Greetings from Southeast Iowa (Burlington)

[OOFDA]

Having grown up in Montana I have been to the Black Hills several times. You guys have the most beautiful riding area on the continent. I belong to a M/C club, Burlington Valley Dusters, and we sponsor and facilitate two closed course Hare Scrambles a year. We then take the money made and finance a "club ride". Each year we go somewhere different and this year we are looking at your June ride. Looks like possibly 6 to 8 of us will attend.
I have been riding most of my life. Recently I lucked out and won the championship in the vintage trials class of the NIRO trials series. I was riding one of Senior Bultos best, the Sherpa T. I have 11 M/C's. Everything from a 1500 Wing to a 1970 BSA Thunderbolt. I am just finishing a 2 years total rebuild of a 1975 Bultaco Alpina 137. Haven't done much "Dualsport" riding as such. Have ridden alot of single track and back roads as well a long distance touring. Question: How do know what bike to bring or do you just bring them all so your covered for any terrain? I would hate to ride my KLR on a single track up the side of mountain. I also have rebuilt a 1980 XT500 Yamaha that I would consider the best dual sport bike I own. When the going gets really tough I would prefer to ride the Bultaco Alpina. Not real fast on the highway but being a trials oriented bike it will go just about anywhere. So many bikes and so little time.
Maybe you can shed some lite on which would work best on your rides.
Looking forward to riding the hills and meeting you guys while sipping a cold one, waiting for the burgers to get done.

OOFDA


 

[Hank]

Welcome!  Nice stable of bikes and congrats on the win.

You'll have to post up some pics of your restore project.  Sounds fun!

[fringefan]

Glad we got the post thing figured out and welcome. Most guys usually ride out so the multiple bike thing would be tough unless you tow ine behing the wing. Guy posted a pic on our old site that had a XR650 that he towed behind his Wing and I still think that might be the best bike set up I have ever seen.   KLR's are usually represented in numbers but last year some of these guys started buying smaller bikes but none where KLR owners, not sure why that is We have even had a few BMW guys but they are not really Beemer guys because they don't have all the gear.

[OOFDA]

Hey Chad - Thanks for getting my account set up and working. That's why you get the big bucks! Can I assume your group sets up a  base camp for the ride rather than take your gear with you and set up a different camp each night. I would trailer my bikes to the hills but it wouldn't be out of the question to ride the KLR and see some back roads. It's about 800 miles for me but as I am retired what would it matter? Plot a route and see some Americana! I just didn't want to show up with a 400 lb behemoth and find I'd be riding the "hero" sections. Most of our group ride KTM's with a few DR's. No doubt the bikes must be street legal. How about db's and approved arrestors? My Bultaco has an arrestor but in 1975 they certainly didn't stamp them USFS approved. Or do they give them the old stick test so see if they have a screen rather than straight thru? Alot of questions but we don't want to show up and have issues. The D/S rides around here and in Wisconsin pretty much leave it up to the individual to make sure his bike is "street legal". I am talking with the other club members so they have time to plan. It's kinda like herding cats, never know until the last minute who goes and who stays. Really, they are a good group of people to ride with. Thanks again for fixing my account, computors are the work of the devil you know.
OOFDFA

[loingrader]

if you ride out, bring the klr.  you will not be sorry you did.  every ride we go on, the venerable klr650 can make it.  maybe not as easily as a trials bike, but what fun is an easy ride?  i like a challenge! 

there are great trails close, but i would try to bring a bike that will do 60mph for at least 20 miles without grenading.  we hop on pavement and dirt roads on occasion to get to trails, or lunch, or gas, etc. 

having a usable fuel range of 100 miles would be good too.  not a deal breaker, but it would be nice.   

we have a base camp and rides go out from there.  depending on numbers and interests, we sometimes sent out different groups to tackle different types of trails.  from boulder strewn to graded gravel.  you can ride it all in the hills. 

i've never been hassled for street legal.  spark arrestors are needed on natl forest land (which we will mostly be on) but i would assume the stick test would pass fine.  i've never been hassled by a ranger anywhere in the hills.  there's too much ground for them to cover to worry about us.  no sound limits in sd.  remember, we are the home of sturgis too.  can't be pissin off too many of those hd boys that like to spend money here in august.   

if you trailer out, bring the klr, xt and a trials bike.  you'll put miles on all 3 and then you have a backup if you kill one. 

but, there are few things cooler than seeing a group of dual sport bikes trucking down the highway. 

welcome, and we hope to see you in june

-bret

[OOFDA]

Hey Bret - Sounds like you guys really have this ride organized. It has to be more complicated than just show up with all the toys you can haul and have a great time. A bunch of us meet at Land Between the Lakes in Kentucky each year and do the same thing, just ride. Making plans to come out a day or two early and possibly stay later. Can we expect sunny days, highs in the mid 70's, no rain and very little wind?? Just kidding!

Thanks for all the information

OOFDA