Trans America Fail

[wachs]

You have some grit sir! Bought my 1st KTM in '95 and still have my '07 525. Wanting to love the 690 but . . . well you know more about it than me!

Keep up the good work! You'll get out here someday.

[Buzztail]

Great read Mini!

I'd ride anywhere with you sir, cause I know you'd be able to fix anything on the 690 that happened to break

[Mcreviver]

So how fast is an XT225 in full afterburner?

[ineptizoid]

That was a thoroughly enjoyable read!

I salute you, yer MacGyver-ish bike repair skilz, and most of all yer never-say-die attitude.

And you've helped ensure that I'll never own a KTM

[xathor]

Originally Posted by Mcreviver

So how fast is an XT225 in full afterburner?

Thanks for the full belly laugh followed by a loud belch in the middle of oddly quiet cubical town.

[rpet]

Great RR - please ride more and add to this thread.

The path from 690 to 225 is funnier for being true.

[GlennR]

Originally Posted by Mcreviver

So how fast is an XT225 in full afterburner?

If I'm in a full tuck mine will go 82 "indicated", which folks say is probably only 75 mph "actual".

You know the saying "it's more fun riding a slow bike fast, than riding a fast bike slow".

[3DChief]

Based on our trip-ending experiences in Oklahoma, you were wise to slab it to NM. We did the same after a few hours of Write2ride struggling with the deep silt. She had a few spills as a result and injured her hands/wrists, ending the trip. I don't know how we got such a different experience than most of the people in the ride reports, but once we crossed I-35 (?), it was miserable. We enjoyed the eastern part of the state, but I suspect with the increased oil exploration traffic and deteriorating roads, the TAT will have to be rerouted in the western part. Our ride report is linked in my sig line.

I agree with the rest of the FF's on here that a simpler bike would be the ticket for you. Write2ride did 6500 miles on her XT225 and it was flawless other than a few flat tires. I did about 8000 on my DR650, the extra 1500 miles were the rescue part of the trip to get the car and trailer while she was stranded in Boise City, OK. It did really well other than losing a pick-up stator in Missouri that took a few days to acquire. These folks you see doing the extreme trips out to BFE with no issues are riding low tech bikes that can be fixed with JB Weld and safety wire because high tech is not your friend in BFE.

Good job on your persistence, until you are actually there and doing it 10-12 hours a day, people don't realize how hard a trip like this is. One day is easy enough, but when you start stacking days back to back, it is brutal. It's not an adventure until shit goes wrong!


Tim

[Mini Trail]

I expected the rest of OK and the panhandle to be Gravel like the first part. The 100 miles that we rode from Newkirk to Alva was very different, dusty, silty dirt mostly with a lot of farm and oil field traffic. We paralleled the trail in the panhandle (as if there was a choice) and judging by the scarce traffic on the highway, I would have been shocked to see another vehicle on the dirt road there.

It would be neat to drop down and run through Texas just to add another state but really every everyone's been to Texas and I'll bet the governor of Oklahoma never set foot in the hell that is the OK panhandle.

[Scribe]

Originally Posted by Mini Trail

I never noticed you going to the Euro Bob.

There may be a Colorado Pass ride next year if you want to come. You'll need to bring your 950 so you can tow me back.

I'm in for a Colorado ride one way or another. Either Westfest or something else. I was thinking small bike, tho. I can probably tow you with the KDX.

[Hawk62cj5]

Fun reports . I think if I was you I would wrap those flip flops in a gas soaked towel and lite them up . Im a jeeper and we have trails that own us like the TAT owned you . My best friend has a ledge in Uwharrie NC on a trail that breaks something on his jeep by merely looking at it and has done so every year since 05 so we always save that spot for the last day . My jeep has a trail that cause fuel line issues every time my wheels touch it so I have to raise the red flag as every one calls it

My jeep was red , never got around to painted the bottom of the hood



But like you the only thing you can do is roll out the tools , put some blood and sweat on it and push through . I wish you the best in conquering the rest of the TAT in the future . I was planing on runing alot of the TAT on with my jeep and take my step son with me to Moab but me and my wife had a daughter so that but every thing on stand by for a few years.

[buggsy458]

I've been wanting to run the TAT for a while now and you have made me serisously think twice about doing it. Not that you've made me not want to do it but thinking twice on what to bring and how long to anticipate being on the trail. Thanks for the great RR and good luck to you in completing it.