Took a great ride Saturday with John Baltzell. We rode from Key West to Palmetto Motorsports, did some shopping and headed back down to the Card Sound Road riding area. Total trip was about 340 miles. John was on his BMW 800 GS for the trip. At Palmetto, we checked out the new Husabergs, the KTMs and John bought a KTM jersey and a Thor Impact Rig SE Chest Protector. A great piece of protective equipment and it's on my list of wanted gear. You can wear it on the outside or under a jersey. In the photos below, John has it on under the KTM jersey.
We hit an amazing rain storm on our way down the trails, south of the Homestead Motor Speedway. Helmets fogged up, puddles getting deeper as the rain kept falling and it was a blast. We got to the South end of the trail and decided we would turn around and head back in. The rain cleared and we had an epic time, flying up the trails, slowing for water crossings, then hitting the throttle again for blazing runs in the wet gravel and mud.
It was a great day and a great ride. It has been almost exactly a month riding the 640 and this was the best day on the bike so far and a great test in multiple conditions. We rode 60 miles or more on Florida turnpike and freeway, where the speeds average 70+ and exceeding that on occasion. The bike was steady and I never felt down on power. On the trails it's a revelation after a couple years on the BMW 1150 GS. Light, fast and with an amazing suspension, I was able to ride much faster and with more confidence than ever before.
I have put about 1400 miles on the bike in the first 30 days. In the next month, I will be switching out the tires for the knobbies and doing the first oil change. Looking forward to that.
