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| Boston to Anchorage to Panama |
To tell a real
adventure rider look at the panniers. If there are no scratches they
either are a poser, or just got them for their birthday. Maybe poser
is too strong a word. Maybe they like the look and comfort of an
adventure bike and are happy to stick to paved roads on weekend
rides. I'm not here to judge.
OK, maybe a little
bit. When I see a GS in full battle gear with extra lights and gear
but no dirt, I'm suspicious. When the skid plate is pristine without
a single gouge or dent, I'm pretty sure. And when I see the Hero Cam
mount, I'm convinced. DORK!! Adventure riding is inversely
proportional to bling and directly proportional to dirt. A clean bike
is the emblem of an unimaginative mind.
Adventure travel is
all about less. Less weight, less stuff, less self.
There are many
suppliers of adventure gear. Among my favorites are Twisted Throttle, Touratech, Wolfman, and Happy Trails. Whitehorse Gear is not as big but gets a thumbs up for being a local New England
company that is very supportive of riders.
When you get a new
bike the first thing you think about is bags. It's the most obvious
symbol of being a serious rider. Serious riders need stuff and
need a place to put it. Saddle bags have evolved into metal panniers,
textile bags, and rubberized, waterproof vaults.
Truth be told, the
luggage is one of the last things to think about when equipping an
adventure bike. Maybe we should start with how the bike rolls down
the road.
First, wheel
bearings! Nothing says Stop! like your wheel not
rotating. The dirt, mud, and water crossings take a huge toll on the
bearings and seals. Sooner or later they will fail and Murphy says
they will fail at the most inconvenient time and place, like 20 miles
into the woods. Fresh seals and bearings are smart prep for an
adventure ride of any significant length. Original bearings and seals
can be had from the manufacturer but they can also be acquired from
after-market suppliers like All Balls. An inexpensive alternative is
to look for a bearing and seal supplier local to you, and buy direct.
I've always found that the sales people at such places have been
great at helping me find what I need and often suggest better
alternatives. Maybe they get bored looking up parts for truck
transmissions.
There are lots of
videos on YouTube to show you how to replace the bearings and seals.
Watch a couple of them to get a feel for the process. CAUTION:
When you are installing the new bearings press on the outer edge
only! I always put the new
bearings into the freezer overnight before installation.
Then I use a big socket that fits the outer edge to push them in.
Next on the list is tires. You are not going to get far off the road
on street tires. They won't dig in on rocky slopes and they will load
up and leave you stranded in mud. This is where you really need to
honestly ask yourself whether you are going to be a serious or
occasional adventure rider. Adventure tires will
definitely get you through tough terrain but at the cost of some
highway grip and comfort.
For a bike used mostly for commuting, the Heidenau K60 Scout or the
Michelin Anakee 3 will provide great road grip while allowing
ventures on Class 1 & 2 roads with confidence. They are good in
the rain and twisties. They have long lasting wear characteristics.
To get serious off-road you need the Continental TKC-80 or Dunlop
D606. As you might imagine, the on-road performance is inversely
proportional to the off-road grip. The TKC-80s are 50/50
on-road/off-road tires while the 606s are 25/75 tires. The TKC-80s
are what I used on my latest Mexico trip that had a lot of paved road
to cover. They got me where I wanted to go but I admit to skipping a
few places that might have been a problem. They lasted 4000 miles but
were totally shot in the end. I would have replaced them sooner if I
had the opportunity.
The Dunlop 606s are my tire of choice when the going gets tough.
Hands down they are the best DOT legal adventure tire in my opinion.
They are noisy on paved road, you want to be careful in the rain, and
they wear out in 2500-3000 miles. However, they take a beating from
rocky trails and never let you down. They get into the mud and keep
going like a Caterpillar tractor. This is basically a street legal
enduro tire. When I wanted to descend the Shafer Trail and traverse
the White Rim Trail in Moab it was the 606s that I trusted.
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| Not the place you want to be worrying about your tires!! |
Next – the
next two pieces of equipment to get before you get going.
Make my day, tell a friend about this blog!
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