Moto Adventurer

The Road to Oskar Blues Brewery: Triumph Dragon Raid 2016

Posted on October 12, 2016 by MotoADVR

During these year’s Dragon Raid, it goes without saying I rode many of the same routes that I covered last year. That said, while the roads didn’t change a whole lot, the way they feel under a new motorcycle certainly does. Right out of the gate this year my buddy Jon wanted to ride down to Oskar Blues Brewery near Brevard, North Carolina. I really enjoyed the ride and the brewery last year, so I eagerly got my gear together to come along.

Last year on the way out to Oskar Blues I found myself a bit white-knuckled on a few of the downhill sections of NC-281 and NC-215. This year was a completely different story. While I don’t think there’s a considerable difference (if any) in the single disc front brakes on the Scrambler vs. the Speedmaster, with the pegs directly below me and the overall geometry change, the bike felt astronomically more composed on the downhill. A buddy of mine that picked up a Bonneville New Church last year called it “Confidence Inspiring”; he’s dead on.

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At any rate, with a slightly later than usual start (we wanted to be there in time for a late lunch, I may or may not have skipped off to ride the Hellbender while I waited…), we headed over to NC-281, a should jaunt across US-64, then back up NC-215 toward the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP). We got spit on for a short bit as we got settled on the BRP, then down US-276 into Brevard. I revisited many of these roads during the Raid, so I’ll cover more of that later.

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Ultimately we arrived just before the food truck started serving, so I grabbed a stool and found a pint of tasty suds. Folks that talk to me on a regular basis will attest to the fact that I feel that IPAs are a fad at the moment, much to my irritation. Yes, I know IPAs have been around forever, I’m just saying they’re disproportionally popular against the field of beers available. That said, I remembered that I liked the G’Knight Red IPA, so I decided I’d have a short pour while I waited for some all-American street food (I wasn’t disappointed; is this the start of a trend?). When the time came, true to form, I ordered the hot dog, with an side of “Big ‘Ole Fries”. Naturally it was a bit dark upstairs, so no photo for the foodies (sorry), but it was a good dog …maybe not $5 good, but the “atmosphere” made it worth it.

No sooner than I received my food order than the skies opened up. It was sunny and 70 when we left the Iron Horse, so against my better judgement, I wore the mesh gear, and didn’t pack any rain gear. We managed to wait out most of the steady rain and left Oskar Blues in a really light mist that dissipated shortly after departure. We made it all the way to NC-28 near the Lodge before any more rain drops formed. Pulling onto Gunter Gap Road, with less than a mile to go, it started coming down in buckets. I told myself earlier this year that after last year’s Raid, there was no sense in bringing mesh gear. Soaked to the bone, that was the last bit of my mesh kit I donned at this year’s Raid.

Back to 2016 Triumph Dragon Raid

Posted in Events & Rides | 5 Comments

Triumph Speedmaster Long Term Review: Final Thoughts After 45,000 Miles

Posted on October 3, 2016 by MotoADVR

After three years and over 45,500 miles, Lola moved on to a new owner last week. It’s unfortunate that I had to let the Speedmaster go, but there’s simply no room for two, and I wanted to fund the Scrambler project. Needless to say she and I collected a lot of memories over the past three years, and certainly gave me a lot of experience, much of which is documented here. While I’ve already done one Long-term review, to pay her in kind, I feel it’s only fitting that I throw down some final thoughts on the Speedmaster as a whole.

Let me start off by saying that I will put the Speedmaster up against any 900 cc cruiser in its class. Honestly, I simply feel like you get more bike for what you pay where the Triumph is concerned versus the Sportster and its Asian clones. Let me also go on to say that I feel that the Harley Davidson 883 Sportster is the primary competitor to the Speedmaster. Now, I will give Yamaha a lot of credit with the new Star Bolt, that’s a legit bike, and I will hold it a close second to the Sporty, but in the end the Speedmaster still has more gas and equal (if not better) performance against the Bolt. The Sportster on the other hand has boat load of street credit to compete with. Harley Davidson is obviously the cruiser brand of choice for the vast majority of Americans, and (at least on paper) there are some distinct advantages to buying a Sportster. For one, maintenance (in theory) should be simpler with pushrods and rockers versus the Speedmaster with dual overhead cams. In addition, the aftermarket parts available for American made bikes is ridiculous; if you want to farkle your Sporty, it’s merely a click away. The Sportster (as with the Bolt) is also belt drive, which makes that maintenance even easier if you’re just an urban cruiser. That said, professional moto-journalists agree, the Speedmaster offers better all-day comfort out of the box, and still holds its own on the stat sheet. In the long run, I also believe the Speedmaster fits a wider breadth of motorcycle consumer (that want more than to just own a Harley) than other leading competitors in the 900 class. Aside from the seating position, the five gallon gas tank will get you upwards of 200 miles to a tank if you ride conservatively. I will also add that all of the parts on the Triumph America are interchangeable with the Speedmaster, so if you want windshield, bags, and a plush pillion seat, that’s easy to come by. I also want to throw in, aside from my comments about the 900 cc class, the Speedmaster unabashedly keeps up with big bore cruisers as well. In three years, at no point did I ever feel like I needed a little more “power” to hang with my buddies on their “Big boy bikes”; moreover, on at least one occasion, I was told I was “walking away from the group”.

Despite my obvious bias toward the Speedmaster, Lola was not without faults. Plainly, the rear shocks suck. I tolerated the stock rear suspenders primarily out of “cheapness”, and then eventually because I was expecting a new bike on the horizon. If you’re in the market for a new Speedmaster, save a little cash in the bank, and go ahead and spend $300 on an aftermarket set of rear shocks (Hagon and Progressive solutions are readily available). I personally find that the rear shocks stand out immediately considering the ease of bottoming out thanks to a pothole, but it’s worth mentioning that the front springs could stand to be upgraded as well. Again, I myself did not make the investment, and the casual rider need not fear the stock setup, but for folks that prefer a more “spirited” ride, it’s worth spending $100 on a set of progressive springs for the front forks, and (I’m told) it’s an easy swap in the garage. Chain maintenance can also be a bit annoying. I would recommend that anyone who plans on “upgrading” the exhaust pick up shorty Triumph Off-Road pipes (TORs) or British Customs Cocktail Shakers (if you really want loud) just for the ease of chain maintenance; the long stock exhaust gets in the way. I will also say that a center stand is available (although it’s bloody ugly), or you may want to invest in a paddock stand, just to make things easier. I already covered the concerns about wind protection in the long term review, but I will reiterate, $130 on a Dart Flyscreen will completely change the way you view cruising on the highway. In fact, for under $1,000, you can easily throw some highway bars, bags, and a flyscreen at the Speedmaster and turn it into a budget touring bike. That said, some guys complain about the higher engine revs on the freeway. I’m going to say that the engine revs to 8k, so cruising at 4500 isn’t a big deal, but if you do find that annoying, you can upgrade to a 19 tooth front cog when you replace the chain (but lose some torquey character). For folks laying down more than 12,000 mile annually, the valve clearance check and adjustment can be a bear. Fortunately, the 865 engine is shim over bucket, and uses a drive gear for the cam gears, which makes it easier (no fussing with cam chain), but it’s obviously more work than pushrods. In the end, chain and valve maintenance is the price you pay for better performance.

In spite of its shortcomings, the Speedmaster was still a great ride. As I’ve mentioned before, the choice to move on was because I wanted mid controls, the option of (realistically) riding dirt, and ultimately a bike that I didn’t feel guilty for getting filthy and possibly neglecting (like riding in the salt and snow). Feet forward became a real issue for me; yes, you can upgrade the seat and suspension, but with forward controls, all your weight is essentially on your butt, and therefore your spine absorbs the shock load. If money were no object, and I actually had a garage to fill, Lola would be parked next to Rosie right now. I love the 865 air cooled twin; while not quite a stone ax like a 650 single, the Speedmaster engine offers the performance of DOHC, simplicity of air-cooled, and character in spades, especially with the 270 crank (which sounds great with aftermarket exhaust). The air-cooled Triumph twin simply begs to be flogged and is (typically) bullet-proof reliable. Despite the ease of putting a peg down (as with most cruisers), the Speedmaster still loves the twisties, and I was often surprised at how nimble it felt after riding a lot of other cruisers.

Posted in Opinion | 19 Comments

2016 Triumph Dragon Raid: Round Trip to Deal’s Gap

Posted on September 30, 2016 by MotoADVR

Normally I’d say that the trip down and trip back to the Dragon Raid are distinct events, however this year’s commute to and from the Raid was one of the most challenging motorcycle trips I’ve taken. Obviously this was no excursion to Alaska or the Mohave Desert; however it seems reasonable to say that I encountered several of the top “what if’s” that folks should plan for on a motorcycle vacation. Obviously I’ve made this trip before, however this time it was on a bike I was less familiar with, and with a different group of riders. The Scrambler in its current form offered a bit less long distance comfort than its Speedmaster brethren; also, unbeknownst to me, the obviously small headlight of the Scrambler was impressively less effective than that of the Speedmaster, as I discovered at (nearly) the worst time.

Aside from having a freshly melted hole in my Firstgear pants (damn those high pipes… but I still love them), I was dressed for the weather, and despite the colder morning air, we were making good time down to the river for the first stop. US-68 doesn’t possess a significant amount of curves until the last few miles toward Ripley (OH), so I admit I was actually getting chilly and a bit bored on the first leg. Fortunately, once across the river, and after a beverage, we were finally getting into the hills of Kentucky where the landscape better suits my taste. Headed down KY-36 (just like last year), not three miles south of I-64 one of the gentlemen who was tagging along, unintentionally left the roadway. Fortunately, he was uninjured, however his entire clutch lever snapped clean off the bars during the ordeal. There we were, on the roadside in rural Kentucky, with no spare parts, waiting on a tow truck… for three hours…

While I do pride myself on having a decent tool kit, this lesson certainly taught me a few things:

Always remember that most (Non-Harley) motorcycle shops are closed on Sunday.
I need to add a good set of needle-nose vice grips to the tool kit (even though they wouldn’t have helped in this case).
Having a contingency for a truck and/or trailer less than 150 miles from home is priceless.
I packed a surprisingly small amount of food and water for this day trip.
Maybe a spare clutch lever isn’t out of the question?
Eating Subway with good friends on the roadside of rural America is actually really awesome.

Back on the road, only two hours behind after eating (literally) on the roadside (that saved an hour), we finally got into the fun stuff as we approached Red River Gorge. Having been there the week prior, I was glad I knew the general road conditions considering very recent events. That said, once inside the gorge it was actually “yours truly” that was on deck for a mishap. Crossing the bridge over the Red River on KY-77 we began passing a string of cars headed the other direction. As I approached a blind, low speed, left hander, I was suddenly confronted with an out of control car that was barreling around the corner and literally screeching into my lane. Practicing some emergency braking maneuvers I narrowly escaped a collision; one of my riding mates said that had there been saddle bags involved, it would have been a different story.

We stopped for gas just through the gorge, and after my blood pressure descended to a reasonable level, we were finally on to what I expected to be the quietest leg of the journey. Naturally just as I assumed we were going to make up time in the rural southern sections of KY-11, we inadvertently found ourselves stuck behind a parade of motorcycles being held up by a trike. This occurrence actually foreshadowed similar events later in the week.

From KY-11 is was onto US-25E where things picked up some as the roadway opened to four lanes. From 25E we were on to I-40 through the gorge, and then on to the Appalachian Highway (US-74) just as the sun was setting. As I mentioned, the headlight on the Speedmaster was a little lacking, the Scrambler’s lamp is absolutely helpless. After 50 minutes of searching to find the lanes in the dark through the hills of North Carolina, we finally arrived unscathed at the Iron Horse.

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While the return trip was not nearly as eventful as the trip down, we received a healthy dowsing from Mother Nature for good measure. On an overcast morning we started back north on the same route, only to be met with rain showers near Tazewell (TN) on US-25E. For about four hours we pushed through the deluge until just south of Red River Gorge where the roadway finally began to dry out. After making up time on dry roadways, there were a few more pop up showers waiting for us between the river and Dayton. Finally, just as I reached the south Dayton suburbs, the last bit of light faded in the sky and I finished the last twenty miles or so in the dark.

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Despite having treated my Firstgear kit with Nikwax prior to the trip, enough “frog stranglers” wrestled their way through gaps to the point where I was sufficiently wetter than I expected. I’m not sure if it was the seating position change on the Scrambler, or if I’ve finally started to wear out the waterproof properties of the gear, needless to say as I’m writing this now, I’m looking into getting this corrected.

In the end, it was still a fantastic trip, but the long commutes were definitely a good lesson in proper planning, the right gear, a healthy tool kit, and it always pays off to get an early start.

Back to the 2016 Triumph Dragon Raid

Posted in Events & Rides | Tagged Dragon Raid, GoPro, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Triumph Motorcycles, Triumph Scrambler | 12 Comments

Triumph Dragon Raid 2016: Preview

Posted on September 24, 2016 by MotoADVR

Back to back motorcycle trips certainly hasn’t helped my writing. It has (hopefully) provided me with some new photos and video, and probably a few decent stories.

This year’s Dragon Raid started out on the wrong foot, with me melting a penny sized hole in my all-season riding pants on the “high-pipe” of the Scrambler at the very first gas station. From there, aside from having a really good time, it was a series of unplanned events, including an acquaintance “leaving the roadway” near a curve, riding home in the dark (repeatedly), an unscheduled tire change, and the search for gasoline. Ultimately, this year’s big motorcycle “vacation” felt more like one long episode, versus distinct rides and destinations, so bear with me while I cut video, edit photos, and try to organize this “adventure” into some sort of coherent tirade… I mean story.

Day 0: Round Trip to Deal’s Gap

Day 1: The Road to Oskar Blues

Day 2: Taming the Dragon

Day 2 continued: Back Across the Cherohala Skyway

Day 3: Moonshiner 28, Blue Ridge Parkway, Gravel, and the Kitchen Sink

Day 4: A New Tire in a Pinch

Day 5: Back Across the Skyway

2015 Triumph Dragon Raid

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Posted in Events & Rides | Tagged Moto Vacation, Motorcycle, North Carolina, Triumph Dragon Raid, Triumph Motorcycle, Triumph Scrambler, Vacation | 19 Comments

Destination Red River Gorge: Moto-Camping and New Roads

Posted on September 9, 2016 by MotoADVR

Ferris said “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

Those words are ringing quite true at the moment. The new bike has been awesome, but between changing jobs and general “life” I’ve been neglecting the blog. Hopefully I can make it up to y’all with some photos and video of one of my favorite places.

Early this spring my cousin actually bought a Scrambler I’d been watching on Craigslist all winter. That actually worked out for me, as I got a chance to ride one and find out if it would be the bike for me (we know how that worked out). At any rate, from that moment he’d been asking me to join him on a moto-camping weekend at some savory motorcycle riding destination. Per my previous comments, schedules were not jiving for the longest time, but for Labor Day we did land a short weekend trip down to Red River Gorge.

Per my usual protocol, we picked up KY-36 into Frenchburg and on to KY-77 into the Gorge. 77 is one of my favorites, and a must-ride from KY-460 down through Nada Tunnel to KY-11. From 77 we set up camp at a campground in Slade and then set out to see some of the local destinations. Being Labor Day weekend, Natural Bridge was absolutely nuts, so we skipped across to KY-715 and on to Sky Bridge. If I hadn’t mentioned it before, Natural Bridge is also a “must-do” but I still feel that Sky Bridge is the better motorcycle destination, and it’ll save you $13 bucks since you won’t need to take the skylift to the views (you could hike, but over a mile up a mountain in armored gear, well sucks…). 715 was also a zoo as it’s the main thoroughfare through the gorge, but ample twisties and cool mountain air under the canopy made it worthwhile.

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The next morning my cousin and I set out to ride some new roads a bit south of the gorge (hoping to avoid the traffic).

KY-1639, KY-1057, & KY-213

Headed west out of Slade we took a less-traveled southerly route toward KY-52 by picking up KY-1639. 1639 winds through foot hills like many other state routes near the gorge; another “barely” two-lane road sweeps by farms through the valley as you link up with KY-1057 headed up the mountain. KY-1057 was more of the same with more elevation changes and then more scenic views as you merge onto KY-213.

KY-52

From KY-213 we picked up KY-52 headed east into Beattyville. KY-52 is very well maintained, and nearly free of gravel washouts and debris that plagues a lot of the blind curves on many of the backroads. 52 allows for a more spirited pace, yet be mindful of the steep downhill grade as you approach Beattyville, especially considering that a decreasing radius turn may be around the very next bend.

KY-2016

After a short break in Beattyville, we continued down KY-52 for a short jaunt in search of KY-2016. I had actually ridden KY-52 last October, so 2016 turned out to be a real surprise. 2016 is a 13 mile stretch from St. Helens to Rogers, Kentucky. 2016 is reminiscent of KY-77 in many ways; sweeping, unmarked, curves along local farms, and loaded with blind turns. That said, KY-2016 appears to be less populated with travelers and is almost narrow enough to considered one-and-a-half lane. While I didn’t have to stop for a Deer like KY-213, there was a flock of wild turkeys scurrying across the road.

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Posted in Events & Rides | Tagged Camping, Kentucky, Motorcycle, Natural Bridge, Red River Gorge, Scenic Byway, Sky Bridge, Triumph Motorcycle, Triumph Scrambler | 14 Comments

Destination State Route 763: Twisty Roads in Southwest Ohio

Posted on August 25, 2016 by MotoADVR

At this point of the year I’m gearing up for my big trip to Deal’s Gap for the annual Triumph Rally, but there are a few decent roads to be found here at home. Once you’ve spent time riding in places like West Virginia, Tennessee, and virtually everywhere in Appalachia, it’s tough to find roads that compare in terms of technical riding conditions and view considering all the flat farmland. Last year I had big plans to get down OH-763 on my way to see my Grandma in Kentucky. As usual, “Road Closed” signs be damned, I went on by, only to find a local bridge to be out completely. Bike pointed (excessively) downhill, my dad and I turned back. Fortunately, despite some technical difficulties this summer, I did finally make it down to the river to check out this local riding destination. Last weekend I put together a full day’s ride from Waynesville (Ohio) to Augusta (Kentucky), but the highlight was definitely 763.

Ohio Route 763 runs through Brown County between OH-41 in Aberdeen to OH-125 near Decatur. Across the roughly 13 mile stretch you’ll find series of tight, unmarked, curves in rapid succession, including several elevation changes. Throughout the string, you’ll find good open sweepers along farms through the valleys, often followed by another uphill technical section under the tree canopy. First timers should definitely be on the lookout for gravel “washout” from rural driveways and embankments, along with the constant threat of unmarked, low speed curves. There is not a great deal of traffic along the roadway (at least for the 3 visits I’ve made this July and August), but riders should be cognizant of the threat of slow moving vehicles arriving on several of the secondary road intersections.

There are undoubtedly better roads in Ohio, but in the last 4 years, I’ve yet to find a more technical section of roadway south of I-70 and west of Chillicothe.

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Posted in Opinion | 2 Comments

Breaking in the Scrambler… or maybe it’s breaking me in?

Posted on August 13, 2016 by MotoADVR

Three weeks and now there’s 2,000 new miles on the Scrambler’s odometer. I’m still impressed by how the Speedmaster and the Scram share the same engine but behave completely different. I imagine after a year or so I’ll start putting some thoughts to “paper” about the long-term performance and character of the new machine.

At any rate, dirt and all-weather was a new goal of mine with the “new ride”, so I’ve been taking advantage of dirt and gravel roads wherever I can find them. I’m still pretty timid about high speed turns on gravel , but I’m getting more comfortable riding while standing (on dirt; I love riding while standing up on pavement!), and leaning the bike around the dusty turns. Still a lot of learning to do, but it’s addicting, that’s for certain.

As I’ve mentioned before, the local Triumph RATs play a bit of “moto tag” locally, a game I enjoy thoroughly because it always offers you and excuse to put miles on the bike. I put in about a hundred miles today, chasing bridges and whatnot across at least two counties. Figured I’d drop a few photos on this, now, rainy afternoon.

Posted in Opinion | 4 Comments

Singing in the Rain…

Posted on August 10, 2016 by MotoADVR

I wouldn’t go as far as to say I’m terrified of riding in the rain… but close. One of my goals with “the new bike” is to ride, rain or shine, whenever possible. The “rubber met the road”, as they say, yesterday on my way home.

I stand firm, if you want to conquer your fear of riding in the rain… you must ride in the rain.

With the right gear, mid-controls, good rubber, and a positive attitude, things are going well so far!

Posted in Opinion | Tagged GoPro, Motorcycle, Triumph Scrambler, Weather | 6 Comments

Triumph Scrambler Project: Planning

Posted on August 4, 2016 by MotoADVR

Right up until the last minute, I actually thought I was going to lean toward the tiger, but as I mentioned, in the end it just wasn’t meant to be. That’s not to say I’m disappointed, I knew going in that the Scrambler would do the job, and do it with “soul”, it just meant putting in a little extra work and throwing a little more money at it over time… enter the Scrambler Project.

Short-term Goals

There’s no denying that a stock Triumph Scrambler is a street bike. Not unlike the other Triumph modern classics and cruisers, it also comes shod with some pretty “budget” suspension. If I plan on turning this street bike into an adventure machine… a suspension upgrade is certainly high on the “to-do” list. For folks that haven’t heard me talk about it before, the folks at Canyon Motorcycles in California have a setup with Works Suspension to give the Scrambler (exclusively) a full 6” travel, front and rear, suspension upgrade. That’s going to be on the order of about $1,250 plus installation, but that’ll make for a good project in January.

Aside from the “big ticket” suspension upgrade, engine protection is an absolute must. Triumph does fortunately make a (relatively) sturdy set of engine guards for the Scram, but based on what I’ve read (there’s a cult following on ADVrider.com), a minor modification may be in order to make them truly hardy enough to stand up to dirt riding. I’ve debated working on my fabrication skills with the help of a knowledgeable friend, but I may leave that for later down the road once I’ve got a few more dirt road miles under my belt (which is about 2 miles as of today…).

Having ridden the Speedmaster for such a long time, let me tell you, the stock headlight sucks… and the Scrambler’s isn’t impressing me thus far. With the goal of “rain or shine” in mind, visibility is also near the top of the list. From what I’ve seen thus far, I have healthy list of Denali products in mind to bolt onto the new Scram. If all goes well, I hope to have a two-wheeled zombie apocalypse assault vehicle; mounted with Denali D4 auxiliary lights and possibly the Dual DR1 headlight replacement kit.

The old-school Triumph Bonneville summer screen was included with the bike when I bought it. That was a nice freebie, but frankly it looked horrid on the Scrambler, and I felt like I was riding behind a barn door! As of now I’m going to hold on to it for a few and decide if I prefer a new flyscreen (buy or build, that is the question…) and sell the summer screen, or keep it for a really, really, long haul. I expect this year’s Dragon Raid will probably help me figure that out.

Luggage is a whole new conversation now; considering my Mad Maxian goals, aesthetics be damned at this point. That high pipe on the right side does add unique challenges, fortunately there are a few, relatively affordable, aftermarket racks available. Per my comments about ADVrider, there are some very impressive luggage solutions that folks have come up with, so it’s really a matter of build, buy, or both at this point. In the long run I think I want to have the option of hard cases (maybe some sweet ammo cans!?!?) and soft luggage. Thus far I’ve seen that the Kreiga Overlander 60 setup is ideal as it lets you mix and match 15 Liter dry bags with RotopaX fuel cans to extend the range (I found out about them in a good adventure story). I have big dreams of taking this bike to Alaska at some point; fuel and storage will be a “must”.

Heated grips are pretty much a given. I had Bike Master heated grips on the Speedmaster which were great until about freezing, at which point they couldn’t quite keep up. I’m hoping what I’ve read about Oxford Heaterz rings true and I can get a wee bit deeper in the cold range. At any rate, installing aftermarket heated grips is pretty easy, so it’s just a matter of putting them in the budget and spending an hour installing them.

Along with heated grips, I also want to address the hand guards issue. A buddy actually lent me his hand guards off his Tiger 1050 for a few; I may draw them up and take a stab at having a custom set 3D printed, but we’ll see how that shakes out. There are actually a lot of affordable retail options out there, including turn signals, so I could potentially see myself getting lazy and going that route, but I expect I won’t get to hungry for that project until after it snows a few times.

I was actually impressed with the reach to the handle bars from day one, mostly that I can comfortably ride standing up (mandatory requirement for the “new” bike). That said, on the freeway the riding position does get a bit tiring, thus I’m going to hunt down a set of 1” bar risers. There are many solutions available commercially, including ROX risers that would permit pivoting the bars back a bit as well. This is a pretty small change, but a necessary part of the project.

Long-term vision

My end goal is obviously to build a low budget “Adventure” bike. The Scrambler is also a “classy” platform to build my Mad Max war machine… so there are some small aesthetic and some otherwise pricey items I would also want to bolt on long-term. At some point the rear fender needs to go; props to Rosie’s previous owner, the Lucas tail light replacement with solid indicators was a nice upgrade, but I’m looking to shed weight in the long run. I may also decide replace the stock mirrors with some lower profile bar end mirrors, at least for the summer; however I admit the longer I ride the Scrambler, the more that the taller mirrors are growing on me. Despite putting nearly 50k on the Speedmaster mill, I never fussed with new pipes or other engine upgrades; the Scrambler did fortunately came with Triumph Off-road Pipes (which sound fantastic), and long-term I can definitely see myself removing the air injection, and possibly upgrading to an Arrow exhaust. At minimum, the exhaust needs to find itself “de-chromed”; that’s happening one way or another. In line with making this Scram a dirt worthy steed, the rear brake caliper needs to find its way up on top of the swing arm, instead of hanging down in harm’s way as it is now. On the same note I also want to get some serrated pegs mounted; the rubber clad pegs are comfortable on the freeway, but I’ve already slipped off of them once in the rain. Really long term I’d like to fit some lighter weight alloy rims. Spoked wheels are a plus for the dirt, but having replaced a tube already, I’ve discovered these rims are bloody heavy. A tubeless spoked rim would really be choice!

Triumph Scrambler Project: Stage 1 Upgrades

Posted in Bikes | Tagged Motorcycle, Motorcycle Accessories, Project, Triumph Motorcycles, Triumph Scrambler | 6 Comments

Putting more “Adventure” into Moto Adventurer

Posted on July 26, 2016 by MotoADVR

The day finally arrived. I asked for a few favors, stopped by the bank, and I bought a new motorcycle. I was on the fence for quite a while, but when the chips were down, I knew I wanted a multipurpose machine, and I needed a long term view on what would be the best tool for the job considering I have a one-horse stable. The Tiger 800 XCx (or XRx) would have done the job marvelously but that meant a commitment on my part that I was simply not okay with. Moreover, I have an unrelenting rebellious streak that answers “you can’t do that on a Scrambler…” with “watch me!”; so on Friday, Rosie followed me home.

15,000 annual miles means changing the oil at least twice and a valve clearance check. Obviously with a little practice, that task can be accomplished on the Tiger 800, but I already know the maintenance requirements, have all the tools, and trust the 865 mill. I’ve heard horror stories about the time needed to complete simple maintenance tasks on the Tiger (i.e. air filter change), which may just be hearsay, but I frankly don’t want to fart around with wrenching when I know I can be riding. In the end, the sheer stature of the challenge at hand (make a Scrambler dirt worthy), my concerns about reliability, and flat-out passion for the 865 twin carried the day, and 3 days in, I regret nothing.

If I hadn’t mentioned already, my cousin bought a Scrambler (not all that different from mine) this spring so I had a chance to ride it. My initial impression was that it was similar to my Speedmaster, but rode like a Bonneville, which is exactly what I was looking for. First day on the road (Saturday), the Scrambler brought torque in spades. Not all that different from the FZ-07 (obviously heavier…), the Scrambler does NOT have the top end power of a triple (or a four for that matter), but it packs a hearty kick in the ass through the twisties; so much so my face still hurts from grinning ear to ear all weekend.

Again, the Scrambler is by no means a sport bike, but the ground clearance is by far superior to the Speedmaster, so it’ll jump the curb and it leans over just the same. I can’t hang with supersports or enduros by and means, but I have a thing for underdogs, so the challenge of “keeping up” suits me just fine. One of my favorite movie lines is “I don’t care what anything was designed to do, I care about what it can do!” (Apollo 13). I assume it’s two years in the “sandbox” but I get guilty pleasure out of doing more with less; glutton for punishment I suppose.