bump, and (b) the ability to stand on the pegs to relieve a tired butt, when trying to cover a LOT of miles between fill-ups (like a tankful of miles less safety allowance). On the other hand, the forward controls make for really easy stopping and getting underway, as the pegs and controls are "out of the way" when planting or lifting your feet before and after a stop.
The Reach seat solved a lower back ache that I used to acquire after about 30 miles, by moving me both forward and down just a bit. Before I got that seat, the reach to the bars was just a bit too far and just a hair too low.
Suspension:
The suspension was a bit of an issue. It was very comfortable most of the time, but gave me a handful of decent "jolts up the spine" when I hit abrupt ridges in the pavement. I'm not sure how to isolate what specifically is causing those jolts, because (a) I am running that HD Reach seat AND (b) I had the HD dealer lower the rear by 1 inch before even taking delivery.
The suspension seemed to NOT exhibit this "jolting on bad ridges" problem during the one ride that my wife accompanied me on as a passenger, so MAYBE the rear suspension is just too stiff without a passenger?
I am fairly certain that the suspension is not "bottoming" on this ridges. It feels more like it's just too stiff. I could use some guidance on how to address that.
Power band with the Stage 4 race kit:
The 259E cam that came with my HD Stage 4 race kit is certainly not the cam that anyone would pick for a bike whose PRIMARY duty is touring. But, for me, the primary duty is 30 to 50 mile fun rides in eastern Hill Country, on roads that take you from 20 mph to 70 mph and back FREQUENTLY, and allow me to accelerate up through the lower gears. I love the feel and sound of a higher rpm engine, so for me, the Stage 4 power band is sort of perfect (now that Mike Lozano did a GRAT dyno tune for me). Touring duty is strictly secondary, since I only get to do any touring a couple of times per year.
With that qualifier, the Stage 4 pwoerband is just fine. I can whack the throttle a bit at 2300 rpm in 5th to pass a slow moving car and get a good surge. If I give it that same sudden throttle at 2300 rpm in 3rd or 4th, the bike accelerates pretty spectacularly, so around town, it is excellent.
On the highway, it's hard to argue with the 43.0 mpg I averaged on this trip overall, and the 45.4 mpg I got when not on "the fun 48 miles of road".
And remember, my "luggage" for my long trips stays under 35 lb total (bag plus contents), and I will never have my wife along, so my bike is waaaay lighter than a touring model would be, whether loaded or unloaded.
Navigation:
GPS is not an absolute requirement for light touring, but it sure makes things easier, especially when it's raining and the road signs and intersections are not as obvious.
I have the HD mounting kit for the Garmin Zumo 660, that replaces the rear half of the clutch lever/lighting/signals/horn grip assembly with an integrated mount that holds the GPS in a perfect location and with adjustability in angle. I have it wired to come on with the ignition, and the Zumo 660 also allows you to simply turn it on when the ignition is off, or keep it on when turning off the ignition, using the Zumo's onboard battery. That onboard battery also gets charged anytime the ignition is on.
This is a very "clean" installation that does not "clutter" the bike with other touring accoutrements. And, when not needed, and at bathroom, restaurant, or overnight breaks, the GPS comes off in 1 second, and gets replaced by an innocuous waterproof cover for the mount mount to keep the electrics in it dry.
The Garmin 660 Zumo, which I bought used from a forum member, works really well too, is very EASY to use, has adjustable brightness for the display, and gives you a clock, compass, and trip computer built into it as well.
A REALLY nice convenience that seems worth even the high cost (new Zumo 660 is about $520 from a discount HD dealer, and the mount adds over $100, plus you or a dealer needs to do about 1 1/2 hours of wiring work).
Overall:
Overall, with the new seat in place (3 to 5 more weeks), and maybe with some dialing in of the rear suspension, I think the Breakout will make a great "light" touring mount, at least for me. I'm not saying that a real touring model wouldn't be a lot better at touring tasks and comfort, but since I can only afford ONE bike, and LOVE the Breakout for the 90% of the time that I am NOT touring, for me this is THE bike.
Jim G
I live on the eastern edge of "Texas Hill Country", an area in Central Texas, starting at Austin, Texas and extending westward about 150 miles. Naturally, all the "best" motorcycling roads are in the westernmost portion, starting about 100 miles southwest of my home.
I only had time today for a "day trip" that had to start by 7am and end no later than noon, as our nightly temperature lows are now mid-70s, and our daily highs hit mid to high 90s, under a brutally hot direct sun. Regardless of any intent I might have to endure more heat, my body basically insists on a car versus a bike once the thermometer hits mid 80s .
I snapped the Garmin Zumo 660 GPS into my HD Garmin 660 mounting kit, and dialed up "Kerrville" as the destination. I had to say "Kerrville" because the GPS map does not include the REAL destination, "Medina", which is 24 miles further than Kerrvile, and which can be described as "extremely small". But the 24 miles or so between Kerrville and medina is the best 24 miles on Texas Hwy 16, and I've been told "you need to see it".
It's a LOT closer than the absolute best Texas highways, which are Highways 335,336, and 337, and which most bikers around here call "The Three Sisters" and some bikers call "The Twisted Sisters". To do THAT route, I'd need to do about 325 miles, and that's just not practically or legally doable in 5 hours on roads that have 15 mph corners and cattle grates, on a July 4th holiday day. So, I'm saving that for The Autumn, when temperatures get a lot more moderate.
The route to and from medina includes 60 mph "ranch roads", a couple of 70 mph highways, and the Texas DOT roller coaster known as "Highway 16 south of Kerrville", which one online guide to Texas motorcycling highways
http://www.hillcountrycruising.com/highway16.html
says is "for experienced riders only".
That may be coming on a little heavy with the praise for the road, but I do see their point; there are REAL 15 mph corners throughout it, and some of them have, in sequence before the corner, from each direction, (a) a warning sign, (b) an unmanned speed radar that displays your speed for you, and warns you to "slow down", while flashing the speed if you are going over 15 mph, and (c) yet another warning sign, so I quickly got the impression they are serious about the 15mph. Turned out my impression was correct too. I was in FIRST gear in those turns. On the faster sections I hit maybe 50 mph.
There must also be an overpopulation of deer in that area too. Normally, here in Texas we see (and hit
) deer only at night, dusk, and dawn. But today, there were plenty of them even at 9 and 10 am (dawn is 6:30 here now). That meant having to do a few quick slowdowns as one thing an y Texas driver learns quickly is that deer do NOT run in the "logical" direction AWAY from your vehicle; they can, and do, run in ANY direction. I once had a deer wait patiently at the side of a suburban highway while I started to cruise past him, and then he ran and jumped right into the SIDE of my brand new car (hadn't even made the first payment on it yet).Anyway, I was out from 7am to 11:45am, and put on a total of 232 miles. The only times I was off the bike in the timeframe were for 2 gas stops. The first gas stop, at 141.7 miles, included a bathroom break and drinking 1/2 bottle of water. The second gas stop was 88.5 miles later, just 2 miles before returning home. So, there was lots of actual "seat" time - like a total of at least 4 1/2 hours of the 4 3/4 hours on the total trip.
The bike seat:
There is no way I can honestly say that the HD "Reach" seat I am running is "good" because, even with a gel pad that a custom seat maker retrofitted to it for me, it's just too thin for "long rides". It has been fine for the 30 to 50 mile outings I usually do, but today after about 55 miles, I started to "be aware of it" which means my body was alerting me that "this is not a good long distance seat". It never got to the point where it caused squirming, or a need to stop, but it just did not feel very comfortable beyond that 55 mile point.
I have a customized Corbin "Solo plus Pillion" seat on order, with alligator seating surface, electric heat (hey, it was only about $120 extra on an already costly seat), and a rider seating position 1 inch forward of Corbin's "standard" position. That seat struck me as a nice compromise between "sexy low slung" (like the Reach seat which looks great but is soooo thin) and "armchair touring" (which would be comfortable but way "fat" for this style of low slung minimalist-dragbike look bike).Corbin's "base" price for the seat is stiff at around $550, BUT they do minor customizing like the alligator seating surface, a "stealth" stitch versus the pillowy standard stitch I didn't care for, and the rider position adjustment for no extra charges. The electric heat adds about $120, but on a 40 degree ride, it sure will feel nice. So, I feel like with that change, I am changing the seat from "passable but not comfy" to "probably pretty good". That's one "light touring requirement out of the way.
The bike fuel mileage:
Gas mileage and range is another important light touring need. My Stage 4 race kit, with its higher rpm Screamin' Eagle 259E cam, undoubtedly hurts fuel mileage, but it's still VERY adequate.
For the first 141.7 mile segment, which includes running the 24 mile scenic section in BOTH directions (i.e. 48 miles of "fun" acceleration/deceleration), I used 3.4 gallons, so I averaged 41.7 MPG.
For the second 88.5 mile segment, I used 1.95 gallons, so averaged 45.4 mpg. The majority of the miles in this segment were run at 65 to 70 mph, with no dramatic speed changes except at normal highway intersections.
The combined gas mileage for 230 miles of the 232 mile trip was 230/5.35 = 43.0 mpg. I consider that excellent.
That average will undoubtedly fall bit once I have my HD rolling luggage bag (with rollers and extensible handle!
) slipped onto my sissy bar, but since the bag will weigh, fully loaded, well under 35 pounds, and will basically be right behind me acting as a backrest, I don't think there will be MUCH impact on gas mileage.Ergonomics:
The wind envelope on the Breakout is surprisingly excellent. Because the seat is so low and thin, the handlebar assembly and accoutrements, plus the fuel tank, manage to block an appreciable amount of wind. I did the standard tests of moving my left hand outward and upward incrementally until it got "pushed back" by the wind. I found that only about the outermost 4 inches of each shoulder "get wind". Going vertically, I finally encountered the wind stream when my hand was about level with the bottom edge of my full face Schuberth helmet. The wind force is moderate enough that when I take my longer planned trips (3000 miles to 5000 mile trips in the next year or two), I will seriously consider not installing my small "Windvest" sport windshield for the trips. Note that I seldom travel at more than 70 mph when touring, even when I can, and I plan on only 350 mile days, so I am NOT saying this would work for other Breakout owners!
The forward controls take away two features that "mid controls" would have provided, which I normally like: (a) the ability to "partially stand on the pegs" versus keeping all your weight on the seat, when about to hit a visible bad bump, and (b) the ability to stand on the pegs to relieve a tired butt, when trying to cover a LOT of miles between fill-ups (like a tankful of miles less safety allowance). On the other hand, the forward controls make for really easy stopping and getting underway, as the pegs and controls are "out of the way" when planting or lifting your feet before and after a stop.
The Reach seat solved a lower back ache that I used to acquire after about 30 miles, by moving me both forward and down just a bit. Before I got that seat, the reach to the bars was just a bit too far and just a hair too low.
Suspension:
The suspension was a bit of an issue. It was very comfortable most of the time, but gave me a handful of decent "jolts up the spine" when I hit abrupt ridges in the pavement. I'm not sure how to isolate what specifically is causing those jolts, because (a) I am running that HD Reach seat AND (b) I had the HD dealer lower the rear by 1 inch before even taking delivery.
The suspension seemed to NOT exhibit this "jolting on bad ridges" problem during the one ride that my wife accompanied me on as a passenger, so MAYBE the rear suspension is just too stiff without a passenger?
I am fairly certain that the suspension is not "bottoming" on this ridges. It feels more like it's just too stiff. I could use some guidance on how to address that.
Power band with the Stage 4 race kit:
The 259E cam that came with my HD Stage 4 race kit is certainly not the cam that anyone would pick for a bike whose PRIMARY duty is touring. But, for me, the primary duty is 30 to 50 mile fun rides in eastern Hill Country, on roads that take you from 20 mph to 70 mph and back FREQUENTLY, and allow me to accelerate up through the lower gears. I love the feel and sound of a higher rpm engine, so for me, the Stage 4 power band is sort of perfect (now that Mike Lozano did a GRAT dyno tune for me). Touring duty is strictly secondary, since I only get to do any touring a couple of times per year.
With that qualifier, the Stage 4 pwoerband is just fine. I can whack the throttle a bit at 2300 rpm in 5th to pass a slow moving car and get a good surge. If I give it that same sudden throttle at 2300 rpm in 3rd or 4th, the bike accelerates pretty spectacularly, so around town, it is excellent.
On the highway, it's hard to argue with the 43.0 mpg I averaged on this trip overall, and the 45.4 mpg I got when not on "the fun 48 miles of road".
And remember, my "luggage" for my long trips stays under 35 lb total (bag plus contents), and I will never have my wife along, so my bike is waaaay lighter than a touring model would be, whether loaded or unloaded.
Navigation:
GPS is not an absolute requirement for light touring, but it sure makes things easier, especially when it's raining and the road signs and intersections are not as obvious.
I have the HD mounting kit for the Garmin Zumo 660, that replaces the rear half of the clutch lever/lighting/signals/horn grip assembly with an integrated mount that holds the GPS in a perfect location and with adjustability in angle. I have it wired to come on with the ignition, and the Zumo 660 also allows you to simply turn it on when the ignition is off, or keep it on when turning off the ignition, using the Zumo's onboard battery. That onboard battery also gets charged anytime the ignition is on.
This is a very "clean" installation that does not "clutter" the bike with other touring accoutrements. And, when not needed, and at bathroom, restaurant, or overnight breaks, the GPS comes off in 1 second, and gets replaced by an innocuous waterproof cover for the mount mount to keep the electrics in it dry.
The Garmin 660 Zumo, which I bought used from a forum member, works really well too, is very EASY to use, has adjustable brightness for the display, and gives you a clock, compass, and trip computer built into it as well.
A REALLY nice convenience that seems worth even the high cost (new Zumo 660 is about $520 from a discount HD dealer, and the mount adds over $100, plus you or a dealer needs to do about 1 1/2 hours of wiring work).
Overall:
Overall, with the new seat in place (3 to 5 more weeks), and maybe with some dialing in of the rear suspension, I think the Breakout will make a great "light" touring mount, at least for me. I'm not saying that a real touring model wouldn't be a lot better at touring tasks and comfort, but since I can only afford ONE bike, and LOVE the Breakout for the 90% of the time that I am NOT touring, for me this is THE bike.
Jim G
#2
07-04-2014, 06:57 PM
I admit the wind beats you up without a full fairing, but otherwise my softail custom is great for long distance. Granted, I kept stock seat for that reason. My *** needs it.
#3
07-05-2014, 03:02 AM
Road Warrior
#5
07-06-2014, 10:10 AM
Tourer
My wife and I just back from staying a week and a half in Leakey. We rode the Three Sisters one day and another day rode the loop from Leakey 337 to Vanderpool, up 187 to 39 over through Hunt and Ingram then to Kerville, down 16 to Medina then back through Vanderpool to Leakey. We actually enjoyed 16 more than the Three Sisters, it was an awesome ride! The route through Hunt and Ingram was absolutely gorgeous as far as scenery goes. We plan to go back this fall for more riding. We were 2 up on my Breakout - it performed gloriously, though I took things pretty slow with my wife on back and the fact that it was my first hill country ride.
#6
07-06-2014, 10:38 AM
Road Master
Nice write up!
Im going to admit it here and now...I was raised in SATX and have never been on the "three sisters"....
I will finally do them (ha) when the heat gives a little in few months.
I got the shared softail made for smaller stature folks and im 5'10" so I had concerns but its worked out great.
I like sitting lower and back in the seat and have no issues"touring".
Yes...the Ultra Limited was a better touring bike...cant beat that bike for highway running.
I rode the shared softail deluxe during a marathon ride from Colorado, 1524 miles in 29 hours.
Yep, I was sore the next few days but these bikes ride so good I couldn't stop!
Im going to admit it here and now...I was raised in SATX and have never been on the "three sisters"....
I will finally do them (ha) when the heat gives a little in few months.
I got the shared softail made for smaller stature folks and im 5'10" so I had concerns but its worked out great.
I like sitting lower and back in the seat and have no issues"touring".
Yes...the Ultra Limited was a better touring bike...cant beat that bike for highway running.
I rode the shared softail deluxe during a marathon ride from Colorado, 1524 miles in 29 hours.
Yep, I was sore the next few days but these bikes ride so good I couldn't stop!
#7
07-06-2014, 10:44 AM
Ultimate HDF Member
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#8
07-06-2014, 11:00 AM
Lmfao! Jim is VERY in depth...... always.......! Well 400 miles yesterday on my BO and I need a bar change to be completely comfy. But its all good for now. Thousands of bikes at the rally yesterday and I did see two other breakouts. Trying to come up with my own design for some apes to have made.
#9
07-06-2014, 12:45 PM
I am 73 years old and ride well over 200 miles some days. My 99 Softail Custom has the stock pillow seat and buckhorn bars along with a set of hiway pegs mounted on the engine guard. I am sure I could ride much farther if I wanted as I am really very comfortable. I do have the HD quick release windshield along with some deflectors that mount below the shield. That eliminates 90% of the wind buffeting. I still get the motorcycle feel without all the extra weight and high seat. Even with the solid mounted EVO with no balancer she is smooth all the way from idle to 75. I can cruise main street or thru the park in second at 18 mph or hit the interstate at 70 and am super comfy either way.
#10
07-06-2014, 04:40 PM
