TAT 2020 Post-07 Last Update For This Year

 

Our original plans to go back and do the eastern half of the TAT from Charleston, SC to Little Rock, AR this year was abandoned due to the pandemic. With the hope of a vaccine and something approaching normal in 2021, I have started planning for making this trip happen. That being said, it may take a totally different approach than what I’ve been posting recently. A lot has taken place in 2020 and it has made me realize that there are still a few things I would like to accomplish before I am unable to make them happen. I turned 73 in October and although I am still very active with mountain biking and white-water rafting, I can tell that it takes more effort to accomplish the same old tasks and I definitely feel it a few days afterwards. Our original plan for 2020 was to use my 2006 Jeep Wrangler and do support for my son and a few friends while they rode dual-sport motorcycles. This was primarily for my son, Jeff, who joined us on our TAT 2016-18 ride for the Little Rock to Port Orford, OR sections. He now wants to complete the eastern half and I want to be there when he does. My wife, Liz, had planned on being my co-driver in the Jeep for the 2020 attempt.

As things usually happen in my life, I see something that immediately sparks an uncontrollable urge to do the same thing. This type of event triggered several of my other adventure trips including the trip to the Arctic Circle in Alaska and even the original TAT ride. Recently a friend of mine, Michael, who by the way was our support driver on one of the TAT legs in 2016-2018, said he had been watching YouTube videos about a guy riding a Honda C90 all over the world. I talked Michael into buying a Honda CRF230 several years ago and helped get him started in motorcycle riding. Since then, he has bought a Harley Davidson and made several muti-thousand-mile trips around the country. I went to YouTube and watched several of the C90 videos and was hooked.

The YouTube channel is called C90Adventures and is made by this young guy who basically rides this old C90 all around the world with very little planning. His adventures are truly inspiring because he finds some remarkably interesting ways to overcome hazards or equipment failures that seem to happen pretty regular to this guy. After watching the videos, I started realizing that I miss riding a motorcycle but was not interested in getting another big bike but wanted a small light bike that could still handle the eastern TAT.

In 2012 I rode a Harley Davidson Ultra Classic to Fort Nelson, British Columbia on my way to Alaska with a friend of mine, Jim, who was also on a Harley Davidson. We had to stop at Fort Nelson because the ALCAN Highway was washed out in Yukon Territory. We diverted back to the USA but make stops in some beautiful locations including Yellowstone. BTW look how much stuff I carried on this first trip. I learned to take half of what you think you will need on later trips and you will still be carrying too much!

In 2014 Jim and I tried again and made it this time, but I had traded my HD for a Yamaha Super Tenere (S10) adventure bike. The S10 was much better suited for this trip especially the ride on the Dalton Highway to the Arctic Circle. Jim used his HD again and rode everywhere I did but had to work a lot harder on the HD.

In 2016-2018 I completed the 5600+ miles of the TAT from Charleston, SC to Port Orford, OR with three of my good friends and co-workers. We made it in 4 legs with my son joining us on the last 3 legs. For the 2 legs between Charleston and Lake City, CO I used a Honda CRF250L which handled the lower elevations and forest of the east very well. I even rode the CRF on the Alpine Loop in CO so it could also handle the mountain passes but had to work pretty hard at times. For legs 3 & 4 from Lake City, CO to Port Orford I used a KTM350EXC. The KTM had much more power and handled all the higher elevations with no problem but I had to do lots of modifications to make it work for me including reworking the complete suspension to drop it several inches.

In 2021 I plan on doing the eastern half of the TAT again, but I will be using a much different motorcycle this time. I have made a deposit on a new 2021 Honda CT125 Trail bike. This bike is so new that not many have even been delivered to the USA as of this date and I had to get on a waiting list so I could get one ASAP. The dealer has no idea when they will be received but I am hoping sometime early Spring. Why did I select this bike you may ask? It has a long history of design and reliability based on the C90 family. It is built for off-road and is light enough that I could drag it through a mud hole if I get stuck. The exhaust and air intake are up high so it can go through water almost to the seat without drowning. It has large 17” tires and spoked wheels, all good for off-road. Lots more good stuff on this bike but one of the most important is it has a 4 speed semi-automatic transmission meaning no clutch to deal with. I had added a Recluse clutch to my KTM and it had similar operation which made riding in tough terrain a much easier endeavor. I also know what to expect on the eastern half of the TAT and know this CT125 can handle it and it will be fun to do on such a small bike.

The final configuration and date of our TAT 2021 ride is based on several key factors:

1                     Will the vaccine be available, and will we have received both shots?

2                     When will the CT125 be delivered?

3                     Will it be a supported trip (Liz in the Jeep) or unsupported?

Both Liz and I agree that unless we have received the vaccine, we will not be making a cross country trip like this.

This will be my last post for TAT 2020. All future post, including the participants and route will be under the TAT 2021 heading. I am looking forward to getting the CT125 and getting it ready for the trip. We will be using motels, so no camping gear required, meaning less to carry.

Be safe!