Kings of the West: Riding and Camping Event

Here was my basic plan that I came up with on Dec 19th, 2009 while imbibing some pre-holiday cheer. Also known as what I do every day:

Get a bunch of crazy FF"S together and have our own mini Dakar-style rally right here in the U.S.

The general idea was to start "somewhere in California, sometime in late 2010" and ride to somewhere else and cover 1500 miles in four days.

This was not supposed to be your typical dual sport rally with no particular time to be in any particular place. This was afterall, a Riding And Camping Event, a modern day dirt version of Cannonball Run.

It took no time at all to get people interested. We allowed 35 people to sign up and had a waiting list of over 10 at one point. In the end, we had 25 starters on Sept 29th 2010.

Riders:

1. Trailtrick (Javier) KTM 552................................................................
2. Razr (Charles) KTM 525............................................... ....................
3. Punkenduro (Pat) Kawi KLX250............................................................DNS
4. Herrhelmet (Jim) BMW Dakar WP'd.............................................. ... ..DNS (Support)
5. Me (Rob) BMW Yamakar........................................... .......................DNS (Support)
6. FORE! (Scott) KTM 950 SE-R............................... New Mexico.............
7. Johnny_5 (Megan) KTM 690................................Arizona...................
8. BouncingBilly (Billy) ??????...................................................... ........DNS
9. Hilslamer (Tim).KTM 990 A.............................Arizona.....................
10. Brent347 (?Brent?) KTM 660 Rallye............................................ ........
11. Traveltoad (Aaron) KTM 950 SE.................................................. ........DNS
12. Dunerat (Noel) KTM 950 SE ???............................................... ..........DNS
13. Mattomoto (Matt) BMW Yamakar .......................COLORADO!!!...........DNS
14. Toast KTM 690R, possibly a 950SE.............................................. .
15. Baja Joe (Joe) Honda XR650R............................................ ...............
16. XRJohnny (John) XR650 R............................................NorCal........
17. Sandrat KTM 690R...........................................New Mexico!!............
18. Dirty Duane (Duane) Either an XR400R ..............................................
19. Broken Spoke (Gary) KTM 530............................................... ..........
20. WallyWhirled Husky TE610............................................. .................
21. Crawdaddy (Chris) Yamaha WR250R............................................ .....
22. Cpt. Ron (Ron)XR650 R.............................................. ....................
23. Never.Ride KTM 450.................................COLORADO !!!....................DNS
24. Strega (Roger) KTM 620 Adv............................................... ............DNS
25. Trick17 ??? KTM 950A.............................................. ......................
26. Rruugger (John) KTM 640A.........................................................
27. SITO (Lewis) KTM 690............................................... .....................DNS
28. CA Stu (Stu) KLR 650............................................... ......................
29. Yzlvr (Eric) KTM 525.....................................................................
30. Sandrat Dad KTM 950 SE-R............................New Mexico!!!..............DNS
31. Cross-Country (Tony) KTM 950SE-R..................NEW MEXICO!!! ..........
32. Rev Kiecker, (Mark) BMW X-Challenge................................................
33. Foul Plug, (Chris) BMW F800........................................................
34. Unaweep, (Jim) KTM 950SE.......................COLORADO! .................
35. Henrikbuus, (Henrik) XR650R.......................................................

UPDATE: Here are all of the final results.













[/quote]
For the full story from beginning to end, you can go here:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=535024

I and the riders will post up some images, stories and videos here. One thing that no one ON THIS EPIC ride will dispute: THIS WAS THE GREATEST AND LONGEST NON-RACE TO EVER NOT TAKE PLACE IN THE U.S.

Sept 29th, Day 1 Start somehwere in the mountians above Mojave, CA

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Sept 30th, Day 2 about three miles off the start somwhere in Nevada.

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After a full day of rest. Here's some great Day 3 C-1 video taken somewhere in Utah.

<TABLE class=tborder id=post14158674 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width="100%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD class=alt1 id=td_post_14158674>It's been a great time so far, some picture proof
































<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->__________________
08 KTM 690 Enduro, 06 Sherco 4.5i, 05 YZ125
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<TABLE class=tborder id=post14173913 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width="100%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD class=alt1 id=td_post_14173913>After a good night meeting everyone and getting the swag and gear tags to everyone, we had to get up at o'dark 30 to start the day:

















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Two-wheelin' Fool



Joined: Jul 2007
Location: Behind the Orange Curtain, So Cal
Oddometer: 1,151


</TD><TD class=alt1 id=td_post_14173923><!-- message -->Then came the start:

Our great host, Javier.
































Razr & Rev Kiecker getting ready to launch:


Rev Kiecker launched, Razr killed it to start the day











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​

this is a good one....


epic and collosal undertaking....great job rob....

Great opening video and pics more please.

I was the oldest rider on the smallest displacement bike and the only Yamaha........and I had a blast <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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Rob – Outstanding job pulling this thing together…….I didn’t have a true appreciation for all of the logistical B.S. until I showed up to the event……..<o></o>
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Javier/Jim – thanks for opening your properties to us…….just two examples of the great folks who pitched in to make this Riding And Camping Event such a blast…..<o></o>
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Volunteers/Support – WOW, you folks worked your butts off and really took care of us…..thanks so much…….<o></o>
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A true tale of the Tortoise and the Hare(s)……..no spills, flats, or bike maintenance issues allowed me to get ahead of the bigger/faster bikes (AKA, everyone else :eek1 ) in a few places…….I can’t out run’em, but the little bike can chug along at a sustained ~60-70mph all day (top speed was 82mph) and slip right past some of’em in the deep washes, whoops, technical areas…..or when they were changing tubes


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I obviously didn’t show up with the fastest bike………my strategy was all about pacing myself and picking off the bigger bikes when the opportunities presented themselves ……..the best moment of the ride (for me) came on Day 2 leaving Moapa…….there was a steep/slippery climb early in the ride that was giving some of the big/pig bikes fits…….many started looking for alternative paths around the hill because they couldn’t make the climb……..it was no sweat on the WR250R with trials tires……..I felt like I was cheating <?xml:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" /><v:shape style="WIDTH: 11.25pt; HEIGHT: 11.25pt" id=_x0000_i1026 alt="0" type="#_x0000_t75"><v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\CCRAWF~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image002.gif" o:href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/advrider/naughty.gif"></v:imagedata></v:shape>………I went right up and never looked back which allowed me to get out in front of most of the riders……..I was running in 2<SUP>nd</SUP> place for most of the day but then stopped a bit too long in Enterprise, UT. to gas/snack and got passed up by a few riders that had monster tanks and didn’t need gas………I also stopped a few times to snap pics up near Brianhead rather than focusing……..if I had kept myself in “Riding And Camping Event” mode (a different/new mindset for this old trail rider) I might’ve placed higher on leg 2 because the leader wound up getting a front flat………oh well, whatever, my primary goal was to finish this dumb-ass event……and I did just that……..we only had 16(?) riders at the start line yesterday……..lot’s of attrition due to bike/physical difficulties…….<o></o>

On the rest day, a lot of riders were changing tires, repairing their bikes/bodies, etc…………I cleaned my air filter and had a beer



My biggest “bike issue” had nothing to do with the bike………..I started the ride with too much weight in my tail bag………..I launched it through whoops a couple of times on day 1 and once on day 2……….on the first day I didn’t know it was gone until Unaweep told me……….then I had to backtrack 7 miles through deep/sandy whoops in Teagle Wash by Trona to recover it (since my truck keys were in it!)…….so riding 21 miles of sandy/wash whoops versus the 7 that everyone else rode really set me back on leg 1)<o></o>
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Pretty big mileage days………no sweat on the WR250R......already sent in a deposit for "The Remix" - let's ride! <v:shape style="WIDTH: 11.25pt; HEIGHT: 11.25pt" id=_x0000_i1030 alt="" type="#_x0000_t75"><v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\CCRAWF~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image006.gif" o:href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/advrider/icon10.gif"></v:imagedata></v:shape><o></o>
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For the whole thing from conception to finish go here:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=535024

There are more stories, pics and vids being uploaded many times daily.

Some said it could not be done. Good job everyone. Glad to hear reports that everyone is going to heal up. Ben

I think it was Brent who said that as his mind and bike were wandering through the desert, they went down these side roads

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No Shit, Huh?

That's how I felt leaving Utah

Here we are entering an unnamed town in an unnamed state

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The pics and video are awesome!

Subscribed!

Matto

Matt lets meet up in Utah... do some riding... your TE would love it, especially since it's probably jetted for High Alt.

By how much time everyones wasting, obviously hard to plant back into reality...

After the dust literally settles plan on using the official KOTW site which will be new and improved with better forums to allow emoticons and photo/video embedding plus all the info. Still top secret stuff password protected and information on a need to know basis.

Thats how we should roll. So if you have some stories to tell, or already told them in the Regional forums or want to cover both please keep 'em coming.

Yes it was! A lot of talent out there.

Epic!!!!

Was just amazing to have a front row seat for some of this event...

What a fantastic bunch of riders... & very cool people.

Awesome fellas - wish I coulda been in 2 places at one time - AMAZING!

Here's some of my pics of the alledged event.


Trick17 and I arrive at Javiers place the night before and attempt to get our shit in order.



Morning of, Rreuger and Toast try to get THEIR shit in order.


Trick relieves himself somewhere in NV. I beleive the theory was to pee on competitors as they went by in an attempt to slow them down. Strangely, we hadn't seen any other riders in hours and wouldn't again for MANY more. On a side note, Capt. Ron, is it true that you wore diapers to avoid just this type of trail stop? That's just wierd man!


Some of the typical scenery from the ride.


Preparing to leave Moapa, morning of Day 2.


Typical views coming in to Brianhead, UT. end of stage 2.


The hotel parking lot in Brianhead. How cool was it for them to close the front of the hotel for us?


Hilslamer trying to get the front/rear bias of the 990 just right... A little more weight in the rear, Tim, you're just about there!


look at the look on Tricks face... I think he just figured out how to slow down some of those XR's.


Had to ride through these guys to get up to the Brianhead pizza feed


Sunset, Day 3, as seen from nearly 11k.


And here was our rest day location as seen from same.

Nope, no diapers for me.....

Lets do it in the Spring. I will roll through there a few times in March and April. Heck, will be in LA for 2 weeks in March... This new bike is so slim, she fits in the race trailer no problem which was also one of the excuses for getting it. She will be traveling to quite a few races next year