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A ride report

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Kidder said:
Yeah, well that assumes one has the tool.

What are the sections that would make it hard on a heavier street bike (DL650 - Jack of All Trades, Master of None)? Are there ground clearance issues? Single track issues? Please enlighten me.
Click to expand...

I think this question can also be asked like this:

What are the general passes that are passable by beasts too? V-Strom, big GS, Uly, etc... meaning your 450+ LBS adventure tourer?
 
All of them if you're on Meth...........Otherwise,
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It depends on riders skill.....I could take a big GS....but I wouldn't want to.......If you don't have the correct bike, why force it........There's so much other riding up there that you don't have to risk chrome and flesh...........If you want to get to the out of the way spots, use the right bike........a dual sport that leans towards the street isn't the right weapon..........KLRs, DRs, XRs are about a big as you'd want to use in the high passes.
 
I can only speak for the section south from Steamboat. First, if it rains, you will be dealing with thick, sloppy mud in several sections that can get stuck against your front fender and stop your tire from moving. Second, there are several sections, notably the northernmost stretch in NM that are very rocky, loose rocks, baby heads, I can't imagine doing this on a heavy street bike and not dropping it at least once. Third, there are a few sections with loose sand. Need I go on? If you want to ride it, go for it. There are people that ride the whole thing on GS's and V-Strom 1000's, it just not my cup of tea to take a street bike where it doesn't belong, wear myself out trying to keep it upright, dropping it and destroying lots of plastic, then taking a group effort to get it back upright. If that sounds like fun to you, that's great.

Talk to Raul, he rode a bunch of the East Texas and Louisiana rides on a DL650 and I think destroyed it. He's got a different bike now. Someone who knows the facts can help me out. I think the problem there was mostly mud.
 
Great pics! Thanks for posting up....and watch out for that front disk!
hmrthumb.jpg
 
Thanks, but nothing but a flesh wound. This year it was tender shoulder and ribs.
 
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