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Idaho or Bust….3 Texans 4 Strokes 5 States

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We got up and at um this morning. We had to bust out some slab miles. Took a break half way, stretch and check out our nuts. Always a good thing to look over your bike when you take a break. Also, note to self, I read a ride report where a guy lost his axle nut. They are cheap, I have one in my pack.

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We made our way past bear lake. Thought we might show off on the beach, super loose.

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Got some supplies and got another pic of grape standing next to a bear.

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We got out of there and started making our way north/west in Cache NF. All of a sudden, what do you know, we were in Idaho!! New state for me….physically and mentally!! I took inventory, it was a new state for all of us, a state of happiness. My mind drifted, uh oh.

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We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all 500s are created equal, that they are endowed by their rider with certain unbelievable righteousness, that among these are liveliness, liberation and the pursuit of the happiest. I know I know, I’m an ox and a moron.

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We scooted through another little town and back into another forest system, Caribou NF. Barely into the third day on the bikes and what is that, like the 6th National Forest? Never saw any caribou though. Stupid forest. Good riding, ok ok, smart forest.

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And then I put us on some slightly rowdy single track. Oops.

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We are in it now. This is what it is all about and the point of light adventuring…..getting gritty with it.

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Might have been a little too gritty. Not much room for error.

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Several areas you had to have your feces collected.

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And then…..hope your rear brakes work. Had a scary moment where Garbear had no rear brakes, not ideal. We figured it was heated up, maybe smoked the fluid. We decided to take a break in the shade and pour some water on it, steam came off the caliper, it was amazingly hot. We slow rolled….or slow dragged our way down the steep slopes, team work and patience.

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We just took a decent break in Sick City (malad). A Frenchman named it that, thought it was the river that poisoned them. It wasn’t, the group had some bad beaver, it happens, although it has never happened to me.

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Start that bike, jerk that throttle and go to work. Throw down boy. You gonna do something or just stand there and bleed?

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This was an attention getter.

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It’s been a long’n, feeling beat. Our days have looked like this so far, 280, 225 and 200 miles. It is wearing on us, just a smidge, we happily fell into American Falls. We desperately needed to get an AirBnB, air things out, beer and beer.

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I think what we hit today is perfect for the riding we like, a mixed bag. The Tour of Idaho full ride really does tug at me and a good bit of it I would have been up for (in theory). But the flip side was some of it would have been more than I wanted to bite off on a loaded 500, and I don’t like the crazy exposures on some of those trails (poo in pants theory). I also don’t want to punish my body that hard all day for that many days (I’m not young theory). I would like to bring to the court’s attention exhibits A-C.

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We rustled up some grub and some of us were quickly dispatching cervezas. Music theme for tonight….Take It Easy. Then some maintenance, new brake fluid for Garbear.

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Looking forward to getting our beauty rest for tomorrow, the good stuff is coming, the good stuff is coming! One beer if by land, two beers if by sea, 5 beers if by 500. Stevo Revered

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We rolled out of our digs early and ate a 100 miles of desert for our breakfast in a cool 60 degree morning.

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Left home 6 days ago and have been really enjoying the new to me stuff and the lonely remote roaming of it all, with the mixed nuts. We haven’t seen a single other rider the entire time. Speaking of nuts, fellow rider Mark, known as Mung on the ADVR forum, joined up with us and is going to subject himself to the Texans for a few days. He calls Idaho home and we started up a conversation late last year and have been bouncing messages back and forth on the ol interweb. Strange to finally meet someone you’ve been talking to remotely in emails only…..but also feels normal hanging out with dirt bike dudes that always have a familiarity about them. It’s the ties that bind!!! And you guessed it, he rides a 500. Party time, excellent!!

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It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life. And I’m feeling good!

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Planning for a year and finally being here in the thick of Idaho…..feels like writing a screen play and then getting the lead acting role. How do you like them apples?

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I thought we were just going to blow through here, after all it was just a white space on my map, didn’t even rate green. Figured it would look like Delaware or something.

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We were skirting the Craters of the Moon area. Not sure why they call it that.

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Ok, maybe this doesn’t look like Delaware. Am I reading this road name right….Quaking Asp Frenchman Rd. Asphincter says what? @TNC, I think we just found your research mission for this trip.

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Hundred miles quaked out so far today. Pulled on the reins in some town.

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Having our second breakfast at this joint, recommended by some other inmate in some other ride report. They did good, thank you my someone. Grabbed some supplies…..and rolling back out for some little wild blue yonder. Ok, maybe it will be big. Smell ya on the flip side.

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Enjoying your ride. A couple of notes: I found a replacement seal for my DRZ countershaft at a local bearing supply. It was 1mm thicker than OEM, but hasn't leaked for 11,000 miles. The combo wrench that works as a ratchet is also available as a box wrench/ratchet with a tire tool on the other end. It eliminated one tire tool from my tool kit.
 
Tigerkf said:
What happened to his front brake??? Pouring water on a hot rotor is a good way to get a warped rotor!
Click to expand...
We've been known to pee on them. I'm sure he still had his front brake but depending terrain, if loose rocks and steep it can get real sketchy with the front brake only.
 
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Now back to their journey!
 
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Front brake was fine. I had a good squeeze and it was alternating between locking and skidding and picking the rear tire off the ground. I was trying to keep my hand on the kill switch the use the dead engine to compression brake but it was rough and my thumb would come off the kill switch and restart. The section was steep and loose it would be hard to walk down without falling. I was able to ride it out until it was less steep, less rocks and get it stopped.
 
Rest of yesterday……..I am so far from home, feels like I have traveled to another country. We meandered some dirt to avoid pavement.

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Today that all melted away and I’m high on life, the 2 wheels in a forest life. In Challis National Forest snorting this line.

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Looks like this was a pretty large mining operation at one time.

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Pretty cool that they let you ride your motorcycle across this old trussell. They wouldn’t dream of letting you do something like this in Texas. Death by bunga bunga most likely.

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Back to the present, on a dreamy ride in Idaho. Pro tip…..when you eat breakfast and they give you fourteen pieces of bread, make you a little bacon hash brown sandwich for trail side later.

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Made a BLM connection on a road called “Road” on my GPS. Had me worried it wouldn’t make it through. Chuckaluga luggin 5 miles per hour, on my international harvester! **** it, tune wedgy. We rode out the road named Road, possibly faster than 5mph.

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I was missing my Africa Twin earlier in this adventure. Today I’m like, Africa who? Just gave my 5Hundy a noogie. And it doesn’t really matter anymore, I sold the AT several weeks ago and got the logical replacement, a KTM 300 XCW. I know, I know.

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Got in some cool sage brush trails. I like that desert riding with rain luming.

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We rolled into this cool little RV Campground, Restaurant, general store for some supplies and some grub. Groovy dirt bike friendly place. I was thinking this ride report is missing cool comments from Bwdmax. I miss his comments on these threads. I wonder how he is doing? And where is @gixxerjasen ?

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With full bellies and full saddle bags, we reluctantly left that oasis to find a spot to spend the night along our intended route somewhere. We went up 3000’ in 10 miles, new world up here.

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Garbear and Grape tried to pass me a couple times….not having it….bonus puddles as well.

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We made it. Fun night hanging out, camp fire, blah blah.

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Tigerkf said:
What happened to his front brake??? Pouring water on a hot rotor is a good way to get a warped rotor!
Click to expand...
I’d be willing to take you there, so you could educate me on how to safely utilize just a front brake while rolling 20mph down a 45deg incline.

Also, water was on caliper and master cylinder. Not the rotor.
 
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