#Farkle motorcycle install#
#Farkle motorcycle full#

I purchased a very high-end, lightweight, extremely quiet helmet because I realized it is necessary for the hundreds of hours and thousands of miles I will spend this year on the road. I have a throttle lock which acts as a primitive cruise control so I can, periodically, rest my hand. It can send an SOS signal to authorities or a message if I need medical or mechanical assistance. I have a SPOT satellite-tracking device that sends a signal every 10 minutes to assure my family that I am safe while traveling in areas with limited or lack of cellphone service. We will soon add engine protection bars on which I’ll have high power LED driving lights to spot critters in the night and additional footrests to stretch out on long rides. Mirror extenders give me a better view of what’s behind me. Bigger and stronger hand protectors both to keep my hands warm and dry, as well as to protect them from injury during a spill. We started with mounting luggage racks, saddlebags and a trunk giving me plenty of storage to pack for a week or more on the road. Two employees volunteered their time, working with me into the night. One snowy Friday in April, I rode to Rhode Island after work to meet my title sponsor Twisted Throttle and we got right to work installing the accessories. The GPS set up allows me to make late night emergency gas station stops without worrying that my expensive navigation equipment will be snatched while I answer nature’s call. The handlebar risers allow me to have more relaxed arms and better ergonomics, which reduce fatigue. This helps me manage changes in weather, temperature and riding conditions. Now I can shift my windshield vertically and horizontally, which changes the airflow and reduces buffeting during long rides.

Next, I got a delivery with handlebar risers, windshield adjusters and GPS brackets. The auxiliary fuel gets plumbed into the stock tank, with a valve to transfer extra fuel after the main tank is depleted.

Ernie Azevedo, a complete stranger to me, offered to build a custom fuel system, which will allow me to double my range. In a motorcycle forum, I had asked about adding an auxiliary fuel system to the bike. I’m confident it will allow me to be virtually pain-free during many 18-hour, thousand-mile rides. When the seat arrived, it was expertly crafted to fit. Over the week that it took the company to build the part and get it back to me, I rode another 800 miles. I made a temporary substitute from a piece of plywood and cloth, tying it on the bike with a lonely sock that had been hanging around the garage. I called Bill Mayer Saddles in Ventura, CA, to let him know that I was sending him the stock seat that came with the bike, so it could be customized to fit my anatomical measurements and preferences.

#Farkle motorcycle full#

I already knew I needed a full luggage rack and custom seat. I rode my new bike 200 miles the first day to get a sense of what accessories I wanted to add.

They also offered to promote and spread awareness of my MS mission in the motorcycle community, through their partners, and through their media connections. They’ll provide me with just about every farkle I might possibly need or want. Then, a pharmaceutical company invited me to join their ambassador program and speak as a patient advocate across the country, which allows me to share my story to inspire others.Ī day or two after that the major motorcycle accessory company Twisted Throttle agreed to be the main sponsor of my Endless Road Tour. Within hours of my purchase, major offers of support and exciting news started to roll in!įirst, a motorcycle dealership offered to supply a second bike and to service it in support of my quest to ride a million miles to bring attention to multiple sclerosis (MS) and the need for a cure. It was also on my short list for quite some time. I bought it because it’s a proven adventure-touring bike with ABS brakes, traction control and great character. Recently, I got a good deal on a new Yamaha Super Ténéré that needed to be farkled. Though farkles may include accessories, they’re mainly intended to increase the function of a motorcycle and are not to be confused with bling, which is intended to decorate or glamorize. To use it in a sentence: A motorcyclist may be in the process of “farkling,” and their completed motorcycle is said to be “all farkled up.” The term is well known among those of us in the sport-touring and long-distance motorcycle communities.

#Farkle motorcycle install#

They are custom items motorcycle enthusiasts install on their bikes. FARKLE is an acronym for Fancy Accessory Really Kool and Likely Expensive.