Oops...

First, sorry about the drop....it does suck. I still have a bruise from going over my handlebars back in Sept!
Secondly, you are the father of a newborn...if you can handle that, you can handle anything!
 
Good Boots

I have been wearing the Tech 8 by Alpinestar for about 4 years now (I take then off at night) and they are a great boot, except for water-proof-ness. They are good in rain, but the rear vents let water in when you are in water deeper than the pegs. They have an inner boot (removable) with gel inserts at the ankles. I have litterally had the bike land on my foot, ankle and didn't get so much as a bruise.

The picture below was taken with my Go-Pro with the bike sitting on my leg/foot after a slow speed crash (bike stalled). No injury, not even any soreness afterward. Nothing beats good equipment.



Sorry to hear about the ankle and knee.
 
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Hellgate said:
Eric I got the bike about 2 months ago. Pretty good sized thread on it. In the bar I think.
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Must have been when I was on hiatus with work and training... did not have any time to even think about being online!

Nice ride! Heal fast, get knobbies and get back out there. :D
 
So how is it picking up a 600 lb bike? I consider my Gen 1 KLR to be a pig and just can't imagine trying to muscle that beauty.

Good thing you are a young buck-heal fast.

Pick your roads wisely as that really isn't a dirt bike. Knobs will help but can pack up with mud and won't be any fun in the gooey stuff.
 
She's an oinker!

I grabbed the bottom of the rear bag mount and the throttle. Extended the kick stand and turned the bars to lock. Squarted down a leaned into it. Once I figured out the leverage she came up somewhat ease.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk
 
FZ1inNH said:
Must have been when I was on hiatus with work and training... did not have any time to even think about being online!

Nice ride! Heal fast, get knobbies and get back out there. :D
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I understand, I remember the post about you being in training for a while. Gotta love an employer that PAYS you to learn stuff!

I think the only thing better is the job I have, a Corporate Training Manager! People love it when I hook them up with cool training. I also like teaching. I don't think I've mentioned it before, but 20+ years ago I started in the public schools. I quickly learned that elementary kids intimidate the hell out of me!!!
 
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Well I think the right ACL is tweaked in addition to the ankle. The b*tch is sore when the femur rotates on the tibia and fibia....

After three knee surgeries I can pretty much "feel" what is not correct. Freaking 43 years of skiing...

That said I suspect it is a slight strain, not a tear...time will fix it.
 
I did the same thing when I forgot to lower the side stand. Going down and of course I'm trying to slow the fall and tweaked my left knee. After two surgeries and an ACL reconstruction from skiing I can feel that it's a bit of cartelege that tore off. The knee is still stable laterally. Going to see the knee doc to be sure and get it scoped. Forty plus years of skiing makes me sensitive to my knee issues.

Good luck with your knee.

BTW, my prevous knee guy told me that a strain is a micro tear of the ligament.
 
OldBiker said:
BTW, my previous knee guy told me that a strain is a micro tear of the ligament.
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Oh I know, I'm just playing ostrich right now, please play along...

When I tweaked my ankle this summer on the skateboard I knew right away I'd torn a ligament. I didn't bother to see a Doc as it was "most likely" a type one strain. I think my knee and ankle are the same...ugh..

The good thing is I've also re-injured my left knee that was repaired in Iraq back in early '07, medial meniscus tear. That one I did exercising!

I suppose between the two sides I am "balanced???"

Getting old sucks.
 
Good Stuff

Hellgate said:
I just picked up a pair of Tech 8s. Nice looking boots.
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You will like these boots. They are a bit stiff for shifting at first, but they break in a little. You just have to adjust to shifting without much lever feel. Standing on the pegs with these boots will feel much better with the really tough sole on them. Check the heal plate screws once in a while, they sometimes get loose. Best part is when they get nasty inside the inner boots, soles can be pulled out and hand washed, keeping them in good shape much longer.

Hellgate said:
Heidenau K60 Scouts on the way.
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Great tire, and you will be shocked at it's longevity. The front will take a bit of getting used to and won't bite like a full on knobby with a tendency for more side slip in gravel, but much better than what you had on there. The rear will surprise you in the dirt/gravel and be much better on the road than you expect. Changing the rear without a machine is not any fun though with sidewalls made out of Adamantium or some similar material. It can be done, but bring friends with strong hands. Don't over inflate like the sidewall might indicate. I have been good with 32 psi (cold) and always get around 16,000-18,000 km out of the rear. Even with all the tire spinning abuse that I give the tire in gravel and rocks.

Buy the 3 longest tire irons that you can fit in your riding kit if you want to be able to do a trail-side repair on that tire. I used the side stand to break the bead (bike on center stand, side stand extended, wheel positioned under the stand, tip bike slightly) and it works like a charm.
 
Oldschool said:
You will like these boots. They are a bit stiff for shifting at first, but they break in a little. You just have to adjust to shifting without much lever feel. Standing on the pegs with these boots will feel much better with the really tough sole on them. Check the heal plate screws once in a while, they sometimes get loose. Best part is when they get nasty inside the inner boots, soles can be pulled out and hand washed, keeping them in good shape much longer.







Great tire, and you will be shocked at it's longevity. The front will take a bit of getting used to and won't bite like a full on knobby with a tendency for more side slip in gravel, but much better than what you had on there. The rear will surprise you in the dirt/gravel and be much better on the road than you expect. Changing the rear without a machine is not any fun though with sidewalls made out of Adamantium or some similar material. It can be done, but bring friends with strong hands. Don't over inflate like the sidewall might indicate. I have been good with 32 psi (cold) and always get around 16,000-18,000 km out of the rear. Even with all the tire spinning abuse that I give the tire in gravel and rocks.



Buy the 3 longest tire irons that you can fit in your riding kit if you want to be able to do a trail-side repair on that tire. I used the side stand to break the bead (bike on center stand, side stand extended, wheel positioned under the stand, tip bike slightly) and it works like a charm.
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Have you heard of Full Bore Adventure tires? They are similar to Shinko 705 but with more spacing in the tread. ....and 2/3 to 1/2 the price of heidenau.
 
Hail said:
Have you heard of Full Bore Adventure tires? They are similar to Shinko 705 but with more spacing in the tread. ....and 2/3 to 1/2 the price of heidenau.
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Never until now; Full Bore Tires - Adventure Touring

Let me know if you try them. I prefer the tread pattern on the K-60s , and have seen a similar tread on another tire (like the full bore) both the Shinko 705 and the Bridgestone "Trailwing" which is affectionately referred to as the "Death-Wings".
I've done a lot of research on tires, but have never come across this one before.

The Heidenau might be expensive, but the value considering the mileage is amazing. As an Example, I really like the Continental TKC-80 front and rear, but by 8000 km the rear was done. The front gets a bit more (around 10,000) but is totally scalloped off and rides really weird by then. They are about $80.00 more (per) than the K-60'S (UP HERE ANYWAY) and get far less mileage (nearly half the life-span)

So many shops won't mis-match tires, but since I do my own now, I currently run a Michelin T-63 up front (they run about $65 dollars down in the US) and a K-60 scout out back. The T-63 is by far the best wearing (most even) tire that I have tried up front thus far and despite having 2/3 the tread depth of a TKC-80 it wore better, more evenly and had just as much traction as the Continental. Great 50/50 tire for the front.

Any 50/50 tire will be a compromise in both dirt and on pavement. Wet conditions will highlight this in both areas as well. Of all the tires and combinations that I have tried over the last 50,000 kms on the Big Adventure, my favorite is T-63 up front and K-60 out back, giving both good adhesion in all conditions on and off road. I have even dragged saddlebags and boots cornering with this tire combination on dry pavement, so you don't have to worry about losing the "fun factor" for an aggressive rider.



Link: http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/19852/i/michelin-t63-dual-sport-rear-tire

Link: http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/heidenau-k60-scout-rear-tire

For rear tires, more dirt biased you should also consider the Dunlop 908 (606 front match) or the Michelin Desert (T-63) both should be far better off road, but less lifespan on road. Mileages in around 7-8 thousand which is similar to the Continental TKC-80 rear, and all of which will be noisy on pavement.
 
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