ROADTRIP: Super Cub goes to MotoGP 2019! (Part 1) - Ride to Austin, TX

Today is the first day of the 2019 MotoGP and I'm already late! Work delayed my departure, but I'm finally loaded up and on the road! Skip around with the chapter markers below.

I usually get out to the track one day early to set up camp, but I was running behind with work stuff. I loaded up the Super Cub with everything except the kitchen sink and finally headed out around noon on Friday. At first, I thought of packing light, but then I remembered that the Honda Super Cub has been the all-purpose haul-everything machine since the 1960's. So... let's see what I can pack for my trip! 🤣👍

Here is the load-out of everything that I strapped onto the bike and myself for this trip:
DrySpec D66 drybags
MSR 30 oz fuel bottle
REI Half Dome 2+ tent with footprint
Kelty Noah 12 tarp
(2) sets of Paria Outdoor tarp poles (4 poles total)
REI camp chair
Klymit Hammock-V insulated sleeping pad
Klymit Luxe inflatable pillow
ALPS Mountaineering sleeping bag liner
GSI Outdoor folding aluminum camp table
OUTAD roll-up camp table
GoalZero Nomad 7 Plus and 28 Plus solar panels
GoalZero Sherpa 100 power pack/inverter
GoalZero Venture 70 battery pack
GoalZero Sherpa 15 battery pack (x2)
Dell Latitude 14" Ultrabook with 12V charger
4 GoPro cameras (2 Hero7 Black, 1 Hero5 Session, 1 Fusion 360)
3 tripods
2 dedicated audio recorders
lots of power cords, USB cables, spare batteries, and misc computer/camera gear
rain gear (jacket, pants, hat)
OUTDOOR THEATER KIT! (Anker Nebula Capsule, tripod, 60" projector screen, bungee cord tie-outs, etc)
clothing, personal effects, and sleeping gear (riding thermals)
2 hats, sunblock, basic first aid kit
cooking and kitchen kit (e.g. fuel canister, stove/burner, wind shield, coffee grinder, AeroPress, Stanley camp pot/cups, oatmeal, coffee, dehydrated meals, etc)
secondary lightweight backpack for grocery runs
... can't remember what else, but I'm sure there were more items

All of that packed down into a DrySpec D66 drybag set (D38 + D28) and a GoPro Seeker backpack. The total pack weight for the D66 set was 42 pounds, and the backpack was about 18 pounds. My riding weight is about 170 pounds with a helmet, jacket, and boots. So, the little Super Cub C125 was hauling about 230 pounds on this trip.

I think it did surprisingly well, especially considering that the luggage was top-heavy and not mounted low as panniers would sit. The only thing that I really missed on this highway trip was a windscreen to take the wind load off of my chest at 50+ mph. Otherwise, the Super Cub performed flawlessly and managed to return 126 MPG average on this abusive trip! My total fuel cost was $7.08 to travel 349 miles ($0.0203/mile, or 49.31 miles/dollar). That's good, cheap fun in my book!

Time indexes:
0:00 : Description of the luggage and equipment load-out
1:23 : AirHawk Dual-Sport seat pad discussion
2:03 : Center-stand support system... Redneck Engineering at its finest 😉
3:00 : Plans to do a run-dry fuel exhaustion test and use the MSR fuel bottle
3:40 : Hitting the road... finally
6:07 : Discussion on adjusting the AirHawk pads for optimum comfort... just a little bit of air, not a balloon
7:55 : Waterproofing the Hero7's microphone connection with Mack's Pillow Soft Silicone Ear Plugs
10:35 : Back on the road again, heading for Austin, TX... and I just got hit with the GoPro audio/recording bug... AGAIN! You can skip forward to 13:22 when I reset my helmet cam and get audio/video again.
13:22 : Stopping for quick directions and to make sure Waze is still running... it tends to shut down for no apparent reason
16:09 : Windscreen discussion... I'm not sure if I want something on the Cub or not... we'll see
17:50 : A small group ride would be nice... dangers of mixed skill levels and riding styles in groups
20:18 : Finally some curvy, twisty roads, but not long enough... darn!
21:50 : The Super Cub is really run to ride on back highways at 50-55 mph... the handling is very balanced and effortless
24:00 : Riding the shoulder to let faster traffic pass me... there was a lot of this during this trip
24:48 : Stopping for a photo opportunity with the Texas wildflowers on the side of the highway
25:58 : Discussing the Waze app shutdowns... it's unpredictable on my phone, not sure if it's an app or phone problem
28:55 : Waiting for the low-fuel flashing bar, planning to track the low warning to actual empty
30:50 : Low-fuel indicator at ~82 miles, which should be about 1/4 tank remaining
33:25 : Finally starting to sputter and run out of fuel at ~113 miles
34:30 : Refueling on the side of the highway with my MSR fuel bottle
39:30 : Back on the road again... the fuel bottle should add 25-30 miles of range
42:00 : Stopping to refuel and then continue to Austin, TX... the GoPro bug bit again and I lost the video footage of the ride into COTA.
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QM
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