TAT on R1150 GS ?

**HenriQ** · #1 19 Jul 2009

I'm considering riding the trans-america trail solo, starting second week of August. After checking posts on ADV riders and videos on YouTube, it seems that the trail could be too technical for a heavy bike like the R1150 GS (mud pits, sand hills, rock climbs). Any opinion?

Thanks!

**JMo (& piglet)** · #2 19 Jul 2009

I think if you consider yourself a good rider and are confident with the machine, then you should be able to make pretty much all of it, especially that time of year... I imagine the real question is are you confident that you could pick the bike up on your own, at 12,000+ft (a lot less air), more than once in a row?

Of course if you do encounter some particularly wet/muddy sections noone will blame you if you detour around them - likewise you can always elect to bypass the most trickiest technical sections - although the high passes in Colorado and the sections in Utah are perhaps the most stunning parts of the route...

What I would say is don't give up too early - when you finally see the Pacific Coast for the first time, where the forest literally falls into the ocean in Oregon, it will take your breath away... and Java Johns in Port Orford offers a well-earned espresso!

xxx

**BryceB** · #3 20 Jul 2009

We had a guy on a R1200GSA with big panniers and a big top box do the TN, MS and AR sections. I'd guess that further out west he probably would have had to take some of the bypasses... I my have needed to take them on my KLR though, too, but we are going to try further west sections next year.

**JMo (& piglet)** · #4 20 Jul 2009

To add what BryceB says above, it probably would be a good idea to leave any hard luggage at home and travel really light... just the clothes you ride in, plus a change for off the bike - and a few layers for hot and colder climes.

You can motel it the whole way so you don't need to take camping equipment - although it can be a good idea especially if solo, just incase you have no option but to rough it out for a night... I took a minimalist camp in a roll bag on the back seat - I didn't need it on the TAT, but sure as hell did when I went via Rubicon Springs on the the way home! (of course that was not on a GS - I'm not a total idiot!)

xxx

**HenriQ** · #5 20 Jul 2009

Thanks for the pointers and encouragements - I will give it a shot ... solo. No hard luggage of course since I've had bad experience taking my Jesse's on trails, they don't mix very well.

Thanks all!

**electric_monk** · #6 22 Jul 2009

If you're going to be off-road for any amount of time, then I woud strongly recommend travelling with someone else, just in case you do have a spill and are unfortunate enough to be incapacitated..