Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT Mid-Century Moto Mecca Makeover

[Vertigo Cycles]

Hello Gregor,

As always, thank you for posting and sharing. I've spent a bit of time looking at this picture of your welds against Sean's. Yours look a lot more like the "stacked coins" that I'm used to seeing and doing. Sean's look different. They're less distinct and there's something of a crystalline look to them. I've never done Tig and I've certainly never approached titanium. Sean's welds show no discoloration and barely show each pass. It just looks like a smooth and even pool. Is it that my idea of what perfect welds look like is wrong?


Thanks,
Ed

Edit- Getting used to the new board. I wanted to post that picture inline but couldn't figure out how.

The two biggest differences you see in Gregor's and my welds are of torch angle and the blending of the start/stopping points. Especially on these small diameter parts, it takes a lot of practice to keep your torch at the same angle relative to pieces to be welded. Any time you tip your torch, the shape of the puddle changes and depending on the direction you tip it, it'll leave a more or less pronounced edge.

The start/stop is another technique that takes a loooong time to get right. I'm still working on it and probably will be as long as I can hold a torch. I have a little more experience than Gregor and that's probably why mine are a little more hidden. Basically, you're trying to reintroduce filler to the weld after you reposition and at the same time are trying to match the puddle size, torch angle, filler direction while adequately blending the new bead into what you've already laid down. Both hands and one foot are independently occupied while you're watching for several things in the puddle.

As for your idea of perfect welds...it depends on what you're looking at. Each material has its own requirements for what constitutes a strong weld and making it look nice in addition is icing on the cake. If you're talking about the "stack of dimes" look with very pronounced edges, I'd guess you're seeing mostly steel and aluminum. With aluminum, even on this wall tubes, each puddle has about half an inch of rod in it and will usually have a very pronounced "toe" https://www.weldersuniverse.com/images/weld_diagram.jpg. On thin wall steel, each puddle will have about 0.050" of 0.035" rod and can have a pronounced toe without adversely affecting the weld so long as it has sufficient throat.

Titanium is a bit different from them in that it has a high "notch sensitivity". "Notch Sensitive" means that if you give it a place to crack, it'll eventually crack. An abrupt transition (toe) is one such place where there's a localized abrupt change in stiffness. The throat of the weld needs to be at least the same thickness as the tube but you do not want a toe on the weld. The edges of the puddle should be blended into the tube to have as smooth a fillet as possible without undercutting so much that you reduce the strength of the tube. I know that it's said over and over that you don't want color in your weld but I don't know that I've ever said exactly why. Those pretty colors mean that you've grown a layer of oxides on or in the weld area. They are MUCH harder than the titanium substrate and even though the oxide layer is only a few nanometers thick, it'll crack when flexed and since it's fused to the substrate, that crack will eventually propagate through the weld or tube wall. That's the biggest reason that titanium has so many extra steps and cautions attached to it while welding.

For photos of VERY good titanium welding but with three distinctly different styles of appearance, checkout Firefly (Tyler Evans), Eriksen/Bingham (Brad Bingham) and Crisp (Darren Crisp). Tyler dabs his puddles. Brad and Darren both lay down the rod but have different torch angles which is why Brads edges are so well defined but Darren's almost look like a smooth fillet.

 

[sakurama]

Hi guys, for some reason GJ went from messaging my for all posts to none at all. It wouldn't have mattered as I had a very fun work trip that took me mostly off line but I was able to post some to my IG stories.

I borrowed a Ducati Multistrada Enduro from friends at Ducati (yes, I'm a lucky SOB) and instead of shipping it I flew down and rode it home using all the skill I could muster to make the trip longer than it needed to be. I stretched it from a quick 600 miles to a very long 900 miles over two days.

It's fun for me to get to ride truly modern bikes. This bike has more hp than probably all three of my BMW's together (no joke either) and it was a phenomenal machine to fly up the coast on. I'm going to use it for a trip with Rev'It! in a few weeks so it will see a bunch of dirt then.

This was a "scouting trip" for that trip. Or at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Riding through the redwoods was unbelievable.

I rode 500 miles on day two - 3 plus hours of that in the rain. I need to get a new electric vest but I stayed dry in Rev'It! GoreTex gear. I love gear without liners. A little warm on hot days but not bad and great in the wet.

Gregor, my wife is obviously not at your level, but she does portrait photography locally and does quite well at it. She was shooting with the 85 f/1.4 GM and the 50 f/1.4 GM. I got her the 35 f/1.4 Distagon last summer, and it's hardly ever left the camera since. She loves being able to be closer to her subject while shooting, particularly with kids who need a lot of prompting and encouragement.

Out of curiosity, is your 35 the new G Master? And if so, is it worth the upgrade over the Distagon?

I hate to tell you this... but I have both 35's and the GM is sharper and cleaner with less color fringing. That's something I hate about fast lenses and the Sony ones are really good with it and this new 35 is amazing. I'm selling the old one.

Like I said, sorry about that!

Hello Gregor,

As always, thank you for posting and sharing. I've spent a bit of time looking at this picture of your welds against Sean's. Yours look a lot more like the "stacked coins" that I'm used to seeing and doing. Sean's look different. They're less distinct and there's something of a crystalline look to them. I've never done Tig and I've certainly never approached titanium. Sean's welds show no discoloration and barely show each pass. It just looks like a smooth and even pool. Is it that my idea of what perfect welds look like is wrong?


Thanks,
Ed

Edit- Getting used to the new board. I wanted to post that picture inline but couldn't figure out how.

Sean covered that one!

I'm off to shoot wine for a week and then more riding. Right now my diamond shoes are too tight!

Gregor

 

[Ryan]

So yesterday I made a small thing to push argon behind a tack weld. Not sure it's the right tool or how well it works but so far it seemed to do the job.

Just scrap stainless tube and some mesh and a push fit fitting.

It was a trick to weld the perf on - it was about 10 amps. I put some steel wool behind to help diffuse the argon. Clearly I'm winging it here.

I think the real difficulty is trying to hold it in place. The thing about tacking is that the first one is easy but as it cools it shrinks and pulls, ever so slightly, so that the other side has a gap and to close that you have to give it a squeeze. That's tricky on curved tubing.

I found another pie cut and welded that on and bumped the heat a bit. I think there's still room to go.

Tomorrow Sean's coming over and it will be my first welding lesson in years! We've both been vaccinated so it will be nice to not have to bother with masks and to get the chance to hang out and get some tips from a real master.

Gregor

Man... I hope people realize how impressive this is.

 

[Trapps]

'Friends at Ducati' I need these kinds of friends!

900 miles in 2 days, not all slab, had to be some serious saddle time!

Any off tarmac? Some ADVrider guys commenting it's too powerful for dirt. I gotta think with electronics and a modest wrist angle it would be OK.

I love that bike and keep stumbling over it when I'm at the dealership...

 

[burger]

Titanium is a bit different from them in that it has a high "notch sensitivity". "Notch Sensitive" means that if you give it a place to crack, it'll eventually crack. An abrupt transition (toe) is one such place where there's a localized abrupt change in stiffness. The throat of the weld needs to be at least the same thickness as the tube but you do not want a toe on the weld. The edges of the puddle should be blended into the tube to have as smooth a fillet as possible without undercutting so much that you reduce the strength of the tube. I know that it's said over and over that you don't want color in your weld but I don't know that I've ever said exactly why. Those pretty colors mean that you've grown a layer of oxides on or in the weld area. They are MUCH harder than the titanium substrate and even though the oxide layer is only a few nanometers thick, it'll crack when flexed and since it's fused to the substrate, that crack will eventually propagate through the weld or tube wall. That's the biggest reason that titanium has so many extra steps and cautions attached to it while welding.

Sean,

Thanks for the explanation. What you wrote about notch sensitivity and the toe of the weld makes total sense. And please correct me if my understanding is wrong. Any notch (such as the toe) creates an edge that could cause a fatigue crack. With a softer material like aluminum, this isn't as important. With titanium though, to reduce these crack forming edges, you need to make the toe as small as possible without making an undercut that would reduce the diameter of the tube. I also really liked your explanation on the discoloring and how that creates a brittle oxide layer that is prone to forming cracks.

This was a "scouting trip" for that trip. Or at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Riding through the redwoods was unbelievable.

When you're in an old redwood or sequoia groove, words like unbelievable or awesome barely seem adequate! Also I love the bags on that Ducati!


Ed

Edit- I'm not sure I like the new board format for quotes

 

[sakurama]

'Friends at Ducati' I need these kinds of friends!

900 miles in 2 days, not all slab, had to be some serious saddle time!

Any off tarmac? Some ADVrider guys commenting it's too powerful for dirt. I gotta think with electronics and a modest wrist angle it would be OK.

I love that bike and keep stumbling over it when I'm at the dealership...

Yes, last day was 14 hours and I was pretty wiped out. As for off road we’ll see.
There are two things people complain about that have always been pet peeves for me. Power is one - there’s a throttle and you control it, if it’s too much don’t twist it. Pretty simple. Sure you’ll never use 154hp off road so consider that a bonus for the road. It makes passing a silly game. I would drop to 4th, whack the throttle and before I could count to three go from 70-100..

The other is seat height and wanting both feet on the ground. Both feet are four points of contact and every restaurant table in the world will confirm that is unstable. One foot and two tires is a tripod and three points define a plane and don’t wobble. I can’t touch either foot on any dirt bike or my adventure bikes. I slide off the correct side (uphill) and lean the bike that way. My complaint with the Ducati is it’s so low I can flat foot and that really cramps my knees. They’re sending me a new seat.

Like the throttle if you’re trying to ride with your feet on the ground or touching you’re doing it wrong. Yes dabbing happens but that’s a single foot - if you’ve got both feet down dog paddling you’re no longer “riding” the bike - you’ve given up. There are exceptions of course but generally speaking you want to be balanced, neutral and light on the bike, able to take your hands off at any time. Too many people hold the bars like it’s how you stay on. Handle bars are like a horses reins - light touch.

That’s it for now. I’ll have more to say about it in a few weeks. I reached out to BMW after Ben’s bike was stolen (keep your eyes open if you’re in Portland) and my friend there is hooking us up with a R1250GSA so that will be a fun comparison. Plus my friend Matias is bringing his rebuilt R100GS from his new effort “Myth Motors”. So I’m very excited for this trip on three very different bikes.

Gregor

 

[Vertigo Cycles]

Sean,

Thanks for the explanation. What you wrote about notch sensitivity and the toe of the weld makes total sense. And please correct me if my understanding is wrong. Any notch (such as the toe) creates an edge that could cause a fatigue crack. With a softer material like aluminum, this isn't as important. With titanium though, to reduce these crack forming edges, you need to make the toe as small as possible without making an undercut that would reduce the diameter of the tube. I also really liked your explanation on the discoloring and how that creates a brittle oxide layer that is prone to forming cracks.

I need to learn how to reformat quotes on this new board.

You're pretty close. Yes, on ti, an abrupt edge will likely eventually form a crack. With other materials, I don't think it has as much to do with the material hardness but rather the grain structure...I'm not a materials engineer and have an unreliable memory, so I could be wrong about that one and it's worth following up elsewhere if you really want to get it right. You've got it right on with your comment about welding...you want as close to zero toe height as possible without undercutting and reducing the wall thickness of the tube, though undercutting by a couple of thousandths is better than leaving a toe.

I should do a rundown on my own thread so we don't gunk up Gregors

 

[locul]

'Friends at Ducati' I need these kinds of friends!

900 miles in 2 days, not all slab, had to be some serious saddle time!

Any off tarmac? Some ADVrider guys commenting it's too powerful for dirt. I gotta think with electronics and a modest wrist angle it would be OK.

I love that bike and keep stumbling over it when I'm at the dealership...

My "build" 950 is 80nm - 3500rpm(max 118nm - 8000rpm) at the rear wheel. I love power but man you got to know your bike well if its none TC etc. 170hp on a gravel missile you are really ON if none electronics intervene. I have never tried the V4 but on the paper it looks a bit more easy to ride. Nive flat power curve.
Looking forward to the offroad/fireroad test. Frame and suspension especially.

 

[Sham]

Hey Gregor, long time no read on your thread!

Hope you're doing fine, I miss my regular thread updates notifications from you.
Take care!

 

[hardtop5000]

I know from Gregor's Instagram stories that earlier this month, he went on a loooong adventure ride with pals on other people's motorcycles. Stuff got broken and there was weather. He's probably enjoying a two-week nap now.

 

[sakurama]

Hey Gregor, long time no read on your thread!

Hope you're doing fine, I miss my regular thread updates notifications from you.
Take care!

I know from Gregor's Instagram stories that earlier this month, he went on a loooong adventure ride with pals on other people's motorcycles. Stuff got broken and there was weather. He's probably enjoying a two-week nap now.

Yes, exactly.

I brought the Ducati back and then was booked with back to back jobs. The job for Rev'It! was supposed to be an adventure ride to the Alvord and couple of other spots I'd wanted to visit and it was quite the adventure. I have just finished up a long stretch of work and I've been trying to edit the shots from that trip - the most painful part of the process. 8000 shots have to be looked at, adjusted, cropped and rated in multiple passes and that can take hours and hours. It's not hard but it's tedious.

I also worked a car rally over the record breaking heat wave weekend and I was supposed to have returned the Ducati last week but just couldn't muster the energy. This week the heat is keeping me from making the slog back to San Jose. I was so excited to get the bike and ride and now the same trip just feels like work.

I need to write a story for Rev'It! about the trip and I'd like to work through some of that here but it's so much to process. In the mean time here's a couple of shots as a teaser.



This was the evening before our ill fated but nonetheless exciting night on the Alvord. It was one of the strangest 24 hours of my life and I was very happy to have Scott to share it with - he completely gets what "adventure" means.



The rain fell all over Eastern Oregon and while this doesn't look treacherous it was deceptive - patches that looked dry were 6 inches deep of sticky clay. Fenders packed solid with mud. We rode 6 miles of this road and it took us 5 hours. We gave up and it took us 4 more hours to retreat. One of the hardest days on a bike I've ever had.



We managed to achieve the goal - all the weather Oregon could offer in just about all the geography of the state and a lot of good photos.



I broke three cameras, a lens, a drone and a Ducati - we had a good time.

I'm going to keep wading though shots and start trying to put the trip into words and then I'll post a more thorough narrative.

Gregor

 

[Sham]

Glad to see you're back, and more important, that you were off for excellent reasons!

I broke three cameras, a lens, a drone and a Ducati - we had a good time.

At some point, won't it be faster to just list what you didn't break? Just trying to optimize your time here.
Can't wait to see more of that trip of yours!

 

[gearhead1960]

Glad to see you made it back in one piece..... cameras and such can be replaced. A little harder to replace people or their parts....

 

[nicholam77]

Wow, that sky!! Your photography is always stunning but that one is so dramatic I'm kind of speechless. Sounds like a crazy month, can't wait for the full download.

 

[sakurama]

Wow, that sky!! Your photography is always stunning but that one is so dramatic I'm kind of speechless. Sounds like a crazy month, can't wait for the full download.

Yeah, that sky was a warning not heeded. It was so stunning and so wild looking. We couldn't tell which way the weather was actually headed until we did a time lapse with the phone and could see the clouds were actually circling us. It looked like rain all around us but nothing was touching us. At 9pm it started to rain.

 

[Grant Gunderson]

I broke three cameras, a lens, a drone and a Ducati - we had a good time.
Gregor

The nice thing is cameras are cheaper than ever. I had a day shooting in a midwinter cyclone, back in the Canon 1DXmk3 days that I toasted 3 camera bodies in one day...That was an expensive day, but it also resulted in 12 magazine covers and a whole lot of ad sales. So I am a firm believer that some of the gnarliest weather can and does create some of the most spectacular and memorable imagery. So while, I am sure it ***** to have to replace the gear, I bet that shoot will pay dividends down the road with the client, etc.

 

[sakurama]

So while, I am sure it ***** to have to replace the gear, I bet that shoot will pay dividends down the road with the client, etc.

Thanks Grant. I really don't break gear very much. I probably haven't broken a camera in... years. So to break a drone (autonomous that hit the only power line in 20 miles) a lens, and all three bodies is sort of unprecedented. Sony has been good on the repairs. It's going to be around a $1000-1500 all told so not nearly as bad as it could be.

That said this trip was enlightening for me on a few levels. I don't think I'll do a daily recap but more just a summary. I have to write the story and I'll link to that when I'm done.

But essentially this trip came about as I've been thinking about next steps for me and while I'm way behind on building my dad's bike one of the parts of that for me is that I'd like to do some tours. I've done this for friends, for journalists and as paid gigs for clients and they always turn out well. I really like doing it too. To take the next step is to do it as an actual paid trip with clients. I don't think this is anything I want to do full time but 3-4 a year would be fun and give me a base level of income to replace some of my photo clients (or augment).



In trying to figure out my life one of the things that I do is not do things that I'm afraid I can't do perfectly. I've eased up on that a lot but for big things it becomes a yak shaving dilemma. For this trip it was just the three of us and we're all great riders so the only limitation was the bikes and where we could take them. While I won't say it's a formula I do like to make sure that my trips have some elements in them - a water crossing for instance. Doesn't have to be hard but it's something people don't do much and they're fun. Also, they make great photos.



Growing up my father was a guide; rafting, hunting, skiing, pack trips, horses. He was one of the best around because he could make any trip an adventure. It usually meant pushing people a bit beyond their comfort zone. As kids we just accepted that as "dad" but now, as I have taken people on trips I recognize that is an essential element to a trip being memorable. Scared is good up to a point.

He also had good stories. That's another important quality.



This was a fun trip because I was a subject but also the photographer, producer and trip leader. It wasn't a stretch to find really cool locations as I've been riding these areas for years now but some were still new to me. I have a jumble of notes that I wrote down as we were on the trip that were things that I find and do that help to make a trip into an adventure. I'm just going to list some bullet points.

- Have a plan and be prepared to abandon that when opportunity presents something better.
- Talk to people. Seriously, it seems obvious but most people don't do it. I was super shy growing up and now I don't give a ****. I just say hi and start chatting to people. I have found more cool things this way. Also, motorcycles are interesting and the people that ride them are as well. People will want to talk to you. You will get a lot of stories about the bikes they used to have or wished they'd had.



- Paper Maps. I was an early adopter of GPS but I've always used atlases for their ability to show large and small at the same time. GPS is frustrating because as you zoom out the small roads you want to see disappear. Tragic. Ben turned me on to putting postit notes in the atlas and it's a good way to make notes on the right pages. Also, maps aren't sacrosanct - draw on them, highlight them, write on them.

I use the atlas to find the small roads and then I put way points after the turns in my GPS. I download the maps and I refer to the atlas and GPS together. This has worked well. I'm still looking for the "perfect" program but right now I'm liking Giai.



- Two Lanes, No Chains. My dad and I coined this together when trying to distill how to make a trip good. It's never steered us wrong and continues to deliver. Essentially it means take minor roads. If you're on a four lane highway you aren't going to see anything that a million other people have already seen. This is lowest common denominator stuff. And for the same reason avoid all chains - restaurants, motels and if possible gas stations. You want to find and patronize locally owned businesses not just to "support local", which is worthy unto itself, but because this is where you will meet locals who have local knowledge, stories and always better food. This is full circle to my whole "community" thing I preach. Who do you think is going to know the back way to the next town? A person at an old garage, or local diner or some teen at the QuickMart?

The Fields Station above is a good example, not that there's any other option out there. They make one of, if not the absolute best, milkshakes in all of Oregon. In the middle of nowhere. Just like camping makes food taste better the milkshake here, enjoyed outside on a creaky picnic bench, is one of the best things you can enjoy. When we asked about an abandoned plane three different people all had some ideas for us.

Okay, I'm going to divide this up a bit. Next is about making poor choices and how valuable they can be.

Gregor

 

[Terranova]

“ ...Next is about making poor choices and how valuable they can be.”

oooo this is gonna be interesting!

Now you’re singing my song! Lol

 

[xtremek]

If you want to find every conceivable way to do something wrong, just let me know. More than likely I can tell you. But I can also tell you how to get back on the right road.

 

[sakurama]

I suppose I should clarify about the choices thing. There are poor choices and stupid choices. Choices that will lead to bodily injury are to be avoided but ones that will lead to uncertain outcomes have lots of potential. I like to choose those. Unknown roads are a good example of a potentially poor choice. Especially dirt ones but they also hold phenomenal promise.

But in this case our poor choice was to stick to the plan of camping on the playa at the Alvord as storm clouds swirled around us and the wind flattened our tents. It was obvious we were going to get rain and that would probably be a bad thing. At this point Matt was not interested in camping on the playa and was getting pretty upset that I was being insistent. Scott and I looked at the rain as a very exciting and interesting unknown. Something that could lead to adventure. Matt left us and camped at the hot springs.



I'll post this shot again because this shot was the entire reason I wanted to go to the Alvord. I wanted an epic tent/motorcycle/desert shot and when the weather rolled in it was, to me, just icing on the cake.

Also, a poor choice because rain and a dry lake bed are not a good combo.

I knew it wasn't going to flood (that much) but figured it might and that could be cool too. It wasn't going to drown us so bodily harm was ruled out but outside of that we had no idea really what was going to happen.

Right after this shot, at about 9pm, it started to rain. Lightly at first and then heavier towards the morning. I woke many times that night expecting it to be over and surprised it wasn't. By the time morning finally dawned I was shocked at what I found.



I expected mud but what I found was way different. The rain had soaked the playa but only the first inch. The dirt was sticky like potting clay and when you stepped it would squish, then peel up a sticky inch of mud leaving a dry, powdery hole. The next step added another inch of mud to your shoe, and the next again, and again. At about 4-5" of mud and about 15-20lbs per foot the mud became heavy enough to fall off and the process would start over.

Instantly we saw the folly. The bikes would turn one revolution, pack the fenders and lock up. Since the decision to stay was a poor one I decided to follow that with a good decision - wait. It was going to cost us who knows how long but we were stuck until it dried out. I was guessing at least a day.



So Scott and I put our boots on and started walking to the hot spring. It was almost two miles of climbing mud stairs. We joked it was "leg day" and we found a frisbee and tossed it. This was the beginning of things getting strange. Once we got to the hot springs it became sort of magical. I've heard that hot springs are weirdo magnets and since my family frequented them I'm guessing that's true. I prefer the term "eclectic".



The Alvord hot spring is a pretty primitive affair which is my preference. We got coffee at the tiny store, talked to the woman working there for a while and learned from her that she had gate codes she could share with us to the amazing road that climbed the mountains behind. Score!



Then this absolutely fun and quirky group of non-binary individuals showed up. One was a trans lesbian quantum physicist. You can't make that kind of thing up. They were a riot and we had an absolute blast talking to them. In the background of that shot you can see it's snowing and that a pair of horseback mounted cowboys were doing fence rounds. I can't begin to explain to you how cool and crazy this day had become.

After a while another person shows up and starts talking about knitting. It was his birthday and he wanted to have an adventure so he drove his Jeep out to the hot spring by himself. We were all friends in no time.

Amazingly after about 6 hours of entertaining conversation we heard the playa was drying. Brian, the knitter, the insisted that he would drive Scott and I out to the camp and help rescue us if need be.



He was a true delight and one of the sweetest people I've met.



Our camp had dried by mid afternoon so Scott and I packed up and took a detour on our way back.



We'd seen a plane the day before and we were curious so we cruised by and talked to the pilot for a while. He was basically doing the same thing as us but with a plane. Super cool.



Back at the hot springs we met a long distance bike packer who was, as you'd imagine, a very interesting person and shared some road knowledge with us.



Finally our trans quantum physicist came over as we were looking at our maps and said they'd never been on a motorcycle and always wanted to. Scott took them on a 100mph blast across the playa and you could not wipe the smile off their face when they came back, covered in mud.

All this happened because Scott and I decided to knowingly make a poor decision - not a dangerous one but one that would absolutely throw our trip off and cause a disruption to "the plan". We had no idea of the consequences but that was the appeal. We were open to any possibility and as a result we met this absolutely amazing cast of characters. All of us became part of each others adventures and stories.

I am constantly on the lookout for ways to break the plan, disrupt the flow and see what happens. I am almost never disappointed.

Except for tomorrow.

Tomorrow sucked.

That's next.

Gregor

 

[wasfast]

You got some truly memorable experiences in a area that few know exists and fewer actually go to. Really enjoyed the trip report.

 

[burger]

Hello Gregor,

I enjoyed your post and found it heart warming. Adventure is placing yourself in situations that could potentially go wrong, but more likely will be awesome. Hot springs attract interesting people for sure. I encountered that same sorta mud in Utah. It had rained the day before and all the moisture was caught in the top inch, resulting in clingy mud that stuck to your shoes because the dirt immediately below was dry. So I know that kind of mud.



Cheers,
Ed

 

[sakurama]

I enjoyed your post and found it heart warming. Adventure is placing yourself in situations that could potentially go wrong, but more likely will be awesome...

I think that's a pretty good definition. As long as you're aware of the "potentially go wrong" part.



After we left the Alvord we ended up booking it on paved roads because I missed a turn and because we wanted to get to Rome Station as our jumping off point for our second to last day. We got there in plenty of time and luckily they had a cabin free and miraculously the restaurant stayed open until 8pm - unheard of in these parts.

Here we met another cyclist who I immediately struck up a conversation with. We knew some mutual people and roads and ended up having dinner together outside. Cameron (https://www.instagram.com/renaissance.cyclist/) has been working for 6 years on a 1000 mile loop in Eastern Oregon that will be a race and/or tour. As much as I know the area he knew 10 times as much and was super generous with his knowledge. While I had a loose plan for the next day Cameron told us about a secret hot spring with a natural infinity pool and so we dropped our plan to find this spring.



Gratuitous night gas station shot after dinner...

What was supposed to be an easy 35 mile zip down some easy dirt road was only easy for the first 6 miles...



It started with a few puddles that we gamely rode through and found a bit slippery. We started to go around them and found that the road on the sides was at least as slippery as the puddles. Soon the whole road became a morass of deceptive mud. That looks like a simple dirt road above but it was all mud...



I found it out here as the lead rider. I was slipping and sliding and then the bike just fell over. I'm a pretty good rider and don't usually fall over with a bit of mud. I picked up the bike and fell over again and again. On the third time I was feeling like an idiot until Matt pointed out that my front wheel wasn't turning and was fully locked up with mud. Ah, that explains it!



We pulled out the tools and removed the Ducati's front fender and used bits of sage and our bare hands to scrape the mud off the tire and fender. We tried to remove the fender but quickly realized that all the ABS/Traction control wires were tied into the fender and without the fender they'd surely be ripped off.



The road teased us with dry sections that convinced us we had made it past the mud and then with vast swaths of flooded roads where we'd dismount and use all three of us to push each bike across the mud. Even with a person on each side the bikes would fall over as the wheel would lock up.

After several hours where we'd made only 3 or so miles progress we were so frustrated we started riding around the puddles in the sage which had it's own set of issues. Namely large rocks and sage that was big enough to knock the bike over when the panniers hit. None of this seemed anything more than incredibly frustrating.



At around 2pm we came to a fork in the road. Our maps indicated that the fork might go back another way. At this point we'd ridden a bit more than 12 miles in 6 hours but our first 6 miles were done at 30+mph. So our last 6 miles were about half of a walking pace.

We'd really run a gamut of emotions at this point; finding it funny at first, then getting expatriated and finally getting angry. We were still 20 miles away from the hot spring and that was only 20% of our planned route for the day. Clearly we were at more than a physical crossroad but a mental one as well. Matt wanted to keep going - he was fixated on the destination, Scott was more cautious and I was starting to recognize the potential for a nexus event of potential mistakes.

I think it's important to recognize that when people die in the wilderness they rarely are making that choice. No one ever says, "well, this choice will probably kill me but let's go for it!". It's never like that. When people die it's because they continue to make small but poor choices and soon they find that the doors are closing behind them. For the most part we were okay but if we continued doors were going to close.

At our current pace we might not make the spring by night fall. Not a big deal because we had camping gear but we had no food and were more than halfway through our water. There was no cell service either and we hadn't told anyone where we were going. If someone got hurt now or father along it could cascade mistakes. Sending one person out could backfire if they got hurt. Waiting for someone to show up might take days. Walking would take a day.

We turned around opting to take the unknown road rather than repeat the misery behind us.



While mildly better in some places the road was barely a road. More often it was a faint double track with many muddy sections. Riding around these sections we found many rocks so every dark patch became a gamble - rocks or mud? You're probably going to fall either way.



Eventually the road pretty much vanished and we were left following cow trails hoping that at some point we join back up with our original road but after the mud sections.

Finally, 12 hours after we'd started, we rejoined our original road after the mud. It was humorous to see our early tracks going through puddles as at this point we had severe PTSD to any mud and we went far out of our way to avoid even the safe puddles we'd ridden earlier. Exhausted we finally hit pavement and road the 30 miles into Jordan Valley. The big GS was flashing all the warning and error lights, the Ducati could no longer switch modes, use cruise control or redline. The rear brake was stuck and bent back.

The only bike that was unscathed was Matias' R100GS. Midway through our epic I swapped bikes with Scott because I was becoming too exhausted to keep picking up the Ducati. I was too exhausted to keep riding the Ducati. The small GS, weighing 2-300lbs less than the big bikes was a joy to ride. In fact if we'd all been on them we'd have probably kept going to the hot springs as it was light, nimble and with high fenders practically immune to the mud.

This was an epiphany for me and my project with my dad's bike. The concept of a super light GS was very solid.

So that is the story of a day where making the poor decision ended up NOT working out. It did give us a very good story and a memorable day but it was not a day I'd ever want to repeat.

One more day to go and two more cameras to break!

Gregor

 

[burger]

Gregor what an awesome adventure. keep pushing.

also dude you slay at pictures. Which makes sense since you do that for a living.

 

[hewey]

Gregor, love your take on what's needed for a proper and memorable adventure, and as always amazing shots. It was fun following the action on insta, but this more detailed run down is even better.

 

[zmotorsports]

Great story Gregor. I can relate to much of it, not all, thank God as I hate mud.

When the wife and I travel we prefer to get off the interstates and take the two-lane country roads in our coach towing our Jeep. We prefer to drive through the small farming communities or 35 MPH towns. We also refuse to eat at chain restaurants and we don't do hotels/motels so that's not an issue we carry our home with us.

As for Jeeping, I also prefer to use paper maps in conjunction with Gaia GPS program. I've only been using Gaia for about 2 years now and prior to that it was solely paper maps and/or atlases when traveling. Many of the times I would merely stop by the local Forest Service office and pick up maps for the area and use those but now I combine technology with old school maps.

When determining trails to take people on I also have found talking to fellow Jeepers helps me to determine their driving style and type of trails they prefer but also like to challenge them and especially myself along the way. I too used to be very shy in my younger years and over the past decade or so have come out of my shell and discovered that I like to talk to people and find out about them. Some of our greatest friends have been met in campground or at trailheads. Most of our trail adventures have been uneventful but we've had a few that didn't go as planned and you are correct in saying that they make the best stories.

Thanks for sharing your story.

 

[Bob Heine]

Gregor, your adventure is tickling my childhood memories. My parents took us on adventures and let us go off on our own to visit places and do things that would have put my brother and me in the care of Child Protective Services. Lucky for me there was no such thing in the '50s -- "Hey that's not even gonna leave a scar."

When we did our cross-country trips back in the mid-'50s there were no Interstates, just some state turnpikes and thruways back east and freeways out west. Months before we left on our trips Mom would write to AAA and tell them our plans. They would mail back stacks of roadmaps with our route highlighted along with matching stacks of Triptiks. Mom also wrote to the major oil companies and got their maps as well. We grabbed maps from gas stations along the way because they were often more detailed than the regional or state maps.

Your superb photos of the sticky mud brought back memories of the road to Alaska in 1957. The wheel wells on the Oldsmobile were huge so they weren't a problem but the ones on the trailer were tiny and filled up fast. Luckily dad noticed smoke (it was steam) coming from the bottom of the trailer and pulled over. Shovel and screwdrivers cleared enough space to get them turning again but this was scary. We were not even half way between Edmonton and Grande Prairie (a 286 mile drive) and an even longer way to the Alaska border (1,250 miles). The northern Canadian part of the highway to Alaska was unpaved. I think everyone who encounters that kind of mud has a photo like yours (no where near as good but a photo nonetheless). I'm the Geek on the right.

 

[sakurama]

I love your old photos Bob - they are amazing on their own and doubly so because you're in them.

Gregor

 

[bugnut]

Gregor, thanks for sharing and another sometime adventurer who avoids being chainwashed!

 

[sakurama]

After several days at a winery I'm back home and wanted to do a quick post on the last day of our trip to wrap that up. I think my favorite photos of the trip came from the last day.

Our plan was to go to Leslie Gulch - a spectacular little canyon in Eastern Oregon that no one really knows about. My friend Chad (Living the Van Life) had told me about it a few years back and I'd been there in the van but not on bikes.





It feels for all the world like you're in the canyon lands of Utah and our joke is that even Stevie Wonder could take good photos there. It was here that we suffered the big camera failure - accidentally leaving a camera on a pannier and then riding off with it sitting on top. After it fell off at 30-40mph I just saw a smashed lens hood and destroyed screen so I assumed that the whole thing was wrecked. It wasn't until later in the day when I actually looked at it that I saw it was still working. Pretty amazing really. In the end Sony repaired the lens and camera for $700 so that wasn't too bad for an $8000 set up.

The thing we hadn't gotten on this trip was any shots of "mountains" and weather that alluded to rain. We decided that a road up the back side of Mt Hood might be the best chance to get some rugged alpine shots to contrast what we had of the desert.



We got there just as the clouds obscured Mt Hood but managed to get some nice shots before it was too late.


A boat launch at the camp ground gave us a nice water shot and then we headed into Hood River to get dinner before calling it a day.



As we left it started to spit rain and the light started to fade but these sorts of horrible conditions sometimes give you the best shots if you keep shooting. I was using my little Sony A7C shooting over my shoulder with the screen flipped and composing, riding and shooting was pretty much at the limit of my dyslexia.



As we descended in elevation the rain increased but the flare, water drops and spray all made for shots that I'd never been able to capture before.



As we neared Hood River we came to a massive lumber mill that I have wanted to shoot at forever. It's not gated but I've always assumed I'd get into trouble if I went back but this huge stack of logs was just off the access road. We pulled in and I had Scott just stop in front and I got off and shot with my helmet on. It was nearly dark now - maybe 8:30pm but with the 24mm f1.4 I was able to pull off a 1/20th of a second shot that was sharp. When I worked in newspapers these sorts of photos; small person in large landscape of a repeating pattern were called "feature photos" and were the sort of catnip that helped newsstand sales. I was alway very good at finding them so this took me back. The rain and the reflections add to the drama. It says nothing, it means nothing - it's a visual dessert.

I'm quite sure that when I post this on Instagram it will be reposted endlessly and I'm pretty sure you'll see this next year as a banner on the Rev'It! site. Everyone likes dessert.

Finally, after dinner in Hood River, Scott and I parted ways with Matt and headed back to Portland. Having gotten rather good with shooting from one bike to another I decided to keep my A7C on my shoulder to capture some actual rain riding shots.



And my little Sony did not let me down capturing some shots that are nearly impossible to get like this one in the pouring rain as we cross a bridge. Sadly, two days later the camera died despite my drying it off on the espresso machine. The A7C is not a weather sealed camera and an hour or more in driving rain was perhaps not the wisest move. Sony replaced the whole camera with a brand new one claiming there was "significant corrosion and water egress". You win some you lose some.

All in I did about $1400 in damage to drones and cameras but all of it was my own fault so I can't complain. I think that we did a pretty amazing job having an adventure, shooting the trip and delivering great shots. Rev'It! is thrilled with the shots and I'm excited to see how they use them.

With the success of this trip I think I'd like to make this a small part of my new business model - leading week long tours on motorcycles. Lara and I are going to try to put a test trip together for this fall and see how that works and then perhaps do a few a year. I think it would be a fun way to make a little money, ride motorcycles and create a one of a kind adventure.

That wraps up the week of riding. Not sure what's next.

Gregor

 

[TwoBytes]

Gregor,

I followed along on Instagram, but this recap was next level, wow!

I would totally pay for a guided trip with you and Lara. I'm on the other side of the world, but I plan to get over there one day, and I've put it on my bucket list.

I've recently started going through your two KTM build threads on ADVRider, and between those, and this, you have inspired me to get an off-road capable bike again.

I've always had dirt bikes since I was a kid, but I sold my XR400 after the kids came along 9 years ago, because I couldn't stand looking at it in the garage with no time to use it.

I've still got my '03 Fireblade, but don't get out on that much since kids either.

I've filled the 2-wheeled gap in my life with lots of mountain biking (which the kids both love too, thankfully), but I have a strong sense of a pending resurgence in my motorised two-wheeled activities.

Thanks for the inspiration!

Oh, you've also got me looking at new camera gear - Damn you Sakurama!

 

[sakurama]

Gregor,

I followed along on Instagram, but this recap was next level, wow!

I would totally pay for a guided trip with you and Lara. I'm on the other side of the world, but I plan to get over there one day, and I've put it on my bucket list.

I've recently started going through your two KTM build threads on ADVRider, and between those, and this, you have inspired me to get an off-road capable bike again.

Thanks. It's a bit scary to say, "I'm going to do this" because I never feel ready but to do a trip I think that's a thing I'm certainly ready to do. Also, I didn't mention our first day; we took the back way to the Painted Hills. It's a really pretty road and a great warm up.




I have done enough trips with my father and a handful as a customer and I've never been that impressed with a trip that he didn't guide. I think the bigger question is can you plan an adventure and still have the magic? I think so - this last trip played out very well. It's a fine line I've been walking for a long time with pretty good results.



Food is the other place where most of these trips really fall down. Mostly because people who are guides aren't great cooks and they get worse when they leave the kitchen. I think I get better and with Lara helping with support I think homemade pizza on the Alvord would be a pretty amazing evening. Above is steaks cooked "Eisenhower" style - directly on the coals. It seems like a party trick but I've now come to believe it's the best way to cook a steak and will choose that over a grill or skillet any day.

You can look it up but essentially you get a good bed of coals (hard wood is better) and then flatten them down as level as you can get it and then, after seasoning the steak (please, please, please - season your meat before you cook it - there's nothing more important!) you just toss it on the coals. As you can see it doesn't burn like you might expect because there's no space for air to create a flame. Cook based on thickness - about 4-5min a side for an inch and medium to medium rare. Give it a try.



As for bikes - I don't think there's ever been a better time to own a motorcycle. Adventure bikes are something that have evolved to suit this moment we're in where we want to get away and explore. My friend Gino just sold his Honda Africa Twin and bought his second KTM 990. While they're starting to climb again in price I don't think there's anything better for the money in a used adventure bike. The new bikes are unbelievably good but I wish they'd start to loose weight. It's like you weigh 300lbs and decide the best way to train for a marathon is to bench press your max every day...

Let me know when you're headed over to this side of the pond and we'll get a ride going.

Gregor

 

[atxgsa]

I think you are more than correct that this shot will be all over the interwebs. It evokes so many damn emotions and wanderlust. Travel to unusual places not overrun by the masses. Dealing with the water dripping off your visor with with the biggest **** eating grin inside the helmet and thinking, "oh this is a good day". Desktop wall paper all day. thank you.

 

[ayer]

Great trip write up. I live in the Adirondack Mtns and they have their own beauty, but that landscape and your photos are absolutely amazing. I have never travelled that far west, but I will.

 

[rk_tek]

Guided motorcycle tour customers would flock to the PNW for your pizza alone. If you were able to capture 1 or 2 shots of them riding in 'extreme conditions' that they could print at 16x20 or so to commemorate their adventure, it would be epic.

 

[sakurama]

So I've made some big moves towards getting the trip thing going. First trip is Oct 9-16 and I've booked the first hotels to make myself commit to it. And tomorrow I'm going to pick up the most important tool for the endeavor...

Gregor

 

[tj675]

New bike?

 

[Bakafish]

A pizza oven with a motorcycle trailer hitch?

 

[bdking]

New bike?

Awwwww yeah. Fly & ride!

 

[OJKD]

So not a Ducati then. Unless Gregor needs a helicopter to go to visit Shahin. KTM 890?