**Disclaimer: I might be losing my mind**
Well, I seem to be approaching a turning point in my riding. For years and years, I road dirt only. Then I bought the Strada last February. I still raced a lot of harescrambles and enduros on the WR, last year. In 2012, I raced 36 events (hare scrambles, enduros, endurocross, extreme enduro). I figured I really should trim that down. So, in 2013, I trimmed my schedule to 20 events. It's a much more manageable number. I also changed it up, I started racing as many enduros as were offered, and only supporting the hare scramble series I like the most, throwing a couple assorted races from other series to fill in the gaps. 2014, I tried to do the same. The enduro series and the harescramble series only though. Works out to 14 after 2 enduros got cancelled. Only 5 left for the year.
I find I just can't enjoy a harescramble anymore. I don't know if it's because I'm in that in between age, where I am racing mostly with the up and coming 14 year olds, that are beating me by so much it's not even competitive, and that I'm still years shy of the vet class. 2 hours just isn't long enough anymore. While I love the enduros, the time keepers, which I truly enjoy, are becoming a thing of the past. Only a few available each year. Still the added seat time and challenge draw me in, a harescramble just doesn't have that appeal anymore.
On the flip of that, I've been riding my TR more and more though. Looking for the bigger trips. I spend most of my free time brainstorming trips, planning things out, studying topographical, forestry service, and county maps, trying to create those epic routes. I've spent more time refining my camping gear than I have riding in the dirt. More time plotting GPS tracks than hauling to races. It's just a different thing I'm heading into.
With my CDR ride coming up a bit over a month away, I found over the last 7 months, I've been more excited about that than anything else. It's a turning point for me. Add to it that my dad just bought a V-Strom 650, and my brother a GSXR-750. The sport bike thing isn't for me, but it opens up another avenue for fun on 2 wheels. My dad buying that V-Strom though, well, it opens up that possibility of actually doing a bike trip to Alaska as he's approaching retirement and that's the last of the 50 he has yet to visit. While I know the TR will handle that trip, for as road biased as this trip would be, something else would fit better.
I'm really considering parting with my 650 come next spring and entering the 800cc middle weight adv bike arena. Probably a Tiger 800 XC, for weekend and longer trips, commuting, and general use. Keeping the big bore 2 strokes for the real dirt duty. With the spare engine parts I have collected, I have no doubt that I can race and ride the WR for the next 5+ years without any complaints. I still have a ground up build on a last model Italian WR build with a 360, but it would be a future project. The WR platform is still more competitive than I am. I'd consider picking up a cheap DRZ 400, if I decide I want to do a more dirt oriented trip, like the TAT, or something along those lines.
I even went so far as to ride over to the BMW/Triumph dealer Saturday morning and look at the F800GS and Tiger 800 XC (SE) back to back. Then went and ordered a pair of pants from them, so I have an excuse to go back this Saturday for another look.
I guess we'll see in September how things change after knocking down the 5500 miles of seat time in 2 weeks on the 650. It's kind of hard to imagine getting rid of probably the most versatile bike I've ever owned, and one as unique and orphaned as it is, but maybe it's a matter of trying to use a leatherman, when you what you really just need a pair of channel locks and a bow saw.
Well, I seem to be approaching a turning point in my riding. For years and years, I road dirt only. Then I bought the Strada last February. I still raced a lot of harescrambles and enduros on the WR, last year. In 2012, I raced 36 events (hare scrambles, enduros, endurocross, extreme enduro). I figured I really should trim that down. So, in 2013, I trimmed my schedule to 20 events. It's a much more manageable number. I also changed it up, I started racing as many enduros as were offered, and only supporting the hare scramble series I like the most, throwing a couple assorted races from other series to fill in the gaps. 2014, I tried to do the same. The enduro series and the harescramble series only though. Works out to 14 after 2 enduros got cancelled. Only 5 left for the year.
I find I just can't enjoy a harescramble anymore. I don't know if it's because I'm in that in between age, where I am racing mostly with the up and coming 14 year olds, that are beating me by so much it's not even competitive, and that I'm still years shy of the vet class. 2 hours just isn't long enough anymore. While I love the enduros, the time keepers, which I truly enjoy, are becoming a thing of the past. Only a few available each year. Still the added seat time and challenge draw me in, a harescramble just doesn't have that appeal anymore.
On the flip of that, I've been riding my TR more and more though. Looking for the bigger trips. I spend most of my free time brainstorming trips, planning things out, studying topographical, forestry service, and county maps, trying to create those epic routes. I've spent more time refining my camping gear than I have riding in the dirt. More time plotting GPS tracks than hauling to races. It's just a different thing I'm heading into.
With my CDR ride coming up a bit over a month away, I found over the last 7 months, I've been more excited about that than anything else. It's a turning point for me. Add to it that my dad just bought a V-Strom 650, and my brother a GSXR-750. The sport bike thing isn't for me, but it opens up another avenue for fun on 2 wheels. My dad buying that V-Strom though, well, it opens up that possibility of actually doing a bike trip to Alaska as he's approaching retirement and that's the last of the 50 he has yet to visit. While I know the TR will handle that trip, for as road biased as this trip would be, something else would fit better.
I'm really considering parting with my 650 come next spring and entering the 800cc middle weight adv bike arena. Probably a Tiger 800 XC, for weekend and longer trips, commuting, and general use. Keeping the big bore 2 strokes for the real dirt duty. With the spare engine parts I have collected, I have no doubt that I can race and ride the WR for the next 5+ years without any complaints. I still have a ground up build on a last model Italian WR build with a 360, but it would be a future project. The WR platform is still more competitive than I am. I'd consider picking up a cheap DRZ 400, if I decide I want to do a more dirt oriented trip, like the TAT, or something along those lines.
I even went so far as to ride over to the BMW/Triumph dealer Saturday morning and look at the F800GS and Tiger 800 XC (SE) back to back. Then went and ordered a pair of pants from them, so I have an excuse to go back this Saturday for another look.
I guess we'll see in September how things change after knocking down the 5500 miles of seat time in 2 weeks on the 650. It's kind of hard to imagine getting rid of probably the most versatile bike I've ever owned, and one as unique and orphaned as it is, but maybe it's a matter of trying to use a leatherman, when you what you really just need a pair of channel locks and a bow saw.
