I’m Going Nowhere, Hope To Be There Soon

[SpiritAtBay]

good stuff, Steve-o

 

[Slow Ride]

Best thread of the decade!!!!!! Amazing pictures and descriptions!!!!!!

 

[Cagiva 549]

I miss riding west of I35 but that’s the worse part of it , getting west of it , I would cross at Terrell or Kyle , but it had grown so much around Kyle last time I was through there I’ve kinda given up on it . How is your SE on the highway with the knobbys , I bought one several years ago and with knobbys it’s manners were horrible on pavement , on my first ride I had a flat on the rear after a day of riding but was able to get it home airing up every ten miles , it came with a new set of motard wheels and tires so they went on it and never came off . The motards were a riot on pavement but sucked big time on gravel so when somebody came along wanting it worse then me it was gone in a heartbeat .

 

[LlanoRiverMan]

MotoAmbrosia!!! Thanks for entertaining me last week while I sat at my desk lamenting my incarceration by the man. Next time! Next time dammit!!

 

[TNC]

Best thread of the decade!!!!!! Amazing pictures and descriptions!!!!!!

Hard to argue with that. You know, I've had numerous conversations, comments, and even PM's with Steve. I just realized that I've never asked what he does for a living. You'd think that with his riding talent, writing talent, and his photography talent that he's involved in the travel/adventure industry or something similar. I will be heartbroken to find out that he's a hitman for the cartels or a Chinese spy.

But seriously, I hope to be meeting him when our paths cross on a future adventure somewhere, and I look forward to experiencing in person his obvious sense of humor and creativity. He's unique.

 

[KsTeveM]

I miss riding west of I35 but that’s the worse part of it , getting west of it , I would cross at Terrell or Kyle , but it had grown so much around Kyle last time I was through there I’ve kinda given up on it . How is your SE on the highway with the knobbys , I bought one several years ago and with knobbys it’s manners were horrible on pavement , on my first ride I had a flat on the rear after a day of riding but was able to get it home airing up every ten miles , it came with a new set of motard wheels and tires so they went on it and never came off . The motards were a riot on pavement but sucked big time on gravel so when somebody came along wanting it worse than me it was gone in a heartbeat

Slipping through 35 in the Kyle area. Slip a little further to the south, 12 out of San Marcos to 32. Other options are float through Gruene, catch River Rd, ride out Canyon Lake, north or south.

Super Enduro on highway with Knobbies. The TKC80 front I have found to be pretty smooth and gives decent performance on and offroad, with decent mileage. The rear, on this run I had a Tusk Dadv. I thought it would be worse on the street, especially that much droning pavement, but I was really happy with it. And it is very D606 like in the dirt. I have found it to have better mileage as well. I had like 300 miles on it before this trip and this trip was over 1400 miles. Half way through the trip I was thinking it’s going to look like a slick by the time I get home. But tire technology has come a long way, they hit that point where they stop wearing down as quick? Smoothness, I was happy. Although I missed my flex bars and had no dampeners in the bar ends. Still only had knumbness a few times, move my hands around, standup, use my home made cruise control, manageable. Takeaway was just add the bar ends for $70 like I just added to my 450 build. Selling the 950…..not likely. I have been saying I would be buried with my 500. Now I’m going to need a bigger hole. Made me think of rich lady that was buried in a mustang in the 70s? Had to google it. Ferrari!

 

[KsTeveM]

Hard to argue with that. You know, I've had numerous conversations, comments, and even PM's with Steve. I just realized that I've never asked what he does for a living. You'd think that with his riding talent, writing talent, and his photography talent that he's involved in the travel/adventure industry or something similar. I will be heartbroken to find out that he's a hitman for the cartels or a Chinese spy.

But seriously, I hope to be meeting him when our paths cross on a future adventure somewhere, and I look forward to experiencing in person his obvious sense of humor and creativity. He's unique.

Thanks for the kind words, I’ve come to really appreciate our interactions. And I will come clean, I work for the CIA and my rides are covers. The program is called Stonetread, ha ha. I’ve been in the telecom world all my life. Been good to me. Lot of people lately been telling me I should pursue the moto adventure writing avenue. Just so many good YouTubers out there, writers, guides etc. I almost feel like I’m 10 years too late and my style is weird? And I always say you need content. As in good stomping grounds, Texas lacks the volume of Rembrandts I need. And to go outside of Texas, you need lots of time off. It’s a struggle. If anybody has ideas or avenues to pursue, PM me, I’m all ears as I love moto travel and writing about it, capturing moments, pictures etc.

 

[Cagiva 549]

I cut through on loop 12 going to kids lake house a lot and it’s ok , just havent been out there on a bike in years , the front end on my SE was the big issue and I can see the tkc being better than the full knobby , what I can’t see is any advantage to taking the SE off road over my 450rr Beta , and there was very little advantage over riding my 950 adventure especially on long highway rides . No way I would want to make a ride to Montana on a SE , And the adventure ate anything I pointed it at when I got there . I did stay on two track though . Pretty much all of my hill country rides were the Cagiva Gran Canyon or the 950 Adventure , a couple Ducati and old wing rides too but pavment only on them . The Duc did take flight on a old RR crossing on bat cave road one time before it got screwed up . Haven’t been there since .

the motard wheels were fun on that road going back and coming out .

 

[Tourmeister]

Lot of people lately been telling me I should pursue the moto adventure writing avenue. Just so many good YouTubers out there, writers, guides etc. I almost feel like I’m 10 years too late and my style is weird? And I always say you need content. As in good stomping grounds, Texas lacks the volume of Rembrandts I need. And to go outside of Texas, you need lots of time off. It’s a struggle. If anybody has ideas or avenues to pursue, PM me, I’m all ears as I love moto travel and writing about it, capturing moments, pictures etc.

100% my experience as well. Texas is just not a great place to setup as a moto-journalist, writer, service provider, etc,... I have long dreamt of setting up an adventure camp of sorts, both as a place to stay but also as a destination itself. I just can't cross the chasm between being able to pay the bills with my current and being able to pay the bills at the new job.

 

[KsTeveM]

100% my experience as well. Texas is just not a great place to setup as a moto-journalist, writer, service provider, etc,... I have long dreamt of setting up an adventure camp of sorts, both as a place to stay but also as a destination itself. I just can't cross the chasm between being able to pay the bills with my current and being able to pay the bills at the new job.

Exactly! By the time I can afford the travel and time off, I will need a trike

 

[Tourmeister]

Exactly! By the time I can afford the travel and time off, I will need a trike

I'll be six feet under and my wife will be cashing the life insurance check...

 

[KsTeveM]

I cut through on loop 12 going to kids lake house a lot and it’s ok , just havent been out there on a bike in years , the front end on my SE was the big issue and I can see the tkc being better than the full knobby , what I can’t see is any advantage to taking the SE off road over my 450rr Beta , and there was very little advantage over riding my 950 adventure especially on long highway rides . No way I would want to make a ride to Montana on a SE , And the adventure ate anything I pointed it at when I got there . I did stay on two track though . Pretty much all of my hill country rides were the Cagiva Gran Canyon or the 950 Adventure , a couple Ducati and old wing rides too but pavment only on them . The Duc did take flight on a old RR crossing on bat cave road one time before it got screwed up . Haven’t been there since .

the motard wheels were fun on that road going back and coming out .

There is no advantage offroad compared to the 450 Beta. But you certainly wouldn’t want to ride the 450 on the trip I just did. That is the beauty of the Super Enduro, threading the needle between the two worlds. You have to accept compromises and it depends on your tolerance level and specific desires. For my style it’s the best I have found for big mile touring with offroad flare….that I have saddle time on. I do want to get a better helmet for those kind of long rides. I have a big head, long oval and the Bell MX9 in XXL seems to fit the best, so far. I would love to know a better quality helmet that fits big heads long oval that is quieter and cushier. When I am in stores trying them on, never have my size and they won’t order big head stuff for me to try on. I bought one online, had to send back. I want to throw my money at a good helmet, vs throwing my money at larger faring bikes (1290/GS). That way when I throw the bike on the ground, there is no damage to speak of….and I don’t have to add more weight with crash bars.

Front end, weight, the adventure is heavier, and so is the 890. I’m going to go back to the 18” rear wheel mounted up front when this Tkc80 21” wears out, maybe sooner if ride dictates. The MT43 up there helps with the weight/spread, I also have a rear TKC80 I’m going to experiment with up there. The Africa Twin I owned had the same weight problem up front, worse even. But I don’t know if I could get a 2.15 wheel up there, and having two rotors complicates it…and harder to fix flats trail side compared to SE.

So much to consider and so many offerings out there. How nice we can live the life we are living/riding and play with these toys! Offroad the Super Enduro is decently agile, for example the Fresno Canyon run I just did. Along with 400 mile days when needed. That’s a tall order to walk that line. Hence the unicorn hunt most of us pursue and seldom get. I think the T7 is the other best candidate for my style. But the 100hp of the Super Enduro, better suspension and similar weight….it’s a special combination that I wanted to experience. And I wouldn't hesitate to ride it to Montana and back. I can sniff out the hard stuff, stitch it together with easier stuff, and find historical significance along the way. Anybody want to sponsor that ride for me to journal and blog about I’ve also wondered about accompanying a small group to document their ride, pics, video and writing. Kind of like this ride. Pretty cool if you haven’t checked it out. Good times and I appreciate everyone’s interactions here and knowledge, Ride On!

 

[Cagiva 549]

That was the reason I bought the SE I had close to 70,000 miles on my adventure by then and wanted something with less bulk . Every trip of any significance I was loaded for bear , close to a hundred pounds of crap and I wanted to lighten the load . Even with that load I went over a dozen 12,000 foot off road passes with it and it kicked my butt most times , rode every road in Big Bend that’s legal to ride on street tires and all over the terlingua ranch too . Nevada , Utah , Montana , Wyoming , New Mexico and Colorado multiple times in the close states . 800 mile days on the adventure we’re normal , often thought I should document a iron butt ride and just never did . Arkansas trips were much more fun because I didn’t load down quite so bad . The SE was not near as comfortable as the adventure and it wasn’t the bike I wanted to ride . Those days are over for good , Now I pull my trailer to the good spot with dirt and street motorcycle and a bicycle so I got the best of all rides . This year I’m taking two bicycles if I can get them in .

 

[TNC]

Steve, I think you're wrong on the Texas aspect of moto journalism...and that's not me trying to get you to change your career field. Maybe it's because I've done the "out west" so much over the years that frankly I'm jaded by the litany of ride reports and even photos from those western state hinterlands...though I liked your Utah Red Canyon/Blue Notch report due to the fact that you don't see many of those, and it's a little special to route find one's way through.

I think you may be jaded about TX since you've done so much of its "outback". Texas riders unfamiliar with it and even a decent number of out-of-state riders are usually surprised how much good pavement, good dirt roads, and decently rough off road we have in this state. Then you couple that with your writing style, humor, wit, and photos...well...I think you underestimate the entertainment value. Now, I'm not saying these things to prep you for a monetary loan or a free ride on your KTM...LOL!...but you can see the responses from many on this site to your reports. And oh...I hope this doesn't cause you to have to go to an even bigger helmet size based on your comment about your huge oversized melon.

 

[TNC]

Cagiva, your comments about bikes sizes and the right tool for the job seems to be an endless and fruitless pursuit for the "unicorn" for most of us. However, I really get Steve's observations about his big KTM. Like you I've been toting my dual sport bikes out to the "hunting grounds" of good riding locations for some time now. So with that one would think I could pick the most dirt worthy in that category and be happy without all that traveling on highways. However, I think Steve is right in that the more dirt worthy models can kind of suck when the day's ride requires a large loop which will rack up the miles with a good deal of pavement thrown in...and that's not even talking about how Steve actually traveled the whole trip on a motorcycle.

My KLX300 that I've been taking out west has been awesome for the dirt with all the suspension and performance mods done to it. However, it really sucks for a really long day in the saddle where the dirt road and pavement miles rack up to make the real dirt portions of the rides possible. The gearing alone set up for dirt made pavement droning a little bit of torture. Now, I realize I could pop for one of those 500cc-or-so KTM's etc., but not into that money or propriety that often comes with them. A riding buddy just bought a brand new KTM690, and maybe that one is best bridge to make that gap...I'm not sure.

I still have my KLX, but I recently went to an XR650L which has a ton of mods done to it...yes...I cannot leave motorcycles in stock form. And while it's hardly the do-all-end-all of dual sports, it's closer to my unicorn than many others. And that's what a lot of this comes down to...everyone's unicorn is not the same or the application it will be used for. Steve's big KTM is certainly not my cup o' tea, but it obviously checks many of his boxes for a trip like he just completed. I'll bet we see Steve on his lighter, more dirt worthy KTM on some of his other adventures.

 

[jredford]

Steve - you gotz skills. Love your writing and Moto journalism…

 

[LlanoRiverMan]

I would love to know a better quality helmet that fits big heads long oval that is quieter and cushier. When I am in stores trying them on, never have my size and they won’t order big head stuff for me to try on. I bought one online, had to send back.

Try this........https://www.lidpicker.com/

I suppose my head is long oval as well. Was looking for a good fit in a new modular helmet.. Using Lidpicker I chose my current Nolan and it turned out to fit my head very well.

 

[KsTeveM]

All good stuff. Thanks for the feedback, the writing and the bike stuff. The SE….I probably had half, maybe even a third of the weight that most carry in their luggage. So if my bike is 30-80 lbs lighter than a lot of the twin adventure bikes, and I carry at least half of the luggage weight, this combo starts to make sense for a dirt biased adventure rider that will suffer a little on the pavement side. I want to be comfortable offroad more.

I been getting my big trip stuff put away and then put my front tire where my mouth was. Got to thinking I have the 450 for the gnar, and my 950 will be the go to dual sport for Texas stuff. My 500 can don the 21” if I need him for either role. For now. So cool I can put that same wheel on a 2007 950, 2014 500 and a 2023 450!

 

[LaserDave]

Fabulous stuff!! Been far too long since I went out in your general directions, albeit on a heavy Hog.

How do you manage to stop for pics? I blew off hundreds of them as I was always so deep in the riding zen.

 

[KsTeveM]

Fabulous stuff!! Been far too long since I went out in your general directions, albeit on a heavy Hog.

How do you manage to stop for pics? I blew off hundreds of them as I was always so deep in the riding zen.

It doesn’t bother me to stop, they are very quick pauses really. And I figure it is good to break the rhythm for my body, circulation, muscles etc. I think I am just as sore from the ride as I am getting on and off the bike, especially the spots that have challenging terrain. But yes there are times I don’t want to break the zen rhythm, but they are also usually the spots you want to capture that zen and “bottle” it up. Maybe it is also the photography side of things, I appreciate a good pic. And you can’t tell or relay a “good” story without them. If I see a ride report with just words, I’m out. I even hate to post to a thread without a pic!

 

[_RG_]

Stopping for pix is tough. With a group it dang near requires a gas stop, hamburger or a flat to make it happen. Even solo it usually goes...wow, that's spectacular. I'll just go ahead and ride it then turn around and get a pic. You know how the rest of the story goes...Surely helps for an entertaining report, though.

 

[KsTeveM]

In a larger group, like the Las Cruces trip I was on recently, you have to work a little harder. I use a helmet mounted GoPro a lot for still shots.

And when I see something going down, position myself to capture stuff with regular camera as well, usually better quality pic. Definitely has to be a deliberate practice. Sometimes I am jealous of the guy that just rides without taking a single picture. But not in my DNA I guess.

 

[bwdmax]

I will attest that Steve has the quickest photo skills I’ve ever witnessed. He is putting his camera up and still trying to get mine out. It’s like he is a ninja of some kind.
His nephew and partner in crime @KTMCarhart can scroll through videos faster than anyone I e seen and pick out great stills from that. They have both spent hours practicing those skills.

 

[Tigerkf]

As I've said before, screw you Steve! HAHA!

 

[Tourmeister]

I carry a camera in my jacket's left breast pocket but leave the strap hanging out of the pocket when I zip it up. This way I can unzip the pocket, grab the strap that is already outside the pocket to quickly have the camera in hand, make the shot, and then put it away pretty fast. The camera takes about 1 to 1-1/2 seconds to be ready after pushing the power button. I use a camera with a back screen so I don't have to remove the helmet to look through a view finder. If I want, the camera shoots in RAW. The camera also does pretty good video. It is an Olympus T5. I don't even have to remove my gloves. I also keep my iPhone in the lower left jacket pocket where it is easy to grab, but not quite as quick as the T5, and I do have to remove my gloves. I will use that because it is quicker and easier to share the pics from it versus having to move images/video off the T5 to a computer for editing before sharing.