Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126963
After the three of us ga thered at the base of the hi ll, we had one major obstacle ahead of us - a wide, engi ne-case-deep creek crossing. It required carefu l lin e picking to get around rocks and the deep water sections in the creek. Kinney walked across the st ream to take pictu res of Mike a nd I, so I ended up riding both the KL R and XT across, while Mi ke rode the XL. None of the b ikes missed a beat in the cold, deep water, but the XT did throw a chain in the deepest section of the crossing when the rear sprocket hit a hidden rock. We managed to put the chain back on the sprockets with the rear hub completely submerged in the water. Back o n dry ground, we found a smooth dirt road and started to head back toward the nearest town (wherever that was ) to get gas. We were all running low on fuel and the KLR was almost OUL About a mile later, the XT started to cough - again then it backfired and keeled over for good. A quick check of the spark plug revealed a dead ignition. Noi good! It was mid-afternoon and I h ad visions of spending the night with Yogi the Bear. I knew if we tried to push the bike back it would take a week, and if Kinney and Mike rode down the mountain to get a truck, it wou ld be dark by the time they got back and they p ro babl y would get lost in the n ig ht. So, we started tra nsferr in g gas fro m the XT to the KL R with an empty beer ca n we found alongside the road, when our worries came to an end. Luckily, a guy and two girls came by in a brand new Nissan 4x4 pick-up truck and offered to give us a ride back to town. We immediately threw the XT in the back of his truck and he drove me to the nearest gas station, whi le Mike and Kinney fo llowed unfortu - nately , the Yamaha ended up p u ttin g a huge gouge in the guy's truck during the ride back. (He's sending us an estimate in the mail). Stranded at the gas sta tion, we had no choice but to call someone to pick up the XT, and that someone turned out to be Kinney's wife, who ended up driving Kinney's van (which she hates to drive) all the way up the mountain to pick us up. After calling and telling her the news, Kinney came back to us and said smiling, "She's coming up, but she ain 't happy." After waiting about an hour-anda -half, Kinney's wife showed up, but in good humor, and I loaded the Yamaha into the van. But we had a new problem - th ree riders and only two bikes. One of us would have to ride back in the van. Mike graciously volunteered. As the sun threatened to set, Kinney and I let the van have a head start before we began our ride down the mountainside. Kinney and I race d each other down the straights and throu~h the turns on th e little 250s, passing slower traffic in the process. It was then that Kinney and I spotted this little red sports car up ahead , zig-zagging through traffic . . . . •••••••• We ended u p having as much fun on o ur dual-purpose ride as we've had on any other, proving to me, at least, that d ual-purpose bi kes can be a blast, contrary to some rumo rs. There's nothing better than being ab le to strap on your gear and to ride right out of your garage without worrying about loading bikes into a truck or van, then spending the next hour or so driving to your favorite riding area. Why do tha t when you co u ld actually be riding? Some rocky sections of trail were a little tricky on our dual-purpose bikes (above). But it was by far worth some of the sweat and sore muscles after reaching the creek (below):where we stopped and rested. We rode-nearly 150 miles of mostly dirt tra ils. and paved streets in just one day - legally . ... - --