Issue 52
December 2020
#GO ADVENTURE KTM 390 ADVENTURE
ADVENTURE MORE Fuel your restless spirit with a new adventure every day. Discover KTM’s sporty attitude and proven performance credentials aboard this new, compact single-cylinder travel-enduro machine – the KTM 390 ADVENTURE. Versatile ergonomics, smooth power delivery, and innovative technology all come together in a comfortable, lightweight package – created for those who want to fit more adventure into their daily lives.
Foto: R. Schedl
Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scene. Always wear protective safety gear and observe the applicable provisions of the road traffic regulations. The illustrated vehicle may vary in selected details from the production models and may feature optional equipment available at additional cost. European specification model shown for illustration purposes only.
husqvarna-motorcycles.com
There’s a definite thrill in getting out there, blazing new trails for others to follow. Excited by the prospect of heading into the unknown, you need a machine perfectly primed for the unpredictability of off-road. With easy rideability and superior trail capability, the 2021 TE 300i has the proven credentials to face any challenge with intuitive ease.
Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes. Always wear protective safety gear and ride in a responsible manner. The illustrated vehicles may vary selected details from the production models and may feature optional equipment availalbe at additional cost.
Photos: R. Schedl, KISKA GmbH
Ride confidently into the unknown.
T E
Electronic fuel injection Durable header pipe MAGURA hydraulic clutch
300i
ADVENTURE GTX BOOT B A L A N C E D P R OT E C T I O N LO N G D I S TA N C E C O M F O RT E XC E L L E N T WA L K A B I L I T Y G O R E-T E X
# K L IML IF E
K L I M .C O M
Issue 52 DECEMBER 2020
THE INSIDER
Issue 51
The Recreational Riding Movement
November 2020
On The Cover Skyler Howes Design Chris Glaspell Photography Editor Simon Cudby Contributing Writers Stephen W. Clark Chad de Alva Olivier de Vaulx Travis Gill James Lissimore Dale Spangler Contributing Photographers Ishaan Bhataiya Tim Burke Stephen W. Clark Justin Coffey Chad de Alva Olivier de Vaulx Travis Gill James Lissimore David Marvier Rally Zone Story Editor Andrew Glaspell Business Development Brandon Glanville
Want to advertise with us? Contact: Brandon Glanville brandon@upshiftonline.com
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WYOMING Continental Divide
SKYLER HOWES The Road to Dakar
FLAGSTAFF TO SEDONA Mountains To The Desert
TESTED
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GREECE
KTM 890 Adventure Global Launch Upshift Magazine is published monthly by Upshift Online Inc. 2020. Reproduction of any material requires written consent from the publishers. All photos, editorial contributions and advertisements are accepted upon representation that they are original materials by the author and or advertiser. Opinions expressed in the articles are those of the author and may not reflect the views and opinions of the editor, staff or advertisers of Upshift Online Inc. Advertisers assume full responsibility for the entire content and subject matter of their advertisements.
T.E.T. CROATIA War Zone No More
THE RECREATIONAL RIDING MOVEMENT INSIDER: DALE SPANGLER I love motorcycle racing. It’s a big part of what makes motorcycling appeal to me. It’s thrilling to watch and even more thrilling when you’re the one racing. For many of us, racing was our introduction to the sport. It’s where OEM’s develop new models and race-test them in real-world settings. Racing is also expensive, not quite as accessible as other individual sports, and requires a minimum buyin to participate—something that can add up quickly. If current trends are any indication, racing is increasingly becoming a smaller aspect of the motorcycle riding community at large. We’ve seen a shift in focus from racing towards recreational adventure, travel, trail, and dual-sport riding, and the OEM’s have placed more emphasis on creating new models that appeal to beginner riders. One can only speculate about this movement towards recreational riding, however, the proof is in the new models rolling off OEM assembly lines and onto local dealership showroom floors. These days virtually every OEM manufacturer makes a motorcycle specifically for adventure, trail, dual-sport, and beginner riders. The big four Japanese manufacturers: Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Honda, have dedicated cross-country models in their line-ups that weren’t there a few years ago. In some cases, models like Yamaha’s much-anticipated Ténéré 700 or Kawasaki’s new KLX300 blur the line between riding genres with motorcycles versatile enough to tackle just about any terrain and type of riding. I believe racing will always be an integral and popular aspect of motorcycling, much the way Formula One and NASCAR racing are to the automotive industry. But recent trends have shown us that non-competitive recreational riding—with friends and family, often in a spectacular setting—has mass appeal. Something that’s only increased despite a strange year that included a global pandemic and a contentious presidential election. Whatever the future holds, it’s going to be fun seeing what new motorcycle models roll off the assembly line next.
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FOX LEGION 2021
Triumph Announces The New 850 Tiger Sport Introducing the perfect combination of dedicated 850 Tiger triple engine set-up, and tailor-made high specification equipment and technology, for intuitive and all day easy-riding capability. Developed from the latest generation Tiger platform, with all of the dynamic poise and agile handling that the Tiger is known for, combined with a new ‘tailor-made’ performance and specification set-up, designed to deliver even more manageable, accessible and intuitive road-focused adventure riding capability. The most accessibly priced Tiger in the line-up, at just $11,995 www.triumphmotorcycles.com
Tailor-Made For More Manageable and Accessible Riding Capability: • Dedicated 850 triple engine setup. Unique engine power and torque. Peak power of 84 HP (85PS) @ 8,500rpm, and peak torque of 60.5 lb-ft (82Nm) @ 6,500rpm • With all the advantages of a Triumph triple, with the perfect combination of responsive power and torque low down, and across the rev range, tuned for an even more accessible and manageable delivery • Brembo Stylema brakes, with twin 320mm discs • Marzocchi upside down cartridge forks and gas pressurized, preload-adjustable RSU • 5” TFT instruments • Road and Rain riding modes, with dedicated throttle and traction control maps • All LED lighting • Slip & Assist clutch • Adjustable screen • ABS and Switchable Traction Control • Two exciting new contemporary Tiger 850 Sport graphic schemes, with a category-leading level of premium finish and detailing • 60+ Genuine Triumph Accessories, for capability, style and security, including luggage
Diablo Red
Caspian Blue
E R U T E N D I E R V D T A C E T F X R NE E P R E U TH YO R O F
TAILOR MADE FOR TOURING ADVENTURE Setting a new standard for road-focused adventure versatility, the new Tiger 850 Sport takes all of the Tiger’s renowned character, performance and agility and adds a dedicated 850 triple engine tune and a road-focused package of high specification technology and equipment. The new Tiger 850 Sport – Confidence-inspiring, memorable rides every day, with an MSRP starting at $11,995 Find out more, visit triumphmotorcycles.com
KTM 690 Enduro R Coming to North America Making the impassable possible, the KTM 690 ENDURO R unites asphalt and trails. The unmatched KTM LC4 singlecylinder has two balancer shafts for reduced vibrations, Ride by Wire to allow changeable ride modes and traction control, more than enough power to pull clear of the steepest climbs and is still efficient and manageable for trails and daily use. Sharp and slim, the bodywork with redesigned, eye-catching graphics, enhances aesthetics while the ergonomics provide small-bike feel with large-bike comfort. Underneath, a lightweight and agile chassis coupled with fullyadjustable damping control on the WP XPLOR suspension provide a competent package for experienced riders yet confidence-inspiring for those new to dirt. Better still, the KTM 690 ENDURO R remains sure-footed for street riding – increasing its versatility as a trust-worthy daily ride. The electronic systems on the KTM 690 ENDURO R get the most from this dynamic machine in all situations. Two ride modes – Offroad and Street – produce different characteristics of the throttle response and Motorcycle Traction Control (MTC), while cornering sensitivity for the ABS with optional Offroad ABS harnesses this offroad weapon when necessary. The KTM 690 ENDURO R is fitted with Continental TKC80s for great performance both in the dirt and on the road. Ride from home and feel the adrenaline build while chasing asphalt curves toward your favorite offroad location. No trailer required, just twist the throttle of the KTM 690 ENDURO R, which really comes into its own when the dirt begins and the trail gets more extreme. Its lightweight chassis, aggressive styling and trusted 690 LC4 engine are enhanced by the advanced electronics and WP XPLOR suspension. Thanks to the hydraulically actuated PASC slipper clutch, the rear wheel always remains under control, even in heavy trail braking. Standard, highly advanced cornering ABS with an aggressive set-up and optional Offroad ABS mode are also included. MSRP: $11,999. www.ktm.com
@killianmoreno
PROTECTION LEVEL
OUTBACK MOTORTEK CRASH BARS
100%
BMW 1200GS/1250GS/GSA OUTBACK MOTORTEK SKID PLATE
PRECISION+PASSION Crash Bars • Skid Plates • Center Stands Pannier Racks • Rear Luggage Racks
www.outbackmotortek.com
Givi GRT720 25 liter Saddlebags Designed by GIVI for Adventure Touring motorcycles, they are the evolution of the GRT709 model. The capacity has been reduced from 35 to 25 liter each, to meet the demands of hard-core riders in any conditions, where a compact bag can stay out of the way in tight passages and keep its shape even when fully loaded. In place of the previous pair of universal mounting plates there is now an integrated MONOKEY® base, fully compatible with the signature mounting system originally developed by GIVI almost 40 years ago and available for an incredible number of make/model motorcycles. This system allows for a quick mount and release of the bags and features the same Security Lock key system, that can be matched to those already present on existing GIVI top boxes, side cases, tank bags and tool boxes. GIVI GRT720 1 Pair of water resistant side bags, 25 + 25 lt. MSRP: $549.00 – expected availability early 2021 www.giviusa.com
All the features that made the GRT709 a best seller are still present, and improved: • Roll top closure • High frequency welded, hi-visibility inner bags • Fully waterproof based on IPX5 standards • External retaining flaps with inner pocket • 8 load compression points • Multiple adjustable straps, loops and connecting points for accessories and extra bags like the new GIVI GRT722 • Water draining outlets at the bottom • Removable hard panels at the bottom (for extra structural strength and containment) • Ergonomic handles • Reflective prints for added passive safety
Kates Real Food Introduces Dark Chocolate Mint Energy Bar Meet the NEW Dark Chocolate Mint energy bar, the newest addition to the Kate’s lineup. This peppermint bar is filled with USDA-certified organic ingredients including peanut butter, gluten free oats, dark chocolate, peppermint extract, and natural cacao powder. Every Product is made with you in mind: from your daily grind to your need for adrenaline, Kate’s will fuel all your adventures. Recipes are carefully created to provide you with sustainable, long-lasting energy. Easy to pack - without ever cutting corners in quality. Kate’s products are compact and nutrient-packed to keep you going all day long. 12-Pack $29.88, 6-Pack $14.95. www.katesrealfood.com
Ténéré 700. The Next Horizon is yours. YamahaMotorsports.com Professional rider depicted on a closed course. Dress properly for your ride with a helmet, eye protection, long sleeves, long pants, gloves and boots. Yamaha and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation encourage you to ride safely and respect the environment. For further information regarding the MSF course, please call 1-800-446-9227. Do not drink and ride. It is illegal and dangerous. ©2020 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved.
Klim Announces Updated Kodiak Jacket & Pant KLIM is redesigning the Kodiak Jacket & Pant, looking to make their most premium touring suit even more comfortable and versatile for motorcycle travelers. While the Idaho-based company hasn’t yet published full details, some exciting information has been released about the upcoming new gear. KLIM’s reputation for using the finest materials and most advanced construction techniques has been well established with their premium touring outerwear. Ingredients include GORE-TEX, D3O® armor, premium leather overlays, 3M™ Scotchlite™ Reflective Material, 90/10 goose down, YKK® Zippers all help KLIM reach the level of performance they demand. This new version of the Kodiak promises to be a complete long-distance, multi-season touring suit, engineered down to the finest detail for a perfect riding experience. The Kodiak Jacket and Pant will be officially released in the beginning of 2021. Jacket MSRP: $999.99 to $1,029.99. Pant MSRP: $749.99 to $769.99. www.klim.com
THINK OUTSIDE DRY NO MATTER WHAT
(the gift box)
WOLFMANLUGGAGE.COM
T7 fully loaded with Enduro Tank Bag WP, B-Base WP, Medium Rolie WP, (on seat) Small Rolie WP & Wolf Bottle Holster WP
Available Models: 4-Stroke 350 / 390 / 430 / 500
Holiday GEAR IS HERE!
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UTAH
PHOTO: SIMON CUDBY
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GREECE
PHOTO: JAMES LISSIMORE
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PHOTO: OLIVIER DE VAULX
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PHOTO: OLIVIER DE VAULX
OVERLANDER-S
YAMAHA TENERE 700
NEW OS-BASE TENERE 700 FIT
An 'over the seat harness' which allows OS-6, OS-12 or OS-18 ADVENTURE PACKS to be mounted as soft panniers. No additional frames or rear rack are required, this system provides a super-tough, lightweight carrying solution specifically designed to fit the Yamaha Tenere 700 with no drilling or permanent bodywork alterations to the bike. EQUIPMENT ILLUSTRATED: • 2 x OS-12 ADVENTURE PACKS mounted on OS-BASE • 2 x OS-6 ADVENTURE PACKS mounted on crash bars • 1 x US-20 DRYPACK / TAIL PACK mounted on OS-BASE • Crash bars / bash plate by Outback-Motortek • Handguards by Barkbusters
KRIEGA.US
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IDAHO
PHOTO: SIMON CUDBY
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IDAHO
PHOTO: SIMON CUDBY
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PHOTO: DAVID MARVIER
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PHOTO: SIMON CUDBY
It’s never met a continent it couldn’t handle. Lighter and more powerful than ever, with a 1084cc engine, Cruise Control, and our available state-of-the-art 6-speed DCT. Select a new Adventure Sports ES model, and you’ll get a slew of additional features like tubeless tires and electronically controlled suspension, for the ultimate off-the-grid adventures.
The Honda Africa Twin powersports.honda.com ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET, EYE PROTECTION AND PROTECTIVE CLOTHING. NEVER RIDE AFTER CONSUMING DRUGS OR ALCOHOL, AND NEVER USE THE STREET AS A RACETRACK. OBEY THE LAW AND READ THE OWNER’S MANUAL THOROUGHLY. For rider training information or to locate a rider training course near you, call the Motorcycle Safety Foundation at 1-800-446-9227. Africa Twin® is a registered trademark of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. ©2020 American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (8/20)
Life is Better on a Honda
ACCESSORIZED EUROPEAN MODEL SHOWN WITH NON-OEM TIRES.
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PHOTO: CHAD DE ALVA
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PHOTO: TIM BURKE
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PHOTO: OLIVIER DE VAULX
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PHOTO: SIMON CUDBY
BEPPEDIENA ADV
GRAVEL-T GRAVEL-T
GRAVEL-T is our range of 100% waterproof soft bags, designed for Adventure Touring and off-road use. The GRT709 Canyon bags are a pair of soft saddlebags that give the same functionality and volume of a set of hard aluminum cases, without the weight and bulk. They are easy to attach and remove, lockable and built to last, rugged enough to protect the side of your motorcycle from minor impacts. MOUNTING PLATES: the included mounting plates are made of high impact nylon, and they fit the majority of side case mounts available on the market. REMOVABLE INNER BAGS: 100% waterproof, we decided for the bright yellow fabric to make it easier to spot what you need, even in low light conditions. M.O.L.L.E. READY: plenty of webbing on the side and on the bottom, the bags also come with a kit of 10 M.O.L.L.E. compatible clips.
GIVIUSA.COM
POWERED BY CURIOSITY. BUILT FOR THE PLACES IT CAN TAKE YOU. IN A FULLY CONNECTED WORLD, SOMETIMES IT’S BEST TO GO THE OTHER WAY. Impress yourself and others with styling inspired by the legendary DR-Z800 Dakar Rally bike & DR-Big. Delight in unmistakable V-twin power with endless low-end torque. Ride with confidence across challenging terrain with Advanced Traction Control, Drive Mode Selector, and a new electronic Ride-by-Wire throttle system that delivers smooth, precise engine response. With so many adventures ahead, it’s time to pull the plug and head out.
V-STROM 1050XT
V-STROM 1050XT
EXPERIENCE THE V-STROM AT SUZUKICYCLES.COM Along with concerned conservationists everywhere, Suzuki urges you to Tread Lightly!® on public and private land. Suzuki, the “S” logo, and Suzuki model and product names are Suzuki Trademarks or ®. © 2020 Suzuki Motor of America, Inc.
Cont inental Divide - Wyoming Photos and Words: Olivier de Vaulx
With rigorous winters and an average yearly temperature of 31°F (-1°C) we knew that we were within the right window of time when we crossed the Wyoming border in late July. Still, the warm summer temperatures couldn’t prevent a chill reminder that the state was the least populous of the United States. Riding the backcountry in Wyoming really sounds like a true adventure in the middle of nowhere!
Desert Riding Our first glance of Wyoming’s wilderness just after the small town of Rawlins was on par with our high expectations. Facing the fairing of our Yamaha Tenere 700s was a colorful desert, surrounded by high mountains and only crossed by a sandy double-track. With the sun climbing like a rocket-ship and the temperature rising at an alarming rate, riding miles of sandy hills on our big bikes was not really a pleasant prospect. Luckily for us, the Tenere 700 was designed with the Dakar Rally in mind, and riding the dunes was not that hard. Traction was easy to find, even in the deeper sand and the not-so-mellow climbs, with the stable frontend literally surfing the fine powder. We managed to clear this first leg of the desert with no crashes and a big smile under our helmets. The trail then became an adv rider’s dream, with more-than-perfect dirt and large curves that let us enjoy a flow of fresh air at high speed in the valley dotted with oil drills. If it wasn’t for some cattle in the open range crossing the dirt road randomly, we would never have touched the brakes!
Crossing t he High Plains
Just after Bairoil, the landscape changed again. Exiting the valley to climb on a plateau, we reached the vast prairies of Wyoming, which proved to be an incredible experience. On this infinite sea of grass, the wildlife was abundant, and we often found ourselves riding on a parallel course with lightning-fast pronghorns. These American antelope are so gracious that we couldn’t get enough of them, especially when we realized that they were far more intelligent than cows and never crossed our path or put us in danger. These fast runners were definitively our favorites, even if discovering a herd of wild mustangs trotting just a few hundred yards of us was also a magical moment. Despite strong winds on the plateau, we could ride at a fast pace, taking advantage of the perfect dirt to lean the nimble Yamahas in every curve, slaloming through the high plains like snowboarders on fresh snow. Exhilarating moments like those usually don’t last, but we kept this rhythm for a couple of hours, up to the small town of Atlantic City. Hidden in a valley, the old village gives a striking glance of life as it once was a century ago in the west. After a pause under the porch of a wooden hotel, we went back on the dirt road while the sun was slowly settling down, the direct sunlight blinding us through our dark goggles. Even though we still had many miles to cover before our night stop, we slowed down to enjoy the subtle nuances of purple painting the line of summits on the horizon. When you see such a great sunset light, you definitely need to enjoy every second of it!
Real Cowboys
Pinedale crossed the 20th century without much change and appeared to still be an authentic rural city of the west. Unlike other places where cowboys seem to be out of place or just grimed to fulfill some touristic fantasy, horses and cattle are the true heart of this small city. Arriving in town, we immediately remembered our experience with local ranchers when we were invited to a branding almost at the same time last year.
It was the real deal, with cowboys catching calves with their ropes, holding them on the ground while others were marking them with red irons and giving them their dose of vaccine. This ritual went on for hours, and we realized that however brutal it seemed to be, at least through the filter of our urban sensibilities, the calves themselves didn’t seem to care much, recovering in seconds after being released. We tried to do the hard work, following the professional’s instructions to wrestle the calves to the ground, feeling brave but also knowing that the powerful animals could overturn the situation to their advantage if they really wanted. As the day ended around a barbecue we wondered if the life of these families, living the same simple but enjoyable life as their ancestors’, wouldn’t be worth a try. Riding a horse isn’t like riding a motorcycle, but there was still a call here!
TRAILMAX MISSION
WHEN YOUR MISSION IS TO EXPLORE RIDE DUNLOP
AGGRESSIVE SIDE LUG TECHNOLOGY Wrap-around side lugs add rigidity and durability in rocky terrain, and improve steering in sand, mud and gravel.
@RideDunlop DunlopMotorcycleTires.com. ©2020 Dunlop Motorcycle Tires.
Dodging t he National Parks
The geography of Wyoming is more diverse than the first part of our trip suggested. Going north through the Teton National Forest, we entered a geologically tormented backcountry, where the vast plains were progressively replaced by hills, birch forests, and then real mountains, to the point that we could have mistaken the landscapes for those of Colorado. Following the Continental Divide, and as the elevation raised, the temperature dropped. Our jackets buttoned to the neck, we kept going toward the Grand Teton. Well before reaching the famous national park, we were surrounded by majestic summits, gigantic cold barriers that would have been intimidating if there hadn’t been so many sweet spots to counterbalance their menacing presence: colorful flowers were popping up everywhere, lazy rivers were drawing smooth shapes in green valleys, small lakes appeared at random. The ride was so beautiful that it felt as if we were riding inside a painting from the romantic era. These peaceful vibes disappeared quite a bit at the Grand Teton National Park entrance, with a flow of tourists waiting in line to enter. Since we knew the park already, we opted for an alternate route, cruising on pavement to Jackson, giving us the best views of the Grand Teton, before climbing the Old Pass Road. This steep paved road was all ours, and while we had to carefully save our brakes in the descent using mostly engine brake, we enjoyed this lift to the sky. After crossing the state line, we set up for the night at Island Park, Idaho just in time to see the moon rise.
Raptors Country
After this magnificent but very long day, we aspired to something easier the next morning. Our wishes were fulfilled when we left the forests at sunrise to discover in front of our GPS the immensity of South Valley, our first glance of Montana. Following a large gravel road on the shore of a mirror-like lake, we entered a forgotten paradise, a country out-of-time with untouched natural beauty. Small farms were dispersed here and there, and we had to watch out for the cattle in open range, but most of the time we were cruising with our nose up, trying to soak up the scenery painted by the golden light of the dawning day. The palette of colors, from the sky to the grass, exposed all the possible nuances of blue, green, yellow, and orange. Riding further into the valley, we entered some kind of bird territory: raptors were at home there, and we couldn’t help but stop every other mile to admire some mean hawks or a couple of condescending bald eagles, the real kings of these wildlands. We finally reached Lima, MT, where a semi-abandoned downtown still hosts a small gas station, a nice but old school car repair shop, as well as a set of brand new charging stations for electric cars. Hard to find a sharper contrast between two worlds, with the past refusing to die and the future trying to reinvent our lives! But it was also a great analogy to what the Continental Divide had to offer us in these few days of riding with its diametrically opposed landscapes: from steep mountains to vast prairies, high temperatures to freezing cold, and a population as welcoming as ferociously attached to their ancestral tradition, Wyoming and Montana were a welcomed out-of-time excursion in a Wild West in its purest form.
Moto Trails USA
Moto Trails USA provides off-road motorcycle tours in the west. The routes, developed during years of travel through the United States, were tested, as described in this story, in real condition with the Tenere 700. Booking the rides is easy from the website www.mototrailsusa.com and always includes accommodations, meals, gas, as well as a 4WD support truck and a van for the transport of luggage. For most riders, the cherry on the cake will be the Tenere 700 rental with GPS and bags, ready for the adventure of a lifetime!
FIN DA FO RO RG UT EA E PA TH
GET YOUR MAPS READY!
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WINNING COMBO! MAXIMA RACING OILS MEET OR EXCEED ALL OEM SPECIFICATIONS SAFE FOR USE IN ALL MOTORCYCLE BRANDS
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SKYLER HOWES THE ROAD TO DAKAR We first met Skyler Howes back in 2018 while he was on course to win the Baja Rally. Since then, Skyler has made quite a name for himself in the world of Rally Raid and is currently preparing for his third consecutive Dakar. We caught up with Skyler to find out more about what he has been up to.
Stephen W. Clark: Simon and I first met you in the fall of 2018 at the Baja Rally. A lot has happened in your Rally career since then. Can you give us a bit of an update? Skyler Howes: Yeah, my first rally ever was the 2018 Sonora Rally. I had only ridden a couple of road books up to then. Winning Sonora gave me free entry to Dakar, and I needed to practice more. So I signed up for Baja Rally. I struggled a bit but was able to win which was pretty cool. That was kind of the start of everything that led to Dakar 2019 in Peru.
Interview By Stephen W. Clark | Photos: Ishaan Bhataiya, Justin Coffey, Rally Zone
I landed in Lima with the flu. I couldn’t go out or do anything for the first three days of the rally. I was really weak and my mind was just not in it. I made a ton of mistakes. Then on day three, as soon as I started feeling better, I was on the liaison and a kid turned in front of me on a scooter. Basically, to avoid hitting him, I hit the brakes and slammed into the ground, separating my shoulder. I was able to pop it back in and head into the bivouac. They said nothing was broken, so I was able to continue. I made it all the way until day six. Actually, the next two days were my best finishes. I almost won a stage with the separated shoulder. On day six, I had another little crash in the dunes that re-separated it, and this time it wouldn’t go back in. I tried to ride the first 50 kilometers of the stage one-handed but the dunes were so big. I got to a dune that literally the top pros
SKYLER HOWES THE ROAD TO DAKAR
weren’t able to make it up. They were sitting there trying to make it up this dune three or four different times. I was like, yeah, there’s no way I’m going to do that one-armed. So on day six I had to retire. I was super bummed out about that because in my mind I thought that was going to be the only opportunity I ever had to race Dakar. Luckily, Garrett Poucher saw some potential there, so he really put some support behind me. In 2019, I did Sonora again, finishing second behind Ricky Brabec. Then I entered all of the Best in Desert events including Vegas to Reno. I raced all of them solo and won the open pro championship. Last year I went to the Morocco Desert Challenge and was able to win there. That was an eight-day rally through Africa and my first World Rally win. I flew over to Greece to race in the Serres Rally. I was competing against Stefan Svitko. We had a pretty intense battle going on, so the pace was super high. We had a lot of rain and I swung it wide around a corner, fell into a rain rut, and had a pretty severe crash. I knew immediately that I had broken my neck. I worked my way out of the mountains and went down to the hospital. They told me, “Yeah, yeah, it’s no problem. Yeah, your neck is broken, but it’s a stable fracture. You’re going to be fine, just wear your neck brace and don’t do anything stupid.” I was like, okay, cool. A week and a half goes by, and I get back to the States and I go to my doctor who said I needed new scans. Within a couple hours of getting the scans, he sent me a text, and said, “Hey, don’t move! You need to go see this spine specialist right away.” That’s never a good thing to hear. My doctor told me that my C6 was missing a few pieces. Basically, my vertebrae was just sitting there floating on the disk. There was nothing actually stabilizing the vertebrae in place. Knowing that spine surgery is a pretty hard recovery, I asked, “What can I do to avoid surgery?” He said, “No matter what you do, those bones are displaced. It’s going to be physically impossible for you to heal and for that vertebrae to ever be solid in there again. You could literally have a small get-off or get rear-ended, and then it’s game over.”
This was at the end of September. The doctor asked me when I could have surgery. I had to get this done, I had Dakar in January. The doctor set it up for 9:00am the next day. They fused my C5, C6, and C7 with a plate and six screws. This was three months before Dakar. I spent pretty much all three months not doing anything, just fully recovering, doing a bunch of hyperbaric chamber therapy, trying to heal as quickly as possible. After three months off, I had one week of riding and training and boarded a flight to Saudi Arabia. Yeah. It was pretty wild. SWC: How did Dakar 2020 go?
lic. I didn’t know them, but Angelo Vlcek had worked with them in the past. He actually messaged me on Facebook and said, “Hey, I don’t know if you have anyone that you’re using for support, but use Klymciw. They have a proper rally bike, spare parts, the mechanic is good, and a solid truck.” SWC: Right. You did 2019 with that Klymciw Racing as well? Skyler Howes: Yeah, ‘19 and ‘20 both with Klymciw. Also, Greece and Morocco Desert Challenge. The Klymciw bike was a properly built rally bike but not like the factory bikes. It was a production bike straight off the showroom floor kitted out and my graphics installed. It still had the plastic protection on the cases. I only had about 20 minutes on the bike for shakedown. I made a few clicker adjustments, but I didn’t really know enough about the bike or the way it’s supposed to feel to make the changes needed. So I didn’t really change anything and hopped right into the first stage of Dakar on a completely stock bike. For 2020, I was starting 59th. It was super dusty, had a ton of people in front of me, and that day I ended up finishing 18th then just kind of kept going up from there. Went from 18th to 11th, 11th into the top 10. Technically, I only had one top 10 stage finish because right when I was finishing the best is when I started having mechanical issues. I broke the swingarm pivot bolt twice. That normally never happens. Where the swingarm slides in between the frame and the motor, I guess the swingarm was a little too narrow and when the pivot bolt was torqued to spec, it flexed the frame adding a ton of extra tension. On top of that, the suspension was so soft that when I launched off of dunes or took any big hits, the stress would just sheer off the ends of the bolt, then it would back out.
SKYLER HOWES THE ROAD TO DAKAR
Skyler Howes: We worked with Klymciw Racing again. A team out of the Czech Repub-
Luckily, the first one happened towards the end of the stage. I had to ride less than 100 kilometers, so it wasn’t terrible. But the next one happened around 100 kilometers into the stage, which isn’t even halfway to the gas check. That was a long day. It was our biggest dune day, and that was the longest, toughest day at Dakar for me. It was pretty brutal. I had a pretty bad crash because of it. It flexed so much that it broke all of the motor mounts. The only thing actually holding the motor in the bike was the exhaust bolts and the air filter boot. I had hit a dune hard enough that it flexed the motor and shut the bike off. It caused a pretty serious crash that day. It was pretty challenging.
SKYLER HOWES THE ROAD TO DAKAR
SWC: Were you able to get that fixed and finish the stage? Skyler Howes: Yeah. I had to ride all the way in with it broken, but I got it back into the bivouac. The Factory KTM mechanics came over and looked the bike over. I told them it was the second time in two days this had happened and I was lucky to have even finished. They did me a solid and went through everything, replaced all the parts that needed to be replaced and really took care of me and made sure I was able to finish. Overall, with all these problems, I lost about an hour and a half of time, which would’ve put me really close to the top six. The broken swingarm bolts actually took me from 8th place back down to 9th place. I had a pretty solid spot in 8th. Then with losing all that time, it dropped me back down to 9th. My top speed was super limited. I couldn’t go very fast. The bike was falling apart. There was a stage where I lost 15 minutes, I think. I was slower than the fastest guy just because my bike didn’t go fast enough. It had nothing to do with navigation or skill because it was just fully lake beds the whole time, just valleys. I was pretty frustrated. I was just behind Toby Price when we came into a gas check. I was barely able to pull 145 kilometers an hour. I asked Toby, “Dude, what was your top speed?” He clicked through and said, “It was 182.” That’s the difference, Toby hitting 182 and me hitting 145; roughly a 40 kilometer an hour difference. The last stage was a pretty short one, and I was pushing it really hard and focusing too much on the tracks in front of me rather than navigating. All the split times had me leading the stage. I wasn’t paying attention to my compass heading, and the tracks I was following missed a waypoint, so I had to go back and get it. This all gave me a lot more confidence. I know I have what it takes to go out and win stages and race properly.
That was the last stage, so I finished 9th overall. First overall privateer, first place in the amateur division and the super production divisions. I think the next privateer was in 13th place. I think it was Rodney from Australia. But yeah, definitely the only privateer in the top 10. Since then, I’ve been struggling with finding support. I thought, yeah get a top 10 overall at Dakar and I’m going to get factory support. It will happen now, every other American that’s done this has had factory support behind them. Now’s the time! After Dakar people said, “Yeah, you need to talk to this person and this person.” I tried to email them and made phone calls and left messages and never got a response from anyone. It was type of factory support. The Honda team was full and KTM had a full roster. Yamaha was the only team that kind of had a spot open. I’m sitting there trying to get a hold of everyone I can, just to get my foot in the door. Then I see the Yamaha press release announcing Andrew Short and Ross Branch. I’m like, man, this is it. There’s nothing for me. I was pretty bummed out, and kind of down on myself. Then Bart Van Der Velden, from Holland who owns the Bas Dakar KTM team called me about 2021 and was like, “Hey man, having you on our team shows that even though we’re providing a service, the service is good enough to win stages and finish top 10 overall.” I was like, “Okay yeah. But at the end of the day, I’m really proud of the 9th that I got but I don’t want to go back and do the same thing. In order to do that, I just want to make sure I’m on proper equipment.” Speed won’t be such a huge deal this year. I know they’re trying to slow down the pace a lot. The motor wasn’t a huge deal. But the biggest thing was suspension and parts failing. I told Bart, I don’t want to go back if it’s going to be on a stock rental bike again. He’s like, “No, we can make sure we build proper suspension for you.” And they’ve figured out a lot of the other stuff so parts failures can come down to a minimum. I was lucky enough to be able to get over to Spain during the pandemic. It wasn’t really good testing, no dunes and not really in the desert. It’s mostly just farm roads. But to get on the bike and be able to hit some ditches, realize what the bike is going to do at speed and get comfortable on it. After a week of racing, I got to train with Jordi Viladoms up near Barcelona for a week at his Viladoms Rally Station School. After that, we drove back to Holland, and I got to ride for a week in Holland on the rally bike. I got almost a full month of training on the setup that I’ll be racing at Dakar which is a huge bonus.
SKYLER HOWES THE ROAD TO DAKAR
just kind of a gut check after doing so well. I thought this might be my last hope with getting any
SKYLER HOWES THE ROAD TO DAKAR
SWC: I’m sure getting to meet the team and spend time with those guys helps a lot, too. Skyler Howes: Yeah, exactly. To kind of get warmed up before you come into a stressful race or whatever is really nice. We know better how to communicate with each other and how to work together. It was really beneficial to go over there and do that and learn from everyone. We operate super well together. Bart is an amazing dude and Luke, his main mechanic and partner who helps out with everything is awesome. Their team is a tight, well oiled program. I’m super excited for it.
SKYLER HOWES THE ROAD TO DAKAR
SWC: And Dakar is January this year? Skyler Howes: Yeah. This year, everyone is required to do a two day quarantine as soon as they get to Saudi Arabia. The biggest problem for me is there’s no direct flights. I think I’m going to have to leave just before Christmas. I’ll fly to Dubai first, then I’ll go to Saudi Arabia. I’ll get tested for COVID before I get on the flight. Once I get into Saudi Arabia I have to do a two day quarantine then immediately go take another test. You have to have both those tests negative before they’ll let you in. SWC: Can you tell us about the challenges of putting a Dakar program together, especially for an American rider? Skyler Howes: Yeah. It’s especially tough for Americans in general. Because it’s not something that’s a popular sport yet in the U.S. which I’m hoping is changing, because it’s so fun to watch, and it’s really fun to race. I hope a lot more people get involved and start competing or at least just race rally because it’s so much fun. American companies really don’t know about Dakar so trying to find support from sponsors is super difficult because the American companies just don’t really know the reach Dakar has. Trying to get helmets or graphics or logo spots and all that kind of stuff filled, in return for actual funding, which is paying the bills type of thing, is really very difficult. Getting sponsors has been tough. I was selling T-shirts and selling spots, basically if people were donating money, I’d put their first and last name on my race bike. It’s pretty small, but just to kind of keep everyone involved. They can see their actual name on the race bike and things like that. That’s one thing I did differently that helped a lot this year, people got pretty excited about that stuff. Then I did two different fundraisers. I did a raffle and a silent auction with kind of a ride day.
Then I did another adventure ride of 500 miles on the high desert in California over to Pahrump, Nevada and back, which was really fun. Between all of that, I was able to come up with a good bit of money. After all that I started crunching all the numbers and I still had to sell every bike I own. I was able to get my rally bike after Peru shipped over to the States to sell. I have four Hondas saved from our rally and Baja racing. Basically sell everything I own besides my trials bike and my mountain bike. Luckily, Bart was able to introduce me to a couple companies out there in my title sponsor this year, which is super helpful. I have a handful of sponsors that have been able to step up financially. But no matter what I still have to sell EVERYTHING when I come home. SWC: That’s gnarly, man. Skyler Howes: Yeah. I kept wondering, okay, I didn’t get any factory support. I’m literally selling everything I own to do it. Is it all worth it? Every single person I’ve talked to is like, dude, you can’t stop now. You’re this close. It’s one of those things, you don’t ever want to look back and say, what if I didn’t keep going? What could’ve happened? I’ve come this far, I have to give it everything I possibly have. I am training as hard as I can, but I’m also still working and handling all of my preparation by myself. Luckily, I’m paying for the service that handles all of my logistics which there’s no way I’d be able to do all of that and race on my own. SWC: With Ricky Brabec and Casey Currie doing well at Dakar, did that seem like it helped at all for US based racers? Skyler Howes: It definitely helped with individual people. I sold a ton of T-shirts and had a ton of support on my own with fundraising. One small business recently helped me out. This guy Will who I met in Greece owns a little coffee shop in New York. He made this coffee and he called it the Skyler Howes Full Tilt Roast. He only sent me a couple bags of it just to be like, “Here you go, here’s something cool.”
SKYLER HOWES THE ROAD TO DAKAR
Holland that has stepped up, so the Bas Truck Company stepped up, they’re
When I posted it on my site he got a ton of phone calls, “Hey where do we buy this?” He’s only been doing
SKYLER HOWES THE ROAD TO DAKAR
his own online sales since March with about 100 orders. In the last few days, he’s shipped close to 60 bags of the Skyler Howes Full Tilt Roast. That’s the type of support that I’m getting. With Casey Currie and Ricky Brabec winning, it’s brought more attention to Dakar and reaching enthusiasts that are getting really excited about the race. It’s been kind of incredible, the people that have given me money. Now to see my own finishes and to get on TV to do an interview, rather than just riding is a big plus. People are able to kind of put a face to it and be involved, and that’s a big reason why I put everyone’s name on the bike is to keep everyone involved. Yeah. I think individual people in general are way more excited, rather than companies at this point. SWC: Is there a website where people can go and purchase a t-shirt and donate and all that type of thing? Skyler Howes: I only have a handful of shirts left. But there is still obviously the GoFundMe that UPSHIFT has created. I also have a donate button on my website as well. If people want to just buy some stickers and things like that, I can mail those out. I have plenty of stickers left. My website is www.skylerhowes.com. SWC: It’s such an inspiring story. Kudos to you for putting it all out there on the line for this. It’s pretty gnarly. Skyler Howes: Yeah, yeah. It’s definitely been a lot of work, for sure. But like I said, I can’t stop. I’ve got to keep going.
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WORDS & PHOTOS: CHAD DE ALVA
ARIZONA
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You have to appreciate the folks throughout history who have stared out at an expanse of country and thought, “I’m going to build a road through this.” From the great way-finders of the past like Otto-Mears, to the modern day crews who put in roads for utilities, fire fighting, or so many other purposes, their efforts make for some great riding opportunities. Northern Arizona is one such place that is laced with awesome roads that thread their way through the highly contoured parts of the state. There are multiple routes that link the ponderosa pine forests around Flagstaff to the red rocks and desert of Sedona, which means that awesome dual sport riding can be had by anyone who can identify these routes on a map. Thousands of feet of elevation change and hundreds and hundreds of miles of dirt tracks can be enjoyed on such a ride – the only limiting factor is fuel range and hours in the day. My good friend Kenny needed to do some range testing on his new desert tank for his 300, so we mapped out a route that started in Flagstaff, and by way of Sedona made its way back to Flagstaff more than 100 miles later. Clouds raced across the sky, their darkened bellies threatening to make liars out of the weather forecasters who called for no rain, as Kenny and I started our 300s on a cool Flagstaff morning. The wind was busy redistributing leaves in all of the colors of fall around us as we layered up and set off. The first 30-odd miles of our ride were cruiser miles down some of the old logging railroad grades that branch off into the forests around Flagstaff, and on familiar ground we set the pace and started to eat up the miles. Settling into our ride, we watched the clouds as they continued to race overhead, causing the sunlight to burst through in brilliant rays of light. The deciduous trees we passed were all starting down the backside of peak fall color, yet the golden leaves that had yet to fall seemed to glow in contrast to the dark timber on this morning that literally had fall in the air. The railroad grade we were on was a major artery through this part of the forest, and its well graded and graveled surface allowed for all of the speed we wanted. However, we held back from race pace, knowing full well that side by sides and other traffic frequent this road on most weekends. Instead, we kept things at a cruising pace and were rewarded for our slower speed by seeing all kinds of wildlife, and other forest oddities like someone’s random fort or deer blind. Where it was convenient, we ducked onto a couple of quick sections of single track as we closed the distance on the Mogollon Rim where we would drop into Sedona.
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Two things let you know you’re getting close to the Rim and its four digit elevation change that separates the pine forests from the desert. First, the trees start to change, and pinion and juniper trees start to show up in the woodwork. Secondly, the road surface goes from having a few rocks in it, to being completely made up of rocks. Time to wake up and pay attention to where you’re riding. At the Rim, Kenny and I took a minute to take in the expansive views of Sedona’s red rock country and the Verde Valley beyond. The morning’s cloud cover had all but disappeared, which meant our immediate forecast was looking to be warm and sunny. We didn’t dally at the overlook for too long, for we knew that slick rock riding awaited us once we had dropped into Sedona. The entrance to the Slickrock trail we were looking for isn’t marked in any formal way, and if you didn’t know better you would think that you had taken a wrong turn into some random neighborhood. Yet at the back of the houses, the road turns to dirt and Sedona’s “mini Moab” trail begins. The trail is short and sweet, but it’s got plenty of fun surfaces and obstacles to ride on, which makes it a worthy part of any ride through Sedona. We skipped several sections of the trail to focus on the slick rock play areas which can entertain riders of any skill level. Just as in real Moab, the trail is marked by a black swath from all of the four wheel drive vehicles, so as long as you stay on the trail, anything you can point your bike at is fair game. Kenny and I sessioned all of the play areas until we had our slickrock fix and our desire for monster burritos was our driving factor. Lunch and more fuel awaited.
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With both our bikes and bodies topped off, we set back out onto the dirt. We sampled some of the more recently designated OHV trails outside of Sedona as we worked our way across the Verde Valley to the west. The trails weren’t too busy, which meant that we could enjoy all of the berms and bar ditches of these two track trails at a good rate of speed. These newer OHV trails made for a great way to transition across the valley to the trail that would eventually switchback us up to the top of the Mogollon Rim. With one final right turn we found ourselves pointed directly at the trail that would climb well over a thousand feet in just a couple of miles. Remember how I said the roads that climb and descend the Mogollon Rim are made entirely of rocks? Well the surface of this trail is normally comprised of loose chunks of rock ranging in size from oranges to watermelons that like to roll and move in other unpredictable ways at the slightest touch from a tire. Riding on such a surface is always an adventure. Once you get to the top, the rocks keep going, just because they can. Kenny and I were ready for a nice long session of playing in the rocks, so we were surprised when we found dozer tracks at the gate that marked the start of the trail.
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Much to our surprise, the trail had recently been worked on – extensively. The utility company that uses this road was evidently planning to so some serious work, and as such the trail needed to be turned back into a road. Our rolling rock, ball bearing, bike balancing climb had been turned into a very loose, rutted, “road” that was now full of random craters that would stop a bike cold if a front tire fell into one. Technical climbing had been traded for crazy loose, which meant that our throttle stops would be well utilized. We shot up the climb, grinning like little kids on Christmas morning who just found all of the presents under the tree. Carrying speed and prolonged wheelies were the ticket on some of the steeper pitches as we raced toward the sky. We soon topped out and were rewarded with an awesome view of the country below. Smoke from countless wildfires burning all across the southwest added depth to the landscape, and the clouds diffused the harshness out of the mid-afternoon sun, which made for killer views. We stopped and took in the awesome views in every direction before continuing on our way. We still had dozens of miles to go, and we were about to get into some of the coolest sections of road. After topping out, the road is delicately laced along a ridgeline, and in several places, the road is the ridgeline. To either side, expansive views stretch on for miles. The experience feels like you’re on a high pass in Colorado, riding a rocky narrow track with a cut bank on one side, and plenty of room to fall off of on the other. Yet here, you’re gazing down into the high desert, and it’s a unique experience. Again, the dozer had been at work, and what was a narrow shelf road when I had last been on this road in July, had been considerably widened. The impact of no real rain to speak of was evident too. What should have been soil had been turned to deep silt in places, which is not something you usually find at this time of year. Far too soon, the road started to flatten out and disappear into endless stands of Ponderosa trees. As if on cue, the cloud cover had started increasing just in time to make sure the timber felt nice and dark. Kenny and I had one more spot we wanted to visit before we pointed our bikes for home, so we picked up the pace to cover the miles before dark. Riding through the endless forest is something that never gets old. The road weaves through stands of trees, up and down the gentle hills and valleys. The weather was obviously keeping other folks out of the woods, and we nearly had the place to ourselves. After following a series of turns that led down roads which saw progressively less and less use, we reached the spot we searching for.
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An old cabin materialized out of the endless tree trunks. Built on stumps and surrounded by old water tanks and a couple of outbuildings, the cabin has been in the woods for many moons, but information on the history of the building is apparently hard to come by – so I’ll just say it’s the quintessential type of cool old stuff you find when you’re out poking around. The wind howling through the trees caused the occasional pine bough or branch to fall around us, which made me think of what it would have been like to live out here – dozens of miles from Flagstaff. Home was starting to sound like a winning idea as the wind continued to pick up and the temperature kept dropping. Maybe we would actually see snow tonight, as forecasted. Not wanting to wait and see if any snow would fall at the cabin, Kenny and I layered up and started following the track for home. We had dozens of miles to cover, but thankfully modern dirt bikes can cover ground faster than what I’m assuming the folks who lived in the cabin used to get around on – so we knew our ride home wouldn’t take too long. From a clearing in the trees at the top of a hill, we could see rain falling off in the distance as the storm marched across Northern Arizona. Our final miles were easy, on well maintained dirt roads that thanks to some rain we had just missed, were much less dusty than what we had dealt with earlier in the day. Back in Flagstaff just before the sun set, I took stock of the day’s ride. Kenny and I had covered well over 100 miles on our ride. More than 95% of the ride was dirt, starting at 7,000 feet above sea level (ASL) in Flagstaff, and dropping down to just over 4,000 ft ASL in Sedona. The only time we were on pavement was in Sedona, and a mile or so in Flagstaff. We rode all of the rocks, sampled singletrack lined in the colors of fall, played on Slickrock, and rode some of the coolest dirt roads around. Thanks to some awesome topography and folks who have established and continued to maintain roads through these places, we got to see some awesome country and have a great ride. And the crazy part is, there’s still so much left to explore.
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There is no shortage of cool roads out there – you just have to point your bike down one and commit to seeing what is around the bend. Even if you’re riding down a track that you’ve been down countless times before, you’re eventually bound to find new things or find that the road has been changed to provide a completely different riding experience than what you were expecting. A good map and a big tank of gas are all you need to get out and explore and have a great time on your motorcycle. Don’t let the changing cooler weather keep you at home, just pack a layer and go. In our case, the weather definitely cut down the number of folks in the woods and there’s nothing quite like having so much public land nearly all to yourself.
TESTED
BY CHAD DE ALVA
Mosko Moto Pico Tank Bag V2.0 and Navigator Cell Phone Pocket Tank bags are awesome because they work so well for stashing some of the random gear that we bring on our rides. They are also a great spot to place your navigation kit, as the top of a tank bag can easily be seen while riding. Yet, bikes come in all shapes and sizes, so it’s important to match a tank bag to a bike and rider in order to ensure that it is a helpful accessory and not a hindrance. For riders who want the benefits of a tank bag but do not want it to get in the way of their riding, Mosko Moto has created the Pico V 2.0 Tank Bag. This minimalist tank bag is designed to carry just the essentials, and when combined with the Navigator Cell Phone Pocket, the Pico becomes a very versatile tank bag system for riders who like to keep things fast, light, and functional. At first glance, the Pico may strike you as a shrunken-down, feature-stripped version of a normal tank bag, but in fact the design is very intentional and well thought out. Mosko Moto’s goal with the Pico was to create a fast and light tank bag for bikes that might otherwise not be tank bag compatible. The Pico is small and slender, which enables it to fit on dualsport bikes and mid-size ADV bikes without becoming a rider restricting blob of gear. The Pico is secured to a bike with the standard issue Mosko Moto tank bag harness, which does a great job of holding it securely to bikes ranging from enduro machines to Liter-plus ADV yachts. Quick disconnect buckles allow you take the tank bag with you when needed, or swap one tank bag between multiple bikes. A single YKK Vislon Aquaguard Zipper can be opened or closed with gloves on, and provides access to a single compartment that has an adjustable and removable divider. Inside this compartment you can easily store a multi tool, a couple of energy bars, earplugs, and other essential items you need quick access to. On the underside of the lid you will find a stash pocket that’s great for carrying some cash and a credit card. There’s also a pass-through port in the bottom of the bag for piping in a charging cable. On the top of the Pico is a two column, three row Hypalon MOLLE Webbing that is great for attaching other MOLLE-compatible gear, or Mosko’s Navigator Cell Phone Pocket.
T E S T E D : Mosko Moto Pico Tank Bag V2.0 and Navigator Cell Phone Pocket The Navigator is Mosko Moto’s solution for carrying and using a smartphone on a bike, and it offers a number of benefits over other smartphone mounting options. To use the Navigator, simply install the two Velcro bands into the MOLLE on the top of the Pico and insert you phone into the Navigator’s phone pocket. Once inside, you phone is protected from the elements, and thanks to a touch compatible window and charging port, you can still power and use your phone. Compared to a hard mount on your bars, the Navigator insulates your phone from vibrations which can kill a phone, and there is no risk of your phone jumping ship on a ride. The Navigator also has a flap that covers your phone to protect it from sunlight-induced overheating. Simply lift the flap to use your phone, and cover it up when not in use. The Navigator is a must-have add-on to the Pico, but it isn’t without fault. Since smartphones come in all shapes and sizes the Navigator will work better with certain phones than others. My two most recent phones (Samsung Note 9, Samsung Note 20 Ultra) have displays that are larger than the touch compatible window in the Navigator, so I have to pull my phone out to see my status bar, or to interact with certain apps. To be clear, this issue isn’t Mosko Moto coming up short on their design – phones just vary too much in size, shape, and sensor position for anyone to make a single mount work seamlessly with every phone out there. Mosko Moto does include an insert to keep smaller phones centered in the Navigator, and I’m happy to report that they’re actively working to make the Navigator compatible with an expanded number of phones.
Mosko Moto Pico Tank Bag V2.0 and Navigator Cell Phone Pocket Yet even with a less than ideal smartphone fit, the Navigator is still a great way to carry and use a phone, and the Pico has proven to be a killer tank bag. I’ve run this setup on my 790 R extensively, from a week-long tour in early season Colorado snow, to plenty of ADV-style rips in Arizona. At no point during any of my riding which ranged from mellow two-lane cruising to extended stints in Rally Mode, did the tank bag come loose or get in my way. Likewise, the Pico can be fit on the front of a dirtbike seat, without really getting in the way – as long as you’re not planning on sitting all the way forward on your seat to really rail corners. Being able to run a tank bag on long, navigation-intense dirt bike dual sport rides is a valuable feature. The Pico may look small, but it’s actually a very useful volume of space that can swallow up a surprising amount of kit and can help empty out your pockets, resulting in less time spent checking all 25 of your pockets for that one little thing you really need. Together, the Navigator and the Pico V 2.0 make a great tank bag system. The Pico is made for those riders who like to set their bikes up fast and light, or for riders who want a tank bag that doesn’t get in the way. In tacti-cool parlance, the Pico would be called “High Speed, Low Drag.” But for the rest of us, the Pico is a tank bag that’s been built to pack a ton of essential functionality into a small form factor. There is no fluff here – just function-driven features that provide a versatile amount of space to carry the things you need on a ride. Whether you’re trying to find a tank bag that actually fits on your dual sport bike, or you want a tank bag for your ADV bike that won’t prevent you from standing up and getting your weight forward, the Pico is a great way to go. When topped with Mosko Moto’s Navigator Cell Phone Pocket, the Pico becomes a mount for your smartphone, which means that navigation, tunes, the ‘Gram, and all of the other things we do with our devices are within easy reach. The Navigator also makes bringing your phone on a ride less of a hazard to your phone. Together, the Pico and the Navigator make a very versatile tank bag system that will only serve to help enhance your ride. Pico Tank Bag: $99.00, Navigator Cell Phone Pocket $26.10. www.moskomoto.com
To all of our Sponsors, Supporters, Donors, Partners and Volunteers: Thank you for your contributions over the last ten years and for making this past year an overwhelming success for BDR despite the challenges of 2020. Your generosity has fueled our mission and enabled the steady growth of the organization year over year. We are humbled by the enduring support of the ADV community and will continue to vigorously deliver on our core mission of creating and preserving adventure riding opportunities for generations to come.
DON’T MISS THIS ONCE-A-YEAR OPPORTUNITY TO BID ON AN AWESOME COLLECTION OF ADVENTURE-INSPIRED PRODUCTS & PACKAGES
5th Annual
HOLIDAY AUCTION
Bidding ends December 20th
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We could not do it without you. With gratitude, The BDR Team
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890 Adventure Global Launch Nafpaktos, Greece It probably won’t come as a surprise to anyone, but 2020 has been a strange year. As a freelance photographer, my days are usually spent at airports, hotels and in rental cars. But for a five month stretch of 2020, I didn’t really leave an hour’s drive radius of my home, in Canada. Finally, things started to pick back up in July and August, but it was still surprising to get an email from KTM asking if I could join them as a photographer in Greece for the launch of their new 890 Adventure. Even with the uncertainty of the current pandemic, it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. So away I went, lining up the paperwork and COVID tests I needed to link up with the KTM team in Athens.
By JAMES LISSIMORE
Originally slated to be the host for the 2020 edition of KTM’s European Adventure Rally, the KTM crew had already done all the leg work in scouting out the area surrounding the town of Nafpaktos, in anticipation of that event. So when it had to be pushed to spring of 2021, they decided it would still make a great location to do a smaller, media only launch for their all new, mid-sized adventure machine. Having never been to Greece before, I had a lot of anticipation about visiting a country that has been so important to human history. My expectations were high as we touched down in Athens, grabbed the rental van and settled in for the two and a half hour drive to Nafpaktos, our home base for the next ten days. After passing over the massive Rio-Antirrio Bridge that spans the Gulf of Corinth we arrived at our hotel, Hotel Nafs, situated on the beach of the Nafpaktos waterfront. Nafpaktos is known for being the site of the famous Battle of Lepanto, a naval battle between the Ottoman Empire and a coalition of Catholic states, called the Holy League, in 1571. The town itself is full of history, ringed by a fortress that covers the surrounding hill, which was the location for the launch of the motorcycle we were all here for – the all-new 2021 KTM 890 Adventure. KTM had chosen a cool location, in the fortress itself, for the unveiling of their new mid-sized bike.
890 Adventure Global Launch
890 Adventure Global Launch
890 Adventure Global Launch
While the more hardcore, off-road specific Adventure R and Adventure R Rally models were released two weeks earlier, KTM had brought journalists from all over Europe to Greece for the launch of the standard Adventure model, which they have dubbed The Ultimate Gravel Machine. Even though they only launched the 790 Adventure for the 2019 model year, KTM has already released this fresh mid-weight adventure bike for 2021. Upgrades on the new bike include 90cc of extra displacement, 10 extra horsepower (up to 105 now) and 12Nm’s of extra torque (now an even 100). Also fitted to the new engine is a knock sensor to better adapt to the variable qualities of fuel that adventurers might find as they travel through different countries. On the chassis side, they updated the subframe and fitted a new shock with external pre-load adjustment, to make it easier to set the bike up when carrying luggage.
New brakes are also fitted to give extra power when hauling all that luggage. Much of the look of the previous 790 carries over, with the distinctive headlight/front end and the low-slung, rally style fuel tank. With the more street/light off-road focus of the Adventure vs its R and Rally siblings, the route laid out for the journalists consisted of roughly 75% street and 25% dirt roads. And what roads they were – after spending over a week traveling around the Nafpaktos area, it’s clear that this is a mecca for adventure riding. Twisting mountain roads, both paved and dirt, stretched to the horizon in every direction and provided a lot of diversity to test out the characteristics of the new bike. Greece’s geography was quite a bit more variable than I expected.
890 Adventure Global Launch
890 Adventure Global Launch
890 Adventure Global Launch
Along the coast was the Mediterranean climate that I had envisioned. However, as soon as we popped over the mountains to the other side, I thought I was back in Canada as pine trees, moss and rocks covered the terrain. It just added another layer to an already amazing location. KTM is anticipating hosting their Adventure Rally in Nafpaktos in 2021; I’m hoping I can come back and experience more of the amazing terrain this region of Greece provides. After ten days in Greece and three groups of journalists, it was time to say goodbye to this amazing place. The history, the food, the terrain – it was all incredible and should be on any adventurer’s bucket list once we can travel again. I hope to be back soon.
890 Adventure Global Launch
By Travis Gill viajarmoto.com
I REMEMBER COMING ACROSS THE WARNING ON THE CROATIA PAGE OF THE TRANS EURO TRAIL “Wherever you see a MINE sign on the side of the road, it is STRICTLY forbidden (not to say very, very foolish) to venture from the road. Croatia was, unfortunately, part of the wars of the ’90s. MINE signs along the white roads, in the woods, open fields, wood clearings etc. NEED to be taken very seriously. There have been reports of people riding in fields where there are known to be mines and we, as a part of the TET project, advise strongly against such risky and stupid behavior.” Am I reading this right? MINES? That’s crazy. The Croatian War of Independence ended in 1995! Where there still mines left in the country 25 years later?
THE CROATIA WAR OF INDEPENDENCE The Homeland War (Croatian: Domovinski Rat) of 1991-1995 was fought between Croat forces loyal to the government of Croatia and forces of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Serb-controlled Yugoslav People’s Army, and other local Serb forces. During this five year period, over 20,000 lives were lost and nearly half a million people became refugees. Although 25 years have passed since the war, there are haunting reminders of its past in Croatia and neighboring countries: destroyed buildings, bullet ridden walls, and the leftover remains of nearly 30 thousand mines. Efforts have been ongoing to find and eliminate these mines, however this is an expensive and time consuming process. Fortunately, the location of the mine fields have been effectively marked and the chances of coming across a mine are remote as long as you respect the warning signs and stay on designated trails.
TRANS EURO TRAIL The Trans Euro Trail (TET) is a system of off-road oriented trails that travel through 33 European countries and total over 31,700 miles (51,000 km). “Linesmen� from each country are designated to provide updates to the trail and the GPX route which can be downloaded for free at the website www.transeurotrail.org. This year, the TET celebrated three years of operations and now has over 47,000 Facebook members. The Croatian portion of the TET winds through the center of the country covering 220 miles (354 kilometers) of trails and pavement that connect to Slovenia to the north and Bosnia and Herzegovina to the east.
RIDING THE CROATIAN TET We chose to start our ride from the northern border town of Brod Na Kupi, Croatia where there is a small border checkpoint to the neighboring country of Slovenia. At the time of our visit, in September, Americans could not enter Slovenia due to COVID-19, so we turned around and headed back to the south to begin our four-day journey. The TET provides a nice variety of pavement, dirt roads, and some short sections of single track. We experienced twisty mountain pavement, gravel logging roads, dirt ridges that opened up to provide incredible views of the Adriatic Sea, farm roads through remote villages, and fertile valleys.
There were two sections that were somewhat difficult for our heavily weighted “mules.” Our G650GSs weigh a moderate 420 pounds, but when loaded with another 100 pounds of gear, the steep rocky hills and narrow switchbacks are a bit more challenging. Fortunately, these sections were not longer than a couple miles. We took it slow to ensure we didn’t damage the mules or ourselves. Halfway through the TET we enjoyed a side trip where we rode 24 miles (39 kilometers) to the abandoned Željava Air Base, situated on the border between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. This airbase, code named Objekat 505, has an extensive network of underground facilities and aircraft bunkers built underneath the mountain. 100-ton pressurized blast doors ensured the underground portions could survive a direct hit from a 20-kiloton nuclear bomb! A few miles from the airbase is an often photographed landmark of a wrecked Douglas C-47 “Dakota” with Yugoslav Air Force markings. Over the years, the exterior engine cowling and cockpit areas have been covered with stickers. We made sure to add a few viajarMOTO.com and UPSHIFT stickers to the mix before continuing back to the nearby town of Željava. The most visited national park in Croatia is Plitvice Lakes National Park, and for good reason. This UNESCOWorld Heritage Site is stunningly beautiful with its chain of 16 terraced lakes joined by waterfalls that are accessible via wooden walkways that extend across the crystal clear waters. During our visit we got to experience the stunning autumn colors and exceptional beauty of this national treasure.
If you enjoy the idea of remote riding and camping then you’ll find Croatia to be a great country to get away and do some social distancing. Perhaps it was due to the shoulder season (May-June, SeptemberOctober) and the travel restrictions of other European countries, but we didn’t come across a single rider while on the trail. There were large sections of dirt road where we wouldn’t see another vehicle or person for nearly the entire stretch of road. We also found it easy to discover remote camping spots where we could park the mules and set up our tent and sleeping bags for the evening. After four days of full-time traveling and camping each night, we reached the border of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This country was open to Americans, however it required a negative COVID test within 48 hours of entry. Since we wanted to see a lot more of Croatia, we turned around at the border and made our way west to the coastal city of Zadar. Bosnia and Herzegovina will have to wait for another day. For the adventure motorcycle rider who wants to experience some of the most beautiful remote country in Eastern Europe, Croatia has it in spades. There are many reasons to recommend this European Union country: the weather, especially along the coast, is sunny and warm during the shoulder months of summer; the people are equally as warm with most speaking very good English; prices for accommodations are generally much less expensive than in Western Europe; finally, and perhaps the biggest reason, is that they are one of the few European countries that have graciously allowed Americans to come and experience their wonderful country during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
CROATIAN TET LINESMAN A week after riding the TET, we headed back north to explore the less visited northeast portion of Croatia. It was in the capital city of Zagreb that we got to visit with the Croatian linesman, Dubravko “Dooby” Primorac. We sat down with him, over some coffee, and discussed the TET. viajarMOTO: Thank you for your help in working with local agencies to create and share an enjoyable route through your beautiful country. We really enjoyed our four days experiencing the various terrains of forests, mountains, farmland, meadows, and seaside views. There really is a lot of diversity packed into the 220 miles of trails you selected. Why should readers consider riding the Croatian TET and other Balkan countries? Dooby: Wilderness and heritage – there is so much heritage spread over such a small area. During your ride you will experience ancient ruins, castles, fortresses, and fortified cities. When traveling in remote regions, you will experience the Balkan warm hospitality and will be treated to local foods - often for free. viajarMOTO: What type of motorcycle would you recommend for riding the TET through Croatia? Dooby: The route was recently revised and is less technical than before so you can ride it with larger motorcycles like the BMW R1250GS, Honda African Twin, and KTM 1290, without too many problems as long as you’re a confident rider. viajarMOTO: How about wild camping along the route? Dooby: Wild camping is officially not allowed, but you can pitch a tent in a remote area without problems. Wild animals are not a problem, but you may see bears, boars, deer, and sometimes a wolf, if you’re lucky. viajarMOTO: Is there a quintessential meal that you would suggest visitors eat when visiting Croatia? Dooby: Peka is the meal you must try when riding through the mountainous area. Peka is made by baking meat, typically lamb, with potatoes and vegetables under a bell-like dome (ispod čripnje). It takes 3-4 hours to cook so ensure you give the restaurant plenty of notice before your arrival. If you enjoy seafood, then try brudet – a fish stew served with vegetables and home-made bread. viajarMOTO: What other places in Croatia would you recommend for motorcycle touring? Dooby: The Islands of the Adriatic in the shoulder season are a must! There are empty roads, loads of gravel to ride, great views, and an abundance of local food and wine to taste. Also, the northeastern part of the country is where you will see a completely different part of Croatia where the people are really friendly, and you have a mix of mountain, plains, swamps, and national parks.
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