Every now and then I get comments and email from other motorcycling hams, sharing their experiences or plans for combining the two activities.
This is yet another aspect of how POTA can be combined with other activities.
My own interest in motorcycling has changed over the years, from street to dirt, and I'd like to share a bit of what I've learned in terms of what's now available to others who may be considering a new way to get to POTA locations.
Both me and my neighbor/friend/riding buddy have been motorcycling since our teens. Bob WK3P is a retired Wash. DC motorcycle cop. He also used to race professionally, both on- and off-road. He's now 78 and rides every day.
Here is a short clip of our trail ride last week:
We've both migrated to smaller off-road-capable motorcycles, and there are a lot of options out there. Lightweight is good.
When I rode 1/2 the TAT 10 years ago, I knew that the better bike for the trip would have been lighter in weight - easier to pick up, easier to flick around sand, gravel, etc.
Contenders for TAT v2.0 were the Honda CRF300L, Kawasaki KLX300 or a Suzuki DRZ400. I settled on the Honda due to its weight, reliability and price.
And I'll admit to being influenced by this young woman from the Netherlands who rode a CRF300 from Argentina's southernmost point (Ushuaia) to the Arctic Ocean in northern Alaska. That's a long way over rough roads. And she's recently published a fantastic book about what inspired her to begin traveling the world on a motorcycle. Yes, it's a very good read, even if you're not into bikes.
But moto-POTA'ing doesn't have to be "epic"
On an RV trip last summer to Yellowstone, we met a father-son duo who were also RVing to different areas and using Honda Groms for both on- and off-road riding around the Rocky Mountains. I may one day have a Grom myself. Having fun doesn't require a big engine. They were able to lift the Groms up into their truck - no trailer or ramp needed.
As for "Where to ride off-road" - if you want to go beyond your local area:
- The TAT has grown from an off-pavement Tennessee-to-Oregon route into an East Coast to West Coast trail with side spur options to loop back through the Dakotas or a Rocky Mountain trail from El Paso to norther Colorado.
- BDR's are coming to an area near you (US & Canada). Back-Country Discovery Routes make it possible to cross the country in a variety of locations. They are linear routes, while the BDR-X trails are loops. Each BDR route has a dedicated water-resistant paper map available and GPX tracks are free. Here's the Montana BDR.
Both the TAT and the numerous BDR's take the motorcycle rider near (and through) numerous POTA-qualifying parks.
Vicarious Travel:
An Aussie filmmaker/motorcyclist, currently in the States
QRP-sized motorcycles take on the QROest state
Two Oklahomans ride a single 125cc Honda to Alaska
.
.
Hi John,
ReplyDeleteThank you for this thought provoking post. My last motor cycle was a KLR 650, a bunch of fun but a bit much for a 74 year old.
Inspired by your post I looked at the Honda VK site. They are selling the 2025 CRF 250 for $2K off. You have got me thinking… Thanks.
73, Glen, VK1FB
Very interesting. Many moons ago I rode a GS750 from Rochester NY to Anchorage AK and the Kenai, then down to San Diego and back via Colorado Springs with an HT of some sort and an HW8. In 1979 POTA and SOTA were just gleams in some QRPer's eyes. Now I find myself in Tellico Plains, TN, which I think used to be the eastern end of the TAT and if I'm not mistaken, that entry is about a half a mile down Epperson Rd from my driveway. I have a TW200, though I'm sort of lusting after a KLX300 and want to check out the Honda's too. Getting a bit long in the tooth for the Vstrom off road. You are provoking interesting thoughts....
ReplyDeleteWill you be passing though our neck of the woods?
That must have been an amazing trip - if you have photos, you should write it up or at least post the pics somewhere. I'm assuming you camped along the way?
DeleteWhen I did the half-TAT 10 years ago, Tellico Plains was the eastern end of the TAT. Much has been added to it since then but I just want to do the original route (although Nevada has been removed entirely since then). My plan is to take the SEBDR north from near Pensacola until it intersects with the TAT, then go west from there. I'm not sure how far from Tellico that intersection is - gonna look it up.
I had a VSTROM 1000 until recently and learned that (for me) it is not an off-road bike at all. I'm surprised at the heavy bikes that people use on the BDR's and TAT. False marketing, IMO. Your TW200 is a TAT-worthy bike - have you ridden any of the TN portion on it?
73,
John