A bigger roadtrip than normal was on the cards. Ideally suitable for the Tenere, but it looked like it was going to be a solo run so maybe safer to bring the KTM?
Lifting a 110kg bike is a lot easier that a 210kg bike, right. Also slightly easier to climb out from under it if it comes to that. Lets hope it doesn’t come to that.
So the KTM was chosen. New tyres and wheel bearings were fitted, along with some fresh oil, filters, and brake pads. The semi permanent, but fully-amateur, home-made nav tower was modified to take the Garmin Montana, and I jimmied the switch so that it would now control power to both the Garmin Amps cradle and the twin USB sockets.
Whatever kind of mechanical mishaps might lie ahead, at least I’d be able to charge my phone. Probably.
So I departed one fine Sunday afternoon towards Galway and the hills of Moycullen. A a few days later, and a couple thousand kms behind me, and I’d find the big EXC had made it to Malin head. Banba’s Crown. The most Northerly point of Ireland.
Oh, and then I snapped the chain on the way home, just outside Sligo. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Fixed with a spare split link by the roadside, and no damage bar the broken chain. Was very very very lucky.
