Middle Texas Meandering

[KsTeveM]

Back to the rolling of the bones home. Played in some dirt on my way to Llano for some breakfast.

Found this radio next to the road, nice score. Tried calling Phantom 309, no answer. And I’m not emotionally stable enough to check to see if Teddy Bear is out there.

Bike gassed up, breakfast tacos inhaled, headed towards Kingsland on some pavement. Wanted to hit a little bit more dirt with the inevitable slab that is coming.

This doe would not get out of the road, even roosted me! Finally jumped a fence.

Cool little paved section.

After Johnson City, I just took the direct route home, also happens to involve the backbone.

Overall, it was a nice little run and was good to put down some miles on the big bike. Well maybe I shouldn’t say little run, it was over 700 miles . Back to the scheming and dreaming about future riding. Middle Texas Meandering….The End.

 

[Jarrett]

Good stuff.

Do happen to have any GPS tracks you could share? Looked like some good dirt roads in there.

 

[JMZ]

Try breaker 1- 9 for the bandit.

 

[KsTeveM]

Hey Jarrett, yes I can share it. I will need to do some clean up first. Will post it here when I get it done. Tonight, I am hanging out with Frog.

 

[TNC]

Steve, looking at the gear on your AT, you've got it down to pretty good minimalism, don't you? Also, is the AT not conducive to a tank bag?

 

[KsTeveM]

Steve, looking at the gear on your AT, you've got it down to pretty good minimalism, don't you? Also, is the AT not conducive to a tank bag?

Hey TNC, It's been an evolution for sure. It's not as convenient as saddle bags but I like having the weight close in to the bike and as low as possible. My 701 with pannier racks with bags was too cantilevered for my taste, to the rear and side to side. And I carried too much crap, I had the room! I know this bike is even less of a trail bike, by a longshot, but I like being streamlined and not exaggerating the already heavy bike. First part of streamlining for this bike, remove the rear seat, that lowers those dry bags behind me, also less interference with my backpack while riding. Second, removed the sort of silly looking side number plates that puffed out. I put the straps around the frame and suck those bags down tight. The bottom wolfman bags are mediums and have all my heavy stuff, tools, nuts/bolts, spare water, spare gas, spare old crow. The upper wolfman bags are smalls, I keep my lingerie in those and I run very skimpy on these trips. The various dry bags on top, sleeping bag, tent, air pad etc. Weight distribution is ever on my mind.

Tank bag. You would think right? I could really use the storage space and the convenience in that location. But that is a love/hate deal. My used 701 came with one, if ever there was a bike conducive to a tank bag, it's that bike right? I didn't like it, it was a Giant Loop medium sized bag. I ride standing up and sucked up close to the bars a lot, found myself humping that tank bag all the time. The Africa Twin, that is a large tank, and it arches up pretty high. I already hate it, I don't think I can handle a tank bag on top of it (been dreaming of removing all the fairing crap and that tank and trying to fit a Safari). If I was just doing touring, I would get a tank bag. But I do too much dirt, standing, and pretending to ride hard. There also isn't much handle bar clearance up there now, I might get cramped with a bag? Instead I got a Giant Loop handle bar bag for my phone that is pretty handy and out of the way. The rest of the "smalls" that most probably put in a tank bag, I carry it in my Zac Speed Dakar backpack. I'm careful to keep it light and everything has a spot. I would probably get the smallest tank bag they make and try it out, if they weren't so expensive. I spent some time studying SW-Mototech bags when I first got the bike.

This seems to be working for me.....but can't say that I'm not thinking about easy to use soft panniers bags every overnight trip I take on this bike. I'm still going to pretend this is a big dirt bike, at least for now

 

[KsTeveM]

Good stuff.

Do happen to have any GPS tracks you could share? Looked like some good dirt roads in there.

Jarrett, here you go, GPX track. I made it one long track, easier to post here. Let me know if the file works for you. I don't have my GPS on me, had to clean up the problem spots by memory, hopefully I got them all. You can see in my ride report where I camped, Regency and Bend areas. I also added a campground in the file in the Ingram area that I have been to before that was nice, Johnson Creek RV Park. It is a big RV park, but nice, the creek is crystal clear, they have a pool and they have like two cabins if you don't want to tent camp, at least last time I was there several years ago. Throwing out another good camping spot, Dos Rios in the Mason area, tent spots and a couple cabins/airstreams. I also kept an Air BNB on the map that I stayed at a couple years ago in the Goldthwaite area that was cool, I don't remember the name but you could find it on their web site. Last, I made the track start in the Wimberly area and end in the San Marcos area as I don't need folks showing up at my work or my house . Hope this is useful.

GPX viewer

 

[Jarrett]

Awesome, thanks.

 

[mlinkibikr]

Outstanding!

 

[TNC]

Thanks for the detail, Steve...good points made on all. On that comment about "pretending to ride hard"...well...you're a bald faced liar...LOL! I know some of those places you were riding in Utah, and if you weren't riding decently hard, SAR would still be looking for you...LOL! On your AT, something has me looking hard at the T7. I haven't wanted anything heavier than a KLR650 for years since I got the '06 KLX250S and put a 300 jug on it. But recently I bought a new leftover 2017 Z650 to get back into a small pavement bike and have been having a hoot with it. I could see myself doing a T7 to fill a perceived void.

As to your thought process on your equipment and packing, I'd be tempted to call you anal, but there appears to be a lot of logic and real world use defining your decisions.

 

[KsTeveM]

Thanks for the detail, Steve...good points made on all. On that comment about "pretending to ride hard"...well...you're a bald faced liar...LOL! I know some of those places you were riding in Utah, and if you weren't riding decently hard, SAR would still be looking for you...LOL! On your AT, something has me looking hard at the T7. I haven't wanted anything heavier than a KLR650 for years since I got the '06 KLX250S and put a 300 jug on it. But recently I bought a new leftover 2017 Z650 to get back into a small pavement bike and have been having a hoot with it. I could see myself doing a T7 to fill a perceived void.

As to your thought process on your equipment and packing, I'd be tempted to call you anal, but there appears to be a lot of logic and real world use defining your decisions.

The T7....it was on my mind, but you couldn't get one at the time and projections seemed to be turning into lies. I had also been contemplating the 1090, but they discontinued it when the 790 came on the scene and I didn't like that short 1090 production run. The 1290 seemed like over kill for me....and expensive. I had been contemplating a twin for a year or two, I couldn't hold my brain off anymore and wanted to off my 701 before I racked up too many miles. I rationalized that having my 500 I didn't need to worry as much about the middle ground. If the middle is still hard, the 500 can step down from the podium. If the middle is leaning soft, the Africa Twin can step up his game. When I am riding my Africa Twin out and about, people come up to me and want to talk about the pursuit of the unicorn and most of the time I do lean them the T7 direction based on their description of what they think they want. For now, I will be riding the Chevy Silverado of the twins for the Texas back road meandering. I do wonder how many T7 owners are actually really hitting it hard and might have been happier with an AT. I do wonder sometimes when I am hitting it hard if I would have been happier with a T7.

Tempted to call me anal, you would not be the first. I spend quite a bit of time dialing stuff in to my liking on the packing. Sometimes I think that part is just as much fun as the doing part. The stuff strapped on my bikes, it doesn't move and that makes me happy/enjoy the ride more.

Pretending to ride hard, in Utah, we might have been doing the real deal, maybe. But if you really look at the ride report, we mostly sat in the shade.

 

[TNC]

Mostly sat in the shade...LOL!...maybe in the morning and late evening out there...except in one or two of the narrows.

Steve, I've missed it if you've talked about a drone, but you are using a drone for some of your shots...right? Or do you have a film crew?...LOL! I'm sure you've surfed some of RideFreak's vids on YT. I rode with Chris and those guys for awhile when he was just doing the regular GoPro, but man, he has stepped up his vid game. I only ask about a drone because on some of your shots from UT, you stated it was just you and one other rider...and y'all are both in it. I'm a luddite when it comes to modern photo stuff, so I'm probably missing something.

 

[KsTeveM]

Steve, I've missed it if you've talked about a drone, but you are using a drone for some of your shots...right? Or do you have a film crew?

Dang it, I confess, yes we have a film crew, well it is just one person. We carry her gear and she follows along filming us, her picture is below. I think she is using a Skydio, pretty dang cool.

 

[TNC]

LOL!...who gets tasked for applying the skin cream for her saddle sores at night in camp?

 

[KsTeveM]

LOL!...who gets tasked for applying the skin cream for her saddle sores at night in camp?

Oh, there is a fourth rider, she helps with that sort of thing.

 

[GrapeApe]

As per usual kick butt report. And great photos!

 

[GrapeApe]

Mostly sat in the shade...LOL!...maybe in the morning and late evening out there...except in one or two of the narrows.

Steve, I've missed it if you've talked about a drone, but you are using a drone for some of your shots...right? Or do you have a film crew?...LOL! I'm sure you've surfed some of RideFreak's vids on YT. I rode with Chris and those guys for awhile when he was just doing the regular GoPro, but man, he has stepped up his vid game. I only ask about a drone because on some of your shots from UT, you stated it was just you and one other rider...and y'all are both in it. I'm a luddite when it comes to modern photo stuff, so I'm probably missing something.

I use the same drone as RideFreak. I waited for a year to get it. I am extremely impressed with its ease of use. I got the cinema kit, if just for riding coverage I would advise the Sport kit.

Skydio 2+

The perfect drone for autonomous data capture in tight spaces

www.skydio.com

 

[misterk]

Here you go Steve, you might recognize some of these roads. I had a couple of turn around because of no road.

I started think you never left home, posted a route and staged some photos is your backyard

 

[KsTeveM]

Here you go Steve, you might recognize some of these roads. I had a couple of turn around because of no road.

I started think you never left home, posted a route and staged some photos is your backyard

That stuff looks really sketchy, I’ve never seen those roads in my life!! Ha ha

 

[philipbarrett]

Thanks for sharing - great RR. Saving those GPXs too.

 

[KsTeveM]

Alright, so I’m doing some more meandering, centrally again, so I thought I would just throw it in this report. Where to….something about the magnetism of Mason pulls me in from time to time. Combination of not being too far away from my digs, not a lot of people and the good dirt roads. I like the topography, it’s the hill country turning desert. And a lot of cool history out there!

https://www.frontiertimesmagazine.com/blog/brief-history-early-days-mason-county-by-j-marvin-hunter

I pushed my rear tire longer than I wanted, ended up going another 400 miles after my last ride ended earlier in this report. Got 3600 miles total out of that Anakee Wild. Really it did pretty good, even at the end considering. But enough was enough. It’s called hauling the mail, not slipping the mail!

I have had a set Motoz Adventure tires on order but the dang container ship situation in the ports is causing delays. Anybody else having issues getting stuff for their steed? I was able to score this Motoz Tractionator HT for cheap and it was in stock. She will do for now, mounted it up this week. Little bit narrower, little bit taller. Had a hard time breaking the bead/removing the Anakee (typical on these wheels?), but the Motoz HT was easy to get on the rim. Little tricky setting the bead, just had to pay attention, soap, lower air, resituate, reinflate etc. My front tire has close to 6000 miles on it, TKC80, and has the normal chop happening at this phase of his life. The pairing should be good enough to get me down the road. New rubber forthwith. Are we allowed to use that word in the south? I don’t think I will do it again.

I’m trying out this GL Coyote that I’ve had. I like the way it looks and the quality is good. But I’m not sold. My poor man solution in the past had some of the weight lower and even though it looked a little hodgepodge, it was easier to gain access to any one thing I might want as it was more modular like. This GL setup reminds me of an army duffle bag when the thing you want may be at the bottom. We’ll see, maybe we will fall in love, maybe we won’t. I’m taking her dancing regardless. Tomorrow we ride.

 

[bwdmax]

I keep things inside my coyote bags inside some smaller drawstring stuff sacks.

 

[KsTeveM]

Boy it was chilly this morning, left the house headed to work and it was 48 in San Marcos, that was fine. Dropped down into the hole that is Wimberly, 42. That 6 degrees makes a big difference. Thawed out at work and got very little done, my bike was making faces at me through the window. Snuck out of work early!!

The odd couple just grabbed some lunch in Dripping, and now parting ways. I don’t think they make TKC80s in his size

 

[KsTeveM]

Knocked out some pavement and ready for the dirt to begin. Makes me lonesome for bigger terrain/trails abroad. Take what you can get Texan!

The new back tire has been a hoot and a howl. Reminds me of high school. Tie between the old school Mickey Thompsons I ran and the gym teacher from s!

This area is so cool, the pass and the creek.

Went slow through the creek like I was Graham on a 300, then the bike started to sink like Robert Deniro at the end of Cape Fear. After some speaking in tongues, I recovered. Glad I was running Lassie on the back.

Next crossing, gave her some gas.

Little bit of mud here and there. Really pretty afternoon!

Made my way to Castell. Great Great Grandfather behind the bar again . But there was an AR on the bar, and hand sanitizer. Only in Texas! Little more meandering for the day…..smell ya later.

 

[SpiritAtBay]

Good for you, getting the you-know-what outta Dodge!