The Best Gear and Bike for the Trans America Trail
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- Опубликовано: 4 сен 2021
- After many lessons learned the hard way while completing the Trans America Trail, here is our gear review and a few things we wish we would have done differently. Our Honda CRF450L and Honda CRF450RL were the perfect bikes, and after a few weeks, we found the gear, protection, and accessories that made our trip most enjoyable. A motorcycle that is as close as possible to a true dirt bike was certainly best for the route we chose.
Gear:
Kriega Trail 18 Adventure Backpack
www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/k...
USWE Ranger 4 Hydration Backpack
www.uswe-sports.com/c-ranger-...
Alpinestars Tech 5 boots:
www.alpinestars.com/products/...
Dicks Sporting Goods Compression Shirt and Pants
www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/...
www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/...
Alpinestars knee pads:
www.alpinestars.com/products/...
Leatt GPX 4.5 Lite jacket
leatt.com/us/shop/moto/riding...
Klim Carlsbad jacket
www.klim.com/Carlsbad-Jacket-...
Arai XD-4 Helmet
www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/a...
Mods:
Vortex Ignition
www.crfsonly.com/catalog/adva...
Dunlop D606 Dual Sport Rear Tire, 130/90x18 (69R)
www.rockymountainatvmc.com/
Pirelli MT21 Rallycross Dual Sport Front Tire, 90/90x21 (54R)
www.rockymountainatvmc.com/
Yoshimura RS-4 Full System Exhaust
sandiegopowerhouse.com/produc...
IMS 3.0 Gallon Fuel Tank
www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/i...
Zeta Pro Armor Hand Guards
www.crfsonly.com/
Seat Concepts Low Comfort Seat
seatconcepts.com/products/cop...
RAM Mounts Universal Cell Phone Holder Kit
www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/r...
Tusk Accessory Dash Panel
www.rockymountainatvmc.com/pa...
BikeMaster Dual USB Charger
www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/b...
12oclockLabs Fender Eliminator kit
shop.12oclocklabs.com/index.ph...
Acerbis X-Grip Frame Guards
www.revzilla.com/motocross/ac...
Double Take Adventure Mirror
www.crfsonly.com/
Pro Taper Pillow Top Grips
www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/p...
Trackside Grip Heaters
www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/t...
Aux Power Connector Kit
www.crfsonly.com/catalog/adva... 
Авто/Мото
![TRASH or PASS! Eminem ( Houdini ) [REACTION!!!]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cB1WrZcMwMc/mqdefault.jpg)
One of the best TAT gear reviews ever! Thanks for sharing. Subbed.
Thanks! We are working on more videos from our trip
Wow! Very informative and interesting, thank you. I'm interested in back county riding but your videos have shown me that I outta just stick to the paved roads. Physically, you guys are crushing it, kudos to you, very cool to watch.
Glad you enjoyed it, back country riding is a lot of fun and can be enjoyable for just about any skill level, you just have to choose your trails wisely.
YOUR SON .. IS SOOO BLESSED TO HAVE A FATHER LIKE YOU. GOD BLESS YOU.. THERE IS NOTHING BETTER FOR A MAN THEN A SON.
Thanks for the very informative video. It's always great to learn what works well for others and what doesn't. Now that I'm in my 60s my adventures are more in the easier BDR realm rather than the more hardcore TAT, but most of your info was still relevant to the riding that I do.
You are most welcome, thanks for watching, ride on!
Great video! Super informative! Can't wait to see your video about route selection. I plan on doing the TAT SPRING OF 2023. A 50th birthday present to myself.✌️
Thanks for watching. That’s a great birthday present, the TAT really is the trip of a lifetime. We had Sam’s and Kevin’s maps and just looked at both every day and picked the one that looked the most interesting.
Amazing journey. Your videos are excellent-clear informative insights. Thank you. Greetings and respect to all from Durango Mexico 🇲🇽
Glad you enjoyed it!
Enjoyed the complete series of videos. Really appreciate the bike modifications and equipment review after the ride. Working this winter to set up 2 new XR650L's for the TAT in 2022 and the information provided was very helpful. I completely agree with the D606 & MT21 tire selection, they work great on my current XR650L. Thanks again and ride safe.
Glad you enjoyed it. Best of luck on your TAT preparations, it really is a trip of a lifetime.
Great video fellas.
Really informative on the real bones of the job.
My son and I across the pond over here are currently taking about doing such a trip some day.
Thank you, it’s a great trip, really glad I got to do it with my son. Adventure of a lifetime.
Very useful resource fellas, thank you
Awesome review. Thank yall so much.
Thanks for watching!
Great detail filled video, the details are what most miss out on so thanks.
Good deal, glad to be of assistance. The TAT really is a great trip.
Thanks for the adventure. I found this doing research for my 2023 CRF450RL purchase. Great to see what this bike can really do!
Congratulations! It’s a great bike, hope you enjoy it. Do you have any adventures planned?
@@BillyTyo Still waiting for it. Plus we are buried in 4' of snow here in Minnesota, so it's snowmobile and skiing season.
I am going to bring it to Arkansas in April with my R1. I'll break in the CRF and explore the back roads.
Probably bring it out to the Black Hills in SD as well. There is some good stuff in northern MN, but not like what you have down there!
I’m preparing to ride for the first time in Colorado this year. This video was super helpful not knowing what to expect coming from Michigan terrain. Thank you guys!
You are welcome. Colorado was the highlight of our trip, I’ve never ridden anywhere like it. Hope you enjoy!
I had the packtalk slim and I converted over to packtalk bold and I like it much better simply because you can detach it and charge it off the helmet, great video and I appreciate the detail you went into in describing all the different types of setups that you experimented with
That would be nice, thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed it
Great video guys! I've ran the K270's on my DR350 for a while, I've been pretty impressed with them for the money.
They are good (especially for the money), but I think I prefer the D606 just in case you want to do more off roading.
Excellent video and very thorough.
Thank you
This is REALLY helpful as it is real world. Thank You!!!
Glad you liked it!
thanks for the video. Highly recommend hip packs for hydration. I have a Dakine that holds 2L. Supported by the seat when you're sitting down, weight down low when you're standing up. Also nothing sitting against your back/shoulders so much more airflow to keep you cool.
Thanks for the tip! I will check them out.
Thanks for sharing! That's a really good idea but only if you don't carry baggage behind you...Otherwise, it will bump into it even more than the backpack...I still would use it on a day trips instead of a backpack...
Best on the tube. Thanks guys.
Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed it!
Great overview. Good info on the Wolfman bags, didn't know you could run larges on the E-base as the official video from wolfman say to only run mediums on that system.
I wasn't aware that you were not supposed to run the large bags either, but the seemed to work out fine for us. We really didn't have any issues with the Wolfman, would definitely used them again.
Great follow up video. I soloed the TAT on a ktm500 this summer. I totally agree with - not wearing a back pack ( not even a hydration pack. IMO,). 6800+ mi. Very fatiguing indeed. Great job guys!
Wow, solo TAT is impressive!
Love watching you guys. It’s tempting to think I could ride that way but I know you’re both experienced racers. Even so, it’s great to see how riding technical stuff is done. It seemed like you guys never really slowed down! Educating and entertaining to watch. I also find it inspiring that a father and son would opt to spend that much time together and then actually get along through the whole experience. .
Can you add a link for the Wolfman luggage you used? Also, do you know when you’ll address your feedback on the various routes you opted for? Thanks for taking the time to produce such well edited videos.
Thanks so much, we had a great time on the trip, but we started getting on each others nerves the last week (we were both a bit tired and cranky by that point).
Here is a link to the luggage:
wolfmanluggage.com/collections/rolie-bags
Enjoyed the series. Appreciate all the work that goes into filming this kind of adventure for everyone else to enjoy. I'm looking at doing the TAT possibly this year. How or where did you get your maps to follow and stay on course?
We used Sam’s maps and GPS Kevin’s maps (downloaded them from their web sites). We just picked the route that looked the most interesting each day
Thanks. Good information, no music.
love the content!! thanks! keep it up!
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it! We are trying to decide what to do next....
Nice review guys. Holy shit a month to get them back. Thats brutal. Glad they arrived 👍
Thanks. I was really surprised (and disappointed) that it took a month to get them back, but they arrived in tact, so I can't complain too much. We just rode our KTM 250's while we waited on the Hondas.
Great series. When ya doing it again, I want to tag along for it :)
Thanks! Not sure when (or if) we will do it again (still recovering from this one), but we do have more adventures planned
I just bought a 2021 CFR 300 Rally and I’m planning on the TAT this summer with my son.
It’s a great trip! Where you starting from?
you guys are awesome great job with the videos and thank you for sharing with all of us i love riding out west its so beautiful also nice job with your wagon wheel tune Billy your a very talented guy i would love to kick it with ya
Appreciate it, keep on riding and strumming!
Much Respect!
Excellent info on your gear and rationale for each item. Your route for the TAT is much more aggressive than others I've watched. I'll need to review yours to get that perspective. Like another older rider has posted, at 64, I'm more inclined to keep to BDR-type rides as my 640 Adventure is more suitable (and my modest riding skills) for that. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for watching, ride on!!
Love the videos, I'm new to dual sport riding and won't be doing anything like you guys are doing any time soon. I got myself the baby CRF300L and just enjoying some local easy trails. I just ordered the MT-21 and tusk dsport rear, for what I hear is kinda similar to d606 but half price. Do you guys run tublis or rim locks? You got yourselves a new sub guys
Thanks for watching and subing! We just ran tubes on the trip and (amazingly) did not have one flat tire.
DRZ400E with a street kit. I've raced SCORE, BITD, and District 36/37/23 HS. Mine has over 50k miles and have road most of the TAT. It has a larger tank stock and better mpg than the CRF. I have a Yoshi 450 kit on mine and smoke CRF's off the line and top end.
Great video. Thank you for the reviews. Very helpful as I’ve just started planning my trip . Which route did you take and where did you get your maps??
Thanks! We used a mix of Sam’s and Kevin’s maps. We purchased the gpx files from each one’s web site and downloaded them.
Thanks very much Guys
From An Aussi stay safe
Thanks, you too!
I enjoyed the video's! Good job. Would like to talk about your ride with you.
I have a 2020 KTM 500 EXC-F. I agree the Honda 450 RL is most excellent machine. Thank you both for sharing
The EXC would be a good bike for this ride
Epic series of videos, probably the best TAT vids on youtube at the moment, thanks Billy and Jake for the hard yards you did and the escape from reality you gave given me during these "interesting" times!
Couple of questions and sorry if they are addressed in the videos but I couldn't find them
What was your GPS solution? Did you just use phones and if so what GPS apps did you use?
Did you get sick of the trail by the end and how did you mentally keep on track?
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the videos, it was a lot of work, but we had fun putting them together. We used smart phones for our navigation units, we just bought cheep ones and mounted them to our handlebars with a Ram mount. The phones worked well, but I didn’t love the Ram mount (we lost two phones during the course of the trip because they popped out of the mount on rough trail sections). We used the GAIA app for mapping, liked it a lot.
We did get a little burned out towards the end, mostly from exhaustion. The trail was interesting all the way through, but after a couple of weeks we were really tired and never did get rested up. But, we kept on plugging and had a great time.
Thanks Billy, merry Christmas and a happy new year to you and your family
Billy, any chance you can do a video breakdown of your experiences? Thanks Dam, that was ment to say expenses.
That is a good idea, I will work on that. Thanks for watching
backpack solution --> I use the Kriega OS system along with a Kriega R22 pack. I put two female clips on the backpack so that in transit I could clip all four mount points to the OS system on the pillion seat (back rack). This worked perfectly as I can wear the pack when I wanted, or just click it onto the pillion seat.
That’s a great idea!
great informative!
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it.
Giant Loop Coyote saddle bag is my favorite luggage setup. Leaves a lot of space open on the seat for freedom of movement in technical situations.
We looked at those, they look really nice
Which would I rather take to complete the TAT: a Husky, a KTM, or a super-reliable-easy-to-find-parts-for Honda? Easy decision. I binged watched your entire trek. Absolutely wonderful stuff. Thanks as well for sharing your thoughts on mods and luggage. It's clear you did your research.
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you guys, for the video! wondering ,how much miles you get from the D606 in dual sport riding, Billy?
We got around 3000 miles out of it, but it was definitely worn out by then
Great videos! I'm looking for your video on route selection. Is that out yet?
We haven’t done one on route selection. We had both Sam’s and Kevin’s maps loaded and just picked the routes that looked the most interesting
How would you like to sell me that tusk bag system that you didn't use because it was too big and hung down too low?
By the way that was a fabulous follow-up video. I watched much of your trip and loved it. I can't think of a better thing for a father and son to do!
Absolutely, DM me on my Instagram: @fwtyo
Great Videos Billy! How was the fuel range with the IMS and Rotopax, any close calls. What was the longest section between gas stations, thanks
We were getting around 40mpg, so with the 3 gallon IMS tank we got around 120 miles. With the 2 gallon rotopax we could add another 80 miles or so. There were only two or three days where we had to use the rotopax, couple times in the Utah desert and once in Oregon.
This is the best gear review I’ve seen. Thanks for sharing this. I’ll watch the rest of your TAT series! I have a 2017 KTM 350 EXC F. Would it do the trip ok or do you really need something closer to a 500?
New sub here!
Thanks for watching! The 350 would be great for the TAT, a little slow on the road but a blast on the trails. Ride on!
@@BillyTyo …. Thanks. You’re right about the highway speeds! It just doesn’t like much anything over 55!
@@WillysPerformanceCycleCtr the L’s are ok up to about 65.
@@BillyTyo …. That’s good. I’d like to do part of the TAT. I’ll be 68 this spring, if I’m gonna do it, I need get with it soon! Lol.
Nice setup. I've been watching for awhile and just finished a 720 mile loop around washington on my crf450L. I did it with a 1 gallon rotopax with an 18L rolly bag on top with clothes. Surprised you didn't put a front fender bag on. I got one with most of my tools in it.
That is quite a loop, nice work! We thought about a fender bag, but were afraid that it would get in the way of the headlight. Did you have any issues with yours blocking the headlight?
@@BillyTyo not too much but it does obscure the headlight a little. The headlight doesn't touch the ground for probably 10-15 feet. Does make the front feel pretty heavy when turning though.
@@keshmo12 that’s another thing I was worried about, turning
Not sure how it would fit in the 450, but I loved the Mosko tank bag on my 690, with a bladder built in. Kept the water weight off of my back. I think it great idea, and suspect more tank bags will start adding bladders.
That is a really good idea, I’ll check it out
Good stuff guys. Curious why you didn't run the MT21 in rear also. They've done really well on my KTM500.
That seems like a good option, just as running the D606 in the front. Seems that the general consensus is that the D606 rear and MT21 front is just slightly better than running the same front and rear. We just trusted what others were saying and have not tested ourselves, but I’m sure any of those would do great.
@@jacobtyo7805 I ran the 21's on my XRL for years and now on my KTM500 and really like them. Find something you like and stick with it, right? Thanks for the video info.
Great info. I was wondering why you were doing such hard riding with such a crap front tire! I have the Tusk tank bag and it's great for my bigger bikes, but I have the Wolfman Enduro tank bag and it is small enough to stay out of the way on hard riding (though your tall tanks seem to make it hard to mount the bag far enough forward, it fits nicely over the filler cap of my WR250 with the IMS 3L tank.) The GL Pannier Pockets also seem like a great way to add storage up front but not get in your way. Looks like you brought the 2 gallon Rotopax in addition to the 3 gallon tank? No shoulder/elbow/hip protection?
We both had the three gallon tank, Jake had a 2 gallon Rotopax and I had a two gallon Giant Loop fuel bag. We need 5 gallons of gas on some days out west because there weren't many gas stations.
We’ll done video guys. We’re planning a Continental Divide ride in sept 2022 so you gear ideas help!
Thanks! The Divide ride is on my list, would love to hear how your trip goes. You going north or south?
Nice job and useful tips. How long was the entire journey?
Thanks. 31 days total, 6000 miles
I wore waterproof jeans, revit h20, as riding pants the whole way. No rain gear, has hip and knee protectors, but runs hot and sweaty. Two riding jerseys, and an icon Raiden jacket for cold and/or wet conditions. My gear was a bit bulkier but never had to deal with multiple sets nor pieces of gear. can be a bit cumbersome in more technical sections.
Not a bad idea, it would be nice to not have to put the rain pants on when it looks like rain
Great video! Thank you! I have a 2019 CRF450L with a Yoshimura exhaust and the Vortex ECU. What settings did you guys use on your Vortex? Also, are you able to include a radiator guard with the IMS fuel tank?
Thanks! We are using 5-5-5. Not sure about the radiator guards, but I’d say you probably can.
Yes - I have installed Flatland's radiator guards with an IMS tank 3L. No problem...
J'ai regardé toute vos vidéo avec grand plaisir ici en France vous nous donnez envie de partir.Nous avons en europe Le Trans Euro Trail mais trouver des paysages comme dans le Colorado on doit partir au Maroc ou il y a beaucoup de similitude.Les CRF L sont bridé a 25 ch. ici
I broke my foot (3 metatarsals) wearing the Alpinestars Tech 7 boot. The toebox is not stiff and way too flexible. Just an FYI
Id love to do stuff like this with my son one day when he is bigger
Time well spent for sure
I rode the TAT solo in 2015 on a KTM690. Just to remind anybody doing it solo, definitely take a SPOT tracker unit with you (on keep it on your body and never on the bike) and some flares because if you get injured or stranded in deep woods in areas like Arkansa or Oregon the helicopter will not necessarily be able to find you.
Good points, we had a Garmin InReach with us
Any problems or reliability issues owning the KTM 690?
I was hoping to get away with inreach on my garmin... but that will be on the bike. Hmmmmmmm.
About that slippery water crossing crash. I've been trying to imagine how to avoid the crash and I don't see how the first bike actually made it across without sliding out except for luck or being precisely balanced through the crossing while holding your breath with fingers crossed. ...And I don't think I've ever done anything precisely on my bike yet so, GLWT. I noticed, though, as you said in the video, that you goosed the throttle mid crossing trying to catch up. I hear the engine rev and at almost the same time the bike slides out. Any suggestions as you review the event...as I'm sure you have? BTW, glad you like the Kenda 270s. I'm getting 5000 + miles on a set (the rear's the one that goes, of course) and they run well on dry stuff. On a group ride last summer someone asked about the tires in mud. We had a lot of that on that ride and the 270s seemed to do as well as the tires my companions were using which was the MT 21s/D606 combo.
That was a really slippery crossing. I was the one who went first and made it across. I think I made it because I entered the water at just the right speed and had just enough momentum to get me across. I did not use the throttle or brakes in the water, I actually pulled in my clutch as soon as I entered the water. I kept the bike very strait for the whole crossing. Also, I was standing, which allowed me to stay well balanced throughout the crossing. Or......I might have just got lucky...
Here is Spain (and I believe all Europe) the crf450L makes no sense, due to regulations and emissions it comes with only 25hp, so it's a 10 or 11 thousand bucks for a 25hp motorcycle. You can put an aftermarket power kit to get the other 25hp you can get but it's not really allowed and won't pass inspections when time comes, so it doesn't make sense for a lot of people. Anyway, not so fun fact haha. Cool videos thanks.
That is a bummer, the L wouldn't be much fun with only 25hp. Thanks for watching.
I have the run flat "Tubliss" setup on my dirt bike. Got a flat? No problem. Keep riding.
We ran tubes and luckily we didn't have a flat on the entire trip.
Definitely a far superior setup then my big f 800 GS. If I ever do it again it will definitely be on a much lighter more nimble bike. I would have loved to ride some of the trails you did just not on my BMW.
My friend had the same bike and traded it for a KTM 690. He is much happier and can hit all the hard trails that I do on my 450X. The only problem is the tall seat height.
I very much enjoyed the 450 on this trip. It isn't ideal for the highway, but it sure is fun on the trails. Thanks for watching.
The 690 looks like a really nice bike.
Great video. How did you go about with the maintenance/oil change interval of this machine? The TAT is 4000miles+ correct?
We change the oil between 800 and 1000 miles. We carried the tools we needed and stopped at dealerships or parts stores to buy the oil, and we just changed it in the parking lot.
@@BillyTyo any valve check during your trip? Thanks
@@brandonchi8526 no, just oil changes
Alright, so the BIG question… What’s the next ride y’all are doing? Great content, keep it up!
Thanks! We aren’t sure yet. Right now we are doing some hare scrambles and GNCC races.
I’ve got some ideas 😉
@@jacobtyo7805 Continental Divide??
@Billy Tyo curious about yours a Jake’s helmets. How did the face shield helmets do? I’m thinking about pulling trigger on an xd-4 but keep wondering if my offroad helmet with googles would keep me happy. I know you can run googles with xd’s but how often did you guys run shield down? Thanks!!!!!!
I love the XD4. I used the visor and sunglasses and thought that it worked well. I had not problem at all with the visor. I took goggles with me but did not wear them.
@@BillyTyo thanks man that’s the info I needed. Now just gotta find one!
How challenging was it change the oil every 600 miles as per the maintenance schedule? That would almost be more tricky than finding fuel in remote locations.
We changed it every 800-1000 miles which equated to about once per week, it really wasn’t that bad.
A Honda 90 is quite adequate as has been proved by C90 adventures. You dont need high ground clearance if you can pick the bike up and carry it over obstacles. Whatever bike you have, you learn to get the best out of it.
I love his video series, very well done. It would be fun to do the TAT on a C90, and I agree, whatever bike you are comfortable on is the best bike.
No elbow protections ?
Trans America from gas station to gas station... what a hero.
Guess which tires I prefer on my DRZ-400S and KTM 405 EXC-F? MT-21 front and D606 rear.
Every forum and Facebook group I frequent, people STILL say this is a really good tire combination! I've been running this combo since 2007, after the rear MT-21 wore out that came on the pre-owned 2002 DRZ I bought in 2006. The MT-21 was a good rear tire back in the day, but the D606 is better because it wears longer. I switched to the D606 after seeing my riding buddies get longer life out of their rear D606. In rocky terrain, the rear MT21 has a tendency to start losing chunks on some of the side knobbies.
I've been running the MT-21 on the front since 1995 when the OEM tires wore out on my first dualsport bike, a 1994 DR350SE.
My advice to anyone: NEVER run a D606 front. It's skittish in loose gravel.
In 2020 I put a Tusk D-Sport rear on my KTM 450 EXC-F because I was too cheap to buy a D606. This was just prior to a week of riding around Silverton, CO. The D-Sport isn't as durable as a D606. 4 days of riding the same high mountain passes / rocky terrain you guys rode took a toll on the D-Sport. Some of the knobbies have actually tried to tear away from the carcass of the tire. There's splits/cracks right at the base of a handful of the center knobbies on the tire. Last year I put the D-Sport on my DRZ. It's also not wearing as well as a D606. I'm switching back to a D606.
One question: What air pressure did you run on the trip? Did you leave it the same for the entire trip, or change it for dirt vs. long stretches of pavement?
I assume must have been running ultra heavy duty tubes - that's what I run, but there's a temptation to switch to the Tubliss system.
We ran about 20 pounds of air pressure the whole trip.
@@BillyTyo Thanks for the reply. When I was in Silverton, I ran 18PSI on my KTM the entire time I was there.
Loving this series of videos you did. I made it up through Day 20 last night. New subscriber here.
@@deltabravo1257 thanks! Glad you are enjoying it. Working on an Imogene video now (we did it right after Black Bear Pass)
Did you guys use grip warmers?
Oh yeah, one of the best mods we made to the bikes
Inquiring minds want to know😬...what gear do you carry? and what does it weigh?
I’d say around 50-60 pounds of gear in total. Here is a video detailing our setup:
ruclips.net/video/KxzljLKvx_M/видео.html
do you have a link to the route? I'm looking to do the trail soon yours looks cool. Thanks!
Well, I did but Jake and I both lost our phones towards the end of the trip. We downloaded Sam’s route and Kevin’s route and just picked the one that looked the most interesting each day.
Went through the same progression with backpacks. I cut it down to nothing but a 2L bladder pack on my back and it was still too much after 1000 miles man. Some guys do run the backpack long term and aren't bothered but most of us end up strapping it to the bike at some point. Just find a way to carry it on the bike. We always try to minimize and distribute liquid weight on the bikes but the trade-off for carrying it on your shoulders just isnt worth it in my humble opinion.
I agree, need to find a good way to carry water on the bike (not on my back)
@@BillyTyo If you're going to stick with with the wolfman setup take a look at their bottle holsters. They thread right into the slots on the Rolies and you can throw a 1.5L smart water bottle in there. Lots of options for piggybacking onto wolfman bags in general and if you have two of those that's 3 liters of water right there. Sawyer squeeze filter also matches the threads on smart water bottles. I ended up running those despite not wanting to add more water weight flopping around back there. Can't be worse than all the time I spent with my loaded backpack strapped on top of everything flapping in the breeze after I got tired of wearing it
Do you think the Honda xr650l would be a good choice to take ?
Yeah, as long as you are comfortable on it. There are a lot of options so you can tailor your ride to suit. If you want you can do the whole thing on roads. Or, if you want more of a challenge there are options that will take you on trails.
What model seat did you guys get?
Comfort XL
How about rokon?????
Could you give a link to the communicators. I am getting ready to purchase a system and I am looking for someone I trust for a suggestion. Thanks again.
www.cardosystems.com/shop/packtalk-slim/
The Edge and Neo look pretty good too:
www.cardosystems.com/products/
@@BillyTyo Thanks so much! Keep the Videos up!
Does anyone know if a crf300l rally would be a good bike for this?
Yes, it would be a good bike for the trip. Just about any street legal dual sport motorcycle will make the trip.
In the UK the CRF450L costs =$13,000. It makes 25bhp and weighs 131kg. Compare this to the CRF250L, which costs half that and makes about the same power, and weighs 144kg.
I miss riding with my dad.
No motoz tires??? Awesome ride!
I haven't tried them but have heard a lot of good things about them.
@@BillyTyo the motoz rallz would have been great for that ride. on my beta 500 i use the Xtreme Hybrid for mountain trail riding in nepa. they get crazy traction and last a long time. i was using the pirelli mt 43 but it would chunk out on the first couple rides. i have a ktm 1290 sar that i'm gonna use for my ride across the TAT and i'm gonna use the tractionator adventure rear with a rallz front, should make a awesome combo. i watched Every day of your ride across the TAT. great job guys, thank you for letting us see your adventure.
How was service issues? Oil changes?
It wasn’t too bad, we checked the valve clearances before we left for the trip, and we changed the oil about every 1000 miles, which meant one or two times per week.
👍👍
like to know more on the bike shipping thanks
We used Federal Motorcycle Shippers. They had a warehouse in Portland where we dropped the bikes off. It took about a month to get them back to WV. It cost around $600 per motorcycle.
Which size Seat concepts did you guys go with? The tall standard or low? I am 6’2” and 180 pounds. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks
Pretty sure they had the suspensions lowed, covered that on one of the early videos. I don't think they covered the seat size, I would like to know also. I have a 33" inseam but want to go tall for comfort??.
Just noticed in comments, low comfort
I lowered my suspension by 2” and used the Low Comfort seat, I am 5’ 7” with 30” inseam
Thanks guys! How about Jake? He seems tall, lmk thanks!
@@mayervision5931 he is 5’ 10”, and did not lower his suspension. He also didn’t get the “low” version of the seat
You must have rode supported... no mention of camping gear, food etc. Those singles are hard on tires. We rode the entire 5100 miles and back to colorado from oregon on one set of Motoz tractionators on large bikes.
No support. We mostly stayed in hotels. Camped a few times.
@@BillyTyo How did the bikes return from oregon?
The service intervals on the crf 450l calls for a oil change every 600 miles.. so to do the TAT from coast to coast, you'll literally have to do a oil change almost 10 times throughout your trip. And a valve clearance check 5 times or more... By far the worst bike for such a trip.
i have 14500 miles on mine i check valve 2 times and dones 24 oil changes 15 min for change oil and 20 rear tire and 5 front no repair only gaz and oil my friend sold bigpigbike (DUAL) lolll for crf 450l
ahh and on highway and gravel road easy 80-90 mph day long gear 14-48 max speed gps 110 mph
Conventional backpacks are not only tiring, but also hot.
I agree. I’m not wearing one next time.
A five gallon tank is also available for that bike.
Yeah, I saw that but it just looks like it’s too big for the bike, I like the look of the IMS a lot better. There were only a couple of days on the TAT that we had to carry extra fuel.
The bokeh in that intro shot... damn!
Thanks. I was using my daughters camera, it takes really good video
QUESTION: Can you put your tire advice in text in the description. I am not native english spoken and have difficulty to apprehend the names from spoken language. Would be a nice new video, but make tyre brands and type visible as text in the video.
I think the 9ltr Trail back pack would have been a better option
I agree, smaller would be better
@@BillyTyo I’ve a 14ltr Osprey Raptor I use on my mountain bike with an internal 3ltr hydration pack I plan to take on the TET trip, unless I can pick up a used Kriega Trail 9ltr.
I think a small backpack is handy for water and rain gear, as you can get under cover fast and get to them quickly, and it’s not too much weight in shoulders.
@@bryanhaynes8761 I have the same pack and use it for mountain biking. I almost used it for the TAT and now I wish I would have
Having a heavy backpack is the worst. I learn that the hard way, and I don’t t hear may people recommending that
Yeah. That is definitely one think I would change if we did the trip again, no backpack.
As good as the 450l is changing the oil every two or three days musta sucked....
We changed it every 800-1000 miles which equated to about once per week, it really wasn’t that bad.
I disagree on most of the things you've covered in this video for different reasons. Get a few more trips under your belt that encounters some serious adversity and re-evaluate. Good video though!
Would like to know what you disagree with. Every rider has preferences.
Situations are all different. However, I'm interested to learn your views and preferences .
Hi dear! I cannot understand why didnt you use TUSK metal panniers. Tusk Aluminum Panniers w/ Pannier Racks Large Black HONDA CRF450L 2019 luggage-It comes with solid metal frame and the panniers are size L. Why dont you useTusk D-Flex Pro Handguards Black 7/8" Bars. I Russian and pay 3 prices for UPS delivery of best USA components like this. Draw-tite, Curt, Tusk, Rokon. It is extremely difficult to find here and i use Ebay, Amazon, private sellers. Sellers dont want to sent, change price. Always problems. You are USA people and cannot use this best components, maybe more that I suggested. I cannot know all. Why?
The Tusk panniers are very nice, but we wanted the soft bags for several reasons: 1) they are narrower and therefore easier to navigate in tight trails, 2) if you lay the bike down and get your feet caught under the bike, the metal panniers are more likely to injure your feet or legs. The Wolfman bags are very well built and fit very nicely on our bikes.
@@BillyTyo ok, i see, thanks
@@BillyTyo ok, dear, i see. In Instagram i sent you photos of 450 l with Tusk accessories. Hope you enjoy it. In Rokon metal panniers are extremely strong, i use it like frame when i fall sometimes. In ground usually-sand. Not concrete. Anyway, the structure is ok, onle paint sctrathes. I think about buying 450 l , but afraid often period of maintance. Valves, oil. Maybe i wrong. So, i choose between 250 and 450 for suburb riding, city about 10% and 90% country/suburbs.
Agree on every point you made except the bike. 900 mile required oil change interval is not pragmatic. I imagine you guys skipped a few oil changes in that 5500 mile trip... thus, limiting overall lifespan of the engine....XRL with proper mods is the best choice... all things considered.
Backpack and tankbag on an off-road ride like riding 2up with a fat chick slamming into you on every bump.... just say no...lol
We didn’t miss any oil changes, but we did stretch a couple of them to 1000 miles. It wasn’t too much of an inconvenience, for us it was worth it to be able to ride the RL
Yikes! Howl much jack did that set you dogs back! LoL nice video