tigger goes to camp!

[eurobykz]

So in late august,  tigger went to camp.  The rawhide adventure camp down in Colo.   Rode 2500 km south to Colo in horrid rain and really strong southwest winds...   Did their weekend course and then the 1600 km "Colo back-country" tour.   Then rode 2500 km back north in the rain and a horrible northwest wind. 

The worst part was the powertipping twit when I crossed the border.  I couldn't hear him with my helmet on and went to take off my gloves, take off my helmet and get off the bike and he drew his weapon.  Welkum to murrika where we treat the toorists so friendly-like!!      Maybe the yanks send their homeland security border officers to Vladimir Putin for friendliness training???   I felt so warm and welcome!   But after that it was all good hearty American welcome and hospitality.   Cheap beer and cheap fuel (<a dollar CND per litre for premium)...

The rawhide offroad course was really great.  Their staff and guides were great, and even though they're all beemer clones, they welcomed tigger.   Great course, it really very much improved my comfort level in dirt, or even just in crappy gravel roads (which we have a lot of in Saskatchewan).   Colorado has fabulous offroad jeep trails that extend everywhere and many high passes are rideable on a GS or a tigger.    There was one guy - otherwise really super fellow - who completely cheated by riding a ktm 690E...   

All the beemer crowd thought I should ditch tigger and be assimilated by the bmw borg and become a GS-drone.   At the end of the trip, we totaled the cost of all the broken GS bits and pieces and figure it was worth more than what I could get for a 10 yr old tigger...

While I was there, I did spend a few hours on a 1200XC and I really like it but it needs 30 or 40 mm more travel on the suspension and 30-40 mm more height.  And it's not as comfortable as a Girly.   But otherwise ok.  Someone posted a photo of a 1200XC that had been painted Lucifer orange.  Other than missing the stripes, I can now have a plan for my next bike.   Can you hear that Mr Bloor?  Make it higher, get the tank lower and bring back the orange with stripes! 

So stay tuned for a writeup in "motorcycle mojo" magazine in which tigger successfully keeps up with the beemers, and in fact, falls down less than many of them!! 

The attached photos make it look easier than it was - downstream shallow over really loose boulders, upstream deep and muddy - sweet spot in the middle...   anyway, photodocumentation that a Girly can do it!!!

[Sin_Tiger]

Well done mate, very interesting views. The 1200 is a great unit that is immense on road and I'd imagine for distances from my limited experience. I'd recommend trying out an 800XC for the type of riding you appear to enjoy, if you haven't already.

[eurobykz]

I did a test ride on an XC in early summer of 2013.  And was a bit, well, underwhelmed.  I liked it better than the 800GS that I rode immediately afterward.   But I didn't think it was a much better a bike than my 955 - bearing in mind my Girly is a 2004 with the old swingarm and longer-travel suspension and spoked wheels before they turned them into streetbikes culminating in the 1050 - which I might also have in the garage if they sold the 1050-sport in Canada which they don't...

So I thought about buying an XC or bringing my old tigger back to life.  So a new suspension was in order.   I settled on wilbers.  There's no wilbers dealer in this country so I could import it from Europe or from the US.  Way cheaper to come from Europe, where, unlike the US, they're used to exporting across borders and don't charge local sales tax (VAT) on exported items.  So from "Dutch" on this forum, I purchased a top-line wilbers unit and wilbers prog springs.  Still expensive, but I saved hundreds of $.   I highly recommend this guy!!  Then spent weeks in my garage over the winter removing the bloody swingarm to install the shock, but the results were sublime.  Tigger felt new again!!! 

Bottom line is that tigger has some life yet, but won't outlast me - and my thinking is the explorer has loads of potential but just needs better suspension and a wee bit more ground clearance.   And stripes!

[Sin_Tiger]

Ah, now I remember  I'm not in a position to compare a well sorted Girly so I take your point. The XC does grow on you and a change of tyres makes a big difference to the characteristics. A1000km day made me appreciate it when all the GS boys were groaning (all a lot younger) and rubbing their arses. The one time I did drop it and they all came running to help, they all stopped in their tracks when I picked it back up myself 

[nickjtc]

All the beemer crowd thought I should ditch tigger and be assimilated by the bmw borg and become a GS-drone.   At the end of the trip, we totaled the cost of all the broken GS bits and pieces and figure it was worth more than what I could get for a 10 yr old tigger...

That has happened to me. The Beemer crowd are getting as bad as the HD crowd at proclaiming that if you do not ride their brand you are not really a biker!

The luggage on my riding buddies new KTM cost more than I paid for Stanley!

Good story. Thanks. And kudos to you and anyone else who rides these bikes where I do not think Mr. Bloor actually meant them to go. :icon_wink: