RTW with Noah on a KTM 690

[Comrade Art]

Originally Posted by RoninMoto

On a related note, It seems I will be meeting up with 6 or 7 inmates in France to take on Morocco in about 10 days. Some xt660s, Some KTMs, an African twin, and a Triumph Tiger. Should be a good time.

I am not sure If I am bringing a computer. You might have to wait for 3 weeks for the next episode when we are in Morocco.

You are one lucky dude

[live2ridetahoe]

Originally Posted by rumpel

It is 2 stroke Trabant


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trabant

I just saw this car tonight on a Top Gear episode!!

They mentioned that is was made of cotton? Care to fill us in on that?

JG

[live2ridetahoe]

Originally Posted by live2ridetahoe

I just saw this car tonight on a Top Gear episode!!

They mentioned that is was made of cotton? Care to fill us in on that?

JG

Nevermind...

Found it on Wiki.. (and then I saw the link on the bottom of your quote, duh)

"The Trabant was a steel monocoque design with roof, bootlid/trunklid, bonnet/hood, bumpers/fenders, and doors in Duroplast. Duroplast was a hard plastic (similar to Bakelite) made of recycled materials: cotton waste from the Soviet Union and phenol resins from the East German dye industry, making the Trabant the first car with a body made of recycled material.[6] The results of some crash tests showed it performed better than some contemporary Western hatchbacks.[9][10][11] The Trabant was the second car to use Duroplast, after the "pre-Trabant" P70 (Zwickau) model (1954–1959)."

[zipper2680]

Some say Trabant was the project designer of Golf MK I....Volkswagen "found" a lost project from Trabant and produced it...if im not wrong...becoming on of the most sucessful models in the world...

[stoner_PL]

Good to hear from you again Noah! I'm looking forward to see some new photographs and stories!

And the off topic to all Trabant fans while we wait for the news from Noah: this car can pretty much embarrass many Land Rovers, Land Cruisers or other typical adventure travel cars.

Don't believe it? Look at the Czech/Polish/Slovak project: Trabant, Maluch (polish mini car popular in 70'-80') and Jawa 21 in South America:

[Noone]

Originally Posted by live2ridetahoe

Nevermind...

Found it on Wiki.. (and then I saw the link on the bottom of your quote, duh)

"The Trabant was a steel monocoque design with roof, bootlid/trunklid, bonnet/hood, bumpers/fenders, and doors in Duroplast. Duroplast was a hard plastic (similar to Bakelite) made of recycled materials: cotton waste from the Soviet Union and phenol resins from the East German dye industry, making the Trabant the first car with a body made of recycled material.[6] The results of some crash tests showed it performed better than some contemporary Western hatchbacks.[9][10][11] The Trabant was the second car to use Duroplast, after the "pre-Trabant" P70 (Zwickau) model (1954–1959)."

From Wikipedia "30 years with 3,096,099 Trabants produced in total.^[3] In 2008, Time magazine rated the Trabant as one of the 50 worst cars ever made" Having withnessed an impact between a Lada and a Tribi, I can attest that "dust" actually flew.

[Arek Kontrol]

Originally Posted by stoner_PL

Good to hear from you again Noah! I'm looking forward to see some new photographs and stories!

And the off topic to all Trabant fans while we wait for the news from Noah: this car can pretty much embarrass many Land Rovers, Land Cruisers or other typical adventure travel cars.

Don't believe it? Look at the Czech/Polish/Slovak project: Trabant, Maluch (polish mini car popular in 70'-80') and Jawa 21 in South America:

Bloody Hell Mate , Thats cool
Maluch was my first car . I would recognise this car everywhere.
It brought tears to my eyes

[RoninMoto]

I love how this thread turns into a discussion when I am gone. You guys rule.
In the past week, I have ridden some amazing old military roads on the boarder of Italy and France. I think I went over 15 different passes? I also have pics from the Moto Guzzi Museum. Now I am in Southern France for a few days before leaving for Morocco. I will get caught up on Austria and Italy.

Here is a Teaser for Italy: It has been the BEST riding so far.

[Wayne B]

Hello Noah,
Just found your RR.
What a good job on making us feel like were along with you.

Can you tell me what kind of range you get with your 690 with those aftermarket auxiliary tanks?

Thanks
Wayne

[RoninMoto]

Originally Posted by Wayne B

Hello Noah,
Just found your RR.
What a good job on making us feel like were along with you.

Can you tell me what kind of range you get with your 690 with those aftermarket auxiliary tanks?

Thanks
Wayne

Between 450 km and 525 km depending. Its a total of 25 Liters of fuel.

[RoninMoto]

Vienna October 10th and 11th
I stayed a few days in Vienna with Lukas. You might know him as LukasM on here.. or 1/3 of the "Husaburg Adventure Team". Lukas gave me a place to stay for 2 nights, near new tires (a TKC 80 front and T63 Rear), a garage to work in and some great food. While Lukas was working, I got a personal moto tour of Vienna from Luckies_AUT. David gave me a picture book that has already come in very handy when trying to communicate in languages that I don't speak. Thanks guys!


Lukas trying to figure out how he will sign the KTM. This is the 2nd time this bike has been at his place.




New TKC 80 for the front.


Newish T-63 that would wait for a few days before it was put on.


Personal moto tour of Vienna with David




"This is a motorcycle"



October 12th. Vienna to Bad Gastien 515 km
I was on the road by 8:30 on Friday morning on the way to the KTM factory. I took motorway the 300 or so km to get to Mattighofin (KTM holy ground). Unfortunately on a Friday the factory closes down at Noon so I was not able to tour the Factory. From there, I went south over Lienbachsattel pass. The Fall colors were amazing. I stayed the night in a hostel in Bad Gastien. Dinner was over-priced Chinese food. It was good.. but not worth the money.




Loaded


So close.











October 13th Bad Gastien, Austria to Laggio di Cadore, Italy 191 km
The day started missing the 10:20 train through Tauernschleuse tunnel and had to wait for the 11:20 train. It was 15 Euros to go through a tunnel for about 15 minutes. It saved about a 1 or 2 mindless hours on a motorway. Down to Plöckenpass into Italy. On the south side of the pass, the road is basically cut into the cliff. Once I was in Italy, the weather started to turn. I went over a few more passes on the way to a Hotel in Laggio Ddi Cadore. Dinner was at a Pizzeria.


Waiting for the train.




These guys were going to find a glacier to ski for a few days.


Not quite the right car for the job.




People look at me funny when I am taking these pics.




Pictures don't do this road justice.


Didn't want it to fall over.


I think I need a RTWwithNoah sticker.


This is high quality.




Hotel basement parking.


And tire changing station.


And... the first Italians I met.

So, Now I am only 1 country behind. Tomorrow I will tackle Italy. I don't use this word lightly.. .but it was EPIC.

[MrGoldfish]

Awesome RR Noah! I have to say though I can't wait until you find some more big mountains. Europe pictures were cool, but they don't do it for me like the mountain pictures do. I've always loved playing with cameras, but I've always been so absorbed in other things that life has been throwing my way that I haven't taken the time to really learn how to take good pictures like you have been. It would be something I would want to become more adept at before I took a trip like the one you are on (or any trip for that matter). I might have missed it, but how do you carry your camera so that it is safe from all the bumps but yet still easily accessible?

You are making me think about looking into a Katoom now too. When you say it doesn't do freeway that well, what do you mean? Will it do 75 MPH okay? On the contrary, how well does it do down in first gear going through tough rocks/rubble/anything that requires you to slow down and finesse your way through?

Keep it up man and I wish you the best of luck going through Morocco! I'm subscribed and I can't wait to hear how it goes.

[levain]

Originally Posted by RoninMoto

Loaded


So close.

Seems if someone rides their KTM from Minnesota to the factory (well, 2nd KTM!) they'd roll out the red carpet!

[RoninMoto]

Originally Posted by MrGoldfish

Awesome RR Noah! I have to say though I can't wait until you find some more big mountains. Europe pictures were cool, but they don't do it for me like the mountain pictures do. I've always loved playing with cameras, but I've always been so absorbed in other things that life has been throwing my way that I haven't taken the time to really learn how to take good pictures like you have been. It would be something I would want to become more adept at before I took a trip like the one you are on (or any trip for that matter). I might have missed it, but how do you carry your camera so that it is safe from all the bumps but yet still easily accessible?

You are making me think about looking into a Katoom now too. When you say it doesn't do freeway that well, what do you mean? Will it do 75 MPH okay? On the contrary, how well does it do down in first gear going through tough rocks/rubble/anything that requires you to slow down and finesse your way through?

Keep it up man and I wish you the best of luck going through Morocco! I'm subscribed and I can't wait to hear how it goes.

You are about to get flooded with mountain pictures, rocky shitty (amazing) roads high in the Italian alps and even some snow. I took 1200 pictures in 10 days in northern Italy.

The bike will run 75. I had to do it all day yesterday. I hate it more then the bike does. Books on tape help for the stupid long motorway runs. As for the slow rocky crap? Its great. Not a complain. It chugs along at slow speed and I am even +1 on the front sprocket. It does it so well I get lazy with the clutch.

[RoninMoto]

Originally Posted by levain

Seems if someone rides their KTM from Minnesota to the factory (well, 2nd KTM!) they'd roll out the red carpet!

You can't really expect them to keep a factory open just for me. Friday. Everyone wants to go home. I didn't really plan to go there, I just showed up. So... It is what it is. I'm not loosing sleep over it.