Adv Moto May June 2018

Transcription

1 2018 TRIUMPH TIGER 1200 / RALLY FOR RANGERS / WALKNER WINS DAKAR NATHAN RAFFERTY Built for Dakar Yamalube Yamaha WR450F Rally Adv Moto May June 2018 Extreme Enduro Kenda Tennessee Knockout 5 Key Lessons Trails, Temples & Tuk-tuks Conquering America May/June 2018 No. 104 $5.99 US / $6.99 CAN This document is for proofing purposes only. All contents Adventure Motorcycle Dual Sport News magazine. All rights reserved. No part Racing of this the document Baja Rally or the related A Holiday files may in be Cambodia reproduced or transmitted Southwest in any form, Off-Roading by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher.

2 PROTECTING THE Australian Rider Michael Roberts, with throttle open on the steppe. 66 May/June 2018

3 WORLD ONE BIKE AT A TIME by Tom Medema photos by Jeff Colh oun P eering through the tiny window of a cramped Mongolian Airliner, a distorted expanse of Gobi Desert spread out 30,000 feet below. The naked vastness elicited a mix of emotions, awe, excitement, trepidation, and uncertainty. Perhaps it was just the weariness of 17 hours of flying that had me feeling uneasy. Or, just maybe, it was what lay ahead, what awaited me down there in that endless sea of rust-colored sand, rock, and not much else, stretching into the horizon. Having traveled thousands of miles through Mongolia s northern steppe in two previous rallies, I d become a competent rider. Prior to 2014, the only tire I had rolled off road was attached to a mountain bike. On tarmac, a Harley Davidson Sportster and BMW R1200C had been my rides of choice to cruise the Western U.S. My first attempt to get my bike dirty, on a steep fire road in the Sierra Nevadas, had ended badly. Then, even as I cursed and strained to pick up the dropped bike, the longing for an off-road adventure took root. In May of 2014, while working as a park ranger in Yosemite National Park, I heard a sentence on a conference call that would change my life: Oh, and we re doing a rally in Mongolia to bring new motorcycles to park rangers there, want to join us? The first rally was merely six weeks after I said yes to that most unexpected question. But I had to do it. It was the most remarkable opportunity of my life visiting Mongolia, adventure riding the mythical steppe, giving a fellow park ranger a new motorcycle what could possibly be better? So, I borrowed a friend s KLR, did a couple hours of touring on Yosemite-area fire roads, and deemed myself prepared. Two weeks later, within an hour of hitting dirt for the first time in Mongolia, one rider in our group went down with a broken collarbone. I was gripped by fear for the next nine days and almost 2,000 brutal kilometers. But I made it. Banged up and bruised, but not broken. Two lives changed my own and that of a shy ranger named Davaajargal. Four years and three rallies later I m a different person, a different rider. Success has also inspired a new nonprofit the Foundation whose mission is protecting the world s special places one motorcycle at a time brought together another international collection of riders representing Australia, Singapore, AdventureMotorcycle.com 67

4 Even the AG200 was looking for shade in this remote desert town. The team enjoys a rare stretch of easy rolling heading into the Gobi. 68 May/June 2018 Hong Kong, Canada, the United States, and Mongolia. This year s group was diverse and talented: my roommate Michael Roberts, an Aussie entrepreneur and dirt racer, fresh from superbike training Down Under; Jason Busky, a classic liveout-of-your-truck ski bum and deft dirt biker from Truckee, California; a pair of Canadian brothers, Hamilton Muirhead and Robert Cameron, Hammie sporting the rugged good looks of Charley Boorman, and then Robert, the more refined artist and sommelier. We had our first father/daughter duo Lance and Alexis Machovsky from Oakland and Truckee, California respectively, with dad being the free-spirit who inspired the catchphrase Where s Lance and Michael navigate the everlance? early on in the rally, and Alexis, the takechanging Gobi terrain. no-shit bartender and former ski racer who took no prisoners on the trail. Rounding things out was the other founding member of, accomplished photographer, designer, and adventure rider Wesley Thornberry, a part-time resident of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and Oakland, California. Even the most experienced and skilled foreign riders are little match for the terrain and route, should they find it necessary to travel Mongolia s backcountry without local knowledge and support. Fortunately, top notch support was at hand: lead and sweep riders, drivers, mechanics and one very fine cook. Our lead rider, Chukaa, was all of 5 6, quiet as a mouse, and with all the skills necessary to lead us through his home turf in the Gobi Desert. Bringing up the rear was the spirited and joyful Timka, a young Mongolian motocross racer who kept watchful eye over the herd. And, I would be remiss (and perhaps ostracized) if I didn t mention the incredible Tsetsegee, our intrepid cook for the past three rallies. Where one finds the ingredients, implements, and passion to bake a birthday cake in the middle of Mongolia, I ll never know. She s just incredible, and crucial to keeping 10 hard-working riders healthy, hydrated, and well fed. Ten Yamaha AG200s, two SUVs, and one bomb-proof Russian UAZ-452 set out on the adventure of a lifetime. Off we went, winding our way from smoggy Ulaanbaatar into the vast Gobi Desert, climbing to the snowy heights of Otgontenger Strictly Protected Area, where 10 eager park rangers waited patiently for their new bikes, affectionately christened Blue Horses. Leaving the pavement behind after a chilly 150 kilometers, the bikes and riders felt much more at home on the dirt and rocky passes of the steppe. Rolling into the first camp at Baga Gazaryn Chuluu felt like arriving at Joshua Tree, California, with its weathered granite outcroppings. A good first night s rest was critical as the terrain and navigation were only going to get more difficult as the rally snaked its way toward Ongiin Hiid Monastery, Flaming Cliffs and down to the Singing Sand Dunes. The diverse and ever-changing terrain of the Gobi presented an ongoing test, requiring constant attention to the challenges hidden around every bend and rise. The diversity of the riding surface was astounding, alternating

5 between Mojave-like two-track, deep sand and dunes, and limping began to appear each evening. to rocky washes and jagged volcanic mountain passes, Fortunately, the weather rarely presented difficulty, with every scene more compelling than the last. storm clouds only just beginning to appear as we neared The intriguing stories of each landmark only added our destination. The Gobi s heat had us scrambling to find to the deep meaning of the effort. Walking through shade a tough commodity to come by out there during the ruins of Ongiin Hiid, the pain and resilience of extended stops for a flat tire, lunch, or refueling. Late summer the monks who survived the slaughter of thousands riding made for dry and often dusty riding conditions. during the Communist purge of 1929 was still palpable. Mercifully, we were blessed with near constant winds, which Dinosaur discoveries at the Flaming Cliffs changed our kept us cool and mitigated the dust. Most dramatic was the understanding of life on earth. And, the appearance change in climate from the chilly pavement of Ulaanbaatar, to of Bactrian camels and Singing Sand Dunes evoked the suffering heat of the Gobi, and finally, the high elevation a connection to the Silk Road, Marco Polo, and the snow and rain of Otgontenger. exchange of cultures that moved civilizations forward. Arriving at Otgontenger was predictably bittersweet. More It takes a sturdy machine and pilot to navigate than one rider broke down in tears, betraying the fatigue, effort, this varied and dangerous topography. The AG200 and significance of what had just been accomplished. Dozens of performed admirably, as did the riders, but as the giddy local residents, park rangers, and their families lined up to days wore on fatigue and a wee bit of hubris took greet the weary travelers as we rolled into camp on a crisp early down the riders one by one. Eight of the September afternoon. Within hours of our arrival the rangers 10 AGs eventually hit the ground. The tough little were busy at work cleaning the dust, dirt, and mud off their motorcycles barely showed the strain, but many of new bikes in preparation for the donation ceremony. Riders and the riders were not quite as fortunate, as bruises rangers worked side by side, rinsing, scrubbing, and polishing the AG200s, sharing a meaningful moment of care, as well as transition, for the now properly seasoned motorbikes. The formal transition of motorcycle from donor to ranger took place on a day of dramatic weather swings, spectacular Navigation was a cultural performances, and the long-awaited hand-over of keys. constant challenge and local knowledge Otgontenger Mountain makes its own weather, and tradition says critical to success. that rain is a blessing. The participants and audience were blessed AdventureMotorcycle.com 69

6 Riders and rangers celebrate a successful delivery of new bikes. first in what would surely be countless hours on their new machines. Chances of breakdown, of failing to cover the miles necessary to do their jobs, of missing critical missions to stop poachers and other spoilers of the wilderness now gone. In their place, an incredibly reliable tool, an instrument of protection provided by an international community of advocates and supporters. This trip, the trials of the Gobi and bringing these machines to rangers in need, formed unbreakable human bonds. Thanks to and a handful of committed adventure riders a new era of environmental protection in a remote corner of Mongolia has been forged. The next chapter is about to be written. Extreme Western Mongolia and Patagonia await in 2018! RallyforRangers.com with rain, wind, snow, and eventual sunshine as Mongolian dancers, throat singers, and morin khuur (horsehead fiddle) players graced the crowd with the beauty and style of this ancient culture. Finally, one by one, the Yamahas were passed to their new owners. The rangers then fired up their engines, looking to their colleagues and friends smiling as they revved the throttles and wound circles around the audience their Tom Medema is co-founder of the Rally for Rangers Foundation and a career park ranger in the U.S. His passion for adventure riding, protecting the environment, and supporting park rangers internationally drive this philanthropic effort. Tom now works and lives in the Washington, D.C. area. Riders approach the famous Flaming Cliffs of the Gobi Desert at sunset. 70 May/June 2018