900 Miles On a Borrowed KTM 950 ADV

[SRAD600]

looks like another great ride.

 

[WoodsChick]

Thanks for sharing! Looked like an awesome ride.

Thanks, motowest! It was different, for sure, and it would have been more fun had I been able to ride my own bike, but it was still a giggly good time!

+1 So true...



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

Thanks, Titus! Lord knows I've been inspired by a ton of riders I've run across on the web; It's nice to know I've been able to give something back to the community


Good luck with your dirt bike search. Most fun you can have on two wheels! Well, legally, anyway

looks like another great ride.

Eldrick, dude...are we ever going to ride together??



WoodsChick

 

[KooLaid]

What tires are those on the 17's?

I just bought my first motard, though NOW I'm questioning my purchase since I think a DRZ400s or sm might of been a better choice for that type of riding and distance.

 

[WoodsChick]

What tires are those on the 17's?

I just bought my first motard, though NOW I'm questioning my purchase since I think a DRZ400s might of been a better choice for that type of riding and distance.

Well, if you bought an SXV550 you might be right, but the 610 and the 640 both eat up the miles with nary a complaint. We've got Pirelli MT60's on the front and Shinko 705's on the rear. I prefer an MT60 rear on my 610 but they're expensive and they disappear in no time. The Shinko is slidey but predictable and it seems to last awhile, not to mention it's cheap




WoodsChick

 

[KooLaid]

Well, if you bought an SXV550 you might be right, but the 610 and the 640 both eat up the miles with nary a complaint. We've got Pirelli MT60's on the front and Shinko 705's on the rear. I prefer an MT60 rear on my 610 but they're expensive and they disappear in no time. The Shinko is slidey but predictable and it seems to last awhile, not to mention it's cheap




WoodsChick

Wow thanks! I'm gonna subscribe for reference!
I think I'll try to pick up a 2nd bike!

 

[WoodsChick]

Wow thanks! I'm gonna subscribe for reference!
I think I'll try to pick up a 2nd bike!

Maybe I should trade you my 610 for your SXV for the weekend. You know, just for reference I'm just a nice person and am always thinking of others. No, really!!

I rode the 450 once last year in Oregon and thought I'd died and gone to heaven. I need a 450 twin like I need another hole in my head, but I caught myself actually trying to justify the purchase in my head! Luckily I came to my senses before getting kicked out of my house.




WoodsChick

 

[KooLaid]

Maybe I should trade you my 610 for your SXV for the weekend. You know, just for reference I'm just a nice person and am always thinking of others. No, really!!

I rode the 450 once last year in Oregon and thought I'd died and gone to heaven. I need a 450 twin like I need another hole in my head, but I caught myself actually trying to justify the purchase in my head! Luckily I came to my senses before getting kicked out of my house.


WoodsChick

It's a handful.....well a handful of acheing numbing fingers from going down the highway at 65+ mph. It's TERRIBLE when the road is flat and boring but you tend to forget about when the roads get twisty! Tons of fun when the roads start to curve!

I had bought it with about 160 miles on the odometer, barely broken in. Rode it the 90 miles home to Daly City. Took highway 4 from Stockton, to Marsh Creek Rd/Camino Diable Rd to Ygnacio Valley Rd through Walnut Creek to 24 and over the bay bridge.

The 20 straight boring miles from Stockton to Byron were a NIGHTMARE. My hands were killing me going over 65 mph. So I settle for a smoother 63ish mph. The bridge crossings were neat (First time on this route). When I hit the foothills at about 5PM going towards the bay on Marsh/Camino, there was next to ZERO traffic in my way, just people leaving the bay. I totally did not notice the buzzing at all and I knew I was cookin' through there and definitely could of gone ALOT faster. VERY FUN. On Ygnacio, it was like stoplight drag racing. I knew it was considerably less powerful than my Ducati 1098 but this SXV shot away from the lights like a rocket! I was amazed how fast it got up to 60! On the bay bridge about 6pm, traffic turned to soup and I found myself...........making airplane noises as I lane split over the bay bridge and through the city. haha It is a hoot!

I found myself in a tight squeeze between a commuter bus and one of those personal driver black lincolns on the bay bridge. As I got between them, he decided he wanted to try to put a squeeze on me as I was cruising through in 1st or 2nd gear. So as he swung in on me I whacked the throttle wide open, and it shot out of there like a bullet and on one wheel! (accidentally lol, seriously!)

I'd definitely would be up for a swap! I gotta put on a few more miles on her though since I'm only up to about 250 miles total on the bike since I picked it up!

 

[flying_hun]

DukeD let me ride his SXV out on Redwood a year or two back. It was a laugh riot out there.

 

[slackmeyer]

DukeD let me ride his SXV out on Redwood a year or two back. It was a laugh riot out there.

Damn that guy has a well stocked quiver of Redwood road weapons. . . . I was drooling over at his garage a couple weeks back. Kind of hard to imagine a better twisty road bike than a 450-690 size supermoto. Although for the longer trips, I do love the 950 with a street setup.

 

[Junkie]

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



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



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

it's got a jump in the middle if you do it right

Where on Park Hill is your friend's place? It was on the way out to a friend's place out there that I killed a deer a year ago

 

[flying_hun]

it's got a jump in the middle if you do it right

Where on Park Hill is your friend's place? It was on the way out to a friend's place out there that I killed a deer a year ago

Park Hill also has a jump in it if you're coming from the bottom of 229 and looping around the back way to Pozo. arty

 

[WoodsChick]

DukeD let me ride his SXV out on Redwood a year or two back. It was a laugh riot out there.

I think he offered it to me, too! I'm almost afraid to ride it after my experience with the 450 in Oregon. I was really surprised at myself for trying to justify the purchase of a bike I had no business owning

Damn that guy has a well stocked quiver of Redwood road weapons. . . . I was drooling over at his garage a couple weeks back. Kind of hard to imagine a better twisty road bike than a 450-690 size supermoto. Although for the longer trips, I do love the 950 with a street setup.

I can totally understand that, having recently done a long road trip on that very 950 The beauty of the smaller supermotos (for me, anyway) is that they also double as dirt bikes when needed.

Oh, wait...so does the 950!




WoodsChick

 

[WoodsChick]

it's got a jump in the middle if you do it right

Where on Park Hill is your friend's place? It was on the way out to a friend's place out there that I killed a deer a year ago

I don't know...maybe 5 or 6 miles in from the 58 side? It's a really cool place. My friends have an LC4 640e and an XT225 and they ride all over out there.

Park Hill also has a jump in it if you're coming from the bottom of 229 and looping around the back way to Pozo. arty

I think it works in both directions We didn't catch air, what with being 2-up on the 950 with a big bag of stuff on the back, but the front wheel was aiming for the clouds on both roads. I was perfectly content to be a passenger all weekend until we got on 229...then I was all




WoodsChick

 

[SRAD600]

Eldrick, dude...are we ever going to ride together??

WoodsChick

Yes! The dirty bikes are all running great these days.

Aggie was just asking me if you two had been on any new adventures lately. I have to show her your two-up video to show her how much fun it can be.

 

[maskmarney]

Woodchick ride reports

Woodschick, I always enjoy reading your ride reports both here and on advrider; they're always well-written and full of great photos, and they inspire me to get out into the wilderness...something which I finally intend to do this summer.

 

[MrBeckman]

That was just awesome WoodsChick! thanks for sharing another great adventure.

 

[pashnit]

Well done!!! Really enjoyed that!

 

[WoodsChick]

Yes! The dirty bikes are all running great these days.

Aggie was just asking me if you two had been on any new adventures lately. I have to show her your two-up video to show her how much fun it can be.

Well, you might want to keep mum on the videos if you have any desire to get her to ride with you in the future It was fun but I'm guessing it's not for everyone

Woodschick, I always enjoy reading your ride reports both here and on advrider; they're always well-written and full of great photos, and they inspire me to get out into the wilderness...something which I finally intend to do this summer.

Thanks, maskmarney! Inspiration is what I get from reading all the ride reports here and on ADV, so it's nice to know I'm giving back to the community in some small way. Also, it's just a pet peeve of mine so feel free to tell me to get lost if you like, but I'd be careful using the word "wilderness" in regards to what we do for fun. As you know, we are not allowed to use actual wilderness areas with our bikes. Hell, nobody can use wilderness unless they're on foot or on a horse...and don't even think about having a picnic on the edge of wilderness if your cooler has wheels...that's a big no-no. Better to be inspired to get out onto your public lands before they're all locked up





WoodsChick

 

[WoodsChick]

That was just awesome WoodsChick! thanks for sharing another great adventure.

Thanks, MrBeckman Can't wait til I can start sharing some adventures where I actually ride my own bike again...

Well done!!! Really enjoyed that!

Thanks, Tim! Glad you enjoyed it! I really enjoy taking the photos and putting them all together into a report, so I'm glad to hear someone besides me is enjoying the end result




WoodsChick

 

[Brewbacca]

bitchen ride report once again woodsy