- Week Our rides today.

[Boris]

Don't get me wrong, I loved the CB500X. I fixed and kept it for a few years after that crash, and eventually sold it to a friend of mine who still owns it. I had the 2014 model, and I expect that the newer ones are even better. I would highly recommend this bike if it fits the kind of riding you want to do.

The biggest issue for me was totally fixable, but it was spring rate for my weight (235). At the time the bike was completely stock, and if I remember it was a dual rate spring, and I was on the "high" rate often. But maybe my memory wasn't the best and I was actually bottoming out? I also like having a bike that is a bit taller. The tiger 1050 wasn't significantly bigger, but it was a little bigger in the legs and hips, and the footpegs were higher.

My friend upgraded the fork internals (I don't remember what exactly he got) and put a GSXR shock on the back, and the thing is pretty tight on the road, and pretty decent for light off road and any gravel. Also braided brake lines were a big improvement for that bike. Here it is killing it in Canada in 2022.

The newer one comes with a bigger front wheel which was one of my complaints for using it as an adv bike.

 

[DJ_MI]

Great info! Thanks. That looks like an awesome adventure. 👍🏻

The newer ones went to a USD fork and dual discs also.

I just want something with “longer legs” compared to my KLX. I don’t plan on riding any crazy distances but it’d be nice to extend my territory with a bike that can be ridden a little more comfortably at slightly higher speeds than my bike.

I want a T7 but it’s really more than I need. The TA is very nice also but again more than I need. In the midsize bike class the 500X seems to be more like the KLX is in the dual sport class; mid level compared to a high end DS like the 450L which is, again, more than I really need.

 

[Boris]

Put together a route from Kinnelon, NJ to Millstone, NJ that avoided highways and busy town centers (except Denville and Raritan). It turned a hour and a half trip into a 3 hour trip, but it was well worth it for today.
This was also my first attempt at creating the route myself and loading it into the GPS. I wasn't sure what to expect. I've only used other people's tracks on osmand or a GPS in the past. I don't know how it was before, but today in 2024 with a Garmin, I just create the route on the website, and it syncs to the GPS. Then the GPS turns it into road directions between each point that I've chosen.

The points looked something like this.

There's already a ton of good riding near Kinnelon, and the route to Denville is a great warmup. From there we had to get across a couple highways to start. 46 and 10. Riding perpendicular wasn't too bad, and especially after crossing 10, we entered some tight rustic/suburban hilly roads. These roads are beautiful. They force a slow speed, but it was nice to enjoy the new leaf growth and the interesting historic houses often found in this area. We cut through some tight little valleys, and made it to our first stop in Gladstone.

This town was very quiet and almost very story book charming. We grabbed lunch at the Gladstone corner deli. Our sandwiches were excellent.

When we started the trip back up, the GPS started up with "fastest" routing to our destination, which was the only hiccup. I was able to restart the routing with what I wanted, but not before we spent some time on 206, when it turned into a 2-lane road. That was it for two-lane roads on the way down.

We popped back down to smaller roads, and soon hit an area of farmland and dirt roads just north of 78. We took some time to drop a Tag shot for the NY metro area dirt TOR at this bridge, crossing a branch of the Raritan river.

The trip continued on,where we crossed through the town of Raritan, where we actually had to sit at some stop lights. It was terrible! Soon, though, we were back along another branch of the Raritan river, and all was good. We then crossed over to the Millstone river, in Millstone #1 (not our destination). This river has a canal running next to it, and a nice road on each side. The canal side road is tighter and slower, but very scenic.

Towards the end of that stretch, we crossed perpendicular to NJ 1. On through some farmland - turned - housing developments, perpendicular across NJ 130 through farmland - turned - industrial parks, and then perpendicular across NJ Turnpike. This lead us to the final stretch of more rural suburban areas where my future father-in-law and his wife live. This was the goal of this trip, including meeting their new pup.

All in all, a great success.

We did take mostly highways home, though. Not the turnpike, but other highways.

 

[Boris]

This was yesterday, but I didn't get a chance to post.

Decided to take a quick ride at lunch. Wanted to test my new armored knee braces. Haven't really gotten the GS dirty either. I live near a couple nice unpaved roads, and I wanted a reset before heading back to work. Got more than I bargained for.

Started off by the reservoir. Nice groomed gravel roads.

The groomed roads only go so far as a private yard. Taking the path through the woods would require going through the woods. It started with a rocky hill climb. I don't have any pictures of it because I was huffing and puffing my way up. Shortly after there was a nice clearing, so you'll have to take my word for it on the difficulty.

I continued through a couple puddles, to a long rocky downhill. Not all of it can be seen in the picture, it kept going and going. Eventually I planted a crash bar on a big rock, and had step off #1.

It was at this point that I was starting to get a little worried. There was some extra pressure around having to get back to work. I should have done this when I would have more time to rest along the trail. At this point, I didn't want to turn around, even though logically I knew that there was much more ahead.

This is what was ahead. Lost forward momentum and hit the skid plate in a spot where I couldn't reach the ground on the downhill side. Precariously balanced there for what felt like the longest 3 seconds ever, before having to step off again.

Two more uphills and two more downhills, and a whole lot more sweating, and I made it out of "the hard part" and into "the easy part". That being, big puddles that I had to test the depth of.

I went around this one because there was a well defined dry ATV trail around it already.

Went through this one. Walked it to make sure I wasn't going to hit a giant rock below the water.

Another 100 feet, another big puddle. Most of these I've been through, and they were doable.

A couple had some bumps and jumps under the water, that required all of my expertise to not lose the bike on.

One was too deep, and had two options of bypass. Plan B was an ATV track with also deepish water in both wheel tracks, and a slight curve to the left. Plan C was a less muddy bypass but it had a very sharp turn in deep wheel tracks. Wish I took a picture of that one, because it was the hardest crossing. I was beat at this point, though. If I had done this right I would have taken a 20 minute break here, but I was worried about getting back.

Anyway, I chose Plan B. Picked the right wheel track and proceeded to send it.

And my front wheel suddenly fell into a deep pit under the water, getting completely submerged and bringing me to a sudden stop. Through sheer strength and adrenaline I pulled the bike back, left, and gassed it, and shot through the muck. This was no place for stopping.

Finally, there was one puddle left. I knew this one because I almost got stuck in it on my tiger 2 years ago. Sent that one without stopping, and the bike almost got stuck again. Managed to keep momentum, but I did catch the front wheel on something and had step off #3. Wish I took a picture, but constantly taking out the phone gets old.

I believe this is a file photo of the puddle in question, but who knows at this point.

Anyway, that was about it, as that brought me back out to pavement. I hopped on the highway and picked up a couple bagels for my Fiance.

That was a rough trail for the big boxer. We did suffer some casualties.

This foot extension is toast. I can bend it back into shape, but I will probably just replace it with a flatter foot. I don't mind that the bike leans a lot on the side stand. It helps when I'm on rough terrain.

And this, I could have sworn was attached on that bolt.

Maybe it had another nut on the remainder of that bolt. I definitely took an impact on that rail of the crash bar, strong enough to break a nut off if it was there. I don't love how the rails go below the skid plate. I tried to buy another burlier skid plate for it, but to mount it I would have to cut it to fit around the crash bar. Another option is to get different crash bars - I think Zieger would fit with the skid plate I got. But then we're talking bigger expenditures. I think I'll just try to straighten this bar out and get it re-attached to that bolt.

Anyway, an A+ lunch excursion.

 

[klaviator]

You are a lot braver than I am. I had an R1100GS but never rode it anywhere near as tough as what you just posted. Glad you made it out as you could easily have ended up walking out.

 

[Boris]

I do have the benefit of being big enough to push the bike around a bit.

But you're right. That road would probably be better with a friend.