I tried to get some other like minded enduro-ists to join me on a ride up to Harrington this past Sunday. However I ended up soloing as I decided a friendly visit to fellow Relic-rider and Relic Parents was in order. So an extended play in the woods was nixed in favour of expediency and quality talk time (with a promise of Vermont's finest coffee and Cuba's finest tobacco in the offering)
A couple of years back I decided to follow a road I heard would get me to the Kilmar mines. I heard it was rough. Very rough! I had recently purchased a 2001 KLR and decided that this
was the proper machine to take me up this "road". I was quickly schooled in the truth that "bigger machines mean bigger problems". My off-road motorbiking was limited to my trusty Twinstar and a couple of blasts on some borrowed MX bikes. I wasnt prepared for the weight of this 650 with a full tank of gas (lesson 1- dont fill a 23 litre tank to the brim when heading off the beaten path). I remembered that ride and decided to tackle it again however it wasnt going to happen with that KLR as my motorcycle A.D.D kicked in (or was it my wife) and that bike was sold. My next foray up that road was 3 yrs later on a spanking new Suzuki V-Strom 650 (lesson 2- Dont bring expensive pseudo off road wannabe's OFF ROAD). It was a chore riding the road but the biggest worry was thinking about how expensive all that plastic would be to replace when it dropped. Not too fun. More years went by and another ride. Ahhh.. Nope.... The Bonnie never made the trip.
2009 brought this 2nd KLR into Relicdom. I decided that it was to be USED~! On went the guards and out went the bike. I had familiarized myself with this bike and put 1500K
under the tires before I tackled my nemesis. I felt comfortable, ready. 1/2 tank of gas found me at the "trailhead". It was time.....
To be continued..
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