Colorado on second choice bike

My scheme to get the WRR from Florida to Colorado did not pan out so I rented a V-Strom 650 for a 5 day solo ride. Here are a couple of pics. Hope it is not poor etiquette to post the V-Strom pics here.

Well, since it's not on a WR, it would be a bit more appropriate on sport-touring.net, but since you included a gravel road picture it would then get moved to 'off road ride reports' in the 'dirt lover' section and then those of us who just like to ride whatever, wherever, would shake our heads and say 'whatever' and read and enjoy.

You could have posted it on ADV rider, but they we'd have to decide if we really really want the long walk over there to look at it. Also, you'd get some of the folk saying that it really doesn't could as ADV touring since you didn't have hard aluminum side boxes capable of holding up a semi tractor mountaed.

There's probably a VSTROM site you could have posted it on, but they may run you off since you're not a 'real' VSTROM person. You're one of those 'little wr fellows'.

However, since you posted it here, we can save all the bother and read it here and not have the whole debate since the WR folk don't actually care that much as long as:
1. There is riding and there are pics and you have or are considering, or the report involves a WR250 X or R in some way,
OR
2. It's a really cool report and we like it.


Now, to business…


Cool pics.

Where were you in Colorado? Some looks familiar, but many mountain roads do blur to unity after a while so I'm not sure.

What's with the WRR from Florida to Colorado scheme? Sounds like there's a story there.

ZED wrote:

However, since you posted it here, we can save all the bother and read it here and not have the whole debate since the WR folk don't actually care that much as long as:
1. There is riding and there are pics and you have or are considering, or the report involves a WR250 X or R in some way,
OR
2. It's a really cool report and we like it.

EXACTLY

signed
The Moderator

Pretty cool spot!!

Zed:

Boulder>Copper Mountain>Salida>Gunnison Reservoir>Black Canyon North Rim>Ouray>Silverton>Durango>Hwy 82 over Mclure Pass 8500 ft (in pouring rain - loved every second)>hwy 82 over Independence pass 12095 ft >Twin Lakes> Boulder.

Tried to take the V-Strom into the Alpine Loop Backcountry but got my ass kicked. Dropped it 3 times in first 5 minutes going over a pile of large loose rocks. Hard getting her back up too.

Needed the 'go anywhere' machine

gatorfan wrote:

Zed:

Boulder>Copper Mountain>Salida>Gunnison Reservoir>Black Canyon North Rim>Ouray>Silverton>Durango>Hwy 82 over Mclure Pass 8500 ft (in pouring rain - loved every second)>hwy 82 over Independence pass 12095 ft >Twin Lakes> Boulder.

gatorfan wrote:

Tried to take the V-Strom into the Alpine Loop Backcountry but got my ass kicked. Dropped it 3 times in first 5 minutes going over a pile of large loose rocks. Hard getting her back up too.

Needed the 'go anywhere' machine

Yeah, the street bikes just aren't cut out for it ... doesn't mean we don't keep trying though.

ZED wrote:

Yeah, the street bikes just aren't cut out for it ... doesn't mean we don't keep trying though.

And we'll make the off-road bike more road worthy... weird how that works.

Hi Gatorfan:

Beautiful pics no matter what you had to ride!

What was the story behind trying getting the WR to CO and why didn't you just ride it? When equipped, the WR (at least the X for me and Medski's R for him) are pretty nice road bikes if you are not hell bent on 70 + mph all day long. Not quite GS territory mind you but not bad for a quarter liter single lunger.

Wayne

xcel wrote:

Hi Gatorfan:

Beautiful pics no matter what you had to ride!

What was the story behind trying getting the WR to CO and why didn't you just ride it? When equipped, the WR (at least the X for me and Medski's R for him) are pretty nice road bikes if you are not hell bent on 70 + mph all day long. Not quite GS territory mind you but not bad for a quarter liter single lunger.

Wayne

I didn't have the time to ride out there and also tour the state. A retired friend was going to haul both our bikes to CO and I was going to fly out. Something came up and he couldn't do it so I went anyway.

Could not find a WR to rent