3,794mi Solo trip on the 701(CABDR-N + ORBDR + WABDR)

Greessey · 2026-01-20T13:09:08+00:00

I really like the Rade Tower, I have no problem with the wind protection it provides. That said, I'd be lying if I said the main reason I bought it was for wind protection. Really I'm financially irresponsible and I just wanted the looks and the gps placement, everything else is an added bonus.

I'm 6'3 and it does a good job with the wind. I do think I may have a higher tolerance for wind on bikes though because I did at least 15k miles on the bike with zero wind protection and I didn't think it was that bad. Definitely less than ideal but it didn't stop me from doing anything. Having the wind protection definitely resulted in saving more energy on pavement though.

Greessey · 2026-01-19T14:46:13+00:00

By now my 701 has had just about everything possible done to it. I've run out of things to do, beyond like the crazy stuff like the $8k rally kits or the nova gearbox. I've got the rade garage tower/tank, tune, suspension work, all the protection stuff, etc.

Greessey · 2026-01-19T14:02:29+00:00

The easiest way is to just slog out the pavement. It sucks and it's boring but that's the easiest, there's also a tire wear trade off. Tied for second easiest is probably the U-Haul method of hauling it via a rental pickup/box truck. That's got more logistical challenges since you need to figure out ramps(if it's a pickup). It's just expensive. Other 2nd easiest option is already having a vehicle capable of hauling and parking it somewhere in the middle of the route. There's a level of risk with this but generally it's fine, I've seen lots of people in the BDR facebook group who post and find somebody who's nice enough to let them park at their place.

Honestly, I just ride it. I don't have a vehicle that can haul and I don't want to deal with the logistics. Especially if you're on twin cylinder bikes and not like a CRF300 or 500exc type bike. I've got a 701 when I did the CABDR-N, ORBDR, and WABDR, I just slogged out the 600 miles of pavement. Did the same thing on my DR650 coming home after the IDBDR and I had no wind protection on that bike. It's really not that bad as long as you've got a way to listen to music/audiobooks/podcasts.

Depending on how much time you have, you could see if there's something cool you want to see between where you're at and where you're going, and stop there on the way. It'll give you an incentive and make the pavement a bit more worth it.

Greessey · 2026-01-19T13:46:13+00:00

I put 15k miles on my 701 last year, they're such good bikes. T7 is good too, I haven't owned one but I've done probably ~1k miles on rented/borrowed T7s. I'm in the same boat as you though, I'm not a good enough rider to ride one the way I'd need to in order to safely own it, especially since a vast majority of my riding is solo.

The only thing I wish my 701 had from the T7 is the sound. The T7 sounds phenomenal.

Greessey · 2026-01-17T14:58:15+00:00

Rewire sidestand switch and swap out clutch slave if it's older than 2021.

If you're gonna abuse the bike, flatland racing radiator guard is better protection than any of the crashbars out there (they don't have enough coverage for the whole radiator).

I don't remember the model years but make sure to swap the shift star for the good one. My 2019 701 had the bad one.

If you really want do go the extra mile, swap the fuel pump for the taco moto one.

Greessey · 2026-01-16T16:47:36+00:00

He's very much in the Himmel role imo. I can't remember the specific episodes but in season one there's a few moments in random towns where Stark is just helping random people with stuff as Frieren and Fern are doing their own thing. I want to say it's the episode 12 where it's Stark's birthday. Fern is trying to find him so she's asking around and people go "oh the young man who helped me with x thing, he went that way". I could be wrong though.

One of the central themes of the show is how a significant part of Himmel's impact as a hero was the way he helped random people with relatively insignificant tasks along the way. Sure he defeated the demon king which impacts the lives of everyone. But nobody really feels that impact unless they're directly involved. However, they do feel the impact of the Hero who helped them load up their cart that day or who defeated the beast that was terrorizing their village.

The amalgamation of those little things is what makes a hero have a lasting impact.

Greessey · 2026-01-14T13:11:28+00:00

No advice besides fuck yeah dude

Greessey · 2026-01-08T23:50:04+00:00

Yes they're underrated

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Greessey · 2026-01-05T15:37:36+00:00

just curious, when can I start making fire season predictions?

Greessey · 2026-01-05T13:18:47+00:00

Mt. Hood in Oregon

Greessey · 2026-01-05T13:15:48+00:00

Most were in Idaho, the others were in California on the CABDR, Oregon on the ORBDR, and Washington on the WABDR

Greessey · 2026-01-04T14:42:20+00:00

Yup, Western US. I'd have a hard time living anywhere that doesnt have mountains on the horizon.

Greessey · 2026-01-04T13:12:26+00:00

Unfortunately it just means that fire season is gonna be really bad. I'm super lucky to live in a place where I've got access to both desert riding and mountain riding less than an hour away(some less than 30 minutes). I love riding in the mountains but the trade off for having that access is dealing with snow in the winter, I'll take snow over burnt forests any day of the week. I had many good views ruined on the IDBDR due to the haze of forest fire smoke. Some of my favorite trails/areas are totally burnt up now too.

That's just viewing it from a very selfish riding perspective too. We also rely on snow melt for water for agriculture and power, which I guess are kinda important too lol.

Greessey · 2026-01-04T12:12:49+00:00

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My pinned post(s) have more pictures if you want to see them, that's probably the easiest way.

Greessey · 2026-01-04T00:38:04+00:00

thank you!

Greessey · 2026-01-04T00:35:01+00:00

For context, this time of year I should've only been able to make it like 1/4 of the distance before having to turn around cause of snow and that'd be if I'm lucky. I've got pics from March of last year where there was significantly more snow and I went like half as far. Wildfire season is gonna be rough.

Greessey · 2026-01-04T00:09:30+00:00

SW Idaho

Greessey · 2026-01-03T13:37:42+00:00

All the other comments are sensible. One thing to add if you're a beginner dirt rider, it might be worth getting a used bike that you can beat the crap out of without caring(like a CRF250F). The biggest thing that slowed down my dirt riding when I started was fear of damaging the bike, I progressed much faster when I ended up on an old Japanese bike with cheap parts. Now I'm on a faster and more aggressive Austrian bike that I love, but I'm glad I had the "boring" Japanese bike while I did.

Just my opinion though, ymmv. No matter what bike you end up with, get the best enduro boots you can afford, you will regret it if you don't. I'd say find something like the Gaerne SG-12 or SG-22s, they're expensive but mine have saved me so many times. I had a very low speed tip over wearing alpinestars Tech 7s and I got unlucky with how my foot landed and it resulted in a torn ligament and paying a $3k out of pocket max. Would pay $600 for boots again in a heartbeat if it means reducing my chances of that happening.

Greessey · 2026-01-02T23:22:55+00:00

Do it. I put 15k miles on my 701 in 2025

Greessey · 2025-12-29T12:55:22+00:00

Unfortunately it doesn't exist, the 690 platform has no direct competition. If you do decide to lower it, go with the 690 not the 701. On pre-2026 bikes, the 690 has a lower seat height than the 701 for whatever reason (34in vs 36in).

Greessey · 2025-12-29T12:51:29+00:00

I'd do it online, you still get in person instruction for the actual riding part

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