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Hi all, long time rider here mainly dirtbikes (ThumperTalk member) and some street. Recently got a 2013 tiger and already jonesing to go out and explore. Have a trip planned to WVA in 2 weeks and there's a lot of dirt roads on the map

a little bird told me. Watch this space.

I think it was march when I decided to quit my job to travel around the world. I was already fed up with the work and the city (Istanbul) so the timing was quite right. While I was planning the trip and getting ready for it, I had an email from my friend from the US, Prentiss. We met two years ago while me and Noah (He is on a RTW also with his 690) was having our drinks at a new year’s party. Prentiss and her brother were visiting Istanbul for new year. After spending a couple of days together, eating kokorec, and the other usual Istanbul activities, Noah continued his trip around the world with his 690 Enduro R while Prentiss and her brother Clay went back home, US. Two years later, in June 2014 Prentiss was finishing her grad school and before the chapter of professional career in her life so she needed an adventure. Then the plan was simple, we would ride from Istanbul to Tbilisi together. She bought her flight tickets and it was on. That was the first time she would be on a motorcycle, but it was going to be fun. While I was getting ready and figuring out the items I would bring on my journey, I picked up Prentiss from the airport. I went there on the bike so that would be a good opportunity to warm up Prentiss about being a passenger on a motorcycle. A couple of days in Istanbul for sightseeing and later, we were ready to begin our journey. Prentiss was interested in Cappadocia, so that was the first destination. So that was it, I was in my garage loading up the bike to start a journey around the world. I was feeling excited, as my friends were with us to say ”Goodbye”. The odometer was 1227km. while I was wondering what the final number would be? It was early in the morning around 9 am, while we were crossing the famous bridge that ties both sides of Istanbul. I was feeling great, that was the beginning of a new chapter in my life. I took the highway towards Cappadocia. I know it was going to be boring for me and Prentiss, but I was eager to be in Cappadocia quickly. On another stop for fuel, I realized that it would be wiser to arrive in Ankara and call it a day. I did not want to push Prentiss too much on her first day on a motorcycle. So we agreed to ride to Ankara and then spend the night there. Luckily another motorcycle traveler friend İbrahim Yesilyurt was living in Ankara and he invited us over to his place. We spent the night mostly talking about traveling. A few drinks and it was time to sleep because we had to get up early for Cappadocia. Saying goodbye to Ibrahim and thanking him for his great hospitality and we were on the road to Cappadocia again. Ibrahim’s hospitality together with a nice Turkish breakfast made us feel ready for the road. It was raining early in the morning, but that was not really a problem for us. We both had waterproof gear, but I wasn’t trusting Prentiss` paper looking rain jacket. <img alt=":<img data-cke-saved-src=" http:="" xladv.com="" public="" style_emoticons="" default="" smile.png"="" src="http://xladv.com/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.png"class="bbc_emoticon" title=":)"> class="wp-smiley" src="http://www.ridemustgoon.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: italic; max-width: 100%; color: rgb(66, 66, 66); font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /> (The jacket proved itself later on.) We had 300 km. ahead of us, at least we would not be on the highway anymore. Ibrahim led the way out of Ankara with his car, and then suddenly the sun started to shine. Prentiss was enjoying taking pictures behind me, and I was feeling she was getting used to being on a motorcycle. While we rode about 200 km.s it was time to feed the beast with fuel, and also our legs needed to stretch. I was also curious about the fuel consumption of the 1190. I had a 990 Adv. in the past and it was still my favorite bike ever. But unfortunately the bike had really high fuel consumption. To test the 1190 about that, I started riding slower, rarely going over 120 km/h, and my average speed was 100 km./h. That was a really big surprise cause the consumption was 5.2 lt. which is really low for a 150 hp bike. I was really impressed. One hour later, we were finally in Cappadocia. We both wanted to camp in the wild. Before checking for a nice camp spot, we had a late lunch in town. Later we bought some snacks and wine for the upcoming evening. I was asking a local about camp spots, and he suggested me to ride over the hills surrounding the area. 15 minutes of light off-road riding on the hills and then Prentiss pointed our camp spot. We quickly put up the tent, and immediately started enjoying the view. The light was perfect for photography, so I didn’t wanna waste that opportunity. As it was getting chillier while the sun was disappearing on the horizon, we had a beautiful view lying under our feet. I was feeling great, camping always helps my state of mind in a positive way. While it was getting darker, we enjoyed our local Cappadocian wine. On the next day, we decided to discover Cappadocia on foot. A quick breakfast at town and we were heading to the Open Air Museum in Ürgüp. I usually get bored in museums and I have no interest in such places crowded with people. But Smurf Village could be interesting. We walked around Ürgüp till afternoon. My plan was to shoot some photos & videos around the chimneys with the bike later, but heavy rain did not let that happen. In the evening we decided to ride to Trabzon on the next day. We had more than 700 km.s to reach there, and the road from Sebinkarahisar to Giresun was twisty. There was nothing interesting in between, so I had to ask Prentiss if she would be fine on the bike for such a long distance. In the past I did about 1200 km. on the bike in a day, but I was worried for my passenger. Prentiss seemed determined and sure, worst case we could camp somewhere if she felt tired. So we set our minds for upcoming day, had a light dinner with cheese, melon and rakı, and we were ready for Trabzon.

January 19, 2015 - (Motor Sports Newswire) - KTM is incredibly proud that Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Marc Coma, who hails from Avià in Spain, sealed his fifth Dakar Rally title on Saturday and with it brought home KTM’s fourteenth consecutive win at one of the most notorious races in the world. While Paolo Goncalves took second place, KTM racer and Dakar rookie Toby Price took an outstanding podium third at his first attempt in an incredibly challenging Dakar race, which took place over 14 days and a route of approximately 9,000km through Argentina, Bolivia and Chile. Coma had a 17-minute lead into the final of 13 stages, although the race was halted on safety grounds due to rain at CP2 and Coma declared the winner. Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Racing Team again on top after more than 9.000km at the finish in Buenos Aires Coma: “I’m happy and proud. As usual it was a grueling rally. We had to overcome a problem on the second day that slowed us down a bit in the rankings. So from then on we had to change the strategy a little and push to recover that time. We knew that the marathons would be key stages and they were. I am happy with the team and the people we have around us. This fifth win says a lot about all of us. The level was very high and this also makes the win very valuable.” KTM team celebrates 14th consecutive Dakar victory Marc Coma tackled the Dakar with his usual passion and attention to detail, true to his belief that the only result that counts was that in the final day. He took victory in Stage 5 and was top three in six other stages. He also rode with care and prudence in the two marathon stages, nursing a damaged tire in the first and safely bringing his KTM 450 RALLY home across the salt flats of Bolivia in wet conditions that resulted in many riders having to exit the rally after salt clogged their engines and electronics. Fifth Dakar title for Red Bull KTM’s Marc Coma of Spain Stefan Pierer (KTM CEO): “That Marc Coma sealed his fifth and the 14th consecutive Dakar win for KTM is a personal success for Marc and each team member and invaluable for the entire company. The very strong KTM-supported riders have a large share in this outstanding overall result, above all Toby Price. His third place caused a sensation. The run of the 2015 Dakar Rally once again showed how unique and unpredictable this race is. Even stage winners like Sam Sunderland and Matthias Walkner didn´t make it to the finish line. The conditions were extremely exhausting for all involved. Everyone who made it to the finish in Buenos Aires is a winner.” Coma won Stage 5 on his KTM 450 RALLY bike Price: “To podium at my first Dakar is unbelievable. I’m shocked and definitely didn’t expect to be on the podium straight away. I wanted to be top 20, and I was definitely hoping to be in the top 10, but to cap it off with a podium is great. After the halfway mark we were in the top 10, but the goal for Alex (Doringer) and me was just to make it back each day while preserving myself and the bike; we just put our head down to keep charging and come away with a good result. It’s been great to see Marc take his fifth Dakar title and the 14th for KTM, which is insane. I didn’t know what to expect coming here, as I’ve done Six Days Enduros, but it doesn’t compare. It’s physically and mentally draining with the distance covered. The work behind the scenes is also insane. The guys work pretty much non-stop and on nearly no sleep. It’s a big team effort, and the result is certainly for the team and the rider. We can’t thank everyone enough, as there are so many people that have worked so hard.” Australia´s Toby Price third overall in his debut Dakar The Dakar 2015 was indeed a battle of attrition. Of the 168 starters in the bikes division only 78 were on the starting line for the final run into Buenos Aires. Final Standings Dakar 2015 after 13 stages 1. Marc Coma (ESP), KTM, 46:03.49 h 2. Paolo Goncalves (POR), Honda, +16.53 min 3. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, +23.14 4. Pablo Qunitanilla (CHI), KTM, +38.38 5. Stefan Svitko (SVK), KTM, +44.17 Other KTM 6. Ruben Faria (POR), KTM, +1:57.50 7. David Casteu (FRA), KTM, +2:00.14 8. Ivan Jakes (SVK), KTM, +2:18.18 11. Hans Vogels (NDL), KTM, +3:31.50 14. Paolo Ceci (ITA), KTM, +4:58.14 18. Jakub Przygonski (POL), KTM, +6:21.12 KTM’s Stage Winners Dakar 2015 Sam Sunderland – Stage 1 Matthias Walkner – Stage 3 Marc Coma – Stage 5 Pablo Qunitanilla – Stage 8 Ivan Jakes – Stage 11 Toby Price – Stage 12 Ivan Jakes – Stage 13 www.dakar.com www.redbull.com/dakar

The solution for carrying more cargo on BMW adventure bikes Sandpoint, ID, December 18, 2015 - Black Dog Cycle Works (BDCW) announces their new BDCW Pillion Rack for BMW R1200GS and GSA Liquid-Cooled motorcycles. For solo adventure riders, a great solution for carrying more cargo is to replace the passenger seat with an integrated rack. BDCW's new rack puts the additional weight immediately behind the rider where motorcycles were originally designed to carry it, making it the ideal location. By moving the weight forward from the rear of the bike, riders should expect greatly improved balance and control. The BDCW Pillion Rack is a highly functional, rugged yet beautifully-machined product that greatly increases the carrying capacity of the Big GS. And, it works especially well with the BDCW Multi-Function Rear Rack for the GSLC or GSA-LC, but is compatible with most rear racks from other manufacturers, as well as the factory grab rails on the standard GS and GSA. Avid adventure riders will appreciate how the BDCW Pillion Rack mounts to their bikes. "Unlike other versions on the market, we intentionally engineered our rack so that it doesn't use the mostly plastic stock keyed release system. We found that the stock release doesn't take to the off-road punishment many of our customers give their bikes. Ours bolts directly to the frame." says Kurt Forgét of BDCW. The BDCW design has several notably unique features and benefits: A great compliment for the BDCW Multi-Function Rear Rack for either the GS-LC or GSA-LC Made of industrial grade gauge 1/4" aluminum Bolts to the frame for solid mounting-designed to take a beating while securely hauling gear Quick and easy removal with four bolts to replace the passenger seat Generous-sized perimeter holes give multiple tie-down points for gear Compatible with the factory grab rails for both the standard GS and the GSA. Anodized hard black for a durable finish Spacers and stainless steel hardware provided Approximately 12" wide x 14" long Designed, tested and manufactured in the U.S.A. MSRP: $195.00