Tour de Apalachicola Trip Report
#1
01-17-2006, 11:02 AM
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Just South of the Ocala Nationa Forest
Posts: 1,262
Tour de Apalachicola Trip Report
I just got back from "Tour de Apalachicola" where I had an absolute ball!
This was a rally that was put together over on KLR650.net and held in the Tallahassee, Florida area. Most of the riding was done in the Apalachicola National Forest. There are numbered forest roads where you must have a registered, street legal motorcycle to ride. There is also an area of great single tracking, where the KLX250S really shone!
We stayed at Camp Indian Springs, a YMCA camp that has cabins and tent camping. One of the cabins was fairly new and since I was one of the first folks there, decided to take advantage of the situation. Here's a shot of our $8.00 per night room.
Yep, it's a bunkhouse allright, but it was clean, comfortable and a place to put your head each night.
Did I mention that the $8.00 also included coffee, honey buns, bagels or donuts for breakfast and a nightly meal that was gumbo on Thursday, Chili on Saturday and brats and potato salad on Sunday? Friday night we all headed to town to visit a great seafood buffet where we feasted on some great southern seafood specialties - fried oysters, catfish, grouper, scallops and shrimp. It was a great time.
Most of the bikes there were KLR650's as that is the site that most of the riders belong to. There were some folks there on XR650L's, an ATK and even a Gas-Gas 2 smoke with plates from Alabama! Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Oklahoma were all represented. We had about 30 folks come in with their bikes and we just rode, rode and rode some more. We did numbered forest roads - hauling along at 70 mph on dirt - that's a rush!
Heck, y'all know when there's that many bikes and riders out having fun, there is always a question that needs answering, so we answered it!
FYI, the red ones are fastest! Or is it the fact that the green rider forgot something?
The organizer of the event, one Super Sherpa rider with the handle of Mxtrail, put together a great single track ride. I was kind of busy trying to keep the bike going between all the trees on the route, so I didn't get many action shots. However, I think you can see from this, that the trail was kind of narrow.
A few riders asked me if I'd let them ride my KLX250S. Some of them got a ride. One fellow brought it back and offered me my choice of keys, either my KLX250 or his brand new KLR650 keys. I chose the KLX250! He rides a Yamaha 2 stroke off road bike and really appreciated the nimbleness of the KLX250. Of course, when he's on his KLR650, he likes the power delivery!
The folks that came in from Oklahoma had some interesting modifications to their bikes. Looks like those bikes are ready to ride in some deep, deep sugar sand!
Those front tires are the same size as the rear tires! Cuts down on tire inventory also. No need to decide how many fronts or how many rear tires to order!
I saw so many different tires on the bikes. Many chose the Dunlop 606 - they're awesome! One of the guys, Big Al was running a Chen Shin 858 on the front and a Kenda 270 on the rear. He didn't appear to have any issues with traction in the sand!
Our next currently planned rally is the "Spring Fling" which will be up in Tellico Plains, Tennessee May 19th to 21st, 2006.
While the KLX250 was not the fastest bike there, it was the one that got the most attention, was a pleasure to ride and I am totally happy with my decision to purchase it. However, after riding it in that single track, I was constantly shifting from 1st to 2nd gear. 1st was too low, 2nd was too high. I think a 13 tooth front sprocket is in my future.
If y'all get a chance, the "Spring Fling" will be an awesome event!
This was a rally that was put together over on KLR650.net and held in the Tallahassee, Florida area. Most of the riding was done in the Apalachicola National Forest. There are numbered forest roads where you must have a registered, street legal motorcycle to ride. There is also an area of great single tracking, where the KLX250S really shone!
We stayed at Camp Indian Springs, a YMCA camp that has cabins and tent camping. One of the cabins was fairly new and since I was one of the first folks there, decided to take advantage of the situation. Here's a shot of our $8.00 per night room.
Yep, it's a bunkhouse allright, but it was clean, comfortable and a place to put your head each night.
Did I mention that the $8.00 also included coffee, honey buns, bagels or donuts for breakfast and a nightly meal that was gumbo on Thursday, Chili on Saturday and brats and potato salad on Sunday? Friday night we all headed to town to visit a great seafood buffet where we feasted on some great southern seafood specialties - fried oysters, catfish, grouper, scallops and shrimp. It was a great time.
Most of the bikes there were KLR650's as that is the site that most of the riders belong to. There were some folks there on XR650L's, an ATK and even a Gas-Gas 2 smoke with plates from Alabama! Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Oklahoma were all represented. We had about 30 folks come in with their bikes and we just rode, rode and rode some more. We did numbered forest roads - hauling along at 70 mph on dirt - that's a rush!
Heck, y'all know when there's that many bikes and riders out having fun, there is always a question that needs answering, so we answered it!
FYI, the red ones are fastest! Or is it the fact that the green rider forgot something?
The organizer of the event, one Super Sherpa rider with the handle of Mxtrail, put together a great single track ride. I was kind of busy trying to keep the bike going between all the trees on the route, so I didn't get many action shots. However, I think you can see from this, that the trail was kind of narrow.
A few riders asked me if I'd let them ride my KLX250S. Some of them got a ride. One fellow brought it back and offered me my choice of keys, either my KLX250 or his brand new KLR650 keys. I chose the KLX250! He rides a Yamaha 2 stroke off road bike and really appreciated the nimbleness of the KLX250. Of course, when he's on his KLR650, he likes the power delivery!
The folks that came in from Oklahoma had some interesting modifications to their bikes. Looks like those bikes are ready to ride in some deep, deep sugar sand!
Those front tires are the same size as the rear tires! Cuts down on tire inventory also. No need to decide how many fronts or how many rear tires to order!
I saw so many different tires on the bikes. Many chose the Dunlop 606 - they're awesome! One of the guys, Big Al was running a Chen Shin 858 on the front and a Kenda 270 on the rear. He didn't appear to have any issues with traction in the sand!
Our next currently planned rally is the "Spring Fling" which will be up in Tellico Plains, Tennessee May 19th to 21st, 2006.
While the KLX250 was not the fastest bike there, it was the one that got the most attention, was a pleasure to ride and I am totally happy with my decision to purchase it. However, after riding it in that single track, I was constantly shifting from 1st to 2nd gear. 1st was too low, 2nd was too high. I think a 13 tooth front sprocket is in my future.
If y'all get a chance, the "Spring Fling" will be an awesome event!
#2
01-18-2006, 01:01 AM
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Long Island, New York
Posts: 570
RE: Tour de Apalachicola Trip Report
Marty, GREAT POSTS!!! keep them coming..love the pictures. do you have any of the klx 250s in action?
#3
01-18-2006, 01:13 AM
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Just South of the Ocala Nationa Forest
Posts: 1,262
RE: Tour de Apalachicola Trip Report
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