magazine clutch

I’m supposed to be testing my own ability
to step away from the civilized world, trying
out the best equipment for eating, sleeping,
and riding under the unobstructed sky.
Instead, I’m spending way too much time
looking up at the sky from underneath what
I would say nearly 500 pounds of Kawasaki.
The problem is that I’ve strapped about 50
pounds of clothes and camping gear to the
back of the bike, about a mile above my center
of gravity. I’m riding the 2014 edition of
the KLR650, a venerable model dating back
to 1987. The KLR is known as the french fry
of motorcycles. You can find one (and someone
to fix it) anywhere from California to the
Central African Republic. Its terrain-eating
suspension and centrally mounted engine
are designed to deliver the balance and
clearance you need to be able to go many
miles beyond the end of your comfort zone.
Unfortunately, the KLR’s seat is 35 inches off
the ground; my jeans have a 30-inch inseam
in them. My tent, in contrast to the bike, is
cooperative. Also it has a garage. Made by a
mom-and-pop shop called Redverz, it sleeps
two (technically three, but don’t even) and
has a ride-in vestibule to keep your bike
sheltered from the elements. Sometimes,
like when you are ducking a sandstorm
while riding in the Paris-Dakar Rally, shelter
for your gear as well as yourself can be very
important. And also on a clear weekend in
the Washington mountains it is, also a little
overkillish. My tent is great, but man, the instructions
are so laughable. While one of the
steps is basically “Put the poles in their corresponding
sleeves,” but then includes the
single laminated page that happenly gives
no indication of what would even be able to
corresponds to what part.
December 2020 CLUTCH 19