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Bumpgate Road TRIP and Tire evaluation....

G

ghostrider1964

Guest
Not sure how many of yall have seen or tried the KEnda Big Blocks...SlowOldGuy bought some to try on his GSA...some pics...
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These tires are pretty impressive once mounted but are a beast to mount.
I have been running TKCs on my 1200 GSA, but had decided to try a mix of TKC front and Tourance rear....Our mission was to take as many dirt roads to Junction Texas as possible, then south to Rock Springs, take more dirt roads northwest out of Rock Springs and then head more dirt roads to home:clap
The rides....
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We had headed down back roads to Lomita, Bend, Cherokee, eventually to Llano. Short run of pavement to Llano 308 to Llano 315...
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The water crossings on 315 were deep and depending on which line had slick rocks or deep sand...
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It was very dry this trip, and fires burning everywhere making for a lot of smoke:cry...this area would be really pretty after some rain and no smoke haze!
It was now that I noticed the Big Block was starting to wear pretty good and it did not even have 300 miles on it:deal
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At this point my riding partner decided to see just how fast he could destroy the tire...we also discovered he had no rear brake for some reason:huh we decided to push on to Junction before dark so I could maybe figure out why he had no rear brakes. A good meal, a few beers and I was ready to work on his bike:buds Problem was no brake fluid in rear mastercylinder...where to find DOT 4 brake fluid in Junction on a saturday night...walked up to the local store and they only had DOT3...SOG strikes up a conversation with 2 drunk goodolboys:bottle Just happens to mention we need some DOT4 fluid...just happens they are mechanics and DOT 4 at their shop...15 minutes later I am bleeding brakes and give it a ride...brakes again!
NOW for Day 2
 
Day2 we headed south to Rock Springs...our mission to eat dirt and shred tires:eat SOG had found the road of a thousand gates....many were bump gates over cattle guards:rolleyes..now bumpgates had already cost me a foglight the day before so I was not really keen on bumpgates over cattle guards...but SOG decided to show me his bumpgate technique...he rolls up to it at about 10 mph and hits the gate dang near ejecting off the bike:whistle I am trying hard not to fall off my bike laughing...btw gate did not budge...
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This is a bump gate near my home...the ones here were alot heavier made of oilfield pipe and boiler plate...we got quite a workout opening gates....
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I noticed the Big Blocks are really starting disappear somewhere north of 400 miles....hmmmmmm..not good....
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Lots of pretty country but our maps and GPSs kept lying to us...we found our selves lost several times, roads closed, new roads, not on maps or GPS....time is slipping away...
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more gates...we really started wondering if our maps and GPSs were in cahoots trying to hijack us...
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Seriously..this a road????
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SOG trying to figure out where the heck we are:help
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Pavement....way behind schedule...time to kick the tires and lite the fires..we decide to run paved CRs and FMs home at afterburner speeds...
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HOME...624 miles much of it dirt...the Kenda Big Block...yall tell me...
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IT only had a bout 70 miles on it when we left, so with 700 miles it was slick!!!
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My Tourance will be good for a while...not a bad mix...gonna run this set a while...
BTW...if ya run hard enough, SOG learned ya can melt a turnsignal...
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Gas mileage was not so hot neither
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until the next time:bikes
 
Wow, that makes the TKCs look like they last forever by comparison:doh

But it looked like a great trip to test the tire. :clap
 
Can't beat the Hill Country, nor Texas' 12 month riding season. Regarding the GPS, I had similar troubles west of Taos a few years ago. Some town platted roads between there and Abiquiu. With more confidence that skill, I headed across a mud puddle where a road should have been, on my K1200S, not exactly an off road machine! Got across once, but when I turned around to check on my riding buddy, all I saw was tail lights burning. So turning around to head back, yup, road tires on a road bike met mud. No harm, no foul. But now my thoughts are running to whether an R12R could make those trips easier...
 
Wow, that makes the TKCs look like they last forever by comparison:doh

But it looked like a great trip to test the tire. :clap

Alot of us locally were hoping this would be a good tire...We knew SOG would be a true test...He rides pretty hard...He pushes his GSA like a Ducati on the street and had the Kendas tucked in low...I rode the bike early on and the pitch of the thread is steep and a bit disconcerting...SOG said it got better as they wore in and then went to heck as they wore out....

Greg, I would think the R being lighter would be a better choice if the road gets rough...that said...I have heard stories of SOG riding his K1200LT in Arkansas with a bunch of GSs and never got left behind on the forestry roads:deal
 
Ghostrider1964, a kindred spirit. I never met a motorcycle that I didn't love. When the K12S and I went to Chaco Canyon with some friends, that washboard road was a treat, though I would have loved a KTM 450 and knobbies and gotten off all the roads.
 
Ghostrider1964, a kindred spirit. I never met a motorcycle that I didn't love. When the K12S and I went to Chaco Canyon with some friends, that washboard road was a treat, though I would have loved a KTM 450 and knobbies and gotten off all the roads.

I rode my Vstrom all over New Mexico and Colorado, but the my GSAs are much better suited for the job:deal
 
outstanding report and thanks for the tire test.

that kenda lasted even less than the Metz Karoo that come stock on my HP2e!

certainly you were romping on the throttle, but <1k mile life means that tire ain't quite ready for prime time.

ian

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