Wilsons Sandbox

Posted: **Sun Jan 21, 2007 12:23 pm**

In my 41 years of riding I have done many extended trips . I was a school teacher , usually rode all summer long. My longest ride was 12 weeks. I can carry everything I need on my bike .I also ride solo which makes a big difference. I usually camp when I am on the road. I cannot see taking so much stuff on an expedition that one would need a 4x4 . I built a trailer to tow behind my road bike , I ended up taking more junk just because I had the space, I only used the trailer once. Tom dunn, Detroit

Posted: **Sun Jan 21, 2007 1:07 pm**

Tom, Great sensible post Tom. I too am interested in doing a solo trip, hardly extended...perhaps two weeks or so. My wife seems vaguely negative about my being solo, and I don't quite know how to answer her. Let me give the list a few facts and ask you to just give me a couple of comments based on your own experiences. I am interested is straight talk, so if you think I am off base please tell me. KLR650 w/ 8500 miles in good repair, all the mods. and new tires. 300 lb. rider aged 61yrs. old, healthy but no athlete or endurance devotee Thinking of small motels but could camp if pressed to do so. Would need to pick up gear so maybe more motel than not. Love secondary roads, small towns and Americana...if I could do the whole think on back roads all the better. Basic GPS from my boating job / no map files / plenty of road maps. Could travel 200 miles per day comfortably. Would enjoy the time to read in the motel and watch my own TV programs. Have great clothes...but only one of each item. Starting in CT. or some point that I could trailer to, and then swing around in a loop and pick the trailer up again. Because I would be solo, I would ride right by the dirt roads that I so much want to go on. Capt. Bob in Durham, CT. USA 2006 A6F KLR Tires: Dunlop 607's but changing to Mefo Explorers soon Riding: Country roads (20% dirt), dual tracks wherever found and traveling to NY State and upper New England as often as possible.

----- Original Message ----- From: tom dunn To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, January 21, 2007 1:22 PM Subject: [DSN_KLR650] hearsay regarding ..... In my 41 years of riding I have done many extended trips . I was a school teacher , usually rode all summer long. My longest ride was 12 weeks. I can carry everything I need on my bike .I also ride solo which makes a big difference. I usually camp when I am on the road. I cannot see taking so much stuff on an expedition that one would need a 4x4 . I built a trailer to tow behind my road bike , I ended up taking more junk just because I had the space, I only used the trailer once. Tom dunn, Detroit [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Posted: **Sun Jan 21, 2007 1:49 pm**

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "usa1911a1" wrote:

> > Tom, > > Great sensible post Tom. > > I too am interested in doing a solo trip, hardly extended...perhaps two weeks or so. My

wife seems vaguely negative about my being solo, and I don't quite know how to answer her. Let me give the list a few facts and ask you to just give me a couple of comments based on your own experiences. I am interested is straight talk, so if you think I am off base please tell me.

> > > KLR650 w/ 8500 miles in good repair, all the mods. and new tires. > 300 lb. rider aged 61yrs. old, healthy but no athlete or endurance devotee > Thinking of small motels but could camp if pressed to do so. Would need to pick up

gear so maybe more motel than not.

> Love secondary roads, small towns and Americana...if I could do the whole think on

back roads all the better.

> Basic GPS from my boating job / no map files / plenty of road maps. > Could travel 200 miles per day comfortably. > Would enjoy the time to read in the motel and watch my own TV programs. > Have great clothes...but only one of each item. > Starting in CT. or some point that I could trailer to, and then swing around in a loop and

pick the trailer up again.

> Because I would be solo, I would ride right by the dirt roads that I so much want to go

on.

>

Bob, that sounds like a fine vacation plan to me. When I tour, I typically intermix camping and motels, in part because I enjoy camping, and in part in order to keep costs down. I Mexico, however, motels are cheap, and camping is harder to come by, so I have so far planned to hotel it exclusively. This has taught me a bit about packing light, which you can do anywhere. For a trip such as yours, I would think you could carry everything you need in a tank bag and small duffel. If you wanted to carry the weight lower, some small bags such as E21s, or a pair of throwovers, would easily carry everything. The great advantage of solo touring is that being alone makes you more approachable, so you tend to meet a lot more interesting folks in the places you go. OTOH, it is nice to have a buddy who can help you fix a flat or ride for help if you biff in a remote location.

Posted: **Mon Jan 22, 2007 11:59 am**

On Sun, 21 Jan 2007 13:56:39 -0500 "usa1911a1" writes:

> Tom, > > Great sensible post Tom. > > I too am interested in doing a solo trip, hardly extended...perhaps > two weeks or so. My wife seems vaguely negative about my being > solo, and I don't quite know how to answer her. Let me give the > list a few facts and ask you to just give me a couple of comments > based on your own experiences. I am interested is straight talk, so > if you think I am off base please tell me. > > > KLR650 w/ 8500 miles in good repair, all the mods. and new tires. > 300 lb. rider aged 61yrs. old, healthy but no athlete or endurance > devotee > Thinking of small motels but could camp if pressed to do so. Would > need to pick up gear so maybe more motel than not. > Love secondary roads, small towns and Americana...if I could do the > whole think on back roads all the better. > Basic GPS from my boating job / no map files / plenty of road maps. > Could travel 200 miles per day comfortably. > Would enjoy the time to read in the motel and watch my own TV > programs. > Have great clothes...but only one of each item. > Starting in CT. or some point that I could trailer to, and then > swing around in a loop and pick the trailer up again. > Because I would be solo, I would ride right by the dirt roads that I > so much want to go on. > > > Capt. Bob in Durham, CT. USA > 2006 A6F KLR > Tires: Dunlop 607's but changing to Mefo Explorers soon > Riding: Country roads (20% dirt), dual tracks wherever found and > traveling to NY State and upper New England as often as possible.

<><><><><><> <><><><><><> Capt Bob, I think only you can decide what works for you. If you have a bit of restraint, and control with good judgement, you might be able to decide what roads are "safe" and which ones are "unsafe" for solo travel. Just because a road is gravel, dirt or somewhere in between doesn't, in my book, make it unsafe for solo travel. For me I'd rather be on small little used roads than roads with lots of traffic. I have lots of confidence in my ability to safely pilot my bike and lots of confidence in other vehicles ability and willingness to endanger me. So staying away from other vehicles seems like it is often the safer option when riding. I also like the slower pace of small roads and just bouncing along at 45 mph on a gravel road allows for some pretty good thinks and a chance to enjoy the country. May I suggest you talk with your better half and explain whatever is important to you about your trip. It might be the adventure of travel, the opportunity to meet folks and see new places, or something else. But whatever it is it's important enough to you to get you wanting to take a trip. Then maybe see if she isn't willing to allow you to go with her blessing and an arrangement that you'll not only call her on a regular basis but also that you'll do whatever you feel is prudent to allow you to have safe travel. Of course, on a motorcycle that allows you a bit of freedom as motorcycle travel just by it's nature is not a safe mode of travel. But it's a lot safer if there aren't a lot of other vehicles around and you are controlling your speed as needed for conditions. At the end of De Tour... Steve and I had planned originally to end in Oklahoma. The trip ended a bit sooner as folks can read about in maybe two weeks or so. Anyway, I had some very "interesting" roads mapped out for my return to South Dakota from OK. I decided on my return to ride paved roads as I'd just been on a GREAT trip with a most excellent riding partner. I'd just done probably 2,000 or so miles of dirt/remote riding and could then allow myself to just enjoy the ride home. So I choose to stay on paved roads and lower my chances of getting hurt on a lonely dirt road in the middle of KS or NE. And that worked well for me. Best, Jeff Saline ABC # 4412 South Dakota Airmarshal Airheads Beemer Club www.airheads.org The Beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota 75 R90/6, 03 KLR650, 79 R100RT

Posted: **Mon Jan 22, 2007 1:46 pm**

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "usa1911a1" wrote: snipp > > I too am interested in doing a solo trip, hardly extended...perhaps two weeks or so. My wife seems vaguely negative about my being solo, and I don't quite know how to answer her. Let me give the list a few facts and ask you to just give me a couple of comments based on your own experiences. I am interested is straight talk, so if you think I am off base please tell me. > > > Capt. Bob in Durham, CT. USA Bob, Before my friends started buying KLRs or other adv bikes, I didn't have much choice but to travel alone. My wife wasn't crazy about it, but she realizes that life is for living and waiting around for the perfect circumstances to appear is a waste of time. I had two wonderful solo trips through the back-of-beyond in southern Utah on my first KLR. Now I have several friends with traveling motos and can usually find someone to travel with, but if I can't I will still go. I often ride my KLR or DR-Z alone many miles into the local backcountry on fire roads just for the joy of riding alone in a beautiful place and thinking my own thoughts. Is it dangerous, could I get into trouble? Sure. Could I get into trouble taking the freeway to work? Definitely! Traveling the highways and byways of the USA is probably much safer than going to the grocery store on your KLR. Ask your wife what part of the idea worries her the most and discuss your preparations and contingencies. Show her you've thought things through and it may help allay her fears. Many people have the irrational idea that distance from home equals a rise in danger. For all we know, the places we travel to might be safer than staying at home. Heck, when you're camping there's no bathtub to break your neck in! I think age makes most people more cautious--you know life is good so you take less chances with it. But are you still living life if you unreasonable limits on yourself? A little danger, real or perceived, puts a little zing into life. And in my view, makes it worth living. Good luck and have a good trip! __Arden

Posted: **Mon Jan 22, 2007 6:23 pm**

Sold my KLR650 and found this sprocket that I never used. Still new in the package, its a Parts Unlimited 14 tooth part number K22-2767. From Parts Unlimited website, "FITS MODEL: KLR250 85-05, KL600A 84, KL600B 85-86, KLR650 87-89" I'll take $10 paypal shipped within the US. Email razmiblackz28@... if you want it.

Wilsons Sandbox

14 tooth front sprocket up for grabs, new $10 shipped!

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