johnnyg

thanks for the replies... i'll definitely try to get further than berdoo on day 1, have ridden it a couple times and would like to get beyond that area to start day 2. any issues with staying east toward amboy? thanks for the input, it's much appreciated! and yes, there will be photos and a write-up. best regards, johnnyg

hi all, my cruiser-riding brother is visiting next month, and we'll be riding ds bikes on dirt roads in death valley. i'd like to rent some gear for him if anyone has spares kicking around in their closet... looking for a helmet, size L, armored jacket, size L and some dirt-road-worthy boots, size 10.5-11. i have a spare leather road jacket and ff road helmet, and he has leather work-boots if it comes to that, but figured i'd ask the forum. if you've got spare gear you'd be willing to rent for five days, i'd offer $50-75 for the use of it. or, as a bicycle mechanic, i'd be happy to trade a tune-up + drivetrain cleaning ($125 value). thanks in advance, johnnyg

tntmo, thank you for the offer, that sounds perfect! as stated, i'd like to rent or trade, lmk what you prefer... brother arrives 2/21, we'll drive to dv 2/22 and return to encinitas 2/25... i'll pm you the week prior to schedule a pick-up time, if that works for you? many thanks to advbum, weirdrider and tntmo -- i'll be sure to post a ride report from our trip. best regards, johnnyg

hi bum, thanks for your responses... my brother is coming from out of town, so trying gear on isn't possible, but size L for helmet and jacket will work. i'll ask him to try on actual brands to get an accurate boot size. wr and tntmo, i'll pm you next time i'm headed in your direction (i assume evenings/weekends work best?) to see what you guys have. i'd be glad to check out your gf (gary fisher, not girlfriend!) and give you my $.02. thanks again for your responses, johnnyg

thanks for the reply, wr... boots don't need to be great, just better than timberlands! i have spare pants, unless you've got something with armor, size 32-34? what type of bicycle do you ride? i'd be happy to pick up and deliver, and if you need work done sooner than late feb so you can ride, i'm amenable to that too (early deposit into the favor bank). best regards, johnnyg

encinitas

these look like a great way to get a feel for rallying, without the huge outlay of $$$... an ico app, to run on a smartphone: http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/rallyblitz-rally-iphone-app.936183/ and by the same guy, a roadbook app to run on a small tablet: http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/rallyblitz-rally-iphone-app.936183/page-11 and this guy is putting on a rally for folks looking to get into the sport: http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/2017-socal-roadbook-rally.1140589/

Lurking...

hi all, i'm looking at getting a new-to-me bike... i will be putting on lots of commuting miles, but would still like it to be fun in the dirt (<450#). i will also be using it for a month-long two-up ride next year with my bride, covering lots of dirt roads and camping throughout the western states. i'm looking to spend $8-9k, and i like the tiger xc, but i also REALLY like the 950 se... i'd love to hear any real world experience from people who've owned one or the other (afry to the white courtesy phone!). regarding mechanical longevity, would an se be ok logging highway miles? i'm 6'2" & 190#, my wife is 5'7" &120# -- assuming ergo's were addressed, is a tiger 800's cockpit large enough for two-up riding? is there another option i should be considering? thanks for any and all insights. regards, johnnyg

bp, thanks for taking the time to respond. not trying to be contrary here, but considering the combination of the 21" front wheel and 9" of travel, with proper suspension set-up the tiger could be very dirt oriented, i would think. am i missing something? i've considered the 950/990 adv also and have not ruled them out, i just like the semi-faired style of the se. i didn't realize gas mileage was so low on the ktm, i thought i'd read reports of 40-45ish on the adv... maybe se riders are heavier on the throttle? the 950se pictured is one of 3 for sale within my budget in the first 5 or so pages on that other website... thanks again for your input, i hadn't considered the limited bag options and having both soft and hard bags would be my preference... ken, thanks for responding. i've read a few of the tiger xc forums at the other place, and remember the stepper motor issue being something to watch for. also the uni pre-filter recommendations from a few of the folks over there. that raiden video was what got me thinking about the tiger as an option, i've ridden a sprint 955 and enjoyed the linear power of the triple. thanks again for your feedback.

" I'm as good at riding single track as kayne west is at being liked." Well played.

hi all, i've got an '03 640 adv and my radiator fan doesn't switch on, so i'd like to rectify the issue (see what i did there?). i would like to wire the fan with an on/off switch mounted up on the bars/dash area and would use an inline fuse between the switch and fan, 5 or 10A. i'm electrically challenged and wondering if this would work ok? has anyone here tried this type of mod before? thanks in advance for any and all help! regards, johnnyg

hey guys, thanks for the quick replies... tim, i'd experienced high temp, intermittent fan turning and off -- on hot day, slow climbs only, never comes on otherwise-- and i assumed the sensor-fan connection, or the sensor itself, was faulty. i'd think fan motors are pretty reliable(?), but i haven't tested it yet... chasing down other issues currently. bags, that's what i was thinking, bypass the sensor with a switch. thanks so much for the replies, i'll let you know how it goes! regards, johnnyg

hope you had a great day arnie! happy b-day!

hi all, like the title says, built to spill will be playing in pioneertown on 7/16. i'll be riding out and camping at the pioneer corrals ($10/night!), which looks to be within stumbling distance of pappy & harriet's. if you've never heard bts, here's a bio courtesy of iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/built-to-spill/id161731. i'm planning on leaving encinitas mid-morning, mixing in some easier dirt to get there (route is still in the planning stages) and then reversing to come home on friday, in time to see them play at the belly up in solana beach. i've seen them only once before, when i lived in colorado springs, and it was the best $20 i ever spent on a live show. if anyone is interested, post up and we can ride up together. also, i'm getting my ticket early, as i expect this will sell out, even in pioneertown! till then, a sample: - enjoy!regards, johnnyg

apparently it's a popular stop for TAT riders, right along the route. looks like incredible riding out that way... sigh.

Same as Todd and Arnie and Chris. same as paul and todd and arnie and chris.

kato, i'm planning on riding up if you want to ride together. hydro, if i could throw a duffel in your van i'd appreciate it.

is there anyone trucking up on thursday, 3/5 and with room? i'd like to either, a) hitch a ride, or throw a bag in to keep my bike light. happy to contribute towards fuel, of course. or c) if anyone else is riding up thursday and wants to ride together, i'm not adverse to that either. thanks in advance, i'm stoked to explore dv! johnnyg

thanks for your input, goofy footer. re-routing to your suggestion cuts the distance down to around 300 miles -- much more manageable! hotrod, thanks for your input too, though i think you took a more roundabout route than i'd have time for. where was your oil escaping from?

i'm putting tracks together to ride a combination pavement/dirt to get there on thursday. my route would leave encinitas, secondary roads to 29 palms. amboy rd to kelbaker rd to the town of baker. north from there to bad water rd and taking bad water to furnace creek, then west to psr. i don't want to flog my bike on the freeway and would love to make getting there part of the adventure, but i'm not sure if the milage (470) is reasonable to do in a day? has anyone here firsthand experience? i'm on a 640 adv and would appreciate any and all insights. regards, johnnyg

tent cabin reserved. never been to dv, i'm really stoked!

lurking...

i know it's short notice, but i'm leaving for ramona now and will be there in an hour. any locals want to get in a quick ride? i'll be at orosco entrance at around 3:35. will check my phone for replies at haverford rd. anyone? bueller? johnnyg

hi all, hoping someone here can point out what i'm doing wrong... i created a route on ride with gps, then transferred that gpx file into basecamp. when i load it into my device as a track, i'm only getting the 1st 10 miles saved of a 180 mile loop. does the track need to be compressed? thanks in advance, johnnyg