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Sister Mother Daughter

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Any man with a microphone can tell you what he loves the most

Powderhorn 24 2017 Start

The green dragon rode 100+ miles

Central ADV Rider Event CADVR 2017!

This gathering of dual-sport riders in it's tenth year seemed like something I wouldn't like, what with the socializing and the being polite to strangers and the beer at night and the coffee in the morning I don't think I would...   like...  well wait a minute.  So with my Harley-loving work buddy Chris who I convinced to buy a DR last year and add a few basics,  we rode to near Boulder Junction in Northern Wisconsin a week-ago Wednesday.  It rained Wednesday, it rained Thursday,  by Saturday it had dried pretty well.  I mostly rode road on Friday.  This picture is from Thursday,  my first day of real off road riding.  I thought I had ridden off road before,  and I had a little,  but not super-gnarly shit like this continuously for tens and tens of miles, transitioning to sandy wet two-track,  slippery roots,  fist-to-babyhead-sized steep hillclimbs...  Bananas...  Dropped it twice that day,  didn't drop it the rest of the week.  My E07 chevron tread pattern is not ideal for this,  next time full-on (highway-able) knobs.  The dry day was great,  all the same obstacles but less often water,  much higher speed,  riding that moto like a mountain bike pressing it into corner berms, scrambling across everything, sketching-out occasionally and not being afraid to use my feet.  It was a fucking great time,  I'm going back next year.

We learned about this event from an ex-coworker still within the company,  we had known George for years and saw him annually at the Habitat and Free Bikes events,  he like Steve-o has ridden a DR for many years.  Two weeks before CADVR he rode the continental divide between MT and CO,  planning to ride CO to Mexico next year.  So he's a hard-core guy.  He runs an aftermarket tank and seat and rear rack but otherwise bone stock.   Just like Steve.  George was our guide and mentor gently pushing us past our abilities by riding it calmly and waiting for us to catch up.  Our first-day lunch conversation helped a lot too.

The first night after we got settled in the private campground (electric and water in each site),  we walked back to the main tents and the beer cooler trailer to decide which tap handle we would pull as we liked first.  There was a gathering of guys around a wheel on a picnic table that were trying to pound the bearing out of a hub with a fat flathead screwdriver and a heavy hammer.  They discussed and suggested but only a couple attempted pounding.  Then a guy walks up with his portable welding unit and they heat the crap out of the hub.  Bearing pops right out next try.  These were the first minutes of the first night of the dreaded socializing.  I knew I was going to be ok.

The below picture happened first, on Saturday the first "dry day".  George our brave leader showed us a great recovery method when that happens.  We stopped behind him and went around.  Above is 15 miles later stopping to pee and empty boots.  The fact of the matter is you don't stop to take pictures ever so you get what you get.  George stopped to take the top picture after a big hole.

The curator and organizer of this event is a great guy and also a graphic designer by trade and the levels of super cool custom swag at this event were insane.  These are the stickers I purchased for a dollar each - with the exception of this year's two which were three bucks each :).  You should see the sweet vinyl(!) posters I have in the garage now.  You should see the t-shirts...

New condition recent eBay boots on the left,  purchased new from Aerostich on the right.  My feet were the only ones that stayed dry of everyone's.  Love 'em.

Chris and George

Ferris Bueller!

2013 KTM 990 last year they made them 3500 Miles on this MPLS Craig can you loan me ten grand?

Dream Garage Workshop

The rear shock is the last major update I plan for DR.  Cogent Dynamics Mojave (not pro) task just completing.  Discovered required chain (and gears of course) replacement along the way.  Did some other stuff too.  Changed the brake fluid.  Pressing in the new chain master link tomorrow.  Gotta test the brakes and adjust the lower handlebar components, and loosen + massage the fork to remove slight stiction...  Going to drill a hole through blue to be able to unbolt the seat without removing the plastics which means without loosening the rack.  I could get a smaller rack but I love it.

Fight the horde sing and cry

 Valhalla I am coming

Hammer of the gods will drive our ships to a new land

Kathleen's Arch Enemy Phineas

Sean says

Been wanting a Dog pull Scooter for a long time

Sadly the website is blackstars.biz.  What a cool and interesting MN one-man-business Tom. I've converted mine to full hand brakes and step bar - no foot brake now.  Dogs love it.  I love it.  I've made more mods too...

I'm straight like hippy johnny might be  1986 love it  check it out here.

June?

Lets go fuck around in the U.P.  Ride as many trails and routes as possible,  go up to Copper Harbor,  Then reverse loop Superior.  June.  How many days would that be? The lessons I learned besides be nice to people are... That no-planning bullshit is bullshit.  There are many kinds of rides what kind is this?  Oh ya and be nice to people. I'm going either way please come with.