Over the past few days I’ve been looking over my event calendar from last year and writing down 2017 Events. As the end of 2016 approaches I realize that I have accomplished virtually nothing from my Moto-Bucket List this year. I did however learn a few hard lessons about trying to sell a motorcycle; (1) no one wants a cruiser with a pile of miles on it and (2) it may take way longer than you expect. My advice; list it early! I did fortunately bring home a new ride, and I expect that new adventures are on the horizon for 2017, hopefully lots of twisty roads, more dirt, and an abundance of majestic views.
While I didn’t check any boxes on the Moto-Bucket list, I did finally complete a full circle (on foot) around the perimeter of my Grandmother’s property this week. That’s been on my “to-do” list for quite a while and a glorious 70F day in December made that possible. As I’ve mentioned before, visiting Grandma also means a visit to the Appalachian Foothills; the cliffs on her property rival some of the views across the “Holler” in Red River Gorge. I imagine I’ll cover even more of that come spring.
While I’m not much of a “New Year’s Resolution” kind of person, I do like to look at the calendar and make plans for the next year’s adventures. Looking into 2017, I realize that I already have way too much on my plate considering how much “time off” I have in the bank. I’m already booked for two private events in Red River Gorge this spring and I plan on spending another week at the Dragon Raid again this year. Knobbies or street tires this year? That is the question…
Beyond moto-vacations, I am trying to prioritize and put effort behind realistic goals for 2017. As part of the on-going Scrambler project, I suspect a new seat may be a “must” in order to accomplish the lofty goal of an Iron Butt ride. Fortunately, that’s only a full Saturday, so that shouldn’t penalize vacation hours, but I still have to hope that “life” permits this time around as it has been delayed for the past two years. My cousin has also been chomping at the bit to get down to Ohio Route 555; something we need to write down on the calendar because that’s actually an easy weekend ride. While I’m at it, I can hopefully snag a photo of Rosie the Scrambler inside the Big Muskie Bucket and get a two-for-one deal on Bucket Lists items.
Aside from the prospects of more dirt roads around Deal’s Gap in 2017, I would really like to make it to a true ADV rally if at all possible. I fear I’m likely run out of time, but it would be good to meet up with more dirt experienced folks and pick up a few tips and “lessons learned” from more of the seasoned ADV crowd. Beyond time off, I’ve unfortunately had a difficult time pinning down event dates and locations (east of the Mississippi) thus far. “Conserve the Ride” appears to get a good event that’s remotely nearby, but it looks like it is usually held in June, which will make it difficult to squeeze in next year. Here’s to hoping.
So what adventures do you have planned for next year?
Moto Adventurer 
No specific goals yet other than to be riding again. My job duties are supposed to be changing so I should have more weekends off which should allow me to ride more. I may even be able to ride to work on a regular basis. That would be exciting for me. Happy New Year 🎆🎈
Coolhand
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Hopefully that works out! When will the Doc give you the green light?
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A new motorcycle and way more camping than I did in 2016! Happy New Year!
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What are you bringing home Bob?
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Honda NC700X DCT. I rode it on three seperate occasions at our MSTA Rally in Vermont, and fell in love with the Dual Clutch Transmission, especially in manual mode. Hadn’t had that much fun on a bike in a while. Also want to downsize from my ST1300.
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That’s a good looking bike. I wish Honda would release a slightly more rugged version.
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Out of the box, it’s not really dirt worthy, maybe fire roads. At Horizon’s Unlimited meeting at Ironhorse in October,I met three guys with NC’s. After mods, they ride these things all over the world on some gnarly roads….. and no roads. Not an issue for me though, being a pure street rider.
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I’ve seen some pretty dirt worthy mods. I’m a bit concerned about factory tire sizes, but otherwise it seems like easy stuff.
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Hop on board my ride….
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Happy New Year!
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Good luck on your 2017 goals, Drew. If you complete 1k miles in 24 hours on the scrambler you deserve to be called a DIAMOND butt! (My body hurts just thinking about that.) My big goal this year is a solo round trip on the Chieftain from SC to Key West (on back roads) to prepare for some longer touring on the big Indian in the next couple of years. Happy New Year!
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I suspect a new Mustang Touring Seat will be required to get that Iron Butt knocked out, but we’ll see. Fortunately I can always stand up and ride… I look forward to hearing about your trip to Key West. I want to Ride the Causeway at some point, hopefully get a photo of Rosie in front of the Point and Hemingway’s house. Cheers!
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