Some of us try to make one bike do it all. The GS is really a long travel streetbike. My KLR is not the best at anything, but good at most, and there is always a better bike for any specific application. Heck my dad has my old XR350 in his garage in Cave Creek that would be a blast on that ride. Hmm....

All that matters...

Leave the BMW at home before you get a sore one.
1/4 tonne bike is just too much hard work.
Here's my dual purpose bike:-
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1228066209.jpg



http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1228066537.jpg

That bike looks like a lot of fun, Rob. :)

I like the GS bikes a lot. To me they are like a Hum-Vee (the good kind) that excels on paved twisties. When the pavement ends, one has the option to keep going.....on dirt roads. That's a great option to have. But, when the dirt road ends.....well.....more stones than I have to keep going.

Heh heh. I once went riding (on road) around Mt. Ranier and St. Helens. Bike died for no apparent reason. With no cell reception, and unable to re-fire the bike, I hitched rides about 100 miles back to I-5. Along the way (in the back of a pick-up, but hey, I was wearing full leathers and a helmet, so I should be safe, huh?) we passed through a small town (maybe population 25) and temporarily found cell service. I called my wife, who was about 8 months pregnant, and she drove the hour plus to come pick me up at some roadside diner along I-5. We went back the next day (3 hrs each direction) to pick up the bike. Fortunately, it fired right up, so I didn't have to chance riding home with her in the car.

I'll bet the BMW guys had the most fun as they slowed the group to their pace and the other guys spent their day bailing your azz's out instead of ripping up the countryside ;) Rick, if you continue on rides like that I recommend you get the proper tool...like that sweet KTM nearest the camera on the opening pictures. That is a sweet setup. Hell if I lived in your area that would be my first choice of ride. Nothing against your BMW, it's a cool bike, but definitely out of it's league on a ride like that. Mix in some rain/mud and you're in for a world of hurt.

I feel exactly the same. I can appreciate the challenge but the idea is to have fun, no? The pigs do nothing for me but I'm happy to see some guys actually trying offroad with them.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1228103950.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1228103987.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1228104023.jpg

All of a sudden Rick's day seems a lot more reasonable.

looks like fun....i do that stuff all the time on my 75 360 alpina but thats a lighter bike...lol

While I'd like to try this, and soon, I keep thinking a mountain bike would be perfect for these trails.

Had I known how out of my league that route was going to be, I'd have not gone, or I would have tried to rustle up the proper bike.

Like a Cannondale?

"Like a Cannondale?"


That would require one to be "in shape".

I got a hell story about bicycles and snow. And other extreme conditions. We had many a "death march" back in the racing/training days...

But, I'de wager a fit rider could do that ride well within that time frame on a mountain bike. No knock to riders or their bikes, it's just that there would be way, way less downtime for offs and none for ascent/descent prep. The Chequamegon "Fat Tire 40" used to take me under 5 hours and I was lucky if I was in the top half of 500 riders. That ride was a hellish mix of mud-covered rocky, never-ending steeps and flat deep sandy stretches. It was common to ride past some poor fool crying next to their bike halfway up an ascent.

Back "in the day" we decided to ride Palomar Mtn with the start point in Scripps Ranch...In February. We had light rain near lake Wolford and snow showers at the top. A very quick cup of coffee and hot chocolate before slipping and sliding down the mtn and long wet cold ride home. I slept pretty good that night... Good times!

I have ridden in lots of stuff like that Bob. I prefer snow to ice. We have to deal with ice here a lot in the spring on trails that are popular.

Bill

Good to hear I'm not the only one Bill - I'm my younger day, we used to get off the trail and ride in the snow. It had more traction that the wet, slimey clay soil we have around here.

Pic's I posted above were taken in late Sept. - In this riding area, you start at about 2,200 ft. and climb to 6,800. On occasion, a snow storm blows in and it's hard to find the trail to get back out......