We have pretty much decided to go with the Transalp (TA), Africa Twin (AT), and the ATK. 400, 500, and 300 pounds respectively. Not counting rider, bags and contents. I've got Happy Trail bags for the TA and AT, and a Giant Loop bag for the ATK.
So I had to take the TA to the storage locker and bring back the AT and ATK. The AT needs a top end job and the ATK needs the rear sub-frame strengthened. As you can see the TA didn't want to go and laid down to pout.
The AT and ATK were much happier to come back home.
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Went to the SoCal BDR movie and saw the trail up close and personal. Can you say lots of sand? I've been to Death Valley before and it's a challenge. Curiously, the hotter the sand gets, the softer it gets. This makes it easier to dig in or get crossed up. It can be a workout to keep up your speed so that the front tire stays on top.
Got the SoCal BDR map a few days later and started planning. The normal route is south to north but we will be riding north to south so we can spend time in Baja. GPS is nice for position checking but I feel like I'm a servant to a robot when I ride a preset route. I much prefer route sheets and maps. There is no techy fooling around and you never have to worry about batteries (except for your flashlight if you want to read them at night).
I talked to Kevin Young who is one of the BDR Ambassadors for about half an hour. He filled me in on some of the parts of the trail not to miss like Titus Canyon. This is a slot canyon that is so narrow that is one-way only.
There is also a mine shaft along the way that you can ride into for a mile or so. Sounds pretty creepy so I'll have to take some markers so I don't get lost. I don't think my gps will work underground. An extra flashlight too.
Tomorrow morning I'll tear down the AT engine and send out the heads for reconditioning. Since it's a European model the parts will be slow in coming so I need to start now.
There is so much to do and, although it seems like a long way off, experience tells me that all the days will be filled and I don't dare dawdle. I'm making lists as I think of things so that I can keep the forgotten items to a minimum.
Stay tuned.
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