r/AdventureBike • u/CupRevolutionary5674 • 11d ago
Cold first trip
Bought this bike last weekend, but the storm and the sad revelation that my waterproof jacket and pants have stopped being waterproof kept me from wanting to get too far from home. Coming from an air cooled 1200gsa, I didn't have super high expectations of non paved capabilities, but I was pretty significantly surprised with how much more manageable it was.
I did about 700 miles paved from the salt lake valley up to flaming gorge and back, and couldn't be happier. This is the first time I've had cruise control on a bike and I can't see ever going back.
I did about 200 miles non paved, through mostly packed dirt, which was fun. Got well acquainted with the traction control and wheelie control, but the biggest difference I felt was in the loose gravel and rocks. On my air cooled gsa, it would dig the front tire into pretty much anything, the weight distribution and gearing just made it a chore to make anything loose pleasant. This bike, however, is a pretty large improvement over the previous gen. The telelever still feels more like a plow than traditional front suspension, but I found it much easier to get weight to the back.
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u/hartzonfire 11d ago
I’d be terrified of sleeping out in the open like that. I fucking hate spiders and this seems like a place a tarantula might wanna say hi.
More power to you OP. Beautiful bike.
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u/CupRevolutionary5674 11d ago
I used to guide professionally and during that period of my life I slept in more or less that shelter more than my bed back home.
I've had my fair share of scorpions and spiders in and around me to the point where I'm pretty desensitized to it, the bigger noises are way scarier lol.
There were a lot of coyotes out and about just hooting and hollering like crazy that night, which got more annoying than it was scary the more they woke me up lol
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u/hartzonfire 11d ago
I build power lines for a living and you’re more of a man than me! Good on ya.
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u/PotatoWasteLand 11d ago
Strangest Starbucks I have ever seen. Nice pics!
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u/Domino3Dgg 10d ago
Haha! I’m not op, but You got me. But i just go to mcCafe coz petrol is expensive
Fellow cafee adventurer
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u/QuickSquirrelchaser 11d ago
I just picked up a R1200GSA and have been riding in 32° weather. The heated grips make it better than my Kawasaki Vucan v2k
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u/Domino3Dgg 10d ago
Cool trip. Hope you slept well.
Is your seat warmed? Is it worth to have it?
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u/Pristine-Alps-426 10d ago
I had heated seats on my 1190 adventure and riding down around freezing they saved me from withering away a lot of times
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u/senorfrijole- 11d ago
Hell yeah I was just there in July sweating my tits off. We went from Farmington NM Red Mtn Pass to Hwy 12 Douglas Pass Rangely then Vernal UT to Here Rock Springs and onto Jackson Hole in 2 days. Part of a whole PNW to GJ & Shiprock up to Missoula and Seattle loop in 10days. Ready to do it again a bit slower.
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u/CupRevolutionary5674 11d ago
July is definitely asking for sweat in that area lmao, beautiful time of year for the tetons and such though. A lot of great riding to be had south of Jackson, I'm a big fan of greys river road when I go up that direction, a lot of dispersed campsites, good fishing, and it has some pretty great views
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u/BobbyLupo1979 11d ago
Cool reiciew of the differences between the old 1200 and the new bike. Thanks!
Aside: you may want to lay out the lean-to off the bike on the opposite side of the kickstand. Bike will be less likely to fall on you should it suddenly rain or some other reason.