Nato posted a whole bunch of images from the 2008 edition of Loop the Lake. It was supposed to be a larger group, but the weather paired the group down to a hearty few: Darth, Obi-Ben, Esteban Frito, Moto, and Stanton (sorry Stanton, we need to think up a good road name). Below are a few of my favorites.
This section of dirt was hairball greasy. A few spills were had. Photo: Darth.
Obi-Ben, and the venerable KLR along the Golden Spike. Photo: Darth.
Stanton on the big bike, cruising along the railroad bed. Photo: Darth.
Darth and Esteban, heading out of Wendover. Photo: Darth.
Honestly, I can’t remember where this was. But it was cool. Photo: Darth
There always seems to be a “band photo”, for the next album. Photo: Darth.
The absolute “money” shot of the whole trip. Photo: Darth.
If you want to see all of Darth Nater’s photos, view the latest batch at Motodelicious.
I finally got around to having a new Dunlop D908 Rally Raid rear tire installed on my KTM 640 Adventure. I took my rear wheel off and had the folks at Summit Honda in Park City do the honors of installing it, well worth the service charge to have someone else do this. Even with a tire stand, these things are torture to change by hand. The new D908 RR was replacing a worn-out Dunlop 908 enduro that served me well during the Trans-America Trail trip, but was toast after 2,000 miles. The center knobbies were flattened and squared-off, probably from all the pavement on my return trip. The D908 RR is big, fat, and nasty, and I was itching to get it in the dirt. After a day of mixed pavement, loose gravel, some sand, a few minor stream crossings, and lots of dry and rocky mountain riding, I can say that I am optimistic I have found the perfect rear tire for this bike. I hope it will last a lot longer than the previous Dunlop, and it should, as it really was designed for the bigger 950/990 KTM adventure bikes. Now the challenge will be to find the perfect front tire. Rumor has it the matching front has a super aggressive tread pattern that is not too road friendly. The D606 currently on my front is due to be replaced soon, so I’ll give it a shot and see how well it matches. For KTM 640 Adventure riders out there: don’t waste your time with anything else.
The Dunlop D908 Rally Raid on a KTM 640 Adventure.
Massive center knobs hook up really well in loose stuff.
There’s still some patches of snow in July in the Uinta Mountains.
Clearly, Darth and Obi-Ben have pulled their weight by uploading some of their photos to our Flickr Photostream. And clearly, I should have gone all the way to the coast, based on what I missed out on. After viewing all 500 or so photos, I missed a lot of action on the trip after Crater Lake. And some fine dining. Posh lodges. Bad haircuts. Getting bikes stuck in the sand.
Great Basin National Park, Day 2, Trans-America Trail. Photo by Ben Rafferty.
During my 9 days riding with the group on Darth’s version of the Trans-America Trail from Utah to Oregon, I saw places off the beaten path and met some great people. It would be impossible to remember them all without the reminder of the photos we took along the way. Here’s one we took that has become known as “The Band Photo”, for when we release our first album. This was taken between Utah and Nevada (not exactly sure where we were) at a crossroads marked by Mater, the broken down old truck.
Photo by Nathan Rafferty
Keeping the posts updated on the road proved to be a challenge. Until I have a chance to go back and place images in the context of the posts, you can see a sampler of photos I took with an iPhone on Flickr:
Moto’s iPhone Photos
When Darth and Obi-Ben return to civilization, we’ll upload some of their shots and video.
Lord Darth called a planning session for the upcoming Trans-America Trail trip at downtown SLC pizzeria, Settebello. Obi-Ben had just taken delivery of a pre-owned Kawasaki KLR, in cherry condition, I must say. Upgrades for the trip include new Continental TKC knobbies and a Wolfman Luggage tankbag. Much pizza was eaten, and not much planning was done, but duties were assigned: Darth is chief navigation specialist, Obi-Ben is chief medic and infantry, Moto is responsible for procuring grub and spirits, and Hans is in charge of keeping it all together for the first few days. It was decided that rollout will be early morning on Saturday, May 17th, after breakfast at the Blue Plate Diner in Sugarhouse.
Obi-Ben’s newly acquired Kawasaki KLR, with new rubber and tankbag.
Hans, Obi-Ben, and Darth Nater showing off his egg on a stick. Photo by Moto.