Big Bend BDRX (this week)

flatgrind

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Joined
Nov 11, 2020
Messages
78
Location
Central Texas
Weather is looking good for this week, so I am planning to ride the Big Bend BDRX starting Tuesday. Will take me all day tomorrow to get out there. Planning to camp in Marathon tomorrow (Monday) night, and begin the BDR route Tuesday morning.

I'll be riding solo, but might be open to pairing up for the more challenging sections like Black Gap Road and the sand North of Godzilla Mountain on Section 4.

Any of you guys/gals going to be out there this week?
 

flatgrind

Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2020
Messages
78
Location
Central Texas
Beautiful out here as always. Rode Old Ore Road, River Road, and Black Gap Road (Sections 1&2).

Double puncture in my brand new front tire yesterday. Plugged it, but it is still a slow leak. So, I’m done with the backcountry stuff. Too remote to be alone with a leaking tire.

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My skid plate got a workout and she’s a pig in the sand, but did well aside from the punctures.

Recommend the area for dirt or road.
Best riding in Texas!
 

Madhatter

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Mar 25, 2013
Messages
4,041
Location
buda texas
good morning "flat grind" , great video .
so Friday evening a friend sent me photos from rio grand village with bike pictures , your bike , my old bike . WOW , so excited to see it on the trails . snd still crushing it .
ken aka "superman "and me have been friends and riding buddies for years . and the bike has been too big bend with me on it ,in the same campground with superman .
I rode it on the white rim trail and "Bettly" always preferred rocks to sand . if there was a sand line and a rock line I chose rock .
when I returned from Moab I had the hots for a new bike so I traded Betty for a new 2019 ES . never really liked the ES . Betty always seemed to have more grunt , and was easier to understand . a simple girl . I'm glad she found a good home .
as for me I no longer have bike . some personal things , boredom , crazy traffic led me to take a break . so the 2019 is in a new home . as for me im considering buying a new bike , but not sure what direction to go , smaller lighter , or stay big on full size ADV bike . not going to do much off road as im pushing towards 68 years of age . and Yamaha has left us hanging , another brand is probable .
keep posting your videos . made me laugh when you honked the big horns in the tunnel . done that a few times myself .
if you are ever in Buda or close , I will buy you lunch . of all the bikes I've owned , Betty is my favorite by far .
 

flatgrind

Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2020
Messages
78
Location
Central Texas
Thank you Madhatter.

The trip was a funny trip. Originally, I was headed down to Big Bend last month Something came up at the last minute and I had to cancel the trip. Rescheduled and tried again, but just a dozen or so miles from home I got an odd flat on the front. It took me six of those sticky rope tire plugs just to get home. I’ve never had a flat tire on this bike until this trip.
Anyway, got new tires on the bike and I was planning for another date for the trip. Had to reschedule again. Weather forecast for last week was looking good and I was able to get my schedule reshuffled again so I decided on Thursday or Friday that I would head down there on Monday. Made a couple of campsite reservations and then got everything packed and set up over the weekend. Monday morning rolls around and I hop on the bike to take off. Turn the key and push the start button. Just a little moan. What the heck? Dead battery? Where did that come from? Started right up just fine the day before.
Cursed a little bit, started pulling things apart and then calling around to see who had a battery in stock. Got online and changed my two campground reservations, delaying them by a day. Found a battery in a neighboring town. Got everything put back together and it was about 11 AM. What the heck, it’s a late start, but I’m going today anyway. Go back online and change my campsite reservations yet again. I’m not choosing sites. I’m just taking the luck of the draw at this point.
Ride to Marathon then down into Big Bend. Bike feels great. New tires performing well. Roll into camp and notice that there is a Norden in the site next to me. I’m munching on some sausage and having some water and after a little while really nice guy comes over and says he’s from Buda. I tell him that when I bought my bike used from a dealer that they told me the previous owner lived in Buda. His eyes lit up and he looked at the bike again. “That’s Madhatters bike! He’s a friend of mine…” Then the stories started flowing!
What are the odds? Such a crazy coincidence that our paths would cross on that one day after multiple attempts and restarts and date changes that he and I would end up in campsites right next to each other, destined to meet.
The next morning I took off to ride River Road and Black Gap Road. Picked up a couple of sticks in the front tire along the way. Hit pavement and rode over to the Santa Elena Canyon parking lot and started plugging the tire. Plugs were only holding air for about 40 miles limped into Terlingua and checked around to see if anyone would patch it or sold tires. No luck. Made it up to Alpine where I spent the night and plugged it again decided I would just head home if the tire would hold air long enough for me to get there. It wouldn’t. Made it to Del Rio, and it was getting worse, called the bike shops in Del Rio, and none of them had a tire that would fit. So I went to Home Depot and rented a Penske truck. (the guy at the rental desk kept calling the 16 foot truck a 16 inch truck, LOL!) Got the bike loaded and started driving home. Made it to Hondo where I had to pull over because the truck had a flat front tire!!!!!!! That’s a whole other story…
I don’t think I’ve ever experienced so many hurdles and challenges and weird coincidences as I did on this trip! One of the highlights was definitely meeting Ken and having him recognize Betty. He was telling me stories and we were laughing as donkeys started braying and chasing javelina through the campground. It was all a little bit surreal.
Needless to say, the trip did not go as planned, but it was still a good trip. It was nice to make the connection with Ken and in a roundabout way with you. Betty has treated me well and I try to treat her well too. If I’m in Buda, I’ll look you up. I’m not planning a trip over there, but the way things have been going lately you never know!!
 

Madhatter

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Mar 25, 2013
Messages
4,041
Location
buda texas
there's always bbq in Lockhart to tempt me out of Buda .
flats , a dirty word . but never had one on Betty .
ken is a great guy , met him at a gas station one morning in Buda . been friends ever since .
I took a break from riding and sold my 2019 Tenere . been looking and thinking about a new bike , but which one .
he goes to big bend quite often you might see him again .
when I got home from Moab , the next day Betty would not start , she would crank but nothing . did all the wide open throttle stuff , nothing . for 7 days the same , the 8th day started like nothing was ever amiss. I think she was jealous , she saw me hug my wife . a jealous Betty I'm thinking .
maybe you upset her . lol.
 

flatgrind

Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2020
Messages
78
Location
Central Texas
I’m booked up the rest of this month. As summer gets a little closer, I’ll send you a PM and maybe we can hook up.
 

Sierra1

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Nov 7, 2016
Messages
17,742
Location
Joshua TX
. . . . Roll into camp and notice that there is a Norden in the site next to me. . . .after a little while really nice guy comes over and says he’s from Buda. I tell him that when I bought my bike used from a dealer that they told me the previous owner lived in Buda. His eyes lit up and he looked at the bike again. “That’s Madhatters bike! He’s a friend of mine…” . . . .
. . . . been looking and thinking about a new bike , but which one . . . .
Ya' know . . . . is seems pretty obvious to me. Your buddy has that Norden. You're looking for a new, lighter bike. The Norden is about 100lbs lighter. You said another brand is probable . . . . :rolleyes:
 

Madhatter

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Joined
Mar 25, 2013
Messages
4,041
Location
buda texas
did say that , but we will see .
had a great day at work till I got sick ....spewing on the front yard , bad . hard ti think about bikes while that's happening .
ive set on the KTM and the Norden neither fit me well .
 
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