Here are a few shots from some other rides...
Randy on his 2005 1200 GS, I was still on my 1150 but made it through without any trouble
This was actually coming back out after having already ridden through to a dead end on the shores of Lake Conroe down near Kelly's Pond.
I took the luggage off and had a nice sit down to relax before dragging it to a point where I could lift it. Shortly after this, I started carrying one of those little folding army shoves
These shots are from a little road out just North of Richards. I was exploring to put together a route for a group ride. Going into this, I had no problems. As I neared the end of the road, I slid down off the crown in the center of the road into the muck on the side of the road. I then spun out back into the middle while trying to recover.
I decided to turn back and things only went from bad to worse...
Not five feet later I slid sideways again... right into a culvert!
My right leg was pinned between the bike with a FULL tank of gas and the side of the ditch. I sat on the road and shoved with my left leg to free myself. Fortunately, I had my cell phone and GPS so I was able to guide Beth and a friend in with a truck to come save me... "Hey honey... You know that long handled tool with the big curved blade on the end of it... yeah that one... Can you grab that and some wire cutters, call Paul, and start heading toward Richards? Yeah, I'm fine..."
After a little brush clearing and fence trimming, I was able to ride out through the pasture, flinging black bog mud everywhere, until I reached a nearby gate. Then we went back to repair the fence (which was in worse shape before we started than it was after we left it).
This next series was from North Carolina, not far from Franklin. The GPS said there was a road here!!
Not too bad at the beginning and not real wet...
Until we got to here
That's me on the 1150
There there was this time I was going to take a short cut on the way back from the Bike Show in Dallas...
Everything was going great until I crested a slight rise and the road went from nice packed gravel to troll snot on the backside of the hill... Once again, I slid down off the center crest into the ditch. Once again, I had to go for help. I found this guy up the road a bit, he was trying to get his truck unstuck from mud in a pasture and decided to take a break to come help me
You can see the nice packed gravel surface here
The view from the crest...
I was doing pretty good trying to keep it under control as I was slowing until I got right about here, then it all went sideways...
The final resting place. This is that mud that once it touches you, it sticks unless scraped off. I felt like I was walking on platform shoes after a few minutes!
Once freed, I had to spend a wee bit of time clearing mud from the front fender so the front wheel would turn again. This is probably what caused me to lose the front end right before going into the ditch.
That really big chunk was lodged on top of the back wheel just behind the rear shock. It took some doing to get it out!
With gloomy skies coming toward me, I opted to head back to I-45 and haul on home the safe way
Despite what you might think from seeing these pics, I have never been a big fan of riding in the mud. It was not long after these experiences that I started shopping for a lighter bike, the 1150 being my first ever "dirt bike". I stumbled into a nice deal on a KLR 650 and was amazed at the difference in weight! I did not fare any better in the mud with the KLR...
I now have an even lighter KTM 530 EXC... It too does not like mud.
I was watching the Dakar highlights last night and I am just flabbergasted at the ability of many of those riders to blow through really nasty slimey mud like it is nothing at all!!
I just cannot fathom how they are able to maintain control and keep the bike from just sliding right out from under them