19-MAR-2010
Off Road
Before I started this trip, I was thinking that it would be fun to take some short off-road jaunts to see how the V-Strom would handle...but I didn't really expect to get myself to a point where I thought about turning back. I stopped to look at my GPS and saw that I was about half way through this "road" and decided to press forward. Besides, this was the adventurous route to where I wanted to go anyway.
19-MAR-2010
Mount Magazine
Here's a shot from the road close to Mount Magazine. The weather was great, and this was one of the better scenic look outs on the way up. I may need to do a panoramic of this later.
19-MAR-2010
Blue Mountain Lake, AR
I happened upon this lake by chance. I saw the sign and said 'what the heck' and turned to take a look. I'm glad I did since it turned out to be a rather secluded area that's not spoiled yet. It was about 65 degrees and sunny, and I took some time to rest and have a small cigar. While enjoying the break, work called while I was here, but that wasn't a problem since I was just taking in the scenery.
31-JAN-2010
Which one?
Which will be used for my Adventures...that will depend on the where I'm going. The good paved roads with twisties will be more fun with the VFR. The trips with gravel trails or difficult access will require the V-Strom.
31-JAN-2010
Now only needs luggage
Since I already have a Coocase topcase and Givi E360 side cases, I only need to get the brackets and adapters to mount those on the V-Strom (Ordering those today). I may also get a larger windshield, though the stock one works better than I expected. Some hand guards would be nice too.
31-JAN-2010
V-Strom DL650
Another look...notice the addition of the crash bars, skip plate, and center stand...which were added by the previous owner.
31-JAN-2010
Comparison
Looking at these two bikes, the first thing to notice is the height of the handlebars. The VFR has a sports bike (lower) position, while the V-Strom has a more upright stance (thought the VFR is the most comfortable sports bike made). Also notice the ground clearance of the V-Strom which will allow more off-road trips.
31-JAN-2010
Suzuki V-Strom DL650
Well I bought a V-Strom DL650 this weekend to go with my VFR. I love my VFR, but I may have better luck using the V-Strom for the trip to Alaska (someday). The bike is in great shape and I got a fair deal on the used 2008 bike. It already had a few extras on it, and it only has 3200 miles. The best part is that it's yellow so it matches my existing gear.
15-NOV-2009
Heading home
This morning was very foggy with visibility less than 100 feet up on the mountain. In some places I was only going about 10 MPH and followed some other bikers closely to help guide me through. My helmet visor fogged up terribly, then my glasses fogged up too. Fortunately the Queen Wilhelmina lodge was at the beginning (east end) of the scenic drive, so I stopped for breakfast and wiped off my visor. Next time I'll take some anti-fog wipes with me, but this time I just put some spit on my glasses to keep them from fogging (a scuba divers trick I learned from my Dad). I ended up taking a different route back that was lower in the valley to avoid the fog and got this picture.
14-NOV-2009
Inside Mena Mountain Top Motel/Cabins
Inside the cabin was nicely decorated and cozy. Some cabins vary on the amenities, like kitchen or jacuzzi. I noticed that the cabin had concrete foundations, which I liked since it's not noisy walking around. The back patio is screened in to keep the bugs out and made for a relaxing place to have a cigar, drink some scotch, and take in the mountain air after a long day's ride. Definitely a good escape from the noisy hotels in town. I felt my bike was safe outside.
14-NOV-2009
Made it to the cabin
Unpacked for the night. I found a nice, new cabin/motel called Mena Mountain Top Motel/Cabins. It's a small group of modern cabins just up a hill south of town. The road was well paved so it was no problem to get there on my VFR, except that the short road was fairly steep to get there so new riders should take notice. The parking next to my cabin was gravel, but was tightly packed and firm so the kick stand didn't have any problems holding up the VFR.
14-NOV-2009
Queen Wilhelmina State Park
The lodge at Queen Wilhelmina State Park in Arkansas. I stopped to rest, have a cigar and talked to the other bikers that were touring around same scenic drive. It's also a good place to sit and have a meal. I had the lunch buffet on the way out, and had breakfast there too on the way back the next day.
