On Sat, 18 Jun 2005, Michael wrote:
> Just going the list, any help would be appreciated. The budget I have
> is maxed at $8K and I don't even have that to spend, but somehow
> maybe could get it together. The bike would have to be totally setup
A good used KLR can be had for around $3K. To that, add about $2K worth of
farkle, and you have all you need -- luggage, racks, case protectors, the
works.
> with aluminum luggage, case protectors, etc. I saw what looks like
> nice stuff at
http://happy-trail.com . Everything seems to be welded
> and solid. That is what I want. I had givi in the past, screw that.
> Looked like total crap after 1yr in the sun and started to warp.
I have Givis, and you're right, they look like total crap after 1yr in the
sun, all the trim is falling off, etc.. I am going to repaint them with
Krylon Fusion when I get a chance. But they are still quite watertight. (I
did not buy them new -- I wouldn't buy them new). They do seem to survive
better than the aluminum paniers, though. The aluminum paniers, if you
drop the bike, they get dented. Usually you can beat them back out, but
the Givis just bounce right back out, no beating required (hmm, I could
make a joke about redneck wives and their battered husbands, but I suspect
it would not be taken in the sense intended, heh!). My Givis look like
cr*p not only because they've been in the sun too much, but also because
they've hit the ground too often :-}.
> Gonna kill me to drive it to Alaska from Louisiana, though. Maybe I
Naw. Lots of interesting countryside there. Just avoid the Interstates.
Take the blue highways. Pack a small tent and a sleeping bag. Go up
through the Ouchitas and Ozarks, beautiful countryside up there. Then
shoot out west (you might want to take the Interstates across the Great
Plains, you won't be missing anything), and then take the blue highways
through the Rocky Mountains. I guarantee you that you will see sights that
will amaze you, and that you will be glad you made the journey. You may
never make it to Alaska, you may spend weeks wending yourself through so
many miles of beautiful countryside, taking every little gravel road to
see where it goes, stopping in every little town to see what the local
sights are. But that's okay, the journey, not the destination, is the
point when you're traveling via KLR.
-E