I don't want to make it sound like it was super hard, but depending on what you're riding, your gear/luggage, and experience level, this could be just a super fun ride, or misery on two wheels. For us it was neither of those extremes. We had a great time, seeing some amazing views and riding through some really enjoyable areas. I would recommend this to any properly experienced rider with a couple caveats.
First caveat is weight. We saw people on straight dirtbikes with no luggage, but with the possible exception of the group that passed us on Trail Gulch near Gypsum,
literally no one was fully loaded as we were for camping that we saw on the BDR.
I know others do it like we do, but we just didn't see anyone this trip. In some towns yes, but their bikes were too clean to be on the route. The KTM 390 weighs about 375 or so with a full tank of gas.
I know I'm hauling 60 lbs of luggage, and then there's the 170 lbs (buck naked) of me.
You add that up and it's a bit over 600 lbs total. That can be a bit to ride up and down steep slopes. I found the bike had plenty of power for all the climbing I made it do. I’m very pleased with that. However, what goes up, must come down, and coming down is where the problem lies.
There's a point on a steep slope that no matter what you're gearing is, if you have a lot of weight, that momentum is a bitch that's going to kick you in the butt. I had the skills to keep from killing myself or others, but had one close call with Tim on the downhill side of Corkscrew pass that nearly had me needing to change my underwear.
I still don't know how I missed him. I was locked up and sliding sideways. If we were hoteling it the whole way and were carrying minimal luggage, things might have been different. Certainly more expensive, but I can see how if you're on say a 350 EXC with a little Mosko Reckless 10, zipping up and down those passes would be a dream. So my point here is that you need to consider ALL the weight that is on your bike and whether you can handle it under steep conditions, rocky roads, mud, etc.
Second caveat is power. I bought the 390 because I was looking for a cross between a dirt bike and a street bike. Within certain parameters, it is that bike.
But ... when you're on the freeway or other fast road, there's no replacement for displacement, as the saying goes. I'm riding Bridgestone Adventurecross AX41 tires front and back. All loaded up and on the freeway, yes, I can cruise at 75-80 mph. But I have to tell you, the bike is twitchy. That's the best word I can find to describe it. Getting passed at 80 uphill by a semi because you're tapped out power-wise is not fun, let me tell you. With our load, 65 mph is very comfortable and stable.
I'd ride all over the place at that speed - but not on a freeway where the speed limit is 80 and you're getting passed all all the time. I mean,
I hate freeways anyways on any bike - there's just no fun there. But sometimes you have to bite the bullet and man-up if you're going to get some place at a particular time. On the other hand, when you're actually on the BDR itself, the dirt roads, the passes, etc, the little 390 has everything you need (except excessive ground clearance and even that wasn't a problem).
Tom Clark
I'm a Senior Software Engineer at Intellitect, living in Spokane, Washington. I also do a little development work on the side. And I love riding motorcycles all over the country with my friends.
