Author Topic: Campfire Pix  (Read 3379 times)

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gizzo

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Reply #15 on: October 11, 2021, 06:19:53 am
So you see what I mean, then...
simon from south Australia
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Pantah
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Karl Childers

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Reply #16 on: October 11, 2021, 01:33:01 pm
I love camping and I am enjoying these pictures. I've been hooked on adventure riding/ travel for about 10 years now. As a rule I try to do several extended trips a year through the US Rocky mountain states and sometimes on up into the Canadian Rockies. I have also traveled and camped in all the  states west of the Rockies  to the pacific coast.  I look for remote areas to set up the tent at night and enjoy a backpacking meal around the fire, hang up my bear bag in a tree as far from the tent as I can and turn in for the night. All of this off the back of my motorcycle. I did it for years with my DR650 but the past 5 or so  have been on the GS which is a great platform for that kind of travel. I do no interstate roads and keep to two lane blacktop and dirt roads as much as I can when I am connecting up destinations. I love the gypsy lifestyle and have had some good times.









« Last Edit: October 11, 2021, 01:48:37 pm by Karl Childers »


AzCal Retred

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Reply #17 on: October 11, 2021, 06:18:05 pm
Looks great - all those snowy peaks must make a down sleeping bag & heated grips mandatory!
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Karl Childers

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Reply #18 on: October 11, 2021, 06:53:45 pm
I have both, mornings can start out chilly, I always make sure I have enough wood left from the night before for a breakfast fire. Coffee at sunrise in the high country is pretty special! The other thing I bring along is a good air mattress, I'm getting soft in my old age and can't sleep directly on the ground anymore. ;D


ideola

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Reply #19 on: October 11, 2021, 08:30:07 pm
Great pics ideola. Looks a great camp.

Forgive me if I've missed any posts you've made about your Janus. Not like I'm buying one (would love to) but I'd like to hear about it if nobody else minds :)

I'm very pleased with the Janus. It was my first motorcycle, and a great bike to learn on. It is near-perfect for why I bought it...learning to ride, buzzing up to town from our farm, toting around on the FJ, powered canoe shuttle, etc.

It is *very* light, which has its pros and cons. I can manage it solo onto the carrier, and after spending a full season with the two RE 650s, I've grown a lot more confident riding it. It almost feels like getting on a bicycle compared to the Interceptor!

On the downside, its light weight makes it susceptible to wind gusts. I tried a windscreen, which helped some, but I found that removing the screen AND the detasselers AND replacing the OEM mirrors with bar end mirrors dramatically reduced buffeting. It's a different bike with those changes, but I still avoid taking it out on blustery days.

I only have two real complaints: range and top speed. It struggles to attain its advertised "top speed" of 70MPH, especially uphill into a wind. I mostly ride back country roads, but sometimes highway stretches are unavoidable, and the little Janus feels uneasy with impatient cars and SUVs and trucks harrying it from arrears.

As for range, it gets about 50 MPG, but the Gryffin in particular has its petcock in a more forward location than the Halcyon and Phoenix, so you have to switch to reserve at about 60 miles, which I find really annoying.

I feel like it underachieves a bit at only 16BHP and 100 mile range. If it had 25% more power and range, it would be perfect.

In any respect, though, it is a great little bike, and I have no regrets. Build quality is excellent and reliability has been top notch aside from one minor wiring issue, for which Devin Biek personally drove to my farm to fix. The company has treated me well with customizations and post sales support. And everywhere I go, it garners complements.

Some people complain about the purchase price, you will find many forum posts about 250cc bikes that are "better bang for the buck", but I don't agree with those opinions. I feel that people making those comments overlook that Janus motorcycles are essentially bespoke, hand-crafted, totally personalized bikes. Sure, I could have purchased a $5K plastic clad Asian dirt bike, but for me those bikes don't have the character or aesthetic appeal of the Janus. I come from the school of thought that a vehicle is an extension of one's identity, not merely a utility tool. So in that regard, the Gryffin checks all the boxes for me.
2021 CGT650 "Project MLG" | 2021 INT650 "Rocketeer" | 2019 Janus Gryffin #030


gizzo

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Reply #20 on: October 11, 2021, 11:28:46 pm




I only have two real complaints: range and top speed. It struggles to attain its advertised "top speed" of 70MPH, especially uphill into a wind. I mostly ride back country roads, but sometimes highway stretches are unavoidable, and the little Janus feels uneasy with impatient cars and SUVs and trucks harrying it from arrears.


Same goes for my little DR. We had a couple days of strong wind that had my bike screaming along in 5th and even 4th at times. No wind, it'll sit on 100kph but any kind of headwind or gradient knocks it back. Sometimes you just have to be patient. Or tuck in behind a Himalayan  ;).
simon from south Australia
Continental GT
Pantah
DR250
DRZ400SM
C90
GSX250E


ideola

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Reply #21 on: October 20, 2021, 03:05:17 pm
Got another trip in to the UP last week, unfortunately without any two-wheelers, but made up for it by bringing along a fren.

Yondota Falls along the Presque Isle River


Hiking the Gogebic uplands


Lake Gogebic, largest inland lake in the Upper Peninsula
« Last Edit: October 20, 2021, 03:14:00 pm by ideola »
2021 CGT650 "Project MLG" | 2021 INT650 "Rocketeer" | 2019 Janus Gryffin #030


gizzo

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Reply #22 on: October 20, 2021, 09:50:51 pm
Wow, you and your water just laying about in the open! Looks beautiful.
simon from south Australia
Continental GT
Pantah
DR250
DRZ400SM
C90
GSX250E