1600 mile trip to Moab Utah

I'm planning a one week trip to Moab Utah for the last weekend in May, I've got the tent and luggage I need (packing extremely light) only a Kriega R35 pack and sleeping bag on top of the two person tent I bought, the only thing i still need is an IMS 4.7 gallon tank. This will be my first adventure ride and as of right now i'm going solo but here is my question...
Is there anything I could do to minimize wear on the engine like running a thicker oil than stock 10w40 and still maintain 70mph? Asking because i've ridden the wr on the slab a lot and don't feel bad about maintaining 70mph for a hundred miles or so but 1000 miles at 70mph in 24 hours does make me feel bad for the little thumper and worry a bit, also planning on going to the 2015 pikes peak international hill climb in June if all goes well. thoughts?

1 bigger front sprocket for the slab part
2 trailer it to the west and enjoy it for what its made for while there
Just my $,02

I've run mine at 75-80 for 350 miles in a day with some luggage on no prob for the bike. I did get a little beat up by the cross wind tho.
I can be done with stock gearing.
I like zestymac's trailer idea

I did think about taking it out there with our f350 but it would cost over $700 round trip and I'd be much too paranoid about something happening to it while gone on the trail for almost two days, if I had something like a Tacoma or ranger then yeah trailering it there would be a an easy choice, the only time wind has botherd me so far is occasionally while wearing my motto helmet on the highway. I'll think about the sprocket idea, thanks! Anything else?

How many days are you allowing to get there?
how many days are you going to ride Moab?
How many days are you allowing to go home?

just my $.02 but we went to Utah last September. our one way trip was 1562 miles, very close to your mileage.

1. it was two days hard riding in a ford F150 alternating drivers.
2. if you go in a cage, you can(a) share the driving (B) SHARE the cost of gas,(c) not worry about rain
our entire trip,,,,,,, gas, lodging, food,,,atv and dualsport gas, everything was about 800 bucks per man.
gas for the truck was about 700 bucks, indeed, but we split the cost among everyone.
last, but not least, we were not burnt out dog tired, hating our bike when we got there.

whatever you decide, keep us posted.
us old farts like to live vicariously through you young  bucks.

I wouldn't ride a WR to Moab.  I've been three times and my distance is similar to yours.   I'd either haul out on a trailer or pickup and enjoy the great trails (moderate to very difficult) in the Moab area or I'd ride a bigger bike and just enjoy the good paved roads there.

There are campgrounds where you can camp (and save some money) or rent a cabin.

Well if I drive out there i'd find someone to tag along and make it there in 24 hours, if I end up riding there i'll try to make it to pikes peak Colorado and camp out there at the end of the first day and scout out the area for the hill climb event in the next month. Plan on staying the entire weekend in moab plus Monday, then head back home so a week all together. I'll also be camping on the white rim trail as well and i'll defiantly post updates here and make an advrider. Like everyone has said so far I know hauling it there would be best, and buying an ims 4.7 tank to be safe on fuel for the trip would cost almost as much as hauling it there, but does anyone think riding it to Moab would be a cruel punishment for the WR ? I know my body will survive. Thanks!

The bike will be fine. I rode mine from SoCal to Ohio and back 80mph averaging 800-ish miles per day running Honda 10w40 non synthetic motorcycle oil. I packed light (cheap hotel every night) and rode it wide open for nearly 6,000 miles in a 10 day span. I did change the oil once I got to Ohio before heading back to Cali.
Just do it, yea the trip will be brutal on you but that's a cool story you'll never forget.

The big dog adventure site sold me on the wr's long distance capability.. so hands down i would ride the bike where ever i was going.As one member said..pop on a 14 tooth front sprocket to lower rpms.
This post is probably not containing what  your wanting to hear,, but when you ask opinions the answer is based on the audience's experiences.

I would only want to do those  kind of miles  if  time was available to enjoy the entire trip..getting to moab is a trip in itself based on the miles in your thread topic.I've cage driven 1000 miles in 24 hours with another driver and IMHO it would suck enthusiasm from the focal point of the "adventure"..  Why not wait until more time is available and make your first DS ride something shorter with no "to and from moab marathon " so that you can actually unwind and enjoy yourself?

Riding solo in itself has challenges... learning to trust your own judgement calls takes time to perfect ..especially if you get saddled with a severely washed out trail versus the long way around. Sometimes there is no second chance and walking many miles could be/is  a reality.
Saying this/ i avoid slab whenever i can... a trip to moab would contain equal adventure for me..but to each their own.
You may say i'm over thinking what your planning..but i bought the wr for trails i had to turn back on because of the klr 650's weight etc..vs terrain ..so a lot of judgement calls for sure on this end while riding solo.

What ever you decide i wish you the best of luck... i commend you on researching your options.. a great first step.

Yeah I kinda wanna ride there partially for that reason as well, to have a story and to say I did it . I cant do hotels because i'm not 21 so they're hit and miss for me, I also want to do the same trip as you Gruvey12 but I can only have 9 days off work at a time so i'd basically just be riding slab the whole time there and have to come back right away. I just read the posts on big dogs site about the WR and i'm amazed practically all my worries about riding there are gone now so thanks! Yes i'm still concerned about the risks of riding solo especially on the trails but most of my time will be on the white rim trail and from what i've heard it isn't very demanding, i'll take is nice and easy if I venture out on tougher trails or maybe ride with some other riders while there. I really think i'll enjoy this trip no matter what, and if anyone is over thinking about this trip its me haha trust me. Another question, how beneficial would having a gps unit like a Garmin montana 650 be while in the area? I plan on just mounting my iPhone to use for directions there.

I used to be a paper map guy.. but with tracks available for many places i eventually caved in and put a GPS on the bike. I recommend doing some/mucho homework before you pull the GPS trigger. I ended using a GPS program called OSMOND in conjunction with a tablet.. but it {OSMOND} can be used with many devices...  most will say to get a device that has a GPS antenae built in so that you will not need to connect to cell towers for triangulation. Lots of options

HERE is some good reading for anyone gravitatiing away from the Garmin strangle hold ..lol this is just my opinion .. i dont conform well to what the rest of the herd is doing .

I'll back out of your thread... there is lots of info to be had from the great members on this site... again best of luck.. many are watching and thinking how focused you are for adventure at a young age.. simply wonderful.

~b~

wrrOH wrote:

Yeah I kinda wanna ride there partially for that reason as well, to have a story and to say I did it . I cant do hotels because i'm not 21 so they're hit and miss for me, I also want to do the same trip as you Gruvey12 but I can only have 9 days off work at a time so i'd basically just be riding slab the whole time there and have to come back right away. I just read the posts on big dogs site about the WR and i'm amazed  practically all my worries about riding there are gone now so thanks! Yes i'm still concerned about the risks of riding solo especially on the trails but most of my time will be on the white rim trail and from what i've heard it isn't very demanding, i'll take is nice and easy if I venture out on tougher trails or maybe ride with some other riders while there. I really think i'll enjoy this trip no matter what, and if anyone is over thinking about this trip its me haha trust me. Another question, how beneficial would having a gps unit like a Garmin montana 650 be while in the area? I plan on just mounting my iPhone to use for directions there.

Please consider trailering your bike there.  Interstates suck on a bike and particularly a 250cc dual sport.  The WRR will do fine but you will suffer.  I trailer with my car and average ~22mpg.  A hitch can be added to almost any car, finding a cheap, light trailer can be challenging.

Big Dog's stories are awesome but he's (presumably) retired and has time.  Traveling by motorcycle is great when you have the time but can be torture when you're on a schedule.  Is telling a great story worth sacrificing having fun on the trip?

A GPS is crucial for making good time on mixed roads or following a complex route.  If you are only worried about following major highways the iphone+google maps will suffice.  I hear great things about the Montana series but can only personally vouch for the Zumo 220, 450, 550 and 60Csx.  All will do on or offroad routing.

If you want to ride it there then just go for it. The bike will take it without a care in the world. I rode mine from UK to Siberia and from Moscow back to UK. Maybe riding WRs is different in the US?

HAHAHA! I LOVE MOAB!
I try to go there once a year. That slickrock trail is one of the coolest things you can do on a motorcycle. But you have to be a really good rider. It's not that it's super difficult, but if you're skeerd of heights there's some places where one wrong move and it's bye bye bike...

That said, a bike that can ride the slickrock trail is going to suck on the freeway (my guess is a Goldwing isn't going to get too far on the slickrock either).

Same thing for Jeeps. The better they are off road, the worserer they are on the street.

And since you're only doing this trip for a week, I can personally assure you that putting the bike on a rack behind ANYTHING is going to make the trip SO much nicer. I personally use an E-150 cargo van I picked up at an auction. Perfect stealth RV, I could park that thing in front of your house overnight (and I probably have) and you'd just think it was a local plumber with a nice dirt bike.

Anyways, do what you want, but the WR SUX on the freeway (but I'm spoiled, I've owned lots of big street bikes). But wow is it incredible as a little street legal screamer off road...

Unfortunately I've never been to Moab. But I crossed the Rocky Mountains and rode clear through the state of Utah all in the same day on my WR. At 5am crossing the Rockies in September I hit snow and 0 degrees, but being from Ohio I was use to it, as you are probably are as well judging by your screen-name.
I was 30 when I did the cross country trip and I was in full commuter mode, no off-roading adventures until I made it to Ohio.
Would it have been "easier" to haul the bike, of course, but I didn't buy it to haul it. I bought it to run the hell out of and being a working class hillbilly it is my only bike, my "everything bike"!
To some people this is "not fun" or "not what the bike was built for" but they aren't me. Your not even 21 yet & if your anything like I was when I was 20 I would do that trip with a smile on.
Have fresh new tires on, fresh oil change & bring a spare front & rear tube and the tools needed to change if needed. Dress to stay warm with a backup set of warm clothes and run that damn bike wide open to Moab, it will love the RPM abuse!

rarepartbuilder wrote:

I used to be a paper map guy.. but with tracks available for many places i eventually caved in and put a GPS on the bike. I recommend doing some/mucho homework before you pull the GPS trigger. I ended using a GPS program called OSMOND in conjunction with a tablet.. but it {OSMOND} can be used with many devices...  most will say to get a device that has a GPS antenae built in so that you will not need to connect to cell towers for triangulation. Lots of options

HERE is some good reading for anyone gravitatiing away from the Garmin strangle hold ..lol this is just my opinion .. i dont conform well to what the rest of the herd is doing .

I'll back out of your thread... there is lots of info to be had from the great members on this site... again best of luck.. many are watching and thinking how focused you are for adventure at a young age.. simply wonderful.

~b~

Thanks for all your input and advice rarepartbuilder I really appreciate it and thanks for the link, i'm just stating to look at gps units and I do still have a lot of research I need to do but the Montana is the first one that has stood out for me, I really just wanna make some awesome memories while i'm young

morgan9283 wrote:

Please consider trailering your bike there.  Interstates suck on a bike and particularly a 250cc dual sport.  The WRR will do fine but you will suffer.  I trailer with my car and average ~22mpg.  A hitch can be added to almost any car, finding a cheap, light trailer can be challenging.

Big Dog's stories are awesome but he's (presumably) retired and has time.  Traveling by motorcycle is great when you have the time but can be torture when you're on a schedule.  Is telling a great story worth sacrificing having fun on the trip?

A GPS is crucial for making good time on mixed roads or following a complex route.  If you are only worried about following major highways the iphone+google maps will suffice.  I hear great things about the Montana series but can only personally vouch for the Zumo 220, 450, 550 and 60Csx.  All will do on or offroad routing.

I really am thinking about hauling it there now, mainly because i'm not sure i'd like the ims 4.7 fuel tank and the fact i'd basically be able to gain an extra day of riding in moab by driving there nonstop with a friend   I looked at the zumo and haven't done too much research on it yet but  I haven't seen how something like a zumo 550lm would benefit me over something like the Montana 650 at it's price point.  

edteamslr wrote:

If you want to ride it there then just go for it. The bike will take it without a care in the world. I rode mine from UK to Siberia and from Moscow back to UK. Maybe riding WRs is different in the US?

Good to know i'm not the only one making and planing long trips to say the least lol

GusinCA wrote:

HAHAHA! I LOVE MOAB!
I try to go there once a year. That slickrock trail is one of the coolest things you can do on a motorcycle. But you have to be a really good rider. It's not that it's super difficult, but if you're skeerd of heights there's some places where one wrong move and it's bye bye bike...

That said, a bike that can ride the slickrock trail is going to suck on the freeway (my guess is a Goldwing isn't going to get too far on the slickrock either).

Same thing for Jeeps. The better they are off road, the worserer they are on the street.

And since you're only doing this trip for a week, I can personally assure you that putting the bike on a rack behind ANYTHING is going to make the trip SO much nicer. I personally use an E-150 cargo van I picked up at an auction. Perfect stealth RV, I could park that thing in front of your house overnight (and I probably have) and you'd just think it was a local plumber with a nice dirt bike.

Anyways, do what you want, but the WR SUX on the freeway (but I'm spoiled, I've owned lots of big street bikes). But wow is it incredible as a little street legal screamer off road...

Dude don't say that!    I want to ride slick rock but is it really generally that steep? Like if you stall out will locking up your front brake do anything or will I have to bail?

Gruvey12 wrote:

Unfortunately I've never been to Moab. But I crossed the Rocky Mountains and rode clear through the state of Utah all in the same day on my WR. At 5am crossing the Rockies in September I hit snow and 0 degrees, but being from Ohio I was use to it, as you are probably are as well judging by your screen-name.
I was 30 when I did the cross country trip and I was in full commuter mode, no off-roading adventures until I made it to Ohio.
Would it have been "easier" to haul the bike, of course, but I didn't buy it to haul it. I bought it to run the hell out of and being a working class hillbilly it is my only bike, my "everything bike"!
To some people this is "not fun" or "not what the bike was built for" but they aren't me. Your not even 21 yet & if your anything like I was when I was 20 I would do that trip with a smile on.
Have fresh new tires on, fresh oil change & bring a spare front & rear tube and the tools needed to change if needed. Dress to stay warm with a backup set of warm clothes and run that damn bike wide open to Moab, it will love the RPM abuse!

I've been riding all winter but I can't do snow haha that's where I draw the line, what time of the year did you do this? Yes, i'm from Ohio and i've always had a smile every time I ride my WR even when I rode 500 miles of slab just to do 32 miles of trails in one day. This is also my only bike, and at my age money and time is limited among other priorities in life. I just really like the thought of adventure riding and i've already me so many great people and seen some amazing places since buying my WR. I have bought a tool kit and spare tubes front and rear already, and have practiced changing my tires without special tools to be prepared, at the moment I plan on running stock Bridgestone trailing 301/302's if I ride out there because they gave me a solid 5000 miles before I changed them and if I haul it out there i'll probably go with a Dunlop 606/ Pirelli MT21

Really appreciate input and advice of everyone so far, really opening my eyes and easing some of my worries.

I did the trip September 2013 on a stock 2013 WRR, only mod was an IMS 3.1 blue tank. My butt was ready for a rest B4 the fuel light came on usually, so it was the perfect size tank for me.
Also mounted a short milk crate on the rear fender to pack my gear in.

Sometimes I just stand up for a min and my but is good as new,don't think i'd wanna do that on the freeway though! I like the seat on the WR especially compared to most other dual sports and dirtbikes, . My luggage setup is unique as well i i'm using the base plate and nylon buckle straps that are already on my WR from the wolfman tool bag I bought, then i bought an MSR fast stash two person tent and it fits perfectly withen the nylon straps, then bungee cord the sleeping bag on top, the rest of my stuff will be in my backpack or enduro carry all

Good job on the luggage setup!
Oh yea I also had/have a SeatConcepts seat, I rode to the factory in California, it was about an hour from where I was living at the time in Irvine and he assembled it and installed it while I waited.
I do a lot of standing up as well, but my brain and everything else needed a break. It took me 3 full days one way riding roughly 14hours per day and then took a 4 day break hitting local trails for 4 days in Ohio before taking the long trek back to Cali.
Hit me up this summer if you want to do some riding, I have a few WR friends in Loudonville, OH that ride every weekend as well. I'm in Columbus now permanently.

Didn't read every reply so this may have been said. I recently have been looking at the Garmin Montana 600 myself and I think for off road it is the way to go. As far as highway use I recently downloaded an app called "Navigate Route 66". You download (free) maps for the states you will be in and you can have GPS without cell signal. It uses the built in GPS on the phone and is as good as Google maps or whatever else you may use for navigation. I did this b/c I did a road trip on my street bike through the Blue Ridge mountains and got lost in a National forest area and of course didn't get cell signal so I had to back track. Pissed me off and after doing some research found this app to work well for road use. Not sure if it would help Off Road.
Check this link out. Not that you should use a Tablet for a GPS but read the article and check out the apps he used.
http://www.webbikeworld.com/gps/nexus-7-gps/using-a-tablet-as-a-gps.htm

Hope this helps and good luck. Post pics when your done.

The slickrock trail is a nicely marked single track trail (mountain bikes and motorcycles only). It is recommended for expert riders only, and there are sections that are really steep, as well as off camber sections where if you fall over, the bike (but not you, I'll explain in a minute) will slide down a long slope and then over the side of a 1000 foot cliff to the valley below. You really do need to know what you are doing, and take it slow, because there are places where you come over the top of a ridge and then there's a 100 foot hole on the the other side. It's really, really fun, if you have the skills for it.

Now, here's the good news. The rock itself, when dry, is so grippy it's like riding on sandpaper. You will not believe the kind of grip you have on those steep off camber sections (which is why you won't slide off the cliff, just the bike once it's on it's side). So it's not a question of slipping the clutch or locking anything up, it's a question of balance, keeping balanced, and trusting the grip.

Totally worth it, one of the absolute must ride trails in the entire world.

GusinCA wrote:

The slickrock trail is a nicely marked single track trail (mountain bikes and motorcycles only). It is recommended for expert riders only, and there are sections that are really steep, as well as off camber sections where if you fall over, the bike (but not you, I'll explain in a minute) will slide down a long slope and then over the side of a 1000 foot cliff to the valley below. You really do need to know what you are doing, and take it slow, because there are places where you come over the top of a ridge and then there's a 100 foot hole on the the other side. It's really, really fun, if you have the skills for it.

Now, here's the good news. The rock itself, when dry, is so grippy it's like riding on sandpaper. You will not believe the kind of grip you have on those steep off camber sections (which is why you won't slide off the cliff, just the bike once it's on it's side). So it's not a question of slipping the clutch or locking anything up, it's a question of balance, keeping balanced, and trusting the grip.

Totally worth it, one of the absolute must ride trails in the entire world.

I rode the slickrock bike trail last May. It was this place: http://www.discovermoab.com/sandflats.htm. I don't remember any 1000 foot cliffs at the slickrock bike trail. There were cliffs like that in White Rim trail. Both rides were unforgettable. I don't consider myself close to being an expert rider, maybe advanced beginner. The slickrock bike trail, as you said, was very cool. The traction allows you to ride up, down and off camber in ways you wouldn't have believed. I rented a KTM 300 the day I rode it and dropped it 3-4 times. My buddy rode the whole thing on a XR650L without dropping but he is a much better rider. A WR250r is very doable for slickrock if you are an experienced trail rider or your not afraid of dropping the bike a few times. White Rim is not all that hard.

The only issue for the OP I see in riding out there is that the tires you would want for riding around Moab wouldn't be great for the slab trip.

Gruvey12 wrote:

Good job on the luggage setup!
Oh yea I also had/have a SeatConcepts seat, I rode to the factory in California, it was about an hour from where I was living at the time in Irvine and he assembled it and installed it while I waited.
I do a lot of standing up as well, but my brain and everything else needed a break. It took me 3 full days one way riding roughly 14hours per day and then took a 4 day break hitting local trails for 4 days in Ohio before taking the long trek back to Cali.
Hit me up this summer if you want to do some riding, I have a few WR friends in Loudonville, OH that ride every weekend as well. I'm in Columbus now permanently.

Thanks i'll post some pics on this thread soon enough of my complete setup once I sort everything out. 14 hours a day over 4 days is impressive, if you still had a smile that's all that counts! I'm definitely up for a few rides this summer and i'm in columbus all the time even though its an hour away from me, Loudonville is 2 hours away. I wanna hit up Wayne national forest a few times this summer, i'll PM you sometime

WolfpackFBNS wrote:

Didn't read every reply so this may have been said. I recently have been looking at the Garmin Montana 600 myself and I think for off road it is the way to go. As far as highway use I recently downloaded an app called "Navigate Route 66". You download (free) maps for the states you will be in and you can have GPS without cell signal. It uses the built in GPS on the phone and is as good as Google maps or whatever else you may use for navigation. I did this b/c I did a road trip on my street bike through the Blue Ridge mountains and got lost in a National forest area and of course didn't get cell signal so I had to back track. Pissed me off and after doing some research found this app to work well for road use. Not sure if it would help Off Road.
Check this link out. Not that you should use a Tablet for a GPS but read the article and check out the apps he used.
http://www.webbikeworld.com/gps/nexus-7-gps/using-a-tablet-as-a-gps.htm

Hope this helps and good luck.  Post pics when your done.

Huh, i'll download it on my phone tonight, that's really great it doesn't need cell signal, I love web bike world's reviews and was almost sold on another bike over a review they did but yeah, I really don't think a tablet with a case would survive very long on my WR considering I've flown off the bars, and had to replace my bars twice already, I've stopped counting how many times I've gone down  

GusinCA wrote:

The slickrock trail is a nicely marked single track trail (mountain bikes and motorcycles only). It is recommended for expert riders only, and there are sections that are really steep, as well as off camber sections where if you fall over, the bike (but not you, I'll explain in a minute) will slide down a long slope and then over the side of a 1000 foot cliff to the valley below. You really do need to know what you are doing, and take it slow, because there are places where you come over the top of a ridge and then there's a 100 foot hole on the the other side. It's really, really fun, if you have the skills for it.

Now, here's the good news. The rock itself, when dry, is so grippy it's like riding on sandpaper. You will not believe the kind of grip you have on those steep off camber sections (which is why you won't slide off the cliff, just the bike once it's on it's side). So it's not a question of slipping the clutch or locking anything up, it's a question of balance, keeping balanced, and trusting the grip.

Totally worth it, one of the absolute must ride trails in the entire world.

Well shoot, I've heard about it being like sandpaper but yeah I definitely plan on riding the slick rock trail after white rim, don't know if ill have time for any other trails, but I can vividly see me holding onto my bike for dear life by the front wheel trying to stop it from sliding all the way down leaving me stranded as I type this   would installing rubber axle/frame sliders help at all you think?  

dogfarm wrote:

I rode the slickrock bike trail last May. It was this place: http://www.discovermoab.com/sandflats.htm. I don't remember any 1000 foot cliffs at the slickrock bike trail. There were cliffs like that in White Rim trail. Both rides were unforgettable. I don't consider myself close to being an expert rider, maybe advanced beginner. The slickrock bike trail, as you said, was very cool. The traction allows you to ride up, down and off camber in ways you wouldn't have believed. I rented a KTM 300 the day I rode it and dropped it 3-4 times. My buddy rode the whole thing on a XR650L without dropping but he is a much better rider. A WR250r is very doable for slickrock if you are an experienced trail rider or your not afraid of dropping the bike a few times. White Rim is not all that hard.

The only issue for the OP I see in riding out there is that the tires you would want for riding around Moab wouldn't be great for the slab trip.

Really not afraid to drop it anymore haha that was a bitter pill I swallowed before the first 1000 miles I'll be wearing every piece of protective gear I have except for a knee brace. I think the stock trailwing tires will be great for slickrock but if it ends up raining on the white rim tail I may have some issues with sand, ect.

I wouldn't worry too much, just take it carefully and you should be fine on that trail.

I also downloaded an app called MyTrails and it seems to have a bunch of different features like TOPO map (not that I really know how to read a topo map) it also has a feature to record your ride so you can keep track of any rides/trails you find.
These are for android devices. I don't know if the same apps exist for iphones.