My first motorcycle trip- completed!

Seven days from San Diego, California to Moab, Utah and back, 2100 miles of riding. It was everything I thought it would be, a lot of something that I had no clue about and a ton of fun. I'm going to spend the next few days rehashing the whole trip. I've got a lot to talk about and many lessons to share. Not to mention the whole gear review aspect. Put it this way, I shed useless stuff across Utah like a snake crawling out of its skin.

It begins...

Just got home from the dirty south- Atlanta to be specific, what a trip. Anyways, my biggest, longest, farthest moto trip starts tomorrow. So I'm up early, packing it all up and hitting the road. I'll try to post as I go but I can't make any promises. Stay tuned!

Vstrom 2013 Dl650A with Giant Loop Great Basin Bag

Our jump off date for Southern Utah/Moab/etc. trip is quickly approaching (October 1, 2013). I've been busy getting myself geared up for at least five days of open camping. Since I don't have quality camping gear (translation: anything that would keep me reliably comfortable, warm and dry) I knew that I was going to have to invest in some serious pieces of gear. But first, I needed something to carry it all on the bike. 

2013 Dl650A Vstrom with Giant Loop Great Basin Bag: that's my zero degree Big Agnes Whiskey Park on top of it. I like the convenient tie-down flap that comes attached to the Great Basin, it makes attaching a tent or big bag very easy.

I am not into very wide, rigid hard boxes hanging off the side of the bike. Why? Well, I like to split lanes in traffic and those big boxes make what should be a nimble, lithe, zippy Vstrom look and feel like a bloat bike. Secondly, a good friend who'd just ridden off road to Loreto (down Baja-way) made it a point to tell me to look into the bags offered by Giant Loop. He used a smaller version of the Great Basin for his ride and he loved it. This brings me to my latest purchase: The Great Basin Bag by Giant Loop. I bought mine online from Revzilla. I like these guys, they ship for free and they ship immediately- stuff gets to you fast. I also like the fact that they gave me $15 in Revzilla money which kind of took the sting out of the $380 I spent on them (but... on the things-I-like-to-support side of it, they're made in the USA by a small company in Bend AND they're much less than buying hard sideboxes). I just wrote a review for the bags for their storefront in the comments section- here it is (there will be an extensive after action report on these bags and since I don't work or receive product from anybody I will be brutally honest AND fair): 

Just received this bag (quick, no hassle, free shipping with $15 Revzilla bucks... great job Revzilla!) for a seven day Southern Utah + Moab + wherever the road takes me kind of trip (google motoaway or motoidiot for ride reports).

The bag is very sturdy. The material is a thick plastic coated fabric, with some very heavy cordura reinforcement along the bottom of the bag legs (I suppose to help protect the bag from falls or from sharp internally packed objects) the straps are very thick and there are ample cinch points and tie down points to attach extra bags/bottles/6packs or whatever else you might need to put on there. Best of all, the bag fits over the seat of 2013 VStrom- and connects easily to the passenger footpegs. I'm not into big, wide side boxes so these bags seem perfect. Light and tight.

Check out the photos- I have a jetboil, REI campchair and my sleeping pad all in one leg of the bag. The other leg has all of my cold weather gear, a light jacket and some underwear- this leaves the big middle compartment open for my tent, wet gear and some freeze dried food- maybe a bottle of rum.I did just order the internal packing bags to help keep some order inside the bag but I may not even use them. 

One leg of the Giant Loop Great Basin with JetBoil, REI camp chair and Exped 7 sleeping mat stuffed into it.

A few things to be aware of so far: Getting all the straps, cinched and organized (they come with long tails- and a recommendation to trim them but I want to use this on my DR400 too so I'm not trimming) and the bag where you want it takes some time. Also, the zipper, since it's semicircular will bind a bit when the bag isn't full. It's still very rugged. In all, I'm happy with the bag. Additionally, I'm still figuring out the best way to load the bag, since it's shaped like a horseshoe it's kind of awkward putting things in it when it's off the bike.

I can't give it any "excellent" ratings as far as performance because I haven't put it to the test yet... that happens Oct. 1.  I will do a full review on my site once I return.

Heading to Utah!

Quick post: I'm going to take advantage of six days I have free in October to get on my V-strom and go on a trip with my brother Mike. It's on the books, it's out there on the horizon and I'm getting excited. Let the trip prep begin!

Moab Utah- one of the spots we want to check out.

More Motos... welcome DL650 Vee-strom.

Well- once again, a lot has changed since I last posted here. Gone is Purple Rain (my first moto ever a trusty TW200) replaced with a 2006 Suzuki DRZ400s. I also bought a 2006 Triumph Bonneville that had been converted into a really cool cafe racer. My crowning achievement thus far, however, is my brand spanking new, zero mile, 2013 Suzuki DL650 Vee-Strom. This bike is insanely cool! I have to say, I was resistant about buying what is known as the Honda Civic of motorcycles. If you have similar feelings- don't worry about it, just buy one- you'll love it. 

Not a great shot of the bike but you get the idea... 2013 DL650, open road, glorious sunshine... happiness.

The bike is only 650cc but it will motor at 80 all day long without complaining. Even better, on the last two trips it's given me 57 mpg on average (hand calculated all you naysayers)! Wow- calculating fuel mileage is one of the things I like most about the bike- it's great on gas! Important to me was a bike with ABS braking, my Vee-strom checks that box and also sports a very comfortable seat and riding position and let's not forget the 5.3 gallon tank which gives me close to a three hundred mile range (I've never pushed it but I've gotten 260 miles on one tank and when I went to fill it, I had close to a gallon still in it). 

I've also been told that the Suzuki is incredibly reliable and that the cost of replacing broken parts won't also break the bank. I'm stoked on it. I will say, though, that at times the right handlebar get's a little buzzy when you're running near 6000 rpm which is close to 80 miles per hour. It's not enough to ruin the ride but, in all fairness, it is apparent. At sub-65 miles per hour, the bike is as smooth as butter. 

Probably posted this same picture before... but, damn, she's a looker. My other kid: 2006 Triumph Bonneville- loud and fun.

So there you have it- my new moto family consisting of the following: 2006 Triumph Bonneville Cafe, 2006 Suzuki DRZ400s and 2013 Suzuki DL650 Vee-strom. Too bad I only have one ass to ride them all.

And for the dirt... Suzuki DRZ400s... already been to southern Baja and yes, the milk crate did survive.

Over a mountain and on to the Junction!

Went on a killer little moto-adventure with Matt Wilson on the dual sports. Matt rode his AZ plated Honda CRF 450 and I rode my DRZ400s. This was a true dual sport adventure- we jammed up Main Street Chula Vista, behind Cricket Amphitheater, onto the dirt and up to Otay Mountain. A little bit of a covert, lean the bikes under a locked gate and we were jamming over the mountain. 

Basic overview of our trip. Follow the yellow pin markers and you can see how far we went. The pins mark the return route, on the way there we crossed mountains on dirt roads. Saw a big old black snake jam across the road too- rad.

It was fun to be back on the dirt again and in about twenty miles we were cruising down onto Old Highway 94 and back onto the pavement for a little road riding to Barret Junction. A couple of plates of fish and chips, an order of hush puppies and two cold mugs of beer later we were primed to head back home. We took a different route this time, looped around Otay Lake and then Matt showed me his short cut across the backside of the lake, across some beautiful rolling hills and back onto Main Street. We ended up riding close to eighty miles- what a great way to end a week of work!

The Barrett Junction Cafe... cold beer, good food... great hush puppies!

This makes me want to just start riding...

One of those bikes is a Triumph Bonneville. Like mine.