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Perry and I set off to do Grapevine, Old Culp and whatever we decided after breakfast in Borrego Springs yesterday. I left the house a little early and took 67, Old Julian, Wynola, in to Julian, and gassed up at that little station at the end of Julian. While there a cyclist was bummed as the air pump wasn't working, so I pulled out the DynaPlug pump and got him set up before heading on to meet Perry on Banner grade. 

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I like to enter Grapevine from the banner side, I believe the entry part is called Sentenac Canyon, but it does link up with Grapevine after some distance on the sand wash. Today the conditions on Grapevine weren't terribly sandy, Old Culp was also not terrible but both have enough turns, bumps, ups downs, ruts, and fluffs for Perry to have been very excited about the new steering stabilizer on his 500. 

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We got through Grapevine and Old Culp with no issues to speak of and time to spare, so we headed in to Borrego Springs. The photographer pdmotophoto was on Montezuma so he caught us on our way in to town, I'm waiting to get the shots. Lunch at the Red Ocotillo, and the plan was to hit up Font's Point to get more steering stabilizer review for Perry, and it's just a nice sand practice wash. 

We get almost 90% of the way to Font's Point (the turnaround point) And I see Perry doing this on his new-to-him ktm 500: 

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Bike won't start, lights don't come on, the little gauge with the readout flickers and flutters. Perry reported that the bike cut out engine and all, this probably rules out jumping, or roll start. So both of us are fiddling with wires behind the headlight from recent blinker mods etc, and checking everything else, and I mention I have the Buddy Tow Strap. Both of us knew it was an option but considering where we were, also figured it would be quite an adventure to use that option, a motorcycle towing a motorcycle for over three miles down a true sand wash. So we looped up the buddy tow strap, my left peg to his right peg, and off we went, I sure wish I had pictures of this but it took focus. 

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Our Sena's don't connect right now (I think this is an issue with mine), so we were just in the zone for those 3+ miles. I'd peek in the mirror 1 second for about every second watching the way, and would see Perry Balancing with his right leg poking straight out and he was being dragged over tracked up sand floofs, and I was also focusing on balancing, appropriate speed, and making sure I could stop if he was going over. This was actually pretty fun, and we both were pretty amazed at how well that worked out, might make a fun challenge completion at a moto event. 

 

Now having gotten ourselves "Off the X" and to the Casualty collection point, I hopped on the 690 Street Queen and headed off to Banner Grade to find the Minty Fresh 1st Gen Dodge Turbo Diesel Dually, and Load the 690. 

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As it would turn out, the 690 is not as light as the 500, but the hitch hauler works well, and man that Dodge is nice. AC Blows cold, upgraded stereo, stick shift the way a old truck should be, and the lustful gaze of 100% of the human males I passed on my way back to Font's Point. 

Got back, dropped the 690, loaded the 500, High fives, and we were on our way home. Great riding in the morning, Perry was very at home on his 500, well I mean I assume he was, I didn't see him much after we pushed the go buttons. Same on font's Point, so I think the 500 is going to be awesome as soon as the power situation is addressed. 

Twice yesterday pdmotophoto caught us with his lens on Montezuma, still waiting for the scribble-free versions of the images.
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Part of the reason I love the 690, and have not gone 'full skinny' is I do enjoy the slab part as well. My 690 is a 2018 and I'm close to 12k miles on it, my Multistrada is a 2018 and barely has 9k - safe to say I like the big thumper a lot. Apparently it also tows skinnier bikes really well. When you tally up the riding of the day, lots of great roads. Old Julian, Wynola, Banner Grade, Grapevine, Old Culp, Montezuma, Font's Point, Yaqui Pass, Banner Grade, Montezuma, Old Julian, etc. We are lucky to have the back yard of roads that we all do :)

- Nick 

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3 hours ago, shutterrev said:

 

 

 

 

 

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:thumbsup_anim: Two thumbs up on the peg to peg tow strap! Had to use one to "save the day" on a Moab, UT ride a few years back. 

 


 

 

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If some one like to have a bike tow strap, I have a whole roll fire retarding strap. Come, cut and make your own. Free.

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2 minutes ago, Zubb said:

https://greenchileadv.com/collections/best-sellers/products/dynatow-dynamic-towstrap

I carry this one.  If you've ever towed or been towed by someone who is new to "it" . . . . you'll freekin' love this dynamic strap and it's cheap enough to be worth every darn penny.

 

Green Chile is good stuff, glad you like it 🤙

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Nick great write up and pics as always. We missed each other by about a day and a half on the same trails. Faunts Pt Thursday night for sunset. Friday morning was  Dump RD bushwhacked to Marrows Road thru Cactus Valley on - Old Borrego Valley RD to Grapevine- Culp and the Red Ocotillo for lunch. Grapevines in pretty good shape I thought. 
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2 minutes ago, Zubb said:

 We missed each other by about a day and a half 

Awesome man, yeah grapevine, culp and even font's weren't as fluffy as I have seen them, and I'm sure same for you. My buddy did sort out the 500, it was the main ground wire not grounded well enough so he's getting a better grounding cable, and going to make his own grounding point :)

I forgot to mention as I was leaving, after getting the bike and truck to him, I rounded the corner where the West 38 Moto flags were up where you guys do your training, didn't see bikes yet but always cool to see the training going on there :)

Nick 

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Yeh we've moved camp and training to private property, tucked in off the road a bit there.

I really wanted to zip up Rodriguez and down Mason but we didn't have enough free time to get it in.  Soooo many trails, so little time.

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1 hour ago, shutterrev said:

My buddy did sort out the 500, it was the main ground wire not grounded well enough so he's getting a better grounding cable, and going to make his own grounding point :)

What year is his bike?  There was a thread on here some time back about the seat sitting on the ground and messing things up.  I have some pics (somewhere!) if that's the place he's having trouble that I'll dig up if needed.

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5 minutes ago, simicrintz said:

What year is his bike? 

2017 KTM 500 EXC-F, he found a big thread on it in another forum and it sounds like this might address his issues, I guess we will find out next ride! Haha 

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Right on.  I always like it when the combined group info can be used to help a fellow rider!

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39 minutes ago, Bagstr said:

Looks great! There is a time and place for tugging from up high, for tugging along distances on uneven or soft terrain....  those 'tugs' [can be] easier managed down low at the opposing pegs  :)

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42 minutes ago, shutterrev said:

Looks great! There is a time and place for tugging from up high, for tugging along distances on uneven or soft terrain....  those 'tugs' [can be] easier managed down low at the opposing pegs  :)

AGREE 100% 

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Mmm, I need to think about that. Can the towed vehicle release as needed?

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Just now, Bagstr said:

Mmm, I need to think about that. Can the towed vehicle release as needed?

The loop is loosely around the peg, and opposing pegs so nobody’s front tire can ride over slack, towed person is behind but to the side of tow bike. When we got to the end of the wash I thought I was going to have to hop off and pull the loops bu he just flicked his end off with his boot - if he would have fallen it would have yanked off of either peg depending on direction. 

@Zubb Shared me a link to a green Chile version that is more like a Bubba rope if you’re familiar with that 4 x 4 recovery strap, The green chili one has some bungee to it to reduce the torque of picked up slack, That one also looks like a decent solution.
 

for the tugger strap you shared, I can totally see how that’s really useful especially if you have a hand grab strap (which I do) - And there’s definitely scenarios where you would want to yank a bike from that position. I carry a carabiner just in case I need to strap from that location.
 

I actually had quite a bit of fun doing this I think it would be a fun rally event for extra points haha. 

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2 hours ago, shutterrev said:

I actually had quite a bit of fun doing this I think it would be a fun rally event for extra points haha. 

Hahaha...I can envision this happening! Shuttster, I think you're on to something here...

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