Sadlsor goes x-country on the GS Adventure

Sadlsor

Sadlsor

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Joined
Jan 15, 2020
Messages
4,678
Age
67
Location
Birmingham, Alabama
Bike
2008 ST1300A
Some here have read about my abandoned 1250 GS Adventure I bought last December in California; it's waiting for me at RawHyde in some little bitty community not far from the Mexican border.
After the weekend of November 3 -5 I'll be riding back to Alabama, starting Monday, so I'm looking for possible ST-owners to meet between the West and the Southeast. Plans are to go low as I can, like I-10, to avoid potential desert snows... I may be on I-20 for a while, that depends on the offers I get here.
Would like to see Larry in PHX, depending on how well he feels, just to meet him... and any other volunteers brave enough to let me buy a cup of coffee, or a beer depending on the timing.
I don't have the precise return route mapped out yet, as it depends on who's willing to have a meetup - and I just may ask for a kitchen floor to sleep on or garage to crash in. And I may not.
Loose plans, flexible schedule, but I expect to be back home by Thursday, or Friday at the latest. Often one of my first tasks is a SS1K on any new bike, but again that depends on all sorts of things.
Seem to recall it's about 2300 miles to the house, depending.
Everything depends. Just throwing it out there, more details as the time gets closer.
This is as close I've gotten to the bike... picture by Jim Hyde.

RawHyde GSA 2 x400.jpg
 
Know where that new bike would look great at? WoodSToc next year.

(I had nothing else to offer as I'm not low at all, rather I'm high.... and much off the beaten path.)
 
Hmmmm.....looks like you should add on a few days and avoid pavement altogether!!
Enjoy the ride and the new bike!
 
Good to hear you are finally going to pick up your bike. Do you need to have it serviced before the trip home? Are those tires suitable for hour after hour on the slab?
 
For Chuck in CO (yes sir, you HAVE told us, yet you continue to rub it in, fostering envy and wanderlust) and any others who have not pieced together my GSA story, I'll recap here. Much of the discussion has probably landed for 10 months now in various daily coffee meetings, early in the morning.
So in March of 2024 I'll have had my ST1300 for 4 years or 5; I'll check later. Point being, I sold a really nice KTM 950 Adventure S, as I didn't have room for 2 full-size bikes, but had the opportunity for a rare deal on the 2008 1300 that my brother-in-law had purchased new in 2010, but stopped riding it after only 6300 miles. He developed other interests and was letting it sit gathering dust in his garage. No bueno, but that was always on a distant wish list of bikes I wanted but could never afford new.
It didn't take long to develop a deep fondness for all of the qualities we know and love about the ST... quiet comfort, no shortage of power, buckets full of torque, typical Honda dependability, smooth ride, weather protection, easy handling when the road gets curvy, and decent gas mileage.
But neither did it take long to start missing my offroad excursions. So in the secret places of my heart, I dreamt of my next adventure bike.
I have long followed Jim Hyde of RawHyde Adventures, watched many of his videos, had always wanted to take some true adventure-bike training (I'm self-taught, but decent), and was aware of his policy of selling 1-year-old bikes when the new models were released every year. He's an authorized BMW training facility and partner, buys dozens of new bikes every year, and turns over last year's stable that was used for student rentals in their offroad training courses. So he lets those go at a discount, fully decked out for offroad duty, includes the stock takeoff tires with no miles on them as well as the trail tires, AND includes 4 training classes to sweeten the deal.
Now, as a professional marketer, I'm fully aware that purchases are made based on emotion, and then later justified by reason.
So after many conversations and questions with the Man himself Jim Hyde, I bought a 2022 GSA with 7200 miles, all maintenance done, the remainder of 3-year factory warranty, last December, thinking I'd pick it up the next Spring. That didn't happen, obviously, as work and work and more work kept me here in Alabama. I've been in agony as the weeks and months have turned over on all my calendars, while the bike sat out in CA waiting for me. So not only do I need time to ride the bike home, I need about another week to complete all the classes included with the deal. So I'll do 2 classes that weekend, and get out there or to Colorado next year for the other 2 classes.
If I don't get there soon, there will be snow on the ground to make it another few months. Not snow in Alabama, but out yonder.
When it gets back home, I'll put a trailer hitch on it too.
@RichKat I'm sure I'll be going through the Big D. There are other TX riders on the list, so we'll see who pipes up.
Details on routing and expected timeframes are yet to come.
 
SMSW said:
Good to hear you are finally going to pick up your bike. Do you need to have it serviced before the trip home? Are those tires suitable for hour after hour on the slab?
Click to expand...
RawHyde takes off the new stock street tires and mounts Dunlop Trailmax tires for training. They will replace the trail tires with the street tires before I leave, and ship the trail tires home for me.
The bikes are all serviced by their RawHyde staff, trained by BMW... the training facility is fairly remote, so they can't just go hauling 40 big bikes to a dealership for routine service.
It's a good thought, though. I'm glad I don't have to count on 50/50 tires for the ride across the country.
 
Sadlsor said:
Some here have read about my abandoned 1250 GS Adventure I bought last December in California; it's waiting for me at RawHyde in some little bitty community not far from the Mexican border.
After the weekend of November 3 -5 I'll be riding back to Alabama, starting Monday, so I'm looking for possible ST-owners to meet between the West and the Southeast. Plans are to go low as I can, like I-10, to avoid potential desert snows... I may be on I-20 for a while, that depends on the offers I get here.
Would like to see Larry in PHX, depending on how well he feels, just to meet him... and any other volunteers brave enough to let me buy a cup of coffee, or a beer depending on the timing.
I don't have the precise return route mapped out yet, as it depends on who's willing to have a meetup - and I just may ask for a kitchen floor to sleep on or garage to crash in. And I may not.
Loose plans, flexible schedule, but I expect to be back home by Thursday, or Friday at the latest. Often one of my first tasks is a SS1K on any new bike, but again that depends on all sorts of things.
Seem to recall it's about 2300 miles to the house, depending.
Everything depends. Just throwing it out there, more details as the time gets closer.
This is as close I've gotten to the bike... picture by Jim Hyde.

RawHyde GSA 2 x400.jpg
Click to expand...
I’m in Tucson, not phoenix.
 
Sadlsor said:
Duly noted, Larry. I won't look for you in PHX --- thanks for correcting me.
Hope you're well!
Click to expand...
Let me know when you're in Tucson, I'll join you at Larry's. if you have time, we can do a ride up Mt. Lemmon!

uc


uc


uc
 
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Yup, definitely where and when you'll be near DFW and I'll try to make it. I still have to work for a living so can't promise anything. Should be a great shakedown ride on a new bike and getting to know it.
 
Getting closer... Monday I shipped 58lbs of gear to RawHyde... for a measley 800 dollars. :eek:
Confirmed it arrived yesterday, and oddly enough (or not), there would have been no less cost if I had shipped it last week, to arrive Thursday.

FedEx to RawHyde 2.jpg

What you see above are offroad boots in the yellow duffle, new Mosko Moto tankbag on top, black 40l Mosko Moto duffel with riding jacket, riding pants, raingear, small tote with socks and unmentionables, and a Shoei helmet in an Arai sack.
And what you see below is the actual box being taped. I probably should have just carried it on the plane.
This would fit in an overhead bin... right?

FedEx to RawHyde 1.jpg

The point of this exercise is to prevent the airlines from having a chance to lose any checked bags... RawHyde rents bikes, but they don't rent riding gear.
 
My proposed route for the return ride beginning Monday November 6, taking me by Tucson (Larry?) and Dallas (Joe and ...?).

RawHyde to Home.jpg

I checked the advanced weather-guessers, and they tell us Albuquerque will be in the low 40s Monday night, Oklahoma City mid-40s, while Tucson and Dallas will be in the mid-50s for their lows.
Warmer is better, especially after dark.
Conservatively estimating 40mpg for 2200 miles equals 55 gallons of premium, at $5.00/gal (sure hope it's not that much!) for about $275 or less. The rich man's gas (not jet fuel) is about $3.30 for a gallon of premium in Birmingham.
Which leaves me about enough money for a Coke and a Snickers.
With a smile. :biggrin:
 
Mellow said:
Should be a great adventure. Make sure you bring at least a heated jacket liner with you. The GSA has some good weather protection but cold is cold and you'd rather have it and not use it than.....
Click to expand...
I just laid it out a few minutes ago; I'll wear it on the plane. With the gloves, even though it has heated grips. AND a heated seat. (I've never had heated underwear.)
Warm n Safe... to be safe.
 
If you're coming through Dallas on a weekday I won't have any time to get away work-wise and looks like you'll be on the southern part, I'm in the northern part...just get through Dallas... then, go to the GA Rally in April, that will be much more fun.
 
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