Day 10: Wednesday 2nd May 2018: Andrews NC to Counce TN

420 miles

"Dragon my heels"


photo. The TAT route out of Andrews heads north/north west towards the Cherohala Skyway (hwy 143), but I wanted to ride the Tail of the Dragon (hwy 129) first, so headed north east to Robbinsville on this alternative dirt-road/trail instead...

My mission today was twofold - first of all, to ride the Tail of Dragon (Deal's Gap, hwy 129) in both directions because, well, just because... I've said it before (as part of my Trans-AM 500 report), but the internet loves to criticise the Dragon as being 'crap', more often without much quantification... it's true that the popularity of the road (due to Youtube and like) means it is an utter bun-fight on a sunny Sunday afternoon, littered with screaming street-bikes and cumbersome cruisers, or a procession of four-wheelers - usually led by either the inept or someone who just scared themselves silly, and a magnate for easy pickings by the local constabulary (it's a 35mph limit, and solid double yellows the whole way other than a couple of hundred yards where you'd get the opportunity to overtake legally, ahem.) - the point being, this road has the reputation it does for good reason - 318 bends in 11 miles - mental!

Fortunately today was a Wednesday, early morning (well, early for me - ie. before 10am), and I was blessed with a clear run both ways - save for one small convertible who was slowing specifically for one of the numerous roadside photographers, giving me ample opportunity to overtake and be in perfect focus for my Killboy close-up ;o)







photo/s. yep, I even paid for a trio of photos from Killboy, although there were some equally nice ones from the alternative photographers/locations too.








Deal's Gap itself (the 'motorcycle resort' with a motel, restaurant, fuel and now a dedicated photographers merchandise store on the opposite side of the road) was already awash with action - it would appear that a vintage Japanese 2-stoke club had taken over all the motel rooms, and erected their easy-ups to embark on their tune-ups, out of the increasingly fierce spring sunshine:



The ever present Tree of Shame was loaded with the latest debris:



While a quick walk-around had me smiling for different reasons:


photo. A 170cc Grom - nice!


photo. A shed-built hard-tail Kawasaki - interesting!


photo. The Killboy metal dragon (with details made from various old motorcycle parts).


photo. This made me laugh - the main store sold any number of different design T-shirts and stickers as souvenirs, but most telling was the rack with zip-ties and webbing tie-down straps - presumably to bodge back-together and/or drag your broken bikes home with ;o)


photo. I thought this was fun!


photo. Killboy is the most well-known of the the Dragon photography agencies, and in recent years they have built a dedicated store where you can order pre-printed and personalised merchandise.

As I say, I can't hate it - because each time I've been here I've enjoyed myself, and had a nice clean run of the road.

cont.

cont.

However, it really was time now to stop messing around, and start to head for Cottonwood AZ - yes, Arizona, to which I'd committed to meeting friends by Saturday, for some trail-riding together over a long weekend.

I also wanted to pop by and say hello to Sam Correro (originator of the Trans-Am Trail of course), who had recently moved from Corinth MS just north of the state-line into Counce TN, which is another location right on the TAT route itself. It would be some task to try and get there in time for dinner this evening (as it transpired he was busy that evening anyway, so we elected to meet for Breakfast the following morning instead), and at the same time - I already felt that I'd blasted though the new sections of TAT more quickly that I might otherwise have liked to - although at least I was able to commit some key highlights to both camera and my notebook before they slipped my memory into what was now fast becoming a bit of a blur...

So I decided to let fate decide my schedule and plotted a route into the GPS that would be both fulfilling, and also fulfil the need to get significantly further west by the end of the afternoon.

My route south and west from Deal's Gap was around the delightful Lake Santeetlah (plenty of camping here if you're ever in the area), before picking up the epic Cherohala Skyway (hwy 143) that crosses into Tennessee just east of Tellico Plains - which until 2015 was always the official starting point of the Trans America Trail.

I snaffled down a burger and iced tea at an independent cafe in the town square, then made a bee-line for a familiar and fun trail that forms the first dirt section of the Tennessee TAT - Witt Rd - which I imagine for many of you who have either ridden the TAT, or simply watched a video clip or read a report, will be immediately recognisable by the series of creek crossings, photos of which are almost always included in any ride report, including this one of course ;o)


photo. this crossing in particular is notorious in having riders on their arses - the water upstream being deceptively deep, while the rock ribs are covered in slimy algae. Cross with care!

Ultimately I broke from the TAT route a little way north of Lake Ocoee (another scenic highway 74/64 runs around the north shore here), and had no real choice but to endure the interstate network south of Chattanooga to get around that urban sprawl, before heading west on the continuation of hwy 64, and ultimately tip-tapping a series of intermediate waypoints that would direct me along much more minor roads, to ultimately dove-tail with the final few miles of the TAT route across Pickwick Dam and into Counce itself.

That evening I elected to bed down right on the TAT route at Little Andy's motel - something of an institution amongst the TAT aficionados I'd been led to believe, although I initially baulked when I squinted through the lobby window at the pricing board - fortunately it turns out the "80" was actually just cents, and the room was a little over $45 with all taxes included! It's not the most modern joint I have to say, but quiet and comfortable and right next door to a BBQ and breakfast restaurant - what more* do you need?

*Turns out what you need is a wider choice of beer at the RnB diner - sure, they have both kinds: regular, and Lite.

As I supped a glass of their least insipid pale yellow liquid and licked barbecue sauce from my fingers, I totted up the miles (420.7 door to door today), and factored with the time change that I had actually been riding for over 12 hours pretty much straight - including a number of great trails, the Tail of the Dragon (both ways), the sweeping scenic Cherohala, interstate, highways, back-roads and byways - and this little GS was proving to be pretty adept at all of it so far - I was impressed!

More soon,

Jenny x

Day 11: Thursday 3rd May 2018: Counce TN to Oklahoma City OK - yes, really!

649.7 miles (that's 1045 kilometres in metric!)

I'd arrange to meet with Sam for breakfast at the Outpost Cafe north of Pickwick Dam, so was showered, packed and ready to roll out of the motel carpark by 7.20am - a good thing, since although I didn't know it at the time, today was going to be the longest so far, by quite some margin!


photo. Trans-America Trail originator: Sam Correro - 78 years young!

We chewed the fat about the trail in general, discussed the new additions, and when I mentioned it was my intention to ride some of the initial Mississippi sections again as part of my morning ride west, Sam warned me that he'd had to reroute around what had been one of my most favourite sectors right out of Counce itself:


photo. 2015 on the CB500X - I love these old railway bridges (you might notice a TA500 sticker here ;o), but this trail has since been closed just a few hundred yards further on...

It turns out that the road [trail] bridge over the river just after the railway bridge has been partially dismantled to deter hunters from using this trail:


photo. now it's more like something you might find on the Road of Bones...


photo. I suppose if you were brave, you could try to cross the river itself though the shallow section seen here, but it is soft and sandy underneath... (note also that the water level was currently much lower than it was in 2015 when the whole basin was full of water).

For info. I'd taken the suggested detour, but then rode back along the original route for a mile or so just to check it out for myself:



photo. sure enough, the armco barriers means it doesn't look like this crossing is going to be reinstated any time soon.

I rode a few more miles of the Mississippi TAT route, and again happened on a Closed Road sign:



However, in this instance, I can confirm that this one is still perfectly navigable by motorcycle ;o)

From here, I left the TAT route in an effort to plot a straight route across northern Mississippi, electing to use highway 310 (of course ;o) which happened to run almost directly east west towards my intended crossing of the Mississippi river in to Arkansas over the Helena Bridge (hwy 49) - again, picking up the TAT route fore final few miles in Mississippi, and continuing on the TAT though eastern Arkansas, until it crosses Interstate I70, where I'd absolutely have to leave the dirt behind if I would have any chance of making my Arizona rendezvous on time.

A few photos to illustrate the rest of the day:


photo. The ubiquitous crossing an abandoned railway line picture...


photo. the start of hwy 310 near Sardis Lake.


photo. an abandoned car at an abandoned gas station... you do wonder which happened first?!


photo. I'm not sure if this was a flood, or just a joker had put the street sign in there!




photo. I love this sort of scenery that you get in Mississippi.


photo. down on the Bayou, back on the TAT...


photo. having crossed into Arkansas at Helena West Helena (crazy name, crazy gal!), I continued west on the TAT route, and was disappointed to see the amount of trash and fly-tipping that had gone on along this particular rural road.


photo. Familiar territory - as the Trail turned to dirt, this was my first TA500 sticker in Arkansas back in 2015.


photo. At the TAT Stop - you've got to stop at the TAT Stop!


photo. Just a reminder that there is still a long way to go if you intend to ride the whole TAT!

This time around I got to meet the owner Percy (who offered me a welcome ice-cold coke!) and signed their 2018 yearbook - it would appear I'm only the 6th rider to pass though this season! I also met Al who then took my photo for their annual photo compilation book too.



It was now after 3pm and I'd already ridden nearly 250 miles (yep, I'd been on a mission all day), and I debated just what to do next.

The TAT route crosses over I70 near to Brinkley AK, which my Garmin Montana had calculated was 1014 miles from Grants NM - in other words, the perfect way to knock out an Iron-butt Saddle-Sore ride (that is 1000 miles in less than 24 hours) while crossing the country in the most direct way possible...



Hmmmmm. I gassed up the bike on ethanol mix regular at exactly 4pm, and contemplated the next 24 hours over some equally poor quality human fuel:


photo. Shameful I know.

As I chewed my way though a rubbery quarter pounder with cheese and an equally rubbery 'Americano', I considered it was certainly unrealistic to try and ride another 1000 miles in 24 hours now, starting at 4pm - and even though I'd already amassed 250 since leaving Counce this morning at 9am, I'd not averaged anything like enough to make those miles count towards the total (which btw. I'd calculated would need to see me in Tucumcari NM before 9am tomorrow to make it count).

However, regardless of how I ultimately managed to break up the next stage of the journey, I was conscious that I really needed to be in Grant's NM by Friday night if I'd have any chance of getting to meet up with my friends in Cottonwood the following day - especially as after two full days on the interstate, I was going to want to take a more gentle and scenic route from New Mexico into Arizona, one that would ideally result in the ingestion of pie en route [in Pie Town NM].

So I rolled onto I70 at approximately 4.30pm that evening, with the intention of riding until I was tired, and see how the trip unfolded from there...

As it was, I arrived on the outskirts of Oklahoma City a little before midnight, having ridden another 400+ miles since that McDonalds. I was beat.

649.7 miles since Breakfast with Sam that morning - it felt like at least a whole other day away by now!

notes. The fuel economy does start to suffer at higher speeds on this bike (at least with TKC80 tyres fitted) - I was only getting around 49mpg at 70mph this evening, into a headwind admittedly. I also notice that the bike does have a vibration between 5000-6000rpm - it's not overly intrusive, and something that a lot of singles tend to suffer from... once you get over 6750rpm it smoothes out again appreciably, and I'm amazed how refined it feels at 70, even 80, mph when you consider it is such a small capacity single cylinder engine. The gearbox is also very slick and smooth - so I'd suggest that's two fingers up to all those internet critics who think the Chinese can't assemble an engine ;o)

I was also impressed with the low-beam of the headlight, a nice broad spread and good penetration I thought... however, conversely the high-beam is absolutely rubbish - you loose all of the foreground, and get no real penetration to compensate either... I think a trip to Motominded might be in order in future ;o)


Jx

Day 12: Friday 4th of May 2018: Oklahoma City OK to Grants NM

628 miles

"Wake up Piglet, we've got another huge day ahead of us..."

I really felt I'd pushed my self to the limit yesterday - not that 650 miles in itself is not far enough on a small capacity single, but particularly as I'd spent all day riding trails and rural roads, and eating well and chatting with locals (at the TAT Stop), before then deciding to embark on another 400 mile shlep on the interstate late into the night... and I was still over 1000 miles from my ultimate destination of Cottonwood, where I'd planned to be by tomorrow evening.

There was only one thing for it really: Waffles.


photo. I'd been given a 'free waffle' token at the branch in Roanoke (goodness, that already felt like a lifetime ago!), so thought I'd best get my syrup fix before their locations petered out the further west I went...

For here on in, I figured there would be nothing much to report on today - the world flashed by in a blur of iPod enhanced surreality - punctuated by fuel stops typically every 130-150 miles and the regular ingestion of sugar and caffeine - sometimes a combination of solid and liquid form, but most usually combined in a single can.

I have to say, while I consider the G310GS perfectly comfortable cruising at higher highways speeds - I found, as John from Rally-Raid had also suggested, that the bike is probably sweeter (and feels less stressed) cruising at 70mph rather than trying to push 80mph... although it will certainly do that too with out much complaining - certainly on the flat and without too much of a headwind - however, the fuel economy does seem to take a dramatic dive over 75mph...


photo. stopping for a little roadside relief, I pulled off the main interstate onto the frontage road and realised that Route 66 actually shadows I40 for much (in fact pretty much all) of the distance through western Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico... I mention this here for anyone contemplating riding the entire length of the Mother Road - my advice is, don't bother (unless you're planning on doing it on a Monkey-bike or roller skates), it is dull as hell... trust me - the best part of R66 is from Williams AZ west.

I had plenty of helmet time to start drawing up a list of likes and dislikes so far (I'll post these in a separate list a little later), and on the whole I was increasingly impressed with the way the bike was handling the mundanity of a long highway journey, certainly now the engine had really begun to loosen up (have passed over the 2500 mile mark a while back now)...

However, if I'm honest - this kind of riding was not it's forte, yes it will do it, and do it comfortably (ergonomically) and reasonably fuel-efficiently too, but so far this trip, the bike has not really offered me anything that my Honda CB500X does while feeling far less stressed and with a significantly longer fuel range and more comfortable seat.

I will continue to reserve judgement of course - certainly until I've had a proper chance to really put the GS through it's paces off-road (which would have to wait until I got to Moab the following week) - terrain where I trust the 50+lb lighter weight of the GS (despite the 25% power and torque deficit) is likely to give you a little more margin for error, if not make the bike 'feel' ultimately more capable off road*, or at least be ultimately less wearing to pilot in really technical terrain.

*note. I'm speculating here, as I consider myself pretty handy on-board the 430lb Honda CB500X, and that the Rally-Raid kit fitted to that bike gives you the confidence to ride it much as you would a 650cc class dual-sport thumper - indeed, you really are only aware of it's weight when you are faced with a steep/step climb, and/or have to pick it up, otherwise, it is incredibly nimble and has excellent traction for it's size and weight - honestly, I really do believe it is the BEST 'Adventure' bike with regard to combined on and off road performance... as John and I designed it to be of course ;o)

Sorry, my mind was slipping away from the task and subject in hand there for a moment - time we stopped for fuel again Piglet... uh oh, look at the fuel range!


photo. I rolled into a gas station in Amarillo Texas on fumes (in fact I want to say I even felt the bike hiccup briefly at the intersection off the interstate), and sure enough, it appears I had maxed-out it's range on this particular leg:


photo. I think someone is lying - either the BMW tank capacity is a touch larger than advertised, or that Shell need to calibrate their pump more accurately (although I did fill it part way up the filler neck too!)

So with the pithy consideration that I might just drop Tony Christie (and Peter Kay, UK fans ;o) a note that the way to Amarillo is indeed straight along the I40, I ploughed on through the hot afternoon towards the next state-line, New Mexico. With the wind picking up, and an average speed of 67mph on the comprehensive dash display (the wealth of information is one of the things I like about the baby Beemer, although it's design is a little fussy), my economy had now dipped into the high forties... yep, I really might as well be on the Honda for this kind of riding - it would feel both more relaxed, and be more economic!

By mid afternoon (3pm) I'd reached Tucumari NM - and this is where my 1000 mile Iron-butt would have ended if I'd counted all the way from Counce TN the previous morning - ie. 6 hours* more riding on top of what I'd already managed before hitting the motel at midnight last night, so technically I could have completed the distance in about 21 hours - although not something I would even consider based on the route and timing I'd actually taken...

*7 hours actually, I'm sure there was a time zone crossing in there somewhere!



photo. This was on the old Route 66 near Moriarty NM (as part of a fruitless attempt to find a Starbucks that was showing in my outdated 2015 GPS database) - if God was giving me a sign, it wasn't to where I could find a proper cup of coffee!

I finally sated my lack of caffeine with a quad-shot of espresso and a correspondingly high-octane refuel of the bike too in Albuquerque NM - it was starting to get chilly now (a quick glance at my GPS showed I'd been steadily climbing all afternoon as the sun was going down, and had been riding at over 7000ft - so no wonder!), and continued counting down the miles towards another Motel 6 (in Grants NM), where I finally decompressed the day while taking the opportunity to launder all my clothes from this past week, in preparation prior to spending the next few days camping with friends.

Sitting there in my last clean set of underwear and a sarong (what a vision eh?) - I totted up some numbers: rolling into the motel car-park at 8.30pm, I'd racked up another 628 miles today - which since leaving Counce TN yesterday at 9am, means I'd covered 1280 miles in just less than 36 hours, so not quite an IBA 'Bun-burner' then (which is 1500 miles in 36 hours), but still pretty impressive for such a small capacity machine I thought.

Interestingly, I had actually covered the last 1000 miles from Brinkley AK in approximately 28 hours, so factoring in the 8 hours I spent in a motel from midnight last night, technically I could have ridden an 1000 mile Iron-butt had I not elected to start late afternoon and also take a break overnight... although I'm not sure I'd want to spend 20+ hours* on any bike, especially not straight through!

*note. it would actually have been around 21 hours when you consider the time change.

In other news, apparently I didn't quite make it Back to the Future either, having only managed to max-out the G310 at 87.6mph this afternoon.

More soon...

Jenny x

Day 13: Saturday 5th of May 2018: Grants NM to Cottonwood AZ

348 miles

7am alarm: I really didn't know what day it was anymore... ah Saturday, according to my freshly charged phone piled high on my stack of clean laundry.

I elected to forfeit breakfast now (other than a splash of free coffee for the motel reception, which I have to say was more than reasonable in this instance) for the promise of a tasty pie a few miles - 67 as it turned out - down the [dirt] road...

I'd stayed in Grants before in the past, right after a pretty epic day of dirt road riding north, en route for Colorado - and knew of a network of fun trails that ran north and south to the west of here.

However, I had commitments in Arizona that afternoon, so elected to take a more direct dirt road south via Pie Town New Mexico, a section of road which actually forms part of the Continental Divide Trail from Mexico to Canada.


photo. I don't know what's at the end of the rainbow, but I'm pretty confident that I know what I'll find at the end of this road...


photo. this was my initial destination - the Pie-o-neer restaurant in Pie Town, which I last visited ten year's ago when riding my Yamaha XT660Z - that happened to be another black, single cylinder, ADV bike, with minimal luggage - I seem to have a thing for those ;o)

edit. aha, here's a photo of that very instance!



Unfortunately this time my beloved Pie-o-neer was closed (I hope not indefinitely), so I took my pick of the two other establishments on this dusty main street (which is effectively highway 60), electing to eat from the plate less populated, and try the Pie Town Cafe which was 'under new management' and spread the pie love around...



While it may not have been the best piece of pie I'd ever had (no whipped cream, no ice-cream!), it was an interesting twist on a traditional apple pie with green chilli and pine nuts - a quick google seems to suggest that '[New] Mexican apple pie' is indeed a genuine thing, and not just the bastard brain-child of a sun-addled hippy who lives off the grid in the middle of the desert. ahem.

I have to say, the new owners were very relaxed, topped up my coffee with an attentive but not obtrusive regularity, and let me avail myself of their reasonably efficient WiFi to upload a few photos from the previous days. It was also getting proper warm sitting outside in the sun. Result!

But it was still like three hundred miles to Cottonwood the way I intended to go, so it was time to split.

A few notes from the road: Great Donut/lunch restaurant in Show Low AZ - I can recommend the Crunchy Pig sandwich (don't tell Piglet!) and their brew coffee is not bad either... however, the icing on the cake, both literally and metaphorically is their traditional glazed donuts - divine!

It was a fun ride/route that afternoon winding my way west though the Arizona highlands (still typically 7000+ feet around these parts), and I picked up a fun and fast dirt section: 'Fire Control Road' that cuts the corner of highway 260 north of Payson, and is highlighted on the Butler Map of AZ (FS64) as a recommended through route on dirt - nice.

However, as I was ragging along at 50 even 60 mph on the loose gravel (this bike is actually deceptively fast off-road with the Rally Raid suspension fitted), I started to notice a bit of chattering from the rear end...

Nothing seemed much out of the ordinary, although I recalled an email that John had forwarded me from another G310GS owner who'd just got back from a big cross-country ride (around 4000 miles as I recalled) and said that his cush-drive rubbers had worn significantly and prematurely, and had been replaced under warranty by his dealer - and who was passing this info on for both Amy [Harburg, who's riding from Mongolia to the UK] and myself [all over North America this summer] to keep an eye on things.

Sure enough, when I inspected the cush-drive there was now at least a good quarter inch of fore/aft movement of the sprocket - so it was actually pretty f**ked after what was currently only 3500 miles, and of primarily on-road riding. Now that is a bit disappointing I have to say.

Still, there was nothing I could do for now (until I got to camp, where I'd have facilities to service the bike), so took it easy for the rest of the ride into Cottonwood. A sign said that the next dirt road I'd intended to take (708 between Strawberry and Verde lakes) was closed part the way along, which was a further disappointment but would at least mean I put less stress on those cush rubbers; and I have to say, the long decent through the Fossil Springs Wilderness along hwy 260 to Camp Verde (another highlighted 'gold road' on the Butler maps in case you were wondering), was a joyful compensation.

cont.

cont.

Day 14 & 15: Sunday 6th/Monday 7th May 2018: Cottonwood AZ.

I have to admit, I was utterly exhausted after these past few days hammering across the country. Fortunately it was lovely and warm in Cottonwood, the campsite agreeable with clean facilities, and the perfect opportunity to finally relax with friends, and to check over the bike which had now covered over 3800 miles since it had first turned a wheel out of the dealer in Roanoke just two weeks ago!

Rather than prop-up my bike on rocks or logs in lieu of a centre stand (don't get me started on that subject again!), I was able to borrow a hydraulic lift-rack that a friend uses to carry her trail-bike on the back of her car, and plugged it into the receiver hitch on Lisa's 4Runner:



I'd elected to spend the day around camp today (rather than go out trail riding with the tiddlers), not least as I was not feeling great with both blocked sinuses plus a chesty cough that I'd been nursing this past week, and which the long days on the road had exacerbated. the weather was also proper roasty too, so I factored this would be a good opportunity to finally get a day off, and get to know the bike a little better.


photo. Access to the rear shock is really easy on this bike, one of things I consider a positive for my list (see below).

I wanted to try and reduce the preload on the spring. For info. the shock (120 weight spring on my bike) comes set from the factory with 11mm of static preload already added, and I'd specified the remote preload adjuster to allow me to quickly dial in the exact amount of sag I'd require, depending on the load being carried - typically trail-riding unladen vs. riding with all my luggage attached). However, during the initial set up of the bike, I considered that I already had more than enough preload for my weight and preference, and so the hydraulic adjuster (which offers around 10mm range of adjustment) had remained in the minimum position, rather than somewhere between the two which is far more preferable.

So removing the shock allowed me to easily wind back the base setting a few turns (5mm), which in turn could be reinstated by setting the remote adjuster in the mid position, allowing me to add or reduce the preload by 5mm in each direction. Bingo.

I also pulled the rear wheel, and inspected the worn cush-drive rubbers - sure enough, the three fingers of the sprocket carrier were now loose between the compressed rubber cushions on either side - so as a temporary repair I packed the free space with strips of rubber cut from an old inner-tube (a trick I'd picked up from the XT660Z owners forum - another bike which tended to suffer from premature cush-rubber wear, albeit not quite as quickly as the G310 seems to have worn).


photo. Initially I tried two strips of rubber (one either side of each finger on the sprocket carrier), but ultimately it would only go together using a single piece in each segment.

The other thing I wanted to try was to fit the taller screen that Rally Raid had included with my order. Initially I had wanted to see how the stock screen handled riding big distances (plus I really liked the all black look of the polythene screen you get on the US bikes), then would be in the position to make a proper comparison with the Rally-Raid Adventure screen during the next leg of this cross-country trip.


photo. Tall screen fitted, and minimal luggage - all you really need to cross the country ;o)

Although I didn't get much of an opportunity to test the screen at higher speed until I left Cottonwood for California on the Tuesday, I have to say it does make an appreciably difference to the wind noise that I get from my Icon Variant Dual-sport/Adventure style helmet... Certainly when I'm on my Honda (with the Honda Accessory Tall screen fitted) I notice a considerable wind-roar from the sides of the peak on that helmet when travelling above 60mph. On the GS (with the stock screen) it was already appreciably quieter, and I'd experimented with raising my hand to approximately the height of the Rally Raid screen which seemed to cut the noise even further.

Sure enough - for my height and wearing this particular helmet at least, the tall screen on the GS, makes a noticeable difference particularly at higher highway speeds, and especially if you just dip your head/the peak of the helmet slightly so that the wind is deflected over the top. it was so much quieter than I was used to [on the Honda] that I could even hear my iPod without having the volume cranked up to the max.

I really enjoyed the time off the bike, soaking up some sun and catching up with my riding buddies. Ultimately however, it transpired that the next stage of my plan would have to change slightly - I had hoped to head straight up to Moab after this sojourn, meet with Juan Browne, and put together some video of the bike in action on the slick-rock trails and more technical terrain you get in that area.

However, logistically this would then make getting my bike registered in California (it is currently on a temporary tag from Virginia of course) a bit of shlep, particularly as I also had committed to (and paid for!) attending the Overland Expo back in Flagstaff the following weekend (18-20th May). I was also a bit narked at the worn cush-drive - it wasn't a deal breaker by any means, but I'd want to register the issue with a dealer at least, and try and get some replacement rubbers as soon as possible.

So I elected to head straight for California this coming week instead, get the bike sorted (included a couple of wiring jobs I wanted to incorporate during the initial build, but had run out of time), and basically really get everything dialled-in properly before heading to Moab to meet Juan the week after Expo instead. In turn, this logistical about-turn would mean that rather than have to leave the bike in California while I returned to the UK next month, I could feasibly leave it somewhere more in the middle (either Utah or Colorado), and collect it again early in July - dramatically reducing the amount of time it would take to get back across the country to my scheduled commitments in Toronto and the following week in Iowa at the BMW MOA rally (where I intend to debut my dedicated G310GS video/slide show of the adventure so far...)

This would mean another long road ride of course - something I was getting used to by now admittedly, but which turned out to be the longest ride yet!

More soon!

Jenny x

Day 16: Tuesday 8th of May 2018: Cottonwood AZ to San Jose CA - yes really, in one day, on a 300cc bike.

746.1 miles (that 0.1 is important you know!)

As if two 1000+ kilometre days last week were not enough, I think today proved the ultimate long-distance capability of this bike beyond any doubt!





Honestly, there really isn't much to report (or that I can even recall) about this particular day, other than a tasty breakfast sandwich at the Red Rooster Cafe in Cottonwood (I can recommend everything I had - including the bacon & goat's cheese on sourdough sandwich, the banana & blueberry smoothie, although it was quite possibly the smallest 'double' espresso I've ever inhaled) before hitting the road at about 10am.

On average I'd be stopping about every 2-2.5 hours to refuel, and as I crossed into California (having detoured off the I40 along what I consider is the nicest part of Route 66 - between Kingman and Needles, via the cowboy/donkey town of Oatman), the weather got proper hot*

*Lisa (who was driving her car about an hour ahead of me the whole way) later confirmed it reached 106°F across the Mohave Desert east of Barstow that afternoon.

I knuckled down, dipped my peak a touch to minimise that wind roar, and cranked up the tunes in my earphones. The ride was uneventful, other than fighting against a strong headwind as I rode up the pass near Tehachapi - the fuel economy dropping to as little as 39mpg while trying to maintain close to 70mph as I could - WTF?!

As the evening got cooler, and the wind subsided, I settled into a peaceful and almost trancelike state for the final shlep up I5 - pausing only to ingest over twelve hundred calories courtesy of Carl's Jr. and finally rolling onto Lisa's driveway at two minutes to midnight.

The odometer clicked over 4590 miles as I pushed the bike into the garage.

Crossing the country - done!

Jenny x

So a quick summary of my thoughts on the new bike, now that I've racked up nearly 5000 miles (in three weeks of ownership to the day today).

To recap, before flying to the east coast and collecting the bike from the supplying dealer (Frontline Eurosports in Roanoke/Salem), I'd probably ridden a G310GS less than a mile, and spent as little time actually looking over the bike, other than the photos and information that John at Rally Raid had been sharing between us of course.

Unlike the Honda CB500X 'Adventure' project which I'd been instrumental in developing, the G310 range of upgrades has been much more of John's own work - and while they are effectively a derivative of what we'd already developed for the Honda (ie. dedicated heavy-duty spoked wheels with tubed/tubeless options that accept all the OEM drive and braking components, together with a choice of standard travel or longer travel high quality and adjustable front and rear suspension; plus substantial engine protection and a range of ergonomic and longer-distance travel specific accessories), I'd not spent any time myself on the pre-production examples, so would effectively be approaching this build and subsequent 'adventure' on the bike in just the same way as any other regular customer might be - and therefore the perfect opportunity to appraise the bike more objectively that otherwise perhaps?

I'll aim to include a few of my personal assembly and preparation hints & tips below, but generally speaking, the kit went together perfectly, and was very straightforward to fit (My LEVEL 1 GS kit being less time-consuming than the equivalent LEVEL 2 Honda kit, which gives that bike similar travel, ground clearance and wheel size/wheelbase as the GS has as standard).

One thing I did appreciate with the GS was how easy it was to remove a lot of the superficial plastic parts: the chain guard and shock protector for example are separate items that you can leave off or replace individually as required*.

Another example is the front fender bolts on using 3 x 5mm allen head bolts each side, and can be completely removed while the brake hose stays in place - meaning that if conditions got particularly muddy, you could feasibly continue with the fender bungeed to your back seat/luggage.

The rear fender extension (and stupid rear light location) is very easy to remove and replace with the R&G Tail-tide assembly, and if you choose the red rear lamp lens option as I did, I think looks very factory still with the OEM rear turn signals reattached?



I noted that the headlight bulb is also easy to access too if required. Conversely however, it does seem rather difficult (or at least long-winded) to remove the fairing and other bodywork panels to gain access for wiring-in accessories neatly for example.


*One thing I did have to do (you may notice that initially I had not refitted the rear shock guard) is to trim the plastic with a Dremel if you want to fit the remote hydraulic preload adjuster, but otherwise everything is completely bolt on, and therefore off again should you ever wish to remove the kit and revert to standard.



So, having ridden this bike right across the country, on a mix of dirt roads and trails, back roads and byways, and a huge amount of highway and interstate miles too - what are my conclusions so far?


In no particular order - Things I like (and don't like, where related):

1. Generally speaking, the body/plastic parts all strip down relatively easily, and all seem to be secured using the same size 5mm allen head bolts - meaning you really only need that size tool readily to hand. However, I did notice that rather than use captive nuts welded to the frame, almost everything is secured using the clip/spring-nuts, which is cheap, and doesn't provide as easy/secure location until the bolt is done up (ie. they can slide around a bit on their respective mounting tabs.)

2. The side stand seems suitably strong for hoiking the bike up to get a wheel off the ground. It does seem to hang down rather low and directly under the left hand footrest, but so far has not proved to be a liability.

3. The fuel economy is good. Initially while keeping the bike under 60mph, I got as high as 67mpg, and typically 62mpg was my average according to the dash display. However, it does start to increase once the speed rises - 70mph or thereabouts sees it drop to 57mpg (and as low as 48-50mpg in a head wind), while pushing 75-80mph means I didn't get over 50mpg, and as low as 39mph into that strong headwind and uphill over Tehachapi on Tuesday. note. This is based on the dash readout, not calculations between actual fuel fill-ups.

I'd say that at typical trail riding speeds (ie. sub 60mph on the pavement and around 30-40mph off-road), you will get 60+mpg even on the TKC80 tyres, which is technically close to a 180 mile range. I do like the fact that the dash offers fuel/miles remaining display too. Realistically though, you need to factor that 150 miles is about your limit on the stock tank.

4. The headlight low beam I thought was very good - the high beam conversely, is useless - removing all the foreground light but not giving any appreciable penetration further down the road. edit. it turns out the High-beam is much better once the headlight is adjusted down slightly - see later posts...

5. I've already mentioned the dash display in the main text and some of the functionality above - it has two trips, fuel range, engine temperature, average speed, plus a gear indicator together with the traditional fuel gauge, revs, speedo and clock.

The one button control does take a little getting used to (I did bump the year to 19 at one point, requiring me to press the button over and over another 99 times to get it back to 18) and I do wonder if a date function is strictly necessary (especially as it has that silly month first then day/year order so beloved of Americans ;o) The downside of having such a comprehensive display is that the single button means you also have to step through every function in order, rather than have the ability to skip backwards and forwards between your favourites as desired.

6. The side cheek panels below the seat on either side have actually proved to be really useful - I can stow all of the tools and bodge-it spares I carry on my Honda under here too (including a trio of MotionPro T6 tyre-iron/wheel wrenches), other than my 12v compressor. However, I do wonder why BMW made these panels so bulbous (unless stowage was the intention), as it means my Giant Loop Coyote has already rubbed the paint away on either side.

7. I like the easy access to (and simple number of) fuses under the seat - however, it is a shame there is not a dedicated fused 12v auxiliary socket under there for attaching accessories and or heated gear if you wished. The seat (and latch) itself is very easy to operate and secure on and off as required.

8. I like the fact there is plenty of hose/cable/wiring length as standard. I have fitted the taller RC High bend fat-bars, with risers and 10mm spacers (so approximately 45mm higher than the OEM bars in total) and the cables do not appear to be at their limit yet, although I did have to release one of the cable ties on the headstock that holds the loom, and reattach the wiring to the brake hose with a zip-tie instead so that there was sufficient free-play on full right hand lock.

9. I like the fact that the pillion footrest brackets are bolt-on/easily detachable, although the location of the exhaust mount means you'd need to replace the right hand assembly with something similar to support the silencer.

10. I like it's general on-road refinement - especially when you consider it is a small capacity single cylinder engine. It does seem to be a bit buzzy and vibrate around the 5000-6000rpm mark - something that can affect a number of single cylinder machines on the highway (they all have a rough/sweet spot it seems), but it does smooth out again once you get over 6750rpm, and is more than acceptable at 70-80mph. However, if you touch the tank side panels, you can feel it's heart is busy buzzing away under there.


Things I don't particularly like (most are quantifiable, some more subjective I admit):

1. The stock footpegs. They look great, but are far too small and skinny for standing up on for any period of time. Now I know I'm wearing some pretty soft touring boots on this ride, but really, the pegs are so uncomfortable, and also too short - my boots feel like they are about to slip off the ends the whole time. I really hope John can get a version of the CB500X platform pegs to me as soon as possible, as I'm not really looking forward to riding this bike aggressively off-road with the stock pegs.

2. The rear brake pedal is a little low (as a number of reviewers/owners have already commentated) and is unadjustable. you get used to it, but it's not ideal for off-road riding. Conversely, the gear shift leaver is easily adjustable - I wish they'd had the forethought to include a similar threaded adjustment for the brake too.

3. Both the gear lever and the brake pedal are cheap and rather clumsy looking pressed steel parts. However, in general steel is a good material for such extremities, as it can be bent back into shape rather than snap. I'll be interested to see how they fare in the rocky terrain around Moab at the end of this month, but so far they work, and I have to say, the gearbox on this bike is a delight to use with or without the clutch.

4. The stock front brake and clutch levers work well enough, but are way too long (to fit neatly with hand guards) and unadjustable. I find their span and action fine, but would prefer a more tactile and adjustable throw set. Again, this is something Rally Raid intend to offer very soon.

5. Cush-drive rubbers. Mine were seriously worn at well under 4000 miles. I'll be speaking to the dealer about some replacements asap.

6. Air-box access. While the packaging of the reverse cylinder engine dictates the airbox/filter needs to be high up under the front of the tank (a good thing, especially when crossing deep water or in dusty conditions), it seems inordinately tricky to gain access to the filter to check it/clean it/replace it as required. I know the service schedule only suggests replacement every 12,000 miles, but if you were riding in a group in dusty conditions, you want to inspect and potentially change it much more frequently than that. I need to get my spanners out now I'm back home in the workshop, but it appears you have to remove half the body panels just to get at the filter cover.

7. Fuel-filler splash back. I noticed more than a few times that the angle you hold the pump hose can result in quite serious splash-back when filling - resulting in a Long Way Round Ewan-get's-fuel-in-his-eye scenario. You do need to be careful, and I've found that angling the nozzle slightly towards the rear of the tank seems to help minimise any splash-back.

8. Mirrors. I never even rode the bike with them so cannot comment on their effectiveness, but to me the OEM mirrors seemed very small and not much use. I fitted the Double Take ADV mirrors on RAM mounts straight away, and while they do buzz a little at higher speeds, they offer a nice wide field of vision on this bike I've found.

9. Coolant bottle access - again, much as with the air filter - the coolant overflow (and level indicator) is hidden underneath the right hand fairing side, and seems rather tricky to access/top up, never mind actually try and read the reservoir level.

10. Tank covers/side panels. While seated I find the ergonomics pretty much spot on with this bike (keeping in mind the scooped seat doesn't really offer you a lot of room to move around), conversely I've found that when standing up, the side panels on the tank splay your knees out far further than you'd like. This is particularly irksome, as they are essentially cosmetic trim to make the tank assembly appear larger and more macho (in the style of the 1200GS) than it actually needs to be, especially when the internal tank is the same 11 litre size as the R version. I do hope that either BMW themselves or at least the aftermarket offer a larger fuel tank for this bike, that actually utilises that otherwise wasted space - then I wouldn't mind the knee splay quite so much! Certainly my Honda CB500X has a far narrower width between the knees when standing - although admittedly the pegs are located a little further back.

11. On a more subjective, but related note to the above - I generally find the bodywork/styling overly fussy (this is a BMW trait in general of course). Where Honda might incorporate a swage or scallop primarily for ergonomic reasons, BMW seem to add recesses, steps and other '3D' detailing just for the sake of it? An example is those side panels under each side of the seat - not only are they quite bulbous in the first place, but they appear to have four 'lumps' moulded in for no reason, other than to perhaps replicate the pannier slots you get on the 1200GS. If that is the case BMW, then please tell your design team no-one, even in emerging Asia markets is going to be impressed with such superficial flim-flam.

12. I do like the shape and general brightness of the OEM turn signals (for info. conventional bulbs, but orange with clear lenses), but feel the stalks are a little overly long, making them potentially vulnerable in the event of a drop. note. This is a US specific detail. The EU model GS's have much shorter stalks, particularly on the front.

13. Bouncy headlight. Again, this is something previous owners have already commented on. Some might say it helps to draw attention to you when drivers are looking in the their rear-view mirror, but personally I've been a bit embarrassed when following another vehicle hoping they don't think I'm aggressively flashing them for example. That said, even oncoming traffic doesn't seem to be unduly put out by the bounce, so perhaps it's simply more noticeable when you see the reflection on a roadside sign for example?

14. Did I mention the headlight high-beam is utter crap? Oh yes I did. It's crap. I feel a visit to MotoMinded coming on when I'm passing through Colorado Springs later this summer ;o)

So, that's about the size of things so far.

Overall, the bike has continued to impress me - I'd had high hopes for this machine, and in general it has not disappointed so far. I do feel there are better/more appropriate bikes (not least my own Rally Raid CB500X) for embarking on exactly the same trip as I have just done, but the fact that the 310GS can do it too just shows it's potential versatility too of course.

The real proof of the concept of a lighter weight [than even the twin-cylinder CB500X] Adventure bike is going to be once I really get it into the rough stuff - and that starts next week with my revised trip, starting here in California and heading back to Arizona for the Overland Expo - indeed, a journey much the same as that initial proving trip I undertook with the first Rally Raid CB500X in the US back in 2015.

From there, I'll be heading up to Moab UT, and I know Juan is itching to see what this smaller bike can achieve on the more demanding trails - film at eleven as they say.

Then, well, the second chapter is only just beginning... but you can expect a lot more dirt, plus some entertaining stories and associate photographs of course.

In the meantime, if anyone is looking to invest in stocks and shares, I'd suggest Starbucks, Waffle House and Motel 6 as good a place as any. Plus any and all of the petrochemical companies too of course.

It's going to be a long hot summer - I hope you can join me!

Toot toot for now!

Jenny x

Fettling after stage 1...


photo. finally registered, in California...

Because I'd elected to come all the way back to California this past week (and get the bike registered etc. before heading back east again), once the bike was back in Lisa's garage I took the opportunity to pull various panels off and see how easy - or as it turns out, not easy - it is to access and service things like the air-filter, coolant tank, and general wiring (note. there are a pair of auxiliary 12v power tails tucked up next to the headlight behind the dash, but that necessitates pulling the whole thing apart to access them - makes the Honda auxiliary feed by the right front turn-signal a doddle in comparison!)

So first of all, one thing I wanted to do is remove the side-stand cut out switch - not least as on this bike, the side stand hangs down precariously low, and the switch itself would be vulnerable to damage on a rock, or just by the general ingress of mud and water...

Chasing the cable from the stand back up to the loom (it connects behind the right hand side panel - next to the rear brake master cylinder), and a bit of internet deduction - note. this info is not out there until now, although I based my assumption on a YouTube video from a guy who bypasses a similar design switch on a R1200RT - is that you need to join the middle and rear two wires from the switch together, in the case of the G310GS, this is the black/green and blue/yellow wires, leaving the red/green wire free.



I elected to remove the switch and wiring right back to behind the side panel, and neatly joined/soldered and heat-shrinked the wires there (note this is technically reversible should you ever wish to).




The next job was to wire in my GPS properly (to a switched 12v feed, which I prefer) and also a USB socket to the dash - something I'd not had time to do during the initial build at the dealer in Virginia.

This necessitated pulling the whole front-end of the bike off, or more accurately, to pieces - as [typically BMW] everything seems to interlock and is held together with at least six bolts, when I'm sure just two would do!

Still, I now know how long it's going to take should I ever need to access the air-filter:


photo. note the snorkel just unclips with the two spring-clips, and there is a paper K&N style [albeit replaceable, not washable] filter inside.

Behind the dash are two 12v power tails - these have covers on to protect the male terminal, but unfortunately they are not simply the regular female side, but blanking panels, so you need to purchase the correct connecters and corresponding pins to do a proper job. I did.



I attacked the dash with a hole-saw (wood boring bit actually), and finished it with Dr. Dremel.




photo. Waterproof covered USB socket from Rally-Raid Products.


photo. 2 x 2A USB 5v sockets to charge your phone/camera etc. and a natty back-light when active (with the ignition on).

cont.

cont.

A few other personal details I've chosen to incorporate on my own build are as follows:


photo. as you may have noticed from the original photos, I elected to remove the chain guard, and also the stock shock cover would not fit straight on with the remote preload adjuster fitted, which I've subsequently trimmed with the Dremel to fit around the knob.


I chose to replace the stock mirrors with a pair of DoubleTake ADV versions (that use RAM arms and fittings) straight away - the left side fits straight into the Clutch perch clamp (traditional right-hand threaded M10 bolt hole):


photo. You'll notice I've also included a second RAM ball on this side - useful for mounting a range of accessories - either my GoPro Session camera, an X-grip for my phone (which doubles as a remote for the camera when it's mounted lower on the engine bars) or even an iPod cradle - these things are important you know ;o)

On the right hand/brake side, the perch clamp actually has a left-hand thread M10 hole - Rally Raid make an adaptor which is the simplest way to mount aftermarket mirrors (almost all of which have right-hand threads on both sides), but ultimately I chose to buy an inexpensive replacement mirror mount clamp, and fitted the right hand mirror RAM ball to that:



Rather than fit an AMPS RAM ball to the Rally-Raid bar clamp to mount my GPS cradle centrally, I elected to use a bolt-through ball mount on one of the sockets so that I could still see my little BMW badge*

*I don't actually care it's a BMW as such, but I really like the fact that John bothered to incorporate the recess to mount the OEM badge in there ;o)




Other cockpit ergonomic improvements you can see above include Renthal RC High bend fat-bars in the Rally-Raid billet bar clamps, and I chose to include 10mm packers/risers to dial-in the hight to my preference... note. the combination above means the bars are about 45mm higher than standard, and there is plenty of cable length for this increase - although it is a good idea to release the left-hand switchgear wiring from the frame clip, and reattach it to the brake hose:



This rise/sweep means my Barkbusters fit perfectly into the cut-out in the stock low screen:



You may also notice I've drilled a second set of M8 holes (20mm centre to centre inboard of the originals) in the Barkbuster spines - this allows everything to fit very neatly around the brake master cylinder/wiring hoses etc. while the Barkbusters remain nice and level/parallel to the ground (when using their universal fat-bar mounts):



Finally, an indulgence was to have my lower fairing panels painted to match the rest of the bodywork:


photo. Keeping it classy San Diego... ;o)

And also the two side panels under the seat - although these have since been rubbed by my Giant Loop Coyote bag:


photo. Note. all my tools are contained within the Kriega Pocket pouch, which fits really neatly under the GS seat. The only other tools I carry are a trio of MotionPro T6 combo tyre levers/wheel nut wrenches, which actually fit inside the right hand side panel too - very neat!

So those are the personal touches I've chosen to incorporate - as I've said all along, I've tried not to add anything to this build which I don't consider absolutely necessary - even to the extent of deleting the OEM rear luggage rack and fitting R grab handles in it's place (note. there are slots in the R handles that the clips from the Coyote just about fit in, although you really need to trim them down slightly so they sit home in there).


photo. Slots in the perfect position, but original hooks slightly too wide...


photo. Dr. Dremel to the rescue again.

I factored-in that with the weight saving from removing the rack, and the lighter weight Scorpion exhaust, I've saved at least 12lbs of OEM weight - which in turn allows me to fit the engine guard, Barkbusters and a few RAM/electrical components, and still remain at or around the same weight as the stock bike, just vastly better prepared and equipped.

Now it's time to really get this baby off-road - starting out again tomorrow and going via Death Valley and Las Vegas/Spring Mountains en route to Overland Expo next weekend!

Toot toot for now!

Jenny x

Thanks for a good write up about one of the few new bikes I would consider buying, I did test ride one and was most impressed. Just to clarify I presume your fuel consumption figures are US gallons?

Hi Mark - plenty more to come (another 12,000+ miles) - we've only scratched the surface so far!

Yes, the mpg figures above are US gallons (ie. just under 4 litres), and actually as I realised as the trip went on, the fuel gauge/mpg read-out can be a bit pessimistic at times - although broadly speaking, the ratio is pretty much the same, in other words - under 60mph it seems very economic (at trail riding speeds up to about 40mph, you'll get 70+ mpg), but it does drop down once you start pushing 70+mph.

More soon - chapter 2 gets a lot more rocky!

Jenny x

Chapter 2 - California to Toronto

Day 1: Monday 14th May: San Jose To Ridgecrest CA

408 miles

After a thorough 'getting to know you' session in the garage over the weekend, I was confident I now knew a lot more about how this bike went together, and had fixed a few little niggling details that I'd not had time to sort before my initial journey west.

In regard to the Rally-Raid parts I now felt I'd got the suspension set up the way I wanted: I'd backed off the initial preload a couple of turns, so that the hydraulic adjuster was more in the middle of it's range - allowing me to soften up the rear end for solo 'trialsy' technical riding (better traction and grip), then wind on some preload for carrying my luggage in touring/travel mode.

I also elected to refit the OEM black screen, not that there was anything wrong with the taller Rally-Raid screen - quite the contrary in fact, I liked the way it cut the wind roar from my Icon helmet at higher highway speeds - but more that I'd decided that for this next leg I'd wear my open-face Arai, and noticed it was now more noisy with the taller screen*

*this is why screen choice/height is so difficult to recommend, since there are so many variables - not just rider height and build (and the angle you like to lean into the bars), but also down to which helmet you choose and/or even if it has a peak fitted or not.

I also elected to forfeit my Icon riding pants for regular jeans, plus my Alpinestars roll-up rain pants in the back pocket of my jacket (the same set-up I had for my Canada trip last summer); and since I was expecting good weather now in the Desert Southwest for the next couple of weeks, left my original [thicker/bulky] fleece jacket at home, and bought a down quilted jacket that packs down really small into it's own pocket.

Right, time to hit the road then!


photo. a slippery water crossing on Deer Creek Rd south east of Porterville CA

I seem to ride drive this initial run south from San Jose a lot these days, and having shlepped home from Arizona less than a week ago, this time I elected to stay off the Interstate and took a series of alternative highways and two-lane country roads between the main Central Valley arteries of I5 and 99, before picking up a lovely scenic dirt road [which I've ridden before] to California Hot Springs in the Sequioa National Forest.

Climbing higher into the foothills on the western side of the Sierras, I'd half hoped that Portuguese Pass might be open en route to Kernville, but the seasonal gate was still locked, so I made do with more twisty mountain forest road and the delightful creek canyon Kern River Rd all the way to the north shore of Lake Isabella - again I mention these pointers specifically if you are ever in the region yourself - some truly epic motorcycling roads almost free of traffic the whole way.


photo. Looking back west through the mountains down hwy 178 towards Bakersfield, from the Canebrake dirt road that winds its way over a pass to dovetail with Nine Mile Canyon.


photo. Controlled burn area on the far side of the pass.


photo. The view east down Nine Mile Canyon - one of the epic back-country byways in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains.

By the time I rolled into Ridgecrest at dusk, I'd clocked up over 400 miles again on a mix of scenic paved and unpaved/dirt roads, but most importantly was now set up for some serious off-road riding the following morning...

After all, this is really what I'd built this bike for!

More soon...

Jenny x

Day 2: Tuesday 15th May: Ridgecrest CA to Las Vegas NV

210 miles

If yesterday was about trying to catalogue a definitive minor road route though the southern Sierras, then today would be similarly dedicated to a defining dirt route to Las Vegas, using a number of trails I was already familiar with.

I admit I'm a creature of habit when it comes to this part of the country - those of you who followed my Trans-Am 500 ride in 2015 (on the Rally-Raid CB500X) will be familiar with much of this route though the bottom end of Death Valley, but this time I intended to include a few more dirt/trail sections east of Pahrump through the Spring Mountains which I'd had to forfeit the previous journey due to time constraints.

Motel 6 in Ridgecrest is cheap, but increasingly shabby these days; but at least it's across the road from one of my favourite breakfast diners - and their cinnamon roll French toast was a treat - although I'm not sure if anyone had shown it some egg this morning to be honest, it was more a cinnamon bun covered in frosting and subsequently dripping in syrup courtesy of my own fair hand - a diabetic overload and no mistake, served with a 'side' of scrambled eggs, bacon and two sausages - it was essentially two breakfasts in one to set me up well on this sunny morning!

There was no need to gas up before I reached Trona (the last gas stop before you enter Panamint and Death Valley), and I took a little time to hydrate fully with a bucket of fountain soda (using the cup to fill my Camelbak with ice first) and I filled both my internal and external bladders to the brim - it was going to be hot out there today...


photo. Off highway 178 between Ridgecrest and Trona is this funky shrine to a local firefighter who was killed in a car accident in 2015. It must be quite surreal to drive past and night and see it lit up by the solar-powered spot-lights.

Due to my more modest pace though the mountains and dirt roads yesterday afternoon/evening, I'd actually managed to eek 173 miles from a tank of fuel (with still 22 to go according to the range gauge), which equates to around 65mpg - so clearly the fuel consumption is much better at sub 60mph than what I'd been achieving at higher speeds on the highway in recent days/weeks.


photo. The Escape Trail (Fish Canyon) between Trona airport and the bottom end of Panamint Valley - an excellent warm up for the day ahead.

I've ridden the Escape Trail a few times now, and it always impresses me with the big reveal as you crest the initial climb and start the decent into Panamint Valley. More recently Juan, Harold and I witnessed a pair of jet-fighters (presumably out of the nearby China Lake base, or possibly Edwards AFB to the south of here) playing tag at low-level in the valley; and previously Dave Lin (from ADVaddicts) and I rode this trail together in 2015 when he joined me on his KTM 690, which promptly ran away from him when he forgot to disengage his ABS on what will be forever known as 'Dave's Hill' now ;o)

Mindful of this loose and rocky decent (with little grip, even if you're on the brakes), I elected to switch off the ABS on the GS and pick my way down gingerly - although I have to say it wasn't easy, as the bike seems to have a propensity to cough stall when you try and drag the rear brake - a technique not helped by the low rear brake pedal that forces your foot into an unnatural angle, making it hard to modulate accurately. The stock foot pegs are also absolutely horrible to stand on too. It's conditions like this that really make me appreciate how easy and relaxed the twin cylinder Honda is (even though it's a good 50lbs heavier, it also hides that weight well and low), and how much more lazy you can be on it.


photo. The bottom of Dave's Hill - it looks so innocent here, but it's actually far rougher at the top end, and pretty nerve-wracking the whole way down as there is so little traction and grip.

Conversely, the BMW begins to reward you if you decide to put a little more effort in, ride it a bit harder and faster than you might a physically larger and/or heavier bike, and let the suspension do the work - certainly once I'd left the rocky baby-heads behind and the trail opened up into a fast sandy piste, the bike would rip along at a deceptively decent lick (40mph or more) over the whooped-out trail - although I did have to stop and add three clicks of preload to the rear to stop the shock bottoming out with the weight of my luggage on board once I started riding at that sort of speed on that terrain.


photo. Once the trail levelled-out and opened up, you could really pick up some speed (and carry it) on the nimble GS.

cont.

cont.

The Escape Trail spits you out a the bottom of Wingate Rd, almost directly opposite the entrance to Golar Wash, which in turn leads to Mengal Pass, Butte Valley and ultimately through the bottom end of Badwater Basin in Death Valley itself.

It really is one of the classic trails in Southern California, a wonderful mix of scenery, some challenging (but not too challenging ) terrain, points of interest (Newman's Mine cabin and the Barker Ranch), and not least Mengal Pass itself which again is not overly technical (you can pick a line through on a bike), but enough to catch out the unwary if you're not paying attention. Certainly I was glad I'd removed my side-stand switch from the low-slung undercarriage position on this bike, as I would have probably smashed it by the time I rolled into Butte Valley:



I also must admit to my first drop with this new bike (if you don't count it rolling forward and falling on the far side when I was trying to drop some oil on the side of the trail in North Carolina)... As I approached the first rocky section in Golar Wash (a series of jagged rock steps that have got more and more aggressive in recent years as the water has washed the smaller debris out of the nooks and crannies), I saw two Jeeps parked right in the middle of the trail.

The occupants were mingling around taking it easy, and they asked about the general condition of the trail ahead, so I helped to set their minds at ease and also made a few suggestions of things to see along the way... I then made a start along side the two vehicles in an effort to get up the rocks ahead as nonchalantly as I could.

Bloody rear tyre hung up on a wet rock slab and spat me sideways didn't it! Still, it's always good to get that first proper drop out of the way now - even if it was in front of an audience! - and at least I was able to appreciate that the bike does indeed feel lighter than the Honda to pick up off the deck, I positively snatched it off the ground in an effort to save face - but damn I had to clutch the bastard up and over those rocks. Time to air down the tyres I think...

I dispatched the next few miles at a fair old lick - again, it appears this bike actually rewards a little more aggressive riding, although I noticed the front end did seem to push/run wide in loose turns - certainly compared to my CB (on the same tyres) which always feels utterly planted... However, get on the throttle a bit more and you can adjust the attitude of the bike well enough, despite it's modest power output.

In that regard, personally I think this bike is rather over-tyred with the 150 width rear (and even that 110/80 front) and I intend to fit the Continental TKC80 in 140/80 x 17 size when I replace the rear in Moab next week. I also think an even lighter and more narrow profile tyre on each end would make this bike feel even more lively off-road; although I have to concede that for it's overall weight and load carrying capability, the specified tyre sizes are appropriate - it's just I feel the 34hp can struggle to turn the heavier all-terrain tyres at times.


photo. I emerged from Warm Spring Canyon onto West Side Road, and headed for the highway over Jubilee Pass to Shoshone for a well earned ice cream!

Even though I'd averaged 70mpg over the last 80 miles primarily off-road, I supported the local fuel station at $4.60 a gallon (still factoring that was some cheap fun I'd just had!), and blatted along the empty highway to Pahrump with only my iPod for company, planning the next stage of attack...


photo. Nice new sign, no bullet holes as yet...

Wheeler Pass is one of my favourite trails (and way to cross the Spring Mountains to the north into the Las Vegas basin) in this area, however, those of you familiar with the classic LA-Barstow-Vegas dual-sport ride may well be familiar with the southern crossing though Red Rock Canyon - an even more technically challenging (in places) climb through a narrow creek/wash and down the far side on a series of tight gravel and rocky switch backs.

There is also a lovely dirt-road/easy trail connection from the highway south of Pahrump and east into the foothills - Lovell Summit/Canyon Rd - this would be my route on the GS of course!



photo. This is the point in Red Rock Canyon where things start to get technical... the main wash is a great playground for four-wheelers, while the bikes can usually find a line through the boulders or along the edge of the main trail.


photo. I haven't been though here in a good few years (and the last time on a bike was actually over 8 years ago now), but parts of this trail were immediately familiar... As is the nature of wash trails, some sections had deteriorated, while others actually smoothed out and/or new lines developed.


photo. This has to be a road, it's in the GPS right?


photo. Once you reach the Pass, the worst is over - the descent is a series of tight switchbacks all the way into Willow Springs in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

This time, I elected to leave the ABS engaged the whole time, and I have to say, I am impressed with how well it copes with off-road and loose terrain conditions - very similar to the excellent system on the CB500X in that regard - and although I have managed to get the GS to skip/let go a couple of times in certain conditions, it has so far never resulted in a total run-away as BMW have been notorious for in the past.

The result on these tight downhill switchbacks was actually a revelation! Instead of the bike cough-stalling out on me if I was a bit heavy on the brakes (typically trailing the rear brake into corners to tighten up the line), I could brake right up to the point of the wheel locking which would typically result in the engine stalling, and yet the engine kept on ticking over while the brakes continued to retard the bike enough to keep control and momentum retained - it was essentially a form of ghetto traction control in reverse... This was fun!


photo. when I first rode this trail back in 2007 on my XR650R, this sign used to say: "Travel at your own risk" (which I soon adopted as my mantra for life ;o)

I cruised out of the park (if you join the one-way highway at this point halfway around, you avoid the fee station at the official entrance) at a sedate pace, confident that the bike had finally just spent the past two days in its element - twisty two-lane highway and backroad byways, fast gravel and sandy trails and some proper rocky technical riding too. This is what I'd ridden all the way across the country for, and it was only going to get better once I got to Arizona and Utah too of course!

However, I'd noticed that my cush-drive was once again starting to show excessive play, despite my inner tube packing, so stopped at the roadside and employed my Google machine. Sure enough, there was a BMW Motorrad dealer in Las Vegas (of course there was, although as it transpired they had moved location recently), so I tapped the address into my GPS with the intention of simply dropping by to ask what the warranty situation might be...

I have to say, I'm really liking the BMW ownership experience so far - well, apart from the fact I needed a warranty claim for cush-rubbers in the first pace of course! - and certainly this particular dealer [EuroCycle Las Vegas] made me feel very special - despite rocking up in dirty dusty jeans on their cheapest model, that I hadn't even bought in that State, never mind from that actual dealership themselves - they ordered me up the three required rubbers to be sent overnight, and booked me into their service department for the following morning. All done, gratis.

So currently I am now sitting here in an air-conditioned home of some good friends on the outskirts of Las Vegas, drinking a beer (my excuse for any spelling mistakes), with a fully functioning BMW again - all ready to head to Overland Expo tomorrow!

So if you're in the Flagstaff area (or are within striking distance at least) over the weekend, then do drop by (day tickets for Expo are available online) and say hello - Harold from Giant Loop and I will also be hosting an informal happy hour chat/presentation on the Friday night too, where you'd be most welcome!

More soon!

Jenny x