[dsn_klr650] gps info

[tryce@reid-crowther.com]

Greetings, all. This is a long one, so go ahead and hit that delete button if you're not interested! They told me it couldn't be done. I'm here to tell you that it CAN be done, but probably shouldn't if you're not ready to endure some pain on the road. I'm talking about using our able machines to transport two people plus camping gear plus food plus extra clothing to a remote wilderness campsite. My girlfriend Anna and I did just that this past week, without any major mishaps. What I learned follows below. My A9 has a Supertrapp EAR exhaust can, K&N Airfilter, DynaJet kit, Progressive front springs, and lowering links. When I started planning this trip, I was worried about where to put all the equipment. A trip to the local army-surplus store netted me two matching backpacks (haversacks?) that when attached together (by running the straps to the opposite bag) became perfect saddlebags. The next problem was how to keep them away from the hot exhaust. To solve this, I manufactured a exhaust guard from a piece of old shelving material. Simple, ugly, effective. My concern throughout this trip was bottoming out, and rightly so. With a stock rear spring and lowering links, the opportunity was there, just waiting for a bump or two. To try and prevent this, I increased the preload to 5 and the damping to IV. This helped a little, but read on and you will learn the error in my ways. On the rear rack went the tent, two Thermarests, and one compression stuffsack containing two sleeping bags. These were strapped together before they were strapped to the bike, reducing the opportunity for any slippage. Standard luggage tie-downs cinched tight provided the final security. In the saddlebags, I managed to pack a camping stove, a bottle of camp fuel, food for 4 days, and clothing for the both of us. Those bags were extremely full and quite heavy. My original intention had been to hang these over the tank like panniers, to get some weight forward on the bike. Unfortunately, there would have been nowhere for me to put my legs. Anna also had on a backpack containing the cooking pots and quick access items like sweatshirts, camera, etc. Finally, a Kawasaki Tank Bag carried hot dog buns. I hate having squished hot dog buns. For those of you who know British Columbia, the trip was from Vancouver, up the Sunshine Coast to Texada Island, near Powell River. The ride consisted of about 200km of paved road, with a 15km dirt road stretch at the end of the trip. Contained in the route is three ferry rides. The road was scenic and smooth, following the BC West Coast with great views of the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island. Nice twisties in some sections, although I didn't drag any pegs with the amount of weight I had on my machine. I did, however, bottom out several times, much to my dismay. The bike was fine over short, quick bumps, through which the increased damping did its job. The grinding of the back tire into the mudguard occurred at the bottom of hills and other long compressions, where g-forces would gradually push us lower and lower. At the first rest-stop we took, I noticed my right turn signal wasn't working anymore. A quick look at the wiring to the right rear lamp told me everything: I had torn the wiring in two during one of these rubbing incidents. When I repaired it after I got back, I discovered the previous owner had done the same thing, but didn't bother rerouting the wiring properly. Ferry traffic wasn't a problem due to our utilizing only two wheels. The round-trip of 400km went off without a hitch, but with much pain. We had to stop several times to allow blood back into our rears and legs. With the bike packed as it was, movement while moving (think about that for a sec) was impossible. Examining the damage from bottoming out so often when I got back, I discovered the black mudguard along the inside of the rear wheelwell now has two grooves rubbed into it, from the sides of my Kenda 270 rear tire. Since I had previously mounted my license plate higher, this wasn't a problem. I did, however, cut a groove into the tread pattern of the tire caused by one of the nuts used to mount the license plate mount. I didn't expect this! Just something to watch out for. This was the perfect do-it-all showcase for the KLR. Highway driving, backroad twisties, dirt roads, and we even did some decomissioned logging roads once we got rid of the baggage. We used the motorbike to collect firewood rather than pay for it (which is ridiculous!), and it was great for trips to the grocery store 30kms away (the eggs strapped to the rack didn't even crack!). The versatility of this machine continues to amaze me. I grin just thinking about it. I have some pictures of the setup used if anyone is interested. I hope there isn't a 'message length' limit I just broke! Remember, I told you all about that delete button! Tim Ryce A9 - Vancouver, BC

[Kurt Simpson]

> Thanks for the information regarding GPS. I went for a three day DS ride > this last weekend with two friends who also have KLR's. There were a > number of times where a GPS may have enhanced the ride

I've come to the point of using both...without the larger context provided by the good maps...using the GPS can be hit and miss. But the GPS is terrific for verifying the road/trail you're looking for is in fact the one you've found. Peter and my son Dominic and I found a loop on Polar Mesa in Moab that was so overgrown we would have certainly missed it...turned out to be a nice little ride.. Kurt