So, I've always wanted a BMW F650 GS Dakar because they always seemed nice and the perfect size for someone just starting out.. also, never really thought i'd find one in my price range. A week or two before Chistmas that all changed, and fast it did. Shoot, i don't even have my street license yet! (no extra time!)
I stumbled upon a freshly listed 2002 with 17,000 miles on it on CL one morning that had been posted late the night before. Fresh tires, Remus exhaust, soft panniers, trunk box and a Wolfman tank bag. Well treated and garage heated. Came with tubes, heated grip parts, some misc stuff/old exhaust and all the paperwork/books.
I jumped on it since the last one i saw listed go in 2 days. After talking with Yoshi and she realizing it was a somewhat rare bike... she approved it and I just about told him i'll take it straight over the phone. I had a good friend stop what he was doing on a perfectly good Saturday and meet me with his riding license, his insurance, his pickup and my denero in hand. I checked it out before his arrival and he test rode it for me once on the scene. Yeah, i trust friends and value their opinions. If this person told me, it's a POS or it's the best bike he's ever ridden.. i wouldn't have doubted him. Whatever he said went, regardless of how "cool" the bike looked standing there. I was prepared to walk away.
After all was said and done the bike ended up coming home.
The prepping, baselining and studying for my permit began. The modifications, farkles and rear tire purchasing ensued. I also took the Remus exhaust off and opted for the stock original exhaust. The bike was ready to hit the dirt and so was i.
After passing my exam, picking up the proper safety gear and getting some seat time in the business area here, i was ready to hit the local mtn trails. I invited some buddies over to the shop for coffee and donuts and everyone was happy to attend for NOOB support and to see me fall.
I was so excited to head out i nearly left the keys to the shop in the door of the office and barely remembered to grab the essentials. It happens to the best of us right?
So for a week prior to heading out, i checked the local forest gates. Where obviously they never bother changing the status of the gates. Even if the section on their site is named "CURRENT CONDITIONS". This is what we found each time. Good old California... you can't go anywhere. Enough signs?
After heading through a couple local canyons, we finally stumbled upon some dirt. Or should i say MUD! Yep, my first off-highway ride with my bike and we're in the slick mud. Great.
Taking my time and riding my own pace, i made it to the end of the canyon. Under that helmet housed a huge grin. I was having a blast.
My buddy Wil from Palm Springs made the haul all the way into Orange County to make my virgin ride. It was good to see him.
We made our way up another canyon into an old resort style homestead on top of the hills. Seen in photos and blogs all over the internet, this location houses an interesting pool with weird drawings, writings and babel sprayed on the walls. I'll let the photos speak for the rest.
Wil taking in the madness.
After this point we headed down a section of trail that was harder than i anticipated. It was muddy, rocky, slippery and rutted. I kept telling myself it was just like riding a mtn bike. I had a few close calls, but made it through unscathed. Here's a video clip of the ride from the GoPro.
Finishing up about 100 miles of travel for the day, we stopped off at a local bike joint for a burger. The folks were nice and the food was even better. Already a tad sore from "death gripping" the bars all day, we headed back to the shop to relax for a bit and call it a day.
Big thanks to the guys that headed out with me on my first ride with the new bike. Here's to more!!