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Around the Bend 2011 - Feb 24-27, Terlingua

I'm in, I will be riding from Oklahoma if anyone is interested.
Tom, aren't you the same guy who rode from OK last year to ride and camp with our group in BBNP about this time? You had a ruggedly cold ride to and from, and that wasn't even winter then.:lol2:
 
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Tricepilot,

Are you going to ride to BB or drive?

I'm riding from Corpus if you want to join up for the slab.
 
Well looks like I am finally going to get to make a Big Bend ride, hotel reservations are made and I will have my registration in the mail to you shortly Richard.:rider:
 
Tom, aren't you the same guy who rode from OK last year to ride and camp with our group in BBNP about this time? You had a ruggedly cold ride to and from, and that wasn't even winter then.:lol2:
That would probably be me, my buddy on his Tiger and me on my GS. Had a great time........
 
That would probably be me, my buddy on his Tiger and me on my GS. Had a great time........
Well, you're a tougher guy than me...my hat's off to ya. Stay warm and have fun at the Bend ride. And BTW...I think you could've made that Black Gap stepup on your BMW with no problem.:mrgreen:
 
I have been waiting since my own busted BB trip last May for an event in BBNP to get a do over. Only problem is that I would work until 4-ish the 24th. Would it be worth the ride to not be able to leave until Friday morning? Maybe leave thursday PM and see how far I can get before stopping? Any advice?
 
Any advice?

Take Monday off if that's a possibility and stay an extra day. Let others know you are staying an extra day and surely another rider will be around to ride with you. This way you will get in at least 2.5 days of riding.
 
Take Monday off if that's a possibility and stay an extra day. Let others know you are staying an extra day and surely another rider will be around to ride with you. This way you will get in at least 2.5 days of riding.

Great Idea, thanks for the feedback. Now I just need to decide whether to camp out or hotel-it.
 
Richard, I have a DR650 that I plan to ride and will be buying new tires. Any recommendations which kind? I had planned to just do DOT knobby

Dwayne
 
Dwayne,

In a knobby I prefer the TKC 80. For me it is the best balance between longevity and traction in the dirt. I run the TKC when I'm trailering the bike to the riding location.

Alternatively, the Dunlop 606 is a very popular option. Its knobbies are larger, providing better traction in loose conditions (sand, mud, etc). The main trade-off is less life - I get about 3000 miles out of a rear TKC80 but only about 1500 miles out of a rear 606.

Finally, in the dual sport tire category (i.e. non-knobby) I like the Avon Gripster. It's a 70/30 tire (pavement/dirt) that works fine on pavement and decent in the dirt as long as it's not muddy. The main advantage of the Gripster is better pavement handling characteristics and a significantly longer life (5000 miles). I run a dual sport tire when I'm riding there and back and for day rides in the hill country.
 
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For a knobby that is really an offroad tire, the Kenda Trackmaster II is DOT. It looks like an offroad only. Cheap too. Under $60 a tire. It will ride like an offroad tire too. Loud and buzzy, but it will work like an offroad tire.

I had some used TKC80's on my DR for a while and they were pretty darned good offroad and nice an smooth on the road. Rear traction was a little lacking, but easy to deal with.
 
I am running Karoos on my 640 Adventure R and really like them. 606's are also a great tire, but they are considerable louder on pavement than Karoos or TKC80's. My $0.02.
 
I'm in. Thanks Richard for organizing this again:clap: Who needs a roommate?

I rode the bend last year on a CBR1000RR with DOT race takeoffs. There was plenty of incredible on-pavement riding including Pequis, 170, and thru the park. I never even made it on any of the loops, like to road to the observatory or Marfa, but I was thoroughly entertained. We even rode one of the dirt roads in the park, and with street tires we could still haul the mail.:trust:

The "Mexico Excursion" thru OJ (Ojinaga) with Tricepilot should not be overlooked. If you want to go to Mexico, but are scared by the media hype, OJ is a nice way to see a quiet safe border town, eat lunch on the square, and see a bit of scenery all in a two to three hour excursion. It's a great way to get your feet wet without having to go thru the typical border process and vehicle paperwork. If I remember right, we just rode thru, found the town square, ate, buzzed out to the canyon, crossed back...no big deal.

This year I'm gonna trailer it all the way to BB, and bring the DRZ Supermoto on Shinko 705's so I can ride the dirt roads. :thumb:
 
Best advice is to go ahead and buy the ride guide now, before you start trip planning. It is well worth it to know in advance what you want to do and how it can be done, to get the most out of these three short days.

It's cyber Monday, so we know you have your credit cards in your hands already. And Richard says he takes "paypay: rgibbens@austin.rr.com" so it should be mindless...

http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36210
 
I finally got to Big Bend last month and had a great time. Recommend Black Gap but more than that, head down to the State Park and do the Fresno Canyon road... at least I think that was it. South East of the Sauceda ranger station. It would be *excellent* to connect this to the 4x4 road to the west. If I went again I'd try to spend at least two days in the State Park.

Wear armor and carry water and spares... or just go like this guy (found him riding Black Gap Road). Jerry Nutt!
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Lot's of this stuff out there :)
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If I can get a working bike I might try to jump in on this trip.
 
Payment is on it's way.

Are the T-shirts different than the one you offered last year (other than the date)?
 
Copy past from Richards initial post.

T-shirts? Not this year. At least not an Around the Bend commemorative t-shirt. For 2011 you get a commemorative engraved drinking glass. You get one with your registration but if you need extra order them with registration because only a very few extras will be available for purchase during the event. If you wait untill the event to register the odds are that you probably won't get a glass. If you wait till the event to buy an extra one you probably won't get it. Like I said, limited quantities.
 
Zug,

As noted, no around the bend t-shirt this year. However, there is an updated Texas Adventure Rider t-shirt now available.
 
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