Five years on.

I just own more Hondas than I used to...

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Thank you.

The figures are at the side of an old airfield. More here

Friday the 13th - Video Dailymotion

I no longer commute (they made me have a company car again), so the features that make the NC a really good every day bike make it about as interesting as a dishwasher when you get 5 days to prep it and less than 2 to ride it.

Following the trend for relaunching far eastern brands under old British names I have decided on a re-brand as Hurley-Pugh. This also may give me an excuse to take the **** out of a few chaps who take it all too seriously. I think a clothing line is a great idea. Watch this space https://sites.google.com/site/hrpvindaloomotorcycles/ As a true classic bike fan you will of course need a direct link to the tech specs https://sites.google.com/site/hrpvin...specifications

Bad luck on the Ducati. I'd be going loopy without a ride for a month!

Ted, I wish I had your self control!

Andy

No worries, I've still got my trusty Suzuki DR650. Still going strong at 60K mi.
The DR650 isn't worth much so no point selling it.

I'm hopeful the shop Monkeys will do the Duc up right and it will go a bit longer.
Most all the important bits are being re-newed ... so a lease on life for this
20K mile Ducati. (new front piston, cams, bearings, valve gear, new front cylinder
and all new pulleys, bearings and belts. Now just need to upgrade clutch to 2016 one, then all good. (until something else goes bust! )

This is why I ride a Beemer.
I'm 36K miles into it and I've changed chain/sprockets (three times) and oil cooler. That's it.

Do you really believe your BMW is more reliable than the Suzuki DR650?
You're so proud of your BMW you didn't even tell us WHAT MODEL BMW it is.

Three sets of chain & sprockets in just 36,000 miles? You must use crappy chains ... probably the crap ones BMW dealer sell? Or you don't know how to look after a chain?

I got 24K miles on my last chain (DID 525 VM-2 X ring) I do change front sprockets every 8K miles ... a 10 minute job on DR650.

How does that compare with ease of access on your BMW? I've tested F800GS and ridden F650 and XChallenge quite a bit.

Tried to work on a friend's F650 Dakar once. Pain in the Ass to get to anything to do just basic maintenance.

I can do a valve check in 1/2 hour on the DR650... valves rarely go out of spec. At least not in the last 60k miles.

Simplicity is good when far from home. On the DR650 no ABS, CANBus or F.I. gremlins to haunt you 10,000 miles from home ... not to mention the repeated failure of water pumps, head gaskets, wheel bearings and bum electrics on many F650's and some F800's.

No water pump, coolant hoses or radiators to fail on a DR650. Simple is good.

My DR650 (3rd one) is on original wheel and Hubb bearings, original top end. At 60K miles only routine maintenance items and one CCT gasket.

NO failures, NO oil use and you can't overheat the DR650 even plowing through deep sand in 118F in Death Valley. I've done it.

You can buy BMW's all day but no chain drive BMW's hold a candle to the DR650 in the Work Horse, long term reliability dept. I love that the DR is owner serviceable and that it crashes really well. No plastics and expensive clocks to get destroyed. Basic ... but NOT cheap.

YES! the BMW's are pretty bikes: Nice clocks, dash and switches. Nice plastics too! Very nice to look at and FUN to ride too! Good bikes if you look closely after them, but delicate compared to a DR650.

My Suzuki has never been in a shop. Ever.

As a former fanboy (guess which brand ) I can predict disapointment if that is your only plan. On the other hand, if you learn how to do what's required it also follows you can use anything.

My Enfield has never been back to the dealers (It'd never make it that far ) . Seriously, as I know the things that's my answer to an easy life. Others may struggle and I know guys who'd pick a Ural.

Andy

Since almost 4 years I have been riding a BMW F800GS. The bike used to be a faithful companion on my trips in the last years.

Before, I used to travel with my KTM 640 LC4 - I still own my lovely Kati and she still gives my pleasure.

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After the trip is before the trip!

5 years on and after selling the first R1200gs Adv and owning a Harley Fatbob (great for kicking about with the club) I`m back on a R1200gs Adv
A triple black this time.
Last of the twin cams

BMW, love em. So glad to be back on a proper bike. The Harley was a joke to travel on.

There she is.



All the camping stuff fits into the panniers with room for clothes, food, and a laptop to spare. 8) On longer trips the camping stuff goes into a speedbag on the pillion.

But thinking of getting something a bit more dirt-comfortable next. Although if it's dry, the VFR will easily do forest roads, sandy beach roads, etc. Just gotta be a bit slow and careful.

I'm currently on the fence between two. Larger and slightly heavier, but with more power or about 45lbs lighter, less power but more of a 50/50 bike for that (someday) trip. But, for now, my Benelli naked streetbike that punishes me daily on the gnarly roads of Tegucigalpa.

This my "travel" bike at the moment. I couldn't ask for better off road and I cackle like an idiot while riding it out of joy in the dirt. I've made some improvements this past winter in an attempt to keep this as my primary travel bike but ultimately the tire shredding is its downfall (1500 miles on average per tire - rear). It is perfect for long weekends in the mountains and desert regions of the US west though. Since this photo was taken I've added a wind screen, Wolfman Expedition Dry Saddles bags and racks, a RotoPax on my larger rear mounting plate (for a fuel or water can), plus a PDM-60 for electronic gadgets (in process). We'll see how longer road rides go this year.

Since you never told us what bike that is ... and you've got so much Shit piled up on it, it's hard to tell.
no worries!

Yes, I know it's a KTM ... and if it says "950" on the side panel (???) ... then I'd guess perhaps it's the long discontinued KTM 950SE? A great bike and still the best big twin bike KTM have made when off road is on the menu.

Are you brave enough to take it out of the USA?
How many miles done so far?

Tires
If doing mixed surface long distance tours you have to go "Mullett" on your tires. That is, a mostly street biased, tough rear tire and something knobby up front that works well enough on wet paved roads. (be careful with choice here).

Rear tire
You could go with the German 50/50 Heidenau, Mefo or Mitas. Expensive, terrible handling, but last a LONG time. Or go with a more street biased rear like a Tourance, 705 Shinko, Distanzia or Kenda. Tire pressure is the trick many riders forget about. Even a street biased tire works MUCH better at 18 PSI vs. 37 PSI. Huge difference.

I go cheap & cheerful on my DR650. Either TKC80 or IRC TR-8 up front (the Conti being the better handling tire) and a Kenda K270 on the rear. The K270 does everything well ... on DR650 went over 6K miles of mixed fast highway (70 mph plus) and lots of Baja dirt and Mexico dirt back roads. Ran it at 16 PSI on rough Baja rock sections. GREAT!
All this on a $60 tire.

I don't Roost it up coming out of every corner like in Race Days ... I take it easy. Going from pass to pass in CO, no problem ... you can get a new rear tire in just about every town you come to.

Mongolia? Bolivia? Not so much.

I am going to give my KLR 650 a well deserved retirement, with 101,000 miles on it. It;s a 2000 that I bought new in 2001, it's been my travel bike, so most of those miles are on trips, I've had other bikes for commuting. In prep for a trip in 2012 at 70k, I gave it new clutch plates, water pump seals, and steering head bearings, but it is still on its original top end, although it uses oil pretty badly now, and is down on compression. Only 2 valve adjustments in all that time. Rear shock has been a weak point, I had two OEM's puke at almost exactly 30k each, it now has a Progressive brand, which still seems to be OK.

Not sure what I will get next, for now I have a Harley XR1200 and a Suzuki DR350S, so there is a mid sized hole in my stable, but no hurry.

__________________
Andy Tiegs
https://new.horizonsunlimited.com/ts...lsouth-america

Congrats on making it to the magic 100K miles ... really impressive!

For Latin America at least, most know the KLR650 is the most popular bike used as travel ADV bike over last 20 years or so. Different story in rest of world.

Andy and I met at an HU Copper Canyon rally sometime mid 2000's. ('05? '06?) I was on my Vstrom. Only about 105 bikes at the event, which no longer is held. But guess what? 35 of the bikes there were KLR's!


My former Vstrom and Andy's KLR in it's youth!

I have pics of the bikes and people at that rally somewhere, can't locate them now.
I've posted this story numerous times here on HUBB, sorry for repetition.

I remember that photo well, that was in 2004. That is right where you start descending the switchbacks into Batopilas Canyon. All paved now, I'm told. I haven't been there since 2008.

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Andy Tiegs
https://new.horizonsunlimited.com/ts...lsouth-america