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TAT on R1150 GS ? TAT on R1150 GS ?
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Which Bike? Comments and Questions on what is the best bike for YOU, for YOUR trip. Note that we believe that ANY bike will do, so please remember that it's all down to PERSONAL OPINION. Technical Questions for all brands go in their own forum.
Photo by Sean Howman, The Pamir highway in an unseasonably cold late October, Tajikistan

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Sean Howman,
The Pamir highway in an unseasonably
cold late October, Tajikistan



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  #1  
Old 19 Jul 2009
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TAT on R1150 GS ?
I'm considering riding the trans-america trail solo, starting second week of August. After checking posts on ADV riders and videos on YouTube, it seems that the trail could be too technical for a heavy bike like the R1150 GS (mud pits, sand hills, rock climbs). Any opinion?

Thanks!
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  #2  
Old 19 Jul 2009
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I think if you consider yourself a good rider and are confident with the machine, then you should be able to make pretty much all of it, especially that time of year... I imagine the real question is are you confident that you could pick the bike up on your own, at 12,000+ft (a lot less air), more than once in a row?

Of course if you do encounter some particularly wet/muddy sections noone will blame you if you detour around them - likewise you can always elect to bypass the most trickiest technical sections - although the high passes in Colorado and the sections in Utah are perhaps the most stunning parts of the route...

What I would say is don't give up too early - when you finally see the Pacific Coast for the first time, where the forest literally falls into the ocean in Oregon, it will take your breath away... and Java Johns in Port Orford offers a well-earned espresso!

xxx
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  #3  
Old 20 Jul 2009
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We had a guy on a R1200GSA with big panniers and a big top box do the TN, MS and AR sections. I'd guess that further out west he probably would have had to take some of the bypasses... I my have needed to take them on my KLR though, too, but we are going to try further west sections next year.
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  #4  
Old 20 Jul 2009
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To add what BryceB says above, it probably would be a good idea to leave any hard luggage at home and travel really light... just the clothes you ride in, plus a change for off the bike - and a few layers for hot and colder climes.

You can motel it the whole way so you don't need to take camping equipment - although it can be a good idea especially if solo, just incase you have no option but to rough it out for a night... I took a minimalist camp in a roll bag on the back seat - I didn't need it on the TAT, but sure as hell did when I went via Rubicon Springs on the the way home! (of course that was not on a GS - I'm not a total idiot!)

xxx
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  #5  
Old 20 Jul 2009
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Thanks for the pointers and encouragements - I will give it a shot ... solo. No hard luggage of course since I've had bad experience taking my Jesse's on trails, they don't mix very well.

Thanks all!
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  #6  
Old 22 Jul 2009
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If you're going to be off-road for any amount of time, then I woud strongly recommend travelling with someone else, just in case you do have a spill and are unfortunate enough to be incapacitated..
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  #7  
Old 1 Apr 2021
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Going Solo
If ya gonna do it Solo for sure get a SPOT tracker or the Garmin InReach, and the recovery insurance! If the fall does not kill you the Helicopter rescue Bill surly will give you a heart attack!
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