Look towards Junction, Leaky for both good dirt roads (Hackberry & friends) and good pavement (twisted sisters: 335, 336, 337). Or Big Bend Nat Park or Big Bend Ranch SP.
I've got tracks of all of that, others here will as well.
Junction area. One
long Big Bend NP ride.
State Park.
All I ask for in return is a good review of your 1090!
1090 review is on the horizon, as I have a ton of folks waiting on that review.
I have a 2013 Triumph 800XC at home, and it's prepped pretty well for real dual sport riding. Suspension is not even close to stock, which is the number one problem with the Triumph's in that age range. So far, here are some thoughts:
1. On the Street, Triumph is like riding a race car, while the KTM is like riding a dirt bike. Both work well, just different.
2. I ride standing when Sandy isn't on the back of the bike, so much so that the guys at Triumph dealer in my area give me hard time about not needing a seat. In the standing position, the Triumph feels flickable, but when you sit down, the Triumph is not near as maneuverable. The KTM is flickable in either standing or sitting position, and I expect this to translate into the KTM being a better bike in the dirt.
3. Transmission is smooth on the KTM, a pleasant surprise.
4. On the KTM, the engine is hard to kill from a dead stop, tells me it will have some grunt down low when I get to the dirt. On the Triumph, I dropped the front sprocket from a 16 to a 14 to save the clutch and pull hard off idle. I also worked with Barnett to identify a clutch that would fit the 800. Stock clutch lasted 4000 miles with the 16 tooth sprocket, I mean it was toast, gone, but the Barnett is going on 20,000 miles, more than 50% in the dirt. If the KTM grunt is as I expect, the stock clutch should be fine.
5. The biggest difference in the 800XC and 1090R is how the weight is placed. On the Triumph, I hate pushing the bike any distance, as the weight is so high that it's very easy to drop, especially pushing in the dirt. However, the KTM is EASY to push around, so pushing backwards while turning around is super simple. I think my wife of just 100 pounds could push the KTM around, it's just effortless. I expect the weight being so low on the KTM is going to make it a dream to ride in the dirt.
I raced expert level in the National Hare and Hound, ISDE and 24 hour events until I was 52 and switched to dual sport, and I'm pretty picky about how my bike works in the dirt and on the street. As a result, it will take a few miles to get the suspension dialed in, as well as determine other additions. I'm already looking hard at the high front fender and removing the low fender, as rocks tend to get between the front tire and low fender, and those dang low fenders are expensive to replace.
I have also ordered two Airhawk seat cushions, as it's already clear we will need more cushion on those 400-500 mile day rides. We have had these on bikes for 10 years, and once you get the air adjusted, really improves the comfort level.
The KTM already has a stabilizer, but I had to build a custom mount for a Scotts on my Triump right after I got the bike. In fact, I had a Scotts on my Triumph before anyone was producing a mount for the 800XC, so shared my mount design with lots of folks who built their own. I will be interested in seeing how well the KTM stabilizer works. I suspect I will have to change to higher weight oil for increased resistance to control off road deflection...we will see.
More to come...