Off Road diversion on the way to Zions

[dantama]

I had another off road diversion on the way to zions. I was going to be proud of this one

Along the side of the road in one of the desolate (no humans for miles) areas of southern Utah, there were dirt formations along the road where dirt bikers have ridden. I saw one particular bowl that made me wonder if I could do it?

I had to find a way over some rough spots between it and the road, but when I got there I thought it was very doable.

I set up my camera, but unbeknown to me, the lens didn't open more than a crack. Once I got to the motel and found that I didn't really capture it, I was a bit disappointed :(

Here's a still photo, and I'll post the Youtube video, even though it's the same crack of a picture, not the whole thing :(" title="" border="0"/>




And the video

[ringadingh]

Looks like your riding on the moon.

You're a madman, Dan. Simply mad, I tell you!

[dantama]

Originally Posted by Ringadingh

Looks like your riding on the moon.

I don't have more pictures of that area, but this one is further down the road.

It looks very lunar in that part.

[tkd]

Dan, I have no doubt that you are a very good rider based on what I have seen here and read here. I am curious what motivates you to rag on the Nomad so bad when riding. It's your own choice and I respect that. I'm just curious what forces you have inside of you that keep telling you it is a dirtbike/trials bike.

BTW, I mean this with the utmost respect.

[dantama]

Originally Posted by tkd

Dan, I have no doubt that you are a very good rider based on what I have seen here and read here. I am curious what motivates you to rag on the Nomad so bad when riding. It's your own choice and I respect that. I'm just curious what forces you have inside of you that keep telling you it is a dirtbike/trials bike.

BTW, I mean this with the utmost respect.

No offense taken at all.

I find my Nomad to be just a piece of machinery, albeit a very nice looking piece of machinery.

If I bought a $30,000 4x4 and went off roading, nobody would bat an eye, I'm doing it on a $10,477 machine.

I do have some scratches on my bike, but those at the Western Rally will probably agree that it doesnt look beat at all.

Being as it is a piece of machinery to me, I let people barrow it no problem. I once saw a guy looking through the window of the Kawi dealer after hours, gazing intently at a nomad. I pulled over and talked with him, he was considering a Nomad. I offered to let him take mine around the block. He was shocked, but pleased.

I know guys with beat Harley's that won' t let anyone touch it, I've never understood that; but I suppose they must have more of an emotional connection to it than I do.

Don't get me wrong, I love my bike. Life would be so much worse without it. Just at the end of the day, it's a piece of machinery, rubber, plastic, and steel.

And coupled with that lengthy explanation, there is another part of me that loves to see what a piece of machinery can do. I mean what it really can do.

I see many situations where I think things like, "I'll bet it could" "I wonder it I could" etc. I love to find the answers to those questions.

Riding through Zions at the Western Rally I saw so many things that I thought, I'll bet I could get all the way up on that. If it weren't illegal and damaging, I would have tried :)

I do the same thing with 4x4 trucks, my sports cars, heavy equipment (backhoes bulldozers etc.) Mt. Bikes, ......everything really.

I bought my first Nomad in 99 new, I sold it with 63,000 on it. When I bought it, my brother thought I was crazy to spend that much on a bike. When I sold it, he said that I got every penny's worth out of it, and he was right.

Originally Posted by Dan Lund

...I see many situations where I think things like, "I'll bet it could" "I wonder it I could" etc. ....

I recall thinking like that, before I found myself upside down on a dirt hill with a KZ900 on top of me, shortly after thinking, "I wonder if I can make it up that?"

I still think I'd have made it if not for that stupid Nitto tire on the back. ;)

I saw a quote somewhere that said...
"All bikes are dirtbikes. Some are just better at it than others."
;)

[dantama]

Originally Posted by bc

I saw a quote somewhere that said...
"All bikes are dirtbikes. Some are just better at it than others."
;)

Of course I like that one :)


Here is the hill from Google Earth. If you haven't played around with Google Earth, it's amazing.

[tkd]

Fair Enough.

*mental note*----never play follow the leader with Dan Lund

BTW, you don't have any drawbridges within riding distance do you?