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Hi Guys & girls, I've been having some issues with my Touratech IMO 100. Currently it's not displaying speed, which is not due to the IMO but because the electronic pickup is broken. I tried to change it out by a bolt-on unit from KOSO, but because the interval is different from the TT one (3 pulses per revelation instead of 1) the IMO won't display speed correctly. Dividing wheel size doesn't help either, because the IMO can't keep up with the pulses above 70kph and just displays 0kph instead. Other than above mentioned issue the IMO has been resetting itself lately, making me enter time, wheel size and some other parameters every other time I start up the bike. It might be related to the incompatible speedo pickup since that's when the problem started, so for now I've disconnected the pickup again. Will see if this helps. Getting somewhat ahead of myself with this issue I've been looking around for a replacement dashboard/rally computer. I could probably and quite simply replace the current unit with Touratech's latest offering. But at €350,- there are probably alternatives. For example, a Trailtech unit. Depending on the choosen unit this might end up being as expensive or even more expensive, but it will offer more functionality.And maybe there are other solutions as well, which I'm not aware of yet. So here's my question to you: any suggestions or insights on replacing the current IMO? I would like it to have at least the same functions as my current IMO (according to the TT website), but the speedo part of it all is obviously more important: Speedo mode with daily trip odometer Simultaneous display of: Speed Daily trip odometer Time of day Odometer Rallye computer mode Simultaneous display of: Total distance covered, can be edited via remote control in steps of 10m, 50m or 100m or be edited at IMO-100R50 Rallye directly using Partial distance (stage) can be reset via remote control or at IMO-100R50 Rallye directly Time of day Total distance covered or stage with large or small display Thanks!

I went last year for the first time and it was a lot of fun. There is a lot of great riding over there and camping and partying with hundreds of other ADV enthusiasts is a blast. There are many vendors with all kinds of cool products from little gizmos to whole motorcycles you can try out. There are some great learning opportunities with Jimmy Lewis, Dirt First, and PSSOR doing classes. There is a huge tent area for those riding in, but also an RV area if you want to trailer in too. They offer guided tours for any skill level, or you can just make up your own using the supplied GPS maps. There is food, beer, and gas available right across the street, but those great vendors usually have a keg flowing in the evening. Last year there were about 800 people making it the largest ADV rally in the US, I believe. This year they are going to actually limit attendance to about 1000 and early bird tickets sales end in February, so don't delay. https://www.touratechrally.com/ See you there!, Pete

March Madness With a rough plan for the next two weeks, and a bit of optimism, I set out to race the Sandblast Rally in South Carolina and then continue down to Florida to catch bike week if all went well. The plan was to work out of my company’s Florida office and to rough it in a tent for as long as I could cut it; hopefully long enough to combine my return trip with a detour to Tennessee to catch March Moto Madness. Despite some ups and downs the stars aligned and it turned out to be quite the journey. Sand Blast Rally On the morning of Thursday, March 2nd I packed up my bike and departed from my home on the eastern shore of Maryland. The ride down to Cheraw, SC was uneventful but I was burning through my knobbies faster than I anticipated causing my somewhat worn rear tire to turn into an extremely worn rear tire. I arrived at the campground in time to catch a stunning sunset before unpacking my things and making a run into town for signup. At signup I ran into my friends Steve and Amelia who offered me to pit with their crew, an offer which I took them up on. After signing up and getting supplies I returned back to a cold campsite and prepared for bed. It was a cold night, dropping to freezing temperatures, but I was plenty warm and plenty grateful that I had opted to pick up a 30⁰F sleeping bag before I departed on my trip. The problem though, came when I had to leave my sleeping bag and put on all of my now frozen clothes. There is nothing like scavenging together pine cones to burn for warmth at 6 am. I eventually warmed up enough to go into town and run through tech inspection before attending the novice competitor orientation. Following orientation I went back to the tent and prepared my roll chart for the race by cutting out the special stages then trimming and taping it all together. Shakedown runs in the afternoon were followed up with parc exposé (fancy words for race car show) in the adjacent town of Chesterfield where the rally start would be held. After talking with other riders and getting some tacos for dinner I called it a night. The morning of the race I woke up extra early to give myself time to warm up by the fire. Once warm, I made my way towards Chesterfield for the start only to arrive shivering; it was still near freezing at 6:45am. I warmed up with some coffee and a hot breakfast sandwich, set my watch to key time, and queued up taking my spot as the last motorcycle to start. Starting 30 seconds behind Steve I followed him to the first special stage while getting better acquainted with using my roll chart. Doing some mental math I ensured that I checked in on the correct 30 second interval to avoid penalty and moved up to prepare for launch. With my nerves buzzing with anticipation I watched the timer countdown to my exact second to launch. The timer hit zero and I took off blazing. Unthinking and overly anxious I did not heed the old adage of “slow is smooth, and smooth is fast”. Only several turns in and I was already getting the dreaded arm-pump. Barley able to hold it together, sliding through a chicane I ignored logic and accelerated into the next turn pitching rear slide sideways. Photo by Mathew Styrker I had bitten off more than I could chew and I put myself into a drawn out lowside giving the viewers quite the spectacle. I picked up the bike and finished with a more sustainable pace, the arm pump now so bad that I could barely pull in the clutch at the finish. Heeding my lesson in exceeding my limits, I relaxed and elected a more suitable pace for special stage 2. With my arm-pump subsided I was able to find my rhythm and increase speed throughout the day, though not without a few more mild crashes. Photo by Rally Girl Racing All in all I ended up finishing 8th of 13 for medium class, and 16th of 28 for all bikes. Steve’s video of the rally sums up the whole experience nicely, plus it has some sweet crash footage. Video by Steve Kamrad The end of the rally was in downtown Cheraw where NASA threw an excellent party with “free” food and beer for the competitors and volunteers. Trading war stories and tall tales of the day’s events seemed the perfect way to cap an exciting day of racing. Comradery runs high among the rally folks and many new friends were made. Florida Living In the morning I packed up camp and set off down to Florida. Upon arrival I crashed at my friend and coworker Joe’s apartment for a few days while I decided where to camp. Joe owns a Ninja 300 so naturally the hijinks started right away. Joe had expressed an interest in riding dirt with me so we went adventure riding after my first day of work. I do not think he expected to ride 20 miles of powerline cuts, rail road tracks, and trails but he managed them much better than I ever thought possible. After a few days of staying with Joe I found a place to set up camp in the woods near my office. I guess word got around the office because I soon had an offer to set up camp at my coworker Tommy’s property. Tommy has around 40 acres of property and gave me free reign over it. I found myself a little lean-to structure in the woods and set up shop under it. This would become my new home for March. Adapting to living in a tent turned out to be easy and I quickly got into a routine of going to work early to shower, making meals at work, stopping by the laundromat twice a week to wash the small amount clothes I brought with me, and doing “Florida things” such as visiting the swamps and paddle boarding. I caught wind of a free CADS/GS Giants event called the Trans-Florida Adventure Ride so I eagerly prepared the Versys with an oil change and new rear tire. Early Saturday morning I packed up my bike with my camera, sleeping bag, tool roll, and air compressor and headed out to traverse Florida. Trans-Florida Ride The Trans-Florida Adventure Ride starts out of Crescent Beach along the Atlantic on the first Saturday of bike week and takes a primarily dirt route out to Cedar Key on the Gulf, followed by a mostly dirt route back to the start on Sunday totaling around 360 miles. Navigation is done solely by roll chart with optional “enduro” sections and picture challenges. Deciding I wanted a challenge I took the first optional section, to ride down the beach and get a picture for proof. It turned out I was the only one who did the 4 mile long challenge which now placed me behind literally everyone. Questioning my abilities to follow a roll chart I hastily made off to the next dirt section hoping to catch up with the pack. I rocketed through the next dirt section and despite a few navigational difficulties I got back on track. Passing a group of riders taking a break as I neared the first split between enduro and adventure routes I decided to take the enduro route with the hope that there would likely be someone behind me in the event something went wrong. Naturally things immediately went wrong. Things started to get bumpy blasting down an overgrown trail that somehow passed for a “road” according to my roll chart. At first it was fun getting small amounts of air as I set my pace to 60mph, but my concern grew as the dried mud holes that launched me started to increase in size. I tried to back off but was too late; I flew out of a dip over the bottom of another hole and landed onto the uphill face exiting it. Bottoming incredibly hard, I felt my left foot come free from the peg. Headed towards a mud hole that was filled with water I tried frantically to get my foot back on the peg and regain control but to no avail. I blasted straight through the water hole before finally coming to a stop, now completely drenched. Checking the damage I realize that I could not perch my foot back on the peg because the peg had broken free of the rearset mount taking the shifter and linkage with it. The riders I passed by earlier stopped to check on me as I zip tied the dangling peg and attached shifter to the frame. Seeing that the bike was still rideable I sent them on their way. Attempts at rigging up a way where I could still shift failed as the zip ties snapped immediately or didn’t allow for enough movement. Thinking about my vice grips laying back in my tent, I contemplated what to do now that I was stuck in 3rd gear only 40 miles into the day 1 ride. “How hard could it be to ride one footed,” I pondered. I would soon find out that hard was the answer. Photo by Steven Breckenridge Realizing I had nothing better to do this weekend I decided to forge onward. Placing my left foot on the rear passenger peg afforded my quickly tiring leg some rest as well as added bike control as I made my way through the deep Florida sand. For the next hour I played cat and mouse with the group of riders I encountered earlier; I would pass them as they would wait for the group to reassemble, then subsequently get passed back as I missed turns. Soon I found myself lost, all alone, deep in Ocala National Forest single track. Ready to give up, I turned my bike off (since I couldn’t shift into neutral) to check my phone’s GPS, and to my surprise I distantly heard a bike struggling through the sand down the trail to my right. With renewed hope I rapidly took off in the search of the machine’s pilot hoping that they could show me the way. The first rider I found, Courtney – a R1200GS pilot, had lost place on the roll chart as well but directed me to catch up with the leader of the group, Nick who helped organize the event, would surely know. I reached the group at the end of the trail only to find out that they were actually taking a slightly different, “locals only” route they knew and that I indeed had been lost. I followed them through the last few miles of the section before regaining my bearings and finding my spot on the roll chart. After talking with one of the riders, Mark, at a gas stop I decided I would take their offer to ride with the group for the remainder of the day. After many more miles of sand we reached Cedar Key. Mark was kind enough share his hotel room with me after discovering that I had no accommodations. The next day we ride the 180 miles back, this time with slightly less dirt. About three-quarters of the way through the ride the skies opened up quickly soaking us. Cold and wet we finish the ride back to Crescent Beach to earn our Trans-Florida Ride Finisher stickers. While we celebrated with dinner and some beers I messaged my “roommate” Tommy to see if he knows anyone who can weld aluminum and fix my footpeg. As luck would have it Tommy was drinking beer with his friend who happened to be a welder at that very moment. I limped back at 60mph down I-95 and paid a visit to his friend. Bike Week With my bike fixed I went back into my normal routine: wake up early, go to work, adventure ride, eat tacos and drink beer, and sleep. That Saturday I headed down to Daytona International Speedway to get a taste of bike week. I started off by immediately demoing an Indian Scout, followed by an FJR1300, and finishing on a Hayabusa. After thrashing them as much as I could get away with (they all do wheelies, yes, even the scout) I went and met up with Joe and we checked out the manufacture’s offerings that we couldnot ride, then watched the Daytona 200 from the infield before finishing the night off by bar hopping on Main Street. Photo by Joe Sendzia During the time since the Trans-Florida Ride I noticed that my gas mileage was starting to drop, and soon a noticeable power loss too. Checking my air filter I discovered the problem; it was completely clogged. The dirt and sand was caked onto the filter in unbelievable amounts, to the point that rinsing it was futile. Having failed at cleaning the filter I had a new one overnight shipped. With the new filter in place power was immediately restored and wheelies abounded. In the period from when I first took Joe to the trails to now he had been riding his ninja off-road nearly daily, unbeknownst to me. After catching me planning an afternoon dirt ride he wanted to join along, which I agreed to of course. We started off with local sandy ATV trails and single track that led to a large play area of deep sand. Photo by Joe Sendzia Joe was surprising me with how much more comfortable he had become off-road and was able to go at a respectable pace. After playing on the single track for a while longer we decided to see how far we could make it on the powerline access trail before dark. After knocking out around two miles we reached a swampy low area where I suggested we turn around. Joe wasnot having it and volunteered me to go through first to see how bad it was before attempting the feat with the ninja. Like a good friend I obliged. I started by trying to ride the center between the 4x4 ruts but it turned out to be slick and I soon found myself pulled into the rut of slimy mud. Duck walking I managed to make it through at a crawling pace as the rear refused to get traction despite my best efforts. As I turned around to tell Joe not to attempt it he came barreling down towards the ruts without heed. Despite nearly tucking the front he saved it and his momentum carried him half the length of the rut before the trouble started. Appearing to be stuck Joe turned down my offers of assistance and instead man-handled the 300 to conform to his will. I laughed and photographed him as he slipped and slid every which way, slowly making progress in the intended direction. With the sun about to set we jumped onto the next road the powerlines crossed and met up with Adam for some food truck and brewery action. Brec, one of the riders I befriended at the Trans-Florida Ride, asked if I would be interested in riding a mostly dirt route from Florida up to Tellico Plains for March Moto Madness. Already having plans to attend March Moto Madness, I quickly asked my boss for additional time off to take the long way up. With permission granted I packed up my tent home and spent my last few days in Florida at Adam’s apartment, getting in a few fully loaded test runs over the weekend. Onward to Tennessee Tuesday morning I loaded up the bike for good and headed north to meet Brec in Jacksonville. With his KTM 690 smartly packed and my Versys loaded to the brim we took off, picking up the trail west of the city. Following our route we winded up through the sand roads of Florida and into Georgia, eventually setting up camp for the night near Twin City, Georgia. Rising with the sun we got an early start on our day, crushing many miles of sand that slowly gave way to the red dirt that Georgia is known for. As the day wound on we found ourselves on the twisty, gravel, mountain roads of Chattahoochee National Forest nearing sunset. With only 35 miles of riding left before hitting our intended stop, Mountain City, Georgia, my trunk broke free and tossed itself down the gravel road. The bouncing had sheared the horizontal pins from the ¼ turn fasteners that connect the adapter plate to my tail rack. With a quick zip-tie repair we were back underway only to have it break off again a mile down the road. With sunlight fading fast I was prepared to leave my trunk, its only contents being a sleeping bag and pillow which I could lash to the rack and some MREs I would have to leave behind. Brec insisted that we give it one more go but this time he lashed the adapter plate to the rack with a cam buckle strap. To my delight this worked, but the happiness would be short lived. While stopped at a junction a mere mile down the road my oil pressure light illuminated red. Neither Brec nor I had oil with us and we were still 30 miles into the mountains. Reviewing the roads on the GPS we see that we are already on the shortest path back to civilization and we decide to push on. Maintaining revs to elevate oil pressure enough to stave off the light became my new riding style as we made our way through the forest in the dark. Pulling into town a little after 9pm we decided to get a hotel for the night. In the morning I got oil from gas station next-door which conveniently carries Rotella T-6. The versys eagerly gobbled down a quart, followed by most of the second bottle. This was not good; an oil change requires 1.9 quarts per the manual, only 1.7 if you don’t change the filter. The moment of truth: I pushed the starter and it reluctantly came alive only to stall when idling. Sometimes the bike does not like to idle on cold mornings I reminded myself and I fired it alive a second time. Mildly concerned, I crossed the street to the gas station only for it stall as soon as I pulled in the clutch. My concern quickly grew; I thumbed the starter button but there would be no third time. Not wanting to accept its fate, Brec and I swapped batteries since it was cranking a bit slow. No dice. With it starting to rain a man from the town Welcome Center offered me the use of his pavilion to work on the bike. After pushing it over I pulled the tank off and checked the air filter for oil only to find that the entire airbox was covered in dirt. I called my friend Chad, who lives in Georgia and would be attending March Moto Madness, to see about getting a lift. Chad offered to pick me up on his way north that night, even though it was two hours out of the way. Seeing as I had all day to wait he recommended that I try pulling the plugs and putting some thick oil down the cylinders in an effort to raise compression enough to get it started. Now armed with a plan, and back-up plan, I said farewell to Brec as he continued his journey solo. (Brec has a much more detailed report of our ride, with plenty of pictures, located at http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/waybills-ride-to-tn-from-n-e-florida.1229589/ ) I walked down to the auto parts store and picked up oil and fresh plugs and got to work. I poured oil into both cylinders and gave it time to settle while I found lunch. After turning over the motor a few times to blow out excess oil I installed the new plugs but not before checking for spark the old fashioned way. With the plugs installed and my fingers tingling I tried starting it again but the motor gave not even a hint of wanting to start. Due to the abundance of time and stubbornness I tried oiling the cylinders and cleaning the plugs three more times before accepting the hard truth that the versys was dead. I put the bike back together and waited for Chad to come save me. March Moto Madness Chad took me up to March Moto Madness where we meant up with Steve, Amelia, Rob, and Don. After some pleading, Steve and Amelia were kind enough to offer the versys and myself a lift back home. With a ride secured I turned to the problem at hand: how do I find a bike so I can ride with my friends? After asking around I discovered that GSM still had one rental KLR available for the weekend, and with some exchanging of information I had a hot new ride to thrash. How is March Moto Madness? Well Steve answers that with his video better than I could explain: Video by Steve Kamrad Steve playing in the water Chad and Rob laugh at Steve’s inferior, non KTM bike Tough limbo competition this year Don doing his version of limbo Top of the world Amelia ripping on the ‘burg The crew pondering where to go next After a great weekend of hanging with friends I loaded the versys up behind the TRD Pro and spent a cozy twelve hours with the Karmrads. Arriving back home in Maryland it was now April 2nd and time to return back to the normal grind. March was a hell of a month; now I have to figure out how to top it.

May 5, 2017 10:00AMEnd: May 7, 2017 12:00PM Start: May 5, 2017 10:00AM End: May 7, 2017 12:00PM Location: 51 Industrial Park Romney, West Virginia 26757 Overview: Below is some general information about the 2017 Camp & Ride Copy and paste the link to view the forum with all the information , posts, and pictures from the upcoming and past events http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/spring-2017-romney-west-virginia-may-5-may-7-2017.1194882/ Copy and paste the link below http://www.xplor-int.com/Documents/event The 2017 Camp N Ride/Charity event is officially on. Romney Cycles is hosting the 6th Annual Camp N Ride on May 5 - May 7, 2017. If you haven't yet joined us for a Camp N Ride event, please take a look at that great time people are having each year. When: May 5 - May 7, 2017 Where: Romney Cycles in Romney, WV What: Camping on the grounds of the dealership, or staying at local lodging. Then riding some fantastic West Virginia roads. Factory Trucks I'm pleased to say we will have the Yamaha and Suzuki factory demo trucks. Kawasaki does plan to participate, but they do not yet have a schedule ready to publish for their demo trucks. It could take a few weeks before we know if we are getting a Kawasaki demo truck for 2017. With or without the truck, Kawasaki will be at this event. Awesome to have such huge factory participation in our Camp N Ride event. Thank you Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki !!!! Professional Off Road Training Once again xplor-int will be offering training at the 2017 Camp N Ride. We are extremely pleased Alain has agreed to join us again, and like before, offer a great rate. Look for the information to be appearing on the xplor site in the near future. Charity In 2017 Romney is proud to continue supporting the community with this event. To date our Camp N Ride riders have contributed over $7,800 to charity. This year Romney Cycles has selected The Potomac Center as the charity for 2017. The Potomac Center has a 36 year history of providing residential assistance and support to both children and adults with developmental disabilities as they learn the skills needed to live successful lives. Start: May 5, 2017 9:00AM End: May 7, 2017 5:30PM Overview: Xplor Registration for ADV off-road training is open for Friday and Saturday 10 riders each day max. Copy and paste the registration form link (below) into your browser and fill it out. http://www.romneycycles.com/portals/romneycycles/Xplor-registration-fillable.pd Location:51 Industrial Park Romney, West Virginia 26757 Overview: Below is some general information about the 2017 Camp & Ride Copy and paste the link to view the forum with all the information , posts, and pictures from the upcoming and past events http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/spring-2017-romney-west-virginia-may-5-may-7-2017.1194882/ Copy and paste the link below http://www.xplor-int.com/Documents/event The 2017 Camp N Ride/Charity event is officially on. Romney Cycles is hosting the 6th Annual Camp N Ride on May 5 - May 7, 2017. If you haven't yet joined us for a Camp N Ride event, please take a look at that great time people are having each year. When: May 5 - May 7, 2017 Where: Romney Cycles in Romney, WV What: Camping on the grounds of the dealership, or staying at local lodging. Then riding some fantastic West Virginia roads. Factory Trucks I'm pleased to say we will have the Yamaha and Suzuki factory demo trucks. Kawasaki does plan to participate, but they do not yet have a schedule ready to publish for their demo trucks. It could take a few weeks before we know if we are getting a Kawasaki demo truck for 2017. With or without the truck, Kawasaki will be at this event. Awesome to have such huge factory participation in our Camp N Ride event. Thank you Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki !!!! Professional Off Raod Training Once again xplor-int will be offering training at the 2017 Camp N Ride. We are extremely pleased Alain has agreed to join us again, and like before, offer a great rate. Look for the information to be appearing on the xplor site in the near future. Charity In 2017 Romney is proud to continue supporting the community with this event. To date our Camp N Ride riders have contributed over $7,800 to charity. This year Romney Cycles has selected The Potomac Center as the charity for 2017. The Potomac Center has a 36 year history of providing residential assistance and support to both children and adults with developmental disabilities as they learn the skills needed to live successful lives.

Eric suggested I put this here. At this year's Sonora Rally I raced a BMW R850RR Rooney Special. Its custom built airhead rally bike based loosely on an old R65 engine, with a lot of tricks. I'm happy to describe them all if anyone is interested. Feel free to ask questions. This is the second time Ive done the Sonora on an airhead. I'll try and figure out how to embed photos later as well. Thanks for reading. Been sitting at PHX airport for 7 hours waiting for a flight home.. Had a little time to write up a thing about the rally. It's long, sorry. Ok so where to start. I had this romantic idea of building an old BmW, from scratch like the ones that used to rally in Dakar. Know it inside and out so not only could it be fixed, (by me, importantly) but it's emotions whims and secret language and could be read and I could tell and it could tell me what was happening to it as we went. Enter the Rooney special. Well long story short too late we smashed it all together with the guidance and help of Paul Rooney, the bikes paternal grandfather in engineering, and a bunch of others who shall be held responsible, later and off to the desert to test our mettle and metal. I know Bill conger wanted to go, but he was on the fence and it might have been my readiness that pushed him off it onto the side of Let Go Race. I mentioned on Facebook that we needed a crew chief and up stepped Tumu Rock. A better choice we could not have found. He would be our driver, support, babysitter, comic relief, and mechanical assistant. The Sonora rally is a special event. Not only is the organization extremely passionate in a low key way, but they are gracious enough to allow me the opportunity to take my home built machine and put it into their competition. For that I could not be more grateful. I was extremely nervous and anxious to say the least as the race drew near. Having had never enough time to sort it completely, there were still bugs to work out and it wasn't as sorted as if promised myself my next bike would be, having had a year and a half off due to knee surgery. I hoped and hoped I had thought of everything and prepared for all contingencies but really though, who can say? Mexico and the Sonora is a beautiful brutal crucible. The bike and I survived the sandblast rally in early March, so off it went in bills truck to points west. Ok, so to the hard parts: Tech inspection and registration day is spent entirely doing preventative maintenance that wasn't able to be done after Sandblast: torque the head studs (which needed to be done on this fresh motor with only 400 miles on it, very nerve wracking as I didn't want to pull the threads in the engine case) then adjust the valves.. Then figure out where on the dipstick 2.5 quarts of oil landed, as this bike has a non-standard sump. That requires draining and carefully refilling. Switch a bunch of electrics around to accommodate the rally required transmitters, and add my auxiliary fuel supply to the newly added saddlebags. This ended up taking all day among other things. Finally done and no disasters. Day one: Penasco to Liberdad. Two stages of mostly a mix of rocky piste and sandy piste. I learn the bike and it learns me. The stuttering carb issue I never figured out, but I figured out how to work around it. I pass some, and I get passed some. I can hardly recall day one now.. I know I opened two waypoints. One in the 1st special and one in the second, and took the ten minute penalty each one came with, rather than waste any more time than that searching for them. All I remember is about 40Ks from the finish, the front brake lever goes totally soft. I check the line and the master cylinder looking for leaks, but nothing. Squeezing the handle brings the pressure back up so off I go. I'm not nearly hydrated enough so I find my arms are cramping all day. Shortly after I hear the front brake grinding when I squeeze the lever and curious, I look closer to discover one of the front brake pads has fallen out due to the loss of the locating pin. That's why the loss of pressure, and return. The brake pistons pushed the remaining pad up against the disc and the disc up against the caliper. So... No front brake. Ok, just limp it in, then.. I can not remember if I packed front brake pads or not. About 3Ks from the finish, I see Bill again. I always hate to see Bill stopped and standing next to his bike.. It's not the first time. He asks for a quick tow to pull start him and I do.. To no avail, so I just tow him 13Ks back to the bivouac. An inglorious end to da one. I am happy to be able to help, though. Dave Peckham and Rally Managment Services rescue me by giving me KTM brake pads which miraculously fit, because indeed, I FORGOT YHE STUPID BRAKE PADS and we fabricate another locating pin. Thank the gods it works. I also discover while on my back underneath the bike that the pushrods tube seals have split and are leaking engine oil. A quick clean and some RTV sealant and my fears of massive oil loss are allayed for the time being. Bills bike requires a bit more loving, and the unknowns are debilitating. Much mucking about And it sort of fires up reliably, if I may combine "sort of" and "reliably" so we have no choice but to attempt day 2. Liberdad to Penasco: More sandy piste.. Everything is so soft.. Even the ground that is covered in vegetation which is supposed to be firm is somehow hollow underneath, and tires sink when you think it shouldn't. So, lots of throttle and revving for little headway.. A strange experience. A short 6K dune run and begun to think I'm in trouble.. I don't believe the bike likes soft soft sand so much and I get a little more wiped out than I prefer. But I end up making good time to the finish.. I recall now some power line roads and rocky double tracks. The thought of the big dunes makes me ver anxious.. Although I remember that the Great erg is a different kind of sand, so I am hopeful. I don't have to open any waypoints on this day, And it ends up being a good one. It's a bit unsettling to see Bill at the gas stop midday with the seat off, and him limping. I ask if there's anything I can do, but there isn't and he says get moving so I do, Although I am sadly disappointed to see bills bike in the truck when I reach the finish at the bivouac. The bike has quit, lousy bastard, and additionally, a bad landing from a 70mph launch has probably broken his ankle. After two days it's time to change the rear tire and mousse. The front is decided to be fine so is left un touched. Tumu and Bill help to do that while I do something that escapes me now. Funny how so little time has passed and so much has happened. I know I was busy as hell but I can't recall at all what it was. Day 3, Penasco to San Luis Colorado. Long 200K transit to first start in the am. I fill up before the transit and after. It's a freezing ride up the highway in between the sea of Cortez on my left and the Altair desert on my right. Another 40K's from the second fuel to the start of the special, I am concerned about fuel, and do t think I'll make it through with what I have. My crew is supposed to meet me but they had to leave after me, and were stopped for half an hour at the military checkpoint while I was waved through, so they weren't there. But lo and behold, the one and only Johnny Campbell hears my prayers said aloud and loans me the extra gallon and a half I needed, which saves my morning. Makes me feel special to have someone with that reputation be so generous to me. I start the special with a full tank, which is nice because I hit the first reserve before I made the 90 mile fuel stop. The first half of the stage is crappy choppy hard speed bumps saved to close to be any fun at all. great erg dunes are indeed much better sand. In fact, the flow is just amazing when it starts flowing. Smoothest ride ever, and all the throttle you can give it. I realize there are some dunes I just cannot hit the very top of though, and begin to look for ways around. There is always a way around, if you can manage to keep track of the tracks of the leaders. It eats up some time, and extra kilometers, but maybe not as much as if I tried to attack them head on over and over. I relearn the technique of wringing the bikes neck at high rpm to and sitting over the rear wheel to get to the top, then right before cresting, turn about 45 deg and go over it level, rather than launching like a moon rocket. This works amazing well when it works, as there are three things that can happen. Number one, not quite enough juice and you fail to reach the top. Chop throttle too soon, and my the front wheel goes over, but not the rest, which sucks because you have to dismount and drag the front wheel back over the top the way you came and try again. Very tiring. Second option, give too much throttle and launch. Landing nose first on the far side with your face in the roadbook and your ass over your head. Additionally, gas spills out the overflows while the bike is upended. Several times I fall over the high side and eat a face full of sand, eyes wide open. Since this always means the handlebars are downhill, you have to drag the tires around till they are on the downhill side (don't try to drag anything uphill, it's a worthless fruitless battle) and then go back uphill of the bike and stand it up. Very tiring. Third option is; it actually works which is still pretty tiring but is much faster and looses a heck of a lot less gasoline. I score about a 50-60% success rate. Shocked and pleased that I have very little to do to the bike after day 3, other than try to get all the sand out if my eyes. And ears. I do realize that I'm chewing through fuel much more quickly than I prefer. But what can I do? Take all I can carry and hope for the best. Last day.. San Luis Colorado Loop. We're almost home. I take these things in small bites. 180km day? Well, I say, at 18kms, I'm fully 1/10 of the way through! Only have to do what I just did 9 more times! 60ks? 1/3 done! Only 2 more of those to go! Today is a 200K run with nothing but the biggest mind blowing dunes you've ever seen. I fill up at the optional fuel stop at 30kms into it and the 160k epic until next fuel begins. Scott has a habit of putting waypoints at the very tippy top of massive sand dunes. Ten ks after the fuel stop I'm aiming for at the top of this enormous thing. Crazy story.. But Andrew and I crest one dune and fall over the other side, in the way we do, (option 2) Not 30 seconds later a four wheeler launches over the dune where we are and lands on Andrews bike, crunching is and nearly crushing Andrew. I wish i hadn't lost Tumu's GoPro in a subsequent face plant because I'm sure the video would be eye opening. Anyway, due to soft sand and soft tires. All that's really off is some tweaked forks which we banged back straight. He sets off. I tried to hit that stupid waypoint about ten times. I finally got it, but the poor bike was so overheated it would barely run, much less move forward. I got about 100yards and it went PUAHHHHH quit. Is that clutch I smell? Oh no. I think I might have fried it. I pour a little camelback fluid on it and it sizzles and spits like a proper frying pan. I think I have just smoked the clutch. Stripping my gear off, I walk up to a dune crest to find cell service, and text Scott Whitney back in LA that I think I am done for. It a minute later, Luke, on an air cooled Honda no less stops dead in his tracks just on the other side of this huge bowl between massive dunes. What's up, I ask. Blown head gasket he says. Oh shit. Well, we've got water and a space blanket, let's get comfy, we're going to be here a while. I dilly dally for nearly an hour just not knowing what to do. Finally he says, do you think you'll try to continue? That's probably not smart, I say.. But what the hell, let's see what it does. Starts up fine. Ok, let's take it around the bowl. Hmm. Seems to work as well as it did before. Damn it, I might just try it and see how far I get. Are you really done?, I ask. Yeah he says. Can I have your gas? I ask, sheepishly. Sure! So we transfer nearly four quarts from his to mine, that's how much I ate run in up and down that dumb hill! and I somehow keep going. Luke blew my mind the day before with his epic fix.. His clutch had burned (for real) so the RMS guys fixed it in camp with a leather shoe strap on day one or two. When that failed, he himself fixed it by jamming some barbed wire in there and that was still holding! (My kind of fix!) So, I ask him to check my mental process: answer me this, I says: if I don't slip the clutch. I'm not abusing it, right? If I just use it to start and don't touch it, it should be fine right? It's only used when I pull the lever in? Yes he says. So I begin to think that maybe, I might have simply overheated my poor little girl, not smoked the clutch after all. I decide to try and push on, and use the clutch as little as possible. I've never burned on a clutch out on a BMW, they are quite robust normally and I'm not much of a clutch slipper anyway- get it in gear and use the throttle is my usual philosophy, so it was actually Luke that made up my mind to press on. Thank you, Luke. Although, I decide, I will be more smart about which waypoints I decide to chase. I'm here to finish this thing, not be more stupid than just being here doing this would suggest. At 40Ks I have a nearly full tank and a heart full of optimism, and it's not even ten am yet, I don't think. In hind sight I should have taken on a little bit more, as well as the quart oil bottle we were using to transfer from his to mine. I'm all alone for the rest of the day because everyone has passed us. I follow my gut and the roadbook and the tracks laid out in the sand by my forebears. When I see a dune that looks stupidly tall, I look for a way around, and find my way to far side by looking at the shadows I make on the ground, and the shapes of the dune crests, and find the tracks on the far side. 75 ks later and about 230pm, I know I'm getting low on gas again. But I am so close to the end of the big long HP run.. I begin just barely using throttle, I am almost always in second gear because third is too fast and I was punched in the face by the handlebars once too often, and kicked in the butt by the bucking rear end even more. Third gear for the same speed would be lower tons but in addition to it probably a wash between the mileage I would get nailing the throttle and going straight vs going easy and finding my way around, the bikes handling is much much better when the back wheel is under engine load. 3:pm I hit reserve. 3:30pm I hit second reserve. I know I'm only 5-10Ks from the waypoint where there is a truck.. Not the real fuel stop but I might be able to distract the guys while I steal some or something.. I'm getting desperate. 4pm, in a giant bowl, I run out for good. It's very, very quiet. So. This is what a DNF is like. I now done 25 rallies, and never DNF'd. Even after all this I still feel like a total neophyte. Every one brings a new experience. I strip down to my underwear and hat and I climb to the peak of the nearest dune, and text Scott, after hitting rally comp "mechanical issue, need pickup" Out of gas counts as mechanical, and I definitely need to get picked up in some way. I text Scott back in LA that all I need is gas and with half a tank I'll get myself home, don't burn assets on me otherwise. He says Darren is on his way. It's so quiet and huge and immense out there. No wind. When there's so little sound, the mind invents noise. I keep hearing what I think are voices in the distance, or engine sounds. I notice thousands of caterpillars crawling up te dune, making tracks. These little guys are two inches long and the dunes are hundreds of feet high. The are unbelievably tenacious. They are literally unflagging in their effort to climb the dune. Am I like them I wonder? I hope so. I sort of hope so, and sort of not. The must have something in mind but is it just instinct for both of us? Where are they going and why? Some of them make the top and I can imagine I feel their exultation. But when they make the top and crest, they just keep going albeit twice as fast I end up falling asleep watching them in their tirelessness. I wake up to a car horn beeping and there is Darren. Like the rally god that he is, he fills my tank like manna from heaven It's now 630pm and the sun is on the horizon and I have 50ks to go. It gets dark within twenty minutes and I am slamming for home. My roadbook leads me to a deserted bivouac, and then, to a deserted finish in San Luis. I am sitting I the middle of a dusty border town with no idea where to go..I've reached the end of the book and there's nothing left. Suddenly, the rally comp lights up with the message "go four kilometers north and turn left" Another rally God to the rescue. Thank you Scott. I do this. But my attitude is now poor.. I think I've missed the award show, I obviously missed the Finish, probably dinner.. And I Dnf'd after all this damnable hard work. I'm in the center of a unknown barrio I don't know and I'm tired and hungry and depressed and pissed. Then the bike runs out of gas again. ARGH!! I look down to see the bike pouring fuel on me. Shit! I reach down to stuff the fuel line back onto the carb, and when I glance up I have a split second to realize I'm about to hit the curb on the right side of the road BAM down and tumbling I go. Shoot shot shit that hurt like hell, there is grass in my teeth and my shoulder doesn't feel right at all. &%$#@! Now all the above plus scared and in pain I go another 1/2 k and hit of all things, a toll booth. Are you kidding me. I actually pay the stupid toll, and ask the guy where the hell is the damn San Angel hotel? Oh! That's back about 2ks the way you just came from. Oh, and you're leaking gas everywhere. I look down and no shit I'm leaking gas. Very nearly in tears I turn around in the toll booth and gun it. I just want to collapse at this point. I've only been at it for 12 hours or 120 or so, but I feel like I might just finally be really to throw in the towel on this one. I find the hotel, walk in and am greeted by a greeting that changes my whole attitude almost instantly. Everyone is so nice to me. Dinner isn't over.. Awards aren't done yet.. There are still some folks happy to see me, although I can't imagine they're as happy as I am to see them. In a stunning reversal my attitude does almost a total 180. It's great to see mark Samuels win the trophy I made, and he appears happy with it, although obviously winning the Dakar challenge is far more of a big thing! As it should be. Then, the indescribable happens. I won't even try to describe it, therefore, but I have been chosen to receive the Ramsey Elwardini sportsmanship award. I no longer care about the DNF or my shoulder or the somewhat ignominious defeat. It's really hard to describe my feelings about this. I really did try my very best and I really desperately wanted to finish, and I gave it very nearly everything I could give it and it very closely resembles not actually succeeding at all, But I feel like I won the event. It's not really the kind of finish I was hoping for but it's quite possibly better. And even though I officially Did Not Finish, I still managed to finish every stage. Does the universe love irony or what? I really love the Sonora rally.. It's pretty brutally challenging, and Darren and Scott and Erin and everyone including the volunteers and especially the competitors are incredibly passionate and dedicated and love the sport and the challenge and the desert... I'm very proud to have played my part in it. I hope my role in its development means something like what its role has played in mine.

Horizons Unlimited 3rd Virginia Travellers Meeting - Holiday Lake 4-H Center and Camp, near Appomattox Thursday, April 27 to Sunday, Apr 30, 2017 It's All About Overland Adventure Whether you're a seasoned veteran with wisdom to share or a complete novice hungry for ideas and guidance, it doesn't matter if you ride a motorcycle, a bicycle, or drive an expedition vehicle... Horizons Unlimited meetings are for everyone who dreams of adventure along the road less travelled. PRE-REGISTER & PAY BEFORE APR 20 TO SAVE $10! Horizons Unlimited Virginia Event Schedule This event is taking place from Thursday, April 27 to Sunday, Apr 30, 2017. On-site registration/check-in will open on Thursday, April 27, at 1:00 pm. There will be presentations and tech clinics on Thursday evening; Friday and Saturday afternoons and evenings; and Saturday afternoon and evening. We plan ride-outs on Friday and Saturday mornings. Come early and make it a great weekend! We recommend riding in on Thursday and leaving on Sunday, and participating fully in the activities in between to make the most of your HU experience. Throughout the meeting, we’ll offer talks, demonstrations, and other fun sessions, including interesting ride-out opportunities. In addition to hearing inspiring stories of overland adventure from around the world, you'll learn how to prepare for your journey, navigation tips, first-aid basics, photography, and a host of other essential topics. Whatever your past experience has been or your future plans may be, there will something for everyone. Xplor-Int off-road Motorcycle Adventures and Dirt Bike School is a unique company, that provides off road training and adventures unlike any other. We offer a structured training program that is designed to instill the basic techniques for every aspect of off road riding. Xplor-Int will be offering a 1-day off-road beginner workshop for the HU meeting at $100 per person.

I'm just gonna put this here, and I want to encourage you to share other events that are happening 'round these gorgeous mountains! ROCKY MTN ROLL 2 July 28-30, 2017 Corvallis, Montana ***the address of the ranch will be included in your ticket confirmation email*** REDNECK RANCH MOTO CAMPOUT NORMAL REGISTRATION BEGINS JANUARY 2ND AND ENDS JUNE 24TH TICKETS WILL NOT BE SOLD AT THE GATE. BUY YOUR TICKET NOW! This is a co-ed event that was dreamed up by Amanda Zito as a celebration of women riders, motorcycle enthusiasts and the wide open road. What better way to celebrate women who ride than to invite a bunch of other motorcyclists to come live in a tent for a weekend? Your Ticket Includes: 3 DAYS & 2 NIGHTS STAY ON PRIVATE LAND W/ A FANTASTIC VIEW OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, A COUPLE HORSES, GOATS, AND A FEW COWS. ACCESS TO FACILITIES (Port-a-Potties & Drinking Water, Sorry No Showers) FOOD TRUCK FRIDAY NIGHT GROUP RIDE TO FARMER'S MARKET SATURDAY MORNING FREE MAP OF THE BITTERROOT VALLEY RAFFLE GOODIES FREE SODA MORE IN THE WORKS!