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Took the KLR Hang Gliding Yesterday

1K views 16 replies 10 participants last post by  Carpediem 
#1 · (Edited)
Rode up to Tollhouse to watch a couple of friends fly their hang gliders. It's a fun twisty mountain road most of the way with about 2 miles of dirt road to get to the launch.

It's the first dirt challenge so far on the bike. About 2 miles in length with some steep climbs, powdery silt, and rocks to contend with.

After riding some really nice dirt bikes over the years I must say the KLR is not my favorite on the dirt. It's a PHP... Pretty Heavy Pig. The stock tires probably contribute to it's bad manners. Almost lost the front end a couple of times in the really loose stuff. Bike likes to plow in the silty areas. Thought I might do down one time, but thankfully a blast of throttle got it on the strait and narrow once again.

I shot a couple of short videos of my friends blasting off in their gliders. I used to fly there about a hundred years ago when I was a young whipper snapper. I hope you enjoy the videos.





The bottom pic is me launching my Easy Riser at the same spot bout a hundred years ago:cool:

Sky Aircraft Vehicle Airplane Tree
 
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#14 ·
I didn't see your post until tonight, otherwise I would have commented. I have always loved motorcycles and aviation. Back in the 80s I used to ride my Honda XL250 to a glider hill to watch guys practice. Now I ride my KLR over to Camarillo Airport somedays to watch the ultralights fly around. One of the pilots used to work behind the parts counter at the Honda shop.

One of my favorite rides is to the Mojave Air and Space Port.

Wheel Tire Sky Cloud Plant
 
#3 ·
I’m too scared of heights :ROFLMAO:
You fellas got some guts!
 
#6 ·
If we were adrenaline junkies, a KLR wouldn't be too high on the list of bikes to induce said adrenaline discharge.
Yes, I lost my appetite for high performance street bikes when I got highsided off a Ducati, bucking bronco style, and thrown into the oncoming traffic lane. The KLR is more like a docile mule that likes to putter along at a leisurely pace.

I've always been interested in hang gliding/parasailing. But I also know how the peacefully gliding around can turn to sh*t in an instant. And the human body is pretty dang fragile, especially when falling from any considerable height.
 
#12 ·
The thing that scares me in the easy launch photo is that it appears you are not strapped in but just sit on a timber swing? Have done some paragliding myself but haven’t flown for about 4years. I still have my wing though and hope to fly again at some stage. Most of my flying was done in New Zealand, but have flown from Mt Tamborine, and Beechmont.
 
#13 ·
Did some hang-gliding about 30 years ago when group of us were at Cape Hatteras for windsurfing, but the wind didn’t blow for a couple of days. So we went to Kitty Hawk, nearby, where the Wright brothers first flew, where there was a hang-gliding school.
Turns out this is a near-perfect place to learn, because the sand dunes are about the same slope angle as a beginning hang glider flies, so you are seldom more than 5 to 10 feet off the ground.
We had a ball, learned a few things as well as the following factoid: that windsurfers are easier to teach than small plane pilots. Reason being, in a small airplane with a stick, you push the stick forward to descend, whereas in hang gliders you push the bar forward to climb, totally backwards! And when one windsurfs aggressively with the sail pulled back over one’s head, the movements are similar to hang gliding. 😳
 
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