UTAH WINTER: CROWD-FREE EXPLORATION

BY: OLIVIER DE VAULX

Preparing for the Adventure

The KTM 1090R and the Honda Africa Twin are well known for their off-road abilities. Their specs are very close, the main difference being the power, the Honda with 95hp giving up 30hp to the KTM. But we were doing an off-road trip, and power doesn’t mean a lot on the dirt. Handguards already mounted on the bikes, we spent a few hours adding skid plates, large IMS ADV footpegs and Shinko E804/805 tires. Two GPS were plugged onto the batteries and mounted on the bars using the Ram mount system. Additionally, a XP-10 battery, powerful enough to charge our phones during the whole trip while keeping enough juice to start our big twins, was ordered for the trip. We then filled up our Mosko Moto saddle bags with spare gear, tools, drinks and Natti bars. The bikes finally ready, we tried to figure out the best gear for the trip. Klim, with Gore-tex jackets and pants, Krios carbon helmets suitable for shields and goggles fit all the criteria. We went for a set of Badlands and Carlsbad, while two pairs of Sidi Off-road and Adventure boots were added to the kit.

Rocks of Grand Canyon

Starting the bike in the freezing morning was easy with these injected engines. Waiting for the twins to warm up, we took the time to remove the Traction Control and ABS on both motorcycles. Those electronic features are perfect on the road but borderline dangerous on the dirt, and removing them each time you start the engine makes your ride safer and is worth a few lost seconds. The trails on the north side of the Grand Canyon were very rocky and offered a perfect playground to get used to our new bikes. With stiff suspension, a light feel and a very easy balance at low speed, the KTM reacted pretty much as a dual sport bike. The Honda is more on the comfy side, its softer springs allowing the Africa Twin to absorb all the impacts of the rocky sections in the greatest comfort. Both engines have more than enough power, the 1090R being very smooth while the Honda is a bit more energetic in the bottom. Despite their differences, both bikes reached the Grand Canyon at the same time. Engines were shut off and we enjoyed the silence while eating a snack and admiring the view of the twirling Colorado River. There was nobody around and it was all here for us! The second part of the day was dedicated to some serious riding, with rolling rocks and steep steps on a narrow path. It was not a trail for rookies, especially on such big bikes, but the traction of the twins was good enough to let us climb everything on our first try. Arriving at the Bar 10 Ranch, we felt like we already accomplished a true journey, and it was only the first day! A few minutes after putting our bags in the chariots used as motel rooms, we fell asleep.

Riding the Snow

Eggs and bacon for breakfast, gas in the tanks, riders and bikes were full and ready to go. The map showed that the shortest way was to cut across the mountains to reach Kanab, UT. But a sign at the beginning of the trail warned us that this option was “impassable when wet.” The blue sky gave us confidence and we started riding, standing up on our large IMS footpegs and following the track on our GPS screens. The trail was dry, well maintained and seemed to go forever inviting us to go faster and faster. The Krios helmets being super quiet, it was hard to feel the speed without checking the speedometers. We tried to stay reasonable, but we nonetheless reached 90 mph in straight lines. Reaching higher altitude, the snow and the mud appeared. It was still pretty manageable, but entering the forest, the muddy sections were getting longer and deeper. Keeping the bikes in line became way more challenging. Suddenly, the Africa Twin stopped and put its rider down, one leg stuck under the bag. Luckily, we had soft luggage and the incident was more frightening than really dangerous. With hard cases, the leg would have certainly been broken. The Honda still didn’t want to move forward, the front wheel being locked by the mud stuck in the front fender. Using our tool set we removed the fender, cleaned it and put it back. On the KTM, there was a bigger clearance. We kept going, trying to accelerate strongly on every dry section in order to clean the tires. We started to feel more confident, except that dusk was coming and we still had many miles to ride.

Night Vision

To cover more ground with our headlights, we rode side by side, using the strong light of the KTM to see the dirt in front of us while the larger beam of the Honda provided a great view on the sides. Again, we rode fast, maybe too fast, not really trying to avoid the rabbits jumping in front of our tires. Going wide in a large curve, the rider of the KTM finally made one mistake: The momentum of the 1000cc engine pushed him outside of the trail and both rider and bike executed a perfect front flip into the bushes. Nobody was wounded except the rider’s pride. The crash reminded us that these powerful motorcycles are not toys and that their good suspension and efficient fairing mask the fact that speed can hurt. Finishing the ride slowly, we reached Kanab late in the night.

Infinite Riding

Today we planned to ride 250 miles, which is really long knowing that the days are still short in late February. We carried a tent, just in case we couldn’t reach the town. The trail stayed at an average elevation of 7000 feet and brought us through so many different landscapes that we lost count after the first hour. It’s hard to believe how big this country is, and harder to believe that the countryside can change so quickly. We also crossed some rivers, riding on natural bridges made of thick ice. We had a blast but when we filled the tank in a tiny gas station in the middle of nowhere, we discovered that we didn’t do much of the planned mileage. This country is definitively too big and the days too short. Switching bikes, we went back on the track like racers on the Paris-Dakar rally. There were a ton of miles ahead and no shortcut. At first, we took some speed on the large trails, hitting 100 mph with ease on the gravel. The bikes were so stable we felt safe at these insane speeds! But it was not a race nor a video game, and we slowed down after a while. Cruising between 60 and 70mph, we didn’t really stop anymore, having just short breaks to take a few sips of warm coffee in the thermos or to eat a Natti bar. The engines were relentless and we kept going for hours, seeing nobody but still off-roading legally. This place is a paradise for any dirt addict! We reached Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument at sunset, and were rewarded of our efforts by an incredible golden light.

Night Ambush

After the small village of Boulder, we followed a tiny paved road heading to the famous Burr Switchback trail. It was a shortcut to reach Hanksville and the full moon helped us ride it fine. Seeing some mule deer around, we rode carefully, not exceeding 40 mph. The 1090R headlight was doing a great job illuminating the pavement, but it left the shoulder of the road in a black hole. Suddenly a huge mule deer jumped in front of the KTM, taller than the shield of the bike, blocking the way like a big furry wall. With no time to react, the impact was brutal, the sound deafening. The poor animal was thrown 30 feet away while bike and rider slid on the road. Killed instantly, the mule deer lay on his side. The rider, well protected by the Klim gear and the Krios helmet, didn’t have anything but some bruises. His colleague, who saw it all from the cockpit of the Honda, was still shaking from fear and talked about a miracle. Things were a bit worse for the KTM, whose fairing was totally destroyed after having played the role of an airbag and absorbing most of the impact. Clutch lever and left footpeg also missing, everything else was fine. The Austrian bike was strong and could be repaired, but the trip was over for the 1090R. At this moment, lost in the middle of nowhere, the situation seemed pretty bad. But miracles were not in short supply tonight and less than two minutes after the crash, a pickup truck arrived! Kevin, the driver, volunteered to drive the broken bike and its rider to Hanksville, which meant an hour and a half of driving each way for him. This Good Samaritan was the perfect example of the helpful attitude of all the people encountered on this trip.

Riding on Mars

From Hanksville, we rented a pickup truck to go down to Moab, skipping a part of our initial trip but still wanting to try this specific part of the ride. Arriving in town, we emptied our wallet to rent a small KTM EXC350F. This way the European brand was still in the game. Five minutes from downtown Moab, the trail brought us to a different planet: red and purple rocks looked like they were straight out of a documentary about Mars. The trail became more technical but the Honda easily erased the obstacles with its soft suspension. The canyon opened up to a large valley. Sandy sections made the Africa Twin feel at home, using its power and torque to let the EXC far behind. We were on the trail for a few hours now, and what looked like a very small ride when we studied the map appeared to be a day-long ride. This country was definitively too big! We finally reached “chicken corner” named after the tourists who were afraid to drive their jeeps in this narrow pass above the Colorado River. We did some tricks on the cliff with the small KTM to make a point: dual sports riders are not chicken!

John Wayne Point

Last stop on our big loop, Monument Valley is only 3 hours from Moab by the highway. We unloaded the Africa Twin a few miles away from the famous park and used it to play in the sand following all the small single tracks we could find. These dusty trails were technical enough to make the challenge interesting, even if, for once, the distance was really short. In the park, motorcycles are forbidden, thanks to the bikers who stuck their Harleys in the sand during the summer. We didn’t try to cheat and we stayed on the overlook point, trying to absorb the majesty of this incredible landscape. In our mind, memories of old western movies came alive. We decided to use the small campground to camp here. We wouldn’t do it in the summer with all the tourists, but today, we were alone in one of the best camping spots on the planet. It was hard to resist! At sunset, the colors were so bright that we were close to giving up on civilization to stay here forever.

Legitimate Destination

On the way back to Los Angeles, we had a few hours to kill and we used them to talk about our adventure, trying to forget about the mule deer and the destroyed KTM but instead focusing on what we learned. The incredible distances we covered in just a few days were the first good surprise of the trip. Today’s America is not as wild as it used to be but still continues to be a legitimate destination for adventurers. In term of suspension and power, our two bikes impressed us. Hard to believe that 1000cc bikes could be so versatile and so good for off-road use! Last, but not least, we learned that this adventure could have turned into a real nightmare if it wasn’t for the two of us riding together. Discovering the world is wonderful, but so much safer when you share it with a friend!

Thank you so much to…

Eric Antunes from KTM France and Tom Moen at KTM USA who managed to provide us a 1090R; Jason Abbott at Honda USA for the Africa Twin; KLIM for the Carlsbad and Badland gear that protected us from cold and injuries; Sidi whose Adventure and Off-Road boots did a great job keeping our feet warm; Shinko tires who put E804/805 tires on our bikes to keep them on the right line in all of those tough conditions; François Carrette from Natti Bar who gave us enough food to survive the cold winter temperatures; Bruno Debard who came especially from France to do this trip; Kevin Glassett ( www.gpskevinadventurerides.com ) who created - as usual - the perfect GPS track.