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Posted

Looks like the map link picks the most efficient route, rather than the route you built.
I’m intrigued... Would love the map detail for that section of dirt u describe, to add to my options for that great area.

Posted

Dammit Google maps... the link still works for me. So here are the roads, starting in Paso Robles:

  • Highway 46 (Get gas here, If you follow this route you need to have 160 miles range)
  • South on Golden Hills Road
  • Creston Road
  • La Panza Road
  • CA 58 East
  • Soda Lake Road. This is the most direct way through Carrizzo Plain National Monument, it's a graded dirt road, but if you have more time and a riding partner, there are tons of side roads and other more interesting ways through the monument.
  • 166 East/33 south (if you need gas, you can go North to Maricopa from here)
  • 33 South (there is a small privateer gas station on this road. Sometimes it is open. You can gas up for sure in Ojai.)
  • Like 2
Posted

Thx Scud - copied to my ride file for next visit down there.  Cheers

  • 4 weeks later...
Posted

Today I circumnavigated and summited the island of Maui on a Honda Africa Twin that I rented from Riders-Share.com. About 225 miles in total, including the famous "Road to Hana" and some less-travelled, twisty, one-lane, two-way roads on magnificent cliffs. 

Haleakala, the summit in the National Park, is over 10,000 feet elevation, While some of the road is at sea level - and by sea level, I men including wet pavement from wave spray.

Some pics...

IMG_1662.jpeg

IMG_1671.jpeg

IMG_1672.jpeg

IMG_1674.jpeg

IMG_1675.jpeg

At end of the ride, I checked my MPG: Mango Pineapple Guava Shave Ice. So I can report excellent MPG for this ride.

I've been curious about the Honda Africa Twin for a long time. This was a DCT model. It was comfortable and I had a great day. But I don't think the DCT is for me. I'd like to try one with a manual transmission.

While I applaud Honda for trying something new, I got really frustrated with the DCT. It would upshift automatically when I was trying to pass uphill... and upshift when I let off the gas to corner (meaning I was constantly either bogging the engine to exit, or hitting the manual downshift button with my left thumb. Sometimes it would downshift mid corner, which I found unsettling (especially in the dirt road sections). The DCT was kind of nice on straight and level, and small grades with easy curves - like a giant scooter. On the rough pavement and dirt, when I stood up, I kept doing "phantom shifts" with my left foot... but of course, there was no shifter.

I suppose we will all have to get used to stuff like this as we move toward electric motorcycles. But I still like manual shifting. I think it's part of the fun of riding.

 

  • Like 4
  • Thanks 1
Posted
1 hour ago, Scud said:

Today I circumnavigated and summited the island of Maui on a Honda Africa Twin that I rented from Riders-Share.com. About 225 miles in total, including the famous "Road to Hana" and some less-travelled, twisty, one-lane, two-way roads on magnificent cliffs. 

Haleakala, the summit in the National Park, is over 10,000 feet elevation, While some of the road is at sea level - and by sea level, I men including wet pavement from wave spray.

Some pics...

IMG_1662.jpeg

IMG_1671.jpeg

IMG_1672.jpeg

IMG_1674.jpeg

IMG_1675.jpeg

At end of the ride, I checked my MPG: Mango Pineapple Guava Shave Ice. So I can report excellent MPG for this ride.

I've been curious about the Honda Africa Twin for a long time. This was a DCT model. It was comfortable and I had a great day. But I don't think the DCT is for me. I'd like to try one with a manual transmission.

While I applaud Honda for trying something new, I got really frustrated with the DCT. It would upshift automatically when I was trying to pass uphill... and upshift when I let off the gas to corner (meaning I was constantly either bogging the engine to exit, or hitting the manual downshift button with my left thumb. Sometimes it would downshift mid corner, which I found unsettling (especially in the dirt road sections). The DCT was kind of nice on straight and level, and small grades with easy curves - like a giant scooter. On the rough pavement and dirt, when I stood up, I kept doing "phantom shifts" with my left foot... but of course, there was no shifter.

I suppose we will all have to get used to stuff like this as we move toward electric motorcycles. But I still like manual shifting. I think it's part of the fun of riding.

 

Where my wife’s Family is from and where we used to live.. great memories 

  • Like 1
  • 1 month later...
Posted

Tioga Pass... 9,943' elevation at the West entrance to Yosemite on Hwy 120, on street-oriented tires.

IMG_1797.jpeg

Then swapped wheels for some fun single-track, which was nice and damp from the recent rain.

IMG_1820.jpeg

Having two complete wheel-sets, one with aggressive knobbies, the other with TKC80s, makes this by far the most versatile motorcycle I've ever had.

  • Like 6
  • 1 month later...
Posted

I've been getting focus back to my 2001 DR650. It's gone through some changes over the years (and so have I) and it ended up in a configuration that was geared and styled for the street and as things change I eventually lost interest in it. Easy to do when you own several bikes. These past weeks have had me putting it all back to 'normal', a stock DR, from which I have begun the 'off road' enhancement.

I was never happy with the stock BST (diaphragm) carb, and had done the recommended jetting, and air box mod, and muffler swap, and the header weld grind. Better but still not right. Hoping to end my disappointment I bought a Mikuni TM40 pumper carb and have completed the install and have ridden it about 100 mi. All the things that annoyed me about how the stock bike ran are gone.

Anyway... more of that later..... I found a great thread DR650 owners (or any adv owner) should read. An overland traveler has over the years set up 3 DR's and reveals an enormous amount of info about the bikes, accessories, mods, suppliers, updates, and gear. He's traveled the world and been posting since 2015, though it's a pretty quick read. No real travel details, just bike set up. Interesting stuff whatever adv bike you might have for serious nasty road trips.

https://advrider.com/f/threads/building-my-ideal-dr650-overlander-bike-build-3.1109914/

check out his facebook page as well. https://www.facebook.com/clinton.logan

  • Like 3
  • 7 months later...
Posted

I'm at 8,300 feet. It's snowing. I have a dirt bike. I'm on a mission from God.

  • Like 4
  • Haha 1
Posted
30 minutes ago, Scud said:

I'm at 8,300 feet. It's snowing. I have a dirt bike. I'm on a mission from God.

Screen%20Shot%202020-01-17%20at%207.28.5

Screen%20Shot%202020-01-17%20at%207.28.2

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
  • 1 month later...
Posted

looking at some pictures and realized that I left Docc pondering my cryptic message, which was a riff on the famous line in the Blue Brothers movie.  

My mission was to ride snowmobile tracks and get some stunning views.

Accomplished:

E1770909-D4B6-4BAE-8850-153F86465A91_1_1

 

077602B4-B3F0-4C11-88D6-832D604BB924_1_1

 

  • Like 3
Posted
24 minutes ago, Scud said:

looking at some pictures and realized that I left Docc pondering my cryptic message, which was a riff on the famous line in the Blue Brothers movie.  

My mission was to ride snowmobile tracks and get some stunning views.

Accomplished:

E1770909-D4B6-4BAE-8850-153F86465A91_1_1

 

077602B4-B3F0-4C11-88D6-832D604BB924_1_1

 

Haha, well those "pondering" images are screen shots from said "Blue Brothers" movie. Seen, pondering rather deeply, at 0:15-0:18 in "The Final Demise of the Bluesmobile" . . .

 

  • Like 2
Posted

Adventure biking in the Yukon this week, on the “beast”.  South end of Kluane Lake, a small detour on the way to Haines, AK. (It’s sideways… sigh)

 

FDC82722-3014-49C9-82A0-B3085178BFF4.jpeg

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1

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