Arizona Traverse - Solo on a dual sport

[agavelvr]

Thanks again for all the positive comments. I hope you guys are motivated to get out there and see it yourself!

Thanks for the great trip and report Jeff!
It was "removed" by a Subaru at this years Prescott Rally. The main beam went between the co-driver and the door...

Wow, hope no one was injured!

Really love the trip report Jeff. The picture of Dewey/Humboldt from the east is my favorite. My parent’s house is in the foreground. (I lived there from 92-02, ran all around there including climbing all over the smelter)
Any idea what that large silver tower/billboard thing is up near where you took the picture from? I've spent 20 years riding dirt bikes and 4x4 all over those mountains and really never could figure out what that thing was for.
In regards to your comment about the subdivision roads back in the foothills, yes it is a bit of a bummer and really those roads have been there for 10 years now. Local word is a spec builder put in a bunch of roads before they realized not many people wanted to spend the money to punch in a 300 foot well. Now we get a bunch of little scars all over the foothills that really lead to no where.

Thanks again for the pictures and ride report. :sombrero:

Thanks for the background on the subdivision and such. Glad you enjoyed me tromping thru your backyard

I would guess the big billboard thing is a microwave reflector. I see them around in various places and I believe they are used to propagate signal down into areas that are lack line of sight to towers...but I could be totally wrong on that.

40mpg....
that is maybe one of the reasons there are so many more trip reports on ADVRider vs Expo?
At my current 10mpg in the burb (still gotta tune it up some) that is a $400 trip in fuel vs your $100.
Once the diesel transplant happens and I get 20mpg then it is still a $200 trip vs your $100.
Now maybe I can save a bit on hotel vs sleep inside the rig but then again on a 9 day trip anyone would want a night or two in a hotel.
Maybe I could save a bit on eating out since I carry a fridge and more food options, but still fuel is always the biggest part of my budget planning for trips and motos rule!

Good point Lance, add to that the fact that you (or whomever, theoretically) paid for the fridge, the sleeping interior build, suspension, paid for the vehicle, etc, and I would be willing to bet that the average motorcycle build (even factoring in some pretty extensive and costly ones) and I bet that even an extremely budget minded 4 wheel vehicle is 5 times more expensive than a bike build. When you take into consideration the cost of a nice solid Land Rover build, what, maybe 20 times the cost? That's a whole lot of fuel and hotel rooms for a bike.

40mpg was pretty nice on the pocketbook for sure. Had I not injured my knee, I would have skipped two nights hotel, as I prefer camping on the ground to a hotel. That being said, staying in CK was worth every penny just for the experience! I mean, who gets a complimentary canine with their haunted whore house room? Other than gas and water, I was fully equiped for 10 days of trail living & dining, hence me approaching maximum payload. The eating out was just a guilty pleasure, kind of like eating tacos in Baja. This trip was really a shakedown to see if I could haul everything I needed to stay out for a week or more before resupplying. I have some plans in the works

I don't think gas milage is the reason you see more trip reports on ADV vs Expo...I think it is a cultural difference in the hobbies. Some people here on expo focus on their rigs rather than trips. Seems they get convinced that they have to have every piece of overland gear before they can get out and take a trip. Then, afer spending all their money on the rig, they have to go to work to pay for it all rather than travel. Others enjoy the car culture lifestyle rather than traveling. There's nothing wrong with any of that, but perhaps it explains why build threads get way more attention than trip reports here on expo.

My focus on the hobby is travel and conservation, some of the least popular areas of discussion here. My vehicles are simply a tool to let me enjoy my travels, and oftentimes, they are left behind. But I'm weird like that and spend most of my free time dreaming of the next place I will travel...and then actually go I honestly don't care what I drive or how it is equiped. I traced the southern border in a stock tacoma and traversed the state north to south on what was essentially a stock KLR (no performance upgrades, just some protection). I hope that demonstrates to people that they can get out and see a lot of cool stuff without going crazy with modifying their vehicles. I am confident that I could drive the traverse in my stock tacoma if I was careful. Sadly, I will not be able to test that out, as the suspension is worn out and is getting replaced. Soon, it won't be stock anymore

Something to consider in regards to trip economics...The bumpers and armor on my built taco cost almost as much as my motorcycle! For the price of my old D90 and trailer, I purchased a built tacoma, a stock tacoma, and a motorcycle! For the cost of one fridge, you can fly to Europe or spend a week in Costa Rica. It's just a matter of priorities. The week after my traverse, my wife and I took her parents up to Prescott for the Christmas festivities. I spent more in 24 hours on that trip than the whole motorcycle ride!

 

[Curly]

Great thread, I enjoyed reading it. I used to live in Yuma, so I am familiar with El Camino, Kofa, etc.
For future readers of this thread, I wanted to correct this from Post #10

"Welton offers few services and no gas, so I take the scenic route thru the agricultural belt between I-8 and the proving grounds/military reservation."

Wellton does have fuel, at Circle K and Chevron and there is a Napa Auto as well. Not much else there. Also, a few miles east on I-8, there is a chevron with a Jack in the box in Tacna. You can access the road to Christmas pass here.


Curly

 

[Frank]

Amazing read, Sir! Its reports like this that have turned my attention away from reading magazines. Reads like this are real deal reports that haven't been gone over via a editor. Its was a very enjoyable read. Thank you for that.

I love that your bike of choice is a KLR. Its a great bike! -though I can't imagine doing it loaded with stock suspension and tires. As you can see how squatted your bike is with gear...then add your weight to it...you said yourself you were almost maxing it out. I read you are not a "need it before you go" kinda guy...but man a shock/emulator upgrade would make a WORLD of a difference and I am sure you would appreciate it when its all said and done.

 

[agavelvr]

Here are some tips for winning the contest...
1. The "easter eggs" are actually in the images. I modified a handful of them. They will be pretty obvious if you look close.
2. When you send your pm, include a description of what you found. I'll let you know if you got them all.
3. If you don't get them all on your first try, you can try as many times as you want...just include your prior guesses in the new PM so I can see if you got them all.

Happy hunting!


Thanks to Curly for the scoop on Welton. I updated my comments about the services in Welton.

 

[agavelvr]

Amazing read, Sir! Its reports like this that have turned my attention away from reading magazines. Reads like this are real deal reports that haven't been gone over via a editor. Its was a very enjoyable read. Thank you for that. .

Glad you and many others have enjoyed it, even with all the spelling mistakes Thanks for reading!

I love that your bike of choice is a KLR. Its a great bike! -though I can't imagine doing it loaded with stock suspension and tires. As you can see how squatted your bike is with gear...then add your weight to it...you said yourself you were almost maxing it out. I read you are not a "need it before you go" kinda guy...but man a shock/emulator upgrade would make a WORLD of a difference and I am sure you would appreciate it when its all said and done.

To pick the bike, I basically went over to ADV and read some cool trip reports. I noticed several people had completed epic journeys over challenging terrain on KLRs. Comparing the cost of the KLR to similar lightly used BMWs and KTMs basically sealed the deal. I really thought I was splurging on the KLR when you consider what the guys in the past have used on far more difficult trips.

I think you are right about the benefits of a suspension upgrade, but the stock setup performed just fine in this worst case scenario. Had I been doing a lot of washboards at speed, I would definately want better suspension. Before I left, I adjusted the rear suspension for my payload and weight, which made a huge difference. The tires could have used a little more grip in the sand and some loose uphills, but I made it through without issue. One guy told me if I didn't upgrade my seat and footpegs...the trip would fail. Note, they remain stock and I did just fine I actually found the stock seat to be comfortable and used some Goldbond to keep things dry.

A few things I'm going to upgrade
1. low profile oil plug. My stock one sticks out past the skid plate and got hit a couple of times. Fortunately, these were minor hits. A big hit would ruin my sump.
2. Add an electrical outlet. It got pretty old changing batteries in my GPS on a daily basis and wasteful.
3. Get my own luggage. My original idea of strapping on kayaking drybags would have been horrible. I got a loaner pair from a friend, and this made a world of difference. I will probably ditch the pelican top box that came with the bike and go for some soft luggage or something.
4. use loctite on all bolts.

I lost one of the two bolts holding my front body work to the frame just as I left the dirt, resulting in the front end moving about 1" forward and back! I made it home without fixing it, but I'm going to do a complete tear down in January and fix a bunch of little things like that.

Even for a big guy like me (6'4" @275lbs), the KLR had plenty of power to get me and my gear to interesting places over some pretty nasty trails. It was very nice on forest roads and the highway as well.

 

[Frank]

I agree with everything you said. Take a look at my thread *link in the sig* and you can see what I have done to my bike. I plan to purchase panniers in the next 60 days or so.

http://www.journeyrider.com/Aluminum-Panniers_c10.htm

 

[agavelvr]

I agree with everything you said. Take a look at my thread *link in the sig* and you can see what I have done to my bike. I plan to purchase panniers in the next 60 days or so.

http://www.journeyrider.com/Aluminum-Panniers_c10.htm

Great thread on your KLR! I like the tear down pics, gives me an idea of what to expect when I get around to cleaning mine up.

 

[katuah]

This has been a totally awesome read. And it didn't hurt that it was all across territory I've been drooling to get out into since I started a distance MA at Prescott College back in '04. More than once I've returned my rental car to Sky Harbor with an, um, excessive amount of dust haha. If I were a bit better bike rider, I think I'd be considering selling my XJ and doing stuff like this instead. I sent you a PM with my guesses for the "easter eggs," just because - why not? But definitely this was worth the time to go back through. Thanks!

 

[agavelvr]

Contest Update:
Congrats to our astute Expo members Timh, Sandlescout, and RHINO for finding all the trick images.
Thanks to everyone for playing.
Below are the correct answers...

I actually posted this photochop before thinking of the contest. It slid under the radar the whole time

Unfortunately, I did not have the space to pack the highlighted items.

Agavelvr and friends circa 1989

A tough day on the trail, even smiley rock wasn't himself.

A small tribute to some funny movies...
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/50510 * * * http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/68782

 

[agavelvr]

Wow, it's been a while since I wrote/read this thing.
I was chatting with the guy who bought my truck today and told him the story.
Thought I would bump it and see if anyone wants to join a future trip in October 2013.
I plan on taking my Tacoma and wife so I can finally show her what I saw on this epic ride.

 

[1leglance]

depending on the dates I would seriously be up for that....
I should have my interior done by then and looking forward to a diesel conversion after so this would be a nice inbetween run.

Thanks for the offer and let me know the dates & number of days you are thinking about.

 

[agavelvr]

Sometime between 9/28 and 10/12 is what I'm thinking. That's my wife's fall break
It will probably take 5 days minimum, 7 days or more to properly enjoy by 4x4. There is so much to see and do along the route.

Mark's recent trip up Casner reminded me that I need to polish up the traverse and do some pavement reduction. Between this one, the route the boys at Butler are putting together, and the possibility of finishing the designation of the GWT...we will have 3 epic North/South routes across the state in no time

If not this, I might head to the AZ Strip.

 

[mkitchen]

Like the idea

Can't go at that time but I like the idea of connecting some of these north/south traverses. Any way I can help with that? Just got my fancy new tablet with GPS and am ready to scout some trail. I am going to the strip next month (pray for cool weather).
Mikey

 

[agavelvr]

Can't go at that time but I like the idea of connecting some of these north/south traverses. Any way I can help with that? Just got my fancy new tablet with GPS and am ready to scout some trail. I am going to the strip next month (pray for cool weather).
Mikey

Help? Sure. We need to finish the GWT and get it designated.

In terms of the AZ Traverse, there's working the connection between Williams and Havasupai Point...some land ownership/route issues there. I kind of like the route from Williams to Moqui Station and along the Coconino Rim Rd and then west to Havasupai better than tracks I laid south on my traverse. My preferred moto route from Jerome to GC is via Casner and then to Moqui I think, though I haven't done that in a single trip, just the pieces. Note I said moto...the permit requirement for Casner while driving a 4x4 makes it difficult to time it right on a total traverse. Motivation to get out again!

 

[gunnermoose]

This sounds like fun. My son and I have been looking for a South to North run in the state with the least amount of pavement as possible. We have been focusing on the eastern portion of the state. I would be available from 10/4 (evening) to 10/13. I already have a permit for the WRT in Canyonlands for 9-10 Oct but would be willing to move that to later in the year to traverse AZ.