de tour 2006 overview and intro

[Michael Hightower]

Steve, Ah! You're in my wheelhouse now! Yay! Don't misunderstand me here guys....the idea of hopping on a motorcycle and heading for the horizon thrills me to no end, but from time to time I have to wonder if an old CJ-5, 60's Bronco or even a resuscitated Suzuki Samuri would be a better platform for some of the heavier loads, worst weather and gnarliest terrain we ask the KLR to deal with. (Before we go further, I want to say I've never been on a multi-day ride - I've always made it home to my warm bed after a day in the saddle so I AM NOT qualified to, or wish to, make any judgements of those intrepid souls who do real motorcycle touring without bliking an eye. My hat's off to you guys.) So the answer regarding a CJ-5, Bronco, or the most important vehicle you left out, any older Toyota Land Cruiser: Not necessarily. Are they better platforms for the heavier loads? Sure, and so's a K-whopper. But what it comes down to is an aesthetic. I've now done multi-day trips both solo and with passenger in the following vehicles: KLR, Saab 9-5 Aero, FJ-60 Land Cruiser, FJ-40 Land Cruiser, F-150 Death Trap, and then a number of boring cars (e.g., Corolla). All of these involved some form of off-roading while doing the trip (yes, even the Saab). While I enjoyed all of these trips, and was able to do different things in all the vehicles, I remember the KLR trips the best. Motorcycles have the ability to focus your memories on what you are doing at each specific moment of a trip. The car that comes closest is my FJ-60, because anywhere you go in that thing it's an adventure. Sometimes the adventure just comes from wondering whether you'll get there and being pleased that something catastrophic didn't happen. It's a bit troubling that one of my most vivid memories of the Cruiser is gutting a seized air pump in the middle of the woods. But cars, even fun old classics, dole out their pleasure in discrete lumps. A car trip eventually gets remember as packing, arriving at a little restaurant, arriving at the campsite/hotel, doing something fun like four-wheeling, packing again, then returning home. The KLR trips don't feel like a series of places I stopped, or a series of places where I took advantage of the vehicle's capabilities. The entire trip comprised elements of adventure. Added to that is the unquantifiable feeling of success when you complete the trip. Again, I can sometimes have this feeling in the Cruiser (the best 4-wheeled analog for a KLR). But that feeling is not one of physically overcoming something. Every week my friend and I go to play a trivia game in downtown Chicago, about five miles away on city streets. It usually takes about half an hour. Last week, for the first time, we considered driving because of the weather. It snowed recently, the KLR's ignition switch was loaded with ice, and it was 15 degrees out with the requisite horrible wind chill--awful riding conditions. So after warming up the bikes and bundling up like the kid from A Christmas Story, off we went. The trip was not comfortable. But not only did we make it, both of us felt like we had accomplished something. If we took the car, it certainly would have been more comfortable, but there wouldn't be a feeling of success. I think the KLR appeals to this sense of being an intrepid adventurer, whether we actually are one or just want to be. Indeed, the only motorcycles I've seen riding around Chicago now that winter has set in have been another KLR, an R1150GS, an old Harley with a sidecar, and my friend's Triumph Scrambler--all quite individual bikes. In an of itself, the KLR has obstacles to overcome such as luggage, comfort, or the inexplicable lack of development. Bikes teach us lessons about what we need and what we can handle, and usually the results are we need less than we thought, and we can handle more than we thought. That can make any trip worthwhile. - Mike [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Norm Keller]

Not everyone is convinced that the R1200GS is the best choice. The owner of the dive shop we used in Mexico kept his 1150 when he bought the new 1200 in case he didn't like the 1200 more for all riding. Some people have to make these choices but I've never considered buying an older KLR in case the newer one isn't as good. Doesn't that mean the KLR is better designed than the GS series? (VBG) Norm Chilliwack, Canada [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Norm Keller]

Absolutely brilliant post, Mike! Fantastic! Every once in a while someone puts a perspective onto something which seemed common place and which is now seen clearly for what it really is. Next time you're in Chilliwack I owe you lunch! Norm Bikes teach us lessons about what we need and what we can handle, and usually the results are we need less than we thought, and we can handle more than we thought. That can make any trip worthwhile. - Mike [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Kerry Stottlemyer]

> > Bikes teach us lessons about what we need and what we can handle, and > usually the results are we need less than we thought, and we can

handle more

> than we thought. That can make any trip worthwhile. > > - Mike

More people should ride just for that reason. Maybe we can reduce the number of panty wastes in this world. Kerry

[thomas breedlove]

The "newer" GS beemers' have QC problems. I would not spend the $ on something I had to spend a lot more $ on later. Do Not take my word for it. Do your own research. FYI, flopping a beemer can be REALLY high $! Cheer's, Tom. Central IL. --------------------------------- Don't pick lemons. See all the new 2007 cars at Yahoo! Autos. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Michael Hightower]

Norm wrote: Next time you're in Chilliwack I owe you lunch! Norm Heh! Well, if I ever do my Alaska trip, I may darn well take you up on that offer! And conversely, if you're ever in the Chicago area, let me know. Even though it's not challenging in the slightest bit, the ride down Lake Shore Drive heading north at night is pretty spectacular. Well, it's also nice in the daytime, but the traffic gets in the way. - Mike Oh, I forgot the new signature line idea: '00 KLR650 (A14) '74 Honda CB550K Some Fiats, a Cruiser, a Triumph, and a Saab Chicago, IL Mostly around Chicago, but occasional long trips. . http://geo.yahoo.com/serv?s=97359714/grpId=488385/grpspId=1705126262/msgId= 167897/stime=1169430379> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[E.L. Green]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "stevedyer" wrote:

> Don't misunderstand me here guys....the idea of hopping on a

motorcycle and

> heading for the horizon thrills me to no end, but from time to time

I have

> to wonder if an old CJ-5, 60's Bronco or even a resuscitated Suzuki

Samuri

> would be a better platform for some of the heavier loads, worst

weather and

> gnarliest terrain we ask the KLR to deal with.

As someone who recently bought a Jeep Wrangler, and recently did a one-week trip on a KLR and a one-week trip in the Wrangler to the same basic place (Death Valley): Frankly, I had a more enjoyable time in the Wrangler than I did on the KLR. On the KLR, I was always aware that I was riding an overloaded dual-sport on dangerous roads where if I wiped out I was likely to break bones due to the weight of the beast. This limited where I was willing to take the bike -- I was really only willing to take the bike places where I was reasonably assured someone was going to be along in a few hours, i.e., minimal risk of dying if I wiped out and broke a bone. When I was coming back in the rain, it was pretty miserable too. With the Jeep, I went places I wouldn't have gone on the KLR, because there was little or no risk of breaking limbs while driving the Jeep and as long as I went places where tire tracks showed that a bunch of people had been there in recent times, I was reasonably assured that I wasn't going somewhere that was going to flip me over or do anything that was going to cause me personal physical injury. The worst that could happen would be if I came down off a rock wrong and holed my transmission or differential cover (everything else has skid plates to protect it) and ended up stuck there. Even then, in a Jeep I can carry far more water than on a KLR, so I could sleep out there for several days before getting worried (and I wasn't going places that would take several days for someone else to come along -- in those cases I go with someone else, and it's a lot easier to find someone else in a 4x4 since you can just tune in to channel 4 on your CB and hear them chattering). I was carrying tow straps and the Jeep has tow hooks so anybody coming along could have towed me out. And coming home, when I hit the rain, it was MUCH more pleasant than on the KLR -- I just turned on the wipers and turned up the heater a bit. Now, one thing I will say is that if I'd been travelling with someone else, I would have gone more places on the KLR, and the KLR can make it into places where I wouldn't take the Jeep. And having a base camp somewhere that I could drop the side bags and windshield at would have made things more pleasant too. That's why I'm sort of bummed that I can't make it out to DVDaze, because I suspect I would have a lot more fun when riding with other KLRistas. But for unsupported travel in remote rugged terrain while loaded down with sufficient supplies for a week of camping, the Jeep was much more practical and much more fun. Especially since the tires you need to handle rain and 1500 miles of pavement on a KLR aren't all that well suited to the deep sand you hit in Death Valley, and the size and weight of a heavily loaded KLR sort of negates its mobility advantage over the larger four-wheeled vehicle.

[E.L. Green]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Don S wrote:

> I don't think your suggestion is without merit. Although, having

the convenience and shelter of a four wheeled vehicle does not eliminate the opportunity to the delights offered by a DS motorcycle. Just get a light trailer to haul the bike. I'm actually thinking of doing that. Get a very light little trail bike like a Super Sherpa or a Serow, put some Cheng Shen's on it (very knobbly, do great in sand), ride it in full motocross gear (you can't really ride 2,000 miles in bad weather in motocross gear, and touring gear really isn't as much protection as I'd prefer for dirt even if I wear a chest protector over it), and you get the best of both worlds. It may even be possible to put it on a trailer hitch carrier since it's so light, though on my Jeep that would require relocating the spare tire into the bed of the Jeep (not a problem, I have the slightly longer "Unlimited" version and the spare tire fits in the back just fine). That would allow hauling it to the end of "improved" dirt roads (i.e. dirt roads that are regularly graded but washboarded) without it jumping all over the place like would happen on a trailer, setting up a base camp with the Jeep, then riding the trail bike up into terrain where I would prefer not to subject my Jeep to the kinds of damage it could get there. Whatcha think? -E

[Arden Kysely]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "E.L. Green" wrote:

> >snipp... I'm actually thinking of doing that. Get a very light

little trail

> bike like a Super Sherpa or a Serow, put some Cheng Shen's on it

(very

> knobbly, do great in sand), ride it in full motocross gear (you

can't

> really ride 2,000 miles in bad weather in motocross gear, and

touring

> gear really isn't as much protection as I'd prefer for dirt even if

I

> wear a chest protector over it), and you get the best of both

worlds. hauling it to the end of "improved"

> dirt roads (i.e. dirt roads that are regularly graded but

washboarded)

> without it jumping all over the place like would happen on a

trailer,

> setting up a base camp with the Jeep, then riding the trail bike up > into terrain where I would prefer not to subject my Jeep to the

kinds

> of damage it could get there. > > Whatcha think? > > -E >

I think the 4-wheelers will chuckle at your parked Jeep and the adventure bikers will have some fun with your safe and sane cycle. That said, in the days before KLRs I had an XT350 and a truck. I put the bike in the truck, drove to DV, and had a great time exploring the backroads. Now that I have a KLR, I can leave the truck at home and do what I like to do best...ride my motorcycle. You seem to have a need for protection and comfort that does not jibe with the rigors of adventure motorcycling. If that's the case, then you have to do what is comfortable for you. Traveling is no fun if you have to worry all the time. __Arden

[Norm Keller]

>More people should ride just for that reason. >Maybe we can reduce the >number of panty wastes in this world. >Kerry

Did you mean "panty waste" or "panty waist"? I hate to think of a good set of panties going to waste.... Norm Running for cover in Chilliwack [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]