fDl~1
Los Angeles-to-Barstow-to-Las Vegas Dual Sport Ride
Clual-:sp.cr,t
8i
By ANNE AND TOM VAN BEVEREN
PHOTOS BY TOM VAN BEVEREN
LOS ANGELES, CA, NOV. 23-24
t takes more than turkey to make
a great Thanksgiving. That's the
word from dual-sport riders, who
have spent the last 18 years establishing a Thanksgiving weekend riding tradition that they can really sink
their teeth into.
The dual-sport tradition is called
LA-B-to-V. It's a two-day ride that
starts on the outskirts of Los Angeles
and, via an overnight stop in the
high-desert town of Barstow, takes
hardy dirt riders cross country all the
way to the Las Vegas Strip.
Each year the route is a little different but the challenge of almost
500 miles of dual-sport trails and the
unbeatable camaraderie of a group of
motorcyclists battling the elements
draws riders from near and far.
For riders like Roy Coe, who has
turned out on the same battered
Yamaha 15 years in a row, LA-B-to-V
is an annual adventure that just can't
be missed.
"It's one of those things I can't
imagine not doing," said Coe, who
was on a bike for the first time since
he broke his leg in three places at a
dual-sport event earlier this year.
fjl
(Above) Participants of the LA·D·to·V
certainly know the thrill of riding
across the Mojave Desert.
(Right) Riding across the midden field
is pretty thrilling, too.
1!1
24
DECEMBER 12.
2001 •
cue
"Tell you what, though. I now know
why these guys are buying all those
bikes with the suspension on them.
This thing is beating me up. Or
maybe the bike is fine and I'm just
getting older. I got passed by a KLR
this morning."
For first-time participants like
four-time AMA National Hare Scrambles Champion/five-time AMA Grand
National Cross Country Champion
Scott Summers, who drove out from
Kentucky with his father to join the
action, LA-B-to-V was a chance to
combine family fun with some of the
best, and most picturesque, riding in
the country.
"I thought it was really cool and
really scenic," said Summers, at the
end of the first day's ride. "It reminded me of some of the terrain from
when I rode the Baja 1000 back in
1988 and again in 1990. It reminded
me of the terrain down there, but
maybe not quite so rough because
not so many bikes have been through
the course. I can't wait for tomorrow."
The 18th running of the dual-sport
Ie
ne_s
