900 Miles On a Borrowed KTM 950 ADV

[WoodsChick]

@ the video commentary!

Yeah...not one of my finer moments, for sure. I'll admit to laughing my ass off when watching the video, though

Hmmm, not sure if I have much to add. You seem to be doing just fine.

Well, except that- damn that husky looks like a small bike. Either that, or I must be huge. And I'm pretty sure that's not it.

Glad you liked the 950, I love it. I just got the shock back on it, waiting for a few other parts before I get out and flog it some more.

Perhaps you might ought to flog it this weekend, eh?

And, yeah, the Husky is physically small...way more so than the LC4. I went with the biggest motor in the smallest package I could find and have not been disappointed once since I got it. You looked quite comfortable on it yourself!
What did you think about riding it in the dirt with the 17" wheels and street tires?

What road is that nifty trail off of?

It's off Quatal Canyon Road, which runs between Cerro Noroeste to the east and Hwy 33 to the west. You come out on 33 just south of Ventucopa. There are quite a few photos of the other side trails off that nifty trail in post 12 of this ride report from last April... http://bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=366429



WoodsChick

 

[WoodsChick]

I rolled over in bed, lifted up the floor to ceiling curtains and was greeted with the first dawn of 2012...

A few of the neighbors came over for breakfast...

Don't let the early morning sun fool you...it was freezing!

"Hey! Go grab the keys, will ya?"

While making some adjustments to the rear suspension, Zak and Eric discover a missing subframe bolt. A quick trip back down to the shop produces a bolt from Monica's XT225 that will make a fine substitute. Thanks, Monica!

Hey, look! I was there, too!

The 950 even makes the LC4 looks small...no small feat...

If you're ever lucky enough to find yourself in Santa Margarita at breakfast time, Tina's is the place to be...

The plan for the day, hatched sometime during the New Years Eve drinking the night before, I believe, was to rip out 58 and enter Pozo from the La Panza Ranch side, ride the Black Mountain Trail and go down the Stairsteps. You all remember the Stairsteps, right?...

Well, our plan was thwarted before we even got on the Black Mountain Trail. Seems there was a Hangover Hare Scrambles going on. We got to the juncture a few minutes before the 1st of hundreds of bikes came flying through. Eric and Zak waiting for the leader...

And he was hauling...

Mark figuring out his route home...

Mark took off for home and we continued on up to the High Mountain Lookout Road...

Hmm...I smell gas...
[youtube]ejtjQs--Uow[/youtube]



More to come...





WoodsChick

 

[luckett]

ride the Black Mountain Trail and go down the Stairsteps. You all remember the Stairsteps, right?...

Well, our plan was thwarted before we even got on the Black Mountain Trail.

Booooo!

I want to see pillion video descending the stairsteps on a 950.

 

[slackmeyer]

And, yeah, the Husky is physically small...way more so than the LC4. I went with the biggest motor in the smallest package I could find and have not been disappointed once since I got it. You looked quite comfortable on it yourself!
What did you think about riding it in the dirt with the 17" wheels and street tires?


WoodsChick

Supermotos in the dirt are better than I thought they would be, in some ways they're better than a dual sport bike with street-y tires- I say that because I tend to over-ride dual sport bikes that might have pretty good suspension but not so good tires. I end up rolling around in the dirt more than I should. Supermotos seem to just about keep up, but those big fat tires have a way of reminding me not to go too fast. . . . .

As far as the 610 vs LC4. . . I really like my LC4. I liked the 610 a lot too- it's not quite as good a traveling bike (ergonomically), it's a lot easier to throw around on the trails, and I love the 6 speed gearbox. But still, not quite enough to make me switch bikes yet. Or maybe I just need a bit more time test riding your 610. . . .

And damn, I do love having a front brake like that 610 . Might even make up for not being nearly as wheelie-happy as my KTMs.

zak

 

[slackmeyer]

Booooo!

I want to see pillion video descending the stairsteps on a 950.

Me too. Of course, I think that video would have been mainly of Mark, Eric, and me slowly walking the bike down the steps, and dropping the bikes in the rocks a bunch.

 

[SLOspeed]

Looks like a fun weekend!

 

[WoodsChick]

Booooo!

I want to see pillion video descending the stairsteps on a 950.

Hah! You a funny guy. I had no intention of going down the Stairsteps on the back of that 950. On my own bike? Yeah, but not on the back of that big KTM. I fully intended to collect digital evidence and sort of lamely help if necessary. One broken shoulder is enough, thankyouverymuch

Me too. Of course, I think that video would have been mainly of Mark, Eric, and me slowly walking the bike down the steps, and dropping the bikes in the rocks a bunch.

Egg-zackly. Hence the digital evidence-gathering

Supermotos in the dirt are better than I thought they would be, in some ways they're better than a dual sport bike with street-y tires- I say that because I tend to over-ride dual sport bikes that might have pretty good suspension but not so good tires. I end up rolling around in the dirt more than I should. Supermotos seem to just about keep up, but those big fat tires have a way of reminding me not to go too fast. . . . .

As far as the 610 vs LC4. . . I really like my LC4. I liked the 610 a lot too- it's not quite as good a traveling bike (ergonomically), it's a lot easier to throw around on the trails, and I love the 6 speed gearbox. But still, not quite enough to make me switch bikes yet. Or maybe I just need a bit more time test riding your 610. . . .

And damn, I do love having a front brake like that 610 . Might even make up for not being nearly as wheelie-happy as my KTMs.

zak

Oh yes! The front brake totally captivated my heart when I first laid eyes on it. I wanted the TE but I just said Oh, my! I'll make it work!
And I think I have. I love that wide ratio 6-speed gearbox, too.

And, yes, more test riding is definitely in order. Lord knows 900 miles was not enough for any of us to make an honest-to-goodness assessment of the virtues and vices of our respective steeds. Although Mark has asked Eric several times how much he wants for the LC4. He still has it




WoodsChick

 

[WoodsChick]

Looks like a fun weekend!

Why, yes it was!

Nice meeting you the other night




WoodsChick

 

[WoodsChick]

So gas was pouring out of the 610's tank. Eric and Zak took the tank off and found the problem...a 3/4" crack in the tank. Gee, on an IMS? I don't believe it!

Eric whipped out his handy-dandy fanny pack and fixed the tank with a wad of Quik-Steel...

We had to dump some of the fuel to keep it off the part that was broken...

It didn't drip any more after the fix. It seeped a little, but that was it. Quik-Steel should be in the kit of every dirt rider and dual sporter. We've used it to fix holes in cases of several bikes, too.

We continued up past the High Mountain Lookout and took the road til it ended...

3 days, 900 miles, 4 riders...and this is the only photo I have of us on the bike, and it was taken with my camera at my request. Buncha slackers...

The High Mountain Road was pretty cool. Nice and remote. I remember seeing one mountain biker and one equestrian on her horse, but no other cars or bikes til we came to a total red-neck wheeling' fest almost at the end of the road. We made it to the end and backtracked all the way back to the Pozo Saloon...

Zak waiting for his garden burger...

Eric and I waiting for our mushroom cheeseburgers...

We left right at dusk, and raced back to the ranch on Park Hill Road, one fun ribbon of primitive pavement. Zak continued on a recon mission up Hwy 229, while Eric dropped me and the bag of stuff off and went rippin' into town for the night's provisions (i.e. wine.) The 3 of us sat and talked and drank beer, wine and Ardberg scotch (liquid smoke) long into the night. It was a very pleasant evening and I slept like a baby




WoodsChick

 

[WoodsChick]

Another leisurely morning in the land of sunshine, we had coffee with Lou who left us for Doggy Heaven not too long ago...

Time to ride...

Ooh! Maybe we can score some blow for the ride?

The plan was to ride 229 north to 41 to Cholame Valley Rd to Parkfield Grade to Coalinga to Los Gatos Creek to Clear Creek through Idria to Panoche Valley to 25 and home through Hollister and 101. I'm pretty sure 229 has supplanted the section of 101 between Legget and the Coast as my favorite stretch of pavement in California. The only downside is it's too damned short, but the stretch between 58 and Creston is not to be missed if you're ever in the area I was too busy holding on to take any photos.

Parkfield was neat, if deserted...

These guys were everywhere!

The Parkfield Grade did not disappoint...

We stopped at the top of the Parkfield Summit and when I got back on the bike the inevitable happened...we finally hit the ground! I have a hard time getting on the bike since my left arm is basically useless so it is a somewhat less than graceful maneuver for me. Add in the fact that I have to get my short little leg over the bag in the back and, well...Eric is a stud and he totally impressed me all weekend (as he's been doing for +20 years) but he couldn't overcome my clumsiness this time. We went down in a heap. Zak saw it happen and he had an amused look on his face as Eric and I scrambled to our feet and picked up the bike as fast as we could, adhering to the 5-second rule There were no photos of said event so basically it didn't really happen.

The paved road down the backside had me yearning for a healthy shoulder and my own 610. I pretty much decided before we got to the bottom of the valley that I would be doing this ride for my birthday come spring...

We gassed up in Coalinga (got its name from shortening Coaling Station A) and headed out amongst the oil fields towards Clear Creek. We saw this crazy thing from miles away and now it was getting closer...

What the hell?

Seems as though the field below the tower had zillions of giant mirrors trained on the face of the tower, and it was some sort of experimental solar plant thing of Chevron's. All I know is it totally looked Close Encountersish to me.

We bombed joyfully down the funky pavement all the way to Clear Creek.


More tomorrow...




WoodsChick

 

[flying_hun]

Rossi's Driveway is a very good time.

 

[rodr]

5-second rule

Loving the report!

 

[mnb]

Never been on Hi Mountain Lookout road, but I did the entire length of Hi Mountain road from south to north (Pozo) almost three years ago. The clutch on my F800GS fried on that trip... only 3600 miles on the bike. Was nearly stranded out there and I'm sure no tow truck would have come out there. I seriously contemplated pushing it over the edge and filing an insurance claim on it. In the end, I adjusted the clutch cable out all the way. It still slipped like mad, but I got JUST enough grab to storm the last climb. After that it was down hill all the way to Pozo. I limped into Paso Robles and called a friend to come with a trailer because I couldn't go faster than 40 heading home on 101.

I haven't been back there since. And I've got a score to settle. I've been wanting to head back to Jocko's in Nipomo since that fateful trip, too. I think a trip is in order...

The 800 fried a second clutch at 12000 miles and started having tranny problems as well. In the end, a short block was ordered to replace half the engine due to a factory cross threaded bolt that prevented repair. Running fine so far. Nothing like a good trip and providing the bike with an excellent opportunity to strand me to determine if those problems are fully in the past...

 

[Nemo Brinker]

I love how you have, even with a broken shoulder, a more adventuresome time than most of us have while completely intact. Right on!

 

[SFMCjohn]

Happy New Year!

Hey Woodschick!
Super cool ride report, as always ... thanks so much for taking the time to post it ... I have a pal in Santa Margarita, too (LarryKahn on this site, I think) ... never been to Pozo or the OHV and national forest there, but will explore it soon ... based on your recommendation ... ha! Seriously, it's ride reports like yours that have turned me on to the Carrizo Plain, the Sheetiron, the Mendo NF, Death Valley and Nevada ... wonderful.
see you around the campfire,
-- SFMCjohn

 

[WoodsChick]

Never been on Hi Mountain Lookout road, but I did the entire length of Hi Mountain road from south to north (Pozo) almost three years ago.

Tsk...you knew what I meant

I certainly hope those clutch woes are in your past. Way too much money to be spending on a machine that isn't going to deliver the goods.



WoodsChick

 

[WoodsChick]

Rossi's Driveway is a very good time.

Rossi's Driveway...now that's a very good name for it! Too bad it's so short. It needs a gate at one end, a dirt jump in the middle, and a checkered flag at the other end

5-second rule

Loving the report!

Thanks! I gotta finish it in a few minutes. I was away for the weekend. More on that later

I love how you have, even with a broken shoulder, a more adventuresome time than most of us have while completely intact. Right on!

Thanks, Nemo. Being hurt is such a waste of time, and I've wasted a bunch of it in the last 20 years. Getting Eric to schlep my useless carcass around has been a saving grace for me this time. Wish I'd thought of it sooner





WoodsChick

 

[WoodsChick]

Alrighty, then...let's wrap this up, shall we?

We strafed the deserted Lost Gatos Creek Road all the way to the cut-off for Clear Creek. We saw a ranger at the ridiculous decontamination station, but that was pretty much it...no other human beings in the Creek that I remember.
It was just as lovely as ever, and it was glaringly obvious that the Creek is being ridden on a regular basis. All the snow fencing across the trails is down and there are tracks everywhere. We didn't see any staged trucks or bikes, but they are definitely out there...

The joy I felt at being in Clear Creek again was tinged with sadness at all that was lost. Clear Creek featured prominently on my very small list of favorite places to ride in California. I'm still pretty angry about it and I hope someday I can ride there again without having to look over my shoulder to avoid a federal trespassing charge...

We headed down the backside towards Idria...

Hmm...high road or low?

Conditions were good...

I took no more pictures on this ride. I know, not even one photo of the sad remains of Idria. I hadn't seen it since the fire went through there awhile back and it was bleak. So much history lost...

We pretty much bombed non-stop through Panoche, out to 25 and into Hollister for gas. We suited up for the slab run up 101 and got home exactly 8 hours after leaving Santa Margarita. The route Zak chose for us was outstanding and I'm really looking forward to doing it in reverse in a few months when everything is green and sparkly. I wish I had mileage for the day, but all I had was a total for the weekend, and it was 3 miles shy of 900

We had a great time riding with Mark and Zak, 2 quality riders with cool heads and mellow demeanors...just great riding partners all the way around
:thumb up We're both looking forward to more rides together in the future.
A huge thanks to Zak for letting us ride his wonderful KTM 950. I'm really thankful he didn't take it away from us in San Jose and turn around and go home on it If you enjoyed the 610 half as much as we enjoyed the 950 then you probably had a good time, too, Zak arty




Thanks for coming along, everyone!




WoodsChick

 

[motowest]

Thanks for sharing! Looked like an awesome ride.

 

[Titus58]

I love how you have, even with a broken shoulder, a more adventuresome time than most of us have while completely intact. Right on!

+1 So true...

Hey Woodschick!
Super cool ride report, as always ... thanks so much for taking the time to post it ... Seriously, it's ride reports like yours that have turned me on to the Carrizo Plain, the Sheetiron, the Mendo NF, Death Valley and Nevada ... wonderful.

Double Ditto Woodschick I credit my getting interested in dirt riding to all your awesome adventures !! I'm now shopping for a real dirt bike to compliment my big vstrom dually...

If you ever decide to lead a group of dirt riders to any of these places (and offer some tips for us beginner dirt riders) count me in...hell I'd be happy to contribute $ toward your expenses

And yeah, the KTM 950/990 Adv is a pretty sweet


T