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Location: San Jose, Ca
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Hey I'm interested in doing the whole tour in 09 hopefully with someone or a group. In anycase it looks like some of you have don it a few times, so I'm asking for some advice.
1. Gear list (Bar bones) I hate excess weight.
2. Do you camp or can you make it to motels?
3. Do I need my camelback? (July or August)
4. How long on roads and what is top speed. (Want to make sure I have the right sprockets)
5. Should I bring a Sat phone? (What is the "Come rescue my ass number")
6. Looks like most of it is Hardpan surface so desert knobbies should do it right ??
7. I think I read somewhere the longest hitch is about 200 miles, is that correct. (trying to gauge the size of tank I will need)
8. Do you guys carry saddlebags? Like to avoid that if possible.
Any help is appreciated
Oh and my ride is 05 Honda 450X with a R cam and R pipe. (I'll figure out how to get it plated, its tough in this state but not impossible)
Cheers
Tom
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Location: Pocatello
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Hotfoot wrote:Hey I'm interested in doing the whole tour in 09 hopefully with someone or a group. In anycase it looks like some of you have don it a few times, so I'm asking for some advice.
1. Gear list (Bar bones) I hate excess weight.
2. Do you camp or can you make it to motels?
3. Do I need my camelback? (July or August)
4. How long on roads and what is top speed. (Want to make sure I have the right sprockets)
5. Should I bring a Sat phone? (What is the "Come rescue my ass number")
6. Looks like most of it is Hardpan surface so desert knobbies should do it right ??
7. I think I read somewhere the longest hitch is about 200 miles, is that correct. (trying to gauge the size of tank I will need)
8. Do you guys carry saddlebags? Like to avoid that if possible.
Any help is appreciated
Oh and my ride is 05 Honda 450X with a R cam and R pipe. (I'll figure out how to get it plated, its tough in this state but not impossible)
Cheers
Tom Hello Tom, Most of the information you seek may be gleaned by a thorough read of the Tour of Idaho route description including the links to the maps and detailed trip description. After that if you still have questions we'll try to help. You will absolutely need a camelback (we like the OGIO Flight Vest). I use Baja gearing and just slip the clutch a lot on the first day (which is the most technical). We like the Dunlop D739 A/T (see our review) or something similar for the rear. You'll need a minimum range of 230 miles which means either a large tank, a reserve tank, or a rack on which to strap fuel jugs. We carry no gear of any kind except what we can fit in our Flight Vests and a very small backpack: first aid kit, minimal tools, survival gear, food and water. Hope that helps. Martin
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That helps a lot thanks. What I can carry in my camelback backpack and my OGIO enduro belt.
Perfect.
Nice I hate be loaded down like a semi. I'm already geared for Baja so that will work as well.
I'm looking forward to it.
Cheers
Tom
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Rank: Advanced Member
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To answer the question you posted over on ADVrider - there are exactly two people that we know of who have completed the entire Tour of Idaho. Several have come close including BigDog, Tim, and Steven Verschoor. No one else has really ridden the entire tour or anything close to it - though I am quite sure that there are many who have ridden chunks of it, especially up north.
Most of the time when someone tells us that they have done the Tour of Idaho and we question them about it we find out that they may have only ridden a portion of it or sometimes they don't know what they are talking about at all. It's sort of like talking about lap times before the days of transponders.
If you succeed you will be number 3. Go for it!
cheers
m
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Martin
It's seems like the routes can change from time to time. Do have a post somewhere that indicates what the official route is?
Something unofficially official that would say if you did these routes back to back you completed the whole darn thing.
thanks
tom
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Reason I'm asking is I'm seeing references to this detour or that detour and skip this or that. If it is the page that has the various sections with the topo maps attached that that would do it.
Cheers.
tom
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Hotfoot wrote:Reason I'm asking is I'm seeing references to this detour or that detour and skip this or that. If it is the page that has the various sections with the topo maps attached that that would do it.
Cheers.
tom
Hola Tom, Every year we come up with an "official" tour route sometime before it opens - usually by June (just like Sal Fish does for the Baja 1000). Usually the route doesn't vary that much from season to season and we consider completion of any variant of the Tour to be "good." We are in the process of updating the topos and gpx logs for 2009 right now. The only changes for next year will be a new 25 mile option for a scenic loop out of Challis. There are already 500K maps (and gps tracks) of the entire Tour on the detailed description page but this winter I am going to try to publish an entire roll chart of 7.5 minute topos for the entire Tour. Best bet for the time being is to download the gpx files and have a look at the entire Tour in Google Earth. Next best thing to being there in person. Most of the time what happens to out of state riders is that they show up on large dual sports and can't do any of the single track and little of the double track (you won't have that problem with your bike - which is perfect) so they miss out on all of the technical stuff. That's what's prevented more people from finishing. A lot dual sporters decide to bag all of the technical stuff after the first 30 miles and stick to dirt roads. It's still a blast but it's not really the Tour of Idaho if you do this. I've ridden the Tour on an XR600R (twice), an XR650R (twice), a YZ250F and most of it on a DR650S - and the DR completely sucked. Any competent rider on a dirt bike will have little trouble along the entire Tour but even talented riders on dual sports will be frequently challenged. I think it's the 1300 mile length that is so enticing to dual sporters. Most of the time you'd be much happier on a dirt bike even if the days are long. Think of it as the Baja 1000 with mountains instead of cactus.
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Gracias.
Dualsport bikes are glorified street bikes with weak knobbies on them. I had a Triumph Trident in the late 70's that I rode the all gravel Alaska Hwy on. Used a stick to clear the mud from the fender and tire when it locked up. That was dual sport!!! I wish I would have had todays dirkbikes back then. Aaaaahh I digress.
Thanks for the help. I'll start lobbying for riders but in my experience 20 will show interest 10 will be excited 5 might get their bikes ready and I'll see you there alone :)
I'm cycnical about riding in groups because it just never is what they expect and then the fun starts.
I'll be there with bells on.
Cheers
Tom
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Hotfoot wrote:Gracias.
Dualsport bikes are glorified street bikes with weak knobbies on them. I had a Triumph Trident in the late 70's that I rode the all gravel Alaska Hwy on. Used a stick to clear the mud from the fender and tire when it locked up. That was dual sport!!! I wish I would have had todays dirkbikes back then. Aaaaahh I digress.
Thanks for the help. I'll start lobbying for riders but in my experience 20 will show interest 10 will be excited 5 might get their bikes ready and I'll see you there alone :)
I'm cycnical about riding in groups because it just never is what they expect and then the fun starts.
I'll be there with bells on.
Cheers
Tom Tom, dood - we are 100% with you on all of the above. You could probably work for MoJazz. If you end up coming to Idaho solo we will help you with logistics and emergency support. Unless you have strong (and determined) riding partners it's better to go alone anyway. The only reason we ever ride as a posse is for the whole rescue angle - it is nice to have an extra pair of hands for the occasional emergency trachiotomy. Bring an emergency beacon and a sat phone and ride with confidence. You'll be just fine. I rode a CBR1100XX up the ALCAN once and had roughly the same experience as you - with bears. You can fully justify the cost of an Akrapovic full exhaust when you realize how effective it is at scaring off large, potentially hungry beasts when you ping the rev limiter. m
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I lived in Edmonton for a number of years and worked in the oil patch for a while and the rule with bears was brown lie down and black fight back. Glad I never had to test the theory out.
I went to Alaska three years ago and started out with 6 broke up into two pair of 3 and finally ended up by my lonesome. Sounds like I'm anti social but cabin fever really makes people go weird especially when their not used to being away from mommy :) so solo is ok with me.
I know the value of a good strobe, I ocean raced sailboats for years and never leave the dock without my trusty strobe if its an overnight sail. You can see those suckers for miles. Better have and not need it then need it and not have it as they say.
Laytah
T
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