Mic's Adventure

The Motorcycle Adventures and Projects of Mic

Archive for March, 2010

Happy Trails T2 Luggage Platform Installation – 2008 KLR650

Mar 30

Posted by Mic in How-To | 2 Comments

I am posting this up, in hopes that it will save some aggravation for others who mount the T2 Luggage Platform on their 2008 and newer KLR650.

It also serves as a guide for you to double check your installation, if you have already performed it, especially if you used the included hardware.

I want to start off by saying that this write-up is partly motivated by my pet peeve of manufactures of products not providing sufficient installation material.  Regardless of how easy it may seem, sometimes simple tasks get the best of us.

Also, improper instruction can compound this confusion, resulting in some serious head scratching, as is what happened in this instance.

As a mechanic for several years, fabricator, road racer, crew chief, and team manager, I am no stranger when it comes to the workings of motorcycles.

This is not meant to take away from the quality of product that Happy Trails produces or the service that you receive. I am very happy with the quality of the panniers that came on my bike from the previous owner, and I am happy with the quality of the top box I purchased.

This is merely a individual’s take on an area they could use some help on, and hopefully they will improve upon it with the advice this consumer is providing.

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Rider Review: Boots – Alpinestars Effex Goretex Boot

Mar 30

Posted by Mic in Rider Review | No Comments

Alpinestars Effex Goretex Boot

Alpinestars Effex Goretex Boot

In all of my years of riding, the one piece of equipment that I have come to respect the most for being waterproof, has always been the boots.

If there is one thing I hate when riding, it is wet feet. I hate wet feet in general. I do not like to walk around when my shoes are wet inside, and I do not like an uncomfortable ride when my feet are wet.

Ever since I was young, I could deal with wet clothes, wet gloves, but never wet feet.

With riding year round, and in all types of weather, the boots seem to take the biggest beating when it comes to the elements of all my gear. Directly exposed to whatever the front tire kicks up from the road, the boots take a constant barrage of tiny impacts of small rocks, sand, water, etc.

Even after the rain stops, the boots need to continue to provide the water protection that you require when the remaining water from the roadway gets kicked up, covering your boots in a road grime of dirt, oil, and moisture.

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Weekend Wrap-Up: End of March Edition

Mar 29

Posted by Mic in The Breeze | 1 Comment

Heading out on an impromptu overnight camping trip.

Heading out on an impromptu overnight camping trip.

Well March sure came and went like a breeze.

Last week of course I ordered my new Adventure Riding Gear. I am super excited to start getting it in. The first of it should show up tomorrow (Jacket and Pants).

I also ordered a top box from Happy Trails. I am hoping (fingers crossed), that with this top box, I will be able to pack all the essential items I will need for my trip without having to purchase larger panniers.  I see no reason that it would not work out, as I have now successfully done 2 camping trips (more on that later) with what I have.

The one draw back is I ordered some Roto Pax jugs to originally mount to the rear of the new panniers I was going to buy. Because I was going to originally purchase the 10.5 inch Panniers from Happy Trails, they would have fit perfectly and protected on the very back of them, allowing me to keep an extra gallon of gas on one side, while using the other side for a gallon of water.

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Mic orders some new gear

Mar 25

Posted by Mic in The Breeze | 1 Comment

British Motorcycle Gear (BMG) EzeOn Pants

British Motorcycle Gear (BMG) EzeOn Pants

With my big trip now just around the corner (so it seems), I have been spending a lot of time going over what I need to finish up before I start.

On that long list of items, I had new motorcycle gear.

Gear is a huge expense, something that I must say that I cringe every time I have to buy new gear.

At present, I currently have in my possession 4 helmets, 3 pairs of boots, 8 pairs of gloves, 2 jackets, and 2 pairs of pants and 1 one-piece leather racing suit.

So when I made the decision to buy all new gear for this trip, it came as no surprise that the gear I would be purchasing, would be more tailored for the style of riding I would be performing.

First up on the list was a new Jacket.

My current jacket, which I will be doing a review of next month, has actually served me well. I don’t have a whole lot of complaints about it, but it is showing signs of wear.  And while it performs adequately in the cooler season, as well as the warmer ones with it’s removable quilted liner and multiple vents (9 in total to be exact. 3 back vents, 4 chest vents, 2 arm vents), its performance in the rain is lacking. Even with keeping up on the water proofing with either Nikwax or Obenaufs, it just wasn’t made to withstand the northwest wet season.

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Border Hopping: Destination – Another Weekend in the Columbia River Gorge

Mar 24

Posted by Mic in Border Hopping | 5 Comments

Mt. St. Helens pokes up just above the Cascade Range

Mt. St. Helens pokes up just above the Cascade Range

It probably is not any surprise now that I spend a lot of time in Oregon. More specifically in Hood River.

It is where my parents live, where I work on my bikes due to my dad’s large, well stocked shop, and where I currently keep the majority of my tools.

So when I’m given the opportunity for a long weekend, due to working off my 40 hours earlier in the week, I typically pack up some clothes, and head south of the border (Washington Border that is!) and spend my time in Oregon.

The great thing about the Columbia River Gorge, is that it has a little bit of everything to offer to any individual.  From the towering Cascades to the majestic rivers and streams, the area is ripe with life, beauty, and an endless amount of activities.

Having taken the time to head down to Oregon on Thursday Evening, I was able to get a rather early start Friday morning after a wholesome breakfast of Bacon, Eggs and Coffee.

I hadn’t really planned a route. In fact, my main goal was just to try and get my bearings straight in the area. I figure the more times I cross by the same intersection of 2 dirt service roads, eventually I will recognize it when I do further adventures in the area.

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Border Hopping: Destination – An Afternoon with Adventure Sidecar

Mar 23

Posted by Mic in Border Hopping | 1 Comment

Mt. Hood

Mt. Hood

This last weekend, I was fortunate enough to take off a couple of extra days and enjoy the wonderful weather that they were having in the Columbia River Gorge.  With the highs in the mid 60′s and above, it was looking up to be a perfect weekend to spend riding the near by forest roads surrounding Hood River.

And while I did get to spend some amazing time exploring on my own, I’d like to take some time to first write about Adventure Sidecar, located in Odell, Oregon just south of Hood River.

While my original intentions were to meet-up with Vernon Wade, owner of Adventure Sidecar to do some riding up in the mountains earlier in the day, I was caught up in a visit from my Cousin, a large brisket being smoked for afternoon supper. And it is pretty hard to resist a slow cooked beef brisket.

So when the food was down, and everyone seemed to be in their lumbering after supper state, I decided it was best to see if Vernon was up for that ride.

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Do It Yourself: Adventure Food – Poor Man’s Chicken and Dumplings

Mar 17

Posted by Mic in Do It Yourself | 1 Comment

Jiffy Biscuit Mix and Lipton Soup Secrets

Jiffy Biscuit Mix and Lipton Soup Secrets

With my trip coming up soon, I have shifted into making up some meals to take along with me which may be pre-made by myself, or something combined with store bought materials.

Most recently, I started to look into the possibility of a biscuits and sausage gravy breakfast meal, utilizing freeze dried sausage crumbles and whole powdered milk.

The problem I came up with, was the biscuit. The dough itself, is not an issue I was too concerned about. I can easily premix my own ingredients, and then add the water later on. No, the problem was how was I going to cook the biscuits.

The more I thought about it, the more it tugged at me. I needed an easier way to do this, so I decided to try out a cheap analog, and to much of my surprise, it worked out wonderful.

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Crossing County Lines: Destination – Camping the Mountain Loop Highway

Mar 16

Posted by Mic in Crossing County Lines | No Comments

Sarah all packed up, ready to go camping!

Sarah all packed up, ready to go camping!

A few weeks ago in my articled titled “Weekend Wrap-up: High’s, Low’s, and Somewhere In Between” I had mentioned a ride up around the Mountain Loop Highway.

The main purpose of this ride, was to scout for a camping spot for us to pick out for a later date to come back to and camp at.

After we had all gotten home, later that week we all decided that we would head up to go camping on March 12th.

The main purpose of this camping trip, was a shake down trip. We all needed the time spent not only packing our bikes, but organizing them, deciding what could and couldn’t go, and give us all an idea of what was needed to actually do a camping trip on our bikes.

This trip was extremely important to me, as I knew it was going to finally give me a chance to not only learn how to pack my bike, but it was going to give me a chance to use all of my gear in the field, which would give me invaluable information on what I will need to eventually make changes to for my Arctic Expedition this summer.

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Border Hopping: Destination – Sod Busters Cafe

Mar 16

Posted by Mic in Border Hopping | No Comments

Sometimes, when picking a destination to go, it is not always a landmark, a park, or some landscape view that takes your breath away. No, sometimes when picking a destination, it ends up being for food.

That is exactly how March 6th played out.

Saturday morning I awoke originally planning a few things. First off, I needed to give the XT a run down. Oil, Air Filter, Check other important bolts, lube and adjust chain, etc.

I also wanted to finally get some time to build the rear rack for the XT.

So I got out of bed, and Mom had started making Pancakes and Bacon.  What a wonderful way to start a Saturday morning.

I ate, grabbed my keys and headed into town to pick up some oil at the Wal-Mart.

While there, I picked up some other odds and ends, and made my way home.

As I was heading back to the shop, I took in the morning’s blue sky’s. It was absolutely beautiful out.  A bit on the chilly side, but that is to be expected in early March.

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A Friday Afternoon with Co-Rider Gus

Mar 16

Posted by Mic in Adventure | 3 Comments

Co-Rider Gus on his BMW R1150GS

Co-Rider Gus on his BMW R1150GS

Even though I had driven down to Oregon to visit my parents, I also tossed my XT in the back of the truck. Because it is such a small, light weight bike, it makes it extremely easy to pull it in and out of the truck by myself.

The weekend of March 6th itself started early for me on Friday, as I had most of the day off. This allowed me to head out towards Oregon early, and due to this, I decided to call up my Co-Rider for the Arctic Expedition trip, Gus.

Arriving in Vancouver around 1:00pm, I pulled up to Gus’s house and was welcomed by his wife Mary at the door.  We didn’t waste much time, the day was absolutely gorgeous.

So within 30 minutes, I had the bike unloaded, and both of us were geared up and on our way.

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