Moto Adventurer

Harley Dirtster Project: Stage 1

Posted on March 2, 2019 by drewkfaulkner

For folks that made it to the Dragon Raid last fall, or the Garage Brewed Moto Show in January, you got a chance to see the Dirtster project in the flesh. As with Rosie the Scrambler and Andy’s Bonbler Project, I originally intended to document the Dirtster build months ago. Naturally, life happened, and the blog took the back seat for a few months there. Well, despite what Punxsutawney Phil says, it’s very much still winter here in Ohio, so here I am, finally circling back to “Ripley the Dirtster”.

Not long before penning the “planning” edition of this series, Jeff struck a deal on a 2003 Sportster XL883 he’d been keeping tabs on. If you’ve been following along on Instagram, we decided to pull the trigger on the Hugo Moto kit to land the key components for the build. There was a lot of beer involved, some pizza, and a few choice expletives, but in the two nights leading up to March Moto Madness, we successfully scrambled a Sportster.

The Hugo Moto World Tour Kit

Per comments above, if Jeff and I were going to scramble this Harley, we wanted a dirt machine that was more capable than my scrambler, while still “simple” in comparison to his KTM 990. Surfing the web, we studied multiple Sportster builds, the Carducci Sportster on ADV Rider, Burly Brand’s “Dirty Work“, and Biltwell’s “Frijole 883” to name a few. While there’s a vast sea of aftermarket parts available for the Sportster, it’s a little harder to find long-travel suspension and true “mid controls”. With that in mind, the bolt-on kit from Hugo Moto already included the critical components which made their kit the easiest route to dirt-fairing adventure machine for the former “bar hopper”.

So what’s in the kit? Jeff and I wanted the “Full Monty” from Hugo Moto, which included a suspension package with 7-inches of travel. Up front that meant a set of Andreani 39mm fork cartridges to drop into the stock Harley-Davidson fork tubes. There was a little grinding that had to happen to remove the stock fork innards, but that was pretty much the toughest part of the job to beef up the front end with fully adjustable front forks. On the back end, the “slammed” shocks were binned in lieu of a set of beefy EMC Twin Alu 2 Tri Tube 17.5-inch”rear shock absorbers. Again fully adjustable suspenders with 7-inches of travel, installation of the EMC bits was an easy bolt-on experience.

I think belt drive is still totally acceptable for most Scrambling duties, but when facing off against the finer parts of the Kentucky backcountry, the Hugo Chain Conversion kit was a must. To maintain the same gearing ratio as the stock belt/pulley system, Hugo’s conversion kit comes with a 22-tooth countershaft sprocket, a 520 chain, chain slider, and 51-tooth rear sprocket. Chains and sprockets obviously need wheels to turn, in the first generation Hugo Moto Kit, that was a set of Excel Takasago 18 and 21-inch Rims laced to Talon hubs. The new wheel set came with an adapter to attach the stock brake rotors and interface with the stock wheel spacers.

The foundation to the Hugo kit is actually their Peg Relocation Kit (PRK). While many refer to Sportster foot controls as “mids”, they’re still pretty far forward for aggressive off-road riding. The Hugo PRK puts your footing between the stock “mid” position and alternative Sportster rear-set options. The PRK comes with a shifter arm and all the linkage necessary to operate the shift lever from the rearward position. On the right side, the PRK relocates the rear brake reservoir assembly and re-uses the stock brake pedal. Once you have the PRK brackets bolted on to the case/frame, it’s just a matter of fitting the skid plate.

I often joke that a scrambler isn’t a scrambler without high pipes. Hugo Moto obviously shares my opinion, as they provide shotgun headers with hanger and heat shield with the kit. Our high-pipes were designed to use the stock Harley slip-ons. True to form, the Hugo kit also comes with fork boots, and a set of Biltwell 1-inch Tracker High handlebars to give the rider better leverage for off-road riding and complete the scrambler “look”.

More On Hugo Moto

When Jeff and I reached out to Hugo Moto, they were still very much in their infancy. It turns out we actually received the first kit that was shipped to a public. Like any small business, Hugo Moto has grown a lot over the past year; they’ve done a lot of market research, and have made various evolutions in their kits to better suit what customers are asking for. We bought the premium level “World Tour” kit last spring. Today Hugo Moto offers an a la carte menu for scrambling your Sportster. With exception of wheels, the parts listed above (or equivalent) are still available for your scrambler build (They also provide links to various wheel sources if you still want to upgrade your rims to more dirt friendly sizes). They now offer several different suspension options, along with accessories like luggage racks, high fender mounts, and seat risers. If you’re looking for a kit on par with the World Tour kit I described above, I suggest you take a peek at their HD2 Enduro kit; which was actually based on their 1200 Sporty that won the 2018 March Moto Madness hill climb. If you’re wanting to build your scrambler a piece at a time, or just make your bike a bit more gravel friendly, check out the different trim levels (stages) they offer for their “Scrambler Kit”.

Additional Bits

The Hugo Kit is a solid foundation; you can easily go from the parking lot of creek bed after a long day in the shop. That said, there are some stock Harley parts that would be better served elsewhere. The stock headlight on the 2003 Sporty is another anemic 5-3/4″ bowl akin to the feeble beam on my Triumph. That was rectified post-haste with an easy “drop-in” J.W. Speaker 8690 LED 5 headlight. I also hated the stock handgrips from go; I’m all about the stock H-D rubber grips for touring on the interstate, but on the trail, we needed something with “texture”. After checking out the grips on Andy’s Bonbler, we also picked up a set of black Renegade Grips from Biltwell. Considering the nature of woods riding, a set of Bark Busters was about a given; after some recent spills, it’s also nice to find your levers still intact after a crash landing. Keeping with that theme, the 883 doesn’t have quite the same punch as the plus size sporty, so we decided to beef up the low-end grunt with a few extra teeth on the rear sprocket.

How Does It Ride

Freshly minted, Friday morning at March Moto Madness I took “Ripley” up the hill for the first time. I was immediately amazed by the difference a 21-inch front wheel makes when carving through the dirt. The old carburated Harley mill is also content to lug around tight switchbacks and obstacles without protest. Having scrambled up the same hill on my Trumpet, there’s no denying that the extra 3-inches of suspension travel makes for a more comfortable ride.

Per my comments above, Ripley also followed her (half) sister Rosie down Deal’s Gap for the Dragon Raid last fall. Tropical Storm Gordon and Hurricane Florence dampened the riding opportunities, but we still managed to scramble the mountain byways and a few of the local forest roads. On the asphalt, a scrambled Sporty starts to live up to its name; with the extra ground clearance, I had blast throwing the bars down in the corners and riding The Tail of the Dragon on a beefy Harley super-moto. When the pavement ended, the big twin was still right at home hustling around the gravel roads between Robbinsville and Tellico Plains.

I’ve obviously hustled my portly Triumph through some trails where it has no business. The Harley is a much different beast than the otherwise low-slung Triumph. With the long-travel suspension, the Harley is taller, and with that, I admit the weight “feels” higher. In reality, the Sportster weight just over 460 pounds in running order; a good 40 pounds lighter than the Scrambler. The Harley, however, is narrower, and unquestionably more forgiving when crossing rocks, ledges, and pot-hole riddled fire roads.

Future Plans

Despite having the bike in running order for almost a year now, Jeff and I have unfortunately been tied up with a lot of extenuating circumstances. We had enough seat time to decide we needed a little more “punch” to handle the mud and steep grades of the DBBB, but haven’t had enough time to sit down and really hammer out the suspension settings to get things as plush as we want them. That gearing situation might be unnecessary if the 883 had a little carb work, or potentially an upgrade to a 1200 big bore kit; time will tell.

Along with considering the upgrade to 1200 cc’s, we’ve discussed the possibility of installing a Rekluse clutch. I took a short ride on the HD2 Enduro at MMM, There’s no denying it’s a lot easier to handle a big bike off-road when there’s less concern about stalling the bike, just as there’s no denying that the 1200 Sporty has more “oomph”. A Rekluse clutch is slick kit, but it’s not cheap, and in the end, might not be necessary for the riding we plan to do. Fuel is also a problem for the older 883, with the stock peanut tank, 100 miles is about max range. We could hunt down the larger sporty tank from the Super Low, but we’re still daydreaming about possibly figuring out how to mount an IMS, Safari, or Acerbis aftermarket tank to the Sporty frame. I’ve caught a few odd photos of that setup on Advrider, but I’ve yet to find any firm details on what fits.

Suspension and “propulsion” are obviously the big tickets items, but we have a few other odds and ends on our to-do list. I have considered taking Ripley to Conserve The Ride this spring; unless I suddenly decide to rent a trailer, that means we need to get a luggage mounting system sorted out. Stock Harley levers are also meant for more hamfisted inputs, something I don’t recommend when riding off-road; thus we’re shopping for the best lever alternatives without having to switch out the stock Harley switchgear. We obviously love the high-pipes, and the Hugo headers are tucked in pretty well compared to the British alternative. However, after seeing the HD2 Enduro in the flesh, we’re both pretty enamored with the idea of a 2-into-1 SuperTrapp replacing the traditional Harley slip-ons.

Assuming we aren’t bathed with another year of record-setting rainfall, and pending any more family emergencies, I’m hoping to spend more time getting the Dirtster dialed in this summer. I’ve been toying with the idea of shooting a DBBB “promo” bit for the MotoADVR YouTube channel, certainly, a mud-slathered Sportster will raise a few eyebrows. Stay tuned…

The Stecoah valley, NC

Jeff Pierce Photo

Exploring the Appalachian backcountry - Moto Adventurer Photo

Exploring Cow Country - Moto Adventurer Photo

Witt Road creek crossing #2

Posted in Bikes | 17 Comments

Mother Nature is Unforgiving: The Ride

Posted on February 22, 2019 by drewkfaulkner

Do you ever have those dreams where you’re falling? It’s a horrifying sensation. Right as that twilight feeling sets in, you suddenly feel like you’re slipping away; right then you’re jolted awake, wide-eyed and gasping for air. Since I was a kid, instead of falling, that dream was reliving a bicycle crash I had in the 7th grade. As an adult, that dream has transitioned into taking a spill on a motorcycle. For some reason, the front end of the bike just lets loose from the pavement. I try to steer out of the crash, to no avail, the bike is tipping and going down. I hit the ground, which in itself would be a dramatic event, but I’m still sliding. I think I’m about to stop, so I try to stand up, not knowing how fast I’m still moving. As my boots grip the pavement, I’m tossed onto my stomach, momentum still carrying me down the roadway. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a bright orange glow. As I look up, I see sparks like fireflies trailing the bike as the two of us slide for what seems like an eternity. In just that moment, the fear lets loose for just an instant, I’m captivated by the stream of yellow and orange, like sparklers on independence day. That feeling fades as fast as it arrived, realizing I’m watching my motorcycle skid down the street as I finally started to slow.

Normally that initial feeling of weightlessness is right about where you start to wake up. Certainly, that impending impact with the ground is that point where your eyelids snap open. That didn’t happen, because this was real. Headed to work, like any other day, the front wheel let loose, and down I went.

Thursday, February 21st, 2019

06:30 AM

That relentless sound of a blaring alarm clock rings in my ears as I slap the snooze button for the fifth time. Blurry eyed, the child in me finally agrees I need to get to work, so I grab my phone and turn off the alarm. I check the weather, 36°F and no significant chance of rain. Excellent, I need a good ride, and even the mundane commute to the office is a reward at this point in winter.

7:05 AM

Showered and lunch packed, I pull on a polo shirt I should have binned months ago, and then pile on the gear to get ready to ride.

7:15 AM

I put my lunch and dress pants in the pannier, pull on my winter gloves, boot up Rever, and push the bike out into the driveway. I look down, noticing the puddle in the driveway doesn’t have any ice on the surface.

7:16 AM

I pull out on to my street. Passing a car at the next intersection that looked like he was going to pull out behind and follow me. I watch in my mirror, he’s still sitting at the stop sign.

7:18 AM

I cross over the Dayton city line. The flooding is as bad as I’ve seen it before; my street has had standing water on or next to it for almost two straight years at this point.

7:19 AM

I slow down to go throw a particularly large puddle. Know how damp the edges will be, I take my time crossing to make sure the bike doesn’t slip on ice I can’t see. The tires have lots of grip, so I cross the puddle and speed up.

7:20 AM

After crossing another wet section of wet tarmac, I get ready to pick up the pace. That’s when it happens. The front starts to slip. I feel the slightest slip and then grip, for just a split second. Before I realize what’s happening, the front wheel is tipped beyond correction. I’m going down. Black ice.

7:24 AM

I survived the slide. I pick myself up of the ground again, this time without being thrown back down. I don’t remember any sounds of my helmet hitting touching the ground. I look over my gear; it’s tattered, but not that bad. My elbow hurts a little, but I need to make sure I’m not struck by a car coming around the bend.

7:25 AM

Checking myself out, I see the headlights in the distance. I flag down the car so he slows down. He rolls down the window to check on me; I tell him thanks, I’m good, have a phone and I’m only a short ride back home. When he passes I pick the bike up, pushing off to the side of the road. Watching for oncoming traffic, I pull my arm out of my jacket, seeing blood from a gash that apparently happened in the “scuffle”. I let out a deep sigh.

7:26 AM

I kick up the kickstand and thumb the starter button; Jerri the Warhawk fires to life. I ride back to the house, realizing I’m going to need to have my arm looked at. Worse, I need to tell the wife I just took a ride down the asphalt… on my backside… That’s probably going to be the most painful part of this whole experience… hopefully.

7:33 AM

I start pulling my gear off, inspecting my helmet, jacket, pants, and boots for holes and scratches. The hole in my right sleeve explains the gash in my elbow and the cold breeze I felt on the way back home. That freezing air sure left me with an eerie feeling, concerning that blood was pooling in my sleeve; fortunately, that was not the case. My pants have lost a couple zipper pulls and look really beat up, they were overdue for replacement anyway I suppose. The new TCX boots, however, are rock stars. The buckles have some serious road rash but the leather looks mostly unscathed.

10:34 AM

The nurse practitioner at Urgent Care sprays a little lidocaine on my elbow and starts plucking out a few small chips of asphalt and cuts away a few bits of dead skin. He cleans up the wound and tells me they don’t think stitches will be necessary; it’s just a deep gash. They take an X-ray; thankfully, nothing is broken.

When I was in the sandbox back in 2007, my buddy Sam would always say “If you’re gonna be dumb, you better be tough.” I can’t help laughing thinking about it. Falling hurts… sliding also hurts. My phone said 36 degrees at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base; well above freezing. I assumed I would be fine, especially since I didn’t see any ice forming on water anywhere else. I live right on the river, where the humidity and temperatures are drastically different than elsewhere in the city. Worse, I knew full well my street through downtown is a scene out of Mad Max (“witness me!”)… and yet I went that way anyway; simply because I didn’t want to deal with traffic lights and other drivers. Stupid Hurts.

My gear saved my hide. Those Firstgear TPG Escape pants I wrote about so long ago held together, despite the fact I’ve been mending them from pipe-burns and off-road hooliganism for the better part of two years now. The Icon Raiden jacket was also solid. I was sliding on my back and obviously had no idea how fast I was going because I was on the D3O armored back pad. My elbow took the spill because I was too stubborn to exchange my jacket a second time for a size smaller. Had the jacket fit as it was intended, that D3O pad would have been in place, and prevented my boney extremity from kissing the tarmac. My Scorpion Exo-AT950 appears unscathed, how I don’t know, but needless to say, this event is the exact reason I put this crap on every morning.

And there it is, all of the statistics folks talk about. I was on my street, less than a mile from home, and I had an “off”. Also, like nearly half of all motorcycle accidents, this event was purely my own fault, “riding too fast for the conditions”. I’ve seen ice on my street under these conditions before but figured everything would be fine. So now, the next order of business will be to take care of me; let the adrenaline wear off and make sure there are no other hidden injuries. Thanks to a set of Zeta hand guards and a Giant Loop exhaust guard, with the exception of a bent set of handlebars and rashed pegs, Jerri is otherwise unharmed (mechanically). Those sparks would have been pretty… had it not been my new toy making them.

Having “Ride 365” under my belt, a few days ago I was asking myself, what’s the next challenge. The universe provides; and sometimes not in the way you want it to. I’ve had a low-speed slide in the past, needless to say, this was much more climactic. I’m arguably in better shape than I was following the first “off”, but I suspect this event will have a much deeper psychological impact than the first. I rode the bike back home, and I want to get back on the bike as soon as possible. I’m a firm believer you need to climb back on the horse and keep the demons at bay before they rise out of those dark places in your mind and wreak havoc with your resolve. Either way, it will be a matter of “learning to ride all over again”, rebuilding confidence, recognizing mistakes, moving on, and sharing the experience in the hopes I save others the pain.

Tourmaster Heated Gloves Rashed Right Palm MotoADVR

Tourmaster Heated Gloves Rashed Right Knuckles MotoADVR

Tourmaster Heated Gloves Rashed Right Gauntlet MotoADVR

Firstgear TPG Escape Pants Rashed Rear MotoADVR

Firstgear TPG Escape Pants Rashed Left Knee MotoADVR

Firstgear TPG Escape Pants Rashed Left Leg MotoADVR

Posted in Opinion | Tagged Crash, Firstgear, Icon Raiden, Motorcycle, TCX Boots, Tourmaster | 22 Comments

The Garage Brewed Moto Show 2019

Posted on February 9, 2019 by drewkfaulkner

January, that cold grey month that blankets Ohio in frost and snow. The Christmas lights have been taken down, and for most folks, the motorcycle is tucked away in the garage, waiting for the spring melt. For those that do ride, it’s a brutal month of layering up and enduring the weather and the cursed road salt. Fortunately, there is a shining moment in one of the last weekends of January, the Garage Brewed Moto Show in Cincinnati.

What is Garage Brewed?

Hosted by Cincinnati Café Racer (CCR), Garage Brewed is a free public motorcycle show hosted at Rhinegiest Brewery. Bikes featured are the work of builders from small towns and big cities, from true backyard builders to professional customs. Garage Brewed is an invitation-only show, however, anyone can nominate a bike that they feel deserves to be showcased at Rhinegeist. This winter, volunteers from CCR pored over a hundred and thirty rare, vintage, and custom motorcycle nominations to put together a collection of sixty-three exceptional bikes for the viewing pleasure of event attendees. Each year, a unique crop of motorcycles is selected; thus providing visitors a different experience each January.

Rhinegeist Brewery

At 1910 Elm Street in Over The Rhine, Rhinegeist Brewery was born out of a dream to build a craft brewery, coincidentally on the former site of one of the largest breweries in Cincinnati history before it was closed under prohibition. In 2017, Rhinegeist became the second largest independent craft brewery in Ohio (by sales volume). During this year’s Garage Brewed, Rhinegeist had over twenty-five of their own draft beers on tap for visitors, as they let the Moto Show take over the majority of the brewery’s 250,000 square foot taproom.

The Show You Don’t Want to Miss

This year marked my second visit to Garage Brewed. As I’ve told many others, it’s a truly eclectic collection of motorcycles from across the country. I also have a great appreciation for the fact that many entrants are from right here in Cincinnati, including many vintage survivors that have been polished in the garage, but also a collection of one-of-a-kind custom machines. One of the best parts of the show is meeting new people that have traveled across states to show off their talent, while also catching up with old friends; all the while sharing a pint of some of Cincinnati’s finest craft beer.

Beyond the bikes, CCR puts on an incredible exhibition. Motorcycles are not simply lined up and roped off, they’re presented as members of the crowd. The bikes are up on kegs, hanging from pillars, and on platforms and the main stage for your perusal; often with the builder standing nearby if you have questions or to simply complement their work.

Ripley the Dirtster

If you keep up with the Moto Adventurer Events Calendar, I planned on attending Garage Brewed a long time ago. That said, this year was even more significant as Ripley, the Harley Dirtster Project, was also selected for this year’s show.

I’ve been sitting on a draft of “Stage 1” of the dirtster project for quite a while now, I’m actually hoping to turn that into a video this spring, so stay tuned. In the interim, the short story is, Jeff and I did indeed partner up with Hugo Moto to put together one of the first Sportster “Scrambler” kits. Ripley is the first public Hugo kit to leave the factory. That said, beyond wheels, pegs, and suspension, Jeff and I still did quite a bit more tinkering in the garage to get Ripley in the off-road ready condition she is today, but more on that later…

The Winners

Per my previous comments, each year a given selection of motorcycles are invited to a show, and will not be invited a second time. In keeping with the same mantra, each year a different set of judges are chosen to select the best bikes in each category.

Garage Custom

Bike #22 Adam Shriner – 1981 XS650 Yamaha Bobber

Bike #25 Brandon Miller – 1980 Harley Davidson Shovel Head Chopper

Bike #26 Keith Eads – 1999 Buell 1200 “Twist of Fate”

Pro Custom

Bike #59 Scott Thomae – 2007 Ironhogz Cycles Board tracker

Bike #41 David Drury/Scott Halblieb – 2014 Honda Goldwing Valkyrie

Bike #52 Dani Pajak/Disowned Customs – 1980 Honda CX500

Classic

Bike #15 Beverly and Rocky Corsmeier- 1937 Indian

Bike #2 Donovon Levon- 1975 Yamaha DT250

Bike #6 Tom Miller- 1954 Harley Davidson Panhead

Race Bike

Bike #77 Don Blitz/Richard Klatt- 1956 Matchless G45 race bike

Bike #73 Karen and Steve Lambert – 1975 Bultaco Astro

Bike #72 Jim Lee – 1967 Aermacchi HD

Moped/Mini/Scooter

Bike #8 Tim Mings/Barry Shoenberger-Tohatsu Trailmaster

Bike #31 Jay Fink- 2017 Monster Moto

Bike #29 Mark Radlinski-1981 Vespa “Kirby”

CCR member Garage Brewed Class

Bike#3 Chris Heck-1968 Triumph T100C

People’s Choice Award

Bike #58 David Wagner, Jordan Schank, Shane Richardson, Tyler Bentley – 1978 Kawasaki KZ1000CSR

This year I spent twelve straight hours standing in a brewery talking motorcycles with friends and strangers alike. Standing for twelve hours is a long time, but in reality, talking motorcycles with a top-notch craft brew in my hand is pretty close to heaven on earth in the snow-covered Midwestern winter. I also managed to convince a few non-riding family members to make the trip down to Cincinnati; despite not being motorcycle enthusiasts, they too had a great time exploring the brewery and enjoying the “artwork” littered throughout. I encourage everyone, motorcyclist of otherwise, to “keep your ears up” for the next year’s dates, and mark your calendars for Garage Brewed 2020.

*Big thanks to Bill DeVore and Jeff Pierce for sharing their photos of this year’s event!

Posted in Events & Rides | Tagged Cincinnati, Cincinnati Cafe Racer, craft beer, Custom Motorcycle, Microbrewery, Motorcycle, Motorcycle Show, Rhinegeist Brewery | 11 Comments

How to Measure Adventure Riding Skills

Posted on February 2, 2019 by drewkfaulkner

As the temperatures have dropped and the joy riding has slowed, I’ve spent the last few months consuming a lot of “adventure” riding media. I’ve also dedicated a lot of thought to reviewing “best practices” from various motorcycle events I’ve attended, both in preparation for Red River Scramble, while also in the hopes of helping other motorcyclists (including myself) improve their riding skills. Not all that different from road riding, I find that riding off-road with folks of comparable skill level (or those willing to ride at your level), plays a part in what makes a group ride enjoyable. There’s obviously a lot more to this, and a group doesn’t necessarily need to be composed of uniform skill levels, but it’s a good starting point when putting together a handful of strangers. My biggest concern being, novice riders are sometimes “sucked in” to riding beyond their abilities when following more advanced riders, potentially causing an injury, and in some cases, advanced riders get frustrated when waiting on “slower”, less experienced riders. As far as pavement is concerned, Lemmy over at Revzilla has covered the topic of group riding in great detail, and I recommend taking a few minutes and checking out that article. As far as adventure riding is concerned, for this year’s Red River Scramble I wanted to publish a guide for evaluating your skill level, along with highlighting trail difficulty. This also ties in with how I’ve graded the Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway, and other trails around that area of Kentucky, but more on that in a moment.

Evaluating Your Skills

I caught a podcast on Adventure Rider Radio a few months ago that ultimately led to this blog post. Bret Tkacs from Puget Sound Safety Off-Road (PSSOR) put together this rating system based on his experience as an instructor. To properly evaluate your skill level, you need to look at the terrain features on a given route, and match that against how well you can safely navigate a given obstacle. Skill levels aren’t necessarily uniform grades, but more of a collection of skills for progressively more difficult trail conditions. For example, some riders might be very comfortable with water crossings, but tense up when riding through sand or mud, and so on. PSSOR has a matrix that describes your skill competence on a given terrain feature:

Please note: This system is targeted at 600-1200cc Adventure bikes carrying light loads, riders on lighter dual-sport bikes can also use this as a guide, but these tasks are generally easier on smaller, more dirt-oriented bikes.

Riding within your Skill level means:

Not falling or having near misses
You don’t expect damage to the motorcycle because of terrain
Riding the given terrain is not tiring
Breaks are only needed for food, water, so on, not for resting
You’re capable of multi-tasking while riding (i.e. reading GPS, talking, etc.)

You’re transitioning into higher skill level if:

Tip overs, falls and near misses are infrequent
You don’t expect damage to the motorcycle because of terrain
You need modest breaks between obstacles but are not exhausted
You can multi-task if needed

You’re significantly outside your skill level if:

Falls and near misses are frequent
You crash or have frequent near crashes
You have or expect damage
You’re exhausted from riding
You’re unable to multi-task

Evaluating the Route

PSSOR rates a given route based on terrain features and inherent difficulty. If a stretch of the route contains two or more of these obstacles, it is given that rating.

Novice

Typically old or poorly-maintained paved roads and maintained dirt/gravel roads
Water crossings less than 2 inches deep
Sticks of small tree limbs
Modest inclines or declines (road-like grades)

Basic

Full lane or two-track
Graded dirt/gravel roads
Wide and shallow ruts and washboard
Packed sand
Minor water bars (weather ruts)
Slow-moving water crossings less than 4-inches deep
Obstacles/Ledges less than 4-inches high
Loose rock or gravel less than 3 inches deep
Patches of soft gravel, shallow sand, or surface mud

Intermediate

Dry, narrow single-track ruts
Shallow mud
Soft gravel deeper than 2-inches
Short sections of soft sand (less than 100 ft. long)
Water hazards with mud base or loose rocks
Water crossings up to 6-inches deep
Obstacles up to 6-inches

Advanced

Snow
Narrow Two-track switchbacks
Sections of loose rocks larger than 5-inches
Long sections of soft sand (beyond 100 feet)
Narrow, wet, single track ruts
Water crossings with loose base or rocks
Fast flowing water crossings greater than 7-inches
Modest flowing water crossings deeper than 9-inches
Deep soft gravel
Mud/sand requires checking to proceed
Mud that may need momentum to cross
Hill climbs with mud or loose rocks larger than 6-inches
Ledges/obstacles over 6-inches tall

Expert

Dirt bike like trails
Single-track with switchback sections
May be impassible unless ideal conditions
May need mechanical assistance (winch)
Narrow, off-camber sections
Fast moving water crossings
Water crossings deeper than 12 inches
Obstacles or ledges taller than the front axle
Deep soft sand
Sticky mud
Vertical drop offs or inclines

This guide is not about who’s better than who, it’s about having a “standard” for conversation purposes. That way folks know what to expect when they’ve been given a recommendation for a trail or perhaps when they’re trying to figure out how to put together a group. This is also the “abridged” version of the PSSOR guide, I highly recommend that you check out their page, and study the guide more closely. Also, be sure to check out Bret Tkacs at his website, his YouTube channel, and the training section of his webpage.

How this translates to Red River Scramble

Beyond meeting new people, riding with old friends, and sampling some of the best Pizza in Kentucky, Red River Scramble is also about discovering the Bluegrass Backcountry, which at times is un-paved. While not required, I encourage adventurous riders to take their first excursion off the pavement and down the gravel roads of the Daniel Boone National Forest to see some of the best views of Red River Gorge while they’re in Kentucky. I obviously want to make people as comfortable as I possibly can in taking that first step, so I’m publishing this guide, and promoting PSSOR’s work.

Next, I’ve also taken the time to “rate” each unpaved section of the Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway based on the obstacles you’ll encounter. Admittedly, I’ve combined PSSOR’s “Novice” and “Basic” terrain features into “Easy” for the sake of brevity. If you look at the map posted on the DBBB Guide I published a few months ago, you’ll find each section numbered and color-coded based on difficulty, along with photographs or videos of each section. I plan on providing an abridged, text only, file for download and potentially paper copies for reference at the event in May, just to keep folks from wading in too deep by accident.

As always, these are recommended guidelines and considering weather, trail conditions can evolve by the hour. I also ask folks to leave comments below if they have additional pointers with regard to group riding, measuring your riding skills, or any recommendations on how to make group riding more enjoyable for everyone, be it on or off road.

Posted in Gear - Maintenance - Safety | Tagged Adventure, Adventure Riding, Bluegrass State, Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway, Kentucky, Motorcycle | 1 Comment

Bonneville to Scrambler in 145 Easy Steps: Part 3 (of 3).

Posted on January 26, 2019 by desmoderek

Being a regular reader of this esteemed blog, I’m figuring you’ve already read Parts 1 and 2 of this build trilogy and are settling in to digest the contents of the final piece. You are asking yourself “What happened between getting the jetting and gearing right-on, and getting the stance of the bike set-up by dialing in the suspension for some intrepid green-laning?” – Well here goes.

At the end of this piece is the list of parts that were used in the make-over. Recall we are going from a nice example of a 9-year-old Bonneville Black, to a rip-roaring green lane scrambler now known affectionately as ‘The Bonbler’. Some of the parts that were originally on the bike have been upgraded or replaced due to a compatibility issue with another part added at a later date.

Feeling a measurably less-than-smug sense of self-satisfaction over getting the jetting and gearing sorted out the best I could, I started working on updating the parts of the bike that I thought needed attention. Some of these parts I considered required add-ons, like a tachometer, and some are whimsical ‘nice to haves’ that I consider to be tasteful upgrades, such as the Rizoma Action Turn Signals, or the Biltwell Renegade Oxblood Red Grips.

The less than smug feeling I was experiencing was due to a niggling feeling that I thought I could get the fueling better, but I was unsure how to accomplish this, or more accurately, apart from doing it all over again, where to start? …After all, the response was crisp when you opened the throttle anywhere in the rev range, it pulled hard from tick-over to redline with no glitches or soft spots and when you closed the throttle you could feel the power recede instantly and the engine braking was good, even the plugs were a nice dark biscuit color. I was unsure where the unsettling feeling was coming from, so I eventually moved on, hoping the reason would reveal itself in due time, which of course it finally did – but more of that later.

As I mentioned in Part 1, the first things to come off where the wheels so the tires could be replaced with some nice new Shinko 705’s. Knowing full well that was going to take a day or two to get done, I figured I’d dig right in and strip it right down to frame, engine, loom, brakes and suspension.

Here are the initial build lists.

Strip down List

Remove Seat
Remove Tank
Remove Battery
Remove Side Panels
Remove Front Fender & Remove from Brace
Remove Headlamp bowl
Remove Front Turn Signals (label wiring)
Remove Reflectors
Remove Horn
Remove Rectifier
Remove Exhaust
Remove Rear Fender (label wiring)
Remove Front Wheel
Remove Front Forks
Remove Headlamp Brackets & Ignition switch
Remove Gauge and Idiot lights
Remove Rear Wheel, Shocks, & Caliper
Remove SAI
Remove Coil & Wires
Take Wheels to fit tires
Remove Mirrors
Remove Handlebars
Remove Fork Guards
Remove Rear Pegs
Remove Snorkel
Remove Air Filter, Carbs and Rubbers

Re-assembly List

Install SAI Removal Kit and Resistor
Install Nology Coil & Hot Wires
Install Biltwell Motobar Handlebars
Install TTS Air Intake, & Dynojet Kit
Install New Air Trumpets
Install BB Gauge Bracket and Acewell Gauge
Relocate Ignition Switch
Relocate Rectifier & Horn
Re-Install Front Forks
Install Gaiters
Install Headlamp Brackets
Reinstall Headlamp Bowl
Install Mini-Screen
Install Turn Signals on Relocation Bracket and Tail Tidy
Install Tail Tidy
Install Front Turn Signal Bracket
Install Exhaust
Install Rack & Hardware
Install Side Panels
Install Bobbed Front Fender & Brace
Install Wheels
Install SAE Lead
Install CTEK Lead
Install Tank
Install Battery & Test lights, indicators, start engine check dash lights
Install Comfort Seat
Install NB Oil Cooler and Sump Guards
Install NB Blanking Plates for Rear Pegs

As you follow down through the Re-assembly List you can see how some items would be so easily replaced while other required planning or required other parts to be in place before they could be installed. The trick while doing the carb work was to keep the bike looking roadworthy for the test runs. I did not want to attract the wrong type of attention, if you get my meaning [“Let’s just say, we’d like to avoid any Imperial entanglements.” -Ed.]

While the wheels were off for new tires, I also had the rubber sealing strips and tubes replaced and had the spoke ends cleaned up. They were not in bad shape luckily, so the main task of dis-assembly could begin. It only took a total of four hours, one night after work, for the heavier stuff. The fiddlier secondary stripping down of all the parts like gauges, regulator and rectifier removal, ignition switch relocation, coils and SAI removal, air filter and funnel replacement took another couple of hours the following night. As part of the SAI removal, I decided to completely remove the little fan motor and replace it with a soldered resistor and use the freed-up space under the tank to move the coil further back or as the possible new location for the horn.

Pretty much all the parts that are marketed for these bikes are well developed, tried and tested items that essentially just plug-n-play and any accompanied wiring is usually terminated with OE connectors, but some of the cut-price alternatives show signs of wider manufacturing tolerances and sometimes require a bit of ‘bespoking’ to make them fit nicely.

Those of us who are on the OCD side of cautious keep a chest full of various JST’s, waterproof connectors and quick disconnects, just in case things aren’t as tidy as we’d like. I’d rather install a new set of connectors than have enough slack in the wire to loop it around, so I go through quite a few when I’m doing a job like this. I can almost laugh about it now (seriously, I’m close to being able to), but a few years back I ordered a set of lights and complete wiring kit for a CAN Bus bike. When it arrived, I didn’t like the way the light loom was built. It was a “Y” shape and supposed to be model specific, but it was too long in one place and just long enough in two others, while also requiring dis-assembly of both sides of the bike. I stripped it down and built my own using the switches, relay blocks, and connectors. My version split right at the front of the bike requiring only one side of the bike to be disassembled (and fit much better, even if I do say so myself) and there was just enough slack in the loom to tuck it away nice and tidily.

The engineer in me is always looking for improvements in functional and aesthetic design, especially if there’s an efficiency gain to be had in the process. In this case, the work was worth the effort for the space it saved under the seat, even if it was probably less than a wash by the time it was completely fitted and the bike was back together. Obviously universal parts vary immensely in user-friendliness, and this is often where a couple of days garage work can save you half an hour research on the forums. (See what I did there?) Rizoma makes some beautiful universal fit parts, but you need to be prepared to spend time perfecting the fit. On the other end of the spectrum, a well-known parts supplier sells wares that often require trimming or squaring to give even an average looking fit, and that’s not what we’re looking for here. The intent is to create a custom bike that looks like the original but has a focus on old school scrambling. We want a sleek looking make-over with tidy looking parts that appear to be part of the original design, they cannot look out of place. I don’t want a flashy look-at-me kind of bike, but a refined bike that people in the know recognize as having a high level of personal customization to help it do what the owner wants to do with it. (If that makes any sense?)

The decision to go with an all-in-one gauge that contains the speedo, tachometer, trip meter, idiot lights, and other measurables like temperature and fuel level was born out of a desire to add the tachometer, and to relocate the ignition key to the dash area. I’ve always been happier when I can see the key in front of me, and I really distrust the location on the side of the headlight bracket. The answer came one day when I found the Bonneville Bracket Ignition Relocation Single Gauge Mount for the earlier non-CVO Bonnies. I really didn’t want to pay for a new Triumph tachometer, or the money they were going for used on eBay. I’d bought a 2” LED Rev Counter and Battery Volt Meter I found a deal on and had formed up a template using thin aluminum as a mounting bracket to locate it on the riders’ side of the handlebar ala the current Scrambler models. This had been the result of some researching to figure out where to get the signal for the Tach. It turns out the wiring is already in place and terminates in the headlamp bucket. All I had to do was tap the running light for the 12v power source, ground the gauge, and pick up the signal to the Tachometer that appeared on other Bonneville models. Once mounted it was pretty cool, and I was about to get the bracket laser cut and formed when the OE speedo started acting up, it was starting to flick around a bit at the 70mph+ range, so with a bit more looking about and up pops an Acewell Gauge via a Dime City Cycle email. Things were looking interesting again as the size was close enough the OE gauge to work with the Bonneville Bracket mount, and voila, a nice off the shelf set up ready to roll.

Deciding on a seat was not an easy decision. I liked the Brat look of a thin narrow board-like seat, and lucky for me the bike came to me with the thin Triumph Comfort Seat. I didn’t realize how much I liked that particular seat until I bought a single seat with an integrated rear rack and rode that around for a couple of weeks. I’m blaming Drew for this diversion because his Scrambler looks really good with this setup and if I recall correctly, he did an Iron Butt Ride using that setup. It lasted about a fortnight (two weeks) on my bike before I swapped it back to the comfort seat. While I was playing on a forum one day, I saw a post about a long-forgotten mod that required a Vespa seat pin and a Kawasaki ZX6 seat latch. As you can tell, I went ahead and dropped $15 on a used seat latch and $6 on the Vespa part, and now I have a cable release for my comfortable seat.

After the little bits were taken care of, and I was settled into our new Indianapolis home, I got to work on the suspension set up. I gathered all the parts (as shown) and Drew and I took the best part of a Saturday getting the parts fitted, as detailed in Part 2. During this process, we were chatting about some of the fueling work I’d done on a Hypermotard using a product called an Electronic Jet Kit. This little magic box took the electronic signals from the o2 sensors and the ECU and fed them through an onboard chip containing a fuel bias map, it essentially modified the signal to the OE fuel pump and ejectors letting you tune the bike in a number of parameters without the need for a PC.

During this conversation I suddenly had an Aha-Moment. I realized that I was expecting the carb’ed Bonnie to feel like a well-tuned Fuel Injected bike, and anyone who’s in the know is well aware of the subtle differences between carb and FI bikes. I took the Bonbler out after Drew returned from one of our initial post-suspension work test-runs and realized the bike was actually pretty peachy the way it was. This impression was in no doubt due in part to Drew’s comment when he returned saying it was one of the best carb’ed Bonnies he’d ridden [One of the best Bonnevilles. Period. -Ed.].

I guess a new dog can teach an old dog a trick or two after all.

Not To Be Continued…

PS. The Bonbler is a real hoot to ride. It’s not uber powerful, but it’s predictable with enough attitude to rip it up in a fun way. The gearing is just right for getting up to speed quickly, the suspension is nice and firm with plenty of feedback to the rider, and the engine is smooth with a nice crisp throttle response. It’s the bike I wanted to build. I am happy the way it’s turned out. I think it’s going to be with me for a while, and if you’ve read my other blogs on here you’ll know that is a strong testament to the finished product [I mean, it is the longest standing bike in Andy’s possession right now… -Ed.]. Thanks for bearing with me. I hope there’s something in here you can take away for your own project(s).

Regards, and Ride Safe. – Andy

Posted in Bikes | Tagged Bonneville T100, Bonnie Black, Motorcycle, Motorcycle Project, Triumph Bonneville | 1 Comment

Red River Scramble 2019 Updates

Posted on January 18, 2019 by drewkfaulkner

In case you missed the news just before Christmas, this year’s Red River Scramble will be held Thursday, May 16th through Sunday, May 19th (REGISTER HERE). You may have noticed that Moto Adventurer was a little quiet last fall, per my previous comments, a lot of “life” was happening, but at the same time I was standing up a new website for this year’s Bluegrass Adventure Rally. So, on with the news:

New Website!

Red River Scramble was so successful last year that I have now launched RedRiverScramble.com. On the new website you’ll find the event description, registration, optional routes, and additional links to Rever, maps, GPX Downloads and more. I will likely manage the news blasts here on Moto Adventurer and on Facebook, but I wanted to give the event its own site since it’s been so well received.

Changes for 2019

Between the feedback from the attendee survey, and my own experiences at last year’s Conserve the Ride, I have made a few changes to this year’s rally. First, we’ve added an extra day of riding, but most importantly, we’ve moved locations. This year, Red River Scramble will be held at Lago Linda Hideaway near Beattyville. This new location is about 20 miles south of Slade, offers more amenities, and has more capacity in the event we experience additional growth this year. Just like previous years, lodging arrangements are the attendee’s responsibility, so be sure to check out Lago Linda’s website (see link above).

Along with building the new website, I have almost doubled the GPX tracks available for both pavement and off-road riding. Moving south to a new campground offered opportunities to add new sections of twisty pavement to the event. In addition, by splicing up the DBBB and locating additional un-paved roads, I’ve put a lot of effort into creating skill level based dual-sport routes for GPX download. Lastly, I had a few requests for paper maps last year. With the help of the Kentucky DOT website and some creative photo-shopping, I’ve patched together local pavement and dual-sport maps that will be available for download.

More about Dual Sport Riding

First, if you’re only interested in pavement riding, don’t sweat, per my comments above, I’ve added even more miles to this year’s tracks, and honestly, you’ll struggle to find a boring road leaving Beattyville. However, if you’re looking for more trails, or looking to dip your toe in the dirt for the first time, I’ve expanded the selection and have taken deliberate steps to make route selection easier.

Per my comments last year, while not the only option, the Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway (DBBB) is the big draw to the area. That said, the terrain conditions vary from novice to advanced difficulty depending on season and what section you’re riding. Thus, I have revamped the DBBB GPX tracks so that folks can ride the route in a loop that, for the most part, increases in difficulty as you go. That said, some folks want to stick to the “scenic” off-road riding, while others want to get a taste of the more advanced options. For scenic riders, I’ve built GPX tracks for both “Novice” and “Intermediate” off-road riders. Please keep in mind, I have built these routes with larger adventure bikes in mind, so if you’re an experienced rider, or have a lighter dual-sport bike, your opinion on my difficulty assessment may vary. Now, for advanced riders, I’ve built the DBBB “Extreme Loop” by combining the hardest sections of the DBBB with the “Hard” (marked RED) sections of the Kentucky Adventure Tour. Per my comments on the “Where to Ride” page, these tracks are intended for advanced riders only, and are likely to be extremely hazardous for large bikes and motorcycles without proper off-road tires.

Lastly, I received a few inquiries about dedicated single track last year. White Sulphur OHV Trail is just north of Frenchburg, not far from Slade, which offers 20-some miles of OHV trails that are limited to vehicles under 50 inches wide. I’m told that these trails are seldom traveled, I expect that will allow attendees to get their fix of exclusive off-road trails, along with views near Cave Run Lake. Be advised, you will need to pick up a permit from one of the local outlets ($7 one-day, or $15 3-day pass), but several are on the way north from Beattyville (See Permit Locations Here).

In addition to White Sulphur, Hollerwood Park is twenty minutes up the road from Lago Linda. Still in its infancy, Hollerwood is a brand new Multi-county OHV cooperative. For $30, a 30-day pass offers off-roaders access to 2,500 acres of Kentucky wilderness. Per my previous comments, Hollerwood is brand new, and is still in the process of publishing maps and marking trails. Adventurous, experienced riders are likely to enjoy exploring the hidden backcountry inside Hollerwood Park (including Townsend Cave), however less intrepid riders expecting a “guided tour” are likely to be discouraged by what they find.

Final Housekeeping Notes

As the event gets closer, I will publish an event schedule. I want to have at least one rider meeting so I can address safety, along with any questions people may have about finding the best routes for their taste in riding. I expect I will have registration Thursday evening, with late registration Friday, and perhaps Saturday morning for the last minute arrivals. I am also in the process finalizing details with Rever for another addition to the Bluegrass Scavenger Hunt. As these things get settled I plan on publishing a short list of the GPX routes available, and a few tips on evaluating your off-road riding skills, that way if folks don’t have anyone to ride with, they can group up based on ability if they so choose. As always, I’m anxious to hear comments on things you’re looking forward to, or and feedback from your previous experiences at Red River Scramble or even other adventure rallies.

Posted in Events & Rides | Tagged Adventure, Adventure Riding, Beattyville, Bluegrass Adventure Rally, Kentucky, Motorcycle, Motorcycle Rally, Off-road, Red River Scramble | 2 Comments

What is the Future of Motorcycling?

Posted on January 7, 2019 by drewkfaulkner

Over the holidays I spent a lot of time thinking about the future of Moto Adventurer and where the blog, and subsequent social media outlets, are going from here. A lot of folks have asked if I was going to do more videos or perhaps start Vlogging (Video Blogging). I’ve struggled to get my head wrapped around the best way to use YouTube, but after a lot of back and forth with my buddy Flynch, and stumbling on an interesting format, I’ve decided to try something new up on the Moto Adventurer channel. Humor me and take a peak at the latest video, let me know what you think, and most importantly, post your opinion on the topic in the comment section on YouTube. For my traditional followers, don’t fret, I’ve included the “transcript” below as a regular blog post. Video is growing on me, but I too, still enjoy reading.

Over the past two years, we’ve seen Victory, Motus, and Alta close their doors; meanwhile Harley-Davidson is shutting down their Kansas City plant as part of a consolidation plan. Considering the endless stories about the Motor Company’s falling margins, it seems obvious that motorcycle sales have not been what they once were. Without spending hours going through the finite details, it’s fair to say sales are about half of what they were prior to the market crash in ’09. Until just recently, automotive sales have steadily climbed since the bottom fell out, while motorcycle sales have remained mostly stagnant. Stories of this “Doom and gloom” were quite the persistent theme in the motorcycle media for the last year or so. Needless to say, I spent a lot of time reading these articles, especially regarding Victory’s closure, and naturally couldn’t help asking myself, “What’s the future of motorcycling?”

I have to tell you, I don’t see myself as a person that normally subscribes to negative news. I think most of us have heard the expression “if it bleeds, it leads” in reference to the nightly news; a mantra that I believe has led to the sensationalized 24-hour news cycle, and sadly, I fear has led to a negative mob mentality that has arguably affected the social culture of this country. For that reason, I don’t subscribe to it, and generally tune-out the news outlets and their scare tactics. However, when it comes to motorcycles, it’s difficult to ignore these negative messages, considering the riding community’s small size. So, I ask the question, assuming this information is true, why are motorcycle sales declining?

Are Millennials to blame for declining sales?

Many of those before mentioned articles included no shortage of opinions from various members of the motorcycle community, from the familiar faces of the moto-media, to the CEO of Harley Davidson. Beyond the two-wheeled world, after downgrading the Motor Company’s financial outlook, analysts from Alliance Bernstein blamed Generation Y’s lack of interest in motorcycling as the cause of Harley’s decreased sales. This naturally spread like wildfire throughout the media, be it two-wheeled or otherwise. It is said that the Baby Boomer generation embraced motorcycling more than any other, and now that generation is simply aging out of the sport. Generation X appears to have been ignored in much of this commentary, overshadowed by the fact that the Millennials, AKA Generation Y, now outnumbers all other generations in the country. Again skeptical, I ask, are Millennial buying habits actually the reason the motorcycle market is shrinking? If that’s true, that Millennials are not adopting motorcycling like their predecessors, is this just a timing thing, or is it an interest problem?

Are the costs too high?

Exclusive of the generation gap, many have suggested that motorcycles simply cost too much. (On the blog) I’ve probably discussed the topic of motorcycle cost ad nauseum, but I will say that it’s hard to believe there’s not some sticker shock going on at the local motorcycle dealerships. For many, the staple “first motorcycle” of yore was arguably the Honda Rebel 250; which, in recent history was upgraded to the new Rebel 300 and will set you back about five grand or so out the door. That price range is easily “reliable used car” territory, possibly remodel the bathroom money, and unquestionably fix the car, buy diapers and groceries money. I’m not trying to suggest that the new Rebel 300 is overpriced, I’m simply agreeing with comments I’ve seen elsewhere, Americans have no shortage of places to spend their hard-earned money. Therein lies the rub, I’ve heard folks say they want to give motorcycling a try, but they simply can’t justify the cost. Are sales in a slump because new motorcycles cost too much, or is it a matter of return on investment? Or have Americans simply decided to spend their disposable income on cheaper leisure activities?

Are manufacturers not selling bikes people want?

Others have suggested that there are not enough appropriate motorcycles for first time riders available. Per my comment about the recent upgrade of the Honda Rebel, in the past 3 years it seems there’s been somewhat of a mad rush to expand the offerings in lower displacement ranges. That said, there’s also been a significant boom in the retro, scrambler, and adventure segments. I’ve read opinions that suggest these retro bikes are targeted at older riders that are looking to downsize and are captivated by the nostalgia of their youth; meanwhile the transformer like sport-naked and beaked adventure bike styling is modernized to fault. Which begs to question, are manufacturers simply not building motorcycles people want to buy?

Are motorcycles simply too dangerous?

Putting on my journalist hat on, I took to Facebook to interview my non-motorcycling friends.While I would ultimately like to write an article on this topic, I went ahead and asked my friends and family, “Why Don’t you ride a motorcycle?” The responses to this question were, of course, as unique as the individuals supplying the answers, but there’s no question that safety was a very common theme. Considering I’ve specifically written about motorcycle safety, my opinion on this topic is likely known by many; however, we cannot deny the non-riding community’s perception that motorcycles are less than safe. I’ll admit, my opinion about the dangers of motorcycles may be wrong, so with respect to the possible decline in the sport, I ask, “Is motorcycling simply too dangerous for most people?”

If you read my blog or regularly tune into the YouTube channel, my passion for everything two-wheels is evident. A motorcycle is my daily commuter as often as it is transportation to most social occasions. Long-time followers of Moto Adventurer obviously know that the motorcycle is my preferred means of travel and leisure, be it urban exploring, or the deep backcountry adventures. Motorcycling has put me in contact with some of THE MOST genuine people; and in many ways, helped me reintegrate to civilian life after my career in the military. While I don’t fear that motorcycles will suddenly be wiped from the landscape, there’s no denying that I do in fact believe that motorcycles are in the midst of a potentially major market shift; with cars not too far behind. As I’m obviously heavily invested in this… uh… “lifestyle” if you will, I want to help curb its possible demise, meanwhile, welcoming new members into such a rewarding community. If we’re going to promote the future of the sport, we first need to understand what’s actually happening by asking the right questions.

So again, I ask these questions: Is the Millennial generation responsible for declining motorcycle sales? Are manufacturers not selling bikes people want to buy? Has riding become too expensive compared to other leisure activities? Or has motorcycling simply become too dangerous?

Ultimately, I suspect that we will find truth behind each of these accusations, to some degree or another. The apparent decline of motorcycling is obviously a complex problem with a myriad of contributing factors. Which levies the final, and most important question, what do we need to change, as motorcyclists, manufacturers, and ultimately a culture to help grow the sport? Or in short, “What is the future of motorcycling?”

Posted in Opinion | Tagged Harley Davidson, Millennial, Motorcycle, Triumph Motorcycles | 7 Comments

Musings from the Saddle: Reflections on 2018

Posted on December 29, 2018 by drewkfaulkner

Reflection

With only a couple days left in the year, I can’t help but to look back the events of 2018. Revzilla has their annual report card, Chris Cope has his quarterly “State of the Motorcycle Obsession”, I’m apparently no different.

At the risk of sounding like I’m tooting my own horn, beyond maintaining the Moto Bucket list, at the end of each year I like to take time to refine my goals for the coming “riding season”. While I still missed out on taking a big trip to the Southernmost Point this year, I was surprised to find that I accomplished a lot more than I thought I would. If you’ve been tuned in as of late, I spoke at length about finally finishing the Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway (DBBB) in August. With that, I imagine by now you’ve undoubtedly caught the recap of riding 365 straight days. That saga actually continued on for 468 days, but I’ll delve more into that in a minute. While the story was unfortunately lost in the flurry of spring riding commitments, in April I finally made it out to Illinois for the final Moonshine Lunch Run.

The weather was less than ideal, but it was another one of those things I just wanted to do. The crowd wasn’t as large as past years (for obvious reasons), but I still met a really awesome group of dedicated long-distance riders from New York and New England. The second weekend in April, that ride into the Land of Lincoln for a Moonburger checked the first box for a new state visited for 2018; rapidly followed by Pennsylvania for Conserve the Ride in June. Unfortunately I’ve still failed to recap the highlights from this year’s Dragon Raid, but take my word for it that during that week a buddy and I ventured down to the highest point in South Carolina, checking off the third new state for the year.

Perspective

While obscure at the time, I was curious if riding every single day would have lasting effects. Realization and comprehension of those effects wouldn’t come until the streak ended in November when my wife fell extremely ill and was hospitalized.

Pacing in her hospital room, I had plenty of time to contemplate the meaning of the universe, among other things. In the realm of motorcycles, the definitions of what is easy, and what is hard had shifted in my mind. Like riding a motorcycle for the first time, exposure to new things, and taking new risks, were rewarded with new skills, and a new perspective on the sport. Things previously thought to be impossible were indeed possible; barriers had been removed, and (some) preconceived notions about motorcycles in general had been dissolved. Unfortunately, a victim of the internet age, the realization that things were less black and white than ever before, started to make me feel isolated from fellow motorcyclists. Having experienced a major evolution in both skill and mindset, my eyes were opened to both possibilities, and renewed understanding that each of us has a unique taste, in both machines and leisure. Certainly this has always been the case to some degree, however, having crossed such a substantial boundary, the possibilities seemed endless.

Having lost all context, terms like “beginner motorcycle”, “under-powered”, and the suggestion that every problem must be solved by spending more money, now sounded absurd. Long-term readers know that I’m predisposed to disregard conventional wisdom from to time to time; but now more than ever before, I find it difficult to accept that “bigger is always better”, price is an indicator of quality, and having the latest and greatest is what will make you happy. While certainly not irreversible, motorcycles have now been forged as both tools and avocation, a utilitarian mode of transportation while a superior means of adventure, and even an avenue to enlightenment in my eyes.

On a lighter note, I’m happy to report I’ve continued to learn a great deal about the skills required to operate a motorcycle over the past year. Around September of last year, I started practicing trail-braking techniques on the Scrambler. Rosie is a far cry from a sport bike, and my morning commute is less than a racetrack, but I rapidly grew to understand the advantages of loading the front suspension while entering the turn, versus realizing too late that I’d drifted into a corner too hot. On the other hand, literally, with the arrival of the CRF250L, I’ve realized the serious deficiency in my clutch technique. The Scrambler has immense power compared to the pint-sized Honda (60 HP vs 18).

As a result, I’d gotten lazy with the clutch, and wanted to tractor the bike in situations where “finesse” would have been a lot smoother. That’s on my list of things to perfect in 2019, but I cannot deny I’ve already started to understand how valuable the smallest amount of clutch control can be when the rear end steps out in the mud. Completing 365 straight days of riding not only showed me what I was capable of, but also made me realize how much more you can learn about riding, and how that journey is endless. I can’t say it enough, each skill builds on the previous skill, and refinement of the fundamentals exponentially improves the new skills. Riding in the dirt made riding in the snow possible; riding in the snow drew attention to my lacking off-road skills, and the cycle repeats.

What’s on Tap for 2019

Again, per my comments on updating the Moto Bucket List, the Kentucky Adventure Tour is my biggest goal for 2019. I’ve obviously ridden a portion of the main loop by tackling the DBBB on multiple occasions, but my intention is now to spend a week in the Kentucky backcountry exploring more of the unpaved byways. Before that happens, we’re all in store for another installment of Red River Scramble this May. Not long after Conserve The Ride, I had already begun working more routes for next year’s rally. While the Kentucky Adventure Tour is the “big ticket” item for 2019, I can’t deny how rewarding it feels to expose new visitors to the best of the Bluegrass State (more on this soon).

That sentiment actually goes a bit further. Beyond inviting everyone on the inter-webs to enjoy Pizza in Red River Gorge, I’m toying with the idea of putting together some local rides to Shawnee State Forest to help expose novice adventure riders to some of the easier local trails. I’ve had a lot of conversations on local adventure forums about various riding locations, and it goes without saying I want to expose as many folks to the thrill of adventure riding as possible.

Two years ago, if you asked me what I wanted to do next year, I’d have said “ride more.” 2017 was actually the record year for mileage, but I’m here to tell you, while I love riding as often as I can, riding every single day helps you appreciate the good roads. Next year I want to be choosier about riding the fun roads, exploring new places, and experiencing more “Zen” from the saddle. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still be riding to work, as often as possible for that matter, but I want to expand my exposure to the remote backroads, just as I want to keep visiting new states. With that, like I said back in August of last year, I want start planning a few days of riding, not so much a destination. This year’s Dragon Raid meant riding through not one, but two tropical storms in one week. Weather in eastern Kentucky was downright stellar, while in North Carolina I spent most days dodging rain as Hurricane Florence played havoc with the seasonal weather as it approached the coast. I’ve too often been hell-bent on the “destination”, and at times forgotten to appreciate the moment. Next year I want to take a week’s vacation, and ride wherever the wind takes me; be it Bluegrass dirt, Amish country, or perhaps the Rockies.

Posted in Opinion | Tagged Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway, Dragon Raid, Honda CRF250L, Kentucky Adventure Tour, Moonshine Lunch Run, Triumph Scrambler | 7 Comments

Welche Für Dich?

Posted on December 23, 2018 by desmoderek

Andy sent this draft over my way a couple days ago. I loved the premise from the get-go, but considering I’ve not properly introduced him to the Moto Adventurer fan base, I wanted to “set the stage” before he got into the philosophical details of motorcycle ownership. The first time I met Andy (that I can recall), was in the parking lot of the Iron Horse Motorcycle Lodge at the 2014 Dragon Raid. Andy was backing out into the lot, headed out for a ride with a group of guys that I now ride with regularly. I was immediately taken aback by the ungodly racket emitting from the nether regions of his ride. I looked over at the stranger and asked, “Is something wrong with that thing?” He lifted the visor on his helmet and in the thick British accent he said: “Eh, it’s short a few marbles but it should be okay.” Unbeknownst to me, that curious sound was the distinct clatter of the Ducati dry clutch. That first year, I met Andy on his Hypermotard, in 2015 that bike evolved into a Multistrada, and in 2016 that bike morphed into- …well, you get the idea. There’s no denying that there’s been some horse-trading going on in Andy’s stable from year to year, but despite appearances, I think you’ll find that’s heavily influenced by a much deeper emotional connection between man and machine- …but he also puts it better than I do:

Welche für dich? – Interesting title, right? To me it sounds like a sheep shaggers appendage… Welsh Fur Di… Alas, I’ve no idea how it should be pronounced, but I do kind of speak a second language… I am fluent in Sarcasm, which in itself, like revenge, is best served cold, and the drier the better, IMHO. My humour [“humor” for us colonials -ed.] such as it is, is often confusing to people, and I have to wield it with extreme caution. I’m told people can’t tell if I’m joking or not, so to avoid offending someone, I let it out slowly…

Where am I going with this? Well I’m going to a place that’s dark and littered with remnants of previous desires. The place that most of us visit at some time or another. The place that tells us that if we just have this one thing, life will be so much better because of it. Now, I’ve been happily married for getting on about eight years, and I’m thankful every day for my wife’s patience when it comes to motorcycles. Something I may have mentioned previously (Orange Fever, I think), I used to joke with my old flames that I’m getting a new ride, “is it you or the bike that’s being replaced?” As a result of this approach, I can happily report that motorcycles do indeed keep me poor, but shit, I’ve had a few that were absolute stunners (usually Italian), some not so much (Yam YZF750-R), and a few dogs (Zephyr 550), but that’s par for the course I suppose.

Back in 2015, I was bimbling around Middle Tennessee on a well sorted Triumph Tiger Explorer I’d bought a few years earlier when living in Dayton, OH. This bike was my all-rounder if for no other reason than it was the only motorcycle I had at that time. A year before I had an early model Ducati Diavel that had seen some of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Iowa, Illinois, North Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia, as well as the tri-state around Southwest Ohio. Although the Diavel was a surprisingly good tourer for a cruiser, it was getting a bit tedious replacing the $400 rear tire every 4,000 miles, and the front every 6,000. At 14,000 miles I’d replaced six tires in 16 months. It was time to get a more long-distance oriented bike if I was going to get back into touring again, and I wanted to.

I knew what it was like to Sport Tour, I’d had a couple of Sprint 1050 ST’s, but I knew the riding position was too forward for my lower back. I for one was glad the ADV trend was gaining momentum and there were lots of upright models capable of day-long rides. The 1050 Tiger had been a contender to replace the first 1050 Sprint ST, but alas that model was not being imported by 2015, so the obvious Triumph was the big Tiger Explorer, especially because it pumped out 135 HP, and had a clean worry-free shaft drive. Over the first six months of ownership, the TEx had seen some additions to make it more tour-worthy; a pair of Rox bar risers, an MRA touring screen, and a full set of Jesse Odyssey II luggage. The bike had done a few local day rides and been to Deal’s Gap twice, both times two up with my wife, and after 12,000 miles the rear suspension was all but shagged. Triumph wouldn’t entertain any kind of claim as it was out of warranty, so some research was conducted, a few calls made, and it was decided that a complete suspension makeover was the order of the day. I wasn’t concerned about being bike-less for the month it was going to take to rework the Triumph because a few months before I’d bought a ‘fun’ bike to hammer around on. I’d found a deal on a 3,000 mile 2012 Hypermotard 1100 EVO SP. I’d been having fun getting it to bang out 100 HP and lift the front with not more than a light twist of the wrist, but now that was done my attention turned back to the Triumph’s suspension.

On a recommendation from a friend, I began talking to Jeff Favorite at Ted Porters Beemer Shop about what was going on with the TEx. Over the course of a month or two the conversations started homing in on a plan, and while we weren’t 100% sure what the fix was, we had a pretty good place to start. We had decided on a fully adjustable Wilber’s HPA shock to replace the battered Triumph unit, and he was going to rework the front forks. This meant removing the forks and sending them to Jeff in CA where he would install some progressive springs with a different spring profile than the OE ones, and the damping rate and oil level would be optimized which should sort out the understeer and was also going to help with odd tire wear a lot of owners had reported.

Strangely enough Jeff had ignited my curiosity in the BMW R1200 GS. I wasn’t sure why, but I wanted to try one. The Triumph was better on paper, and when I say better, I mean lighter, and had more power, and I was also in the process of trading my Hypermotard Evo for an ex-Demo, 145HP, Multistrada 1200S, and was probably going to replace the Triumph as the go-to Tourer if the suspension change didn’t work out, so what was the point? Hmmmm…

By the time I got ready to do all the work on the TEx I had moved and had been living in Tennessee for close to seven months and was about to embark on a two-week tour with a friend on a Tiger 800, leaving the Ozark RAT Raid out of Harrison, Arkansas. The plan was to get out to Colorado Springs in a couple of days, stay in Gunnison, CO, then head to Moab for a few days, drop south and head back through New Mexico and Texas. The TEx was loaded and rode like a completely different bike. It steered quickly, put the power down much better due to the improved rear shock, and the front end felt much more planted; it really was quite good to ride.

It just so happened that while out in Moab we did a bit of dirt roading. We were traveling along a track in the desert heading for Red Cliffs moving at 15-25mph in 80 degree heat when the TEX started to overheat. The fans wouldn’t come on. I pulled over and to let it cool while I swapped the relays about to see if that was the problem. It turned out that both fans had seized and even after working them lose they still wouldn’t turn on so we hobbled back to the Adventure Motel. Luckily the wind speed over 30 mph kept it cool enough to ride normally.

A few months later I was out riding in Tennessee and needed to get the TEx serviced. The donuts at the local Triumph dealership were as stale as the atmosphere in the service area, so I stopped in at the local BMW/Ducati dealer to talk to the service guy, who I’d met previously when he serviced my Multistrada. He was busy with a customer, so I went to find the sales guy who was also busy but handed me the keys to their demo R1200 GS asking me if I’d like to take it out for 20 minutes while he dealt with his customer. Now then, even though I wasn’t considering one, I was still curious. I also had two friends who both owned BMW R11/1200 RT’s and they always seemed less fatigued at the end of our days riding than I was on any of the Triumph’s I owned, and they swore by the boxer motor. They even went so far as to say that part of the reason they felt better at the end of the day was the rhythm of the engine, it was almost relaxing.

The GS was odd to start with. The pull on the motor as you revved it reminded me of a Guzzi I’d been on twenty years before. It felt like a cross between the Triumph and the Ducati; as smooth as the triple but felt just like the Italian L-twin. After five miles of riding the GS I knew I was going to buy it. The bike was so balanced and handled so well, it was a revelation. The brakes were good, the electronics were cool, it did everything really well. I was absolutely amazed at what a competent bike the GS was. I traded the TEx right then and there. I now owned a 2014 Multistrada 1200 S and a 2015 Triple Black R1200 GS. I knew the GS was going to be the Tourer.

Over the next two years we covered 15,000 miles together while I only racked up another 5,000 on the Multi before a Monster 1200 S found its way into my garage shortly thereafter. Blame was placed firmly on the Natchez Trace which was 5 miles from my doorstep. Although I did ride the whole of the Trace on the Multi four weeks after moving to Tennessee, the Monster was more at home on the constant radius switchbacks. That year I also found myself in possession of a 2008 Triumph Bonneville. I had three twins at home. A parallel twin, an ‘L’ twin, and a boxer. Life was good!

Another house move later and we were in Indianapolis. The Monster was out of place in Indiana, where the nearest corner without a stop sign was 45 minutes away; it got replaced by a baby 950 Multi.

The GS had done a couple Iron butt rides including a Bun Burner 1500 on the way back from Moab, and had seen both the Pacific and the Atlantic. I was happy with it, until I rode an R1200 RT and a K1600 GT off the BMW demo truck. I longed for another Sport Tourer. As one of my friends points out, 700 pounds and “Sport” don’t really go together, but the K1600 GT is a real mover. I liked the relaxed riding position and the smooth turbine-like engine. It’s got the characteristics that I wanted to live with except one, it has a weight problem. It’s no fun to move around the garage and it steers slowly at walking pace. But it is a missile that will pull from two-grand in sixth to the limiter with no fuss, and it has an addictive scream from the exhaust over 5,000 RPM. It handles predictably just like any other heavy sport bike when you hustle it along and it will cruise all day at 90 with no complaints from bike or rider. Hell, you can go through the whole tank of fuel without the need to stop, time after time. I rode the 812 miles from New Orleans to home in Indianapolis in 12 hours stopping only three times and didn’t think twice about how I felt after I parked it in the garage. In fact, I just emptied the top box, side bags and did my washing before cooking dinner. The ride was like a non-event, it just happened to occur that same day.

However, like the Diavel, the K1600 abused tires; I’d owned the bike six months and was on my second set. They wore out at the same rate and barely lasted 5,000 miles. All-in-all I put 10,500 miles on the bike between May and November and had not managed to convince myself that this was the bike I wanted. A couple weeks ago I found myself going for another ride on a newer R1200 RT. I bit my lip and bought it.

It has the same fabulous motor as the GS, albeit with revised gear ratios for 2018 that give it more bottom end and a higher cruising speed for a given RPM. The RT and the GS share the same electronics, along with the same engine and drive train, the same frame and features, just different exhaust, bodywork and suspension. The RT also has heated grips and seats, keyless ride, quick-shifter, hill assist start, Electronically Adjustable Suspension, Dynamic Ride modes and audio integration through the GPS. It’s more comfortable and has better wind protection than the K1600 GT, and it handles like a bike that’s 200 pounds lighter (oddly enough). I rode it back from Pennsylvania in 40°F weather wearing summer gloves and my heated liner on low. You sit in a little bubble of clean air and with the suspension dialed in correctly (you can do it on the fly through the dashboard and Wunder-Wheel) side-winds are just inconveniences that must be endured during foul weather. When it’s raining, you only get wet when you’re sitting still, or moving in slow traffic. I’m just as amazed to ride it again as the first time I rode the GS. I’m smitten. It’s no wonder they sell so many of them. They really are the “Real Thing”.

I guess the point of this is that there are a number of bikes that I’ve owned over the years that still resonate with me decades after they were superseded by something I deemed more desirable at the time. If I lie down in a quiet space, close my eyes, clear my mind of all the important and the superfluous I can bring the memory of riding them right into mind and feel the bike’s soul touching my being. I can hear the sound of the exhaust and the engine, feel the pulses and vibrations while picturing the road ahead, all the time feeling what it was like to be in that moment and knowing exactly what is needed to keep the feeling present. Just like the ‘94 900SS, and the 750 F1 Santa Monica that I adored before it, the RT will be one of those bikes I think about decades from now, I know it.

Posted in Bikes | Tagged BMW K1600 GT, BMW R1200GS, BMW R1200RT, Ducati Hypermotard, Ducati Monster, Ducati Multistrada, Motorcycle, Motorcycle Shopping | 1 Comment

The Stable Expands to Two

Posted on November 19, 2018 by drewkfaulkner

Sometime around August of 2015, a buddy was following me through my favorite stretch of twisties around Oregonia. At the next stop he told me, “I’m pretty sure you’re getting every last ounce of capability out of that Speedmaster.” Shortly thereafter, I brought home Rosie the Scrambler and Lola left the building.

Just a few weeks back, something like Thursday at The Dragon Raid, my buddy Tom and I were ripping down the Cherohala Skyway; over the intercom he mentions something about me approaching maximum performance of the Scrambler. I laughed and said “Don’t say that man… Last time someone told me that, I bought a new bike…”

So I bought a new bike…

Don’t worry, Rosie isn’t going anywhere. A few months ago I had some back and forth with a friend about riding her CRF250L. Considering some of the messes I get myself into on the Scrambler, I didn’t feel comfortable taking her bike into the bush, regardless of its capability. Life happens as we all know, and she decided it was time to let it go. Folks in recent days were asking me when I was going to bring home another bike. I admit, I was looking to make a deal on a second bike come spring of 2019; specifically, something more “sport touring” as I am working toward doing some more long-distance riding, like Colorado and finally doing that Bun Burner Gold. My answer to those folks was basically that, I was looking at something like an FJR or the Tiger 1050, but I wouldn’t turn down a small dual-sport if the right deal crossed my path. So there it was, an offer I couldn’t refuse, a new to me, 2014 Honda CRF250L.

Why the Honda?

Compared to the competition, the Honda’s engine is lackadaisical, its suspension is unimpressive, but it goes 80 mph, can pick up the front wheel (with a little coaxing), and only needs an oil change every 8,000 miles. It’s almost 200 pounds lighter than the Scrambler, has double the suspension travel, and has traditional 21 and 18-inch dirt bike wheels. It’s not the performance machine that the WR250R would be, but typical of my taste in motorcycles, it’s a stone ax, the jack of all trades and master of none. That and well, a Honda.

The Journey Begins

A 250 dual-sport is not something I would consider a project bike; out of the box, the CRF250L is a great commuter and a decent lightweight adventure machine. “Jerri”, the new bike, however came with a few extras, including hand guards, luggage rack, replacement plastics with Flying Tiger graphics (I know what you’re thinking, pretty legit selling point on her part wasn’t it?), and seat concepts seat. The Shinko 705s (which I’ve discussed at length) are great commuter tires, but I’m anxious to get this bike into the Kentucky backwoods, so a more aggressive set of skins was the first order of business. That and a folding shift lever; why Honda sells a 250 dual-sport with a non-folding shift lever is completely beyond me.

With the arrival of a bike that can take me to work, the same as it can carry me to the Bluegrass, I can finally split miles between two bikes and focus on some overdue maintenance items on the Scrambler. Per my recent comments, I have my eyes on the Kentucky Adventure Tour (KAT) as my top priority next year. While I know it’s completely doable on the Scrambler, I don’t want to turn down the opportunity to attack some of the hard sections, and there’s no doubt I’ll be more rested and cover more miles on the Honda than I would on the Scrambler. From here I can set up the Scrambler for the faster “adventure” rides like Shawnee State Forest and the Mid-Atlantic Backcountry Discovery Route, while at the same time gear up to finally ride to Key West and in the hopes of finishing a BBG on a Scrambler (Rosie would be the first).

If Jerri is going to take on the daily commute, especially through the Ohio winter, heated grips will be a requirement. I’ve always said I won’t own a motorcycle without heated grips, I don’t suspect that’s going to change anytime soon. Bar risers are going to be a must for aggressive off-road riding; it’s doable in stock form, but it’s definitely more comfortable for putting around from the seat, versus standing at the moment. The two-gallon tank is pretty reasonable considering the CRF250L easily gets fuel mileage in the upper 50s if you’re not running flat out (which you will on the highway), but I also see a 3-gallon Acerbis tank in her future (about $250 for an extra gallon of gas). From there’s it’s mostly just a skid plate, and the right luggage setup so I can live off the bike for 6 days in the Kentucky wilderness.

Unfortunately, “life” has taken the front seat quite a bit since Jerri’s arrival. I’ve done a little “urban off-roading” around the neighborhood, but I’ve yet to test the new Honda in anything serious. I had big dreams of hitting the DBBB one last time before the ~~first snow fell~~ deep freeze sets in; the sun is rapidly setting on that idea. 70-degree days are not unheard of in December, so we’ll see if things settle down long enough for Jerri to show off her skills in 2018.

Posted in Opinion | Tagged dual sport, Honda CRF250L, Honda Powersports, Motorcycle | 6 Comments

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