Berkshire Trail Riders, 3-State Dual Sport

[Mudhen]

A couple weekends ago was the fourth annual Berkshire Trail Riders 3-State Dual Sport ride in western Massachusetts.  I've been wanting to get out there since it started and this year I finally made it.  And what a year to go - last year they had 80 bikes, were hoping for 100-125 this year, and ended up with 207!  Lotsa cheesy plastic of course...trailers...(they're mainly an enduro/turkey run kinda club), but 4 (YES – FOUR!) Tigers showed, and one old Triumph something-or-other - I'm sure one of you guys will be able to identify it!

Since the ride started early on Sunday and was almost 200 miles away we decided we'd camp.  A guy I work with on a '99 Tiger, a buddy of his with an R100GS, and I met at a local bike shop and took a nice leisurely ride out there Saturday afternoon, stopping at the Quabbin Reservoir, which supplies water for the Boston area and a lot of the surrounding towns.

Stopped for some lunch in Barre, MA:


The Quabbin:


There are 4 towns under there somewhere.  The water covers 40 square miles (412 billion gallons).  Supposedly the damn was built and flooding started in 1939 and it finally filled to capacity in 1946.

Other Quabbin shots:






Anywho...on with the show.

Made it out to the campground with no issues (other than my bike puking some coolant – I'm going to stop putting it in, less comes out when it's empty) around 6pm and setup camp just as it was starting to rain.  Real nice campground if you're ever out that way, right on lake somethingorother:




Home sweet home.


The next morning we headed over to the starting point – Tuckers Pub in Sandisfield, MA:

(didn't see that Aprilia all day...probably couldn't keep up with the Steamer when things got rough :lol: )

The parade of bikes, trucks, trailers seemed to have no end.  I heard a couple older guys say, 'gee, it looks like some of these guys RODE their bikes here for this'.  (headbang).  I don't get why anyone would want to spend hours in their car trailering their bike when they could get more riding time in...





This was 1.5 hours before the ride started:


Just before the ride started the place had filled up:


Enthusiastic double thumbs up:


Zahi's 95 (we'll talk more about his bike later on   ):


Getting ready to head out:


Onto the ride!

The ride was basically setup as the main route big bike friendly – just dirt roads/back roads.  Then there were hero sections of 3 levels (level 1 a little tougher than a dirt road, level 2 tough for big bikes and expect to drop them, and level 3 for small enduro type bikes only).  We'd decided beforehand to run the level 2s, at least until something broke :roll:

Trail pic 1 from our group...a few miles into the first level 2 hero (8 miles long) one of the F650s tanks it in a water hole and ingests some water.  Starting the tear down:


The next big obstacle was a HUGE water crossing (20' wide, 50yds long?).  The road basically went through a swamp.  There was a big collection of people/bikes on the other side – we'd later find out that an XR650 and a KTM950 had both eaten their motors in this water.  Here's a video Zahi took of one of our riders on an X-Challenge going through (note – Zahi is standing IN the water about halfway across):
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 5627&hl=en

We were so late the sweep riders were right on our heels, so when they came up we asked if there was a go-around, 'ya, but it's kind of rough...especially for your big bikes'.  Rough is better than needing to pull the plugs on the Steamer, so we took it.  The sweeper didn't lie.

The hardest part was a soupy muddy hill (the kind of soupy/muddy hill made 100x worse by having 100 dirtbikes go over it before us!) uphill topped off by a rock/ledge.  Sitting at the bottom waiting for my turn I saw someone try to go around the top to the left – they tanked it right at the top, but it looked like a better way.  A TEAM of people were working to try to get a guy on a GS over the middle of the top, so I took off to the left.  (on a side note, the GS guy was way in over his head on this hero section – had his bags still on, AND his wife on the back.  Supposedly she walked almost the entire 8 mile trail...).  I off-roaded my old 1150GS a lot, but never like this!


Here's the guys wife taking a pic of everyone working his GS up over the ridge...beeyotch just happened to catch me with my pants down...so to speak...


Couple others of me getting some help:



Another broken blinker was the outcome:



By this time I'd parked the bike and run back to help the GS.  He'd given up on the top, and had tried the right.  Wasn't much better for the poor guy.


Ok, we got you there.  Go ahead and go.  We all stop for a breather, which would turn out to be a BAD decision:

Leading to us once again having to pick it up:


Next obstacle on this go-around was a 90-degree turn onto a little wooden bridge with soupy mud before it and a 6" lip.  Tricky at best.  Especially for TKCs...not a good mud tire.  Here's Zahi coming up onto it (after I took the pic I ran down to give him a little boost):


Dakar, not making the muddy/root filled hill on the other side:


F650, not making it either:


After spending over a half hour on this one go-around, there were just a series of water holes to get through and then the first hero would be done.  Of course, nothing is easy...






This hole was easy...as long as you stayed waaay to the right or right up the middle...but as you can see by the front tire of this F650, that wasn't happening...


5 seconds after I took the pic he'd gone far enough towards the middle to hit a huge hole and almost went over – I ran into the water and helped him hold it up until we could get it out safely.  Whew for him...bummer for us that I didn't get the shot!

Unfortunately, the F650 in the background on that pic saw what was happening and chickened out on coming through on the side – and tried to use one of the go-arounds:



After we killed ourselves getting it out, he went through the original hole, staying to the right.  Easy-peasy.


My line:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 5627&hl=en

So...we made it through the first hero!!!!  How far have we made it in the first 3 hours of the ride you ask?!?!?  About 28 miles.  Out of 140.  Ouch.  One F650 splits off at this point...had enough...so we're down to 4 bikes.  2 F650s and 2 Steamers.  But we're determined to put the hammer down and finish the ride.

We hit the next hero with gusto...the sort of gusto that only 500lb bikes in the dirt can generate.  Maybe 'gusto' is the wrong word.  A couple more drops ensue...some pushing...



Shortly after this pic was taken (around mile 40?) Zahi pulls up next to me...and I notice that it looks like the seat on his Steamer is unlatched.  He gets off the bike to click it in...hmm....the seat isn't up...the rear of the bike is DOWN...that just can't be good.

Hard to see in this pic...but the rear of the frame had broken in half and was hanging on by the exhaust...and a little by the plastic inner fender, which was ripping away...


Since there didn't appear to be any welders in the area:

we cobbled together a fix using some tools, which didn't work so well, and a nylon strap, which was the clincher:

And a bungy to keep the seat down:


Zahi rode the bike [gingerly] the next 1.5 miles out of the hero section.  Everything seemed fine but his off roading day was done.  He headed for home – 100+ miles of highway with straps and tools holding him up.  Bike made it fine, though!  Even made it the 60 miles from his place to mine for some cheesy welding the following weekend!

It's now after 1pm...Zahi and the two F650s leave.  It has started raining.  What to do...screw it, I'm going to finish the ride by myself.  Headed out, following the route sheets and enjoying the peace of riding my own ride.  Got to lunch at about 2...where is everyone?  Any food left?  Nope...everybody left here a couple hours ago.  Pissah.

Supposedly this place was packed with bikes earlier:


Headed out once more for the trails, just as the sweep guys were pulling in.  One of them on some sorta Honda 650 thing was whining about being cold...I guess jeans and a sweatshirt aren't the best riding gear in the rain (anytime?).  I cranked up my electric gear, flipped them off, and twisted my right hand all the way around, blasting them with the sweet sound of a 100hp triple with Yoshimura pipes and sending a shower of dirt all over their little plastic bikes...(only kidding about the dirt...and bird...but it makes the story better).

Made it the remaining 80 miles without incident...took in a couple more hero's by myself but chickened out on the last one – which was about 10 miles long and had the description of 'level 2 – ROCKS' on it.  I was tired out, in the rain, by myself...I'd had a pretty good day so thought better of it.  I guess it was pretty bad, too...for big bikes, anyway – lots of skidplate bashing boulders to climb over, from what I heard...

Tiger at the end of the day...f'k I love this bike.


Camped out that night by myself...as everyone else had abandoned me.  The wind was ferocious and kept me up half the night, but there was coffee in the morning:


Packed up and ready to head home:


Tiger ran like a champ the whole time.  Kept it to 70mph on the highway due to the CRAPPY Dunlop D606s...which would start what felt like a mild tank slapper if I got over 75-80.  Scary stuff.  Will definitely go back to MT21s after these wear out.

Zahi came up the following weekend and we cut some angle iron and inserted it into his frame, then slid the rear half onto it.  Here you can see the entire rear section of frame dropped down onto the wheel (rear lights still attached to it):


Another angle:


Welded back together (best part about this fix is that my poor welding skills don't really matter – the weight it needs to support is really being taken up by the angle iron inside):


We then cut some 3/16 steel and made up some gussets to fit under the frame where it starts its run from the seat area, down to the footpegs...then sprayed it black – once everything is back on  you can't really even see it:



Zahi cut me some, too, so I'll add them once I get some time.  When I went to put my street wheels back on the eccentric had to swing almost to the flip-over point to get the chain tension correct.  If I grab the chain in the middle of the rear sprocket I can almost pull it out far enough to go past a tooth!  Do chains really stretch that far, that fast?  It has 19k miles on it now...I guess it's due, anyway...

And btw, Stretch-man...the Steamer version of your front fender is working beautifully – 3 drops on the day, lots of jumping and bumping...it's a hell of a lot more solid than my setup ever was, AND it sits up where it should be – no more hearing the grinding noise of the 21" tire hitting it when I land!  THANKS!

[fano]

 You are a mad man.  

That mud would kill me.

[JetdocX]

You guys are super studs.

[tigerrider]

f'n AWESOME.
Steamers FTW

[paulie]

great report! thanks for sharing.

i'm not sure i'd be THAT brave  :lol:

[Mudhen]

 You are a mad man.  

That mud would kill me.

We'll have to trade off some riding time in each others areas...because the sand I've seen you in would kill me!

I'm not brave at all, paulie...wasn't my bike so didn't bother me a bit trying to weld on it!

(oh...you were talking about the riding stuff...   )

[HockleyBoy]

Nice report and great pics, amazing what you can do with a Tiger :D

[Stretch]

And btw, Stretch-man...the Steamer version of your front fender is working beautifully – 3 drops on the day, lots of jumping and bumping...it's a hell of a lot more solid than my setup ever was, AND it sits up where it should be – no more hearing the grinding noise of the 21" tire hitting it when I land!  THANKS!

Ah, excellent!  Were there any adjustments (bending) that had to be done to the bracket to make it fit properly?

Just curious what all I need to do to it before offering it up to Steamer folk.  Thanks for beta-testing it.   8)

[steammoto]

Thoroughly enjoyable read. Thanks

[Mudhen]

Thoroughly enjoyable read. Thanks

Connecticut?  We were there for part of this - I'm signing you up for the next one   :D

Stretch, I think I just yanked up on the front to get it off the radiator guard some...nothing technical.  It pretty much just fit the way it was.  Bloor must have raided the Steamer parts bin when the fuelies came out - even he knew there was no better design for a bike than the Steamer.

[Stretch]

Good, thanks.  I'll start gathering brake lines and such and offer kits to the carbureted masses.

[oldwingratbike]

A truly excellent trip with my brethren from across the Chunnell

If they didn't make German bikes, I could easily replace my current stable with Something from Mother England , A Tigger for my GS  , a Trophy for my RT ( What ever happened to the Trophy anyways ?) and an old Tiger for my /5  . Plus I'd Replace my Imaginary Munch Mammut
with an Imaginary Rocket

I look forward to more trips with you Mudhen , Plenty of places to explore up near Freedom. Wonalancet to Livermore ? The Hard way ?

Peace Love and Mudd
Oldwing    
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[HappyMan]

Fantastic report Mudhen!!!  I can never get enough pics of your Steamer tearing it up.  :P

[Mudhen]

A truly excellent trip with my brethren from across the Chunnell

If they didn't make German bikes, I could easily replace my current stable with Something from Mother England , A Tigger for my GS  , a Trophy for my RT ( What ever happened to the Trophy anyways ?) and an old Tiger for my /5  . Plus I'd Replace my Imaginary Munch Mammut
with an Imaginary Rocket

I look forward to more trips with you Mudhen , Plenty of places to explore up near Freedom. Wonalancet to Livermore ? The Hard way ?

Peace Love and Mudd
Oldwing    
[/img]

Hey Oldwing!

Funny...I didn't think that one Newcastle hit me that hard...looks like I was HAMMUHD!

Definitely a fun trip.  Hopefully next time we can all hang out together...rather than you pansies taking the Girly ride ('Girly' in the non-Tiger sense of the word).  Don't let Kevin hold you back!  :lol:

Sign me up for the Livermore trip - sure looks like 'Livermore Road' should connect somehow in the middle there if that's where you were talking about:

if not, it sure looks like someplace that needs exploring!

Regarding the Trophy...we were at Second Wind Triumph just the other day and the salesguy mentioned a new touring bike that is rumored to be coming out.  From the sounds of it, it isn't quite a Trophy kind of tourer, but a little more sport oriented, like the K12s (but not as sportbike-ish as the Sprint).  Hopefully it wasn't just a rumor...I need another bike I can't afford... :roll:

[oldwingratbike]

I've been at both ends of the Livermore Road, but not the middle

South end starts in Watervillle Valley , Just after the start  of Tripoli Rd.

The north end terminates at 302 a couple of miles past Bartlett
Abandoned mill village IS DOWNTOWN LIVERMORE !

Been up that way on Snowmobiles , but NEED MORE MUD !