West Malaysia loop ride

The big ride is now exactly six weeks away and it is time to start thinking about what I would want to do to prepare Big V for the adventure. This would be the very first time I will take Big V on a ride that will cover so much distance. I am very excited with this because Big V is a very versatile bike and should be able to handle the job with minimum fuss. There are many ways to go about preparing Big V. The most important thing is to be thorough so that nothing major is missed out. After going through this several times in the last few years, I decided that the best check list for the job is the T-CLOCS inspection check list from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation in the United States.

T-CLOCS is a clever acronym for:

• T – Tires & Wheels
• C – Controls
• L – Lights & Electrics
• O – Oil & Other Fluids
• C – Chassis
• S – Stands

I think it is a good check list to use for inspecting Big V and deciding if anything needed replacing, repair or upgrading. This simple check list would cover many different aspects of the bike.

It would make very little sense for me to go through every single detail of what I will be doing based on the T-CLOCS check list because those are going to be very straightforward things. What I would do here is to run through some of the things that may be a little out of the ordinary.

T – Tires & Wheels

This is obviously one of the most important area of the bike for safety. The tires provide the only contact point with the road and they need to be in tip top condition in order to function properly. I have elected to use a system called PunctureSafe to protect myself from incidental punctures. This system will automatically seal any holes left by nails and screws so that tire pressures are maintained without causing any instability issues. On top of this, I carry a tire repair kit just in case!

C – Controls

Other than the usual checks to ensure every switch, lever and pedal works, I will be installing a new switch box to house the switches to some additional accessories. This would make it easier for me to switch them on and off without cluttering up the space. While this may not seem like much, a messy and cluttered space around the handlebars can be distracting, thereby presenting a possible hazard. Hahaha!

Another addition I will be putting on is a cruise control. I have never used something like this before but I know that I sometimes need to stretch my right fingers and arm. With a simple cruise control, I can do that without needing to use my left hand to control the throttle. I will be using the Omni-Cruise Universal Throttle Lock system for this purpose. It is a simple device that works with any bike and looks to be a well thought out and sturdy device. The other nice thing about this is that it is easily removable so I do not have to worry about someone stealing it!

L – Lights & Electrics

One thing I try not to do is to ride as a group when it is dark. However, Murphy is a frequent guess on the WMLR and sometimes riding in the dark cannot be avoided. When this happens, it is always good to ensure good visibility. Big V has a good set of bright headlights already and he has spots too. So I will not have to do much there. However, it is important to have some way to let others know that I am on the road. This is best achieved with blinking lights.

I have installed a set of white blinking LEDs. These are the extra accessories that the switch box was meant to control. So I will be wiring them up and I will be visible to others on the road. This is especially helpful too when it is raining!

One last thing I would look at here is to ensure my headlight cover is secured well. It is currently secured with Velcro tabs that are not sticking well so probably a simple replacement will be good enough.

O – Oil & Other Fluids

I am not going to do anything special here except to have the engine oil changed and the coolant system flushed. So nothing extra to share here.

C – Chassis

Big V is currently equipped with a Scottoiler system that is not working. So that will need to be looked at.

S – Stands

Big V does have both a side and a centre stand and both are functioning perfectly fine so there is really nothing to do here except a quick check to make sure all the springs are in place and there is no major structural problems.

So, now that I have gone through the entire T-CLOCS check list, there are just a few other things I would want to look at.

1. Luggage. My Trax boxes need a little looking into because I fell on my right pannier previously and the water-proofing seal is not in the best shape now. This will definitely need to be fixed to ensure water does not get into the box!
2. Tools. I have a good set of tools that are stored with Big V now. I will probably need to go through the bag of tools to ensure nothing major is missing and everything is still in usable shape.
3. Stickers. I have a few stickers that would look nice on Big V. Hahaha!

One last thing is just to get Big V a good clean wash. I have neglected this for the longest time and I suppose it is good to start a long journey on a clean bike.

Well, that is the list of things. Be sure to download a copy of the T-CLOCS check list from the MSF website and do your own checks!