Silver Penguin
Silver Penguin
Just arrived in Sedona, AZ. We made it a two day ride instead of one, because I was riding the little bike instead of the FJR. The G650GS is an awesome little bike, up to about 60mph but above that one needs to start hanging on tight. At 90mph, one has to hang on REAL tight. If you're not in a hurry, it's a pleasant ride with no danger of getting a performance award.
View from our room, at Los Abrigados resort and spa. A nice, quiet place to stay. Parking is tight if you're not disabled since so many spaces are dedicated. We felt very young and fit, in comparison to our fellow travelers (despite the fact that we were sore and tired after some hard riding).
Tlaquepaque art village, right next door.
The sign becomes clearer after you read it a few times. Schnebly Hill was our first, off-road challenge. Most was easy riding but there were some tight turns and good sized rocks in the road. I considered it a personal triumph to get to the top of the hill since I abhor low speed tight turns almost as much as I hate riding on gravel. But then again, I wasn't riding my FJR this trip. Having a bike with a very low COG and being able to reach the ground, made me feel a lot more comfortable.
The flat tire was a real pain, and ate up most of the day's riding. Fortunately, we were still on the main road when I noticed the poor handling. As soon as the nail came out, the tire deflated all the way. Andy has got real good at plugging tires but this one was tubed. The actual tire said tubeless but we were told at the time of purchase that the bike had tube tires. Andy plugged it anyway, while I called BMW roadside assistance. To say that the guy hadn't a clue was a compliment to him. He was fixated on the fact that I didn't have a jack. I told him over and over again that the motorcycle wheel was out of the bike. Could he get the wheel to somewhere where they could get it off the rim? Sure, they could tow the bike 300 miles to the nearest BMW dealer. No, sorry, can't take it anywhere but BMW. Long story short, Andy strapped the wheel to his bike and rode to a HD dealership about ten miles away. They installed the spare tube that we had carried for such an event.
Montezuma Lake
Montezuma castle
Indian Ruins at Tuzigoot
Beaten by Mingus Mountain! A typical rookie mistake, getting in over one's head on a hill. The trail had started off easy but got progressively more difficult. An experienced rider knows their skill level and when to bail out. I didn't. The trail got steeper and rockier. The drop off to the downhill side got more spectacular. The trail got much narrower and the turns got a lot tighter. Andy had found a safe-ish place to pause and regroup. I tried to stop on the hill. Couldn't go forwards because I'd either hit Andy or miss the turn. Couldn't stay still because the bike slid downhill with both brakes and a foot down. What else was there to do? I fell off. With my bike 'parked', I was able to scramble up the hill and help Andy to save the big bike, which was now teetering on the brink of falling over.
We walked up the hill a ways, to see what was in store and decided that we wanted to use the bikes to ride home next day so didn't dare risk the next part of the trail. It was quite the adventure getting both bikes turned around. Mine weighs 400lbs and his weighs a lot more than that. Riding down the hill was thrilling too. There wasn't enough traction to use the brakes. Pulling in the clutch actually made the bike go faster. No need for throttle. That pretty much leaves the option of hanging on tight, picking a line and ride 'em cowboy!!! Fortunately, that tip over was the only one.
The pool at our resort. What a perfect way to start each day! I swam in the 84 degree, salt water pool as the world woke up, enjoying to morning sunshine peeking through the trees.
Couldn't miss this roadside store.
Safely home, Andy is cleaning the bikes.
It was a great trip. We came home with two bikes that we can use again. No visits were made to medical facilities. We have a ton of pictures and even more memories. Imagine how much more fun we'll have, once we build some stronger off-road skills!!
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Thanks for the pics looks like you had a great trip!
