Your first “necessary tool” should be a riding partner. The risks are too great.

 

If your traveling alone, I would put one of These at the very top of your list. Better to be safe than sorry.
Got the same one, and don’t leave home without it. No subscription.

 

If your traveling alone, I would put one of These at the very top of your list. Better to be safe than sorry.
Got the same one, and don’t leave home without it. No subscription.

Another choice would be an InReach, 35/year activation, 15/ month while activated (I have the mini bout at a discount and have it activated only during the riding season). Allows to send text messages and uses a reliable satellite network to assure that messages get out.

 

Brother, I feel your pain - I always travel alone way out in the boonies and I don't have a cell phone, so I cannot get into a situation from which I cannot extricate myself (or the bike). Knowing that you're coming back from an injury, I would echo the advice of klr4evr and suggest you find a compadre for this trip. Personally, I just accept that I may die on any particular trip and prepare the best I can...

That said, I think that the anxiety you feel is well warranted but I feel that you are too smart to worry about something that might not happen; preparing for those unpleasant situations, however, is an entirely different thing. For instance, don't worry about flats - just be prepared to fix them when they happen. Being broken down in the boonies can really suck, but you're not going to be on Mars, so there will eventually be other folks around; I have broken down a few times, but have been lucky enough to find helpful people along the way.

Adventure beckons!

 

Just let your people know when, where you’re traveling and when to expect hearing from you.
I ride alone 99% of the time.
Have fun , relax and enjoy!

 

That too - there's nothing more important than filing flight plans and checking in, and you can always keep us updated on your progress/adventure.

 

When is the big trip?

 

July 19

 

Hey there! When do you think you will be up ABQ way?
I will be getting back into the country around the 14th and will have some time off before going back to work. I too have also been wanting to run the NMBDR but wanted to do it with a riding buddy.
Just cus. . .
Well. . .
You know. . .

I normally do everything on my own (getting friends to commit and then follow through can be tough) but being remote for extended periods of time can be unnerving. I would love to take a trip with a fellow KLR enthusiast.

 

Ive ridden all.over the world alone and in the boonies. You know where i almost died? Oklahoma on the TAT. Bike problems and mud and heat exhaustion amd my body started to shut down. I was losing functiom and couldnt walk out. God sent me an oil rig worker who was the only one who get get out there. And he saved me.

I had the spot gen 3 and was about to push the emergency button. I think those are important to have as at least my family will find the body if i crash hard. But, now i travel with the spot 2 way communicator so i can text pretty much anyplace in the world.

That peace of mind is worth it to me. It also has 100k of rescue insurance with it. But buying a local fishing license also typically provides that coverage.

Have a great ride and go for it. We regret the stuff we dont do in life, not the stuff we do.

 

If you’ve done proper maintenance in preparing to go, and you ride as smart as you can, you should be fine. Maybe an extra cable unless you’ve inspected and lubed them recently. A good/new battery. A way to charge devices without the bike running (power cell ). Just a few suggestions. Having someone know the where’s and when’s of your trip, and being able to check in is important. Read and watch what others take, and prepare as best you can, and roll with it. Learning what to/not to take is half of the adventure😉. Look forward to a trip report.

 

Think i will drill seat bolt holes in fairing. Its dumb to have to carry 8 and 10mm to get to battery. Bike is a 2016 but only 1500 miles on it. I should be good. And men do not stop playing cause they get old. We get old when we stop playing.

 

It’s not the age, it’s the mileage🤣

 

Embrace the solo. Your on your schedule, your pace. Think before you leap and don't let bravado push you down a trail that your not comfortable with. Definitely a satellite communicator, Tools (Bike and tires), spare tubes plenty of water. You can't carry everything but if your not carrying camping gear you have a lot more room. Personally, camping gives me an added sense of security in that If the bike goes bad, I have shelter for a night

 

Does a person need special insurance in case of backcountry rescue in a national forest? Just in case they do something stupid and break a leg.lol Does the forest or park service charge for rescue? My last ambulance ride was about a mile and cost 1300. Of course they did give me pain meds. It was 400 out of pocket after insurance.

 

If you have an InReach device (I am sure the same is true of other devices) you can add the SAR 100 plan for $39.95 for the year. That will give you a certificate of insurance and cover you up to $100,000 in Search and Rescue Benefits. It is definitely cheaper than $1300 for an ambulance ride and a helicopter cost more than that per hour.

Search and Rescue Insurance | Garmin

 

Ditto on the water. My last trip was on the KAT (remote but usually not far from a country store), and several times we got down a trail we had to really work our way out of, and it was hot. And several times we realized, oh crap, we forgot to get some water at the last fuel stop. We never ran out, but we just took for granted that we could get it at the next stop. We did carry life straws, but that’s not convenient.

 

Altitude - I just wanted to make sure that you take this into your thinking, and give yourself adequate time to acclimate.

My hearty, healthy 17 year old niece was visiting Denver a few years ago; after being here at 5k feet for a few weeks, I'd thought she was acclimated enough to go into the hills, so we camped for the night around 9200 feet, and the next day hiked up to about 12K feet. She got down to the car OK, but was very sick (like vomit in my car-sick) after that, and was totally out of it for the rest of the day. (Other than that, we had a fine time!)

Don't forget to take altitude into your planning, as getting sick when you're alone in the boonies really sucks.

 

May I recommend a JUDGE or similar revolver. ABQ is bad AF and sometimes that spreads beyond its city limits.

 

My best friend has lived there for years. The problems like allways tend to be concentrated in certain areas. And how you gonna pull that judge when a carjacker has a gun at your head quickdraw. Using my head has worked for me.

 

I think if you buy a park pass it includes the rescue insurance but id check your specific situation. Im pretty careful with that stuff as a chopper ride out is tens of thousands of dollars and some even more than that.

I spend about half the year outside of the USA and so also bought a 5 year Med Jet insurance for the family. Those people are legit professionals and will send a rescue pretty much anyplace on the planet (with a few exclusions for active war zones) and fly you back to a hospital of youe choosing in the usa.

I will never forget seeing a guy i knew pretty well die in a third world hospital. It was in the tropics and must have been 100 degrees in the "hospital". We bribed the doctor to get his bed rolled out of the main stadium type room with hundreds of people. They let him be in the baby delivery room and i remember looking at the scale to weigh new babies and it looked like it was from the 1920s with blood caked so think it had ridges. That is burned in my mind and im not getting stuck im that situation.

I dont know why im telling war stories, but i also was locked down in Peru earlier this year and airports were shut because of civil unrest and a guy in our hotel had an issue with the altitude we were stuck at 11,300 feet and his lungs went out. By the time the airport opened he needed medical evac and his family got a quote for $80,000 to fly him back to puerto rico. They couldnt afford it so he died up there.

My point is, the insurance is a key part of me being willing to take the risks i take.

 

I think if you buy a park pass it includes the rescue insurance but id check your specific situation.

I am not aware of any that do. At least to the best of my knowledge my National Park pass came with nothing more than a card and a plastic mirror hanger.

Sent from my SM-S918U1 using Tapatalk

 

New Mexico does not charge for search and rescue according to the internet lol.

 

Colorado doesn't either. But I believe you will find (at least it is the case in Colorado) that the free Search and Rescue does not include Medical Transport and that is where bills can add up for you.

 

Your ultimate PPE.

 

Let me know if you want a riding partner for next year. I just got my KLR yesterday. I need to get my bike and myself in shape for some travel.

TStol

 

In regards to flats:

If you don't already I'd recommend trying Ride-on brand tire sealer/balancer. You'll have to pull your wheel weights off because it's going to dynamically balance as you ride. It'll also prevent 'most' flats you'd typically encounter.

Should you still need to change a tube or tire I highly recommend the Baja no-pinch tool. It makes life a breeze and when you're on the side of the road changing a tire, the quicker/easier the better!

Best wishes

 

In regards to flats:

If you don't already I'd recommend trying Ride-on brand tire sealer/balancer. You'll have to pull your wheel weights off because it's going to dynamically balance as you ride. It'll also prevent 'most' flats you'd typically encounter.

Should you still need to change a tube or tire I highly recommend the Baja no-pinch tool. It makes life a breeze and when you're on the side of the road changing a tire, the quicker/easier the better!

Best wishes

I will look at those but i alredy bought the beadbreaker.

 

I have to chuckle at the title of this thread:
First BDR trip alone and scared 🤪
What first came to mind when I read this was the TV series Naked and Afraid.

Yea I know I have a 3rd grade sense of humor but... my grandkids love it.

 

How would I protect the boys. Lol
Probably where I got the phrase. That was a really dumb show. Us americans are such prudes when it comes to showing skin but we let our kids watch violence on tv all the time. In europe its the other way around and they have much less violent crime and more fun stuff.

 

Why don't you come join us on June 9th-12th for the Spring Fling on the continental divide? Datil, New Mexico at Datil Well Campground. Rides for every skill level. Come join us.

 

Thanks for the invite. I would but already scheduled 3 weeks vacation in july.

 

Just bought the606/mt21 combo. Can't wait till they get here. I wonder if it makes a mess if you do need to change tubes. Thanks for this info btw.

 

My plan, if I ever need to remove the tube, is to rotate the valve stem to the top so no liquid escapes when deflating. I hope we never need to find out, outside of putting on new tires in the garage 👍🏼😎

 

I think i will stay old school. Seems to be what Mr westman suggests.

 

Lots of good suggestions here - don't let them scare you too much though - I've traveled solo all over the NW and in groups all across the states (including most of the areas you'll be in) and people are generally friendly and helpful, especially to riders, and doubly especially to solo riders.
I'll reiterate so it's doubly heard - water is surprisingly rare, and takes up a shitload of room so it's easy to try to skimp. Don't do it! Bring a ton. It's not just for drinking, it's for washing things, etc.
The other thing I don't see that will make a big difference, especially on the KLR, is to get your suspension tuned up for your weight + your stuff. I had a stock suspension in PA during a rain storm and nearly lost the front end while passing on a 2 lane cause it was too stiff - I would have been flat if it went, there was oncoming traffic. And it's also just important for long days in the saddle. Optimize for comfort, you're safer when you're paying attention to the road instead of your ass.

 

Can you expand on the weight issue VS front end issue. I am having an issue with my front end wobbling a bit if I move the bars back and forth from left to right and one time while stopping on a down hill. Felt like the front had a flat. I do have a stiffer suspension. I think its too stiff