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Giantloop Saddlebag on my Dual Sport

Giantloop Saddle bags on my HusqvarnaOver the weekend I cruised out to Giantloop Headquarters to have their saddle bag installed on my 2008 Husqvarna TE 610. It’s really not a saddle bag – it’s more. It’s a tail bag + saddlebag in one compact design – keeping your bike thin, but allowing you to carry everything you need for an extended weekend adventure or the daily commute to town. It’s designed to spread the contents of the bag evenly without placing unnecessary weight toward the back of your machine. I could have used it on my trip to Tulelake and back for sure.

The bag fit perfectly! The only downside are the holes left over in the tail plastic from the rack I had installed – which is now in a box in my garage. The bag was positioned a little further back than they would have liked – but not too much. It needed to be to allow the saddle to come off quickly on the trail if neccesary. The bag is fastened very securely to the side plastic panels and the tail plastic. The supplied heat shield is a must for this bike and works perfectly to prevent the bag from coming into contact with the exhaust. The black Ballistic Cordura looks pretty cool with this bike and would no doubt be a cool addition to any Husqvarna SuperMoto as well.

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Giant Loop Moto (dot com)

My colleague HOC and his buddy David Wachs have launched a new business here in Central Oregon – Giant Loop Moto – Motorcycle Saddle Bags. If you own a Dual Sport motorcycle and have longed for that perfect saddle bag for your weekend adventures, this is the bag for you. Light, compact, and designed to withstand the roughest of terrain this bag literaly ‘hugs’ your bike without interfering with your riding position – I’ll be bolting this bag on to my Husqvarna for sure! Word is their 1st delivery comes next week.

Check them out at giantloopmoto.com.

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To Tulelake on my 610 & GPS fun

Going to visit our friends who kind-of live in Tulelake. Half their property is in California the other half in Oregon – Big ranch with cows, sheep, chickens, etc. Fun to visit, kick up the feet on their porch and stare at wide open space that just goes on for miles and miles. This weekend is the Tulelake Fair! Woo Hoo! We went hmm – about 3 years ago and it was a blast – Ferris Wheel, haunted houses, slides, , shooting galleries, corn dogs, bbq, livestock, and disgruntled carnies. Good times.

This year I’ll be cruising down on my Dual Sport, taking as many dirt/gravel roads as possible to see the more obscure areas of this beautiful state, should be fun. With a spare tube, snacks, extra gas can, and other essentials, I should be in good shape. Luck favors the prepared.

I’ll have my GPS and will be making tracks and marking waypoints for future visits. If your into bringing along your GPS on outings and want to do something with all that data check out GPS Visualizer. I discovered it recently and it’s pretty cool. Once your there, you can take that data and send it to another site like Everytrail. You can make maps that detail your outing. Cool.

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1st ride on my Husqvarna TE 610

Cruised out w/ ad HOC last night on my 1st ride on the dirt w/ my new bike. It’s been years since I’ve been on a Dual Sport, but it was time to try something different now that my Ducati is gone (long story).

Why switch to a Husqvarna? I demo-d this bike last week and was instantly hooked. For me, this was/is the bike for Bend. I could ride to work (either my single speed or now my 610) AND I could ride the trails! So I bought one. :^)

The peeps at Bend Euro Moto dialed me out with everything I needed that I didn’t already have. Kathy Jo and David – Thanks! (Those guys are friends, and clients as well). :^)

I picked up my 610 at Bend Euro Moto on Tuesday afternoon and couldn’t wait to take it out.

So my 1st ride was awesome! Totally sketchy at some points, but for the most part a really good time, and can’t wait to get out again!
Even though it was a short one, it was plenty for me. Riding on dirt is way different than street, so there’s going to be a learning curve for sure.

We cruised out to Triangle Hill to catch the sun set behind the Cascades, it was an awesome moment. There’s more pix on my Flickr page of the mini adventure.