I forgot to mention the dude I met in Van Horn, riding this moto bicycle to N Carolina. I felt like a pansy when compared to his adventure. Note his lack of gear! As a side note, it was odd being in Van Horn EXACTLY one year to the day after my huge (life changing) wreck on the NMBDR. Anyway...
I jumped on the NMBDR at TOC, and rode the section to Luna, right on the AZ border. No flats, but I did have a couple gnarly get-offs. I chose to ride my white DR650 because it had a Shinko 705 in the rear (great for all the pavement) and taller gearing (great for all the pavement). I knew the tires were going to make the trail sections a little more challenging, but everything is a trade off. On my first get-off, the bike slid down a trail on its right side after slipping on a rock. I ripped off the right side pannier that I got from Trail Boss, which is why in all the forthcoming pics it is not mounted. The fall also ripped my armored moto jeans to the point that it was almost inappropriate to wear them in public. Actually it was, but I had no choice at the time.