The class was scheduled to start at 10am and I decided to go early. I arrived at 9:15 and was glad I did. I was a little nervous riding in since it was on gravel and I’m not so comforatble riding on the stuff, especially at slow speeds. By arriving so early, there wasn’t a huge audience to scrutinize my riding ability! I really didn’t want to drop my bike just pulling into the place. But it was all good since everyone seemed pretty cool and probably wouldn’t care. We’re all there to learn, after all! (I did just fine, btw)

I was maybe the fifth person to arrive and got to chat with a couple of the riders. The cool part was checking out the other bikes, which were of course BMW machines. It turned out there were a couple Yamaha TW200s that Robert Krull (one of the owners of Lone Star BMW/Triumph) had trailered over just in case someone wanted to train on a smaller bike. There were several 650cc bikes like my own, but most were the big 1150 or 1200 GS models with a couple 800cc bikes thrown in for good measure. Besides myself there were several other newbies in the group. Everyone was really cool and the two instructors from RawHyde, Shawn and Lance, put everyone at ease and made sure everyone felt comfortable.

We started out with a ganeral overview of the clinic, and then a demonstration of proper riding posture and technique. It was really interesting and neat to see some real experienced riders explaining how riding an adventure bike is properly done. Next came individual one-on-one bike inspections, where Shawn and Lance went to each bike/rider and evaluated the riding position, lever position, and made recommendations on any kind of upgrades we may want to make in the future. They also performed adjustments to pegs and handlebars right there and then if needed. It was so cool! When Shawn took a look at my bike, he recommended some lower pegs (which I knew about) and some guards for the radiator. He said that the 650 single’s radiator was prone to damage from the side if you dropped the bike. Other than that he said my bike was nicely equipped with the handguards, Heidenau tires, and bar risers. It was funny, but because I had taped over the Barkbusters logo on the handguards he asked what kind they were. When I told him about the tape, he (and the others standing around watching) said that was a cool idea. Apparently other people felt like I did and would rather not have the big white advertisement on the front of the bike. We also aired down the tires to 25psi in preparation for the riding, and learned how to disable the ABS systems on our bikes. Shawn showed me how to semi-permanently disable the ABS on the 650 by simply disconnecting the front sensor cable. Good to know!

After the inspections were done, we hit the course for some training. This consisted of riding as slow as we could over the dirt/grass. The point of this exercise was to keep your focus towards the distance (don’t look down), get proper riding posture, and get comfortable using the friction zone. It was pretty fun, and riding around the small range was really confidence inspiring. The instructors said that each exercise builds upon the previous ones and that we’d be learning about 5 of the 30 or so techniques they teach at their full camp.

There were a lot of bikes at the clinic (maybe about 30?) so the queue was a bit long. But I have to say that I learned a lot just being in line. Moving forward over the uneven ground for 20 feet, then stopping, then doing it again was nice practice. Especially having to turn, while scooting along over small rocks and washes was kind of fun. I thought for sure that I’d drop my bike at some point but I made it through the day without any mishap! While in the queue, there was a bit of excitement behind me. I’m not sure exactly what happened but I heard a revving of an engine, then saw a bike on its side. Then I saw another bike behind it on its side as well, runing into the first bike. It was just a small collision but I think one of the bikes had a broken auxiliary light.

After another time around the range, this time with Shawn trying to distract each rider, it was time for a break. Burgers, beans, and iced tea were provided by Texas Rib Kings and we all sat at the covered pavilion and chatted about bikes and rides. It was fun and I met a few of the other riders. It was getting really hot out so the lunch was a good time to cool down and get hydrated. After lunch there was another demonstration of how to pick up a bike that is on its side. The two ladies in the group each picked up the huge 1200GS on their own using the technique shown to us. It was pretty cool.

Back on the range our next drill was executing a “trail stop”, which is coming to a stop then accelerating again — all while standing on the pegs. We also were told to use only our front brake. This was really good because everyone got to put away the notion that you should never use your front brake on dirt. Sure, you can’t use it as forcefully as you can on the pavement, but it is effective. When I first did the trail stop, Shawn said I was stopping too slowly and that I should grab more brake. He said that if you come to a stop while deccelerating too gradually, you’ll lose your balance a lot quicker. So the next time, I braked a bit harder and sure enough, I had more balance and could easily do a trail stop. This stuff really works!

The next drill was the one I was really looking forward to: tight turns. This was a exercise in body positioning and counter-balancing, and also looking ahead to the next turn. I did pretty good at it although I did go through the turns a little fast. But the more I practiced, the better I got. There was a second part of this course which was a series of even tighter turns, but I wasn’t successful in pulling those off! Some of the other riders had a ton of skill and could do those turns on their monstrous 1200 GSs. It was really impressive! I did stall my bike’s engine a few times during this section of the clinic, but I always started it up while still standing on the pegs. I got pretty good at that!

At around 2pm, the clinic came to a close and everyone packed up their things, aired up their tires, and rode off. It was a fantastic day and I think everyone enjoyed themselves. I know I did, and I feel like I learned a ton! I know that I can trust the bike more and that by using the proper technique, some of the things I was really worried about can be overcome. In fact, that apprehension that I had about arriving in front of all the other riders is gone now. And I’d love to take the full RawHyde Adventure Camp sometime in the future!

I bought a pair of summer gloves to replace my old Motoboss gloves. Motoboss is (was?) the CycleGear house brand, and it seemed fitting to replace them with the new house brand, BILT. Turns out that the Women’s Blazer gloves fit so nicely, looked pretty good, and were the right price ($14.99) that I bought them without a second thought. The durability is somewhat suspect, but it’s not like I’ve put my old gloves through hell or anything. What I really like about the fit on these is that there is about half an inch of extra space in the fingertips. My Motoboss gloves are pretty snug, and unless my nails are cut really short, the tips of the gloves would press on them and they would be sore by the end of the ride. With these new gloves, I can keep my unkempt nail length and not worry about them.

Aside from the flat, the ride that day was pretty great! I rode a bunch of miles on gravel roads and saw more wildflowers than I’ve ever seen before. It was really amazing! I’m not going to elaborate much more, but here are some photos and a video to look at. I love taking the back roads!

Odometer: 220 Miles

I continued up Highway 195 north and saw a sign for Sharp Cemetery. The road looked like it might be interesting on the GPS so I pulled off the highway and almost immediately there was a cattle guard and Sharp Cemetery Road turned into hard-packed dirt. Just what I was looking for! The road looked well traveled and smooth and the views were very nice. The sun was coming through the clouds and overhanging trees making it almost perfect riding, for me at least. The tires are well suited to this kind of road and I didn’t feel much wiggle. I have nothing to compare the tire’s performance to, but the reputation of them did instill some confidence.

I followed the road until it ended at the cemetery itself. I spent a few minutes there reading the historical marker and taking a break, then headed back the way I came. The weather was perfect, about 76F on my theremometer and a nice combination of sun and clouds. I flipped up the chin of the modular helmet and enjoyed the fresh air and smell of wildflowers. This was the kind of riding I really enjoyed! I wish the road went on for several miles, but I’ll take this little bit of heaven anytime.

Back on the pavement I headed west along FM2670 and then took a right on Maxdale Road. I rode over a cattle guard and the road turned to gravel/dirt and I saw a huge military transport plane gaining altitude in the distance. It occured to me that I might have ridden into Ft. Hood and that I should probably turn back. So I made a u-turn and headed back south. I guess it was ok for me to be in that area as I found out later that it is the Killeen airport area. At any rate, I continued along Maxdale Road to Oakalla and then I saw on the GPS what looked like a fun road that headed off north. CR223 was another little gem of a road which wound past ranches and farms, then met up with the Lampasas River. There were a couple teensy water crossings (just enough to get your feet splashed) and lots of gorgeous scenery.

CR19 turned into hard-packed dirt again, and I enjoyed more of the perfect riding. The combination of weather, light dirt, and scenery was awesome and I was stoked.

But all-too-soon, the road met up with Highway 190 and I sped on into the town of Lampasas, then rode back home along 183, then across to Andice and back south along Reagan/Parmer and home. I have to say, this was one of the best rides I’ve ever had. Might not seem like anything special to anyone else, but I do remember letting out a couple “woohoo’s” along the way.

Odo: 135.11 Miles
Moving time: 3H 12M

One of the things I really enjoy about owning a motorcycle is the modifications and farkles you can add on to it and one of the more functional things you can add to the bike is storage. Why would I want storage on the bike? Well, I like to carry some basic tools and spare parts, including inner tubes. It would also be nice to carry the warm gloves (and balaclava/neck scarf), an extra light jacket that I can wear under my riding jacket, and the alternate face-shield in case I am riding when it is getting dark.

For a dual-sport, there are a few popular options including tankbags, top boxes, and saddlebags. The pinnacle seems to be a set of aluminum panniers. These have the advantage of being lockable and waterproof. (They also make nice places to slap stickers onto!) The problem with these panniers is their initial cost. Not only do you need to buy the boxes, but you’ll need a rack to mount them on. I’d say that a decent set would cost $500 at the bottom end, and the sky’s the limit at the top end. For now, there’s no money in the budget for a set of hard panniers. In the meantime, I am going to go the way of upgrading my makeshift Quiksilver backpack that is mounted to the pillion/rack with a larger duffel.

In all honesty, I don’t see myself going on a long moto-camping trip anytime soon where a set of panniers would be key. I do see myself taking a weekend or 3-day trip out somewhere though. When doing some research, it seems like a 50-70 liter duffel would be a good option. This would be way more than enough space to fit what I am stuffing into my backpack-tailbag right now and I could also put in a change of clothes and more camera gear. Plus, in the future I can still use the duffel in addition to any panniers I might get. Since I ride solo, I can run the duffel lengthwise from the pillion seat to the rear rack. There’s about 24 inches of space back there.

The choice of duffel came down to two candidates. First is the Ortleib Duffel. This is a tough, waterproof bag that is hard to beat. It comes in a bright yellow color and has four lash points for securing it to the bike. The second candidate was the popular North Face Base Camp duffel. This one is not 100% waterproof, but has a bunch more lash points to attach other items to the bag itself. It also has straps for using the bag as a backpack, although this would only be useful for short hauls. I decided on the North Face, and chose the 69-liter medium size in yellow. The small size would have probably been ok too, but I saw a video where the traveler recommended getting the bigger size since you can always collapse a soft bag in the case where you don’t completely fill it with gear. The medium is 24 inches long, and 15 inches wide and fits nicely onto the rear seat/tail rack.

We’ll see how the new bag works out over time, but I’m confident that the bag will last for many, many miles!

Really cool R80GS video!

Another cool video! I love ride reports like these.

Sidestand Up: This is my absolute favorite. Tom Lowdermilk and his team of correspondents put on a great show, with excellent guests, regular (or semi-regular) features, like racing news, AMA news, etc. Although they talk about all kinds of motorcycling, they tend to have on a lot of “Adventure” rider and world-touring type guests. For instance, Jay Kannaiyan, Ted Simon, The Striking Viking, etc. The show is on every Tuesday evening, and they have a fun chatroom going on when the show is live. I make sure to download the episode on Wednesdays if I miss the live one.

The Pace Motorcycle Podcast: I’ve just begun listening to this one, but already I am hooked. They are pretty low-key and very intelligent. Really good subjects and fun guests. These guys really know their stuff!

The Wheel Nerds: These two are a lot of fun! They have a great time with their podcast and have a fresh outlook on motorcycling. Their segment where they talk about various Wanted Ads is hilarious! I really like this podcast, but sometimes they are so energetic that I need to take a break from listening. I really enjoyed their interview with Ted Simon. Well done!

The Heidenau K60 Scout front tire I decided to mount by myself since it is supposed to be easier. I also wanted to make sure I knew how to do it in case I needed to on the road. Even though it is easier than the rear, the front still takes a bit of elbow grease, but there’s nothing magical about it. It’s just a matter of using the tire irons and getting leverage. Speaking of tire irons, I have on 16-inch Motion-Pro tire iron, and two smaller 8-inch generic tire irons. The 16-inch is excellent and helps a lot. I highly recommend having at least one. I might get another one if I can find one for cheap.

I also use a lubricant on the tire called Ru-Glyde. It makes the job much easier! The tire will slip over the rim easier saving you a lot of time and power. I also heard that a warm tire is a bit more pliable than a cold one, but it was about 50 degrees today and I didn’t feel like putting the tire in the oven! But I finally got the tire on. Woohoo! The most difficult part was fishing for the valve stem!

The next thing I need to do is balance the tire as best I can. I actually didn’t know that the tires have markings on them to show you where to line it up with the valve stem to get it closer to balanced. I might need to break the bead again and shift the tire a bit, then rig up a homemade tire-balancing solution. There is a guide on the f650.com site which seems to work well so I will give that a shot.

I can’t wait to try out the new tires on some dirt. It should be a bit more stable than the Tourances. They won’t last as long as the Metzelers, but I’m expecting to get about 7-8,000 miles out of them which I will be happy with!

*Update*

I bought a 3/8-inch rod from the hardware store and used it to balance my tire. The BMW wheel has flat (non-tapered) bearings inside which supposedly make using a plain bar possible. Sure enough, it worked great. The tire easily rotated around and it wasn’t difficult to find the heavy spot on the tire, then affix the proper amount of weight on the other side. BTW, I went to CycleGear to buy some weights, but the guy there just gave me a strip of them for free!