Wildguzzi.com
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: chuck peterson on December 02, 2017, 05:13:38 AM
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I like this guy...Capn America helmet in there...
(http://thumb.ibb.co/eqiZ5G/image.jpg) (http://ibb.co/eqiZ5G)
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Reminds me of when I was riding the PCH on my KLX250S. Every time someone saw my TN license plate they had to ask if I rode it all the way from TN. I stated that if I had enough time I could have. The difference being the amount of miles I could cover in a day compared to a touring bike.
(http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1461/13716103/24695287/412097560.jpg)
(http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1461/13716103/24695287/412097559.jpg)
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..That's what i thought a while ago as well, until I found the adventures
of this couple on Honda Super Cup 90's - https://youtu.be/7_yJ2kcQilw (https://youtu.be/7_yJ2kcQilw)
Amazing, but in the end perfect : Low weight, eeeaasy handling, low fuel consumption, nearly indestructible.
On roads like those in the video you don't really go faster with a fully equipped Beemer GS and in case of a slide and fall
you don't have to fight to lift it up.
I'm still impressed :thumb:
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One of the guys on the triples board showed up at the annual 2-stroke meet at Deals Gap on a 100c 2-stroke Kawasaki that he had ridden there from Chicago. His board name is "Ihatemybike".
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Met Nathan Millward at the London moto show and have his signed book. Sydney to London on a "postie bike". Then NYC to Alaska.
https://www.nathanmillward.com/ (https://www.nathanmillward.com/)
Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA
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..That's what i thought a while ago as well, until I found the adventures
of this couple on Honda Super Cup 90's - https://youtu.be/7_yJ2kcQilw (https://youtu.be/7_yJ2kcQilw)
Amazing, but in the end perfect : Low weight, eeeaasy handling, low fuel consumption, nearly indestructible.
On roads like those in the video you don't really go faster with a fully equipped Beemer GS and in case of a slide and fall
you don't have to fight to lift it up.
I'm still impressed :thumb:
That's my take. I shake my head in befuddlement when I read the travelogues of people who crossed South America or Africa or South Asia "the hard way", and instead of riding a 250cc or 350cc bike that cost $4995 new which they can pick up if it falls over, or will ride easy on a balsa raft, sips gas at 60 MPG, and which will run 60 MPH all day in areas where they might make 50 miles a day if they're lucky .....
... they have a $15,000, 1200cc, 5-foot-tall monster that weighs over half a ton gross on the road, that's impossible to pick up alone, that breaks subframes, can't go over light bridges, bogs in mud up to the seat, gets 35 MPG .... I mean, their own journals are a litany of breakdowns due to massive high-tech unfixable-CANbus monsters, while Peggy Thompson or Lois Pryce or someone are motoring along on their 175 or 250 having no such problems, just enjoying the ride ....
Lannis
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A few years ago a 17 year old rode his 70cc Honda step-thru from Los Angeles to New York. On ADVRider I read of a couple that rode SYM step thru bikes (copy of the Honda) around the world. I rode several of those old Hondas when I lived in Japan. Great utility vehicles.
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Back in the `70's a young Canadian rode across Canada on his Tohatsu 50.
In the `60's a guy rode his Yamaha 100 twin across the US.
I had a neighbor in Carmichael, Ca. who got a degree in Art @ Sac. State who joined the Peace Corpse afterward in the `60's who rode her Mustang scooter to college and when she came home from Argentina with her boyfriend back to Sacramento they did it on a Honda 90 !!! :shocked: She was definitely a free thinker.
I knew a former Guzzisti (Lloyd) in Oregon who the last time I saw him he was riding a 125 Suzuki dirt bike which he rode down to Baja among other places. Before that he had a Ducati 900 Monster but got tired of speeding tickets so down sized. Lloyd was somewhat of a minimalist and an engineer.
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That's my take. I shake my head in befuddlement when I read the travelogues of people who crossed South America or Africa or South Asia "the hard way", and instead of riding a 250cc or 350cc bike that cost $4995 new which they can pick up if it falls over, or will ride easy on a balsa raft, sips gas at 60 MPG, and which will run 60 MPH all day in areas where they might make 50 miles a day if they're lucky .....
... they have a $15,000, 1200cc, 5-foot-tall monster that weighs over half a ton gross on the road, that's impossible to pick up alone, that breaks subframes, can't go over light bridges, bogs in mud up to the seat, gets 35 MPG .... I mean, their own journals are a litany of breakdowns due to massive high-tech unfixable-CANbus monsters, while Peggy Thompson or Lois Pryce or someone are motoring along on their 175 or 250 having no such problems, just enjoying the ride ....
Lannis
"They choose to do these and the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard"...JFK
You still "enjoy the ride" as you say, but it just takes on a different personality.
And there is the undeniable pleasure from a full day at 140 k (plus) when you feel like it.
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Touring bike of choice in my family for one up riding.
Cheap to buy and maintain, decent gas mileage, good range, reliable and light enough to pick up on your own, plus it will cruise at 70 mph all day long or chug in 1st gear at walking speed.
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg217/canuck750/CRASH/IMG_0311_zpsk7hybjhf.jpg) (http://s249.photobucket.com/user/canuck750/media/CRASH/IMG_0311_zpsk7hybjhf.jpg.html)
Been from the arctic circle to the Mexican border a few times and many place in between.
For two up the Beemer sofa on two wheels is hard to beat but I would rather be on the KLR given a choice.
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The ultimate Guzzi touring bike :evil:
(http://thumb.ibb.co/fKPTzb/20170919_070604.jpg) (http://ibb.co/fKPTzb)
Nick
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:1: :thumb:
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How about riding across Canada on a C90,in the winter.
https://youtu.be/o9aisWhUaUg
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This is one of my favorites:
http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/tiny-bike-to-alaska-2016.1143158/
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A few years ago a guy rode his Piaggio MP3 500 maxi-scooter from Florida to Alaska round trip and has a video/diary w/music to prove it. He's not mechanically inclined either.
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The CT110 and CT90 (postie bikes) are common bikes in Australia and have a bit of a following. The posties use them for their suburban deliveries and they get retired after 3 years or 25000km so plenty on the used market. People like to take them into remote areas of the outback.
https://traveloutbackaustralia.com/5-awesome-outback-postie-bike-adventures.html/
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Many years ago I was at a lady friends house when her son called to say that he was stuck with his broken down car.
I borrowed her ct trail Honda and a piece of rope and went to the rescue. The Honda easily pulled the car home.
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Seen on the road to the Nordkapp:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/7317806@N06/35715619990 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/7317806@N06/35715619990)
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Touring bike of choice in my family for one up riding.
Cheap to buy and maintain, decent gas mileage, good range, reliable and light enough to pick up on your own, plus it will cruise at 70 mph all day long or chug in 1st gear at walking speed.
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg217/canuck750/CRASH/IMG_0311_zpsk7hybjhf.jpg) (http://s249.photobucket.com/user/canuck750/media/CRASH/IMG_0311_zpsk7hybjhf.jpg.html)
Been from the arctic circle to the Mexican border a few times and many place in between.
For two up the Beemer sofa on two wheels is hard to beat but I would rather be on the KLR given a choice.
Skagway?
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Seen on the road to the Nordkapp:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/7317806@N06/35715619990 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/7317806@N06/35715619990)
In no particular rush. :huh: Beats pedaling. Does he even have a helmet?
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I like this guy...Capn America helmet in there...
(http://thumb.ibb.co/eqiZ5G/image.jpg) (http://ibb.co/eqiZ5G)
My eyes are not so good, but that little Honda world traveler seems to need a drive chain.
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Skagway?
Yep, the 'end' after a run up the Dempster.
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My eyes are not so good, but that little Honda world traveler seems to need a drive chain.
You're right. :tongue:
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My eyes are not so good, but that little Honda world traveler seems to need a drive chain.
A classic case of "Ran When Parked"!
"Hey, I rode it in here, didn't I?"
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Some of those little Hondas had stacked sprockets on the rear...there may be a smaller one the pic doesn't show. Carry a piece of chain and extra master link and you have mountain/trail gearing!
Terry
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Some of those little Hondas had stacked sprockets on the rear...there may be a smaller one the pic doesn't show. Carry a piece of chain and extra master link and you have mountain/trail gearing!
Terry
That was my first thought but that's a "Passport" and they didn't come with dual sprockets. Someone could have retrofit one, I suppose, but more likely it's parked so the rider can walk back and find the chain ... !
Lannis
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An excellent book is "I See By My Outfit" by Peter Beagle. It's about two guys in the '60s that crossed America by scooter. 200cc I think. It's one of the best cycle/travel books I've read. Try to get a copy that includes the one or two page summary of what happened to their friendship in the years that followed. (It's no mystery, just as life goes on people diverge).
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Some of those little Hondas had stacked sprockets on the rear...there may be a smaller one the pic doesn't show. Carry a piece of chain and extra master link and you have mountain/trail gearing!
Terry
My son Jake had a `69 Suzuki 110 2 stroke dirt bike that had a transfer case instead of 2 different rear sprockets to run in dirt or street ranges.
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Skagway?
We rented a Beaver on floats at Skagway and flew into a pristine lake inland. There wasn't a *sound* when that P&W quit turning. Amazing, and unforgettable.
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We rented a Beaver on floats at Skagway and flew into a pristine lake inland. There wasn't a *sound* when that P&W quit turning. Amazing, and unforgettable.
The Beaver is my favorite bush plane. I used to get time in on them during flights around the SE islands when I was the only passenger. The only time one got completely silent, I sincerely wish it hadn't. :shocked:
Here we are lining up to the runway at Metlakakla International Airport Oct. 31, 2009. It's called that because it's at Metlakatla and sometimes Canadians land there.
(http://thumb.ibb.co/cErqhw/metlakatla_beaver_1.jpg) (http://ibb.co/cErqhw)
And so there is no misconception, here's the airport:
(http://thumb.ibb.co/dwpMpb/metlakatla_beaver_5.jpg) (http://ibb.co/dwpMpb)
And what travel log would be complete without a picture of a native Metlakatlan in traditional business togs?
(http://thumb.ibb.co/dbcKaG/metlakatlan_1.jpg) (http://ibb.co/dbcKaG)
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Love it. Also applies to old bikes. Northern Wyoming on the way back to Seattle area - unsupported - 130 years combined.
(http://thumb.ibb.co/jRu49b/IMG_5164crop.jpg) (http://ibb.co/jRu49b)
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Love it. Also applies to old bikes. Northern Wyoming on the way back to Seattle area - unsupported - 130 years combined.
(http://thumb.ibb.co/jRu49b/IMG_5164crop.jpg) (http://ibb.co/jRu49b)
Impressive and beautiful! Nice pair!
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In the summer of 1983 I was working for the Moto Guzzi dealer in Wichita, Ron Garcia when this thin scroungy looking dude showed up on a Yamaha QT50.
(https://www.tradebit.com/usr/emanuals/pub/9002/9058047_11980182_2.jpg)
He was going from the Appalachians to California taking back roads. He could not have weighed more than 140 lbs. and looked pretty bedraggled. He had a bed roll and a small pack that could not have contained more than one change of clothes. He also had a scrawny sickly looking little dog that rode in a milk crate lashed onto the rear rack. He said that his bike had been running poorly and it would not get much above 20 mph any more. Ron and I both guessed that his exhaust pipe would be mostly plugged with carbon and we were right. I took off the pipe and burned a lot of crud out with a oxy/fuel torch and chipped away a bunch of carbon in the exhaust port of the cylinder. Ron told him to back off the oil mix just a bit and if he could afford it to start using synthetic oil for mixing. Test riding it, he was now able to get just over 30 mph which was about par for those bikes. I checked the rest of the bike over and sent him on his way charging him a minimal amount. Never heard from him again but always wondered what kind of adventures he had and if he made it to California.
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:shocked: a moped w/shaft drive? Talk about low maintenance!
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:shocked: a moped w/shaft drive? Talk about low maintenance!
Yeah! I remember thinking that also.
The bike had already made it about half way across the country by the time he got to Kansas and the only major problem I saw was the carboned up exhaust system. I can't say as I remember the condition of the tires but I would have pointed it out to him if they had been a serious problem.
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Technically that isn't a mo-ped , since there are no pedals :rolleyes:
Heck fellas , everything from Goldwings to 680 CC Douglass L twins to real 25 CC mo-peds have been ridden around the world , an actual Honda step thru with their build quality and support would be a piece of cake .
Dusty
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Never heard from him again but always wondered what kind of adventures he had and if he made it to California.
Whether he did or not, I'm sure it was worth the trip. Perhaps "the journey", and not California, was the destination in this case ...
Lannis
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You can tour on anything. Proof-http://www.bendbulletin.com/localstate/3692507-151/from-coast-to-coast-on-one-wheel
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'ey Jimmy! Fixed it for you. http://www.bendbulletin.com/localstate/3692507-151/from-coast-to-coast-on-one-wheel
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'ey Jimmy! Fixed it for you. http://www.bendbulletin.com/localstate/3692507-151/from-coast-to-coast-on-one-wheel
When I 1st started to read this article I thought, this rider doesn't know what he's getting himself into...and found out I was right as he's never been near the western half of the country. Starting on the Oregon coast he's already seeing parts of the US like never before. Traversing 40 miles/day is going to make for a long trip back to Louisiana and a lot of stops in the middle of nowhere. I'll bet he changes his plans.
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I wonder if he finished. :grin: I'll try his blog again. You couldn't tote enough water to get across E. Oregon and Utah. The article is from the 15th of Nov. 2015.
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When I 1st started to read this article I thought, this rider doesn't know what he's getting himself into...and found out I was right as he's never been near the western half of the country. Starting on the Oregon coast he's already seeing parts of the US like never before. Traversing 40 miles/day is going to make for a long trip back to Louisiana and a lot of stops in the middle of nowhere. I'll bet he changes his plans.
"Greyhound lost his luggage including his unicycle ..."
If you've ridden a bus lately, that statement won't surprise you .....
Lannis
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This is my all time favorite even though it is on "4" wheels. The Straight Story about Alvin Straight at 73 years old and nearly blind traveling 250 miles with his lawn mower to see his dying brother.
(https://image.ibb.co/fODeeb/Screen_Shot_2017_12_07_at_2_50_52_PM.png)
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"Greyhound lost his luggage including his unicycle ..."
If you've ridden a bus lately, that statement won't surprise you .....
Lannis
In `99 3 of us new MC retirees had just retired from our day jobs and decided to go to that years Dayton Bike Week via Greyhound Bus since we now had more time than $ and GH had just gotten over a strike where you could ride via GH for $159 round trip. I had a Navy buddy who would pick us up @ the Jacksonville GH station when we got there and take us to Daytona. My ticket was different than there's even tho all 3 of us were leaving from Sacramento, Ca. Even tho we all started together we found out the cross country Express changed @ Dallas, Texas. No longer was the trip express. Instead it turned into local runs all the way to Florida. Which made it more interesting. By the time we made it to Jacksonville I found out my extra cargo got there before I did. :huh: That was because I wanted to stay with my buddies. Since there were no showers to & from by Florida we were pretty ripe. :azn: In fact in Georgia the black GH riders thought we were white trash. :huh: Anyway, if you really want to know what this USA is really about you need to ride a GH bus across it to get a real education. :bow: 1 of us flew back rather than bus back. :rolleyes:
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I am as guilty of anyone when it comes to having the perfect bike for the perfect trip and think it is much more important to just make the trip happen.
But I do have my limits.
A step through, scooter or other moped like device is certainly easy enough to handle but the comment about cracking subframes is much more likely to happen on a toy like one of these. For long distance I would not want anything less than a 650 single but even a KLR 650 is in the 400 pound range. I might be able to make a trip on a bike like a Beta dual sport but that would be for that fantasy trip where everything is off-road and under 60 mph. My only concern with rougher roads like you'll find on the way to Alaska is the calcium chloride which can ruin a nice bike. Even while ADV riding I don't want much more than really rough gravel as I am all about the sight seeing.
So for me there are really at least two bikes needed for long distance travel and maybe 3. A very off-road worthy bike like an Africa Twin or BMW F800GS and then a straight touring bike with zero ADV capability where I'll be on pavement all the time. The problem is that I grew up off-road and I am drawn to forest roads like a labrador is to water. So while I might really like a new Mulxistrda and if I had bucks I would certainly own one, a Stelvio would make a lot more sense. That bike has plenty of torque for passing at speed and heavy loads and with the 19"/17" tire combination I can get a little bit of a knobby tire and have the comfort needed to take it on the aforementioned off-road excursions.
But the step through/moped/scooter for me would be a fantasy ride just to prove that the Al-Can could be traversed on such a bike. And yes it can. If you go 10mph on the rougher sections. And let's not forget that many people on those smaller bikes are older/female/or very small in stature and would LOVE to ride a bigger more powerful and comfortable bike if they could. The bigger engines make high speed running a lot easier and the power makes passing evasive maneuvers safer as well.
NC
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That American Indian MC world traveler Dr. Frazier rides whatever size bike is appropriate for the journey, renting small bikes like in Polynesian countries/islands. His home is in Montana. He writes articles about his world trips for different bike mags including http://citybike.com
In the November issue of CB there is an article about the V7III (pg.20)and the rider compares it to the V9 he's ridden. Think you will enjoy this article.
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For one of my trips for the years of 2016 and 2015 , I took my 30 HP Suzuki LS-650 to South Texas for a week long ride . Yea , it don't take much HP to run down the Super-Slab at 70-75 mph. even with a rear seat full of luggage . It took two days to get there both times . Its about 1200 miles from middle Tn. to South Tx. Some near 3500 mile extended weeks.
(http://thumb.ibb.co/i6V87w/Stone_Hinge_Tx.jpg) (http://ibb.co/i6V87w)
(http://thumb.ibb.co/ija87w/0217171700.jpg) (http://ibb.co/ija87w)
how to upload pictures online (http://imgbb.com/)
Stone-Hinge in South Texas ... well , a copy ! :laugh:
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I think adventure riding is still wrapped up with big dirt oriented stuff, which can hold folks back from going on adventures.
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For one of my trips for the years of 2016 and 2015 , I took my 30 HP Suzuki LS-650 to South Texas for a week long ride . Yea , it don't take much HP to run down the Super-Slab at 70-75 mph. even with a rear seat full of luggage . It took two days to get there both times . Its about 1200 miles from middle Tn. to South Tx. Some near 3500 mile extended weeks.
(http://thumb.ibb.co/i6V87w/Stone_Hinge_Tx.jpg) (http://ibb.co/i6V87w)
(http://thumb.ibb.co/ija87w/0217171700.jpg) (http://ibb.co/ija87w)
how to upload pictures online (http://imgbb.com/)
Stone-Hinge in South Texas ... well , a copy ! :laugh:
I'll tell you right now from Texas to the west coast with that tiny gas tank you'd be in a world of hurt unless you carried a lot of gas too 'cause out west gas stations are not near as common as back east. If you can't go at least 200 miles on a tank you better carry more gas. :wink:
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We did carry extra fuel out west on our bikes-which don't get anywhere NEAR 200 miles to a tank (which I also believe to be a good range) but we never needed it.
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Fuel range is king. Especially for me when I ride the west. My old K75 had great range. My VFR not so much. Many times on the VFR I had to turn around, find fuel and an alternate route. I liked the range that my 650 Oui Strom had. It allowed me a great degree of freedom to wander. And get lost - which I did. Good thing I carried two extra gallons of gas. I would ride a hundred plus miles, turn off onto an interesting dirt road, ride into the mountains for a hundred miles and camp for a few days then try to find my way back. Needed the extra fuel. GPS? Naw, I am a sextant and chronometer man, myself.
Riding in the eastern U.S. fuel is more readily available. Smaller tanks are ok.
My brother has about nine or ten motorcycles, one of which is a Harley FL touring model of some sort. Which bike does he day trip on most of the time for rides up to 150 miles? The Honda Ruckus of course. Strap on a tent, sandwich, bottle of comfort, gallon of gas and head out to the hills for an overnighter.
Years ago my mom and dad used to ride Yamaha HT-1 enduros in Japan and did some light touring. Dad got a CB-350 and he and mom toured Japan on that bike. Touring on small bikes is a great way to see the country. Unfortunately, in the U.S. it is a great way to get run over.
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Sorry for the crappy picture but I toured all over the midwest and the Ozarks with this 77 GS400. My luggage was a homemade paisley duffel bag strapped to the back seat. In stock condition the only time I couldn't cruise 75mph was against a strong wind and uphill. Later put in a big bore kit, cam, bigger carbs, and a port and polish. Was a lot of fun in the Ozarks.
(http://thumb.ibb.co/fvvbub/DSC06205.jpg) (http://ibb.co/fvvbub)
GliderJohn
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Smaller bikes come into their own when the going gets tough, like in the middle of Botswana or Vietnam.
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Smaller bikes come into their own when the going gets tough, like in the middle of Botswana or Vietnam.
You would think so, but (as I've commented before) some people insist on adventure riding across them on gigantic half-ton-gross 100 horsepower machines.
It's been suggested that the reason they do that to make it more of a challenge, and maybe that's right. Seems a silly sort of challenge though, like through-hiking the Appalachian Trail with an iron weight chained to your leg or with a bowling ball under your hat ....
Lannis
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Well I can say this, I crossed the Andes and got up to near 20K feet. There were two of us on new R1150 GSs about 550 lb + 100 # of gear.
They only have 75 hp to the rear and we needed the gear we were carrying. Across the pampa seca the wind was fierce (worst I had ever seen even in the Sahara) and a long way between good gas!
Anything less than that panzer would have been more than a challenge. So equipment selection depends on what the mission is.
Santiago to Buenos Aries.
:-)
Horses for courses ... if you're pulling a big load up to 20,000 feet, then yeah, you need a big tractor.
I guess I'm referring to the hosts of travelogues I've read where people are crossing 1000 miles of muddy jungle, crossing 500 creeks on rafts and canoes, riding over miles of axle-breaking rocks ... and the whole tale is about cracking subframes, broken rope bridges, rafts sunk with the bikes on them, bike overturned in a gully and you can't get it out.
All things that wouldn't/might not have happened on a 250. The stories from people with light bikes tend not to have so much of that .... ?
Lannis
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Kirby1923 really is the the "Most interesting man in the world." as noted earlier on another thread. :bow:
GliderJohn
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I'd have had the same up-righting issues with 'old faithful' if I dropped her. Which I did, in a muddy parking lot in Colby KS, in 2005. My issue was ..... the lot was so muddy, that when I almost got the bike back on her feet, the tires would slide away from me in the muck. Being 5'7", I couldn't lift at a good angle.
But I loved traveling on this old gal. A good highway bike ..... not all that heavy. A range of close to 190 miles per tank ... not great but ok.
We're both ageing, the bike a bit more gracefully than I am!
Bob
(http://thumb.ibb.co/mpqzfG/Collage_of_Montana_Trip_2009rev1.jpg) (http://ibb.co/mpqzfG)
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Stay thirsty, my friends... :boozing: