[Ride Report] Cemetery Tour 05/16/04

Howdy,

Great ride! Here are some pics.

http://twtex.com/linkfiles/051604Cemetery

All of the ones of my bike in nasty places are actually from Saturday when I was out checking to see if the route was still rideable. Obviously, some parts were a little slick No damage to me or the bike With the help of some wire cutters and machette work, we had it out in short order. Thanks to Paul, Beth and my nephew Justin! I must confess I had a lot of fun, but I need a lighter bike and knobbies for that kind of hooliganism!

We had four folks today: Me, Casey Fry, Mike and Frances Dear. Casey was on his old NX650, Mike and Frances on F650GS's and me on the beastie. We had a great time, dropped the nasty sections from the route, and still knocked off around 150 miles or so. Met some local old timers at a few cemeteries and got the inside scoop on the history. That was pretty cool. The weather was hot and HUMID, otherwise perfect

Adios,

Yup looked like knobbies were in order for that road, if that was wet clay type surface.

Looks like fun though.

Maybe we should call you Ditchmeister hehe

leeroy said:

Maybe we should call you Ditchmeister hehe

Click to expand...

I second that !

It's amazing how you can take such artsy pics of flowers, bugs, and scenery while your precious bike is laying in a ditch . Must be some alter ego of yours that is a budding photographer.

I finally made it back to Leander, went strait for the Chianti and the jacuzzi tub... man my posterior pains me. I think I'll be sleeping on my stomach tonight....

Fun ride Scott, we'll have to do the next one out here...

A couple companies make more aggresive dirt type tires that are made to run on the roads, the ones on your bike look too street oriented for loose sand or mud.

Basically more knobby with the uniform knobs set closer together than say, a motocross tire. That's what I always used to run on my old honda XL which spent as much time on the road as on the trail. Those streetish treads probably fill up with that mud and turn the tires into slippery slicks.

That front fender looks too close to the tire for muddy stuff, did you have any problems with mud caking up inside the front fender? Raising it a few inches might payoff well in future muddy episodes, sometimes that mud packs inside the front fender tight enough to really affect the front wheel.

Maybe not in the sandy loam stuff up around N Houston, but the clayish stuff up in the hill country or gumbo down south can lock your front wheel up with a low street type fender.

BTW I ran into another KTM dealer in town, and a company that makes racks etc. for mine and even corbin seats that fit it. I haven't had it out yet this year so I think I'll drag it out and start rehabilitating it in a couple of weeks and go get it tagged and inspected.

How's the old saying go, you can lead a GS to water but getting it out can kill you?

With your bike spending so much time on it's side, have you considered a sealed battery?

My battery drain hose puts the acid right onto the side stand. I have a new Odyssey sealed battery, I hust haven't installed it yet.

I already have a maintenance free sealed battery.

Adios,

That is a good thing. Looks like you have been using it.