ADVrider - Ride reports http://www.advrider.com/forums/ Rides longer than a few days. en Thu, 17 May 2012 00:50:38 GMT vBulletin 60 http://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/images/misc/rss.jpg ADVrider - Ride reports http://www.advrider.com/forums/ Freelance Journalist goes around the world on an F650GS--The Ted Simon Foundation http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=791452&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 17:43:55 GMT Hello fellow ADV riders,

My name is Adam Barone, and I am a freelance journalist, working with the Ted Simon Foundation and the Sunday Times of London. I'm on a motorcycle trip around the world to document examples of innovation in third-world economies. Basically, I'm looking for people that are doing cool and/or interesting things in a for-profit or non-profit ventures that somehow outthink a challenge or problem, using minimal resources as would be typical in a third-world economy.

So, that's what I'm doing.

This s a rolling start so to speak on ADVrider. I left Boston on April 20. I'm now in Boulder, CO on my way to the Overland Expo in Flagstaff, where I'll be with hanging out with the Ted Simon Foundation and some other friends. Hit me up if you're planning to be there.

Other than that...my blog is www.thumperjournal.com I'll post on here, too. But my blog will be where the action is. I'm only three posts in at this point (it was four, but I had to take a post down because a girl got mad).

-Adam ]]> Ride reports Barone52 http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=791452 Around the World in 80 Movies http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=791349&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 09:53:16 GMT
As a variation on the book "Around the World in 80 Days" by Jules Verne, we have created a new digital version named: "Around the World in 80 movies". Transportation in 1873 was basicly only train and steamer, while we had the luxury of thick BMW, Honda and KTM motorbikes, with sometimes even the luxury of a nice motorhome. The route described in the book is like our journey from east to west, with the important difference that we did not have the limit of 80 days. That´s also the reason why we have added some new countrys. Watching all 80 movies takes more than 8 hours, so lets start with this short written summary.


We leave the European continent by crossing the Bosphorus strait and travel through the beautiful Turkey. We admire the tuff structures in Cappadocia, and use the maximum suspension of our BMW motorcycles on some bad roads in eastern Turkey. A military checkpoint in the Kurdish part of Turkey becomes a complete tea-party, where we admire all the weapons of the soldiers. Shortly after the teaparty we arrive at the Iranian border and we visit Turkey's highest mountain: Mount Arat (5,137 m). This is also the mountain where according to legends the Ark of Noah is built, a nice place to leave the Western world behind us. Movie


The border crossing to Iran is a time consuming job because minimum 20 signatures are required and nobody speaks english. After the border, Iran people are giving us a warm welcome. Virtually every Iranian we face, makes us feel 200% welcome. For example, in Esfahan, (the second largest city of Iran) we are immediately approached by a professor from one of the eight universities. The man told us proudly about the rich history of Iran (formerly Persia) and shows more than four hours all the highlights of the city. In between we are drinking many times a hot cup of tea and at noon we enjoy a traditional lunch. Trying to pay for it is almost considered to be an insult. We are guests in their country, so we never have to pay. We get a complete different feeling when we are just one hour outside of the city. Without any reason we are placed in a prisson cell by the Secret Service. After one hour making phonecalls and examining our passports we are released, but we realize that Iran clearly has two faces. Movie


We are crossing the Gulf of Oman and arrive suddenly in a world of money and luxury: Dubai. Women are still dressed in black, but are also showing the most expensive Gucci, Prada or Dolce & Gabbana handbags and shoes. With 40 degrees celcius outside, you can enjoy some ski lessons in a air conditioning megahall or if you really want to do something special, then you always can pull a nugget of gold from one of the many gold machines. We admire the world's tallest tower, the Burj Dubai (828 m) and enjoy maximum off all the nice luxury. After driving through a long dry desert we reach the border of Oman, but need to turn around because we do not have all the correct papers. Unfortunately, the Arab Emirates are not as open as Europe or America. Movie - Movie2 - Movie3


After all the luxury of Dubai we cross again the Gulf of Oman and arrive in Pakistan. Here we learn how to drive offroad with our motorbikes, simply because most roads are broken or are still unpaved. We drive straight along the border of Afghanistan and in the middle of Pakistan we get a message that the Taliban is planning to kidnap us. With the help of a former Major in the army, we achieve to escape unnoticed and return after four hours in the civilized world arround the Indus River. Again we're constantly accompanied by police escorts, so unfortunately we can not realy make contact with local people. Finaly in Lahore, near the border with India, we get some freedom, and in the evening a TV crew is coming to the hotel for an interview with those crazy Dutch motorbikers. Movie

In India we are overwhelmed by the huge crowds. Wherever we stop within one minute there are at least 100 Indians to admire our motorbikes. Luckely in the Indian Himalayas we find some more peace and we are enjoying intens of the highest and most impressive mountain range in the world. Unfortunately the highest mountain pass in the world is closed by heavy snowfall, but the Himalaya foothills are already quite impressive. Child labor in this poor area of India is a normal thing, and we see regularly children carrying rocks in the holy Gangus river. It remains surprising that the differences between rich and poor in this world is so big. Movie - Movie2



The real peace we find in western Nepal, where you are trown 100 years back in time. There are almost no cars or trucks and the only thing you see on the road are cows and sheeps. Certainly the Bardia National Park is very impressive. We drive 15 km through loose sand and are finaly crossing a 30 meters wide river. The reward is a beautiful night in the jungle with a big campfire, enjoying the sound of elephants and overlooking the snowy Himalayas in the background. Two days later, we fly from Kathmandu with a small prop plane over the world's highest mountain, the Mount Everest. Literally the top of the World. Movie - Movie2


In Kathmandu we return our BMW motorbikes back to the Netherlands and continue our way with two rented Honda motorbikes in Thailand. The country with the everlasting smile, but also the country with big differences. One day we drive in the north thru calm beautiful mountains nearby the Golden Triangle (Burma, Laos, Thailand) and a couple of days later we stay at one of the many crowded beaches in southern Thailand. The Buddhist temples are often a pleasure for the eye and the relaxed lifestyle of the Thai population is giving a feeling of calm and serenity. We leave the Thai peace and are traveling to the hustle and bustle of southern Vietnam. Movie - Movie2 - Movie3



In Vietnam, we swap our two Honda motorcycles for two KTM dirt bikes and are testing those bikes to the maximum. In Saigon, with 3 million scooters, it is mostly a matter of dodging scooters. In the inland, the KTM is tested with many potholes and many offroad trips. Impressive throughout all Vietnam is the history of the Vietnam war, in which undoubtedly the tunnel complex of Cu Chi was our highlight. Crawling 100 meters through the tunnel gives a feeling which goes thru marrow and bone. Also unique is the Vietnamese traditional culture in the inland. Here it is still normal driving a scooter with 1000 eggs or a pig on the backseat or doing harvesting in the country with an ox cart for all the transport. Movie - Movie2 - Movie3

After Vietnam, we fly to Hong Kongwhere we get our first impression of the Chinese culture. This former British colony is of course a mix between Western and Chinese culture, so one moment we eat chicken at Macdonalds and an other moment we visit the Bird Garden, where the birds are pampered like children. Since 1997 Hong Kong belongs to China again, but the Western influences remain clearly visible in this great metropolis. The light show at night in the open air (Symphony of Lights) is a wonderful end of our visit of a impressive city. Movie - Movie2


We cross the South China Sea and arrive in the Philippines. The capital Manila seems to be very modern and Western, but if we leave Manila we are also leaving the modern world. Remarkable is the difference between rich and poor, which are actually physically living next to each other. So there are modern fast food restaurants with directly attached corrugated iron houses, where people live with just enough money for a cup of rice. Also special is the preservation of the skeletons of deceased relatives at home. On special occasions, such as the visit of two European motorcyclists, the skeletons are taken out the closet and one minute later we are looking at a skeleton of someones great-grandfather. Bizarre and yet so respectful that it almost feels normal. Movie - Movie2 - Movie3

After crossing the Sulu sea we arrived in Malaysia Borneo. Our planned local motorbike travel is unfortunately canceled due to problems with the motorbike dealer. Three days we try to find a substitute for the motorbike drive around Borneo, but ultimately we decide to fly to the mainland. Just before our flight we have a beautiful river cruise through the Klias Wetlands, where we admire wild monkeys and millions fireflies. On the mainland we visit the capital Kuala Lumpur with the magnificent Petronas Twin Towers. Movie - Movie2 - Movie3


After Malaysia we visit Australia where we drove more than 4500 km to see only a fraction of this large country / continent. The vastness and space that we encounter is truly unique in the world. Here in the outback it is really possible to drive around for days without meeting anyone. Even on the mainroad we drove from Alice Springs to the coast, we did see maybe one or two cars per hour. This combined with the beautiful parks with perfect campsites gives an enormous sense of freedom. We admire the beautiful inland Uluru (Ayers Rock), we look for UFOs at Wycliffe Well and we did some snorkeling with a jellyfish swimming suit in the Great Barrier Reef. In Sydney we take a look at the Opera House and wave farewell to this great continent and fly to California, USA. Movie - Movie2


In the USA we rent in San Francisco a BMW R1200GS and R1200R and regularly get the feeling that we are living in a movie. We travel through places like Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and enjoy some beautiful national parks such as Yosemite and the Grand Canyon. Certainly our trip of more then 8 hours in a warm motorcycle suit through Death Valley with 48° Celsius will be remainded forever. After California we did make a Coast to Coast west to east trip, where we did cross Route 66 and the states Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and ending in Florida. Most remarkably of North America is for us the unity in which all states are connected. Each state has its own identity, but above all each state is proud to be a part of the United States. Movie - Movie2 - Movie3



Through Ireland we arrive back on the west side of Europe and enjoy some Irish whiskey and Irish traditional dance. In Scotland we visit the Scottish Highlands and of course we search for the Loch Ness monster. Unique in Great Britain are the narrow lanes with high hedges and regulary a sheep blocking the road. Also typical for the UK is the love for motorbikes. The origin undoubtedly lies in the rich motorbike history and the very popular road races held everywhere, with of course the famous Isle of Man TT. After visiting the steep Hardknott Pass (30%) in the Lake District we drive south to England where we have a high tea in London. Through the Channel Tunnel we arrive back to the mainland of Europe and drive through France and Belgium back to our own homecountry, The Netherlands. Movie - Movie2 - Movie3 - Movie4 - Movie5 - Movie6 - Movie7 - Movie8

We divided this total trip into 7 stages. In between we flew back home, where we then were able to prepare for the next stage. An additional advantage was that we could document every stage in detail and that we were able to make some nice small movies from almost every country. Detailed stories ans movies can be found on our website: www.Lifeisjoy.nl


Overall we traveled through 67 countries, making our journey around the world from east to west pretty complete. However the world consists of 192 countries and continents like Africa and South America are still almost unknown to us. So perhaps in a couple of years we make a new storie/move "Around the world", covering countrys around the world from north to south.


Movies of each country: Click here.
Message in our guestbook: Click here.
More information send an email: Click here.
Around the world in 80 movies: Click here






]]> Ride reports jopos http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=791349 Grand Canyon Loop: Ulterior Motives http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=791319&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 04:41:34 GMT PROLOGUE:

When in the winter's cold and dark days, riders tend to get that far-away look.

Looking for a good ride. Looking to have a new adventure. Sometimes, just looking ...

Looking for some escape from the limitations of snow, ice, and too-cold-to-ride temperatures.

Aside from suffering from SRD (Serious Ride Deficiency), other aspects of life's load add to that far-away look....and our survival instinct kicks in and we seek safety and comfort.

A good ride opportunity will often provide that distraction and satiation.


Before long, a guy tends to have this sh-t eatin' grin plastered on his face...




But before we get to decoding "WWTTD", maybe we should get some context.

Maybe it started in mid-January when my search for moto-activity kicked into gear. My 690 needed to have an ECU tuning. I knew that was true as it was one of the main topics on the 690 thread....and those competent rider-wrench-tech guys must be right :deal :ear .

So I put out a thread-posting indicating I would offer whiskey and barbeque to the lucky Inmate who offered such a procedure. True to form, within a day or so I had three offers: one from Edmonton ("Bartron" seemed to be adequately versed with the beast.... http://www.advrider.com/forums/showt...on+code+orange and he was sort of close as he was only 8 hours drive away in Edmonton) and indicated he was closer to me during summer months; another from Nevada and was a prolific contributor to the 690 thread ("Bobzilla" has too many posts to paste here, but he seemed to be also knowledgeable....but I live 2.5 days of driving from Nevada); and a third from Marysville , Washington and I could get there in 4-5 hours with the bike loaded onto the truck ("Uller" was again a "frequent problem solver" on the 690 thread).

When I responded to BobZ, he indicated that Nevada was a long way to drive for a few hours of motomagic. I agreed, but showed my hand a bit when I quipped that it was a good excuse for a ride. After a few e-mails back and forth, BobZ invited me to join him and a few of his close friends for a week-long Hard Way ride doing a loop around the Grand Canyon.

"Some nights camping", he said, "with a few motel nights in between for relaxing, laundry, and lancing saddle sores."

"There will be some sand", he said as the entire planet has heard by now how I feel about soft sand. But only half the planet has seen the effect silt and deep sand had on me when riding Baja last year (http://www.advrider.com/forums )/showthread.php?t=666961 ):




"Some sand, some single track, some double track and we will be winding our way doing a loop around the Grand Canyon starting from Las Vegas and ending up there a week later. There will be crashes and everybody needs to be totally self-reliant ....carry everything you think you need....tools, tubes, water, camping gear and something to sip on around the fire at night....and bring a chair." were his warnings.

I took the invitation as one of those cosmic confluences and dove in.

So, from late January to mid-April I spent several hours daily Google-Earthing the area and Googling ALL the information I could possibly find.

Oh, the ECU tuning???

I decided that BobZ would be way too busy 2 days before the ride started on April 20th in Vegas to be bothered with tuning the bike....Edmonton was farther away than Marysville, so I accepted Uller's offer and drove down to his place a few weeks later.

Uller was VERY helpful not only with the ECU tuning, but also starting my install of the Cyclops 7" light upgrade. Thanks Brad !!!:clap:clap. This ADV community is chock full of cool folks !!!:wave:thumb

So, with the tuning done, I set to prepping the bike for the Grand Canyon Loop. February, March, and the beginning of April was enough time to have several anxiety attacks when I thought about the struggle between "responsibilities" with work, family, and the homestead vs "take several weeks off and enjoy yourself" kinds of thinking.

As my planning developed, I began to fear that I would be riding with guys who always "Ride the Dez" together and who were top-shelf riders. My self-doubts waged war with my hopes for a great ride in an area I had only ever driven past to and from Baja rides... I was pumped. But to avoid total disgrace the first day of the ride, I would need to start to get in better shape and get some "ride-legs" back, as last summer was one with 1/4 of the riding I usually do....

I developed a diet and work-out plan that surely would work....I didn't want to be "That Guy" on this ride. The diet thing was sort of working and the air-trainer set-up on the 10-speed was situated nicely on the deck, but never felt the warmth of my butt on it's prostate-friendly saddle....:cry

The real way to get ready, I thought, would be to arrive in the Utah/Nevada/Arizona triangle early and ride for several days before hooking up with BobZ and his posse. That thought led to several pre-ride plans that ended up with me deciding 4 days in Moab would be a good warm-up act. As some local friends would be there at that time, the plan was consolidated: Drive to Moab and ride for 3-4 days and get a taste of that beautiful area, spend a day getting to Vegas, and have a week off-road with 7 guys I had never met....maybe even do a few days in Death Valley after the Grand Canyon Loop.

Moab is beautiful but I would prefer to ride my 450 there rather than the 690....sand and ledges made me realize that....but that will be a future ride.....


With all that being said, here is a story about 8 guys riding around the Grand Canyon in a clockwise loop starting and ending in Las Vegas.

Yes, a tale imbedded with adversity, friendship, phenomenal terrain, masterful riding, incredible fire-side stories and humour, and even dinosaur footprints......

And.....full of .....Ulterior motives.....

A smattering of what is to come....






















]]> Ride reports motoged http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=791319 My fly and buy in Denver, CO then back to Michigan http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=791235&goto=newpost Tue, 15 May 2012 23:04:05 GMT In the late 80’s and early 90’s I owned a BMW R60/5 motorcycle with the chrome-sided “toaster tank”, spoked wheels, hand painted pinstripes, etc. I loved that bike. It was a bit homely looking but it was the short wheel based model and cornered very well. I rode the bike all over the US... In the late 80’s and early 90’s I owned a BMW R60/5 motorcycle with the chrome-sided “toaster tank”, spoked wheels, hand painted pinstripes, etc. I loved that bike. It was a bit homely looking but it was the short wheel based model and cornered very well. I rode the bike all over the US with fond memories of visiting the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls and many places in between. I sold that bike to help fund some flight training. The day after I sold it I regretted it. Later I could have easily afforded flight training and kept the bike but hind sight is always 20/20.

 Since that time I owned a Honda XLR250R “Baja” (that I owned when I lived in the Andes mountains of Bolivia)...that funded the


Honda XR650L...that funded the


BMW K100LT that helped fund the...keep reading.


The 250 was when I lived in Bolivia, South America, and have fond memories of riding in various parts of the Andes Mountains up around 15,000’ above sea level...yes, a 250 is quite anemic at that altitude! I sold it before I left then later when we returned to the US I bought the XR650L. It was fun but my wife decided she wanted to ride with me sometimes. Since I had good luck in the past with BMWs I went for the big LT “light truck.” I found it was too hot in the summer because it was faired very well and the engine heat came right up upon you. I sold that and started looking for my next bike.

I looked into the BMW R11XX GS models but realistically I won’t ride one off road enough because I don’t own enough land to nor are there many good trails around here (learned that with the XR650L). I do ride some gravel but I can do that on most any bike; afterall, I grew up on a dirt road and every bike I had back then was fine on gravel. Anyhow, I finally settled on the BMW R1100R. I then found they had the 98’ SE Anniversary edition, the LE edition in 99-2000, and the RL edition in 2001. These all were black, with white pinstripes, spoked wheels, had a resemblance of the earlier BMWs including the /5 series. The RL used some leftover “chrome-head” parts to dress up the bike some. I was hooked with the nostalgic thoughts of my beloved R60/5. I like retro!


I started looking for one of the above models and put a want ad on an internet BMW site. I had about a dozen offers of some very nice bikes, some OK bikes, and some trash. Most were overpriced but not all. Finally, a guy, Bill, in Denver, CO, offered me a bike with lots of extra doo-dads that was sure to please. After many high quality photos were sent my way and a few phone calls and lots of emails, I bought a one way plane ticket from Kalamazoo, MI to Denver, CO...and that my friends is where the adventure riding begins!

 Adventure riding can mean many things to many people. To me it means heading out on a trip with no planned schedule, and changing plans on the fly as things change. It means camping out, living carefree for a few days, and staying off the super slabs as much as practical. It means taking in the subtle differences of the people in different locales.

 I had a near sleepless night, got up around 3:45 AM eastern time, got my teeth brushed, ate a bowl of cereal, and arrived at work at 4:30AM on Tuesday 5/1/12 where a co-worker drove me and two bags to the airport so I don’t have to pay parking fees. The airport is just 5 minutes from my work. The flight departed at 6:05 right on schedule. We arrive early in Chicago O’Hare and we leave Chicago at 7AM central on schedule. The arrival in Denver is on time and by the time I get to the baggage claim the bags are starting to flow but nobody else is there yet from the flight. My bags were the first ones there. From there I phone Bill, the seller, who is waiting in a nearby lot, tell him the door where I am, and he comes and takes me to his home. A look over the bike and it looks new. I doubt it’s ever been ridden in the rain but maybe it has. Showroom clean and beautiful. A test drive tells me everything seems sound. A quick trip to the DMV and I get a temp tag and verify the title is good. A quick trip to UPS to ship the extra tires and stuff that came with the bike home to Michigan....and I’m off on the adventure. I install and load the tank bag, shove my luggage into the duffle bag that has my tent and sleeping bag and head out.

 I quick hit a Walmart for a few apples and bananas, and a couple of 1 liter bottles of water. From there I headed out I-70 to the west to get into the mountains.


My loose plan was to travel north towards Steamboat Springs go through Walden and camp near Gould. The next day I was going to head south of I-70. I had no set plans but that was the idea. I exited I-70 onto CO-9 and headed north.


Nothing too wild of a road but it was nice to be in the mountains again. They remind me of the Andes but the Andes are a bit taller and a bit warmer.


In Kremmling I take US-40 West towards Steamboat Springs but I see it’s raining and/or snowing up ahead and decide I don’t want to get wet so early in the trip.


I turn around and stay on 40 east. I come to a town called Fraser and I’m getting a bit cold. I pull off into a hardware store parking lot to put the liner in my riding jacket and I see a KLR 650 with Jesse bags on it. Hmm, another adventurer I guess. As I fiddle with my liner a guy comes out of the hardware store, hops on his KLR, and heads over to where I was parked.


He thought my R might have been a GS as they are quite a bit similar and I did have it loaded like a mule. The man says his name is Karl and we talked about ADVRIDER.COM, riding in general, my plans, etc. The really cool thing is after talking a few minutes Karl says his wife and daughter are out of town, he has a pot of chili going on the stove, and I am welcome to have dinner and even stay the night at their place. Wow! That’s hospitality. That evening Karl and his son Tristan and I talk motorcycles, shooting, family, life experiences, and other things. It was very enjoyable. Karl and I talked about roads that would be good to travel and I took his advice. I was on some great roads, but some were still closed but the ones I found to replace the closed ones were great. It’s hard to go wrong in the mountains.

For a guy that was cold, hungry and tired (nearly no sleep the night before, a very early morning, and two time zones away), this was heaven being invited to Karl’s! Thank you Karl and Tristen. Karl is an ADV inmate, a veteran of riding in Mexico, Moab, and lots more. Neat guy and 8 yo Tristan is learning to jump his Kawasaki too. Honda used to advertise, “You meet the nicest people on a Honda.” Well, I met the nicest person on a Kawasaki, free2speed to be exact. Thanks buddy. If you get to Michigan you know you have a place to stay and some nice meals even if you have the whole family with you.


To be continued.....
 ]]> Ride reports n8zuz http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=791235 From DAWN till DUSK, riding coast to coast in Mexico http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=791211&goto=newpost Tue, 15 May 2012 21:18:45 GMT ...]]>
This past Saturday may 5th took place an event organized by the BMW Motorrad Club Mexico’s City chapter named “De Sol a Sol por la Paz 2012” roughly translated as: “From Dawn till Dusk for the Peace 2012”.

The main objective of this event was to ride from the Gulf of Mexico coast to the Pacific coast across Mexico in one day (hence the name, from dawn till dusk).

The point of departure was the port city of Veracruz (gulf coast) and the point of arrival was the port city of Acapulco (pacific coast).

Here is the link to a page with pics and the stats of the route.

http://www.spotadventures.com/trip/view/?trip_id=301911


More to come...

Safe riding everyone :wink:

M3
]]> Ride reports IQm3 http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=791211 Customizing a XL600R into a Cafe Racer/Street tracker to ride South http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=791120&goto=newpost Tue, 15 May 2012 16:59:09 GMT Ive been working on my newly purchased 1984 XL600R and ride South of the border into Mexico and Central America... I havent found much on this topic, i guess its not the practical thing to do.. so i wasnt sure where to post this, but i thought id share.... here are some pics of the bike as... Ive been working on my newly purchased 1984 XL600R and ride South of the border into Mexico and Central America...
I havent found much on this topic, i guess its not the practical thing to do..
so i wasnt sure where to post this, but i thought id share....

here are some pics of the bike as bought....






]]> Ride reports MagneticSouth http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=791120 From Bordeaux to Málaga with love, Off-Road http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=791109&goto=newpost Tue, 15 May 2012 16:15:58 GMT Hi All, here is my report from August 2011 - Bordeaux to Málaga Off-Road, I have not time before but now I have time to write about it.

It's only in spanish sorry:

http://www.mundott.es/de-burdeos-a-m...d-agosto-2011/

I hope you enjoy it. ]]> Ride reports An-tonio http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=791109 Turkey to Morocco and return back around the Iberian Peninsula http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=791048&goto=newpost Tue, 15 May 2012 12:35:22 GMT You know, sometimes you could be obsessed with something and then suggestions like “so, why not” start in your mind. Towards the end of 2007, MOROCCO had stuck into my mind, and after a few positive suggestions on my own; I made up my mind. On May 2008, we should go to Morocco. We have started to... You know, sometimes you could be obsessed with something and then suggestions like “so, why not” start in your mind. Towards the end of 2007, MOROCCO had stuck into my mind, and after a few positive suggestions on my own; I made up my mind. On May 2008, we should go to Morocco.
We have started to get ready. First, we provided a Morocco road map from the Internet, since the Garmin map was insufficient. Then we started negotiating with the minister of internal affairs. Although we tried to increase the time up to 25 days with many emotional blackmailing and arguments like; the road is too long, there could be setbacks, are we going to be destroyed on the roads, shall we pass our lives on the roads etc., the negotiations starting from 15 days ended “It cannot be more than 20 days”. Therefore, we started the route preparations. When says the devil “going that far you should squeeze Portugal in and see Iberian peninsula coast”, we completed our tour in 29 days.
Main objectives of our 29 days long trip, starting from Asia and covering Europe and Africa, are:
- Drinking raki in Erg Chebbi desert
- Washing our boots and swimming in the Atlantic Ocean
- Visiting the south and west ends of Europe mainland
- Swimming in San Sebastian, in the Bay of Biscay
- Eating ice cream in Sirmione
We achieved these objectives.
- We could not achieve our objective of going down to Nice by crossing Cime de la Bonette (2860m), because the passage was close.

We took the trip as three people, with the participation of Ali Bocan and Lütfü Uzsoylu.

To avoid any day loss, our motorbikes departed with Unroro Company, on April 22. We took the 05:30 AM flight to Ljubljana, and then went to Trieste. We picked our motorbikes and started our journey.

When we were going to the ship to handover our motorbikes



Our bikes are in good hands on the ship.



On April 25, the journey starts from Bursa Airport




When we were waiting for the flight time at the airport






Views from the airplane






When we arrived in Trieste, the ship that was bringing our bikes was about to enter the harbor.




And our adventure begins.



On April 25, Friday, around 13:00, we set off on our bikes. Our route is Trieste Verona Genova 550 km

We paused our journey, which started with a light rain in the exit of Trieste, on our first break in Sirmione.









And we had our ice creams.











Without spending too much time, we hit the highway again: Bobbio and Genova through Piacenza, before arriving to Brescia.
We arrived to Genova through Corte Brugnatella, between Bobbio and Genova, which is a very popular destination among motor bikers.













In Genova, we directly entered the port. Our bikes were waiting when we were buying the tickets for the ship.





While we arranged tying our bikes and climbed to our cabins, our 18-hour journey from Genova to Barcelona on the ship has started.

Over dinner, we celebrated catching the ship and headed to our cabins to solve our 2 days long sleeplessness problem.






2nd day, April 26, Saturday, our route is to depart immediately from our ship, which will arrive to Barcelona around 15:30, and spend the night in Alicante. 560 km.

A few pictures on the ship







Now, we are getting closer to Barcelona.






When we left the ship, it was passing 16:00. We started our journey right away, by entering the Valencia motorway from Barcelona harbor. After a short snack and gasoline break around Valencia, we reached Alicante.


The group we have met while searching for a hotel




and their slogan





When we faced with these images in front of the hotel where we are going to stay,








we assumed they are welcoming us and were flattered; but we were wrong, we coincided on the same day with a traditional festival. Although we did not understand what kind of a festival it was, we were convinced that it is a nice one.







Our bikes in front of the hotel





Views from Alicante










When we woke up in the morning, a nice breakfast was waiting for us.





Alicante in daylight







]]> Ride reports Murat Erdinc http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=791048 Guizhou China 10 Days on a tight budget http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=791020&goto=newpost Tue, 15 May 2012 07:50:05 GMT First a quick intro and a bit of back ground . At the time of this bike trip (2009) I lived in a beautiful part of China called Yangshuo teaching English. Its very friendly town, famous throughout China for the tall limestone kascts, rock climbing and stunning rivers and scenery. Here are... First a quick intro and a bit of back ground .
At the time of this bike trip (2009) I lived in a beautiful part of China called Yangshuo teaching English. Its very friendly town, famous throughout China for the tall limestone kascts, rock climbing and stunning rivers and scenery.

Here are some students:evil





Life was good after a year as a dive master in Vietnam and I was keen to do a bike trip with the many friends I had made there.





As the time got near, as is always the case other thing come up, people and bikes are broke and after booking the second week in June off work, the group was down to just two people, my mate Tom and me. Thats me on the yellow bike and Tom's in the grey wife beater.
.
About two weeks before the trip in a moment of madness I had gone to a nearby town, called Lipu, on the promise of cheap and plentiful second hand bikes. I jumped on the local bus with my latest pay packet burning a hole in my pocket and set off on a sunny afternoon to buy a bike for the trip. When we got there it was a typical small Chinese town but with lots of new and second hand bike shops dotted about.

Most of the bikes in china are very old fashioned looking, with three basic types, one is like a Honda cg125 these are very popular with the farmers for simplicity and cost, around 400 usd new!!
Second is a bit more modern looking 80’s styled bike with a front disk and a small handlebar fairing, all are red and usually cost around 6000 to 8000rmb used as taxis, or mounted with racks for carrying gas bottles, 20liter water bottles and always ridden by men in yellow hard hats.

Heres a pic of Dan who I met in Yangshou, we helped him buy a bike and gave him some riding lessons. He’s a great guy and went on to do an epic ride from China to Pakistan. His RR and pics are an amazing insight in to China.




His ride report.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showt...t=dragons+arse

The last type of bike is a cruiser, ranging from a mild cruiser like a Suzuki GN125 to the full blown, Harley lookalikes complete with huge forks and wheels, eagles everywhere, footplates, forward controls and huge chrome rear racks and panniers, which cost around 1000 usd new.


I spotted a big cruiser across the road, parked outside a shop where a group of men were playing cards and generally having an easy afternoon of it, we strolled over to have a better look as the yellow colour was a bit rare in China, for bikes.

A casual walk around revealed it had seen better days and was in pretty grubby condition all-round, but the guys were keen to talk to us as we were probably the only westerners in town so we asked if it was for sale and were told it was for sale at 1600rmb £160. We said we’d be back later after a look around.
After trawling around several smaller shops with about 10 bikes in each we decided that we should go back and have a better look at the yellow cruiser, but when we got back to the card game the bike was gone. We headed for a Yamaha dealer and the yellow cruiser rode past, we pulled the guy over and had a better look at it.
I took it for a test ride and it rode awful, bad brakes, crap tyres, steering head bearings shot, huge ape hanger handlebars and a huge chrome rack complete with panniers and rear foot plates. I wasn’t too bothered if he wanted to sell it or not so we agreed on 1300rmb.
We headed out of town and called at the gas station on the way out of town, “how’s it ride” shouted my mate after only 5 mins of town riding, “like a f**king dog” I shouted back the thing was a nightmare to keep in a straight line with the head bearings and I was having serious concerns about the frame being bent. By the time we were half way home I had come up with a list a mile long of modifications to the bike, the first been some new bars and a strip down, the seat or my arse would need some more padding too as it was numb.
After the strip down the rear of the bike looked to be sitting quite high and I looked at ways to lower the rear end some. Next I removed the front mudguard so I could get rid of the plastic eagle on the front and the chrome cattle fender on the front end. A trip up to the bike shop got me some front brake pads 15rmb, new chain and sprockets 50rmb, head bearings 40rmb, some copy renthal motocross bars 80rmb, some smaller grips, a spare tube, some sorter rear shocks and some tiny indicators. The huge plastic headlight and twin spot light were replaced by a single round chrome light and fitted with a HID light set up complete with some sort of solenoid/generator control box that emits a cool high pitched whistle and popping sounds when you turn it on and off, this turned out to be a god send later in the trip for night riding.





I rode the bike around for a week or so to sort out any small problems and everything seemed to be ok, and it was rock solid in a straight line, good on the rough stuff and had a bit of a presence compared to the smaller bikes and scooters, I talked to my mate tom about the different way of loading and carrying luggage and decided that less was best for me, an old rucksack, a copy North face jacket, a pair of jeans, hiking boots and a few t-shirts and boxers were stuffed into the bag and secured with a couple of bungees and a cargo net, I bought a rainproof over jacket and a borrowed a pair of fox motocross gloves from a another mate who had brought them from Australia.
Our route would take us north from Yangzhou on the main highway to a city called Guilin; this road is famous for being very dangerous and had claimed the life of a student’s fiancée just a month earlier as he was on his way to Guilin.
As I was on a pretty tight budget I had to go with just an oil change and new clutch, the tyres on the bike where shot.

At the end of this trip I had spent less than 200 usd!! Including hotels food and fuel, the people we met were very generous with their time and helped us in many ways.

My theory was to change the tyres on route if I got a puncture, the back was nearly bald and the front nearly new but was badly scrubbed on the centre line due to the head bearings, it had about 30 flat spots on the centre line which caused a few hairy moments when braking hard and vibrated something rotten at 60klms/hr.




I had all the small tools and some spares in a heavy duty canvas bag strapped on to the handle bars and tom had the big tyre levers an adjustable and a hammer in his kit, his setup was a pair of old canvas saddle bags thrown over the back and a sports bag bungeed on top.




The last piece of kit was a pair of short wave radios with earpieces clipped in to the helmets and stuffed into a pocket, these proved very useful on many occasions but the earpieces broke after a few days.





Next post will be the RR more pics and less text as it happened a while ago. I have three RR from China which I will post, all are done on a budget with small Chinese bikes and little gear. ]]> Ride reports richardktm http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=791020 Riding offroad in Brabant. http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=790703&goto=newpost Mon, 14 May 2012 10:08:17 GMT ]]> Just a day trip through the Brabant area


]]> Ride reports pdvd http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=790703 kiwi in morocco http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=790695&goto=newpost Mon, 14 May 2012 07:49:40 GMT *Border to Al Hoceima* As nothing was open at the border and I really did not want to hang around, I headed for Chefchaouen, about 100km in the Rif Mountains. The single lane road was busy with smoky buses and trucks, potholed, being repaired and waiting for repair. As I climbed, the... Border to Al Hoceima

As nothing was open at the border and I really did not want to hang around, I headed for Chefchaouen, about 100km in the Rif Mountains.

The single lane road was busy with smoky buses and trucks, potholed, being repaired and waiting for repair. As I climbed, the temperature dropped and the wind rose , but after about 90 minutes I had my first glance of the town.

Chefchaouen is the tourist face of the area that supplies around 40% of the world's hashish. Its blue washed houses cling to the Rif mountains and its walled medina is small but perfectly formed. Easy to get lost and easy to find your way out .

I found a hotel by the West gate and was unloading my bike when I was approached by two men – one older and smiling, one younger and scowling.

The older man begin the ritual to establish my language. I continued to unload muttering New Zealand hoping to confuse them

“ You are going to park here,” said the younger man with a touch of growl in his voice.

“ Yes while I unload.”

“ If you stay here you must pay the guardians. We are the guardians. Everyone who stays here must pay the guardians.”

I have been in Morocco about three hours and was having my second shakedown.

“OK no problem, just let me unload.”

I walked into the hotel and asked the lad on reception who spoke passable English “ What is it with these guardians”


He said nothing just looked at the floor, and I turned around to see the young guardian just behind me.

OK, pay the guardian.

“ Hello my name is Peter, “ I said to the guardian. “ What is the cost of your services for two nights and what do I get for the money.?”

“ You get the guardians looking after your bike. It will cost you 50 dirhams”

I hate paying bribes and protection, but as this was the only parking space I paid up.

I spent two nights in Chefchaouen. It rained continuously but I sampled the cuisine, walked the walls, drank mint tea At one of the cafes I met an Australian couple who had bought a home in the medina and spent three months a year there.

They had seen me on my bike and asked about my itinerary. I said my next port of call was Al Hoceima. They looked at each other in horror.

“ You are traveling alone aren't you? “ asked David. “ Well whatever you do don't stop on the road unless you have too. It's , without exaggeration, beyond the law in some of those towns. But on the plus side it is a pretty ride if there is no fog or low cloud.”

I loaded the bike in a light drizzle and another guardian asked me for a further night's guardianship. I had planned to leave after getting some breakfast but as I was reluctant to make a further contribution I left straight away. The decision not to have something to eat especially after only having a light meal the night before would impact on me later that day.

After about 30 minutes of climbing, the weather got worse. The rain and wind increased and the temperature dropped to around 3C. I have never been so cold, even skiing in minus 17C. There was low cloud and I could hardly see. I needed to put more layers on and just as I decided to stop a green Mercedes with tinted windows drew alongside and waved me down.

Heeding David's warning, I upped my speed and looked behind me to see him following. He came right up behind me and honked his horn and flashed his lights. I dare not go any faster, I could hardly see and I had lost all feeling in my hands.

He chased me hooting and yelling out of the window for about 10 km, then as we got near the town of Bab Berret he stopped.

By this time I was frozen. I had to stop and warm up. Even with my heated grips up full I had no feeling in my hands and I was beginning to yawn and feel sleepy, the first signs of hypothermia. I pulled over, got the side stand down and dragged myself of the bike. I was literally shaking all over.

Just then a man came over and asked in English : “ Are you OK.”

“ Yes I am very cold and I need to put more layers on and get something to eat. “ He grabbed me and my tankbag and we walked into a large , smoke filled room full to the gunwales with locals. It was not noisy, only just a slight hum , and even the TV showing Italian soccer was turned right down.

My new friend got me a coffee and took off his lovely sheepskin coat and put it around me. I was shaking so much that I could not lift the coffee and when I cupped my hands around it , I spilled it over them and did not feel it.
After about 10 minutes , I began to feel human again. A coffee, mint tea and a sticky bun had revived me. The combination of cold and lack of food in the last 24 hours had played havoc with my system.

Hassan introduced me to his two friends Ahmed and Hussein. They asked me what I was doing and as the conversation went backwards and forwards, I learned that my saviors were drug dealers selling hashish to Holland and Sweden.

“But the market is not so good now. We have to get some new areas – but it is so competitive. “ His conversation reminded me of that of a marketing manager – new markets, diversification, threats, opportunities.

“ Well what about selling another agricultural product. “ I asked

“In the past 10 years we have had EU advisers here and they told us to grow avocados. They also told that to every village in the valley. It takes five or six years to get the first avocado crop. How do we feed our families during that time? The crop will all ripen together with a short selling time. The only outcome is cheap avocados for the EU, “ said Hassan.

“ We have been growing and manufacturing hashish for generations. We will continue to do so.”

I look around the room. Even though the customers, many of them glassy eyed and smiling at nothing in particular, were dressed in traditional garb, you could see the expensive Swiss watches, designer eyewear and the sheepskin coat that Hassan had draped over me earlier was made in France. Outside were serious four wheel drives. Avocados would never provide that.

The smoke in the room was beginning to get to me. I felt elated and I guess I was getting a high through the second hand smoke. I remember President Bill Clinton when asked if he had smoked marijuana replied: “ I smoked ,but did not inhale.”

Well Mr Clinton, I can truly say I inhaled but did not smoke.

Hassan invited me home, but the rain had stopped, and I had layered up and felt ready to ride again. So I left my new friends , but not before Hassan gave me his phone number, in case I needed help.

I hopped back on and began the descent to the Med. But nature had one more surprise for me. It started to snow. I rode carefully and even stopped to take a picture of the bike against a snow bank. After about 30km , the sun burst out, the road improved and the temperature rose.
David was right, it was a nice ride. In the sun!

I made it to the coastal resort of Al Hocieme just before dark, found a hotel, had a hot , hot shower and had a great stodgy meat meal. I crawled into bed and felt really warm for the first time in what felt like days.

I reflected on my luck meeting Hassan. Here was man whose trade and occupation we can only revile but who showed compassion and aid to traveller in distress.

What judgement do you make? ]]> Ride reports Kiwiplum http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=790695 HighAdventureTour 2012: From Insanity and Beyond.... http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=790693&goto=newpost Mon, 14 May 2012 07:44:06 GMT ** *As much as I love Sherri, my friends and family...]]> Well I spose it's time to hit the road, fly the coup, get outta dodge... time to take off on another HighAdventure:deal


As much as I love Sherri, my friends and family it's been long enough hang'n close to home... I GOTTA FLY!
This roadtrip will start the day after tomorrow and last through August and into the beginning of September if all goes as planned... If there continues to be a plan. Been THRASHING for the last few weeks getting ready and jumping a couple hurdles... fresh top end, forks, swingarm, both stator and clutch cases opened , radiator, new tool tubes, 18" rear wheel, brakes...new calipers, rotors, lines and front master cylinder, bars with HDB goodies, Vapor and all controls, luggage, and MUCH MUCH MORE!

Here's Des' 2 weeks ago, still spotr'n alotta old stuff...


The end of last week I was telling my good brother from another mother Terry, that I hadn't thought of a name for this new ride report yet... he scratched his chin and said "From Insanity and Beyond" I said PERFECT!
It flows so well with the way that folks (including us in the past) live there lives believing the Dream of our culture and basically doing the same things everyday.. yet expecting change, deffinately INSANE!
Ya wanna see change... BE THE CHANGE, we're beyond the insanity now...anyway more on that later.

Here she is last week (after the TOTAL make over... pretty much everything but the frame and overflow bottle have been swapped out) on a shake down ride sans stickers... gotta get those new smaller pelicans stickered up before launch. :wink:


Of course this RR will include as MANY Puurrty Giirrls as POSSIBLE and allota seat time on the bike to boot. I figure somewhere in the 20,000mi range before it's done.
On a shakedown ride last week I met Amy fishing up on Lycoming Creek north of Trout run, had to pull a u-turn and go meet her... Vava Voooooom!

She's from N. Eastern PA but now up in N. Central working the Marcellus Shale Gas fields gig. Bringing lotsa $$$ to the local area.... my thoughts on that will be saved tell later in the RR.

Then at Kemmlers Resturaunt I see two of my Favorite girls.... Codie and Alanna.

One of them does'nt know it or maybe she does.. but she's one of THE favorite Puurty giirls in my circle of breakfast stops right now. So inquisitive about life, people, and places to see... and utterly Beautiful!^)- aaaw here we go again.

Last summer I was gonna ride up through Labrador after the HAT 2011: Spills, Thrills aand Puurrty Giirrls, but a get off and subsequent broken bones and bike put that off.
I hope to get up there this summer after this Rally Ride Report is finished up... Had tossed around the idea of hitting up some Rally's this year before trying a RTW deal with Parepin and low and behold I found a few to hit up.
Anyway here's a short list of the get togethers I'd like to crash... as in show up, arrive, make presence known, I vow no Spills/crashing on this HAT :deal only Thrills and Puurrty Giirrls.
(1)- May 18-20th PNW KLR Diamond Lake Washington techday and campout. http://klrworld.com/forums/index.php/topic,21469.0.html

(2)- May 25-28th BMW Adventure Summit Series- Tooele, Utah Miller Motorsports park I believe. http://www.advsummits.com/

(3)- May 30-June3rd KLRWorld guys in Moab, Utah at the Canyon Lands campground... http://klrworld.com/forums/index.php/topic,20743.0.html
During this 2 week break I plan to ride over to Sabastopol, CA absorb all the NorCal vibe I can and visit Jessica Superball a bit, before heading back north for one of my favorite areas of all...
The Joseph/Enterprise Oregon Hells Canyon/Wallowa Gathering at the Log Cabin RV Park in Enterprise.

(4)- June 14-17th ADV Hells Canyon/Wallowa Gathering Enterprise, Oregon http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=734889 BEAUTIFUL area Brother!!!

(5a)- June 22-25th Happy Trails 25th KLR anniversary Boise, Idaho http://www.happy-trail.com/KLR-25th-Anniversary-Rally.aspx
I hope to slide by Sunday into Monday... was gonna show up Thurs the 22nd and all through the weekend...
but just joined this FSSNOC (Four Stroke Singles National Owners Club) [/SIZE][/FONT]And they have a Thumper Cafe gathering in Kamiah, ID on Saturday the 23rd
sooo... I figured, Gotta swing by there then scoot down to Boise for the HT Anniversary Rally and also swing by Carl's Cycle and check out my new rebuilt engine.
(5b)- June 23rd Thumper Cafe in Kamiah, Idaho http://www.fssnoc.org/directors-page.htm Yellow Jacket a good old Thumper lover over on KLRWorld gave me a membership card and said I should write a couple articles for their quarterly magazine... sooo I gotta check it all out.

Good size break here to rip it up in the PNW and/or do any serious maintenance Desiree' might require
Largest opening between Rall'ys that I see.

(6)- July 27-29th ADV West Fest M Lazy C Ranch Lake George, CO http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=737558

(7)- August 2-5th ADV RMAR Silverton, CO http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=736276 Looks to be a goood time and some EXCELLENT RIDING!!!

(8)- Pending an Invite... (it's an invitation only deal?) August 10-12th BMW Big Dog Gathering- Leaving Denver the 11th riding to the Basecamp in Lander, Wy
Used to be for BMW only but I believe they opened it up juuust a biiit??? Here's Greg Frasier telling of Johnny Ogdens Dirt Sportster ( I first met John at West Fest in 2010 on his Nasty cool KLR)
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/284/12722/Motorcycle-Article/Dr--Frazier--Dogs-Chasing-Adventure.aspx This is how I learned of the Big Dog and dropped Johns name to get an invite...
Here's a link with some more info from another Blog http://motorcyclecolorado.com/blog/b...-miss-and-you/

And last Link here is of my RR starting last Spring... started out as a 6 week ride to get some back surgery... turned into 4 months and 17,000 miles. :lol3
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showt...671365&page=19

OK that about sums it up I spose... just added the Kamiah event a couple days ago... so Hopefully nooo others pop up, it's Gonna be a CRAZY summer of riding!!! :lol3

As the last RR there will be lotsa thoughts and my world view to share with everyone... and I'm sure I'll find more folks to ship books to... as well as TONS of pics too. Afterall there's A TON of BEAUTIFUL country (AND GIIIRLS!) Desiree' an I'll be passing through between now and Labrador! WoooHoooo. There'll be lotsa the Kind, Fungus, a few Brews, some more Shaman and lotsa spread'n the love! :norton

I'll leave ya with this...
If you bring forth that which is within you,
Then that which is within you
Will be your salvation.

If you do not bring forth that which is within you,
Then that which is within you
Will destroy you. -the Gnostic Gospels

Peace FF'S... see ya somewhere on the trail,
[B]Jettn Jim ]]> Ride reports Jettn Jim http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=790693 Travels with Jumbo. Part 6 http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=790543&goto=newpost Sun, 13 May 2012 20:26:23 GMT This trip, my sixth with my 2007 990ADV named Jumbo, was supposed to be completely different than what it ended up being. Route, duration, equipment, you name it. But I am flexible, if nothing else so I made the best of it and filled in a bunch of holes from previous rides that I had missed due to... This trip, my sixth with my 2007 990ADV named Jumbo, was supposed to be completely different than what it ended up being. Route, duration, equipment, you name it. But I am flexible, if nothing else so I made the best of it and filled in a bunch of holes from previous rides that I had missed due to blizzards and stuff.




It all started out with a plan to ride the Continental Divide Route -CDR- and take a month to do it. My old friend, Clyde, jumped on the idea and bought a new F650GS and spent a bunch of money on outfitting it. I had ordered a new 690 Enduro R and had a big shopping list of parts too. The KTM was due on March 1st, then 7th, then 15th. I had no time to break it in, get it serviced and outfitted, so I cancelled that bike and put fresh tires on Jumbo instead.



I took a few tries before I decided to leave the extra tire behind. All my long rides have been cut short by bald tires. The problem is this bike uses a tire size that no other bike uses. So few shops stock it. I could order one and have it shipped to where I could be in 4 days if I had to replace it though.



Day one is a high speed long ride from Seattle area to Jackpot NV. There is nothing to look at for the first 600 miles or so until south of Twin Falls, ID

See what I mean?


But before TF, ID, there is a turn into Bliss, ID that I took a gamble on. Good, winding roads had me smiling in the hot afternoon.

This is Bliss?



This is about it for the town






The Thousand Springs area is caused by the Snake river (?) leaking through fissures and coming out of a cliff face in, well, a thousand springs. Lots of hot spring resorts along here as well. If I wasn't in a hurry, I would have stayed here.
But I had to get to Phoenix for a service on the bike and fly home for one more week of work before my vacation started.


Approaching the NV border, I see a brush fire out in the distance. Soon I notice the flashing red lights of a fire truck ahead. This truck looks to be a 1960's Kenworth tanker painted red with a roller with some JC Whitney red lights scabbed on top. The truck is "answering the call" at about 5mph and people are passing it going 70mph. I hope they have something that goes faster if a house is burning.


The night was spent at Four Jacks casino in Jackpot, NV. A "smoking" deal at $25 a night. Dinner was a big slab of Prime Rib for which they rebate $5. Beer is ice cold and $2 a bottle. I rehydrate sitting on a porch swing out front smoking a good cigar and spending $2 every 15 minutes :freaky.






Early up. No breakfast at the Four Jacks except free coffee in the bar. I have a long way to ride again today and it's going to be hot.



Hwy 93 follows the Eastern side of NV and is called The Great Basin Hwy.




Lots of Good Ideas that didn't quite succeed out here. Hopes and Dreams for sale.



This was the Hot Springs Pool.


I did see lots of Ranches and houses for sale. And whole towns dying. I assume the economy and the doubling of the price of gas since 2008 that knocked the heck out of family car vacations.







Your tax money at work: Bridges for cows. I saw several newly built only in NV.



This area really reminded me of the Dempster Hwy to Inuvik, NWT. Except instead of tundra, there's sage brush. Really vast and very sparse



I thought about calling this ride "Touring on the center of your tire". For obvious reasons.


I started trying to remember when the last time I turned. While lost in thought, the road turned and I almost flew down an embankment. That would have been embarrassing.



Wells, NV. I'm not sure why this town is here except two roads cross. It's time for breakfast though and I need to top up the fuel.



Now I know why Wells is here



"What swell in Wells" :rofl



No...I didn't stop here. Just a picture of Jumbo

Donnas also has a cafe in town that has a great breakfast. A massive Prime Rib chicken fried steak, with eggs, ham, potatoes, and coffee for $12.95. One meal a day.



Obligatory Table reading






Turn and burn



A lucky break in NV. I carry my Nikon on a strap around my neck normally and tuck it into my jacket. I had been stopping and dragging it out so many times, that I said fuck it, Ill just leave it outside and hanging. One stop for a pic and I find one side of the strap has come apart and the only thing holding it was the friction of the strap against my neck that kept the camera from bouncing down Hwy 93.







Another Eat and get Gas place out of business. Most have been converted to single family residences



That's Cherry Creek, NV out there. I don't know whats going on out there, but it looks like lots of new stuff.



Great Basin National Forest



Another fuel stop in McGill, NV and I meet this lady. She is retired Army, and she bailed right after 9-11 and moved to BFNV because she thought we were heading for WW 4. She spent 20 minutes explaining the history of every building in town. Pointing-There! And over There! Me with a helmet and earplugs in, stood nodding and scratching her dogs head politely waiting.





For Sale. Selling ice cream and coffee only now



Harry! Build another bridge!



You see a lot of these signs in NV. The worst was 167 miles to gas. The worst problem is they are placed upwards of 10 miles beyond the last gas station. Here's a thought... Put the sign at the last gas station.



Bored and irresponsible. But hell. The bike is going straight. The road is going straight..What could go wrong?



Lots of roads heading out across the desert that are really tempting to go explore.. Some have signs saying a river, mtn, butte, is 25 miles that way. I need another 10 gallons of gas and I could go.



God! Please Lord. Please make the road turn!!!




Thank you!! I almost crashed. I was not expecting this at all.






Crap. It's doing it again...



Suddenly. Arizona. I rolled through Las Vegas at rush hour in 97f heat with full ATGATT. Across the dam and into AZ and high (legal) speed






A ride through Kingman, AZ looking for a place to stay tonight



The end of day 2. 1280 miles so far
The Tri-State Motel. See the 26.60 on the sign? That's the price. So I go in a the gal says $34.95.
What about the sign?
Oh. We forgot to change it.
What about this sign in the lobby with the same price?
Oh...that

So I get a room for $26.60 and it smells like smoke even though its a no smoking room. No big deal. I open the door to air it out. A walk down the street for some re-hydrating fluid -1/2 gallon of Corona- and come back. I open the mini fridge and almost fall over from the smell of sour milk. Reopen the door for another air out.



Nothing says FAIL quite this loud. Lets play with electricity while in the shower!



Day 3 and looking for breakfast again. Closed



The most random sign I saw on this ride



Wickenburg, AZ

I ate here on my first ride with Jumbo in 2008. Chicken fried steak and eggs again. Good, but not even close to Donnas in Wells NV


So I make it to Phoenix and one mile from the dealership, the bike starts running hot. I had planned to have them change the water pump and do a 10K service while I go back home for a few days.

The customer service here is first class. They gave me a free ride to the airport in the parts van.



Gotta fly



When I return on April 30th, I get a big surprise ]]> Ride reports Flyred http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=790543 Adventure On A 250cc http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=790529&goto=newpost Sun, 13 May 2012 19:29:22 GMT Hi there!

I have been on this website for about 3 months now, and during that time I have worked my ass off, read hundreds of reports, started my training, passed my bike test, bought a bike and finally quit my jobs.

Now it's time for the adventure!

I will set off south from York (England) on the 16th of May, and board a ferry to France. I plan to see my sister in Switzerland then head east from there. Apart from that, what happens over the next three months is anybody's guess :D

I have a fantastic little Honda CD250u which has served me impeccably over the last 2500 miles since I passed my test at the end of March. Here it is:


Doing my first oil change:


Sticking together a sturdy topbox:















Doing some tyre swapage:









Trying out some bike packs:





So, three days 'till I set off. Will try to report a couple of times a week, bleedin' exited! :clap

My name is Ryan

]]> Ride reports Mackey http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=790529 The highway enthusiasts traveled to Georgia and Armenia http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=790493&goto=newpost Sun, 13 May 2012 17:53:42 GMT *Arrangements* Last year, after a trip on Lake Garda in Italy,(it was still on the K1200RS ), we decided to finally change our motorbike and the direction of trips. The crowds, high prices, speed limits and cameras do not to enjoy the ride motorcycles, especially the type RS. A year... Arrangements


Last year, after a trip on Lake Garda in Italy,(it was still on the K1200RS ), we decided to finally change our motorbike and the direction of trips.
The crowds, high prices, speed limits and cameras do not to enjoy the ride motorcycles, especially the type RS.
A year later, in the garage with my friend Slawek our BMW GS are preparing for the trip to Georgia and Armenia.


When changing the air filter we discovered the stowaway and the opportunity to reduce fuel






Slawek, young, talented guy has designed similar to the "Touratech" screen and the GPS holder .......... a total of 12 kilograms of pure steel
:D





and finally ready to start





Sorry for my English, but as the “Cold War generation” I learned only Russian at school ]]> Ride reports ronin53 http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=790493