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AUSTIN: 2023 NMBDR - Small Bike Run

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Drunk_Uncle said:
Rockymountainatvmc’s Tusk adventure tires come in common dual sport sizes. They are mean and will last more than the trip at about $100 a set!

I run Shinko 804/805’s on the F800GSA and the KLR. They last over 4,000 miles on the GSA.
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I was wondering/pondering the Rocky Mountain branded tires for the trip on the small bike. I run a Shinko 705 in a 21" and a K60 on my R1200GSA but I figured since the hwy speed is low might as well go with something a bit more dirt biased.
 
JSP said:
Hi LicketySplit, No worries my pleasure I'm a planner so its fun for me. LOL With regards to tires - unless your running a super soft compound tire it shouldn't be a issue. I would say anything DOT rated should suffice. I'm planning on a MT21 and D606 combo and I'm not concerned given the intended slower paced HWY speed they should last for the trip and back no problem.
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Thanks! I have always hauled my dual sport and dirt bikes to New Mexico. I had no idea what to expect at the start of the BDR. I run a MT21 rear and MT43 trials tire on the front. Thanks again for setting this up. :thumb:

I have the Tusk Excursions on my 250 and don't even know they are there. I am not sure if they are large enough for a trip like this though.
 
Drunk_Uncle said:
Rockymountainatvmc’s Tusk adventure tires come in common dual sport sizes. They are mean and will last more than the trip at about $100 a set!

I run Shinko 804/805’s on the F800GSA and the KLR. They last over 4,000 miles on the GSA.
Click to expand...

JT has been very pleased with the Tusk tires he is running on the 690. Long wearing and no complaints about performance.

I’m a fan of Shinko tires. Might go with a more aggressive tread on the rear IF this trip materializes for me. I sure wish Makenzie was tubeless…
 
Drunk_Uncle said:
@SpiritAtBay i know. I just went tubeless on the F800GSA and love it. Don’t ever see that happening on the KLR though.
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Converting the rear wheel on the 300x is apparently doable but the front lacks the safety rim that will allow a tubeless tire to seat properly. Otherwise, I think I would have done it already.
 
LicketySplit said:
Thanks! I have always hauled my dual sport and dirt bikes to New Mexico. I had no idea what to expect at the start of the BDR. I run a MT21 rear and MT43 trials tire on the front. Thanks again for setting this up. :thumb:

I have the Tusk Excursions on my 250 and don't even know they are there. I am not sure if they are large enough for a trip like this though.
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Best way to know is to pack it up and see if everything you want to take fits and what things you can do without. I'm on my 4th repacking attempt LOL
 
JSP said:
I was wondering/pondering the Rocky Mountain branded tires for the trip on the small bike. I run a Shinko 705 in a 21" and a K60 on my R1200GSA but I figured since the hwy speed is low might as well go with something a bit more dirt biased.
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I run K60's on both my GSA and Himalayan. I'm not sure I would change that. TJ's can get the K60's without too much problem (I say that, but when I bought mine it was a bit of a hassle because of shipping issues from Germany).
 
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Hail said:
90% of my packed volume is toilet paper.
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While it doesn't eat much packed volume, I do keep a camping type compact roll in my tail bag at all times...

But seriously, you can really enjoy being in nature and camping with a pretty minimal kit. Most of my packed volume will be shelter and accompanying insulation if it's cold. That's the comfort I don't compromise on, but hammocks and their quilts aren't heavy, just a little bulky. Totally worth it for a good night's sleep and keeping warm and dry.
 
The fact this is being run as 80/20 (hotels/camping) ... means you can get away with a couple of shirts, shorts, underwear. Walmart sells the bar laundry soap for a couple of bucks. I traveled a full month like this with only 4 changes of underclothes. Just wore shorts under my riding pants. Washed when I could and did fine. For a trip like this, the biggest things will be the camping gear... I highly recommend reading up on ultralightweight camping gear and if you need something, look that direction, that stuff tends to pack way down. Everything I have packs small.
 
wbrisett said:
The fact this is being run as 80/20 (hotels/camping) ...
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I have what is perhaps a strange thought on this and I don't mean it as a criticism of the ride plan. It's just my hot take on packing.

If I'm going to spend even a single night camping I need nearly all of my camping gear with me. At that point, I might as well camp nearly every night and save a boatload by not renting rooms. If I go 100% hotel, then I can skip the camping gear and pack really, really light.
 
William Wolfen said:
While it doesn't eat much packed volume, I do keep a camping type compact roll in my tail bag at all times...

But seriously, you can really enjoy being in nature and camping with a pretty minimal kit. Most of my packed volume will be shelter and accompanying insulation if it's cold. That's the comfort I don't compromise on, but hammocks and their quilts aren't heavy, just a little bulky. Totally worth it for a good night's sleep and keeping warm and dry.
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Good info. Thanks. I love camping but my back does not. Since you guys use hammocks, I am curious how they work with a sore back?
 

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LicketySplit said:
Good info. Thanks. I love camping but my back does not. Since you guys use hammocks, I am curious how they work with a sore back?
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I have a couple of slightly bulged disks in my lower back. Sleeping on the ground usually doesn't make it happy. Even my mattress at home isn't always great. The hammock is the only way I know of to wake up in the morning with no discomfort.
 
William Wolfen said:
I have a couple of slightly bulged disks in my lower back. Sleeping on the ground usually doesn't make it happy. Even my mattress at home isn't always great. The hammock is the only way I know of to wake up in the morning with no discomfort.
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I definitely understand. Those are no fun at all. It is good to know a hammock does the trick. I'll start looking into what you and misterk use. Thanks!
 
I'm ground guy... but 12 years in the military will do that to you. Plus you can't always be guaranteed a place to setup a hammock. What do you folks do in that case? Or is it that you plan around that?
 
William Wolfen said:
I have what is perhaps a strange thought on this and I don't mean it as a criticism of the ride plan. It's just my hot take on packing.

If I'm going to spend even a single night camping I need nearly all of my camping gear with me. At that point, I might as well camp nearly every night and save a boatload by not renting rooms. If I go 100% hotel, then I can skip the camping gear and pack really, really light.
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Not strange at all. Carrying camp gear really adds to the load. We can’t all be @KsTeveM ninja packers. lol

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I’ve been thinking that I might aim to camp about 50%, just to justify carrying the gear. BUT, to be able to sleep in a tent, I’m looking at upgrading my solo equipment, which has become unsatisfactory. A tent that packs smaller,(or at least poles that break down into shorter sections), better pad, better sleeping bag, a better pillow….those things are expensive. Now I need to compare the costs of hoteling every night against the expense of all this new gear. The longer the trip, the better sense camp gear makes. But whatever I buy won’t get much use afterwards since almost all my adventuring is done as a couple. (And we have a comfy 2 person mattress, but it is super bulky.)

Fun to wrestle with these options!
 
wbrisett said:
I'm ground guy... but 12 years in the military will do that to you. Plus you can't always be guaranteed a place to setup a hammock. What do you folks do in that case? Or is it that you plan around that?
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@misterk has a Tensa hammock stand. He can setup anywhere. I don't have one... yet! I prefer places with trees, so it hasn't been an issue for be so far.
 
I def have all the gear I need for my level of comfort (each of us are different!).
However it is all a bit big.
3 man Big Agnes tent so I can have all my stuff in the tent not feel crowded. Two man would be better for the small bike.
A cot plus a thick sleeping pad. I am a side / stomach sleeper. I won’t be able to take the cot for sure. I can get a smaller pad but can I sleep with it? My sleeping bag is synthetic fill so won’t get quite as small as a down filled but I have a normal small bag for it - need a compression bag. I must include my decent sized camp pillow - no sack stuffed with clothes as a pillow for me.
Stove and full set of cooking gear; I can choose to keep that minimal: no pan or spatula or tong or cutting board etc - just a pot, cup, and spork and knife. No fancy camp meals!
Camp chair - I have one of those tiny low to the ground one and a bigger one in the same break down style. I need a chair at camp so little one will need to come with me.
My camp light is not huge, but rather bulky and heavy; need to see if I can make it work. I will have my headlamp as well.
Then it’s clothes, toiletries, camp shoes, and tools, tubes, water container, and first aid kit.
I need to choose my luggage and then start working out the list to see how I can manage it.
 
Retiredtosoon said:
Here my klx 250 loaded for a week of camping
You don't need much
View attachment 331537
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That looks good. I see a pole of some sort tucked in above the pannier, wedged on the seat maybe. That’s an Issue I have with current tent poles, too long to go in the side cases, and with my luck, probably fall off or get broke. My wee strom carried everything nicely but she was a “wide load coming through” lol
 
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