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SaMaKi

Ride on Tuesday 09/10

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WHAT A DAY! Is all I gotta say. Ride started pretty good down by the border. The Otay Mesa Trail is always a nice ride. Down by the fence is also a nice ride, you do come across border patrol quite often. They give you a look but no issues whatsoever. Stopped at Jacumba for a quick tuna sandwich from a deli and then headed east. The temperature started rising as soon as I passed the mountains, it skyrocketed to the low 100s. It was almost 4PM when I made my entrance onto the desert and I started thing "is it too late? Should I start heading back?). I really needed to practice some sand riding as it was my nightmare. I decided to keep on going through the desert. The further I was getting, the better I was able to manage sand. Here I was following my GPS planned route until I hit an impassable obstacle on my 1290. The sun is setting and I am starting to get concerned. I decide to make a u-turn and try another trail hoping that it will lead me out to the 78. I look at my cell phone and I see no service. I for the first time started hoping that my Spot is functional because I may have to use it. The other trail is getting deeper in sand and narrower. The trail disappears and I am here thinking "just keep going east, that's where the 78 is". The temperature is still in the high 90s, I am almost out of water and the sun light is going away. The bike falling and dropping started as my forearms, fingers and legs are starting to spasm and cramp. The pain is here and I have to push through. I am just praying for the bike not to get stuck. 

I am for the first time since I started adventure riding, thinking "what will happen if I don't find my way out?".

I keep on going east until I see a power line trail, my hope is raising but with an unshakeable thought "what if there is a gate at the end of this and I can't even get through?". I start seeing cars far away! I am thinking there is the 78, thank god. I finally get to the 78 and there is a gate!!!! Fortunately enough, the gate is only closing the road and i was able to go around without a problem. I never thought I would be that happy to see pavement!!!! From there I only had one thought, being home asap so I decided it'll be highway all the way.

I am out, safe and sound. Beat, sore, exhausted and still 2 hours away from home. Shortly after entering the 78, I get pulled over for speeding. Tell my story to the officer but he didn't care and still wrote me a ticket for going 80 on a 65 speed limit.

Made it home around 11PM...... I took off at 10AM. It's 13 hours on the bike which felt like 24 hours with all that sand riding.

Conclusion :

- It is adventure riding

- Got my sand riding skill up

- Never and I repeat NEVER will I do something like this by myself again

I didn't end up riding the whole planned route but at least got half of it done. 

 

Screen Shot 2019-09-11 at 9.36.23 AM

 

Here is a little video I put together which contains unfortunately only half the ride since when the situation started to get concerning, I wasn't thinking about the camera anymore but only finding my way out.

 

On 9/10/2019 at 12:01 PM, Zubb said:

Wish I could have joined you.  You're right now 11:52 exploring an area I want to take a group ride through.  Prepare for a thorough debriefing from me when you can spare time for a beer with me soon. . . .  

Your trax could be quite useful to me in the near future.  😊

I'm looking for an easy, big bike friendly off-paved route around that area.  For strong beginner to intermediate level big bike riders.

@Zubb 11:52AM is at the 2 mins mark on the video. I'd be happy to meet up and tell you all about. The portion you're referring to is perfectly doable on a big bike.

On 9/10/2019 at 12:33 PM, kato said:

thats a pretty big ride in one day on a big bike with all that dirt

@kato Indeed it is but I feel like I reached my limits, not the bike. The 1290 is an amazing giant dirt bike. 

 

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Safe and sound is always good, and you definitely learned a lesson on riding alone! 

Soon Mr JaJa will post his diagram of a good ride and this will all come clear to you!

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1 minute ago, simicrintz said:

Safe and sound is always good, and you definitely learned a lesson on riding alone! 

Soon Mr JaJa will post his diagram of a good ride and this will all come clear to you!

Oh believe me, I know. And I have seen @Mr.JAJA diagram, I thought about it as soon as I got home...hehe.

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Yeh, I don’t go dirty with out a support team riding along. Just too much can go wrong. And the big beemer is easier to pick up than your katoomba . But I admire your spunk.  It’s also damn easy to suddenly find yourself so far off the beaten path and up to your neck in washed out side camber trails, big rocks, and bottomless sand and pea gravel.  And then it can get bad  😨

dont ask me how I know, but it’s good to have friends around.

What tires did you run? Seems to have handles the sand ‘ok’. 

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31 minutes ago, Zubb said:

What tires did you run? Seems to have handles the sand ‘ok’. 

Funny that you mention the tires because after this ride I said to myself "I am never running any other tires but the ones I have on right now" given how they handled: MotoZ Tractionator. Handles like champs on and off pavement except on highways with rain grooves where I get front wobble at high speed (80 and up). My next set is gonna be the MotoZ RallZ so I'll expect an even better grip.

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On 9/11/2019 at 6:42 PM, SaMaKi said:

, I wasn't thinking about the camera anymore but only finding my way out.

That's were the adventure starts

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That's adventure riding...I like it.

  • Haha 1

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