25,000 miles with Luke and Nick - Page 10

GypsyWriter · 02-14-2011, 12:07 PM

Oh sweet, Kilimonjaro's back on?!

Sounds like you've done everything you can with that fuel system on the KTM. I'm assuming you mapped everything post-mods and the dealership did all they could. I suppose a few miles lower mpg is a small price to pay for a bike that runs.

So.

This Marvel-ous story about the Amazing Debit Card of D00m...... Sounds like an apropos continuation to your story so far.

Fishfund · 02-14-2011, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarahp

Oh sweet, Kilimonjaro's back on?!

Sounds like you've done everything you can with that fuel system on the KTM. I'm assuming you mapped everything post-mods and the dealership did all they could. I suppose a few miles lower mpg is a small price to pay for a bike that runs.

So.

This Marvel-ous story about the Amazing Debit Card of D00m...... Sounds like an apropos continuation to your story so far.

Nick, you are getting called out for the Marvels story. Let's hear it.

Skrow · 02-14-2011, 01:33 PM

+10 if Luke has video of Nick dancing when he loses the wallet!

Some truly epic pictures and commentary! Any ideas as to why the fuel consumption might be high? Mapping off?

Fishfund · 02-14-2011, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skrow

+10 if Luke has video of Nick dancing when he loses the wallet!

Some truly epic pictures and commentary! Any ideas as to why the fuel consumption might be high? Mapping off?

I really opened her up and let her breath with the air box removal and new exhaust. Then to add to it, It was remapped with the Avoc mapping at KTM Cape Town when we were trying to get it running. The new map lets her run like she is supposed to. So now that she gets more airflow, she wants more fuel too. I kind of want to cork her back up to save on my fuel bill.

The stock map is really lean because of emissions.

Fishfund · 02-14-2011, 10:40 PM

Today was really awesome. It started with Mr. Nick cooking up some breakfast while I broke down camp.

Eggs, onion and sausage really good!

I really don't know how to put this approprratly, and their may not be a way to do so, so I will just tell you this story as it happened. I hope you can look at this with a scientific eye as I did.
I had to poop so I did. It had hardly hit the ground when 3 beetles ran right over and started checking it out. So I started checking out the beatles checking out my poop. What they were doing was eating it, or so I thought at first. Now this is kind of normal. bugs like poop and you always see them on or near it, but what these beatles were doing was different they were carving out small balls out of the main log. Once they got a small ball free they would work it over and over until it was round enough for their satisfaction and then roll it through the desert.

Carving the rough shape

The one on the right was much faster

Then roll it out

These guys really were amazing, and good at what they do. We followed this guy about 40 feet and he showed no signs of slowing down soon. I have never heard of these beatles before. I think these are different than the "dung beatles" I learned about in school. One mans trash another mans treasure. Nature is pretty cool.

Moving on....
Today we have to crank out some miles to get to Timmer in time. We are already out in the middle of nowhere. about 80 miles of dirt until the closest paved road. The road started off dry, but transfered to this as we moved north. We are finding out we are hitting the rainy season.

This is awesome, this is the stuff we were looking for. The more we ride the less fuel our tanks have. We pull out the GPS to look for the closest gas station and find one 60 ish miles away. We only have about 60 ish miles of gas. So then next 60ish miles are not fast anymore. We are now riding at optimal gas milage speed which is around 50-55. We get here and find the river flooded and the road closed.

That's ok though. For occasions like this they open up the dam bridge for traffic.

30 miles down the road and we finally get to pavement. Now only 15 miles to the gas station. Nick stops to fill his main tank with his spare tank. I just cross my fingers. Now these guys show up.

They are from the UK and have been traveling for 4 months now. They did Egypt and said it is impossible without a Carinet. We will see about that. We chatted for a good 15 minutes and had a great time. They advised us of good places to see and others to pass through. I couldn't help but keep noticing how lowed their bike was. We laughed about our struggles and wished each other the best. I love running into people like this. They are always so positive and supportive of everything.

We pulled into town and got gas before we ran out. The grocery store was next, and on the way there I got called out by a cop driving by for not having my lights on. (noted: lights on always in Namabia.) as we pulled up to the store a couple of kids were trying to tell us where to park and everyone was staring. AKA we couldn't leave our bikes alone here. Nick ran in to look lunch options. It was pretty slim, so I ran in to get the potatoes, onion, garlic and banana's tonights meal. Onward to a place where we can eat in peace. 60 miles down the road we reach a really small town and stop for a coke and frozen sauage. They said the water was clean so we filled up for the night. I hold 10 liters and nick holds 8. We are finding out that's really enough just for one day with cooking and staying hydrated.

This was the only store. Not much of a town here and I always wonder what people do for money. There were kids running around and waving, pushing their little cards, made out of wire and peanut buttle lids as wheels. The kids asked for our empty glass bottles so we gave them away. They are happy to get the deposit back from them.

Ok, break time is over, back on the road for an hour or so. We get gas drink a milkshake at Whimpy burger (I don't understand the name either)

back on te road, through a check point. We just smile real big and show our driver licenses. Joke a bit and we are off again. More gas, then we turn off the paved road to a dirt road hoping to find a emptry area to camp for the night. It will be dark in about an hour so we just haul down the road looking for a spot.

Hmm...Now what?

We wade across first to see how deep it is.

ok, it's actually pretty shallow.

So this is perfect, we will cross the water then just camp on the other side. I'm going to set up my camera gear first though. Not as easy as it sounds.

*Set up camera A on your current side ready to film.
*Get helmet camera B set-up
*Walk across set-up camera C and press record
*Run back, start camera A, put on riding gear, start helmet camera B
*Drive across
*Shut off camera B and Camera C
*Take off riding gear, run back across, shut off Camera A
*Walk back with camera A

During the begining of this process, these guys stopped and asked if we were ok, We are fine, we just want to film this. They said that's cool, where are you staying tonight? We just pointed to the other side and said we would pitch a tent. They said when we have crossed to come to their farm. They are only 5 kilometers away . First place on the left. This is awesome news. Free safe place to camp for the night. We finish up the filming and take off.

I walked though there 6 times in my underwear and didn't get bit by a snake once.

We arrive at the farm, and this is where I am typing this up. The story of the farm will be next. We did the last three updates tonight while charging batterys and cooking and taking showers. Everything is now ready to be uploaded to the internet once we find a connection. Who knows when that will be. Anyway. We have been busy solid for hours. It is now 2:45 A.M. I'm going to bed.

What a Awesome Day!
-Nite

Dorzok · 02-14-2011, 10:49 PM

Dung beetles are beetles that feed partly or exclusively on feces. All of these species belong to the superfamily Scarabaeoidea; most of them to the subfamilies Scarabaeinae and Aphodiinae of the family Scarabaeidae. This beetle can also be referred to as the scarab beetle. As most species of Scarabaeinae feed exclusively on feces, that subfamily is often dubbed true dung beetles. There are dung-feeding beetles which belong to other families, such as the Geotrupidae (the earth-boring dung beetle). The Scarabaeinae alone comprises more than 5,000 species.^[1]
Many dung beetles, known as rollers, are noted for rolling dung into spherical balls, which are used as a food source or brooding chambers. Other dung beetles, known as tunnelers, bury the dung wherever they find it. A third group, the dwellers, neither roll nor burrow: they simply live in manure. They are often attracted by the dung burrowing owls collect.

BigDogAdventures.com · 02-15-2011, 03:55 AM

When I read you are going to Kilmanjaro I had to laugh at myself.
The closest I'll ever get to it is my First Gear Kilimanjaro Jacket

So take me there Luke.

Loved the dung beetles. Just part of nature. We get to see it all here---not some fluffed over story---we get it all.

Mark
BigDog

Skrow · 02-15-2011, 05:35 AM

WoW! In the name of science......

I'd have to say that is the first I've seen in a RR.

Great pictures! Is this a motorbike or motorboat?

GypsyWriter · 02-15-2011, 06:43 AM

Ah, you and your poop pics.

Dung beetles are pretty cool from a scientific standpoint - I'm too much of a girl not to freak if they scurried toward me but their actions are neat. Nature truly has a use for everything. :)

Glad things are going well, look forward to more adventures!

pyrate · 02-15-2011, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fishfund

Great to see you on the road. You guys set the standard for not flipping out when things don't start out as you planned.

Homemade fuel transport system or is that commercially available? It looks similar to the Pegpacker style but seems different.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fishfund

Lights on!!

lstzephyr · 02-15-2011, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryman

I was hoping you would post poop pics again!

Yeah me too.

Good to see all the nay-sayers didn't get you down on the last report.

I think its interesting.

BordenBmw · 02-15-2011, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lstzephyr

Yeah me too.

Good to see all the nay-sayers didn't get you down on the last report.

I think its interesting.

I also think it's interesting. Lots of riders take pics of what they eat during their adventures. But normally it's before not after.

misanthropic · 02-15-2011, 09:00 PM

Wimpy burger? Maybe Wimpy from Popeye. "I'd gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today." Great report.

Not Fragile · 02-15-2011, 09:58 PM

maybe just a bit more fiber for the science experiment?

redpillar · 02-15-2011, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by misanthropic

Wimpy burger? Maybe Wimpy from Popeye. "I'd gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today." Great report.

That is spot on. Wimpy burgers started in England many years ago, named after Wimpy. My dad used to talk about them.

Luke, its good to get the real "scoop" again.

Go dood!!

02-14-2011, 12:07 PM	#136
GypsyWriter Beastly Adventurer Joined: Aug 2009 Location: Hanford CA Oddometer: 1,020	Oh sweet, Kilimonjaro's back on?! Sounds like you've done everything you can with that fuel system on the KTM. I'm assuming you mapped everything post-mods and the dealership did all they could. I suppose a few miles lower mpg is a small price to pay for a bike that runs. So. This Marvel-ous story about the Amazing Debit Card of D00m...... Sounds like an apropos continuation to your story so far. __________________ Sarah 2012 R1200GS Rallye - Gypsy 2003 R1150GSA with DMC sidecar Ask A Self-Publisher "Life is like riding a motorcycle: to keep your balance, you must keep moving."

02-14-2011, 10:40 PM	#140
Fishfund ^OP Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Dec 2007 Location: Lansing, MI Oddometer: 494	Today was really awesome. It started with Mr. Nick cooking up some breakfast while I broke down camp. Eggs, onion and sausage really good! I really don't know how to put this approprratly, and their may not be a way to do so, so I will just tell you this story as it happened. I hope you can look at this with a scientific eye as I did. I had to poop so I did. It had hardly hit the ground when 3 beetles ran right over and started checking it out. So I started checking out the beatles checking out my poop. What they were doing was eating it, or so I thought at first. Now this is kind of normal. bugs like poop and you always see them on or near it, but what these beatles were doing was different they were carving out small balls out of the main log. Once they got a small ball free they would work it over and over until it was round enough for their satisfaction and then roll it through the desert. Carving the rough shape The one on the right was much faster Then roll it out These guys really were amazing, and good at what they do. We followed this guy about 40 feet and he showed no signs of slowing down soon. I have never heard of these beatles before. I think these are different than the "dung beatles" I learned about in school. One mans trash another mans treasure. Nature is pretty cool. Moving on.... Today we have to crank out some miles to get to Timmer in time. We are already out in the middle of nowhere. about 80 miles of dirt until the closest paved road. The road started off dry, but transfered to this as we moved north. We are finding out we are hitting the rainy season. This is awesome, this is the stuff we were looking for. The more we ride the less fuel our tanks have. We pull out the GPS to look for the closest gas station and find one 60 ish miles away. We only have about 60 ish miles of gas. So then next 60ish miles are not fast anymore. We are now riding at optimal gas milage speed which is around 50-55. We get here and find the river flooded and the road closed. That's ok though. For occasions like this they open up the dam bridge for traffic. 30 miles down the road and we finally get to pavement. Now only 15 miles to the gas station. Nick stops to fill his main tank with his spare tank. I just cross my fingers. Now these guys show up. They are from the UK and have been traveling for 4 months now. They did Egypt and said it is impossible without a Carinet. We will see about that. We chatted for a good 15 minutes and had a great time. They advised us of good places to see and others to pass through. I couldn't help but keep noticing how lowed their bike was. We laughed about our struggles and wished each other the best. I love running into people like this. They are always so positive and supportive of everything. We pulled into town and got gas before we ran out. The grocery store was next, and on the way there I got called out by a cop driving by for not having my lights on. (noted: lights on always in Namabia.) as we pulled up to the store a couple of kids were trying to tell us where to park and everyone was staring. AKA we couldn't leave our bikes alone here. Nick ran in to look lunch options. It was pretty slim, so I ran in to get the potatoes, onion, garlic and banana's tonights meal. Onward to a place where we can eat in peace. 60 miles down the road we reach a really small town and stop for a coke and frozen sauage. They said the water was clean so we filled up for the night. I hold 10 liters and nick holds 8. We are finding out that's really enough just for one day with cooking and staying hydrated. This was the only store. Not much of a town here and I always wonder what people do for money. There were kids running around and waving, pushing their little cards, made out of wire and peanut buttle lids as wheels. The kids asked for our empty glass bottles so we gave them away. They are happy to get the deposit back from them. Ok, break time is over, back on the road for an hour or so. We get gas drink a milkshake at Whimpy burger (I don't understand the name either) back on te road, through a check point. We just smile real big and show our driver licenses. Joke a bit and we are off again. More gas, then we turn off the paved road to a dirt road hoping to find a emptry area to camp for the night. It will be dark in about an hour so we just haul down the road looking for a spot. Hmm...Now what? We wade across first to see how deep it is. ok, it's actually pretty shallow. So this is perfect, we will cross the water then just camp on the other side. I'm going to set up my camera gear first though. Not as easy as it sounds. Set up camera A on your current side ready to film. Get helmet camera B set-up Walk across set-up camera C and press record Run back, start camera A, put on riding gear, start helmet camera B Drive across Shut off camera B and Camera C Take off riding gear, run back across, shut off Camera A Walk back with camera A During the begining of this process, these guys stopped and asked if we were ok, We are fine, we just want to film this. They said that's cool, where are you staying tonight? We just pointed to the other side and said we would pitch a tent. They said when we have crossed to come to their farm. They are only 5 kilometers away . First place on the left. This is awesome news. Free safe place to camp for the night. We finish up the filming and take off. I walked though there 6 times in my underwear and didn't get bit by a snake once. We arrive at the farm, and this is where I am typing this up. The story of the farm will be next. We did the last three updates tonight while charging batterys and cooking and taking showers. Everything is now ready to be uploaded to the internet once we find a connection. Who knows when that will be. Anyway. We have been busy solid for hours. It is now 2:45 A.M. I'm going to bed. What a Awesome Day! -Nite __________________ RR: 3 months on a husky te610 RR: 25,000 miles with Luke and Nick www.lukeandnick.com

02-15-2011, 03:55 AM	#142
BigDogAdventures.com Fart Letter Joined: Sep 2003 Location: Mt. Vernon, Illinois Oddometer: 3,835	Dung and Kilimanjaro When I read you are going to Kilmanjaro I had to laugh at myself. The closest I'll ever get to it is my First Gear Kilimanjaro Jacket So take me there Luke. Loved the dung beetles. Just part of nature. We get to see it all here---not some fluffed over story---we get it all. Mark BigDog __________________ Mark Sampson Click here for BigDogs full length DVD movies http://bigdogadventures.com/Video.htm www.bigdogadventures.com Why in the heck did you buy a 250 ?? "Because they were all out of 175's" "The less the merrier" "I'm so old, I don't even buy green bananas"--Quote: Jimmy Dickens "The older I get--the bigger my rear sprocket gets" "It takes 12 HP to ride around the world--the rest is wheelspin"

02-15-2011, 06:43 AM	#144
GypsyWriter Beastly Adventurer Joined: Aug 2009 Location: Hanford CA Oddometer: 1,020	Ah, you and your poop pics. Dung beetles are pretty cool from a scientific standpoint - I'm too much of a girl not to freak if they scurried toward me but their actions are neat. Nature truly has a use for everything. :) Glad things are going well, look forward to more adventures! __________________ Sarah 2012 R1200GS Rallye - Gypsy 2003 R1150GSA with DMC sidecar Ask A Self-Publisher "Life is like riding a motorcycle: to keep your balance, you must keep moving."

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02-14-2011, 01:33 PM	#138
Skrow Gnarly Adventurer Joined: May 2009 Location: MN Oddometer: 194	+10 if Luke has video of Nick dancing when he loses the wallet! Some truly epic pictures and commentary! Any ideas as to why the fuel consumption might be high? Mapping off?

02-14-2011, 10:49 PM	#141
Dorzok Beastly Adventurer Joined: Jun 2008 Location: SoCal Oddometer: 1,379	Dung beetles are beetles that feed partly or exclusively on feces. All of these species belong to the superfamily Scarabaeoidea; most of them to the subfamilies Scarabaeinae and Aphodiinae of the family Scarabaeidae. This beetle can also be referred to as the scarab beetle. As most species of Scarabaeinae feed exclusively on feces, that subfamily is often dubbed true dung beetles. There are dung-feeding beetles which belong to other families, such as the Geotrupidae (the earth-boring dung beetle). The Scarabaeinae alone comprises more than 5,000 species.^[1] Many dung beetles, known as rollers, are noted for rolling dung into spherical balls, which are used as a food source or brooding chambers. Other dung beetles, known as tunnelers, bury the dung wherever they find it. A third group, the dwellers, neither roll nor burrow: they simply live in manure. They are often attracted by the dung burrowing owls collect.

02-15-2011, 05:35 AM	#143
Skrow Gnarly Adventurer Joined: May 2009 Location: MN Oddometer: 194	WoW! In the name of science...... I'd have to say that is the first I've seen in a RR. Great pictures! Is this a motorbike or motorboat?

02-15-2011, 09:00 PM	#148
misanthropic Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Aug 2004 Location: Keller TX Oddometer: 416	Wimpy burger? Maybe Wimpy from Popeye. "I'd gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today." Great report.

02-15-2011, 09:58 PM	#149
Not Fragile n00b Joined: Feb 2011 Location: Vancouver BC Oddometer: 9	maybe just a bit more fiber for the science experiment?