T Minus 3

Now is when I need to do the final changes/packing for the trip. Last weekend I did a 500 mile shakedown ride to West Virginia. Since I had quite a few new additions to the bike this trip was critical. Here's what I found: The new tires grip just fine in spite of their much more aggressive tread pattern and the higher tire pressure worked well too. I'm running 38F and 42R in an attempt to get more mileage for this trip. The new chain did not stretch but I was able to cut back on the oil delivery of my ProOiler. I started with table 12 and am now up to table 18. The chain still has enough lube but my rear wheel no longer has a coating of oil. I thought that the 'low oil pressure' light was coming on. Now I see that it is the 'check engine' light. I already knew that the stepper motor was bad so maybe that's what this new light is all about. The built in diagnostic program does not show what the error is all about and the bike runs great so I can only hope that Dave Lillard can find the problem on Tuesday. The stepper motor only controls idle speed so I can go on the trip without it. We ordered the part last week....all Ducati parts come direct from Italy! Let's hope the problem is not a clogged fuel filter or something else that requires removing the gas tank. What a huge PITA that is!
Clothing is always a challenge. I travel light but on this trip I need to pack for cold conditions as well as wet. It's a good thing that I experienced some brisk conditions last weekend. Now I know that I need a fleece jacket (but a thin one). I should also take another long sleeved undershirt to add a layer for medium days. My electric liner works great so for really cold days I just plug that in however that does not help when I get off the bike. Today I'll go through all my stuff and see what I can leave behind. Nevertheless, it looks like I will need a small waterproof bag to carry on the passenger seat so I have less jammed into my other bags. That's a good place to stuff extra gloves and maybe dirty clothes.
Another observation from the weekend trip, my gas tank holds something like 5.2 gallons of fuel (yes, I should know the exact amount but I simply don't trust the Ducati figure on this). The fuel gauge is notoriously unpredictible. My low fuel light comes on as early as 90 miles sometimes and this weekend I got to 149, 154, and 162 miles before the light came on. On the final tank I rode 203 miles before I put 4.3 gallons in the tank. That's almost 47 mpg! The importance here is that I feel more confident in the fact that I can go 200 miles on one tank. Gas stops can be few and far between when out in the less populated parts of North America. I think I'll also carry a 3' section of gas hose just in case.
Today I go to the bank to get cash (dollars and loonies), then a supply of good ear plugs, the dry bag, and double check fasteners on the bike.