The Bad Lands of Kansas!

[Deadly]

I am working on a new project and have not been riding much lately so the content of this video is from a ride I did last year. The area I photographed is actually called Monument Rocks. This area is on private land but it can be accessed by the public as long as they tread lightly. The tops of bluffs in the video were the bottom of a shallow sea that once covered this area during the prehistoric times. Erosion over time created what is Left there now.

The Bad Lands of Western Kansas:




P.S.  These are photos that have been shown here before so sorry for the repeat, but I wanted to tinker around a bit with video and some new services.

[LOKi]

Deadly,

Like the video. Nicely put together.

About those tires you run. First what are they? How do you feel about them? How do they handle in the dirt? How do they handle on the road? I'm planning a trip for the summer of 2011 to Dead Horse Alaska from Louisiana. There are something like 400miles of dirt roads to get there and I'm thinking I need a tire more suited for such terrain. My concern is how it will last on the HWY with a fully loaded bike. Probably 40lbs of crap and a 5gal fuel cell. How many miles are you getting out of the back? Front?

[Deadly]

About those tires you run. First what are they? How do you feel about them? How do they handle in the dirt? How do they handle on the road? I'm planning a trip for the summer of 2011 to Dead Horse Alaska from Louisiana. There are something like 400miles of dirt roads to get there and I'm thinking I need a tire more suited for such terrain. My concern is how it will last on the HWY with a fully loaded bike. Probably 40lbs of crap and a 5gal fuel cell. How many miles are you getting out of the back? Front?

I've said this before but Avon Distanzias are the only tires I will ever run on this bike again. Originaly I thought I might ride to Alaska, thats why I started setting my bike up the way I did. The Distanzias handle very good on both the highway and the dirt (much better in the dirt than my K505s). I dont know how many miles Im going to get out of them yet but the front tire has several thousand miles on it and still has about 1/2 inch of thread depth left. The rear tire is wearing much faster than the front but its a radial and the front tire is not. Next time I buy tires for it Im going to go with the 140/80/17 bias ply tire on the rear because I've noticed the bias ply Distanzias have about twice the tread depth (new) than its radial counterpart.
The Distanzias growl when on asphalt but thats to be expected from an agressive tire like this. Actualy, I kind of like the growling it makes the bike sound like a four wheel drive truck comming down the road but not quite as loud as one. ... LOL

[LOKi]

So what happen to the Alaska trip? did you abandon that all together or just postponed?

[Deadly]

So what happen to the Alaska trip? did you abandon that all together or just postponed?

A lot of things came up at the time so I had to postpone the trip  indefinitely.

[LOKi]

The reason I ask is because I am also preparing the bike for Alaska. I'm shooting for July of 2011. How much planning had you done before getting sidetracked by life? Where you down to the wire or still a year or so out?

I would like to know what kind of millage you get out of the bias ply tire in the back. Like to know if I'm going to be changing that rear out in the middle of the trip. Not that it changes anything just to know if I need to plan for it.

[Deadly]

The reason I ask is because I am also preparing the bike for Alaska. I'm shooting for July of 2011. How much planning had you done before getting sidetracked by life? Where you down to the wire or still a year or so out?

I would like to know what kind of millage you get out of the bias ply tire in the back. Like to know if I'm going to be changing that rear out in the middle of the trip. Not that it changes anything just to know if I need to plan for it.

My trip was not going to be quite like yours. I was only going to Hyder, Alaska and B.C., Canada so my setup was overkill but I had fun setting it up. 
Im running a radial Distanzia on the rear right now but will purchase a bias ply Distanzia next year.

[LOKi]

Well let me know when you find out. Sorry if I Jacked the thread.

 

  get of my thread you kids!

[LOKi]

Hyder, Alaska?! That's cheating!

[Deadly]

Hyder, Alaska?! That's cheating!

Hahaha! ... but, its still Alaska.       

[itsjam4u]

ah to go places I will someday have to do some traveling to places like this

[LOKi]

I went ahead and got a Distanzia for the rear. Old tire was shot. Holly cow what a difference. Why haven't you been telling people about these tires Deadly?   Took it out to the spillway (little off road place for ATV's and motorcycles) and drove around on the dirt, sand and gravel for a while yesterday. At first with full pressure (35psi). After a few miles I aired it down to about 12psi. I had no idea the bike could feel that smooth and planted in the dirt, gravel and sand. Going to have to change that front to match. Full pressure it had grip but was a very rough ride and felt like gravel was rolling around under the tire. Once I aired them down it felt like the tire was conforming to the gravel and dirt and the ride was soft and squishy with even more grip. Good thing about riding around in the dirt and gravel for a few miles is the new tire is all scrubbed in good now.

Got some weird looks from the guys on the ATV's. Probably confused about the street bike blasting by shooting a tail of roost.  

[Deadly]

I went ahead and got a Distanzia for the rear. Old tire was shot. Holly cow what a difference.

I think they are a good compromise between street and off road tires.  I also think they will make a great tire for your Alaska trip.