Once again, it has been WAY TOO LONG since I posted here...but here I
am once again.
There hasn’t been much of note since
September...a couple of rides that have helped me "reach a conclusion”...more on that, in a little while.
In October, we took
a short day-trip to Davis Lake and stopped in at Brookmere on the way
out. We tried visiting the remains of the KVR in that area, but
stopped at the bollards that prevent you from going further.
I
also did a short trip up to Ruby Creek in October and to Norrish
Creek area a few weeks ago.
It was while I was at Norrish Creek
that I came to a conclusion...
Travelling up
Dewdney Peak, I was looking to get within walking distance of the Ben
VonHardenburg memorial cabin. I plotted the route in Gaia and made my
way past the open gates and logging equipment. Shortly, the road
turned from NEW logging road to OLD logging road. As I travelled, the
road became less and less hospitable; water crossings and deep
washouts (or maybe they were crafted water bars)...
It was at
the 3rd washout where trouble began...as I was heading up
the backside of the washout, I accidentally stalled the Rally, and
when my left foot could not find solid ground, it all toppled
over.
Luckily I was tossed clear, but landed butt-first on a
large log. The Rally lay on its side, facing backwards and downhill.
It took me several attempts to get her righted again...the last one
required every ounce of strength I had, but I finally succeeded.
Within a few minutes, I was back in the saddle but called it a day
when I saw at least 4 more of these “washouts” in the road ahead.
I knew my @ss was going to be sore tomorrow, and from the effort it
took to get her back upright, I was certain that my back would be
hurting as well.
It was on the ride back down the hill, that I
came to the “conclusion”...this bike is too big for me.
This
was the second time that I experienced a standing-still tip-over, and
BOTH times it was a real chore to get back into the saddle....both
times, I was (relatively) uninjured...what if I had broken my arm, or
a rib and couldn’t exert...how would I get home?
The ABS
version of the Rally weighs 335 lbs. when laying down flat...when
it’s facing downhill and backwards...well, you could easily be
looking at 350 – 400 lbs depending on how you have it loaded.
So
with this in mind, I have decided to get rid of the CRF and go BACK
to the one that brought me to the dance in the first place.
The
CRF purchase was done in a rage, after I had spent most of the summer
trying to make a silk purse from a sow’s ear (F650 Funduro)...and I
was ‘aware’ of what ownership of a CRF entailed. But as a hand-on
type of owner, I was always wary of the impending maintenance that I
would face.
The CRF needed a rear-shock renovation from the
start...so that was an additional $300 added to the price.
Next
was a lowering link to prevent what had just happened...another $
200+
The availability of parts is also an issue...sure, there’s
lots of “after-market" stuff, but regular consumables like
air-filters and sprockets aren’t available from my usual sources.
Checking the spark
plug on the trail is next-to impossible.
Checking the valves is
a four hour ordeal that also involves much plastic removal as well as
draining and replacing the coolant.
Heaven forbid if anything
goes wrong with the fuel pump or throttle body when on the
trail...granted these things are engineered to last a long time, but
the failure rate is never 0%.
...and there’s that annoying
rattle at 5000 RPM, which also happens to be cruising speed.
When
I bought it...I didn’t realize it had a catalytic converter built
into the exhaust pipe...an exhaust that incidentally gets too hot by
my right leg!
All the way down the mountain, I created a list of
things that I didn’t like about this bike and when I got back down
to roadside I realized that I didn’t “love” this bike as much
as I thought I did, or ever would...and that’s never a nice
conclusion to draw.
When I first started riding, back in 2004 I
went from a 1974 Honda CT90 to a Yamaha TW200.
After a few years
of the TW, I was convinced that I needed more power...so I sold that
gem and bought an XT225...then an XT250...a DR650...A “Super
Sherpa” (still hate that name) and eventually, I came back to the
TW.
Fast forward another couple of years, and I convinced myself
(again) that I was ready for the ADV scene and needed a larger bike
again. Cue the BMW “Funduro” that turned out to be more trouble
than it was worth and once that one was gone, I purchased the CRF
under the impression that it would be “the last bike I’d ever
need”.
Now, I find myself yearning for the comforts of
home...and the familiar territory that is the TW200.
At 280 lbs,
she’s easy enough to pick up, even when lying across my leg!
Tappet
valve-adjustments are something that I can do in under an hour.
A
carb is something that I can remove and repair at trail-side.
Parts
availability from my usual sources...close to 85 MPG...as reliable as
a hammer!
Only now do I realize that my beloved TW is in fact, the last bike I’ll ever want.
