The Adventures of Tyson and Hobbes

[Rob.G]

Originally Posted by obrianmcc

Very typical with the 606, wait until it gets real dry slick .... I ran a set..... once....

So this is typical of the 606? I have kenda trackmaster II's on my klx and they're awesome. I had chalked the DR issues up to the tires. Maybe a different tire is in order.

Rob

[av_mech]

Personally, I had great luck with the 606's on the KLR. I was really happy with them in all aspects. If they were produced in a 150, I'd be running them on the Tiger. Way cheaper than TKCs and better IMO.

[obrianmcc]

I've found the TM II's to be a good compromise for me. (I'm a huge fan of the old 756 pattern) The TM's seem to perform well both on and off road with reasonable longevity on my 400.....although I don't think they would fair so well on a 800.

[av_mech]

My bro ran the TM on his KLX and hated it. Opinions on tires are like assholes, everybody has one. YMMV

[av_mech]

The view out of the tent was fantastic!



The view looking back into the tent, not so fantastic.





I really am retarded sometimes.



I took a long time to get ready for the ride. I sat and enjoyed my coffee and the view. Finally, I had my shit together and down the mountain we went.

A quick stop for water.





Back on 14 and the pace is slower this morning. It's safer that way. I think I'm still a bit intoxicated.







We stopped in Kooskia for gas and food. Just what the doctor ordered.



Highway 12 goes on for miles and miles along the Clearwater River. Very scenic and not much traffic.





An awesome display for Memorial Day.





Just a quick lesson, because I've heard Memorial Day talked about incorrectly many times in the past few days. Memorial Day honors those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom. While it is always important to support and honor current military and veterans, Memorial Day is to honor and remember those who died. Veterans Day serves to honor those have served, but are lucky enough to still be alive. There is a difference and I feel it is important to note it, just because of the sheer number of times I heard people misunderstand what this day is for. I spent a lot of time thinking about all those that have died so I can go on trips like these. It's important to me to make sure the right people are remembered and honored for this day.

I took this picture because I remember the fresh hay smelling awesome.







We crossed the river and took Hubbard Gulch road as a cut off to pick up 3 North.





Lon gave me some Tylenol here to help my foot. I've been having some issues with pain during up shifts. It happened last weekend and now this weekend. I seriously hope this is not the beginnings of some kind of health issue relating to my tendons and muscles required to shift a moto. Thankfully, it didn't bother me the rest of the weekend after this.











Julietta, ID in the valley.



Just a few miles more and we were in Kendrick. The entire town was alive with people celebrating the holiday weekend. I was seriously surprised at how many people were out for the festivities in what is, I'm sure, a very sleepy town.









You start to get the very distinct feeling that you are getting pretty far North at this point.



Sleepiness is setting in. I actually did the head bob on the bike. Fucking scary! That never happens when riding dirt. The road can get a bit boring. Pretty, but boring.

We stopped in St. Maries and took a break for a Starbucks energy drink and fuel. It was much needed. Just North of St. Maries, we turned off on 97 so we could follow the East shore of Coeur D' Alene Lake.









Pictures just can't depict just how beautiful this area of the world is. This is a must see for everybody.

Lon was having a lot of fun on the Buell. He almost got rid of his chicken strips! I remember him bubbling about this chunk of road several times over the rest of the weekend.











Past CDA now and on 41 with a goal of Priest Lake for the night.





We touched Washington for a brief second. Yeah, but it's still another state on the weekend. We crossed a border, so I count it.

Pend Orielle River.



Gas in Priest River and further North yet on 57. Starting to feel like Canada.





Now I'm onto the last page of my Benchmark Atlas. Any farther North and I need a new map.

We stop in Coolin for beer for the night. I picked up some Pacifico and Lon got Newcastle. And almost every girl here was gorgeous. Young, but in my head I'm pretty sure they were at least 18.

Lon was talking to a guy about where to boondock camp. We didn't listen 100% cause we should have gone back out to the main road. Instead we muddled around on all the housing roads next to the lake. I was getting cranky and was trying really hard to not direct it at Lon. I think he caught some of it, but it's been a long day. Sorry Lon.

Finally we found our way to the main road and got some views of the lake.













There were a number of roads going up the mountain to the right. We finally picked one and gained elevation.



I was really hoping to find an awesome spot with a view of the lake. There wasn't shit for camping spots on this road! A lot of it had been logged recently and any road that shot off had a gate across it.

Lon and I stopped to talk it over and heading back down to a designated campground came up. I said, "Let's give it two more miles."

Finally I saw an offshoot that looked good. A bulldozer had made a dirt pile across the road, but there was no gate.

No problem, I'll just bomb over that and take a look. I make a running start at the dirt mound and FUCK!!!! BRAKES!!!! Yeah there was a big hole after the dirt mound. That would have been a fucking stupid mistake on my part. Glad I was able to stop.

I skirted the edge and went down for a look. Home for the night.



You can see the lake a little bit.







While I was gathering wood and drinking my beer, I noticed a ton of droppings and a lot of animal tracks... Fuck it, we ain't moving now. Sleepy time.

[UlyRider]

What a blast! Wish we could have gotten a picture with the Ranger ladies! And HEY! I was getting better in the dirt with my big girl!!! Mud? I think I will wait for a different bike! Maybe a Tiger is in my future... Don't want to say much more and spoil the rest of the trip! The morning in Priest Lake I've told to a number of people now and gets a good laugh. Looking forward to many more trips! I'm not scared!!!

[obrianmcc]

Originally Posted by av_mech

My bro ran the TM on his KLX and hated it. Opinions on tires are like assholes, everybody has one. YMMV

That they are....

....weekend report onward.....

[Skyclad]

Originally Posted by UlyRider

What a blast! Wish we could have gotten a picture with the Ranger ladies! And HEY! I was getting better in the dirt with my big girl!!! Mud? I think I will wait for a different bike! Maybe a Tiger is in my future... Don't want to say much more and spoil the rest of the trip! The morning in Priest Lake I've told to a number of people now and gets a good laugh. Looking forward to many more trips! I'm not scared!!!

Gotta love the Ulysses. I miss mine sometimes, but then hit some good dirt and remember why I choose the 990 to replace the Uly. Try the Avon Distanzia tires. They will not make the big girl into a dirt bike, but they do good on most surfaces. Deep sand and mud will still be...interesting... Don't be afraid to be a bit rough with the Uly. They are a tough machine and will do far more than most folks think. If you have the stock muffler, it is as good as a skid plate.

[jerdog53]

[UlyRider]

Originally Posted by Skyclad

Gotta love the Ulysses. I miss mine sometimes, but then hit some good dirt and remember why I choose the 990 to replace the Uly. Try the Avon Distanzia tires. They will not make the big girl into a dirt bike, but they do good on most surfaces. Deep sand and mud will still be...interesting... Don't be afraid to be a bit rough with the Uly. They are a tough machine and will do far more than most folks think. If you have the stock muffler, it is as good as a skid plate.

Skyclad, I've read a lot of your earlier posts and learned a lot! Yeah, the old girl is a blast to ride and am still learning what she will do. I will try the Distanzia's next. If it wasn't for a bill that I NEED to pay off I would be looking at another bike. So for now I will enjoy what I have. As far as the Muffler is concerned I purchased the full Touratech skid plates from the previous owner at half the original cost! I have a feeling that if I ride with Tyson in the future I will have to learn to use them! By the way, you only get better with saddle time and riding with those who are better. So thanks Tyson for taking it easy this trip out! Hope to do another next time home from work!!! Wind, rain, snow, lets ride it!!! That would be Tyson on the right!!!

[trailrider383]

More pictures please..........

[av_mech]

4:55 AM. I am awakened by the very distinct sound of something very large breathing outside my tent. My eyes are wide open as my pupils struggle to adjust to the first light of the morning beginning make the inside of my yellow tent glow. I dare not make any rustling sound. We are in grizzly country!

My thoughts are racing and a mild panic is setting in. I slowly reach out of my bag and grab my gun that always rests right next to my head.

I can still hear the breathing not more than a couple of feet from my tent. I every so slowly and quietly release the safety and cock the hammer. It makes a click no matter how quietly you try to do it.

The feet begin to move and my heart races a bit faster. The large animal slowly moves out of camp. Then I heard the unmistakable "chirp" of a bull elk. Relief!

Elk can still be a great danger. But, I'd feel a lot better about me and my gun against an elk vs a grizzly.

I know dad will chime and say "bear spray." I say bigger gun.

Now we're up. Lon was awakened by the breathing as well so we got up and started the day with normal routine.

Underway and back South.





A few more shots of Priest Lake before we leave it in our rear view mirrors and locked in our memories.









Geese flying low. This was pretty cool to watch. Their wingtips just mere inches off the water. The lead goose pulled up and the rest followed right after I took this pic.



Back down 57 to Priest River and make an "East." We stopped for gas in Thama, or thereabouts. It's exceptionally cold this morning. Seriously, my heated vest was on almost all 1215 miles of the trip.

We arrive in Sandpoint. It's my first time here. There is a very cool downtown area with a lot of little boutique shops. Looks pretty touristy and it would be neat to walk around. But, miles of road lie ahead of us.



When the sign says "Canada ->", you're pretty far up there.



We catch 200 East out of Sand Point and follow along Lake Pend Orielle.











Lake Pend Orielle. Yet another beautiful Northern Idaho lake.



















Pend Orielle is history on this ride and we are now following the Clark Fork River. Shortly we cross into Montana and the speed limit improves to 70.

















We are hungry and it is lunch time. Maybe a little early, but the first sprinkles of the day are beading on our visors and Trout Creek looked like a good place to stop.

I forget the name of the place, but I'll always remember the waitress. She was this sweet old lady that was completely disorganized and inefficient. A little forgetful as well. Lunch took over an hour. But it was good. The blackened chicken sandwich I had is actually making my mouth water right now. Food break....

Ok, I'm back. So we finally got outta there and back on the road. Now the rain starts.









I'm actually thinking at this point how much I like riding in the rain on my motorcycle. I really do. Then, my feet got wet. I'm going to have to rectify that situation. I'm thinking over boots, cause I don't want to spend $400 dollars on the Sidi Adventure Rain boots. It's just not in the budget right now with all the riding coming up.

Now I'm not digging the rain so much. The Klim gear is fantastic and the rest of me is dry, but my feet are freezing!!!!

Solid and steady rain for miles and miles. And it's a cold rain. The temp can't be anymore than 40 degrees at this point.







I call these "Cold Clouds". Anytime I see clouds like this, it's fricking cold.







We stop in Arlee, MT for fuel and to warm up. We spent about a half hour sitting in this gas station/grocery store just being warm.

While we were there, a guy came up to us that I can only describe as looking like "Bubbles" from the "Trailer Park Boys" show. Google it.

"Those your motorcycles?"

I could only think about Bill Engvall, the comedian. "Here's your sign" All decked out in our gear and soaking wet. No shit man, those are our bikes.

"I'm trying to get to work and I need some gas."

I didn't hardly let him finish. "I don't carry cash man"

These are not the droids you're looking for. Move along. He finally moved along.

One of my favorite replies to "Got any change man?" is "Change comes from within". My mom just about died the first time she heard me say that to a bum in Denver.

My eyes are always big when it comes to route planning. I always pick a bigger route than what is doable.

We were talking about our route through Southwest Montana and a guy chatted with us for a second and gave us some locals knowledge of the areas I wanted to go. Turns out they had 8" of fresh snow and he wasn't sure if the road I wanted to go on was even open for the year.

Change of plans. Boring ass 93 South from Missoula to Hamilton and then over Lost Trail Pass into Idaho. Camp at Challis Hot Springs tonight. 225 miles to go. It's already about 4:00.

93 seriously is boring between Missoula and Hamilton.

The mountains are pretty with all the fresh snow though. Gas in Hamilton and some foot warmer dealy things that saved my toes on my Seattle ride. They didn't work nearly as well this time.



At least the rain finally stopped. Still cold as a witches titty though.



Never mind. It started again. And we are going up to over 7000 feet. This should get interesting...





Snowing like a mo-fo in the end of May.





There's a mountain over there somewhere...





We made the summit and back into Idaho. At least the road wasn't freezing. Soon we will loose all of our altitude and be safely in the Salmon river valley.

Not quite yet though. Ice on the windshield. I seem to have this happen a lot. I guess I really shouldn't wonder so much why people don't want to ride with me.





I stopped here to pee and wait for Lon. He was fucking around with something while riding and lost his glove. Had to turn back to get it.



Still raining, but the temp came up at least 10-15 degrees. Feet still wet and vest still on high.



Rain stopped and pushing the pace along the Salmon River. Having fun! I'm right on Lon's ass for the most part except when taking pics. Like 5 feet of his rear tire. Just playing through the corners.















A little bit of sunshine as we arrive in Challis! I almost dropped my bike into the gas pump as we pulled in for fuel. I'm not quite sure WTF happened. It took all I had to hold Hobbes up from taking a nap. The tank would have hit right on the pump guard and dented the shit out of it. I was like those mothers that pick up cars to save their children. The crash bars would not have protected Hobbes from this one and it was up to me.

Picked up a Hostess Apple Pie and ate it in the store. Needed some sugar energy to make it the last 10 miles to the springs.





Checking in for the night.



Challis is a commercial hot springs and worth every penny of the 10 bucks to soak and camp. LINK.

We set up camp and made dinner. We almost fucked around too long and only had 25 minutes to soak before we got booted. Thankfully, "Dad" let stay in for about 10 minutes past closing. It was pure heaven after 450+ miles of cold, rain, and snow. Slept great this night.

[av_mech]

Originally Posted by obrianmcc

I've found the TM II's to be a good compromise for me. (I'm a huge fan of the old 756 pattern) The TM's seem to perform well both on and off road with reasonable longevity on my 400.....although I don't think they would fair so well on a 800.

Didn't mean to come off sounding like a dick with my previous response. I've looked at the TMs before, and when
I set up a set of ice tires with studs for my CRF, I think I'm going to use them. I like the paddle pattern. And the soft terrain/hard rubber option should be great for holding studs. Just meant to say that my bro really didn't like them. I used to pay attention to all the tire opinions. You're gonna burn though tires in this sport and the best thing to do is buy what looks good to you and run it. Keep notes and find your tire. Nobody rides the same way and wears a tire the same way. Sorry again. Really didn't mean to be a dick.

[av_mech]

Originally Posted by UlyRider

That would be Tyson on the right!!!

Took me a second to figure that one out. We're gonna try not to do that again. Small bottle of Jameson next time...

[Rob.G]

Wow, killer ride! I would have loved to do that one. :)

BTW, what kind of gas mileage are you getting on pavement? And how's the stock seat doing? Does your butt ever get sore? I'm starting to think seriously again about another bike and I'm finding the Tiger 800 very near the top of my list. I'd probably still get the XC even though it'd never do anymore than basic dirt roads.

Rob