I managed to find a few days to get away for a ride and had a great time. Didn't really have much of a plan in terms of route / destination when I left, however, I figured Adirondack Park was worth exploring. I had gone there last fall on the SV and it was terrific. Going back there was definitely on my list.
I tell 'ya, this new DR is a veritable Swiss Army Knife: it performed respectably well on the highway, although most of my 1,500 Kms were on secondary roads travelling at 100Km/h and slower. However, I did several jaunts on the slab and there was no trouble keeping it locked at 120 clicks but I imagine wind protection might be an issue after a few hours at that speed. I also made a point of exploring almost every dirt road I came across. Dozens of gravel roads, dirt trails, logging roads. I didn't do any serious off-roading, but I certainly went places that would be completely inaccessible on my old SV. I even managed to drop the big DR when I lost my footing as I came to a stop while riding along some power lines. Snapped my right bar-end mirror. Oh well, could have snapped my brake lever!! So I ordered some Moose Racing bark busters as soon as I got back (installed them earlier this evening) and put the original mirrors back on.
Moose Racing bark busters will help to protect against damage.
A week before leaving on this road trip I had new sprockets and a chain installed at
Route 68 Sales & Service in Flackville, NY (just beyond Ogdensburg). Because my local dealer charges criminal prices for really crappy service, I find it well worth my while to drive an hour and cross into the US to buy from Ken at his small shop. Great service, and pricing is waaay better. I also picked up a sleek DRZ250 tail light to replace the big ugly DR light, as well as a bunch of oil filters. The new sprockets are geared 1 down in the front, and 1 up in the rear (15/43) which helps make the low end a tiny bit snappier, and highway speeds don't suffer too much.
The new 37 Litre Givi topcase mounted to the luggage rack is perfect for a 2-3 day trip. And, the new Solstice 10-Watt LED offroad lights are totally amazing. And travelling with my Garmin Nuvi 760 GPS makes life real easy. I even listened to the MP3 player the entire ride.
I also made a larger toolbox from some 3" ABS pipe with a screw-on end cap. Holds more than twice as many tools as before.
Here are some shots I took with my really crappy camera.
Spent the first night at a cabin in Tupper Lake.
Overlooking Lake Placid.
Overlooking Lake Placid, again.
A wind farm along Route 11, somewhere near Malone, I think.
Moose Racing bark busters will help to protect against damage.
Overlooking Lake Placid.
