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Anyone planning to head to Taste of Dakar this year? I think I saw Eric Hall mention he was going to keep his 100% good attendance award. A few of us PNW regulars are making the trip down again for our spring fling in the NV desert (6th year for us.) Probably spend a few days riding out of Pahrump or Beatty before the event starts Friday, then ride the event Saturday, and finish up Sunday (and hopefully part of Monday) out of Gold point. Love the endless riding out there. And got to love the Gold Point experience. Hopefully with the event being later in spring we will not be limited on routes by the snow this year. Taste of Dakar 2018 on Facebook Altrider's Event Page Couple Photo's from last year.

For sale BRAND NEW, still in the plastic, never been opened AltRider skid plate and the mounting bracket; also BRAND NEW. Located in northern California, and would prefer a local sale, but I'm willing to ship them. I'm asking $450 or best offer for both, and I'm open to trades. I enjoy hunting, hiking, motorcycles (obviously), travel, and all sorts of stuff so let me know if you've got a good trade. Thanks for looking. http://www.altrider.com/en/product/detail/pid/2078 http://www.altrider.com/en/product/detail/pid/1382

Just came back from my first maintenance on this monster. Surprising at how fast and smooth this motor is. She is in the beginnings of her transition to a real super adventurer: Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR, PP ergo seat, Altrider skid plate, radiator protection, rally pegs. It is strange going back and forth between both machines now— I think I have a favorite, not sure yet... now to plan my trips....

I made a 2 part video to help people better understand just who AltRider is as a company and who they want you to be. Part 2 will be out tomorrow around 8pm est.

A little link to the article and video I made of AltRider's Taste of Dakar. A seriously good time.

Yet another great event! Dennis and I are on our way back now. All my pics and video are on separate cameras so you'll have to wait for all that. Main takeaways: New venue of Gold Point truly rocked. Wine Ridge RV resort was nice but wasn't an experience. Gold Point was an experience. Tracks dried out in just two weeks and were MUCH drier which means more deep sand. Great for a challenge but the scenic riders got more than they bargained for. Weather was perfect. Minimal injuries so that is good. What do others think?

I have been using AltRider Hemisphere Soft Panniers for 3 months now and it is time for a quick review. I have always been a fan of soft luggage for off road use for the simple facts that it holds gear more securely on rough roads and is more forgiving and less painful when its laying on top of me when I run out of talent. My first impression of the Hemisphere Soft Panniers was that they were a very simple design. They don't have a dozen straps dangling from all sides of the luggage which is great when loading and unloading my gear. One requirement for the Hemisphere Soft Panniers is a hard rack, so I decided to install a Tusk Rack which worked perfectly with the Hemisphere Soft Panniers. The hook and loop attachment is about as simple and easy as it gets to attach the bags to the rack. The second point of attachment is from the front of the panniers to the foot pegs. The third point of attachment is to the back of the tail rack. These three points of attachment hold the bags securely and at no point during my riding did I feel things shifting or bouncing around on the bike. The roll top waterproof main compartments, separate, lower rear loading compartments, and the included top mount dry bag provide plenty of room to carry all of my camp gear on multi day adventures and compresses down small enough to hold less gear for day trips. Here is a photo of the left side with the removable dry bag. The dry bag is seam taped and kept all of my gear dry during my last trip to Death Valley. I decided to ride Death Valley on what was the wettest weekend of the year. Warm Springs in the Rain The two lower compartments include roll top dry bags to carry heavier items low for a better center of gravity. I used the right side for tools and used the left side for water and camera gear. This is a photo of the included dry bag for the top of the rack. Many of my rides are well over 200 miles between gas stations and I carry a RotoPax. I was concerned that the RotoPax would not work and was pleasantly surprised to see that the RotoPax was held securely with one of the provided tie downs. No shifting at all! There are two tie downs included to securely hold the dry bag or any other gear you will want to carry. One issue with the Hemisphere Soft Panniers is that the design covers the pillion/passenger area including the passengers handles. I would guess that half of my rides are spent with my wife, Brandy, on the back of my bike so I had to make one modification and add handles to the luggage. I don't necessarily want to recommend this to other 2Up riders, however it worked out great for Brandy and my riding style. Brandy wraps her arms around my waist in all technical or fast sections of trail and she uses the handles while on the highway or flat non technical sections of road and trail. I used four screw links and two "dog bones" that are used for rock climbing quick draws to build the handles. Please click on this link to be directed to AltRiders website for all the technical specifications and AltRider videos on the Hemispere Soft Panniers: I hope that you enjoyed my review! Brandy and Jesse "GeoMoto" Kimball are avid adventure riders and organize the Flying Monkey Adventure Rally every October in Southern Utah.

SEATTLE, WA – October 18, 2016 – (Motor Sports Newswire) – Motorcycle accessory manufacturer AltRider is now stocking their DualControl Brake System for the 2016-17 Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin. This innovative device offers riders better control over their rear brake lever in both seated and standing positions, making it an ideal upgrade for adventure riders looking to leave the pavement. AltRider’s DualControl Brake System provides quick access to the Africa Twin’s rear brake, no matter what position the rider is in. “Most ADV riders change their foot position as they switch between standing and sitting,” explained AltRider Founder Jeremy LeBreton. “If your foot is not situated properly on the rear brake pedal, you’re potentially doubling reaction time and stopping distance, which can be especially hazardous when riding off-road. The DualControl Brake System aims to correct that problem so riders can maintain control over the rear brake at all times.” AltRider’s patent-pending DualControl Brake System features two pieces to help enhance a rider’s control and reaction time: a riser and an enlarger plate. When a rider transitions from a seated position to a standing position, the change in angle tends to bring the front of the foot higher and further away from the rear brake lever. The riser was designed to provide quick access to the rear brake, no matter what position the rider is in. The enlarger plate was designed to combat the effects of off-road terrain on the rider’s footpeg position. This piece provides a greater surface area to minimize slips or misses in bumpy riding conditions. With both pieces installed, the DualControl Brake System helps Africa Twin riders improve reaction time and control over the rear brake lever. Features Include: Patent pending design 25.4mm tall riser is constructed of billet aluminum Billet aluminum enlarger plate is precision fit to the Africa Twin Replaceable grip pins provide traction in all conditions Riser and enlarger available separately or as a kit Installs easily with included stainless steel hardware Available in silver or black finish 100% designed and manufactured in the USA] The AltRider DualControl Brake System is 100% engineered and manufactured in the United States. The riser and enlarger are offered separately or as a kit, and are available in a silver or black finish. AltRider DualControl Brake Systems are available at www.AltRider.com and through authorized AltRider dealers. About AltRider.com From their vast catalog of American-made protection pieces and other accessories to their annual signature rides, AltRider is all about giving riders the freedom of adventure. The Seattle-based company designs, tests and manufactures its products to function well, look good on the bike, and stand up to brutal riding conditions. Learn more at www.altrider.com.

This video came in my inbox while I was riding in Colorado... From AltRider Luggage rack Skid plate Upper & lower crash bars As for their crashbars, the salient points seem to be they're made of thicker tubing, don't have sharp bends (adds to strength) and are attached better.

AltRider announced today a new line of protection parts (skid plates, oil cooler guards, headlight guards, radiator guards, luggage racks, high fender mounts) for the Ducati Scrambler as well as three Triumph bikes: Bonneville, Scrambler and Thruxton.

A reason to show up for the 2016 Conserve the Ride june 10th-12th. Have you ever ridden past a closed gate on the side of a gravel road and wonder where does it go? Your mind dreams up some amazing offroad adventure with a perfect mix of dirt, rocks, and elevation changes. Then you continue on you’re way past the gate, shaking your adventure from between your ears and returning home. This isn’t the case with events like the AltRider’s Conserve the Ride. Many factors make this ride one of the most accessible adventure rides on the east coast. With gates opened, trails clearly marked and GPS files downloaded getting into trouble or lost would prove hard to do. A main loop of gravel and tarmac is laid out with options leaving and rejoining the route. With 4 levels of difficulty in the optional sections clearly labeled at the trailhead and discussed in the rider meeting. Three very new, very different options were opened up this year - all wide single track multi-use trails with a small crushed shale top coat laid down over miles of bermed corners with varying levels of difficulty. The best way to describe it is to call it sand or mud’s easy to ride cousin. The front tire would push a little, but not wash out from under you. After completing these segments, one rider said that he’s learned more about off road riding in those options than he has in 12k. Another rider who’s been training for a shot at the Dakar came out laughing, proclaiming that was the most fun he’s ever had on big bike. Showing up alone for a group ride isn’t a problem either. AltRider’s 2013 Conserve the Ride was my first time at one of these events, and was where I met my ADV friends (#fatankleracingteam) that I still ride with at multiple events throughout the year (there is about 20+ of us now). Those who don’t come in a group find it easy to join a small group of other riders with similar riding abilities. This event is not a race. There’s no mix of big bikes and packs of wild ex motocross racing dirt bikers who will blow you into the weeds as they pass you (as experienced at other events). You won’t find yourself trapped under your bike with no one to help you. The crowd at this event is outgoing, helpful, and excited to be there. You can’t really have a tip over without having 3 people helping you and your bike up before you’ve caught your breath. Unlike some events your entry fee covers nearly everything and you will have a hard time spending any money on anything other than gas. Unless, that is, you were tempted to bid on the Rev’It, Bmw of Manhattan, Kissel Motorsports, Kenda Tires, or Rox Speed FX donated goodies, where all proceeds were donated to the Seven Mountains Conservation Corp (more on this later). Organizers of this event have catered to your every food and beverage needs. Fellow ADV rider and local owner Michael Marx of World’s Fare Catering takes care of all the meals. Full plates with seconds available of the best food I’ve ever had at any event makes two and a half days away from home easy. The event is further eased by a very local craft beer brewery; the Elk Creek Cafe. The only thing you need to decide is if you are going, where you’re pitching your tent, and which options you plan on doing. This year’s 150+ mile route has by far been the best route yet, scouted, marked, and swept by the Seven Mountain Conservation Corps. The SMCC is a local non profit dedicated to maintaining and improving a massive multi-use trail system in conjunction with the PA DCNR (Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources). These folks put a lot of hard work into this event and it shows in the amount of fun that all riders had. A portion of your entry fee goes back to this worthwhile organization. Even with a three week old “new” bike and the stock road oriented tires on it, you can still enjoy events like this. Do a couple of the options. Even if you don’t have any formal training. You might drop it, or get some scratches on it, but the next time you’re outside your local starbucks and someone asks: “Where have you been on it?” you’ll have an answer. Also, for about 2 months you won’t be able to tell a story without starting it with: “This one time at the Altrider ride.” I originally wrote this article for ADVMoto magazine and if you don't have a subscription you should probably look into it.

Having a great time here so far. We got in Thursday afternoon and went riding today. Rich and I did this huge hill in the dunes

Out here in Pahrump scouting trails with Curtis and Sky for AltRider's Taste of Dakar in March Yesterday's route across the dry lake bed. I was cold riding up and stopped at Tecopa hot springs to warm up. This is a pic I found on the Interwebs. I thought this lady looked funny Cold this morning Lunch at Pioneer Saloon