RTW with Noah on a KTM 690

[RhinoVonHawkrider]

U heading East??

If so, hit me up via PM for info help in PA/NJ/NYC

[ini88]

You go Noah! Best of luck, wish you well and lots of adventures. Get a hold of me if you get to New York City, you can stay with me and we can pick up ladies :)

[Lunatic]

Subscribed

[Nut Clutch]

Cool trip man. RTW and snowboarding is a great combination. I hope you use the 690 to get to some amazing out of the way places to snowboard.

I sent you a PM regarding couch space and skiing / snowboarding in the Seattle area.

[RoninMoto]

Originally Posted by Steve Lavigne

Cool trip man. RTW and snowboarding is a great combination. I hope you use the 690 to get to some amazing out of the way places to snowboard.

I sent you a PM regarding couch space and skiing / snowboarding in the Seattle area.

Thanks. I plan on hitting baker for closing weekend then whistler. Next winter in europe I plan on parking the bike somewhere for a month to board. Maybe republic of georgia? There is a ski resort south of merrekesh morocco I am determined to get to also.

[Adv Grifter]

Originally Posted by gunnerbuck

I carry a 2 speed hand operated bike pump and CO 2 cylinders on all my rides... The 2 speed pump should be still available at mountain bike shops... They work pretty good, use the high volume setting to air up quicker and then shift to the high pressure setting to bring it up to final pressure...


On a longer multi day ride I'll throw in an electric pump... I used an electric pump that I picked up from an auto supply store that works pretty good, but is a little bulky... Most guys rip the cover housing off these pumps to make them much more compact...

I recently picked up the much more compact Slime pump after watching one in action as to where it was used to fix several flats and performed the job flawlessly...

Both the slime pump and my auto store cheapy outperformed the Cycle Pump at 1/10th the price... I found the Cyclepump to be slow and prone to overheating....

That pretty much sums it all up! very good comments!
I used my first elec. pump doing Copper Canyon in '98, a generic sports pump whose housing I broke off. It worked OK but within a month self destructed from being bashed around in the luggage. I've had two SLIME pumps. The latest one is OK, comes in it's own little case. Slow, gets hot, takes up space. I've gone back to using Q U A L I T Y ... bicycle pumps.

They too get trashed riding where I keep mine. But replacing them once every two or three years is worth it. It's still work to pump up ... most times I pump only to 15 PSI ... then ride to compressed air ... if possible.

Here is my bike pump mounted on my DR650. FUNKY! but it always works!

I now wrap the pump in old bicycle rubber tube and wrap in Elec. tape. Keeps crud out of pump.
Not all pumps are created equal. Get a good one.

[BK.RD.RNR]

Originally Posted by RoninMoto

Thanks. I plan on hitting baker for closing weekend then whistler. Next winter in europe I plan on parking the bike somewhere for a month to board. Maybe republic of georgia? There is a ski resort south of merrekesh morocco I am determined to get to also.

Take lots of pics!! I've been dying to see Georgia since seeing the movie 5 days of war, and then reading this ride report, really put the bug in my ear.

[RoninMoto]

Today at Bachelor was amazing... Until I broke my brand new board.. after 2 days. (2nd broken board in 3 days). I think its time to get back on the bike. I'm leaving Bend tomorrow.

[wachs]

Snapped another one!?

I guess we shoulda made contact and showed you around this morning dang it - have an awesome trip!

[RoninMoto]

Originally Posted by wachs

Snapped another one!?

I guess we shoulda made contact and showed you around this morning dang it - have an awesome trip!

We were riding far skiers right. Lots of fun windlips and natural terrain. It was still a great day

[RoninMoto]

It rained from Sisters to Florence Oregon. Hopefully I get some clears skies tomorrow.

[CordR]

Hey Noah,

What's your ETA for Vancouver? When you get into town and you need a meal, lunch or dinner is on me.

If you need some help with local bike resources, I'll do my best to point you in the right direction as I have a 690 as well. Maybe even set you up with a contact or two for Whistler.

Best of luck with the trip.

Cord


ps - what the hell are you doing on the slopes that you break two boards in 3 days?

[Adv Grifter]

Noah may be in the Yukon by now ?... or riding round Alaska dodging Bear and Crazed Red Necks driving boulder pitching Semi-Trucks. Keep you head down!

Hope the weather clears up for ya Noah. But consider this bit Boot camp for Peru' and Bolivia! Good luck man, Ride On, Ride On!
Y practica su Espanol! !Que le via muy bien!

[RoninMoto]

Originally Posted by Adv Grifter

Noah may be in the Yukon by now ?... or riding round Alaska dodging Bear and Crazed Red Necks driving boulder pitching Semi-Trucks. Keep you head down!

Hope the weather clears up for ya Noah. But consider this bit Boot camp for Peru' and Bolivia! Good luck man, Ride On, Ride On!
Y practica su Espanol! !Que le via muy bien!

I'm in washingon right now. I will be starting into canada next week. I will be posting pics in the next few days when I get intenet (not cell phone).

[RoninMoto]

Its about time I post some more stuff...

April 19
After hanging out in Bend Oregon for 4 days, it was time to hit the road. From Bend up to Sisters was sunny but the clouds were looming over the mountains. From Sisters to the coast I was in a downpour. I am so thankful for the heated grips and Klim gear on this trip.


Some where between Sisters and Eugene. Not as fun back tracking as the first time.


Pizza and beer in Florence Oregon. This is all the further I could go in the rain. Hotel with a hot tub is a must

April 20
It was raining when I woke up... and it continued most of the morning. By the time I made it to Hwy 26 to go to Portland the sun was shining through. I went to bar my friend works at "Putters" in SE Portland and an inmate recognized my 690 there. PM me if you read this man, I didn't remember your name. Sorry I couldn't nerd out on the bikes more.


Oregon coast north of Florence.


Pine trees growing in dune sand? Only in Oregon I think.






Fish Tacos at "Fat Freddy's" in Pacific City Oregon. They were great. Go there if you are in the area. Pacific City is on the coast where 101 splits off for a while. Very cool little town with a surfing vibe.

April 21.
Spent the day recovering from the night before with friends. Portland can be rough on a young guy.

April 22.
Breakfast at the Acropolis club was steak and eggs for $8. Hwy 26 back to the coast was busy with weekend warriors trying to get to the coast on a sunny day. Once I crossed over into Washington at Astoria it was smooth sailing. 101 goes in and out of some interesting bays in southern WA. Made it all the way to Quinault lake and camped back in the woods because all the lake campsites were closed. Beautiful river and mountains with snow. The pictures just don't do it justice.




Met these two gents at a wayside stop. They were out on a weekend trip and enjoying the weather.. suggested I go up to Lake Quinault to camp. THANKS GUYS! It was amazing!




Getting to the campsite. Looking North.


Looking South.


The campsite.


Dinner: Broccoli and cheese rice.. with extra sharp cheddar added. Just because.


The River.



April 23.
Saw some very cool waterfalls that I missed on the way into the camp site. 2 sunny days in a row. WTF? I had to go to Olympia to get fitted for a Gerbing heated jacket liner for the way up to AK. They didn't have my size in stock but a place in Seattle did. I picked that up a few days later after going around the Olympic peninsula. North of Aberdeen, WA, 101 splits away from the coast. 109 is a 2 lane black top that hugs the coast and ends abruptly in Toholah in the Quinault Indian Reservation. The GPS and Google showed dirt roads connecting to 101 so I thought I would give it a shot. I made it until I was 5 miles from 101 and there were some signs that said "Quinault Tribe members only" so it would be best to turn around. Back tracked to Pacific beach to camp the night in a very windy spot. Still a great view though.


Playing with shutter speed..










Scary bridge in the Quinault reservation. I had to cross the thing 2 times.


Campsite for the night in Pacific Beach


The view when I arrived.


The View before Bed


Had to get creative to give the tent some strength in the wind. Extra stakes would be helpful. The moto and a sharpened stick driven into the dirt will work for now.

April 24.
Woke up to rain. Had to pack the tent away wet. It kept me dry though. Headed north to Moclips then took the "Moclips HWY" to 101. It rained the whole day to Nordland near Port Townsend. My good friend Bjorn is doing boat building school there and the craftsmanship was pretty impressive. Very neat town. Time to dry out for a day.


Water bubbles on the outside of the tent


Bjorn and the boats




Steak, Clam stips, salad and frys at the Valley Tavern. Great place in Nordland.

April 25.
It rained all day. Called the KTM dealer in Port Angeles to see if they could do my service and I decided to do it on my own. "Uller" sent me a message offering his shop. That dude has everything! The highlight of my day was a burger at the Valley Tavern. You need to get this if you stop there.


Look at it. It just oozes greatness.


Nordland's Mystery Bay

April 26.
Went down through Bremerton, Tacoma, and up through Seattle to Marysville to Brad's house (Uller). We had my bike torn apart in no time at all... and back together by midnight. Heated jacket outlet installed, oil changed, valves checked and error codes cleared. Thanks bud!


Them man in his shop.


Looking at my error codes


Checking valve clearances.

From here I plan on snowboarding Baker this weekend and Vancouver island next week for a few days. Then up to Whistler for a few days on the board.. then up to AK! Thanks to everyone sending me invites for food, beer, and/or a place to stay. This truly is a great community of people.