Desertdude
Expedition Leader
Glad you both made it safe and sound - looking forward to the stories :roost:
Tran-America Trail: July 2008
- Thread starter Scott Brady
- Start date
S
Scenic WonderRunner
Guest
Cool!
It's fun when you don't need a kick stand!:roost: :bike_rider: :friday: :victory:
Way to Go!:REExeSquatsHL1:
.
It's fun when you don't need a kick stand!:roost: :bike_rider: :friday: :victory:
Way to Go!:REExeSquatsHL1:
.
HiLift Jack
Adventurer
Yeah
We love moto adventures. Brian good to see you pull that KTM to the coast with the perfect tool for the job. :bowdown:
We love moto adventures. Brian good to see you pull that KTM to the coast with the perfect tool for the job. :bowdown:
goodtimes
Expedition Poseur
articulate said:
Nah. Scott was just REALLY happy that his Austrian bike didn't have to get towed to the beach by my German bike. We had to threaten the KTM several times.
:gunt:
The reality is that I could have kept going....other than that big puddle in the way....
I wasn't nearly as worn out as I expected I would be. We did get quite a bit of sleep on this trip, that definately helped. In fact, we left Port Orford about 9:30am Monday, and despite the slow traffic on our way to Medford, I-5 being shut down due to an accident, an earthquake in Chino as I rolled through, construction all over the place...I rolled into my garage just after 7pm last night...1400 miles later.
The pace was pretty good too. There were really only a couple times that the KTM had a huge advantage over the BMW...and with more time to get the front suspension tuned properly, that number would have been cut in half. Overall, both bikes did great. The wildlife, on the other hand....well, lets just say that even the animals don't like living along the Nevada / Oregon border. :smilies27
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Congrats!!! 
DesertDouglas
Observer
Welcome home Brian. Two, 700 mile days! What route did you take?
Colorado Ron
Explorer
What GPS did you guys use, and how did it hold up on the trip??
goodtimes
Expedition Poseur
I used a Garmin 276c. There was a small amount of dirt infiltration under the screen, and the screen really needs some sort of sacraficial screen protection so you can wipe the dust from the screen without damaging it.
Other than that, it performed flawlessly. One 256 meg card held all the [garmin] maps that covered the 2555 miles of the trail.
Other than that, it performed flawlessly. One 256 meg card held all the [garmin] maps that covered the 2555 miles of the trail.
Scott Brady
Founder
I am home for a few days, and have left the KTM in Salt Lake. The Overland Journal team will be traveling up to Salt Lake on Wednesday, early.
After Outdoor Retailer, I plan to ride the KTM to Denver, where I will be spending a few weeks in Colorado.
Overall, the KTM was all the Adventure Motorcycle I had hoped it would be, and it proved to be a different moto in nearly every way from the F650 GS. The GS is low and comfortable, while the KTM is (really) tall and the seat would get anyone at Gitmo to talk. The GS gets nearly TWICE the fuel economy of the KTM, but the KTM is nearly twice as fast. In the dirt, the KTM was just right for the TAT, and overall had an easy time of the trail and could comfortably travel at 20-30% higher speeds over the same terrain. However, IMHO, the TAT was at times near the limits of what the GS was capable of, and the TAT found the limits of the 650s ground clearance and suspension travel on a few occasions. The BMW is clearly built for refinement, reliability and comfort (which includes stand-up height), while the KTM is willing to compromise all of the above for performance, a compromise I am also willing to make.
In fact, I plan on buying a 990 Adventure once we get back from South America.
I did have a few niggling issues with the KTM on the trip, which all tie back to the prior owner, like the Carter fuel pump and the clutch fluid being contaminated. The battery is a bit weak, and needs to be replaced too.
After Outdoor Retailer, I plan to ride the KTM to Denver, where I will be spending a few weeks in Colorado.
Overall, the KTM was all the Adventure Motorcycle I had hoped it would be, and it proved to be a different moto in nearly every way from the F650 GS. The GS is low and comfortable, while the KTM is (really) tall and the seat would get anyone at Gitmo to talk. The GS gets nearly TWICE the fuel economy of the KTM, but the KTM is nearly twice as fast. In the dirt, the KTM was just right for the TAT, and overall had an easy time of the trail and could comfortably travel at 20-30% higher speeds over the same terrain. However, IMHO, the TAT was at times near the limits of what the GS was capable of, and the TAT found the limits of the 650s ground clearance and suspension travel on a few occasions. The BMW is clearly built for refinement, reliability and comfort (which includes stand-up height), while the KTM is willing to compromise all of the above for performance, a compromise I am also willing to make.
In fact, I plan on buying a 990 Adventure once we get back from South America.
I did have a few niggling issues with the KTM on the trip, which all tie back to the prior owner, like the Carter fuel pump and the clutch fluid being contaminated. The battery is a bit weak, and needs to be replaced too.
goodtimes
Expedition Poseur
expeditionswest said:
I would agree with that statement. The suspension is the major limiting factor on the 650GS....you just cannot get around the lack of suspension travel (about 60% of the travel that the KTM has). We are going to try to push the BMW suspension to the realistic and practical limits in the future (meaning we are going to retain the damping rod forks, but tune spring rates and compression/rebound damping on both ends), but there is only so much you can do with 5" of travel.
For tall riders with a decent amount of experience, the 950 is a great bike. For us not so tall riders (Tim Hilslammer aside...), it would be a handful on this trail.
The 950 adventure is definately a "Scotty" bike. :sombrero: