Scott Brady
Founder
Andrew was using the EarthRoamer this past weekend, which left his very nice 1150GSA in the shop. That bike has seen some serious adventures, and looked a bit lonely, sitting there, on its center-stand. When I wheeled it out of the shop, I could almost hear the KTM growling - grrrrrrr.
So, a little back-story. This bike (not this exact one) is actually the first motorcycle I ever lusted over. I remember the moment exactly. They had just been released, and I think either Outside or Mens Journal had just featured it. This was timed with a trip to REI, where there was a brand-new 1150GSA siting outside. It was love. The headlamps stand out in my memory.
Now, I have ridden Andrew's 1150GSA before, even in some pretty rough terrain, but yesterday's trip was unique. I asked Stephanie if she wanted to do a ride in the mountains, which we had done before, but never in the dirt. Fortunately, she is pretty adventurous for a supermodel
, and the fall colors were coming to Prescott, so we grabbed the gear from the shop and got ready to go.
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The GSA is well-suited to two-up riding, though I found it interesting that Stephanie thought the KTM was more comfortable to ride (minus the searing exhaust). The GSA is certainly more comfortable for me to ride. For how big the GSA is, it is surprisingly stable and easy to pilot.
We stopped by Linx Lake for a bit. The weather was perfect.
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Our route continued south on Walker Road until it hit the dirt. At first, it is just a nice, smooth graded road. The leaves were falling, and orange, which made Stephanie very happy (her favorite color is orange).
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Then, the road turns into a two-track, that is not well maintained. Still, the GSA was an easy ride, with the low first gear and stable manners. We just chugged along over the rocks and small climbs. Most noticeable was the 19" front wheel and reduced suspension travel over the KTM. But really, it was no big thing, and we plodded along.
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Walker Road ends at the Senator Highway, which is well maintained and scenic. There, the leaves were falling again, so Stephanie grabbed one for a souvenir of our first dirt ride together, which will certainly not be our last. . .
.jpg)
So, a little back-story. This bike (not this exact one) is actually the first motorcycle I ever lusted over. I remember the moment exactly. They had just been released, and I think either Outside or Mens Journal had just featured it. This was timed with a trip to REI, where there was a brand-new 1150GSA siting outside. It was love. The headlamps stand out in my memory.
Now, I have ridden Andrew's 1150GSA before, even in some pretty rough terrain, but yesterday's trip was unique. I asked Stephanie if she wanted to do a ride in the mountains, which we had done before, but never in the dirt. Fortunately, she is pretty adventurous for a supermodel
, and the fall colors were coming to Prescott, so we grabbed the gear from the shop and got ready to go.
The GSA is well-suited to two-up riding, though I found it interesting that Stephanie thought the KTM was more comfortable to ride (minus the searing exhaust). The GSA is certainly more comfortable for me to ride. For how big the GSA is, it is surprisingly stable and easy to pilot.
We stopped by Linx Lake for a bit. The weather was perfect.
Our route continued south on Walker Road until it hit the dirt. At first, it is just a nice, smooth graded road. The leaves were falling, and orange, which made Stephanie very happy (her favorite color is orange).
Then, the road turns into a two-track, that is not well maintained. Still, the GSA was an easy ride, with the low first gear and stable manners. We just chugged along over the rocks and small climbs. Most noticeable was the 19" front wheel and reduced suspension travel over the KTM. But really, it was no big thing, and we plodded along.
Walker Road ends at the Senator Highway, which is well maintained and scenic. There, the leaves were falling again, so Stephanie grabbed one for a souvenir of our first dirt ride together, which will certainly not be our last. . .