Wilsons Sandbox

> The Moab Dual Sport "Get Together" (euphemism for "Rally") will never be the > same. For several years now, rally attendees, mostly mounted on Kawasaki > KLR650 motorcycles, have amused themselves by poking fun at BMW riders. > Foremost among those poked were the F650 riders whose machines most resemble > the KLR650 in purpose but are widely regarded as too big, to heavy and too > expensive by KLR650 riders. The even bigger, heavier and more expensive GS > model BMWs, especially the really big, heavy and expensive models of recent > years, are usually dismissed out-of-hand as barely suited for graded gravel > roads, much less capable of traveling rough 4WD trails. But after this > year's rally, still in progress as I write, this all may change. > > A respected and long time rally goer chose not to ride his KLR650 to this > year's rally but came, instead, on his R100GS PD. He was accompanied by two > friends on R1150GS models (somehow, I question now whether these were really > 1150s or 1100s that were upgraded in the telling during the course of the > evening). On the way to Moab, they traveled several roads and trails in > Colorado's San Juan mountains. Among the notable 4WD roads were: Engineer > Pass and Cinnamon Pass. After arriving in Moab, these three GS riders, > perhaps flushed with success on rough, rocky, mountain roads as high as > 13,000 feet in altitude, then proceeded on an overnight trip around the > White Rim Trail in the company of several riders on KLR650s. > > I first heard about these rides from the respected rider himself and also > from one of the KLR riders on the overnight White Rim ride who, > coincidentally, had ridden Engineer and Cinnamon passes on the same day as > the GS riders (he reportrd that melting snow made Engineer Pass a little > slick in places). But yesterday throughout the evening, I heard this story > repeated several times by rally goers who were obviously impressed. Here's > the kicker: it is said that, throughout these rides, no one dropped a BMW GS > motorcycle. > > "Very impressive," I allowed. > "Yeah," someone said. "Even the GS riders seemed impressed." > > And so it is: the world of dual sport motorcycling can change in sudden and > unexpected ways. Hot on the heels of _Motorcycle World_ magazine choosing > the R1150GS as "Best Sport Touring motorcycle of the decade," two unnamed > riders ride them where no R1150GS motorcycles have gone before -- or have > they? Now we wonder. > > A rush to BMW dealers might be expected except it is said that all R1150GS > models for this year are already sold. Will this shortage result in backlash > sales for the new F650GS arriving next month? > > As of yesterday evening, no GS rider had yet attempted Lockhart Basin. > Somehow, it now seems inevitable. BeemerBigDawg! Where are you? > > Verle Nelson > Cedaredge, CO > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Remember four years of good friends, bad clothes, explosive chemistry > experiments. > http://click.egroups.com/1/4051/5/_/911801/_/960498058/ > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > Visit the KLR650 archives at > http://www.listquest.com/lq/search.html?ln=klr650 > Support Dual Sport News... dsneditor@... > Let's keep this list SPAM free! > > Visit our site at http://www.egroups.com/group/DSN_klr650 > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > DSN_klr650-unsubscribe@egroups.com

>But as the saying goes: >"It is not what you ride, but that you ride" > >As long as you're on two wheels, I wave. > >Congrats to the GS'ers, they must have been sore after those rides >And to all you bastards in Moab while the rest of us are trapped at our desks, >Bah Humbug! > >Zack > >Verle Nelson wrote: > >> The Moab Dual Sport "Get Together" (euphemism for "Rally") will never be the >> same. For several years now, rally attendees, mostly mounted on Kawasaki >> KLR650 motorcycles, have amused themselves by poking fun at BMW riders. >> Foremost among those poked were the F650 riders whose machines most resemble >> the KLR650 in purpose but are widely regarded as too big, to heavy and too >> expensive by KLR650 riders. The even bigger, heavier and more expensive GS >> model BMWs, especially the really big, heavy and expensive models of recent >> years, are usually dismissed out-of-hand as barely suited for graded gravel >> roads, much less capable of traveling rough 4WD trails. But after this >> year's rally, still in progress as I write, this all may change. >> >> A respected and long time rally goer chose not to ride his KLR650 to this >> year's rally but came, instead, on his R100GS PD. He was accompanied by two >> friends on R1150GS models (somehow, I question now whether these were really >> 1150s or 1100s that were upgraded in the telling during the course of the >> evening). On the way to Moab, they traveled several roads and trails in >> Colorado's San Juan mountains. Among the notable 4WD roads were: Engineer >> Pass and Cinnamon Pass. After arriving in Moab, these three GS riders, >> perhaps flushed with success on rough, rocky, mountain roads as high as >> 13,000 feet in altitude, then proceeded on an overnight trip around the >> White Rim Trail in the company of several riders on KLR650s. >> >> I first heard about these rides from the respected rider himself and also >> from one of the KLR riders on the overnight White Rim ride who, >> coincidentally, had ridden Engineer and Cinnamon passes on the same day as >> the GS riders (he reportrd that melting snow made Engineer Pass a little >> slick in places). But yesterday throughout the evening, I heard this story >> repeated several times by rally goers who were obviously impressed. Here's >> the kicker: it is said that, throughout these rides, no one dropped a BMW GS >> motorcycle. >> >> "Very impressive," I allowed. >> "Yeah," someone said. "Even the GS riders seemed impressed." >> >> And so it is: the world of dual sport motorcycling can change in sudden and >> unexpected ways. Hot on the heels of _Motorcycle World_ magazine choosing >> the R1150GS as "Best Sport Touring motorcycle of the decade," two unnamed >> riders ride them where no R1150GS motorcycles have gone before -- or have >> they? Now we wonder. >> >> A rush to BMW dealers might be expected except it is said that all R1150GS >> models for this year are already sold. Will this shortage result in backlash >> sales for the new F650GS arriving next month? >> >> As of yesterday evening, no GS rider had yet attempted Lockhart Basin. >> Somehow, it now seems inevitable. BeemerBigDawg! Where are you? >> >> Verle Nelson >> Cedaredge, CO >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> Remember four years of good friends, bad clothes, explosive chemistry >> experiments. >> http://click.egroups.com/1/4051/5/_/911801/_/960498058/ >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> >> Visit the KLR650 archives at >> http://www.listquest.com/lq/search.html?ln=klr650 >> Support Dual Sport News... dsneditor@... >> Let's keep this list SPAM free! >> >> Visit our site at http://www.egroups.com/group/DSN_klr650 >> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: >> DSN_klr650-unsubscribe@egroups.com > > >------------------------------------------------------------------------ >Remember four years of good friends, bad clothes, explosive chemistry >experiments. >http://click.egroups.com/1/4051/5/_/911801/_/960499839/ >------------------------------------------------------------------------ > >Visit the KLR650 archives at >http://www.listquest.com/lq/search.html?ln=klr650 >Support Dual Sport News... dsneditor@... >Let's keep this list SPAM free! > >Visit our site at http://www.egroups.com/group/DSN_klr650 >To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: >DSN_klr650-unsubscribe@egroups.com

> I dunno, I've been to Moab before but didn't ride there. But, from > the pix I've seen so far, the place looks freakin' paved. > Mark (a hard sell, but hoping to go there next year)

> > > I dunno, I've been to Moab before but didn't ride > there. But, from > > the pix I've seen so far, the place looks freakin' > paved. > > Mark (a hard sell, but hoping to go there next > year) > > The most popular trails near Moab are easy for a > good rider; those you ride > for the stunning scenery. Riders wishing to be > challenged can find trails > that only an observed-trials rider could conquer.