A TOUGH ride across South Dakota

Here is a link to the 850 mile Dakota Adventure Loop
http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/lo...cle_5d655c1b-3ab9-5a9e-9b28-bb861de16602.html

www.dakotaadventureloop.com

That was one adventure filled trip. Sure hope Rob is healing quickly and totally.

Thanks for a neat RR and some of S D that I have not traveled. I can only imagine how awesome that 9fiffity sounded out there in those rolling hills. I will never forget refusing to pass two 9fittity as the 3 of us returning from AK on the Cassiar/37 in BC for I was totally loving the sound.

Thanks again for the RR

Problem #2 was temporarily solved with Chad towing Rob's GS to bump start the bike.

Ah, the Black Hills. Amazing landscape with stunning views...Yeah, you really didn't think we would get that did you? No, we ride through Rapid City and get on Nemo road and head into the fog and rain.



We arrive at the Fish-N-Fry Campground where the Dakota Dual Sport riders were having their rally.


Pretty cool rig here! I really need a 4Runner.


Next door to the campground was a pretty sweet vacation home.


Saw my first punk duck!


The rest of the day was spent BSing and hanging out. A few adult beverages may have been consumed as well

The next morning we woke to rain, and today was our scheduled departure day so we packed up in the rain, said goodbye and started the long ride home. Hipster left about half an hour before us and was able to make it all the way back to Minneapolis that day.

Chris and I spent the day riding to Sioux Falls, pretty much a full day of this.


We got to Sioux Falls around 6:30pm and Chris said he was snagging a hotel room and going to relax. I could have made it home by 11:30, but a quick look at the radar showed that it would probably be all in the rain and heavy storms. We holed up in Sioux Falls for the night, then went our separate ways.

This ride certainly didn't go as planned and it was a struggle just to maintain a good enough attitude to keep going. I have been out there enough that it really wouldn't have broke my heart just to call it off on the 2nd day after Rob's crash, but I'm glad we rode it out to the Black Hills. During the whole trip, everyone we met was super nice, and I can't thank Mr. Tough (yep, thats his name) for dropping everything he was doing to haul a stranger to the hospital that is 40 miles away.

Problem #3 was unwrapping the broken tow strap out of my rear wheel!

I'd have enjoyed that ride. Some of your pics, like the twisty gravel road near a brown river, looked like the Outback.
Ted

SO, you haven't seen the trick with rear wheels touching and both bikes on center stands starting trick? Never tried it, but I've seen it on the youtubes.

Can you direct me to a good map for the Trans SD route? I am trying to put together a Trans Nebraska route, and since that one has a dip into NE, I will have them cross there for the folks that like options

Thanks for posting your ride. Glad you made it to your destination albeit a couple riders short.

I'm a native of SoDak, Rapid City, so grew up riding in the Black Hills. Your photos bring back alot of nice memories.

As to the people, they know how to help each other and strangers out there in the farm lands. Always hear nothing but good stories about them.

Well done!

PS - do you have a link to the dual sport club in the hills?

Great pictures as usual Chad! Sorry to hear that the trip was not the best. I have the TSDAT on my list for next summer. Looking forward to it! Now do I take the Tenere or the 950 hmmmmmmm. . . . . .

http://www.dakotadualsportriders.com/

Randy, you would love this ride! I'm sure you'd like the 950 for the actual route, and the Tenere for the ride home! I think either bike would be fine if you get good weather, if its wet it would be a handful on either bike.

Thanks for the report ! I lived south of Sioux Falls through the 70s and rode all over the southeastern corner of the state . The picture of the BMW in the gumbo brought back memories . Several times I hit "drive at your own risk" roads during or after a heavy rain and had the gumbo build up enough to stall the engine with the mud rubbing against the high enduro fenders . I have had a few bumps in a trip , but your group definitely had more than your fair share ! In the olden days before fuel injection and all the electronics we could get almost any bike running good enough to get home on . Those days are gone . Have a great riding season !

Myself and others are wondering how Rob is doing ? Any lasting ill effects ?

I haven't heard a whole lot from him lately, I'm sure it will take another 4 weeks or more to heal up. I talked to his boss a couple weeks ago and he lives in South Dakota and he was going to take a trailer out and pick up the bike and take it to Chicago.

I enjoyed (with a high degree of sympathy) the first hand account of this ill fated trip from you and Hipster at DDSR. Definitely sounds like you had Murphy riding with you!

Beautiful scenery!

Murphy rides a Kawasaki!

Really interesting reading and have to say that this is just a tremendous photo. There is something about the R 100 GS.

Thanks! I'm really a fan of them, they are great bikes! I think Ernie has over 120,000 miles on this one!

Great ride report. Awesome photo's !