Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly - October 2016

#179 FREE

The New Victory Muscle Cruiser

Inside: T he Victory Octane • Dual Sport Riding In South Dakota • Lotsa Other Stuff

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Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #179 October 2016

All The News That Fits Lane Splitting Law Signed As reported last month a bill that would legalize lane splitting in California had cleared the legislature and was sent to Gov. Jerry Brown for signature. He signed A.B. 51 into law last month. Lane splitting by motorcyclists is now legally recognized in California. The law defines lane splitting and authorizes the California Highway Patrol, in conjunction with motorcycle safety groups, to draft and distribute guidelines for the practice. California is the first state in the nation to formally recognize lane splitting as a practice. Several other states–including Texas, Oregon, Nevada and Washington–have considered bills during the past few years to make lane splitting legal.

inder heads and an engine counter-balancer to cancel most of the engine vibration. The engines are claimed to produce 10 percent more torque than previous year models. The new motor will initially be available on the H-D touring, trike, and CVO models.

Photo Courtesy of Harley-Davidson

“These are the most powerful, most responsive and most comfortable Touring motorcycles ever offered by Harley-Davidson,” said Scott Miller, Harley-Davidson Vice President of Styling and Product Development Strategy. “You truly have to ride one to feel the difference – so we’re inviting all riders to visit a Harley-Davidson dealer and take a test ride.” (Editorial comment from MMM – We will. Smoky burnout photo a possibility)

“This is great news for motorcyclists in California and throughout the country,” said Rob Dingman, president and CEO of the American Motorcyclist Association. “The California Assembly and the governor have taken a huge step in formally recognizing a practice that has been in use for decades.

New Big Twin for H-D

Sturgis Financials

Studies by the University of California at Berkeley show that splitting lanes is a relatively safe maneuver when both the motorcyclist and nearby drivers know the law and adhere to safe and prudent driving practices.

(Editorial comment from MMM – Legalize it.)

Harley-Davidson has unveiled its all-new Milwaukee-Eight™ engine, the ninth Big Twin in its history. The new engine will be offered in two flavors a 107 cubic inch (1753cc) and 114 (1868cc) sizes. The new Milwaukee-Eight™ engine is all-new from the ground-up. H-D goal was to design a motor that combines the classic H-D look with improvements in performance, comfort, and control.

Resistant too much change the MilwaukeeEight™ keeps standard 45-degree V-Twin cylinder angle, but does gain four-valve cyl-

A report from the South Dakota Department of Revenue states that vendor sales at the event dropped significantly from last year’s milestone 75th anniversary. Total sales were estimated at $15 million down a whopping 55% from $33 million the year prior. That amount is down even compared to the estimated $19 million in sales in 2014. The financial data corresponded to the traffic data, which showed a 40% decrease of traffic in and around the rally this year.

No specific reasons were cited for the decrease, but industry trends show younger are less interested in the rally and the 75th year

“Lane splitting keeps riders safer by eliminating their exposure to rear-end collisions, and it helps ease congestion by effectively removing motorcycles from the traffic lanes.”

Noise Lawsuit Tossed Out As reported by the AMA, a federal lawsuit over loud motorcycles at rallies in Fayetteville, AR and Fort Smith, AR was tossed out of court because the plaintiff lacked legal standing. Ricky Holtsclaw, a former Texas police officer and self-proclaimed motorcycle-sound crusader, sued the cities and city officials for failing to enforce existing sound ordinances during the motorcycle rallies.

He was seeking $500,000 from each defendant and an injunction prohibiting all motorcycle rallies until the state adopts a policy to protect residents from “the audible assault perpetuated by illegally equipped, illegally loud motorcycles.”

In his ruling, U.S. District Judge P.K. Holmes said that Holtsclaw failed to state a plausible claim. The judge also wrote that Holtsclaw has no claim because he was not prosecuted and only seeks to challenge the decision not to prosecute others, so he lacks legal standing in the case. Fayetteville stages the Bikes, Blues & BBQ event, and Fort Smith hosts the Steel Horse Rally.

Custom Park Job A roving MMM correspondent reports from Prescott, Wisconsin that during the recent Flood Run along the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi River, these two customized motorcycles were allegedly tipped over by a large vehicle, possibly an RV per nearby witnesses, apparently because of the way they were parked by overhanging the front wheels past the fog line into the traffic lane.

Local law enforcement was brought in to investigate, and it is unknown at this time if there were any injuries. Unnamed sources report that law enforcement did not seem surprised that this happened. (Editorial comment from MMM – Hmm, does this sort of thing happen more frequently than we would imagine?)

Royal Enfield Sets Up in Milwaukee India-based Royal Enfield opened its North American headquarters in Milwaukee this past September. Former Harley-Davidson executive Rod Copes has been leading the Royal Enfield expansion into the U.S. market. He recently told the Milwaukee Business Journal that the company hopes to position its motorcycles as urban transportation with the target market for the bikes being urban millennials. Royal Enfield North America employs about 20 people, with 10 of them at the Milwaukee office and dealership. Look a review of the new Royal Enfield Himalaya in a coming issue.

record attendance numbers drew in many of the once-every-so-often attendees. (Editorial comment from MMM – Maybe it’s time to visit again. Did I hear there are flat track races?)

MMM

Photo by Anonymous

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Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #179 October 2016

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Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly®

Table of Contents October 2016 2

PUBLISHER

All The News That Fits Road Rash

Victor Wanchena

MANAGING EDITOR Bruce Mike

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From The Hip

REVIEW WRANGLER David Soderholm

4

COLUMNISTS

Geezer With A Grudge It’s a Dirt Bike Habit

Thomas Day Paul Berglund

CONTRIBUTORS

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Photo Courtesy of w-dog.net

Lee Bruns Tim Erickson B. P. Goebel Harry Martin David Soderholm

From The Hip

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Feature Ride for a Cause

By Bruce Mike

6-7

all is by far my favorite time of the year for riding. All my bikes are air-cooled and they seem to run their best when the outside temperature is between 45 and 65 degrees. I think I run my best at these temperatures too. This is the time of year when I put the most miles on my bikes. I know the weather is a big factor but I think the sense of urgency caused by the impending winter plays a part too.

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Cool mornings and cool evenings are when I get my best helmet time. There seems to be less traffic on the roads I like to ride and less people at the places I like to stop. Stopping to get a hot cup of coffee and a piece of pie is far more rewarding when it’s 55º than it is when it’s 85º. Gear is also a lot more comfortable in cooler temperatures. The only drawback I can find is wet leaves on the road and more deer at dusk. Neither of which will keep my bike in the garage.

For a lot of years now I’ve owned multiple bikes at the same time. I currently have three. I’ve always convinced myself that I need more than one. They each served a specific purpose. Riding off-road, riding twisties, riding around town, long distance riding and a bunch more I can’t remember. In reality, there was always at least one bike, that was rarely ever ridden. That hasn’t been the case for the three I have now. I don’t know if it’s years of trial and error or just dumb luck, but the bikes I have now seem to get pretty equal riding time. Not necessarily equal miles but equal time.

My current riding choices are a BMW R1200R, a Ural and a Sportster. The BMW is my touring bike as well as my twisty-road bike. It works great for both applications. The Ural is my around-town, commuter, off-road and hauling a passenger bike. It has proven to be even more fun than I thought it would. I haven’t done any serious off-road riding with it yet but I’m hoping to change that this upcoming weekend. The Sportster is a rubber-mounted 883 that has been modified to more than double its horsepower. My original plan was to turn it into a flat track replica but my nephew convinced me to hot-rod it instead. I have no regrets. It is “Harley fast” and great fun to ride in a straight line. The next round of modifications will be suspension. Who knows, it may be a flat tracker someday.

I know from experience that bikes I’m crazy about today can fall out of favor at any time. I went through a vintage japanese phase that I was convinced would last forever. After three or four years of pain and heartache, they were all gone. I have a few fond memories of my RD350 but they are only a few. I had a couple of scooters that I was excited about for maybe the first 20 minutes I owned them. I was smiling from ear-to-ear when the last one left the garage.

There will always be “bikes I’ve always wanted” and I’ve had quite a few. I don’t have them anymore which tells me I don’t always know what I want or my perception of what they are is a little off. The common denominator in the bikes I have now is I rode all 3 models before. My wife had an ’04 Sportster that I rode a few times and I really liked it. I reviewed a Ural for the paper and I had a ton of fun and I rode the R1200R at a factory demo and it fit me perfectly. Riding a bike before I go out and get one seems to be a good idea.

Bike Review 2016 Victory Octane

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Feature High Plains Drifter Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Slide the Bike Part II3

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Tales From The Road Scrambler Fever

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Reader’s Contribution Dual Sport Riding In South Dakota Cover photo

by David Soderholm Review Bike Provided By Victory Motorcycles Visit the website to find a dealer near you. www.victorymotorcycles.com.com

I’m really looking forward to the next couple of months of riding. Hell, maybe the next 6 months. The Ural has 2WD. My total miles ridden this year won’t set any records but my smiles per mile are way up there. Ride safe and don’t bump your head.

MMM

Je Suis Charlie

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Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #179 October 2016

Geezer With A Grudge

O

By Thomas Day

ne of my least favorite excuses for poor street bike motorcycle skills is “it’s a dirt bike habit,” as if I’m too stupid or inexperienced to know what works off-road. Ok, I grant that I’m not that bright and there are a world of things I don’t know about riding a dirt bike, but I’m pretty sure I know more and ride better on or off-road than an over-18 newbie who needs to take the MSF Basic Riding Course to get a motorcycle license. (A subject for a whole different GwAG rant.) Face it, if you were good you’d just ride down to the DMV, take their easy little test, and get your license. But that doesn’t stop a certain portion of the folks who take the Basic Rider Course from explaining away all of their awful habits with “it’s a dirt bike habit”; habits that have been formed from experiences as diverse as riding on the back of Dad’s ATV to mountain biking.

The things that get blamed on dirt bike experience are 1) clinging to the front brake lever with one or more fingers as if it were a lifeline, 2) sticking a foot out any time the bike leans more than two degrees away from vertical, 3) superstition, ignorance, and terror of either the front or rear brake use, 4) staring at the front wheel as if it were about to fall off at any moment at the expense of having the remotest idea where the motorcycle is traveling, and 5) any number of weird and uncontrollable throttle hand positions. There are lots more dumb things that, supposedly, dirt bike riders “all do,” but I’ll leave the list at five for the purposes of keeping this short and minimally pissed-off.

It’s a Dirt Bike Habit day. You have to be able to stop quickly or be ready to offer up the girlyman excuse, “I had to lay ‘er down” when you explain why you are on crutches for a whole riding season. I hope it’s obvious that four fingers are stronger than one or two. It might be less obvious that regularly practicing braking with all four fingers does not limit a rider to exclusively using four fingers every time the brakes are used. You can always consciously choose to only use one finger or two in appropriate braking situations or when hanging on to the bars in precarious (as it is in off-road situations). I always argue that it’s better to have to think about using a less effective braking technique than it is to automatically select the low-power option in an emergency. I could be wrong about that, but it’s still the argument I’d present to any new rider hoping to ride safely for a lot of years.

Clinging to the grips while you are also trying to use the throttle, clutch, or brake precisely is another “dirt bike habit” that is ineffective, unnecessary, and dangerous on the road. I am referring to those riders who are unable to use more than a couple of fingers for braking because they are afraid of losing their grip on the bars. Braking in particular puts a lot of force on the palm of your hand and you are not likely to be bumped loose when you’re applying maximum braking forces. However, if you are really that insecure about loosening your grip on the bars, the chances are pretty good that you’re going to crash sooner or later.

When you do, those fingers you’ve allocated under the levers are likely to get crushed when the weight of the bike smashes the lever ends into the ground.

“Stick that basketball shoe into a warm chunk of asphalt and you may find your shin trying to occupy the same space as your thigh bone”.

It is true that riding off-road and, especially, racing off-road is a different animal from street riding. There is no life-threatening situation in a motocross or enduro where you have to worry about maximum braking horsepower. That is one of many reasons why dirt bikes have wimpy little brakes that barely seem functional in street riding situations. Mostly due to my riding style, skill limitations, and attitude, when I raced off-road I was more inclined to lift the front wheel and ride over obstacles and downed riders and bikes than I was to hit the brakes or try to avoid those obstructions. That is simply not a survivable option on the street. On the road, in any given week of commuting, I would be surprised if I didn’t seriously exercise my motorcycle’s brakes at least twice out of necessity and I have a long-established habit of working on my stopping and avoidance skills every

of their controls. It’s not accurate to say the road racers are altogether smoother than the off-road pros, but their on-bike movements are considerably less sudden.

“There is no life-threatening situation in a motocross or enduro where you have to worry about maximum braking horsepower”.

when you discover how much traction those Nikes can grab. More importantly, if you are sticking a foot out to help steer your street bike around a tight curve you are most likely putting your weight on the highside of the bike, which forces the motorcycle to lean further than necessary and a greater lean angle can mean you are working with a smaller tire contact patch and unnecessarily high side forces. And, of course, you look like a total douche to any experienced motorcyclists who may be watching.

Maneuverability is a motorcyclist’s only weapon against the forces of four-wheel evil, four-hooved devils, and two-legged idiots.

Stopping or slowing quickly is just one aspect of maneuverability, but if you can’t do it you’re pretty much a set of streamers dangling from your bike’s handlebars. Regardless of what your father, boyfriend, goofy neighbor, or Rush Limbaugh told you, using either brake aggressively and with skill is not a dangerous activity. In fact, if you can’t use your brakes, riding is dangerous.

The foot thing is just silly in pavement situations, especially on a dry parking lot at speeds that barely require shifting to second gear. At 150mph, Valentino Rossi might stick a leg out from behind his fairing’s air-pocket to add a little drag before entering a high speed corner and James Stewart might plant a speedway-style boot in the apex of a tight corner, but you do not need to pretend you are in either of those situations in typical street conditions. Stick that basketball shoe into a warm chunk of asphalt and you may find your shin trying to occupy the same space as your thigh bone

A few moments on YouTube will demonstrate the difference between the riding techniques of great off-road racers and street racers (search for Valentino Rossi and James Stewart on-board camera views, for example). The road racer hand movements and throttle application looks almost in slow motion compared to the off-road racers. Steward, Dungey, and Carmichael drop the hammer on the throttle like they have no use for anything between full off and full on. Likewise, off-road one finger clutch and brake use is common because you are hanging on for dear life and taking a pounding, physically, for every inch of travel. The street is a different environment.

Speeds are higher, traction is more predictable, acceleration and deceleration forces are dramatically higher as a result. Road racing is physical, but it is a substantially different sport. Rossi, Stoner, and Marquez are much more tentative in their use of all

Every issue 1996 thru 2016 — www.mnmotorcycle.com

MMM

Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #179 October 2016

Ride for a Cause

Feature

W

5

By Tim Erickson

e motorcyclists are a caring bunch. On any given summer weekend, there seems opportunity to come together as a riding community and support numerous causes – fundraisers for individual people, support for armed forces or law enforcement, and other events with a purpose. Look no further than a dealer or motorcycle food hot spot to see organized ride flyers with come one, come all and support messaging.

MMM participated in the 8th Annual Ride for Hope July 23.

MN privately held Lube Tech, an oil and fuel company headquartered in Golden Valley, MN, is the event’s sponsor and its owners and long-time employees the founders. The Ride for Hope beneficiary is the Autism Society of Minnesota, a 501c organization benefitting Minnesota families affected by autism with non-medical support: education, advocacy and other financial assistance. It’s heartwarming to be part of a greater good, more so on rides that boast 100% of proceeds donated.

This ride, like numerous others, has sponsors that cover all the expenses and the donated giveaways means $0 overhead.

I hopped aboard our Victory Octane loaner, eschewed the stormy afternoon forecast thumbed the starter button and piloted to the Zimmerman, MN rendezvous. I couldn’t resist liberal twisting of the throttle to make use of the bike’s addicting, quick-revving midrange pull. Accelerating to highway speeds from stoplights is quick and thrilling aboard the relaxed, yet sporty cockpit. Slabbing it up Highway 169 at the posted 65 mph revealed adequate, if not surprising, wind protection from the small bikini fairing. The chassis was so confidence inspiring on routine corners the peg feelers bottomed out frequently.

Upon arrival I paid a $35 registration fee and shelled out another $20 for raffle tickets to prize giveaways including Twins and Wild tickets, hotel suite stays and more. I was told I could pick a bag if my ticket was drawn, and wouldn’t know its contents until opened. I liked my odds.

I waited in line for a short stack of pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon and poured a black coffee. The hearty VFW breakfast was the catalyst to pre-ride conversation after I identified another solo participant at a nearby table. The ride comradery was instant. I learned quickly he was fresh from armed forces service, and participating in his first charity ride aboard his first bike. We continued to make small talk over clean plates and a second cup of coffee until the ride organizers signaled we were moving out.

The well planned circuitous route, supported by both roadguards and sheriff deputies, took off toward Santiago. I was late mid-pack, where I had a sea of rumbling V Twins ahead of me and several dozen headlamps visible in my mirrors. The 120mile route followed backroads to planned stops in Santiago,

Staging: 62 motorcycles carrying 92 participants staged from the Zimmerman VFW July 28 for the annual Ride for Hope benefitting the Autism Society of Minnesota. Riders antied $13,504.

Foreston, and Princeton before wrapping up in Big Lake. At least that was the plan.

After a prize giveaway and social stop in Santiago at Bailey Ray’s Road House, we motored on to Foreston for lunch. While feasting on the roasted ham, fresh rolls and cheesy hash browns, the sky opened up. The relentless rain and strong storm caused drainage to back up and water to pool, but my spirits were not dampened. We remounted after our initial weather delay and marched on to Princeton, but riders were soaked – rain gear or not – by the time the slow-moving motorcade arrived to the Finish Line Café. Ride organizers reduced the pace due to the weather, ensuring everyone arrived safely. Perhaps knowing the barriers to get soaked riders on the move again, the ride leaders decided the ride would complete at the Princeton stop and people could leave at their own pace.

While drinking a warm up cup of coffee and walking the silent auction in squishy riding boots, I decided I had to leave as the high bidder on a new Jason Mitchell fishing setup and hoodie for several dollars less than retail. People redeemed wet raffle tickets in exchange for the prize packs, but my luck was as lousy as the day’s weather.

Photo by Tim Erickson

give back. The 2016 Ride for Hope raised $13,504 in spite of the weather and the shortened route. I started to think about the impact motorcycle riders have statewide every year. I was part of one day, one ride. And to date, this charity has received $63,371 from its 8-year history.

It had been years since I participated in a large group event. The weather was terrible – but without this organized ride more important to me and to the charity than the forecast, it put me and 61 other bikes on the road that may not have otherwise been ridden that day, for a purpose.

For more information on the Ride for Hope and additional event photos, check out www.rideforhopemn.com. You can also learn more about the Autism Society of Minnesota at www. ausm.org.

A great resource for a calendar of motorcycle rides, many of them for a charitable cause, visit www.cyclefish.com or look at the calendar of events right here in MMM!

We’d like to thank Victory Motorcycles for loaning MMM a fresh Octane for a few days before and after the Ride for Hope.

See the full review on page 6.

MMM

Just as it was at breakfast, the participants were jovial, pleasant and generous. Charity rides are just that – an opportunity to

Photo by Tim Erickson

On the Road: I rode mid-pack, behind a sea of V Twins. It’s fun to be in a parade of chrome and steel, stopping traffic using Road Guards, and seeing a serpentine line of bikes following.

Photo by Tim Erickson

Wet: The rain was relentless, and unfortunately cut the ride short.

I wasn’t worried about the wet seat – my pants soaked it right up.

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Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #179 October 2016

2016 Victory Octane — T

By B.P. Goebel

hese days its just not good enough to have a stoink big motor and not enough chassis or brake to be able to turn or stop.

Like a resto-modded muscle car, the “total package” is what’s important. This is 2016 and no one wants archaic design or functionality. Luckily we don’t need to make such drastic compromises anymore. In the cruiser class Victory’s new Octane muscle cruiser is set to blur category lines.

A blacked out, monochromatic mix of creases and chevrons, aesthetically, the Victory Octane is raw and pure and not hiding anything. Nothing that doesn’t need to be there is there. In the tradition of all the best “muscle” vehicles, it is very much a stripped down motorcycle. This helps to achieve a dry weight of 528 lbs.

LED brake and LED turn signals are standard, because they are superior. We don’t use carbide lighting systems anymore and soon we won’t use incandescent either.

Riding position is still feet forward but not unfunctionally so. Bars are low and wide, offering lots of leverage. Bar to seat spacing seems somewhat short. Seat height is 25.9 inches. Combining a low center of gravity, low seat height and also being very narrow in the waist allows people with really short inseams to feel a confidence they usually don’t get from a motorcycle that is not a mini bike or a scooter. The seat is sculpted, firm and comfortable. But it’s still a cruiser seating position and there is only one place to sit the whole time. Ischial tuberosities beware.

In keeping with the pared down theme, a digital window on the only gauge, the speedometer, gives time, odo, trip mileage, rpm, engine temp and idiot lights handle the rest. Switch gear is standard fare. The Octane doesn’t have any electronic trickery-no traction control, no power modes. Power modes and traction control are selected with your right wrist movements.

The motor in this bike has much, much more potential available than most of the riders who will gravitate to this bike will use regularly on the street. This is evidenced by the ability to rip off a claimed sub 4 second 0-60 time and a 12 second quarter. The Octane is very fast and not just fast for a cruiser, fast for any kind of bike.

Even better, it feels raw fast. The kind of fast that unwaveringly grabs all of your available

Riding position is still feet forward but not un-functionally so. Bars are low and wide, offering lots of leverage. attention and focus. Point it, tear the throttle open and the bomb goes off, it just explodes in that direction like a wrecking ball unconnected from the chain. Even jaded big bore bike riders can’t help but be impressed with the combination of big power and less weight.

The four valve head V-twin pulls cleanly in cruising gears from as low as 1700 rpm’s. Not bad for a motor that red lines at more than 8000 rpm’s. Don’t worry, the power band is extremely flexible and wide. You could, if it fit your style, never ever exceed 5500 rpm and never miss it. More times than I could count, when I thought i was really winding it out because of the power that was being generated, I was at about 6500 rpm’s. Power delivery is neither peaky or unpredictable. About running a big V-twin up to 8 grand? No worries as the Octane motor is silky smooth, even up top.

It returned gas mileage of between 37-42 mpg, depending on how often you tried to access the sub 4 second 0-60 time.

While the cruiser style of motorcycle is still the dominant motorcycle form factor in American motorcycling trends, it leaves much to be desired in areas such as comfort and versatility. At 104 HP, the Octane motor, Victory’s first water cooled motor, could easily provide the motive power for almost any form factor of motorcycle and to be honest, it will probably be the least taxed as a cruiser motor.

This 6-speed transmission is much more sport bike than cruiser. Shifting is sharp and precise once you figure out how to clutch it right and not pull the clutch in too far. As is to be expected, the Octane transmission can knock off lightning fast up shifts. But most interestingly, and very un-cruiserish, it can knock off a bunch of down shifts at once without resisting, without clogging up, without sounding like you are trying to wake the dead by pounding on a metal washtub with a leaf spring. The cable actuated clutch pull is not particularly light–it’s kind of heavy; like a good muscle bike should be.

Victory motorcycles always dance when asked and the Octane is no exception. Or maybe it is the exception because the Octane can dance really hard. With the exception of off-road, all types of riding are on the table and you will have fun doing them all on the Octane.

You can lean the Octane over as far as you want on the street without any grinding. Victory has always been great in this respect, but with 32 degrees of available lean angle, this bike seems to be the cornering clearance winner. No heroics are necessary, only good technique. As high as the the Octanes’ handling limits are, it is really quite docile. It never missteps.

The cast aluminum frame makes for a stiff monolithic feel. It does not have the usual spindly, flexy cruiser feel. Nothing on the Octane doesn’t feel solid. This stability gives the bike a super agile, light feel rather than heavy and ponderous feel to cornering and handling in general.

Photo by Sev Pearman

Nothing that doesn’t need to be there is there.

Photo by Steve Tiedman

like bumpy roads. It won’t ever do anything untoward, but it’s not its first choice and it would rather play on smooth roads.

Foot peg, shifter and brake pedal rubber seems stickier than usual, a good idea with the amount of acceleration available. Otherwise your feet would slide off due to the acceleration.

Whoa is not ignored in favor of Go. Helped by the 130mm front tire (not long ago that a major cruiser motorcycle manufacturer spec’d 130mm tires in the rear), well thought out ratios and stainless steel brake lines, a tremendous amount of controllable stopping power is available from the single, almost sport bike sized, disk front brake. The same sized rear disk, helped by a long wheel base and rearward seating position is also extremely powerful. Used in conjunction, stopping is more than adequate for this style of motorcycle. More importantly, it is not badly underbraked for a motorcycle with this kind of power.

For more than two decades now, Victory has proven itself many times over as a manufacturer of interesting and extremely capable cruisers. The Octane is certainly no exception.

At just $10,499, nothing touches it in performance. They should sell every one that they can make. Who is going to buy the Octane?

Experienced cruiser pilots wanting more power and handling with less weight? Shorter riders and riders of slighter stature? The beginning cruiser rider seduced by the Octanes’ lack of mass (and oblivious to its engines’ massive nature)? Probably all of the above.

Victory is on the move. While Victory has been busy racing, testing new technologies and designs, in different disciplines on the worlds race circuits, so far it has only produced cruisers. If Victory ever (please, please, please) decides to produce a different style of motorcycle, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see the Octane motor powering that motorcycle. I would be very happy to see both.

The Octane is sprung tautly with a cruiserish amount of suspension travel. It doesn’t really

Every issue 1996 thru 2016 — www.mnmotorcycle.com

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Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #179 October 2016

7

— A Hot Rod Cruiser “I

By David Soderholm

want you to do a track day on it” said Guido Ebert, our media guru contact for Indian / Victory. “I’ll order different footpeg brackets and you’ll have a great time.” To say I was intrigued is a vast understatement. Do a track day on a cruiser? Well, I didn’t end up doing it, but have little doubt after riding the Octane that a casual track day isn’t out of the question. This Octane is the most fun I’ve ever had on a cruiser since riding the Diavel from Ducati. If you know my feelings on that bike, you know that’s very high praise! The kicker…..the Octane cost $8000.00 less – Fantastic!

Let’s get the elephant out of the room. There is little doubt that the Indian Scout and the Victory Octane are related. I had the fortune of spending time on the Indian last year when MMM had it and obviously the Octane this year. They both are great bikes, but the Octane is more rowdy fun always with a much more butch feel and the Scout is a well done retro classic. They definitely share some parts, but the sum totals of those parts have clearly different missions in life. Decide if you like classic or hooligan and choose appropriately – you really can’t go wrong.

Looking at the Octane brings a smile to my face. It’s very compact and powerful looking.

It has an aggressive look and feel to it when you approach it, taught and folded with a very synergistic look from front to back. The monochromatic color scheme is almost completely devoid of shiny stuff anywhere. The engine is superbly proportioned and detailed. It tucks behind a stylish aluminum shroud around the radiator that provides anchor points for the foot controls. Finish it off with cool satin black wheels, drag bars, details and a standard bullet fairing and you have a styling winner.

Sitting on it shows a nicely finished and simple cockpit. Speedometer nacelle up nice and high where it is easy to see instead of buried on the tank. It has a built in multifunction digital window that is easily scrolled through using the

The Octane is exceedingly agile and trustworthy and downright shocking as a cruiser. left trigger finger - simple and easy. And that’s about it as far as instruments are concerned.

Pulling away from a stop the first time and hoisting my feet up on the pegs was surprising, the forward controls for your feet are actually pretty close. Reach to the bars is moderate and that adds up to a closely coupled and not uncomfortable riding position, even if you aren’t a big feet forward kind of rider. One thing of note though – you have ONE seating position on the Octane. The seat is deeply sculpted and forward / backward movement is completely absent. The seat is actually quite comfortable though and the bullet fairing provides some surprising wind protection.

Let’s talk about the chassis for a bit. It’s readily apparent that the chassis development guys have a handling or performance background.

I’m not sure if any of the chassis things they learned on Pikes Peak (Project 156 – google it if you need to) are present here, but the Octane is exceedingly agile and trustworthy and downright shocking as a cruiser. There is only one other cruiser that shares this level of handling – the before mentioned Diavel.

This is FUN handling.

The kind that makes you take the little squiggly county lines on the map instead of the highways. I clearly understood where the bike was headed at all times.

Outstanding chassis job boys!

Photo by David Soderholm

Hey Victory how about you put this motor in the project 156 chassis?

Take what the chassis guys did with the Octane and double it.

Then you get an idea what the engine guys accomplished. It is READILY apparent that the Pikes Peak Project 156 racer had a direct line in development of this engine. Simply stated; the 1200 cc engine in this bike flat out rips.

It’s genuinely fast and thrilling. Surprisingly you absolutely can use it as a sedate cruiser engine using the first 4000 rpm’s and be perfectly happy. It pulls well and has good torque.

Clutch and throttle are smooth and well calibrated. You could ride the engine for weeks this way, never knowing the crazy fun this bike has in the second half of the rpm range. The first time you run it to redline though you’ll be shocked and addicted. It pulls HARD and has a great intake honk. After that you will look for opportunities to rip this engine. Stoplights and freeway ramps are a hoot. Make sure to take advantage of the motorcycle lane on the freeway entrance ramps!

On backroads the chassis and engine combine to make a fun and engaging ride, I had to remind myself this was a cruiser. Find some twisty county roads and try not having a stupid Cheshire cat grin stuck to your face. I spent a day out on some alphabet roads in cheddar land and had a blast. Sticking the smooth shifting transmission in third gear and running up and down the rev range was thrilling. The drivetrain is almost always smooth and well behaved which lets you just concentrate on having fun.

It’s so ANTI behemoth cruiser! The lightweight nimble chassis means you can precisely place this bike in corners where you want it to be, instead of having the behemoth mass of a typical cruiser place the bike for you. Now we aren’t talking sport-bike levels here, but my goodness, it’s far outside of the normal handling envelope for any other cruiser (except for one…).

Photo by Steve Tiedman

disc brake with a 2 piston caliper up front. But they are big discs, with steel braided lines. The leverage ratio and pad materials are well chosen.

The front turns out to be a two finger brake with good feel and the rear is probably the most effective rear brake I’ve ever used. Combine the two in the best MSF taught technique and you have a surprisingly good set of brakes.

Issues…..they are few. There is a little bit of laggy free play in the throttle just off of idle.

Not a big deal, but noticeable and something you will adjust to in short order and probably forget about. Tank range is short – like 100 mile short before looking for gas. The engine puts out a good deal of heat. Finally, the seating position is locked in. For me, I started getting fidgety about the same time I needed to fill up. Your mileage may vary. Victory offers some great factory accessories for the Octane to customize it both for more performance or more touring so check out the website.

I had a blast on this fun performance cruiser and only hope that Victory has big plans for this drivetrain in a NON cruiser chassis.

Come on Victory, something along the lines of a project 156 chassis to compete with the likes of the Ducati Monster. The engine is certainly ready and the chassis ran Pikes Peak multiple times. Roll THAT on the show floor and I may have to sell my Street Triple….

Brakes look pedestrian on the Octane, and I’ll admit I was disappointed initially to see a single

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8

Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #179 October 2016

Feature

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High Plains Drifter...Or How I Learned

By Victor Wanchena

art three of my racing saga finds me with a one-month gap between races. Last time out at St. Croix Speedway had gone fairly well. One low side crash, one thoroughly sweated up pair of leathers, and two bikes pretty much intact. The week after those races I got a call from Colin Hastings, the man behind the Shadow Valley Drifters. He says he’s organizing a practice day at Cedar Lake Arena. The morning will be instruction and the afternoon would be open practice. Sweet. I talk a friend, Damon, into joining me the for day figuring if I get him a taste, he’ll be hooked.

The school was easily one of the best instruction days I’ve had. We show up bright and early, as were unloading our bikes I realize most people have brought a little bike for the school. Neither Damon nor I had a little bike with us (yes I know they’re all little to me), so the instructors help out with a couple spare bikes. Damon gets a TTR 125 I get a CRF100.

Andrew Hook (#97L), a local pro level GNC2 rider, led the instruction for the day. The drills all seem pretty basic and lord almighty were we cramped on those bikes, but by mid-morning we could slide them with some authority.

I did suffer the shame of strap. The instructors used a ratchet strap to hold your butt forward for riders who try cheating on body position by sliding back on the seat. It was an excellent teaching aid.

After a couple hours my legs are burning and I’ve literally done 100 laps of a 40’ circle. We move to a slightly larger track, maybe 200’ long and start faster drills, reverse direction, late apex, et al. By lunch we are all pretty exhausted.

But for that fatigue I gain a feeling of control.

I start to lose the nervous feeling when sliding, my body positioning is much improved, and my general confidence level on the track is higher.

After lunch we are set loose to run practice laps for a couple hours. Damon and I hustle

Gettin’ a handle on the launch. around the track off and on until we are completely shot. My evil plan works. He’s hooked and planning what he needs to convert his KX450. He enjoyed hustling my TT500 on the track and I now know my TT shoots impressive balls of flame out the exhaust when decelerating into corners.

wish with the next races back at the St. Croix Speedway hosted by the Shadow Valley Drifters. I did some further tweaking on my race bikes with the addition of some better rubber pegs (Bates, the perennial flat track favorite) for the TT500 and a set of flat track bend handle bars for the KTM.

I was anxious for the next race. I had all these new skills that I was so ready to try in actual competition. A couple weeks later I got my

The races were a Saturday night/Sunday morning scheduled event. Saturday afternoon I got there and found the track looking pretty good.

It was much smoother than the previous time.

All the input given the track prep crew paid off.

I went through the usual routine getting settled in the pits, the bikes prepped, and geared up.

Maybe it was sleep deprivation or just familiarity, but I feel much calmer now on arrival and as I settle into my trackside routine.

Practice went well. The track was a little slippery with a fine layer of dust over much of the track. Both bikes felt good and my newly learned skills seemed to help, but there was so much to remember. I tried to focus on a couple of key points, with the hope of making them second nature.

Photo by Tim McBride

Coming out or turn two not nearly as puckered as earlier in the season.

The Open B heat race was first with only two of us, myself and the guy ahead of me in the points, #93. He has a fine late model KTM 450, which is well set up. They do combine us with the only 250/450A class rider entered. #93 gets a nice holeshot and just motors away from me. I was amazed at how quickly he opens up ground on me. I stay within a 1/4 lap of him, but it isn’t much of a contest. I follow the 250/450A guy for a lap and actually get around him, out driving him into a corner.

The other positive note is that I am driving way harder out of the corners. My corner en-

Photo by Kevin Wynn

try isn’t great, but my exits are getting way better. I can drift the exit if needed and feel very in control. It’s weird sliding and not getting that oh crap feeling.

The Vintage Single heat follows. It’s my two Flying Dutchmen MC friends, Adam, Ryan, and me. Adam is on a nice Honda XR500 and Ryan has a TT500 like mine. I lose the holeshot again but hang near enough to feel good for most of the race. The TT is harder and easier to ride. It’s got a lower center of gravity than the KTM, but the suspension is tortured by me and what I want the bike to do. I chase them for the few laps, but a couple bobbles near the end mean I’m a distant third.

The Open B main was a carbon copy of the heat. #93 leaps out in front I follow both guys for a bit and then pass the 250/450A guy. I do have a couple decent saves as I try running higher on the track to keep my speed up and run wide out of corner 2. A couple times coming what felt pretty close to the track wall. Despite that, I feel very composed and in control. Not sure about my lap times, but the pucker factor is greatly reduced. The Vintage Single main, like Open B, was essentially a carbon copy of the heat. The Dutchmen get the jump on me; I follow, but actually stay closer than I did in the heat.

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Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #179 October 2016

9

To Stop Worrying And Slide The Bike — Part III The next morning I asked Andrew, lead instructor from the class, about finding more traction on the launch. I’d used the tip given me by another rider to check tire pressure before and after a race. If it increases less than 3 psi you’re good. With my current tire pressure I only increased about 2 psi so that wasn’t likely the case.

Instead, he suggested a better launch technique.

In essence it’s using the rear brake as traction control on the launch. I was doing the opposite, with my foot on the left peg ready to hit the next gear. I rolled out to a quiet area of the pits and practiced launching that way few times. It seemed easy enough, what could go wrong?

Open B heat was up first again. Today there was five of us. #93 from yesterday, a guy on a 450 Yamaha, a guy on a HD XG750 Street, and the lone guy from 250/450A. The HD was a nice looking ride, but isn’t the new XG750R it’s actually a 750 Street that had been converted for racing. So with my new launch technique ready I rolled to the line. I took a slightly outside starting position and figured I’d just shoot straight toward the apex. I bring the rpms up and the light goes green and… I launch off the line and suddenly find myself in the lead! I actually stay there until turn 3 when the both #93 and 450 Yamaha guy accelerate deeper into the corner. The rest of the race is pretty much a blur.

I’m so thrilled to actually get a holeshot that the rest of the race is irrelevant. I stay ahead of the HD and 250/450A guy and take a third.

The Vintage Single heat were the same riders as the previous day, Adam, Ryan, and I. All goes well, but not quite as nice as the Open B. I don’t get the holeshot, but I stay right in the mix into the first corner. I follow the other two for the remainder of the race. I close in on second place a couple times when he drifts wide, but I do the same and lose ground near the end. I also catch my foot on a decent ripple in the track and tweak my ankle. It’s sore but not terribly injured.

By the time the Open B race comes around the track is beautiful. There is nice level of moisture, and a lovely blue groove developing. The blue groove is the area on the track that becomes covered with the rubber scrubbed off the tires during racing. It has the best traction and is typically the fastest line on the track.

We pick up a sixth rider for the race. He’s a fast guy from Oregon who was at Oshkosh for the EAA airshow. His company had sent him out in a U-Haul, so he threw his bike in to come out racing. He’s run the heat with another class, but dropped to Open B to have more people to race with. The start goes well, but while I don’t get the holeshot, I stay right in the mix. Yamaha guy is first off the line and I follow. It takes Oregon and #93 a lap to get around me. I fall in line behind them and try to stay close. Oregon is really quick and the other two hold their own.

I do everything to keep them in sight, but a couple mistakes and I’m way back of them at the checkered, but still eke out a 4th place ahead of the HD and 250/450A guy.

The Vintage Single main is pretty much like the heat. The start is a chaotic wheelie-fest with us all launching about the same time and aiming for the same spot. Ryan drifts into his brother Adam, but I stay clear. We fall into single file and get down to racing around the track. Adam is on fire today and pulls away from Ryan and I. I try to give Ryan some pressure, but he stays out in front of me and I never really give him a serious run.

I end the weekend with a great feeling of control. The big pucker is gone and now I’m start-

Photo by Kevin Wynn

Crazy, stupid fun. ing to really learn how to ride. I can’t describe the joy of feeling that level of control. I’m no expert, in fact the more I learn the more I realize I’m a giant rookie.

The next race is back at the Norsemen MC TT track west of Cambridge. It had been another one-month gap between races. My previous time at the track had not been stellar. I had the oil “incident” losing my drain plug on the track and almost destroyed my shocks absorbers on the jump. I figured I couldn’t do worse this time.

The morning of the event brought lovely weather bright blue skies and steady wind out of the south. The track was in pretty good shape. Last time here the track crew had struggled to get the course smoothed out. Their efforts had paid off this time with a nicely groomed surface.

Practice went well with no big surprises except I felt rusty after a month off the bike.

The Open B heat was up first. Our race was combined with the 250/450A race. This added to the fun since there was a total of 9 of us on the track together. The start went okay, but I didn’t get the jump on anyone and the tracks surface had started to loosen up. A fine layer of dust made finding traction tricky. The TT course is pretty straight forward, but I just don’t have a good feel for it. The second corner is especially tough. Too much speed going into it pushes you way out into the grass on the exit; don’t ask how I know. I got past a couple riders in 250/450A, but remain in last place for my class.

The bright sun and wind continues to dry the track so by the time of the Open B race it’s getting pretty slick in places. I get a decent start off the line and hang in the main pack for a lap. As the front pack starts to pull away from me I try grabbing another gear heading down the front straight. It works I start to make up ground as we head for the first corner. Then I realize that all newfound speed needs to be shed to get through corner one. I figure I start wide and cut in across towards the apex. Nope.

The fine dust gives me my first two-wheel drift as I run wide. Discretion being the better part of valor I figure it’s better to stand up and run straight off the track than slide broadside into the rhubarb, but my little side trip off the track costs me a lot of time. I motor around the track finishing a distant 5th.

the first couple turns. I stay ahead of a couple guys in 50+, but my classmates in Vintage Single have a decent lead on me. Another rider in the 50+ pulls the same wide off corner one I did. In the end I don’t pull any amazing sort of shenanigans for last lap pass, but manage to stay upright and survive the race earning more points toward the season end awards.

The Vintage Single race goes much better. I get a good start and stay with the main pack for

MMM

As I approach the end of the season I’m amazed at what I’ve learned in such a short period of time. I have done many things I wouldn’t have imagined the year prior. I’m actually in the points hunt, but most importantly I had an absolute blast. Crazy, stupid fun.

The next and final installment of this series has me in the final three races of season. How will it end?

The Vintage Single heat was the same three riders from St. Croix Speedway, Adam, Ryan, and I plus three riders from the 50+ class. The start goes poorly. My bike coughs at the start and lose valuable ground right off the start. I motor around the track, but fail to make up any ground. On the bright side the bike holds together and I don’t break anything despite nailing the jump with authority.

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10

Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #179 October 2016

Tales From The Road

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Scrambler Fever My wife know’s that I’m am plotting something, but she doesn’t know what.

She’s learned to give me room and not ask too many questions. She’s slowed down her intake of vodka from fancy shaped bottles and positioned herself between me and the bank account. She’s quietly leaning against it with her arms crossed and watching me with narrowed eyes. It’s a waiting game now. Soon Rachel Ray will recommend some out of this world cocktail or there will be a sale down at Merwin’s. I must bide my time till then. So for now I continue my research and make some notes, making sure to keep a close guard on them. I have to keep to my regular routine so as not to raise suspicion. Luckily I’ve set the precedent of looking at used motorcycles on Craig’s List for hours on end.

By Paul Berglund

ave you heard of the Trans America Trail? How about the Trans Wisconsin or Minnesota trails? I have and I’ve ridden on parts of all of them.

Check out the internet forums and you’ll find endless discussions and countless opinions on what bike is best for ridding them. I listened to many of those disembodied voices coming from my computer screen. I lost some of what I wanted along the way. I got caught up in what was the best and the ultimate and I forgot what I wanted to do, what I was likely to do. Why spend time fixating on 1290 KTM Adventures riding across Siberia, when I just wanted to ride the roads I liked. I wanted to ride them more often and I wanted to be a better rider.

The roads and trails I’m talking about are basically dirt roads or crappy dirt roads, so you don’t need a full on dirt bike. Nor do you need a high tech, high dollar adventure bike. I was distracted and frustrated by not being able to afford my dream bike and riding some fantasy road, that I forgot to ride the roads I liked on the bike I owned. I came to my senses. Well, I gathered together what little sense I had and formed a fleet of motorcycles in my garage.

One bike for dirt trails and one for streets and roads. Both bikes are very good at what they do. But I was still fascinated by what that inbetween bike would be.

I had tried to find one bike to do it all in the past and I had failed. I didn’t know why at first. I watched videos on line of guys riding adventure bikes up trails a goat would struggle with. I tried, very modestly, to replicate those daring mountain adventures and learned the hard way that it was the skill of the rider that was far more important than the bike. These people were highly trained, extremely fit and far better riders than this middle aged man who lived in the middle of the prairie. Skill, not bike. So I’m working on the skill thing, but I can’t stop thinking about that adventure bike.

Then I realized for me and my skill set, and the dirt roads that I want to ride, it wasn’t an adventure bike I needed. It’s a scrambler!

Back in the day a scrambler was a street bike with a high exhaust pipe and knobby tires. Any street bike could be made into a scrambler by

Photo by Rick Ashton

adding a high exhaust and some knobby tires.

Lot’s of bike makers would take their popular models and make a scrambler version. Then dirt bikes came along and we saw that mere mortals could ride off road on a dirt bike and the scramblers all died off. Then BMW reinvented the scrambler and the Adventure Bike was born.

All sorts of things became part of the adventure bike. The bike makers slowly morphed them into their own category of motorcycle. Before the mid sixties there were no cruisers or sport bikes or touring bikes, just motorcycles. Now you cant stray very far from your designated design group without being booed off the show room floor. All these groups of bikes have lost something for me. They are too stylized and specialized that they have become less of a motorcycle. Or in so many cases far too much, several of these groups start at 650 pounds and go up from there.

a high pipe exhaust system in your garage, but I think a bash plate bolted on the bottom of the bike would be a legitimate substitute. Then just ad some knobby tires. Scramblers don’t have crash cages, or beaks and fairings. They don’t have racks festooned with hard bags and halogen lighting. There is a purity to scramblers that compels me to want one. Not the old ones.

They should remain in museums and looked upon with reverence. I want to make my own modern day scrambler. And I’ve been secretly working on my formula for weeks now.

I know what size knobby tires come in, so I can eliminate any bike with wheels I can’t get tires for. The aftermarket will supply a skid plate for some bikes, others I must fabricate.

Soon that right bike for the right price will pop up and I’ll pounce. I will be swift and stealthy. I can’t reveal too much, she may have friends who read this paper. All I can say is, think power to weight ratio. Think twin cylinders with a displacement in the 650 to 800cc range. Most of all put out good energy into the universe, so that when it delivers me that bike… that bike is orange. It can be done.

I’ve got the research to prove it.

MMM

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Ducati has come out with a little family of scramblers. Triumph has been making an old school version for a few years now, with a fresh new one on the way. I think the Kawasaki Versys might be considered a scrambler, but they are too ugly to look at. So I’m not sure.

Lots of bikes are dangerously close to being scramblers. It might not be practical to build

Rick's been riding motorcycles for 35 years, representing injured motorcycle riders for over 20 years & recognized as a SuperLawyer by his MN peers for 8 straight years. rick@schroederandmandel.com TheMinnesotaMotorcycleAccidentLawyer.com 651-426-8740 | 877-426-8740 Toll Free

Photo by Paul Berglund

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Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #179 October 2016

11

Dual Sport Riding In South Dakota

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By Lee Bruns

hen the subject of dual sport riding in South Dakota comes up it’s usually assumed that you’re talking about the Black Hills. While the Black Hills are indeed epic there is also a lot of really fun dual sport riding to be found on the Eastern half of the state.

South Dakotas low population density means there is very few tax dollars available to build or maintain roads. This is great news for dual sport riders. Thousands of miles of these roads in the state have been declared ‘Minimum Maintenance” or even better “No Maintenance”. Many of these roads over time degenerated into top notch off road riding trails but since they are still technically roads you still need to have a street legal motorcycle to enjoy them.

To find these roads and layout your riding routes, just stop past anywhere in the state of South Dakota that sells hunting licenses.

There you’ll find a stack of a free publication called the South Dakota Public Hunting Atlas. It is put out every year by the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks.

This handy guide not only shows hunters where all of the public hunting lands are but also shows the location of every Minimum maintenance road in the state. The Atlas is broken down into a 35-page grid, each showing a detailed section of the state. The paved roads are marked as heavy black lines, gravel as thin black lines and the minimum maintenance roads as dashed lines.

Using these maps, a rider can layout a ride to maximize the Minimum Maintenance roads and minimize the paved roads. I have used these maps for years to lay out a half dozen loops based out of Watertown SD. Most of my loops are around 30 miles each, half of which is minimum maintenance road and the rest gravel. I can then vary the rides by stringing together the loops to create 30 60, 90 or 120 mile routes.

The terrain varies from grassy prairie paths to scenic river valleys. As the seasons change the ‘roads’ and views change also. The scenery dominated by corn and soy beans in the summer gives way to crimson leaves and prairie views that go on for miles as fall moves in. Be ready though, the muddy wheel tracks of spring become the rock hard ruts of July.

Photo by Lee Bruns

Traveling the same routes during different seasons is highly recommended. The paths change by the season, direction of travel, and rain amounts. Out away from the towns, be sure to stop on a hilltop every now and then and listen to the wind through the prairie grasses. Enjoy the views and smells. It’s a special kind of quiet. Or maybe stop under one of the wind power generators that dot the landscape to hear the whoosh of the blades.

Be aware though, not all roads go through.

These are usually labeled as such. It is rare to be surprised by a dead end.

Water crossings are not uncommon, sometimes from washed out bridges or culverts, other times entire road beds may be covered in seasonal flooding for a mile. If a section of road is submerged be extra careful, it may be washed out also and drop from 8 inches deep to several feet deep with no warning.

Some of the ‘roads’ may have cattle gates on them. Some are nice steel welded gates, but most are just moveable sections of fence.

When traveling in a group of riders there

are established courtesies. The first rider to arrive at the gate opens the gate. The second rider goes through the gate and rolls the first riders motorcycle through. Once all riders are through, the gate tender closes the gate and takes their spot as the last rider. This way the same person does not get stuck opening and closing the gate every time. Do NOT leave the gate open. If the cows get out they are a hazard to everyone and angry farmers are even more dangerous than loose cows.

If traveling alone, be aware that cellular phone service is spotty at best. Ride accordingly.

If traveling as a group, the lead bike will startle the wildlife fairly regularly. Mostly deer, turkey and pheasants but occasionally a skunk or raccoon. Steer clear of the skunks and raccoons, they are not happy to be awake in daylight hours and prone to rabies. As the damp and wet mud of spring dries out and plant-life matures, be careful to clear the grass from your engine and exhaust. Prairie wild fires are still a threat and can be deadly.

Mufflers and spark arrestors are a must.

Since the entire eastern half of the state is set up on a 1-mile grid of roads it’s easy to bail out if a particular piece of road or water crossing is more than you want to attempt, just reverse course and ride the three miles around that section. You can avoid having to do this by riding the appropriate motorcycle.

As with most off road riding, light is right.

A 600 lb ‘Adventure Tour’ motorcycle will not be as much fun as a 250 lb quarter-liter dual sport. Especially when, not if, you have to pick it up off of its side while standing in a muddy rut.

Whether riding alone or with a group the dual sport riding of Eastern South Dakota is a great and inexpensive way for riders of all skill levels to get out and have fun. Head out on your own, or check out the “Street Trail Four-Wheelers Unlimited Motorcycle Club” (STFU-MC) page on Facebook to find when they are leading a group ride out of the Watertown SD area.

Photo by Lee Bruns

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Photo by Lee Bruns

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