If this video doesn’t make you smile, then you need to check your pulse! Not your typical “here’s our motorcycle trip in Ecuador” kinda video, instead these guys shot a hilarious rock video throughout their trip! And, they’re riding with Giant Loop’s Great Basin Saddlebags . . .
Hi Giant Loop! We just returned from the WABDR, and I thought you might like some of our photos with your gear. It worked great by the way. Even with the heavy rain, the gear inside the dry bags stayed dry. We had a great trip! ? Ernie
Congratulations to GL racers Tracy Sheehan and Nick Sheehan for the strong finish in brutal conditions at the 24 hours of Starvation Ridge race! Looks like the Bushwackers Hand Guards came in handy.
Here’s Tracy’s report: “Here’s a small recap of the race this weekend. Mud, lots of mud… Nick crashed and hurt his shoulder and midnight still went out for another night lap. I had some intermittent bike trouble. Nick placed 3rd overall. I placed 5th overall. It was a very challenging weekend, but overall we had a blast!! I truly Love my Bushwhacker Guards!”
Turkish filmmaker Tolga Basol has already ridden across Asia on a KTM 1190 Adventure R, now he’s enjoying the desert southwest of the United States. He added a camerman to his solo journey to help document the trip for Turkish television. This pic is the KTM 640 Adventure Tolga bought in LA for his cameraman to ride.
Here’s a recent post on his Ride Must Go On page:
I am getting some questions about the luggage system I am using, so I wanted to share my thoughts about the topic here. I have used hard panniers in the past on my travels to Middle East, Central Asia, Europe so I have tasted both.
– Hard panniers are way more heavier then a soft luggage setup. That being said, I try to travel on dirt roads as much as possible so the weight is an issue for me. The lighter the bike it is, the happier I am.
– I have managed to bend hard panniers, stuck my leg between the pannier and the bike couple of times, hit something hard while riding off road… The results are not good. Soft panniers are way more durable and sturdy than hard ones imho. Even if you manage to tear them apart, they are much more easier to fix.
– I have witnessed self destruction of hard panniers in Road Of Bones. My friend with hard panniers had to abandon them because the cases and rack system were destroyed.
– My soft luggage setup is totally waterproof, flexible and have pockets so when needed I can carry lots of stuff with them.
– I use Giant Loop equipment, I was already using their products so I believe they are the best on the market now. I asked them to support me for my RTW and I am happy they are.
– I have Siskiyou Panniers, Tillamook Dry Bag, Fandango Tank Bag along with pannier pockets. To keep them steady on the bike I use Pronghorn Straps which are one of the best equipment so far I have ever used.
Wiley Watson of Red Tide Pictures along with riders Kyle Redmond, Rory Sullivan and Ricky Russell bring you on a three part adventure series in the Pacific Northwest. The riders take their dirt bike skills deep into the thick forest?s remote places of the north with standard bikes; epic views, lost trail and mysterious mountains provide ample amounts of entertainment for the whole crew. Check out Episode 3 here?
Click play, hit expand button to display full screen, and sit back and enjoy the ride!
Danell Lynn stopped over in Bend for the night on her solo motorcycle tour.
Her Triumph Bonneville is kitted out with Giant Loop’s Siskiyou Panniers, Fandango Pro Tank Bag, Tillamook Dry Bag, Rogue Dry Bag and Zigzag Handlebar Bag. She’s attempting a Guinness World Record for most miles ridden in a single country!
Wiley Watson of Red Tide Pictures along with riders Kyle Redmond, Rory Sullivan and Ricky Russell bring you on a three part adventure series in the Pacific Northwest. The riders take their dirt bike skills deep into the thick forest?s remote places of the north with standard bikes; epic views, lost trail and mysterious mountains provide ample amounts of entertainment for the whole crew. You’ll notice the MoJavi Saddlebags and Zigzag Handlebar Bags on their bikes – check out Episode 2!
Seat Time host Brian Pierce thought his racing was done when he blew up his bike at this year’s BAJA RALLY – then he and his father got inspired and prepped his dad’s 27-year-old Suzuki SP 200 so he could finish the race!
Says Brian: “Here’s the 1987 Suzuki SP 200 with the GL MoJavi Saddlebag ready for the final day! our bags worked great. Let me know if you would like more pics of the SP 200 with them on there. It was the perfect way to use the bike you had to conquer a 300+ mile day in Baja.”
Congrats Brian – undaunted!
Here’s the recent Seat Time episode recapping this year’s Baja Rally:
“2014 Baja Rally Overall Winner Scott Bright joins us on the show and he’s followed up by Erek Kudla. The Baja Rally was a great experience and we would love the opportunity to attend again for Baja Rally 3.0.”
Wiley Watson of Red Tide Pictures along with riders Kyle Redmond, Rory Sullivan and Ricky Russell bring you on a three part adventure series in the Pacific Northwest. The riders take their dirt bike skills deep into the thick forest?s remote places of the north with standard bikes; epic views, lost trail and mysterious mountains provide ample amounts of entertainment for the whole crew. Note from Watson: “Every trail shot in the feature is entirely legal, although the story tells otherwise. But thats our job, to make the normal look not so normal! And if you know the area there are wolves!”
Giant Loop rider Tolga Basol, a filmmaker from Turkey, recently posted more pictures of his “Ride Must Go On” round-the-world tour, which will be the subject of a documentary film. Inspiring photos of amazing people and landscapes! You can also follow his journey on Facebook. For his epic adventure, Tolga’s riding with Giant Loop’s Siskiyou Panniers, Rogue Dry Bag, Fandango Pro Tank Bag and Pannier Pockets on his KTM 1190 Adventure.
Giant Loop’s design director, Brian Frankle, recently joined up with a couple of local friends from Bend for an Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route adventure on his Suzuki DRZ400. Here are some of his pics and comments:
“Took a short 4 day trip on the moto on the Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route. Rendezvoused with a few others on day 2 in Ukiah, Oregon. Other than great company, seeing a Bighorn Sheep along the South Fork of the John Day River was a highlight.”
As a long-distance runner and through-hiker (just finish 5th in Pine to Palm 100, he’s hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, etc.) Brian’s an ultralight packer. On this trip he’s living the life of luxury with the Great Basin Saddlebag and Pannier Pockets on his DRZ400.
“Bridge Creek Wildlife Area outside of Ukiah, Oregon. Wildlife Count: 3 cows.”
Our friend and customer Patrick used the Coyote Saddlebag and Fandango Pro Tank Bag on his Honda CRF250L.
“PK at Olive Lake Umatilla National Forest. Olive Lake is a reservoir that provided water and turned the generators at Fremont Power House…which in turn, supplied power to the largest Dredge used for gold mining in North America which sits in Sumpter, Oregon.”
Oregon had it’s own version of the Gold Rush.
“The Dredge in Sumpter, Oregon.”
GL friend and customer Dave packed the Coyote Saddleabg and Fandango Pro Tank Bag on his Yamaha WR250.
“Lunch stop, throttle cable repair, and opening day for Bow Season. Lots of hunters out and about. Malheur National Forest.”
Brian definitely applies our philosophy of “go light, go fast, go far” to his camping gear.
“Find sticks, make shelter. Ochoco National Forest.”
Balint wrote in and shared pictures from his recent European tour. Check out how he is using the cable lock pass through for security!
He said,
“Hi GL,
Here are two pics taken on my trip around Europe on my XB12XT using a Great Basin 2 saddlebag and a Zigzag handlebar bag. I’ve been to 10 countries altogether starting from the UK, then France, Monaco, Italy, Slovenia, Hungary, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium then back to the UK through France. Altogether i rode 3834 miles (approx 6170 kms) to see all my friends and family on my holiday wherever they live around Europe and it was a great experience. Your bags totally rock!
All the best,
Balint“
Thanks for the great pics and for riding Giant Loop!
NORTH OF STEAMBOAT SPRINGS COLORADO
Swamp is a serious adventurer who’s ridden all over the Americas on dual sport bikes. Here’s the intro his latest “Mexico to Canada: Solo on the Continental Divide” with the Coyote Saddlebag, Zigzag Handlebar Bag and Pronghorn Straps:
“After having one of my motorcycles confiscated by a band of illiterate, Ecuadorian customs officials in early July 2014. I returned home and started piddling around with my 2007 BMW G650 X Challenge. Changing the oil, oil filter, air filter; installing new tires and some other modifications and tweaks. The bike had previously received no love from me. I just rode it, never washed it, rarely changed the oil, never changed the filters. Every time I rode it I would try to rag the motor out. It never complained. Never boiled over. Never leaked. Anything.
Swamp keeping it the “Go Light, Go Fast, Go Far” way, solo on the Continental Divide Trail
I usually like white bikes but the paint on THIS one (yes, its paint not just white plastics) always bothered me so I sanded the plastics down and put a few coats of green paint on it. The bike seemed to say ?Jeez, finally!? I let it set for a few weeks. Only riding it down to the river a few times to go fishing.
On July 20th I woke up, made coffee and walked outside. It was foggy; pretty thick. ?Ya, I think I?m going to ride the Continental Divide?.
New Mexico mud
Five days later, July 25th both the X-Challenge and I were riding through the border town of El Paso Texas then working our way into New Mexico where we would meet up with the Continental Divide trail near Hurley/ Silver City. As far as planning and preparations went, well; I ?prepared? for maybe two hours. I had some containers for extra gasoline, one pair of socks, one pair of underwear (wearing both ), a rain jacket, batteries, flash light, small air compressor, some tools, a knife, a lighter, harmonica, protein bars, a trash bag and a camping rig the size of a football. Basically the same shit I?ve carried with me for eight or nine years now.”
El Vado Reservoir
“I LOST MY TAG SOMEWHERE ON THE WAY TO CUBA NEW MEXICO. THE TAG IS A BARBER MOTORSPORTS TAG THAT HAS ?SWAMP? AS THE NUMBER. IF YOU FIND IT SEND ME AN EMAIL: SWAMP@ENDUROEARTH.COM”
Here’s Swamp’s comments about the Giant Loop gear in the conclusion of his ride report:
“Giant Loop Coyote bag (www.giantloopmoto.com) : I?ve had this bag for a few years now and its still holding up despite having the hell beat out of it. The Giant Loop guys have treated me well and have always answered the phone and returned my calls and e-mails. Their customer service is excellent and I believe that their products are excellent. The bag is just that, a bag. Put whatever you can fit in it, its not complicated. On this ride I lashed an extra 1/2 gallon of gas to the top of the bag with no problems using a set of pronghorn straps. The Coyote is the perfect size for this ride.. however I found it strange that I rode The American Flesh Eater Route from California to Alabama (1 month ride) using the smallest giant loop bag (the mojavi) but used a larger bag for this ride.”
“Also, the Pronghorn Straps are friggin’ sweet! Probably my favorite “new thingys” for the bike lately.”
End of the Trail
One of the things we love our work at Giant Loop is the many friendships we’ve developed with colleagues, people like suspension master Alex Martens from Konflict Motorsports (and The Heavyweights racing team) and his lovely wife Heather. The Martens rolled through town while enjoying a summer adventure and stopped by the shop today, Heather riding a Honda CRF250L and Alex on a KTM 950 Super Enduro. We’re proud the Martens travel with Giant Loop’s Coyote Saddlebag and Diablo Pro Tank Bag on the Honda, and the Great Basin Saddlebag, Tillamook Dry Bag and Fandango Pro Tank Bag on the KTM.
They’re using the Pro model tank bags’ integrated electronics pass-through to keep their cell phones charged.
Check out the alternative mounting strap attachment Alex made, since he’s removed the passenger peg mounts from his KTM.
This Slavens Racing Mule Cool brake caliper cooler on the KTM 950 SE is a pretty trick way to?keep Alex from boiling his brake fluid (he likes to ride FAST).
Safe travels friends! See you on the trail!
Advrider Hodakaguy has posted a comprehensive thread about ?packing his KTM 530 EXC for long desert camping trips. Covering 1600 miles on dirt takes some preparation and he does a thorough job of covering the important details and not getting bogged down with too much gear. His complete report is at this link on advrider.com
He had this to say about his Giant Loop gear.
“Luggage: Giant Loop Luggage – This luggage is absolutely awesome! Holds your gear tight to the bike so you can ride like a dirt bike with all your luggage. Everything stays in it’s place and there is no metal frame work to bend/break in a crash. I’ve used this luggage on numerous long distance desert trips now and it’s performed flawlessly. I like to pack everything in small individual dry bags before loading them into the GL bag, keeps everything waterproof plus makes it easier to go after a specific item.
Giant Loop Fandango Tank Bag – On our second trip I added the tank bag. Build quality is great and it’s super handy as it allows you quick access to your camera, helmet cam, extra batteries/memory cards etc. I carry my camera in a zip lock bag inside the tank bag, keeps dust out of the camera and if you go down in a river crossing the camera won’t be damaged …”
He even breaks down his whole load and describes the utility of each piece.
This is the list of bike spares he carries:
“Tools/Spares:
*Tire irons
*Spare Tube in a front fender pack (Remove the valve core from the spare tube, coat the tube in Talc, fold it up and place it in a vacuum seal-a-meal bag. The vacuum will make it a fraction of it’s normal size and the thick bag will offer abrasion resistance for the tube while it’s in the pack. If you need the tube while on the trail just cut open the pack, re-install the valve core and you have a pre-talc’d tube ready to go!)
*General hand tools…ie wrenches, pliers etc.
*Metal Epoxy stick – great for fixing
*Super Glue
*Snap Ties
*Electrical Tape, Rescue Tape
*Knife
*Lighter
*Tire Patches
*Tire Pump – I use the Crank Brothers Pump. It’s small, light weight and works great. I carry it in the Fandango Tank Bag
*Spare Spark Plug
*Spare Levers
*1 qt Oil
*Misc bolts
*Wallet Sized Multi-Meter
*Repair Manuals”
Hadn’t heard of the Crank Brothers pump and I like its quality.
Thanks for the great review and tips Hodakaguy!
Danell Lynn is embarking on a world record motorcycle ride, traveling to all 50 US states and Canada. She is riding a Triumph Bonneville and using Siskiyou Panniers and Fandango Tank Bag.
This is her local news story:
http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/clip/10432926/one-woman-one-motorcyle-and-50-states
Manpupuner Express
By Simone Canizzo
In collaboration with Giant Loop Motorcycle Packing Systems, Caberg Helmets and Rieju Motorcycles
The journey
I admit that the idea of ??reaching this remote place on the Ural Mountains is not mine, but of Nicholas Codognola the editors of Motorcycle Racing, which has also provided the logo of the shipment. In front of a sandwich (biker …) tells me about this mystical place, difficult to reach and even to be found on maps. It then performs the grave mistake of showing it on his smartphone, along with other information gathered by them in turn when he discovered its existence.
As always, the trips are born from the desires for me, and these are completely free to wander through my brain lobes, with a guarantee of absolute impunity.
And here I am, about two months later, to have simply decided that I want to go there and get to the nearest place where you can put the wheels.
The journey is divided into two parts: the first 95% and the remaining measly 5%.
For the second part I could take much longer than the first.
Indicatively, the path included in the first 95% will be:
? Italy
? Austria (Graz and Vienna)
? Slovakia (visit the main castles and tents pitched in national parks)
? Romania (“Transylvania, Transylvania station …”)
? Moldova (Republic of Transnistria and of the self-crossing: For years I want their money with a hammer and sickle, impossible to change or spend elsewhere if not in their status as the largest municipality of Pavia)
? Ukraina
? Russia (Moscow) certification that the girlfriend returns to Italy with a comfortable airliner, big sigh and departure to the East
Last 5%:
The Manpupuner is located in a natural park, so it is possible that I am able to bring the vehicle under one of the giants of stone.
However, it makes a difference which side you look at the lens.
The park of the Pechora-Ilyc extends primarily to the west of the site, thus obliging the reckless rider, after a journey of about 1000 km due east from Moscow, to leave the beloved zigzag through mud, rocks and curves not reported for a boat first and then just walk away. Respectively, are 250 kilometers to go on a boat up the river, then venture into the jungle for another 40 strictly on foot.
That’s interesting. vPer? ….
I have found that a climber has reached (and climbed …) one of the giants coming from the south, passing over Ekateryneburg and reaching Ivdel. The essay is then activated a GPS tracker, saving the path to the plateau. 200 miles to go, but overlaying the track to Google Maps, you can see the trails that are very close to Manpupuner, to the edge of the park, just 6 kilometers from the rock formations.
The idea is then to arrive from the south and grapple in the 200 miles of mud, river crossings and forest to get up to on two wheels where possible.
Then tie the bike to a tree, make a full day of hiking to reach the place longed for, take a terabyte of photos, go back to the bike, turn it, give it gas for 5000 miles to the view of the East Freeway
All of this is independent of the total lack of clear information about the possibility of facing “legally” the road to the north of Ivdel until Manpupuner. But “legally”, in Russia, it is an elastic term.
Criticality
One of the most challenging aspects is the part to drive over Ivdel, since I would not be the first to deal with it in motion, but you will find all the information about recommended to go as part of a shipment and a support vessel, immediately behind, to carry food and water. And gasoline.
Climber on the map indicate the points where you can stock up on water, I’ll see how the rest get organized before leaving the dirt road toward the plateau.
Also, after about 100 miles, you will cross a place where many years ago a group of experienced climbers found dead in order to say the least original: without language, almost without clothes even though it was February, escaped from the tents hastily cutting them from ‘interior with numerous fractures and interior with no signs of bruising. The friendly event is easily readable even on Wikipedia at this link …… and the way that I will go there exactly in the middle.
average
The trip, the photos and the post will be re-launched on ………
I have with me Canon professional products, two action cam, Caberg helmets and equipment Giant Loop.
Will be published daily on a post on a platform to define, spread via Twitter with a special hashtag, some pictures and a video pill (without editing) every 1 or 2 days.
Will be given the space to the impressions of a passenger, female, who until two years ago was convinced that the adventure was “anything more than Bordighera.” And always on four sturdy wheels.
The partners will be able to resume the materials on any media (traditional or electronic).
At the end of the trip, will produce a mini-documentary about the expedition of about 15 minutes, spread over the network through institutional channels Youtube.
the half
They are known to be an avid 50ini, but in this case I really could not help but add a few cubic centimeters, given the presence of a passenger to Moscow. The choice fell on the Tango 250, kindly provided (with a mountain of proxies translated into 15 languages ??included) to Rieju Italy.
It ‘an appropriate means for the length of the journey and for that last 5%?
Obviously, no. And that’s why I like it.
who are they:
My name is Simon, I have worked in IT for about 15 years but with an eye often turned to the engineering of corporate events and their management (ING Direct, MV Agusta, DHL are just some of my clients).
When I stopped on the role of my first life, I found myself driving on 2 or 4 wheels, making travel increasingly long and increasingly less appropriate to the means used. Just to name a few, on 4 wheels I made a trip from Milan to Ulanbatoor with a Citroen AX, from Milan to Tokyo with a Fiat Uno and from Milan to Sydney with a Fiat 500. Staying on love 2 wheels, as well as traveled in throughout Europe, I made a trip to Morocco and South Africa-Egypt with a Honda Africa Twin 750 and went up in Kazakhstan via Russia and returning to Iran. Turning to small cubage, I went to Milan to Dakar with a Honda SH 50. My business is probably more interested in what was done between 2011 and 2012: from Cape Horn to Alaska with a Beta RR 50cc. 36.260 kilometers that I have earned the Guinness World Record for the longest journey ever made by the means of most small displacement.
The report of the Fuego2ice, the name of the last company, has been published extensively in the journal Motorcycling, on their official website and on my blog (with about 32,000 active members) connected to the Facebook group.
The event gave a tangible visibility and constant, for about 9 months, the partners and sponsors of the project (Betamotor, Toucan, Arai, Canon, Ber Racing, Ceva to name a few) through the press and social networks.
GL riders Paul and Paula are having WAY too much fun touring through South America on a Yamaha Tenere 660 and a Suzuki DR350!
He’s got the Siskiyou Panniers, Diablo Tank Bag and Tillamook Dry Bag on his Tenere, and she’s got the Great Basin Saddlebag?and Rogue Dry Bag on her DR.
Follow their adventures at Horca Moto!
Tolga posted more pics from the latest section of Ride Must Go On.
Continental TKC 80’s are easily subdued by Giant Loop Pronghorn straps!
The guys riding big bikes on the WABDR had a time of it, last weekend. Here are pics from their ride, thanks to our friends and advrider.com inmates SOP-Dirtrider, Cyclops, Konflict and Motostay’s Tad Haas for sharing their fun.
Getting the Giant Loop Dual Sport route sorted for Rally in the Gorge took the help of Apple Jam, from ADVrider. An avid KTM 990 Adventure rider, he has rolled every piece of two track in the area and knows how to link up some excitement for our ride.
Arriving in Parkdale at 3pm, I was anxious to get on the motos and get some tracks tucked into the bike’s Trail Tech Voyager. The weather was perfect, maybe a bit hot, and the air was clear. I was staging at Apple Jam’s and he was gracious enough to have me camp there. His KTM was getting fork service work so I brought the Honda XR650R and KTM 500EXC, for us to ride. He hadn’t ridden a new EXC so I rode the Honda and he happily climbed onto the KTM. I hadn’t been riding on this side of Mt Hood, so I was looking forward to following Apple Jam’s experienced lead and getting a taste of what kind of terrain was available. Needless to say, there was not a drop of disappointment until 9:08 pm and we hit the Sawtooth Roadhouse after closing, missing dinner. We made up for it with a drink or two when we finally made it back home…
There were several huge vista views.
We were headed right over yonder.
Had a few rocks to roll over, on the way.
Tolga Basol continues to adventure across Russia on his KTM 1190 Adventure R. He had a stop over in Omsk, where the guys at KTM Omsk worked?to?replace Tolga’s front hub and he got to hang out with the Siberian Bears motorcycle club.
I don’t know the particulars, but the job got done, thanks to KTM Russia and KTM Omsk, so Tolga had the time to share pics of ?his tools and how he carries them. I share this posting from his FB page.
Tubes and first aid kit in the Pannier Pockets.
Tire repair tools bagged and mounted to his pannier frame. His wrenches are in a tool roll under his seat.
Follow Tolga on his FB page Ride Must Go On
Tolga writes,
“Yesterday I rode from Ufa to Chelyabinsk in heavy rain with lots of trucks on the narrow roads. My Klim gear was perfect, they did not let any drop of water, same goes for the boots (Sidi Adventure) my feet was also dry. Somewhere on the road a big truck started sliding and he managed to block the way with his trailer. I was not able to pass with my bike, so I decided to find an alternative route to the main road.”
Yesterday’s dinner:
Got a cool pic of Vic while he was in Death Valley riding his Suzuki DRZ400 with a Great Basin Saddlebag. Thanks for the pic and story.
He said, “Purchased your saddle bag at the BMW rally in Salem last summer. Just finished a four day 430 mile off road loop through Death Valley. Bag is great and stayed firmly attached all through the rough stuff. Wish I could say the same thing for me. Fitment is great and the others on the ride will be purchasing them before our next adventure. Regards, Vic.”
Ride Must Go On
Hello , my name is Tolga Basol and I?m from Istanbul, Turkey. I’ve been working for the media industry in Istanbul about 14 years. I bought my first motorcycle about 12 years ago. Since then I’ve tried to travel with my bike to different parts of the world on my short holidays from work. I started to carry my video equipment on my travels & figured out how to shoot while traveling on a motorcycle. Finally i decided to quit my job to fulfill probably the biggest dream in my life; riding around the world on a motorcycle.
My journey will start from Istanbul on 1st of June 2014 on a KTM 1190 Adv R. I plan to ride through Russia, Mongolia, Siberia & then I will decide to continue to Southeast Asia or to ship my bike to North America. I will try to catch up Dakar 2015 in South America. Then I will decide the route for Africa. I suspect the route might change quite a lot but I will try to travel as long as I can & I did not set an end date for the trip.
The idea behind my trip is simply ??Ride Must Go On??
KTM Turkey provided me with a brand new KTM 1190 Adv R. I bought the lightest & most compact equipment, kept my clothes to minimalistic & Giant Loop provided all the luggage I need for my journey. And now simply the Ride Must Go On.
Follow my page to track my journey real-time on the map & to check my photos & videos that i will try to share along the way.
http://www.ridemustgoon.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ridemust
http://instagram.com/ride_must
Thanks for the great post, Tolga!
He rides with Giant Loop Siskiyou Panniers, Fandango Tank Bag Pro, Pannier Pockets, Tillamook Dry Bag, Rogue Dry Bag and Pronghorn Straps.
Tiffany is at it again, this time in India.
Giant Loop owner, Harold, has returned to his ancestral home of Norway, for some motorbiking and family vacation.
The first pictures are coming in, so I share them here.
His motorbike guide is Elving Stolli, who has loaned Harold a Honda Africa Twin.
Harold took a Fandango Tank bag Pro and Great Basin Saddlebag for this fly and ride.
Day 1:
Trontoppen- Norway’s second highest road
Packing up camp
The reward that awaited.
The riders gathered and had breakfast.
We separated into groups and headed out on different routes, destined for the Hot Springs. Each rider with the goal of arriving at the waiting Pools, Kegs and Katering by Michele, Brian and Paul. There were enduros headed for Fandango Canyon, adventure bikes rolling out to Sheep Rock and several riders that made Christmas Valley after lunch time, then slabbed it in to the Hot Springs.
Navigation was a snap, since I had gathered a bunch of good tracks with our Trailtech Voyager and had them uploaded to the ?Voyagers on GL’s KTM 500 EXC, Honda XR650R and my KTM 950 S&M.
The “Trailside Service” contest entries included a self extrication of a rider with broken foot(he made it to the hospital safe), a full caps off?re-oiling of forks with ATF during lunch and two fuel systems reworks, one with plugged jet and the other a plugged filter.
The dust pits were axle deep in some parts and the sand was really thick on the red roads. Those kinds of conditions were new to many of the riders and it took lots of extra focus, just to keep the front tire under the bike.
There were around ten flat tires, four of them on the rear of Darryl at Cyclopsadventuresports.com’s KTM 990 Tire Burner, another was in Lendon at Seat Concepts.com group. Good thing Darryl understands LC8’s appetite for tasty tires. ?Big Bertha(my KTM 950S&M) chewed right through the gristle and steel, leaving nothing but?bones. Lucky it still held air and got me back into the driveway…
I’ll get another post up with pics of dinner and the campfire, as I can find them.
Thanks to everyone who joined us on this ride, to the folks at Summer Lake Hot Springs for hosting us and the cafes and stations in Christmas Valley, Paisley and Silver Lake for feeding us or filling our fuel tanks, for the next leg. An especially big thanks to the Katering Krew for feeding us tasty Tri-Tip-Tacos for dinner!
As Harold travels in Norway, our thought are with him and his family, since they were evacuated from their home due to the Wild Fire in Bend. This is a phone pic of the fire was taken by my friend, Danny Funderburg, Sunday night.
Turkish filmmaker Tolga Basol has started his ’round the world journey and documentary project Ride Must Go On! He is on a bike supplied by KTM, an 1190 AdventureR with Fandango Tank Bag Pro, Siskiyou Panniers, Tillamook Dry Bag, Rogue Dry Bags and Pannier Pockets. Check out how he has the Pannier Pockets low mounted on his engine guards.
Noah is transferring his KTM 690 Enduro to Indonesia, by boat. He had to lock up his Siskiyou Panniers, by order of the boat captain, so here is his solution.
Noah posted on our ADVrider thread, “I had to put my girl onto a Vegetable boat today bound for Indonesia. They said I can leave my bags on her, but I should secure them. My solution was to find some wire rope and crimps. I ran a string through the bags to find the desired length, then cut the wire rope accordingly. Obviously this will not stop someone determined to get into the bags, but it will slow them down. You can also lock the zipper closed using the loop inside where the buckle is. I had to use a round file on the zipper pull to fit the padlock through.”
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