Trans New Mexico Ride on a KLR650

[robertahaakjr]

Great state and great bike. Nice job!

[Fubuki101]

The house photo at 2:22 was worth the trip all by itself. Great video. Thanks for sharing.

[angloindian1]

Very nice vid. All the best.

[wheatleylaner]

very nice vid see ours i'd like to know the temperature and when u did the trip n any problemz - Terry montreal quebec canada :-)

[Jbirdsprings]

Wonderful video. Thanks for posting.It looks like a trip I will make in the future.

[TprLong]

I rode the divide but on a bicycle. The climb out of abiquiu NM was killer. I suffered from starvation and dehydration in NM. If it was not for all the food the elk hunters gave me, I would have been a bit more miserable. I did this alone.

[wildhorse888]

youtube.com/watch?v=JKW2rb1o5V­U

watch this video with this sound.

i like very much this bike, i got a xr 600, but i also want to have this bike.

[takephotography]

The KLR is great, but as much as I go out solo, a lighter bike is just better for me- easier to pick up and easier to maneuver, etc. Still I have done things on the KLR that most would consider impossible- and I am not a very skilled rider in comparison to many others out there.

[mycatwilatackyou]

I been riding Honda for 20 years XL's , XR's and even an NX , just got an 07 KLR 2 weeks ago and I love my new bike it fits me perfectly

[takephotography]

KLR is a great bike but now I ride a Honda XR650R which is lighter and doesn't have a battery that can fail- they are also known to be very reliable. I have had only one big problem with the KLR- sand in the carb- which wasn't the KLRs fault.

[yfbrenegab]

This is amazing, thank you for the video. I am thinking about doing the trail this upcoming summer, how was the 650? did you have any problems with it? I know some people say that a 650 is the biggest bike that should be taken out. Do you have any suggestions on how to get started on planning and preparing (basically from scratch, i have to buy a bike and all the gear)

Once again, this was a great video thank you for sharing!

[takephotography]

@yfbrenegab

It did (sand in the carb) end up draining the battery on a later trip however- which led me to the XR. The other benefit to the XR is it weighs 100 lbs less. which makes picking up the bike much easier. I have tipped over the KLR several times and crashed it a couple (at less than 25 mph) picking it up is a big pain especially with 40-50 more lbs of gear on the back.

[FerrisUnplugged]

Awesome shots and looks like a great trip... I am contemplating buying a KLR 650 and came across your video... what year is your bike? Do you still have the GPX file for the trip?

[skinimus]

Thoroughly enjoyable video. I pick up my first KLR650 on Friday! 

[ericivan32]

Appreciated this video.  Thanks for the quality photos and narration.

[simuma9]

Very cool vid , i have an KLR 2008 blue and have travled all south america, great bike!

[MikSane]

how much ridage are you getting between each valve adjustment??

[takephotography]

@MikSane

I get 8k just did the valves a couple of months ago and they were perfectly within spec. I didn't need to shim them at all.

[frontier1701]

really good vid.... a little concerned about spiders and snakes while your sleeping/camping tho..... yeow

[takephotography]

@frontier1701

Thanks!

Really not a problem. I shake out my boots in the morning. Snakes- I have never had a snake try to cuddle with me- well at least the ones without legs and arms.

[takephotography]

bees-

I carry a sleeping bag, a rei bivy sack, tarp (that's the "tent" you see), food, extra clothes and jacket. I try to get as light as possible, a tipped over KLR is heavy enough to get up when you are on your own much les one that has too much weight on it. The tarp/bag/ bivy combination kept me warm and dry even though each night it rained.

[37enjoylife]

@takephotography What size is the tarp you are using? It appears to be just the right size. I am going to do 3 days of ride/camp/ fish over here in PA.

[takephotography]

@37enjoylife

9.5 x 8 outdoor research

[noystinkinbeeswax]

I really enjoyed your video. I brought home my new KLR this evening, and it now has 15 miles on it! What details can you share regarding the list of gear you carried with you on your journey...ie: strapped to the bike. I would especially like to know more about the tent you used in the video.

Many thanks!

[kahoonabear]

EXCELLENT. THANKS.

[jaimenote]

I was watching a Marty Stouffer Wild America episode and learned that baby fawns instinctually crouch low (to reduce visibility in brush or grasslands) while the Doe or other members of the herd dissapear from view. The hope is that the perceived predator will be distracted by the older members who withdraw from the newborn. After a time they circle back and regroup.

[ytoobpg]

Very nice! I have a BMW XCountry and want to explore the SW part of the state. The one thing that is painful about ride videos though is that I have trouble finding the places that are mentioned on a map. Any chance you can share your route more explicitly? Google map links? :)

[takephotography]

Thanks for all the positive feedback. I am doing the Great Western Trail in two parts Arizona from the Mexican border to Flagstaff in the Spring, and the rest in the summer- teaching does have its benefits.

[jerryh64]

hey can i bring my KLR on the next one???? nice video

[jmbean68]

Great photography and nice bike too!

[blundercat87]

Nice trip! Yeah Colorado!

[blindsleep]

I live in Albuquerque, I can't wait till I get my KLR in the spring. I plan on doing some traveling myself. There is nothing like exploring the planet.

[yokohamaguy75]

fantastic video. Great job explaining each photo and giving us a good feeling of how wonderful your trip must have been. Please make more videos ASAP. This is what owning a KLR is all about! Keep it up!

[nonfatcat]

Well, that was pretty cool, but dude...

The individual shots were great, the sequencing, the music, all combined made an fantastic video.

The rest of us knuckleheads that can only dream about such adventures, appreciate the time, effort, and planning, you put into this.

Oh, and thanks for the ride too... : )

[COMB0RICO]

Good job!

[takephotography]

At the point I made that video I had made the following Mods: Happy trails skid plate and nerf bars, ram mount for the GPS. Other wise it was stock and in hindsight I would have changed the tires- using a knobby dunlop 606 makes everything easier on the dirt. My future mods will be changing the shocks.

[jprmovie]

Cool video. I just picked up an 09 KLR. What kind of modifications have you done to it?

[7ru]

Fork brace is a must. Got mine from Happy Trails (K-9), huge improvement on front end stability.

Steel braided brake lines up front really strengthen braking power too.

And of course blue Lock-Tite on everything.

[RideM8]

Nice video of a good ride! Soundtrack was a xlnt choice too. I have decided to give up my Harley riding ways and get a new KLR ! Thanks!

[imacrazydude9999999]

how does it do at 75 mph? would you recommend me getting one for a long road trip from utah to central america?

[takephotography]

I like it but I would also like a te 610 from husquavarna

[diedude450]

wanting to do this trip, do you have it mapped out

[takephotography]

Yes, let me know if you want the gpx file

[diedude450]

sure do,

thank you

[Lloyd78T]

Anyway I could get that gpx file? I'm gearing up for a cross country from RI to Cali and would love to side track on that route

[diedude450]

how can i gret te file

[Propfrwrd]

Great slide show! How did you take your pics while moving and what settings did you have on the cam?

[takephotography]

Where I felt safe I put the camera around my neck and then pressed the side shutter release while riding. I made a lot of mistakes but some came out good. I imagine the SS was at around 1/30th +/- 1 stop.

[grmnmike]

Nice job, i enjoyed watching it.

[mvertigo16]

Dude, that is awesome. I also traversed NM, north to south, in July of '08 on a KLR... spent vast majority of my time on highways though, getting blasted by brutal crosswinds. Got to Colorado though, and everything was good.

[pocket366]

Why did you choose the "Bird" with its front beak? Are you a bird man?

Klr's were nice until 2008, then they added the fairing (and the beak).

Why didn't you just buy a handsome dr650se? It's nice and simple, dependable and not an eye soar.

[TheDirtNinja]

Nice video. What do you use for editing?

[takephotography]

Imovie and an apple

[moparmainac]

This is the reason for adventure touring on a motorcycyle...seeing things and places you wouldn't normal get to.....love it! Where to next?

[takephotography]

Back to school...unfortunately. Next year colorado might be the destination- maybe a state at a time to the great divide trail

[joekirklin]

Looks like a great ride. Makes me want to get out there really bad. You happy with your KLR?

[takephotography]

Yes very happy with the KLR- its a great bike economically pried and capable.