Scouts

My Alpinestar Scout Adventure boots have taken a beating but I just can't seem to part with them. They just fit so well. I think I've got almost 100,000 miles on them, including a trip to Prudehoe Bay and back and two trips across the country and back. As I think about it maybe more.

The main issue they're having is keeping the soles on. First the backs went. Then the fronts went. I've found that JBWeld works in putting them back together. It's kind of unsightly though.

Some day I'm just going to have to bite the bullet and buy a new pair of boots.

Rally Calendar

Our Rally Calendar for 2017 is coming to a close with two events left. Both events are with the Apollo Motorcycle Club here in Florida.

This coming weekend is the Pumpkin Run. It's a night ride this Saturday night in New Smyrna Beach Florida, but has become more for quads and side by sides more than it is for motorcycles. The rally has been run for almost 50 years, but I've never attended. My son and I thought, what the heck, let's go see if there's some fun to be had. If not, it's only a two and a half hour drive over there.

Unfortunately, I don't think the KLR650 will be making it to the Pumpkin Run. The rally is entirely inside a closed off-road facility so the DR650 and my son's TW200 will most likely be making the trip for this one.

Coming in mid-December is the Wild Bear Safari. It's big bike friendly so more adventurish than dual sport so we'll be on the KLR650 and DR650. I'll be shocked if we see a bear. I know they're here, but I've never seen one in the 31 years I've been in Florida.

Next stop after December is Devil's Creek!!!

A long time...

Discovery Fall Rally

My son and I just completed the Southern Discovery Fall Rally this past weekend with the KLR650 and DR650. This is our second trip this year up to Hohenwald, Tennessee (south of Nashville) where rally headquarters was the Fall Hallow Campgrounds.

We stayed in the primitive tent camping area and I set up a cot in the Toy Hauler. Fall Hollow has a nice little restaurant on site. They offered breakfast Saturday and Sunday and a dinner Friday and Saturday. If, for some reason, you need to roll into town, it's not far away.

Before we headed up I had Procycle send me the headlight guard ($75.95) as shown in the photo below. The track is mostly very rocky forest roads and it's a fast track...recipe for roost damage. I took a rock that totally took out the left front turn signal on the DR650.

In order to fit the headlight guard, we had to cut grooves in the top of the front fender. No big deal, but I'm sure there are many that probably wouldn't appreciate having to do that.

With the same order from Procycle, I also had them send me a JNS Rear Master Cylinder Guard (visible on the lower right). It's one thing to dump the KLR in the Florida sand. It's another thing to smash the highly-exposed master cylinder on the rocks. If you lose rear brakes you're prtty much done. btw...JNS makes nice stuff.

Later on in the photos, this guy tried a really steep slope on that K-Toom...to no avail. Then his GF came over and told him he couldn't try again. :)

Casey Hampton heads up the Tennessee Dual Sport Association and led our group on Saturday.

This is a KTM Adventure 1190 trying to make this hill...not. No guts, no glory though.

Papa Kay Joe's in Centerville, Tennessee was a great place to stop for lunch.

This guy rode his Gen1 from Vermont for the rally.

Two bikes had flats at the exact same time, place. We donated our rear tube to the K-Toom and the Husquveran guy had his own.

Carnage. This Gen2 did a little "deeper" off-roading into the forest and busted up his expensive Zero Gravity Screen.

This is Rocky Bull, mascot of University of South Florida where my daughter goes to school. He's usually at home on my mountain bike, but I decided to bring him along for the ride.

Overall, dragging all our stuff up to Nashville took two days up and two days back. It's about 750 miles. It's a really good, well-planned, track though and worth it. I suggest considering one of the Tennessee Discovery Rallies in your rally plan for next year.

UPDATE:

We really need to better stay on top of keeping the KLR650 bolts and fasteners tight. When we got back, we noticed that we lost the rear brake reservoir cover and heat plate. This picture was Saturday around noon, so it was gone fairly early in the three day event.

Fortunately the two parts are only a combined $15 at RockyMountainATV.