Ride Report - A ride to celebrate Good Queen Vicky's Birthday! | GTAMotorcycle.com

Ride Report - A ride to celebrate Good Queen Vicky's Birthday!

Rotten_Ronnie

Well-known member
Site Supporter
I had a three day holiday weekend coming up so I thought I'd get on the bike and ride it somewhere. The 685 big bore kit needed to be thrashed now that I'd broken it in, and this was the perfect excuse, especially as eleven other riders felt the same way and I'd be the only KLR mounted hooligan, so I'd a reputation to live up to, hadn't I?

It threatened rain, but all we ran into on the southbound trip was some dense fog around Milton.
P1290494.JPG


Once we hit US 219 Southbound, it started to look like a better ride was in store...
P1290513.JPG


You have to keep your eyes peeled for these roadside photo ops
P1290574.JPG


Now we're talking! US Route 144 South through Pennsylvania, destination Renovo PA for lunch!
P1290592.JPG


[video=youtube;7RBLPc47alw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RBLPc47alw&sns=em[/video]

We ran into some slow movers that couldn't be bothered to let us pass. *sigh* It was almost as bad as being behind a logging truck in the Haliburton Highlands. Fast on the straights, park it in the corners.
P1290688.JPG


A quick stop for some scenery in Sproul State forest
P1290765.JPG


Waiting on a rider who left their sunglasses back at the last gas stop in New Market VA. That's a Wolfman fender pack on my front fender. I don't care for it, as I tend to like jumps and odd wheelie, and I pretend that I'm a veteran off road rider, but that's hard to do when an overloaded fender bag smacks into the front tire when you vault off a curb or land a nice wheelie. When on a rough gravel road that I did later on this trip in West Virginia, the bag began to shift forward on the fender, and in time would have parted ways with me. Loaded in it is one 21" tube, five 16gram CO2 cartridges, a shop rag to prevent them damaging the tube, an aluminium tire pressure gauge and a rubber patch kit twice the size of a box of matches. (The tire levers are ty-rapped to my frame under the seat). I'll have to support the fender, or lessen the weight to the tube only, or safety wire in in place and take the chance that I'll rip the fender off. <---NOT!
P1290982.JPG


P1290983.JPG


Doing some gravel in the Shenandoah valley with a Beemer for company.
P1290991.JPG


Kenda 270's front and rear are my tires of choice, although with the .22 cent and 685 kit, I've been ripping a bit more rubber off them. They're sticking to the asphalt like glue and allowing me to easily keep pace with the sport riders, and when on the gravel bits, I'm roosting with confidence and able to lock up the rear with predictable results. These tires let you go the distance and still play around once you get there. :)
Rear
P1300164.JPG


Front
P1300165.JPG


I made it!
P1300172.JPG


Yeah, I packed light for this. In fact I packed so light that I left my MSR Hydroshell rain jacket on the kitchen table like an idiot. :banghead: Lucky for me my jacket claims to be waterproof and was put to good use in twenty minute cloudburst in PA on the return stretch. I should have packed a sweat shirt in addition to my jacket liner for evening work on the bike and the cool mornings packing it up etc.

Here's the Day 3 route to give you an idea of how much fun you can have in a day of riding: http://goo.gl/maps/5Pol

Day three in West Virginia I revisted Cold Knob road for the fun of it. What a hoot!:nice:
P1300280.JPG


This shot doesn't show you the incline, and let me tell you it was one fun ride on those switchbacks as it climbs up and down. I've yet to find something in Onterrible that offers quite as much fun for the gas money unless you've full knobs on and you're roosting it back at your mates. :ride:
P1300285.JPG


Well, there are a ton more pictures here: http://rottenxxxronnie.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-gtasportriders-victoria-day-trip.html

Oh yeah, cartridge emulators are next on the "To buy" list. The front end with progressive springs needs better damping. :(

Next on the list is a ride to Newfoundland via the Trans Labrador Highway, but perhaps we'll have time for one or two more adventures before then. ;)
 
Last edited:
Riding the mountain roads of Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia is a blast! Add in good company and good weather, and it was a perfect trip but for twenty minutes of rain. :)
 
Great pics and video. Look like a lot of fun.

How long was your trip and how long did it take you to reach Roanoke?
 
The ride was a four day, we left on Friday and were back in Toronto by Monday evening.

You were thinking of riding down to Deals Gap, right?

Roanoke was two days away, but you can see from the maps that we didn't take a direct route at all, rather we tried to take every devious route we could find, although a few hours were on the Interstate simply to get to the better roads.

Plot a google route from Toronto to Roanoke, via the most direct route. If your bike gets 250km per tank, divide the total by the fuel stops and add ten minutes or longer per stop, add in 30 minutes for take out meals and see if you think you can make the distance in one day, but have a look to see which states have reciprocity with Ontario so you can avoid getting ticketed on the way down the interstates. I used to go faster on my VFR, but with the KLR it's happier ticking along about 10% over the limit.

I usually like to plan rides of 800km or 500 miles per day, and as you can see the twisty days, we were making about 550km or 350 miles per day. So it really depends on your route.

Can I suggest you try a weekend in Pennsylvania first? You'll be able to discover your limits over a three day ride, and experience some awesome mountain twisties at the same time. :D

Here's my Ride Report from my trip to the Gap in 2010, but we were in no hurry and rode secenic roads and Interstate on the way there.

http://rottenxxxronnie.blogspot.com/2010/10/we-slay-dragon.html
 
Thanks RR.

Yes, I'm planning to ride down to Deals Gap. I now know what to expect after reading your blog.
 
Hey there is a guy with the same name posting a very similar trip on Advrider. Good to see you over here too. I just joined.:D
 
Hahaha. I have no idea who you're talking about. ;)

Hopefully we'll see some posts in the Dirt/Dual Sport/Super Moto section?
 
No Dual Sport here. Just candy azz (some bad word editor on here) Sport Touring on a '97 Honda ST1100....Although I've been on gravel and dirt roads, however, not by plan. It was easier to continue than to turn back (but that is a long story).
 
My buddy Big Will was faster on the gravel on his ST1100 than I on my KLR back before I learned how to flog it off road. :D

I learn time and time again it's not the bike but the rider.

So where have you been with it?
 
My buddy Big Will was faster on the gravel on his ST1100 than I on my KLR back before I learned how to flog it off road. :D

I learn time and time again it's not the bike but the rider.

So where have you been with it?

Have to agree with you there about the rider and not the bike. When I had to, I was able to ride it on the dirt and gravel. Just wasn't enjoyable. There are guys on the ST site that ride it on goat paths and don't care.

I've been out West 3 times with it. The bike came from Seattle, did a fly and ride, which was the first big trip for me. Then I went out again in 2009 as far as Yosemite, and last year out to Idaho. I really enjoy it out West as the traffic is less. Big scenery. Also did the Superior route, rained 4 of the 5 days, but learned a few things about riding in the rain. I have only been as far East as Montreal. I know shameful. Did Lake Placid by cage, and have to go back there by bike.
 

Back
Top Bottom