Left for the Baja on a BMW came home on a 990S

[Holaday]

So the idea was to ride my well looked after low km 91 GSPD down the Baja from my home in North Vancouver BC. I was going to take about a month or 5 weeks to do it. I got the bike all ready changed all the fluids, fresh fuel lines and filters. Had the dual seat built up so I would be more comfortable with my long legs. I was picking up my wife Glynis in the Palm Desert and she would spend ten days with me and fly home from Cabo. I had a fresh set of TKC's waiting for me in the Palm Desert. I left North Van on a rainy thursday morning and headed down the I5.



Day 1 North Vancouver


Saw this cool HPN BMW at REI in Bellingham
No sign of the owner. He must have been in the Tai Restaurant next door.


Check out the bomber R100 motor with new style swingarm. Hope BMW remembered to circlip your transmission [authors attempt at foreshadowing]



Next stop Tully's Coffee to warm up and get caffeinated before hitting Touratech. I did my major shop there in the summer so this time I got out for under 20 bucks. From TT it was out in to Seattle rush hour traffic in heavy rain showers. Made it to Kelso Washington and checked into the Super 8.
Next day I was heading for Bend Oregon I had planned on heading down the east side of the Sierra's through California so I figured I would cross the Cascades and check out Bend. The weather sucked so I didn't take any pics. But don't worry there is lots of Baja pics coming.



Nice Condos in Bend OR.

Checked in to Sugarloaf Mountain Motel and called it a day.
Next day was the first day of hunting season. Lots of camo and orange vests.



HWY 31 stopped to put on more clothes.



What is that bright warm thing in the sky



Sun finally comes out



Lunch at Jerry's in Lakeview OR.

After lunch I headed south out of Lakeview. Passed a restaurant on the south end of town that had a few Adventure bikes out front. About 15 miles south of town just as I crossed into California I started to get this weird vibration coming from the bike. I hoped it was the change in road surface as I crossed into California. It was getting worse, way worse. Now it was coming through the foot pegs. Oh SH*T I had better pull over. I pulled to the shoulder. The bike stalled. I restarted it and tried to move. It lurched forward and stalled. I started it again and turned it around and made it as far as the shoulder on the north bound lane. The tranny was F#CKED. I guess the circlip mod wasn't done. I never really new for sure. The p/o had told me that it hadn't been done, and then later said he thought that it had. The mileage on this bike was low 42k kms. I thought that even if it hadn't been done that I would be ok with this low mileage. I hitched back to Lakeview and got a 175 dollar tow back to town.

[Racinace]

Subscribed....

[viola-tor]

cool bike! But a KTM 990s is cool too, can't wait for the story!

[Holaday]

During the drive back to town with the BMW in the trailer I thought over my options. I could cut my losses and just get the bike back to North Van some how. Or I knew that there had been a 2007 990S for sale in Bend just 3 hours north of where I was broken down. I had been lurking in Orange Crush since I first found ADVRider.com I had only ended up with the GSPD because I saw it as the poor mans KTM Adventure. It was time to pull the trigger on a KTM. I decided that if the 990 was still available in Bend I would buy it and keep on going to the Baja. Don the tow truck driver was quite helpful. As soon as we were back at the tow yard I got on the computer and fired off a PM to Racinace who had the 990 for sale. There was a lot of action on Ace's bike with other buyers scrambling to get deposits together. I told him I'd take it. The bike was mine. Ace also agreed to come down to Lakeview and get me and my broken down bike the next day. I checked into a hotel and tried to enjoy my little lay over in scenic Lakeview.



Killing time in Lakeview



Cool old building in Lakeview

[mrbreeze]

this is gonna be good.

Everytime I have found myself far from home, I have had the urge to buy a bike and ride it back. Just never had the $$$ to actually make it happen. There was a 2006 Concours for sale in Astoria OR a couple of years ago. Lots of new farkles and less than 1,000 miles on it. The owner had decided motorcycling was not a good idea for a new father with young kids, so he offered it at a very nice price. Man I wanted to fly out there and ride it back, but it was gone almost immediately.

[GB]

[Loud Al]

[IL8APEX]

Hmmmm... I get the feeling that this is one of those ride reports where we might actually get to find out the answer to the question "What could go wrong?"

Subscribed!

-T

[Attico]

Looking forward to the next installment!

[Green Stainz]

you have your own report to write so get back to it

Originally Posted by jasong70

Looking forward to the next installment!

[bigdon]

[SenorFeliz]

oh boy oh boy I love Baja ride reports!!!! thanks for posting.

[Brinot]

Lovin' this ride report! Big fan of the 990S and currently debating buying a 990s or a F800 GS in the spring. Your report and pics are definitely influencing me in the KTM direction.

I'm a Vancouverite as well (kits) so would be good to connect at some point and get your thoughts on the BMW vs KTM.

Thanks for the great writeup!

Brian.

[lowkee]

Fantastic story to read. You seem to have captured the essence of the trip and the people with your photos.

[redpillar]

Man!! Great report! I can just imagine the grin on your face when you pulled away on your new bike, spur of the moment and part way into a trip no less! That looked like a fantastic route you took. I'm thinking of next fall already. Thanks again