Riggerdan 147 Posted March 19, 2013 A buddy from Blue Diamond, NV called up and said hey we're heading out on big bikes for a little get away, want to come along….? Well that was a no brainer... This group is NOT a smell the roses kind of crowd so I skipped the camera and packed a little extra fuel and courage DAY#1 Jamul 79 / 78 into Mecca, down through Box Canyon into J-tree / Amboy - Mojave Preserve, Kelso / Cima - state line = Blue Diamond DAY#2 4 riders (and 1 passenger) fueled up and ready to roll 159 / 215 / 95 Dirt started at Morman Wells rd. / Corn Creek as we headed up Alamo rd. all the way to 93 - hell of a start lots of rocks and super slippery marble like riding forthe first 30 miles or so…….been a while since I was on the big bike and it was not the easiest route to get warmed up on, I took sweep and let the locals have their fun... First Flat Warmed up / Fueled up in Ash Springs, north on 93 to 318 back on the dirt @ Mail Summit rd. / coal valley Westside rd. Full tank of fuel, extra roto-pax's - water / food camp gear.......... now it started to get fun, cruising along the Golden Gate range @ 90mph on 4 big bikes, wind blowing the dust off the trail and full radio communication was about as good as gets Until the second flat Headed through the White River Valley ending up at the Dave Deacen camp ground at sunset / quick trip down to the Hot Creek Springs to clean up and soak in the snow capped views camp was primitive but fine for the night - apparently we had cell service, at around 9:00pm a truck rolls in full of firewood, beer, and food..... Another rider from NV that could not make the whole trip but decided to spend the night with us Needless to say that put a spin on things from burning a few little twigs, to a full on camp compound Doesn't get any better than this...................... DAY#3 Not to hung over...... continued north through White River Valley / White River Rd crossed over the HWY 6 and started to gain some elevation, conditions were amazing tacky double track with little snow patches and barreling through Washburn Station / Corral / Moorman Ranch - HWY 50 Headed into Ely for some well needed fuel and snacks South on Cave Valley Rd just east of the Egan Range a few veer offs here and there, just picking up beautiful double track through the sage fields passing through Silver King Mine to Sunnyside Rd / Rattlesnake Rd Third flat A few flats and a few extra miles we finished the ride in the dark, camping in The Big Rocks Wilderness, beautiful place to camp, hike & climb Few kids fascinated by the KTM Big Bikes and then there were these kids at camp who wanted to sit on them..... DAY#4 / Bike Porn Zig-zagged through some early morning terrain ended up on Antelope Rd - rolled into Caliente for some well-needed fuel picked up Barnes Canyon rd. to Pennsylvania rd. crossed over the 317 onto Kane Springs rd. Look out tower on top of Ella Mountain brief pavement on the 93 picking up Moorman Wells Rd / Pass - back to dirt starting location off the 95 / Corn Creek stayed the night in Blue Diamond Day #5 backdown through Mojave Preserve / Amboy / 29 Palms - 62 / 10 / 243 intoIdyllwild 74 / 79 - home sweet home Heres a shot from Mojave heading south to SD 1600miles later my body is sore and the bike was awesome (as usual) and look forward to doing it again sooner than later http://whereamiriding.com/my-profile/userprofile/Riggerdan Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paulmbowers 236 Posted March 19, 2013 Long, slow clap. Well done, sir! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paulmbowers 236 Posted March 19, 2013 Ps: how'd the Mefos work for you? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bagstr 294 Posted March 19, 2013 Local Knowledge is Super. 1600 mi, what a whimp! You are kill in' me with this Two Bike Lifestyle. B Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Crawdaddy 97 Posted March 19, 2013 That's good stuff right there.....nice multiday get-away with like minded riders/bikes.......sweet! Look forward to seeing you and Blue Diamond Steve in Laughlin next month on the small bikes...... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CalNub 0 Posted March 19, 2013 great report, nicely done. And some good photos too! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FuzzyNugs 0 Posted March 19, 2013 You guys put on some serious miles. Nice trip and write-up Dan. Pretty funny too that it's all big KTMs. Seems to be the bike for long range touring. How did the rotopax work out? I'm looking to get the 1.75G one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Riggerdan 147 Posted March 19, 2013 PMB the Mefos were good but then they were not, if that makes any sense seem to loose that sweet feel after a short amount of time as with any tire and the sand was a work out seems I was roosting more than the 908's felt them spin at high speeds and I was trying to be aware of the throttle more than usual - but they did it most likely my last set - only due to the type of riding I do on that bike, much like yourself based on last few pictures....more than the weekend pavement adventure Fuzzy The Roto-Pax rock its just that simple............ I rolled up with out and I got the "Cassidy are you kidding us" ........fuel injected or not we are heading pretty far out there Steve had 2 extra 1 gallon fuel and that was just enough, we all rolled in on reserve and Joe "other orange KTM" ran out about 8 miles from town - used his trusty MSR back up and made it all the way I just purchased 1 (2) gallon fuel 2 (1) gallon fuel 1 (1) gallon water as I'm not worried so much about theft (right now) so as you can see in the picture that 1'' ratchet strap worked awesome even though it was installed by a professional - so holding off on the lock portion the (2) gallon is the same dimensions as the the 2 (1)'s side by side just taller my goal is to maintain the same look with 1 additional gallon strapped to existing frame for hard box case on each side (when not using hard boxes) could not be happier with the Giant Loop bag set up - but need to shave down the junk draw on the tank It really was a great trip and the spontaneity of it all just goes to show you better take care of your bike and you better have your camp gear dialed for that moments notice.... the only other thing would be a valid passport and not for Mexico........ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Strega 0 Posted March 19, 2013 That looks like an Enger! 1 more day and you could have headed a bit further north into Ruby Valley. Beautiful area! Nice report! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
danrider 5 Posted March 19, 2013 Nice getaway!!! I am going to have to learn how to do this stuff soon. Like you said in the begging of your story, the warm up on the begging of your trip on your big bike got your attention. The way you felt at the begging of the trip, I will most likely feel that way for the entire first trip that I do. I think I will go out and practice in the sand first with the big bike before I load the bike for my first trip. KKUG told me that it is a different game on a big bike loaded up. Lot to learn. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slaugo 35 Posted March 20, 2013 Awesome ride, pix and write up. Nice route link. Shows a great alternative route to Vegas Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zenosan 2 Posted March 20, 2013 Local Knowledge is Super. 1600 mi, what a whimp! You are kill in' me with this Two Bike Lifestyle. B Two bikes are not nearly enough Dave.... A bike for every purpose is the only way to go. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FuzzyNugs 0 Posted March 20, 2013 You guys were really out in the boonies to be rolling in on reserve with spare fuel cans! Cue some more slow clap. Thanks for the Rotopax opinions. I overheard at the Desert Dash that justgastanks.com is based out of Oceanside and will let you fit the tanks and bags/luggage they carry on your bike to see how it all fits. Plus they offer 5% off in-store. They also have locking handles in case you find your "rigging" isn't enough for the 5 finger discount. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkug 151 Posted March 20, 2013 Nevada is epic--Thanks for the report ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Riggerdan 147 Posted March 21, 2013 I think I will go out and practice in the sand first with the big bike before I load the bike for my first trip Thats all you can do is get out there and ride load it up, take easy dirt roads for starters taking turns, navigating around a few obstacles and then when that sand patch comes up..... for me its either real slow or throttled up and hoping for the best, gradually building up the confidence and clutch control for the real technical stuff and get over the fact you will see your big beautiful bike on the ground at times - definitely pretty rewarding when you end up at your destination with bike and your camp gear Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paulmbowers 236 Posted March 21, 2013 for me its either real slow Not seen this, Dan. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
