Dual Sport/Adventure Riders?

[Major Art Tillery]

Like I need another hobby... But I have been getting interested in Dual Sport bikes and Adventure Riding.  Maybe I am just a point in life that I want to go and explore and do something a little crazy outside my comfort zone.  Going places I normally would not venture, seeing places most folks miss out on.

 

Sure looks like a hoot... Any other folks on the wire do any adventure riding?  If so, got any tips?  Places to go?

 

Looking at getting a KLR 650, a tried a true design... It has a great price and quite the following for being a great bike  Anybody else drive one?  Good mods?

 

 

[Sedalia Dave]

How long are these trips going to be?

[DocWard]

Have always loved the thought of it. Minimalist camping along with it. But like you, I don't need another hobby, and can't afford a bike. Mrs. Doc would take a lot of convincing too.

[Pat Riot]

I so wanted a KLR but my wife drew a line. She knew I would be in the logging roads and trails in the mountains here as soon as I could and as often as I could. It wouldn't have been a big deal except I took her out there in my truck and she saw the lack of cell service...nonexistent. She didn’t want me cracking up and being lost out there. Sensible. Not my wish, but sensible. It didn’t make her feel any better that I told her about the satellite beacons that one could get for emergencies...

 

Anyway, I now have a Kawasaki Versys 650. My “Adventure” bike. It will have more aggressive tread for dirt roads this summer but I won’t trail ride it but will do some dirt reading on it.

 

If you want some good maps for your area for trails and back roads go to REI. They have all kinds of maps including Topographic maps. Also, BLM and Nat’l Forest maps are good too.

 

KLRs are great bikes. You can’t go wrong. Good luck and keep your head on a swivel.

[Wapaloosie73]

Too many gated off logging roads and primitive trails here. That’s why I stick with mules and horses.

[Jimmy Reb, SASS #54804]

I stick to the pavement. Had a dirt bike once. Almost never road it except on the street. 

[Major Art Tillery]

9 hours ago, Sedalia Dave said:

How long are these trips going to be?

Well not sure, I live in North Central Kansas... So open to any direction.  A trip I would really enjoy doing is up through Canada to Alaska!   Across the US would be awesome too... Backroads, smaller highways and such!

[Assassin]

You need to contact Your Nemesis, he's ridden dual sport bikes and traveled many miles on dirt and pavement. I still have an XT-350 Yamaha.

Too many "blue hairs" in Cheyenne, I'd be scared to ride on roads around here. The WR Yamaha is the go to bike now. I've ridden DR 650's and KLR- 650's,

they are fun. 

[Sedalia Dave]

55 minutes ago, Major Art Tillery said:

Well not sure, I live in North Central Kansas... So open to any direction.  A trip I would really enjoy doing is up through Canada to Alaska!   Across the US would be awesome too... Backroads, smaller highways and such!

 

I asked because the ones I saw on multi day trips back when I was riding Harleys were mostly the big BMWs. Multiday trips require additional gear and the bigger bikes are needed to handle it comfortably.

My favorite luggage was made by Nelson-Rigg. Very durable and reasonably priced. I used the same large pack and roll bag for 6 years and it still looks great with no failed zippers or torn seams. They also make bags that are very water/dust resistant which after you get caught in your first down pour you will come to appreciate a lot.

 

I wanted to buy a dual sport to ride the forestry roads in the Sierra Nevada's when I was stationed at NAWS China Lake but couldn't find anyone else that wanted to AND could afford a second bike.  Like PR I looked into the satellite beacons buy they were not so reliable when riding in heavily forested areas.

[Charlie Plasters, SASS#60943]

I rode a dual sport suzuki 400 for years. It was modified by Thumper Racing and actually ridden by Dick Burleson in an off road race. I was in big trouble trying to keep up with friends riding pure dirt bikes when we went off road. 

[Dantankerous]

Years back I had a KLR 650 and absolutely loved it. It was certainly a hobbyist motorcycle, one that you could customize and tinker with to your heart's content. Bolt-on parts out the wazoo for any type of armoring you want this bike to have or be able to do. Me and a couple buddies all bought them at the same time with the same ideas for what we wanted to do with them. And even though an occasional solo trip down gravel roads can be fun I found it to be a lot more rewarding of an adventure if I had friends riding with me on their own bikes. Plus, off the beaten path there is definitely safety in numbers. I would not want to be stuck underneath my bike with a broken ankle and nobody to help me.

 

We did some riding around Kansas which is fine, but for the miles however not much adventuring although a lot of scenery. At least in the Flint Hills or way out Western Kansas at sunset time. Colorado is where things get spicy. One major caveat to riding off-road. If you did not grow up riding dirt bikes and you do not have off-road motorcycle experience, trying to get a 500-pound dual sport motorcycle safely across ruts and rocks and downed trees and everything else you can find in areas that you want to go is an accident waiting to happen. You're not on a little Kawasaki 175 or 250 dirt bike. That big Dual Purpose bike is heavy and goes down hard when it does. I did not grow up riding motorcycles and had quite the learning curve. I had the bike come out from under me twice on sand and went over the handlebars once on hard-packed dirt when my front tire hit a rut I had not seen. Fortunately no injuries but it gives you an idea of what could happen. And I think any motorcyclist will tell you it's not IF you go down it's WHEN you go down. Although I did a lot of great riding in Colorado I decided most of the trails that looked very inviting we're going to be better done on an ATV or in my Jeep. And I'm glad I listened to that little inner voice. Some of those trails turned out to be pretty hairy even on four wheels. I met a lot of wonderful and interesting people in Colorado while motorcycling. Most of them on their own bikes having their own Adventures but not all. Motorcycling is actually a much better way to meet people then traveling in a car for reasons unique to motorcycling.

 

I used my motorcycle into a daily driver for a couple years until I realized traffic was getting insanely out of control with respect to nobody and I mean nobody paying attention to motorcycles in traffic. I had several close calls in town and I quickly decided a motorcycle in the city is a death sentence waiting to happen. The wandering adventuring traveler in May would love to have a dirt oriented adventure bike again but the only time it's going to be in town just want it goes to the BMW dealership for semi annual maintenance. 

 

You have several options from which to choose in the adventure bike world. The KLR 650 from Kawasaki is probably the most popular for all the right reasons. I did quickly learn however what its limitations are. That bike much like my Jeep can't pass itself on the open road. They are severely underpowered for long day trips on the open road if you need to cover a lot of miles to get to where you want to spend the night or start your adventure. The BMW Adventure series are the cat's meow for these bikes. They are larger and heavier and better built and can handle long days in the saddle with ease. But they come at a cost. BMWs are great quality but most of us can't afford a $20,000 toy. Including me. And I know you Major, you'd prefer to spend $20,000 on a Gatling gun anyway. 

 

Even the adventuring I did in the Rocky Mountains was limited to dirt roads and easy mountain passes. I discovered my limitations with riding off road and decided it was not worth the physical risk to me and the bike on the harder stuff although I see plenty of accomplished riders do it with ease. That was not me. My point being, Adventure riding is going to probably be limited to lonely stretches of Highway leading to dirt and gravel road and mild trail adventures. And absolutely nothing wrong with that either just don't overestimate what you can do on two wheels especially by yourself. I have seen plenty of accomplished Riders take these big heavy Adventure bikes in places I would never have dreamed somebody would point a motorcycle and hit the throttle. Again, riding skill has a lot more to do with what you are capable of doing off road then the amount of money you spent on your bike. Kind of like handing a pair of Jimmy Spurs Six Guns to a complete novice.

 

The Suzuki V-Strom is another great bike from which to choose that has better open road capabilities. KTM also has a fantastic series of Adventure bikes to look at and several of those are also in the 100 horsepower range. But those things are tall. You better be about 6 foot 4 in if you want to flat foot at a stoplight.

 

Check out websites like

www.klr650.net

www.advrider.com

 

These websites will give you hours and hours of reading about what you want to do and how you can get there. I'd love to do it again but like you I don't need another expensive Hobby and that's exactly what it would turn into. Certainly a rewarding one however.

 

I'm currently reading the book Ghost Rider by Rush's drummer Neil Peart. For those of you who have been in the motorcycling you might want to check it out. It is written in a manner that put you back in the saddle suffering the elements right along with him. Sure makes me want to twist the throttle again.

 

 

 

 

[Dantankerous]

Major,

 

Something else I would offer as advice... Although the Kawasaki KLR 650 is certainly affordable brand new many times you can get one several years old from someone who's been riding and is wanting to graduate into a different Adventure motorcycle. I know guys who have purchased used KLRs that have had 50,000 miles on them, dropped a couple times so they already have character, and come with most of the modifications you're going to spend money on doing anyway. These bikes can be had for half the cost of a new one. Which of course leaves money left over for all that new riding gear you're going to need to buy. Helmet, gloves, riding pants, a couple different riding jackets, a sheepskin seat cover on your new Corbin seat, sunglasses, maybe even heated gloves, the list goes on and on. Everything about motorcycling is very individually oriented toward your own likes and dislikes. Don't forget, you will want to build a tool set unique to your bike. Tools ain't cheap either. If the bike does not have a center stand, there's another hundred dollars. I can go on and on much as the adventure of building your own adventure bike goes on and on.

 

These days my adventure bike is a Jeep Wrangler. Certainly has advantages over a motorcycle but it just ain't a motorcycle...

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

I'm thinking I wouldn't want to do that kind of riding without a buddy. If broke down or injured out in the boonies, you need a buddy for backup. At a minimum, consider having an emergency location device,

[Dantankerous]

Plenty of backcountry hikers and hunters and other sportsman who are really really off the beaten path do use GPS emergency location devices. They are not cheap and I believe you have to pay for a subscription but they can save your life, providing of course that you are conscious and lucid enough to activate this.

 

Riding with at least one other friend is quite rewarding.  Would you want to be the only member of your posse during a cowboy match? The beauty of this hobby is even if you don't have any friends or relatives around you who ride there are clubs around the state with plenty of active members. Check out: 

 

www.backroadstouring.org

 

 

 

 

[Major Art Tillery]

21 hours ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

I so wanted a KLR but my wife drew a line. She knew I would be in the logging roads and trails in the mountains here as soon as I could and as often as I could. It wouldn't have been a big deal except I took her out there in my truck and she saw the lack of cell service...nonexistent. She didn’t want me cracking up and being lost out there. Sensible. Not my wish, but sensible. It didn’t make her feel any better that I told her about the satellite beacons that one could get for emergencies...

 

Anyway, I now have a Kawasaki Versys 650. My “Adventure” bike. It will have more aggressive tread for dirt roads this summer but I won’t trail ride it but will do some dirt reading on it.

 

If you want some good maps for your area for trails and back roads go to REI. They have all kinds of maps including Topographic maps. Also, BLM and Nat’l Forest maps are good too.

 

KLRs are great bikes. You can’t go wrong. Good luck and keep your head on a swivel.

I will check out those maps if I get started... Thanks for the tips!  I took a look at those Kawasaki Versys 650, they do look really cool.  I sure hope you enjoy it!

 

I am really excited to look into getting a KLR and spending sometime on the road with it.

 

I am lucky to have a girlfriend that puts up with my crazy tendencies such as this.. she may not always agree with them but always supportive.

[Major Art Tillery]

11 hours ago, Assassin said:

You need to contact Your Nemesis, he's ridden dual sport bikes and traveled many miles on dirt and pavement. I still have an XT-350 Yamaha.

Too many "blue hairs" in Cheyenne, I'd be scared to ride on roads around here. The WR Yamaha is the go to bike now. I've ridden DR 650's and KLR- 650's,

they are fun. 

I will ha e to give him a shout sometime.  I think he is attending the Nebraska State Match in April... Can maybe talk with him then.  

 

If not I know I will see you fellas in June in Cheyenne!  Looking forward to being back up there!

[Major Art Tillery]

5 hours ago, Dantankerous said:

Plenty of backcountry hikers and hunters and other sportsman who are really really off the beaten path do use GPS emergency location devices. They are not cheap and I believe you have to pay for a subscription but they can save your life, providing of course that you are conscious and lucid enough to activate this.

 

Riding with at least one other friend is quite rewarding.  Would you want to be the only member of your posse during a cowboy match? The beauty of this hobby is even if you don't have any friends or relatives around you who ride there are clubs around the state with plenty of active members. Check out: 

 

www.backroadstouring.org

 

 

 

 

I will check out that website.

 

We will have to chat sometime about all this sometime big brother!  Give me some pointers!

[Dantankerous]

1 hour ago, Major Art Tillery said:

I will check out that website.

 

We will have to chat sometime about all this sometime big brother!  Give me some pointers!

 

Don't crash.

[Pat Riot]

2 hours ago, Major Art Tillery said:

I will check out those maps if I get started... Thanks for the tips!  I took a look at those Kawasaki Versys 650, they do look really cool.  I sure hope you enjoy it!

 

I am really excited to look into getting a KLR and spending sometime on the road with it.

 

I am lucky to have a girlfriend that puts up with my crazy tendencies such as this.. she may not always agree with them but always supportive.

You are welcome. I do not know your motorcycle experience but I will give you some advice in regards to protective equipment.

 

Black looks cool but there’s a time for cool and a time to be seen. Let the bikers that want to look cool wear the black. Wear bright colors and wear a light colored helmet...a good helmet. Silver, white, bright colors can be seen a ways off and don’t blend into the scenery.

 

Get “motorcycle” boots designed for protection and I don’t mean steel toed boots either. Steel toes will get you broken bones. The cast in my foot right now is proof. Buy quality boots for the riding you plan to do. 

 

Get a jacket with CE armor or better. Light or bright colored. Waterproof textile is a good choice. Get one with a liner for 3 season use.

 

Get yourself a good pair of rain overpants too. Get them a size bigger so you can move around.

 

Think ATGATT. All the gear, all the time. Protective gear in a closet isn’t protecting YOU.

 

I speak from experience and I don’t bounce as well as I used to. 7 bike crashes and some other crack ups give me a funny walk. Funny walks aren’t achievements, they are results.

 

Spend good money on good gear. Forget “cool” and forget gadgetry. You can’t get gadgets later.

 

Start watching other folks on bikes in traffic and see who stands out and what they are wearing. If people can’t see you that is a problem.

 

Also, put some obnoxious LED driving lights on the front of that bike so people see you coming especially in daylight.

 

You are gonna love that KLR. 

[Pat Riot]

Me and “The Wasp”. I love this bike.

 

Oh yeah, get some flannel lined jeans for cool days.

[Dantankerous]

+ 100 on Pat's sage advice.

 

The Harley guys wear black leather. I love the old school "Fonzie" look on a Triumph Bonneville. Today's sport and sport adventure riders have A LOT for protective gear from which to choose. Bright colors out the wazoo that don't look too B western. Leather is the best choice for road rash protection but is hot and not so great when wet. More on that later...

 

Sidi makes great riding boots. I'd wear mine all day while on a trip. They were THAT comfortable while being protective. I'll PM you some links to look into.

 

This is gonna make me want to get another bike. Ugh...

[Pat Riot]

This is a pretty good article on motorcycle gear.

https://gizmodo.com/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-motorcycle-sa-1596858706/amp

 

I am trying to find one that I read on boots alone that explains the reasons for how some motorcycle boots are made and why. If I find it I will post it. Most articles on boots are more like infomercials or justifications for why a certain company’s Chinese made craptastic boots are the thing to have. If I find the one I am looking for I will post it.

 

Oh, in the link I provided the writer describes an accident he had at 35-40 mph. His injuries sound painful...they are.

I hit a car that pulled in front of me and stopped. I estimate that I was doing 35. I was on a Vulcan 900 cruiser with the ever so cool feet forward “I’m a badass” design. Not a good way to enter an accident.

Anyway, I was bruised from head to toe. Both feet badly bruised. Right foot, crushed metarsal bones, needed surgery (twice). Bruised knees, nearly needed surgery on left but not needed now. Bruised hip bones. Broke 4 ribs in 3 places each. Fractured my right shoulder blade. And the biggie...refractured T8 vertebrae. I am now at least 1/2 shorter and almost got to trade up to a 4 wheel RV, of sorts, called a “wheel chair”. That was 7-17-17 (lucky, huh?). I am still healing. So yeah, good gear is important.

That day I skipped wearing the CE armored jacket with a spine plate and opted for a Wrangler blue denim jacket. Rather than wear motorcycle boots I wore my steel toed work boots. Rather than wear motorcycle jeans I wore regular jeans...I forgot to mention the crowd pleaser...Road Rash! Motorcycle jeans help with this.

 

Not trying to put a damper on things, just tying to steer you to be safer.

 

It is not “if” you crash, it’s “when”. Wear the right gear and you will have better odds of having minor vs major injuries.

[Dead River Den, SASS#915]

Good advice, ive been riding a long time, first bike was a 68 bridgestone, then a norton commando, first Dirt bike was a kz 175 i believe, currently ride a harley dyna, have rode the klr, bmw, and hondas version, they handle different than a dedicated street bike or dirt bike, good for both but not great, take along a basic repair kit with you, water purifier some emergency rations if heading into the back country, good source for equipment Is Aerostitch in duluth minn, another interesting option is made by Ural, old school setup 2wd styled after the zundap and bmw from WW2.

take care stay safe

drd

[Major Art Tillery]

Good info fellas!  Thanks! 

 

I pretty much decided on a KLR.  Knowing me I will probably buy new, just so I can customize it all myself for how I want it.  Warranty that way and I don't have to worry about fixing something, someone else tried to repair at one time or another.  I'm weird that way...

 

 Those BMWs are sweet, but I can't afford a BMW one... They are nice though.  

 

Been looking at some riding jackets and gloves, maybe I will post them here and see what you fellas think about them.

 

Also great articles both Pat Riot and Dantankerous have sent me... Spent the morning reading those over breakfast.

[Major Art Tillery]

10 hours ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

Me and “The Wasp”. I love this bike.

 

Oh yeah, get some flannel lined jeans for cool days.

Great looking bike!  That the Versys right?  I like the name, it fits them for sure!

[Dantankerous]

The Versys is not as dirt friendly as the KLR650 is but it is a GREAT bike on the road. More of a smaller sport-adventure bike. With the right tires it will do dirt roads and fire roads OK giving you more N-S-E-W on a whim ability.  I wish I had one. Sporty without the sport. More inline with the Suzuki V Strom bikes.

[Major Art Tillery]

Looks to be a good jacket...

https://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/p/975/81447/A.R.C.-BattleBorn-Adventure-Jacket?c=615

 

 

[Pat Riot]

50 minutes ago, Major Art Tillery said:

Looks to be a good jacket...

https://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/p/975/81447/A.R.C.-BattleBorn-Adventure-Jacket?c=615

 

 

That appears to be a very nice jacket. The one I am wearing in the photo is a “Fly” brand jacket. Nice jacket but it’s stitching needs to be redone. I would consider the matching pants, Major. You won’t regret the purchase if you ever need them. 

[Charlie Plasters, SASS#60943]

Don't ignore the KTM dual sport they make some amazing stuff. 

[Red Eye Jim]

I'm a Road Warrior myself, but my brother preferes Dual Sport.  He has both a KTM and a BMW and loves both of them.  The KTM is for his single day jonts around the Oregon High Plains desert.  For longer rides he takes the BMW.  Or would if he hadn't punctured the tank year before last....

 

[Dantankerous]

1 hour ago, Charlie Plasters, SASS#60943 said:

Don't ignore the KTM dual sport they make some amazing stuff. 

 

Several years ago on an ATV trip a buddy and I just about bought brand-new KTM s at a Polaris dealership in West Pueblo, Colorado. We barely made it out of there without spending 13 Grand a piece but those big KTM 950s sure would have been one hell of a bike. In fact, a 100 horsepower dirt bike would have probably left me dead somewhere up in the Rockies. But at least I would have died in the Rocky Mountains.

 

Last fall while leaving Crested Butte, Colorado scores of KTM Motorcycles were headed in to Crested Butte for some big KTM Motorcycle Company Festival. Looked like those chaps wete about to have a grand weekend. I really really wanted to be one of them...

 

 

[Sedalia Dave]

First advice I got was that there were two kinds of Motorcycle riders. Those that have have went down and those that will do it again.

 

Take a Motorcycle Safety Foundation riding course. Helps on insurance and you learn a lot.

 

Second good advice I got was to budget at least two thousand dollars for gear per rider for the first year.  On second thought make it three if you plan to ride all three seasons or take long multi day trips. I spent almost 6K for the wife and I the first 12 months I owned the bike. Sounds like a lot and it was but all that gear except the helmets is still serviceable 12 years later. Helmets have a fixed life span. Once their time is up use them for target practice and buy a new one. Once it has protected your head retire it and get a new one. Helmets are one time use only.

 

Good Motorcycle specific clothing is worth every penny. I have 2 leather jackets with removable liners and extra padding where it counts. Fit like crap when walking around but when I sit on a bike with my hands on the controls they fit perfectly. Paid north of $500 for them and never regretted it. Also have a quality textile jacket for warm weather that is properly padded and reinforced with Kevlar.

Same advice for chaps, buy good heavy ones.  In addition to road rash they protect your shins and kneecaps from rocks and other things that the vehicles throw up. Mine have a few scars from rocks that trucks have thrown at me. Again not comfortable to walk around in but great when riding.

 

I have a pair of heavy leather leg gators that I bought for hot weather riding.  They are tall enough to cover the kneecap. I'll try to remember to look and see who the maker was. Took me a year of looking to find ones that tall. I believe they were made here in TX.

 

Kevlar reinforced jeans made for motorcycle riding will help tame road rash. Getting rocks picked out of you hide hurts a lot more than the cost of quality clothing that will last you a long time.

 

If you are thinking of riding in cooler weather heated hand grips are worth it. Probably the best accessory I put on my bike. Heated gloves are not worth the money. A heated vest or jacket liner is though. The key to staying warm is to keep your core warm. 

 

On the subject of warm always always carry a windproof jacket. A summer rain shower can soak you the bone. Then the wind from riding will cause evaporative cooling that can make you really cold in a hurry. I have seen people shivering in 100 degree heat because they got soaked and kept riding.  I also carried 4 or 5 packs of those large Hot Hands chemical warmers. Put a couple next to you kidneys and they will keep you warm in an emergency. On group trips I gave away a lot of them to people that failed to be prepared for lower than forecast temps..

 

Every brand of MC helmet is made to fit a different shape of head. Some are round, some small oval and some large oval. Find the brand that fits you. When you try on a helmet wear it for at least 30 minutes before you decide it fits. Pressure points take time to get your attention. My favorite full face came from a company called G-Max. Only modular I could find that didn't sit too close to my chin.

 

If you don't find a brightly colored jacket wear a bright reflective vest. Be sure it has good closures and will not fly up and over your face when riding.   Speaking of that be very wary of ponchos. Know more than one rider that had one cover their face while riding because the wind got under it.

 

I found Web Bike World useful for reviews of MC gear. Their Ultimate Motorcycle Helmet Buyer’s Guide: is a must read in my opinion.

[Major Art Tillery]

So I had a delivery today... Been dealing on it for a week now...

 

 

2017 Kawasaki KLR... 

 

Appreciate all the input fellas, keep it coming.  I have read some great articles and lots of info, I appreciate it.

 

Going to start looking for gear now... They did toss in a helmet, but kinda figure they are like gun leather, takes awhile to find that perfect fit one.  

 

Pretty excited... To bad it is 17 degrees here.

[Major Art Tillery]

11 hours ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

That appears to be a very nice jacket. The one I am wearing in the photo is a “Fly” brand jacket. Nice jacket but it’s stitching needs to be redone. I would consider the matching pants, Major. You won’t regret the purchase if you ever need them. 

Not a really bright color though... Think that silver would show up?  I know it does have some reflective material.

[Pat Riot]

38 minutes ago, Major Art Tillery said:

Not a really bright color though... Think that silver would show up?  I know it does have some reflective material.

I do. Much better than black. I chose the chartreuse/day-glow yellow because I ride in the rain, in the dark, pretty much anytime there isn’t ice involved. 

The gray / silver catches the eye as well, I think. 

That jacket gets good reviews. I would bet though it’s not a cool jacket on a hot day even with the liner removed.

I also own a summer mesh / leather jacket that has CE armor but it’s got a lot of black materiel on the back. Stupid design. Gets hot in the sun at low speed and when stopped. That is something else to keep in mind. We aren’t always going fast.