Oscar and Fiji's Excellent Adventures

Hello All,

Meet "Oscar"


and "Fiji"


They have been good steeds and want to share their exploits past, present and future.

First up, Moab, Utah!

My first time to Moab for adventure riding, previous Moab trips were, running a 1/2 marathon (never again), rock climbing Indian Creek (crack kills), river rafting and other random sight seeing events. Anyway, let's just say that when I return to Moab, hopefully soon, I will be bringing a motorcycle. I've owned the KLR for less than a year and I've learned a lot in that year but I'd still say I'm a total NooB when it comes to dirt.

4/1/2011 the adventure begins.

The players:

09 KLR 650 "Oscar" (My Ride)


09 KLR 650


?? KTM 525


?? Kawasaki KLX 400



Saturday Morning - Warm up ride, Chicken Corners, man am I rusty.


Hurrah Pass - Wow so beautiful.


Can one have too much fun?


What are you looking at?




Pop a wheelie


Watch out for sand snakes!


Ahh the great wide open.


Uh oh - Do you see it?



I just realized I need to upload the rest of the pictures.
Stay Tuned...

Doesn't look good- all that oil....

What have we here? A rock went clean thru the stock skid plate and punctured a hole in the engine, not good anywhere, and really not good considering we are about 30 miles from anywhere. We had a few lame ideas/attempts to fix it there but we really weren't prepared for something like this. So, we did what we could, dive it back. Every mile or so stop check to see the oil level, ok, keep going.


What a view.


Not how to do this water crossing (soaked head-to-toe)


We made it back to civilization, well better than civilization, O'Reilly Auto Parts!


An hour or so later, some lunch, some JB Weld and we are back in business!


Next up... Fins n' Things

Fins n' Things

Our first experience with "slick rock". I love it, I love it!


Steeper than it looks.


The KLR's turn.


Steep hills that drop into sand, I took the steeper one and made a huge foot dab in the sand to save it.


Here comes the SandMan, KLR's rock!


Oil Slick, not ours!


Fins n' things crosses the main road a few times, so we did the first section and bailed. We decided that we wanted to give "Hells Revenge" a go, so off we go.

Did I mention that, I love it!

Next up... Hells Revenge

Hells Revenge

Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures of the opening fin, I guess I was too worried to think about pictures. It's pretty intimidating if you've never ridden slick rock and or steep hills before, not to mention the cliffs on both sides.

First hard section, a steep slick rock climb out of deep sand.


You want me to ride up what? It looks pretty scary (pictures rarely do justice), I don't know?


Wait.......

What the....???

Is that a Crown Vic?

No way is he going to make that dip at the bottom.


Hmmm. Interesting line, gunn it bob. (all sorts of scraping noises) I'm still in shock.


That's one crazy s-o-b.


Well..... If the Crown Vic can do it so can we! Hit it.


The SandMan commeth. This place is truly amazing.


Yeeee hawwwww! Did I mention I love slick rock riding.


Double Yee haww!


At the "top"


Oscar posing for the camera


Wow, we made it this far, now we've got to make it back....

Hells Revenge - Continued

Easy-peasy, getting the hang of this. I love slick rock!


Artsy-fartsy attempt


The "Hot Tub", it's insane to think people drive Jeeps n' stuff thru that.


Pimp Daddy! :)


The "Esclator" pretty crazy.


What a day!


We made it back to camp, it's been a long day, Chicken Corners, repair job, the first part of Fins'n Things, Hells Revenge, and the day isn't over yet.

Finish Fins n' Things to finish off the day!

I love it here.


Slick Rock, rocks!!!


Difficult sand section


Soft sand to solid sand!


Follow the white dinosaurs.


All in all it was an awesome trip, we were supposed to stay another night but the weather wasn't looking so good so we decided to pack it up and head home (Salt Lake City), good thing, because on the way home we got caught in a massive blizzard, pretty scary stuff.


Thanks for watching!

Stay tuned for Jacob City, a small day ride near my home town Salt Lake.

awesome pictures and ride...I took my CJ7 out there about 5 years ago and I've been dying to go back.

Do I see it? Are you talking about the oil on the ground or the awesome bag of Swedish Fish in the net pocket of my tail bag? I would also like to reiterate, sand sucks. Every other picture I was in the background getting helped up out of the sand. And about the water crossing, who says that is not the way to cross? I needed washed off. I was covered in sand.

Great images and very entertaining captions. Fascinating country.

Once I bought my KLR I was all over google maps looking for places near my house to ride. Often times I'd find what I thought would be good dirt roads only to find out when you get there it's gated, no trespassing or no motorized vehicles.

Anyway, this ride is pretty good, I have done it twice (I'll probably do it twice every year) the first time I was by myself the second time was with my neighbor, 3 houses to the south (BoomBostic), you'll see him a lot in my reports. We both have two bikes, both are the same bikes except his FJR is a few years newer. Confused? We each have a KLR and an FJR.

This report is the two different days combined, because the first time I was by myself, it was getting late and I had no idea where I was going, so I only took a few pictures.

Anyway, from my house we rode over Butterfield Canyon, half paved/half dirt down into Tooele, you turn south and head towards Stockton where the fun begins.

Looking north towards Stockton, Tooele is just over the ridge on the right. The Great Salt Lake far in the distance.


Looking towards the west.


Jacob City, an old mining town. If you look closely you'll notice a trail traversing the peak high on the left that takes you to the ridge line, that's where we're headed.


Working on up. Go Oscar.


Looking to the south over the Cedar Valley


Just over the saddle there is an old cabin.

Well, I'm glad you had some sand "issues" it gave me a chance to whip out the camera.

I was seriously going to call you the SandMan in the reports partly because of your name but mostly because of how much you love the sand. Now that I think about it, you didn't do a water crossing, that was a water parting.

Pretty cool.


Anybody home?


Traversing the peak. This is the trail that I mentioned in the other pic.


Looking back, what a road!


Now that is cool! We rode up all that?


The Aspens were nice and bright.

Checking out the views, looking towards the south over Cedar Valley


Hmmm.... Go back the way we came or press on? Press on!


"Oscar" Looking good, 100% stock for this shot.


Amazing views all around.


BoomBostic - Another day at the office.


Just about done, just gotta drive thru a small town called Ophir, now that place is a trip.



Thanks for playing!

Coming soon, the 2010 "Bear Lake Burn" - a street ride.

2010 "Bear Lake Burn" Part 1 of 4

Day 1 - Friday August 20th, 2010

Every year (this year will be the third annual) I put together a group ride to Bear Lake, which I call the "Bear Lake Burn". My wonderful and very generous sister owns a place there. The "Hideout" as we call it, it's a great place to ride to and from.



This years Burn there were 7 of us.
1. 1984 Yamaha Maxim 800 - My Pop.
2. Suzuki Boulavard 805
3. Honda Shadow 750
4. Yamaha FZ1
5. KLR 650 "Oscar" - My bike lent to my brother.
6. Honda Shadow 750
7. Yamaha FJR 1300 "Fiji" - Me


We usually roll out on a Friday around 4:00ish and arrive (Salt Lake, UT to Fish Haven, ID) before dark, here is the first day, a nice 150 mile ride.


The start of Hwy 39. We've already ridden past East Canyon and Trappers Loop, not sure why I didn't take any pics of that.


It's a beautiful day!


Break time near the top of the Monte Cristo pass, with your special guest Captian America! On a borrowed bike, the poor thing kept vapor locking/flooding or something. The KLR and my Bro, his first motorcycle ride out of Salt Lake, he doesn't own a motorcycle so I lent him mine.


The guy with the wings, watch out, that's my Pop, if you couldn't tell, he's very unconventional.


A lot of these guys have never ridden out of the city. I'm expanding their horizons.


Let's go slackers, it's getting dark. I guess dark is better than the 2009 BLB where it got down to a chilly 37f. (That report coming soon too)

Day 1 - Friday cont...

The descent heading towards Randolf.


I love the open road.


Looking back.


Everyone still there?


We might do the last few miles in the dark but hey, at least it's warm.

Day 2 - Saturday

Ate breakfast at a truck stop just north of Montpelier, French Toast mmmmmmm my fav, although it's pretty hard to mess up French Toast.

The days objective. First stop marker "C" soda springs to see the man made geyser, every hour on the hour. Section "D" to "E" is really fun road called "Tin Cup". I didn't take any pics of that section because I was having too much fun.


Soda Springs, ID - At least it's warm. Hey, we're here to see the Geyser!


Uhhh, hmmm... what's that smell?


Thar she blows!


Sorry there are no pics of "Tin Cup" you'll have to go check it out for yourselves.

Day 2 - Saturday cont...

Waiting in Thayne, Wy. for the flooded shadow with a dead battery. After about 10 minutes, went back, but they already had it running.


Oscar didn't want to be left out of the fun so I made my brother bring him along.


I gotta say, the KLR is pretty dang versatile, it hung with us on the fast pavement sweepers and I was amazed how well it did in Moab on the slick rock and sand. Did I mention that I love slick rock.


Heading south back to Fish Haven, ID.


Last shot.


Picked up some steaks in Montpelier and grilled them up back at the cabin for a nice evening with friends.



Day 3 - Sunday, the ride home.

Sorry, there are no pictures of the Sunday ride home, it rained on and off so I didn't have the camera out.

Following BoomBostic, heading West on UT-83 20 miles from Brigham City I had the KLR pegged, as fast as it would go (~90 mph), when it suddenly quit, as if it had been struck by lightning... :huh oh snap...





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