Kenneth Webb
Livin' It Up!
I just returned from Death Valley where I joined in with 200 riders to enjoy some California desert. For this trip I trailered my Terra, TE630 and WR250R as the terrain is varied and I wanted to enjoy all three bikes as appropriate. The Terra was my choice for Titus Canyon and for a trip to the old mining town of Cerro Gordo. My companions on these two rides were on a TE630 and a DRZ 400 so it was an interesting comparison to bikes that are more dirt oriented than the Terra.
Most of these routes were on gravel that varied from well graded to fairly rough, and we also made a cut across on a little used two track crossed by numerous small washes that tested the Terra suspension. Here's a pic of the Terra on the way up to Cerro Gordo.
As you can see, the rear tire remains stock, while the front is a mild knobby; IRC TR8. I was impressed with the TR8 as it gave excellent grip on pavement and gravel/sand alike. This is a new tire for me and I will use it again on this bike. I also had on my new Seat Concepts saddle, and liked it very much. My butt was never an issue, and I can't remember thinking about seat discomfort a single time. I still would like the bump in the back to be eliminated, but the raised area does provide for a flush mounting surface for a duffle on future trips. The seat is 1" higher than normal and was a very welcomed addition for my knees.
Impressions: The bike has no evil tendancies and I could do a pretty good job of sailing down the gravel and around the corners, drifting the back a little when I wanted to. The rear tire did a great job too. On the way down Titus, along the side of some good drop offs, I gassed it a bit to see how it would handle and again I was impressed. One has to remember though that bringing the speed down before negotiating a sharp corner you are hauling down over a hundred pounds of extra weight! It makes a difference vs my other two bikes! There was a bit of rear wheel chatter when really getting on the rear brake.
Going across that two track and crossing the washes (maybe a foot to 18" deep) I used all of the front wheel travel and did bottom once or twice. There is only 7.5" of travel, so one has to attack these things a little slower, where as the 630 and 250 just eat them up and you never have to get off the throttle. This was not unexpected though, and I never expected to ride the Terra agressively over rough terrain. On washboard surfaces, the forks and rear shock did fine, although the suspension gives more feedback to the bars, so just slow down a little bit.
My ride to Beatty, NV and back down Titus Canyon gave me 59 mpg. On the Cerro Gordo route that went to 55 mpg. I think 50 to 60 mpg is going to be a good spread to count on, although my bike has low mileage still and may loosen up a bit as the miles stack up.
All in all, the bike performed just as I hoped it would so I'm a happy camper. The tight turning radius is very appreciated, too. This summer I'll be putting on a Dunlop 908R rear and doing the Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route on this bike, and I have no fears. I like it!
Most of these routes were on gravel that varied from well graded to fairly rough, and we also made a cut across on a little used two track crossed by numerous small washes that tested the Terra suspension. Here's a pic of the Terra on the way up to Cerro Gordo.
As you can see, the rear tire remains stock, while the front is a mild knobby; IRC TR8. I was impressed with the TR8 as it gave excellent grip on pavement and gravel/sand alike. This is a new tire for me and I will use it again on this bike. I also had on my new Seat Concepts saddle, and liked it very much. My butt was never an issue, and I can't remember thinking about seat discomfort a single time. I still would like the bump in the back to be eliminated, but the raised area does provide for a flush mounting surface for a duffle on future trips. The seat is 1" higher than normal and was a very welcomed addition for my knees.
Impressions: The bike has no evil tendancies and I could do a pretty good job of sailing down the gravel and around the corners, drifting the back a little when I wanted to. The rear tire did a great job too. On the way down Titus, along the side of some good drop offs, I gassed it a bit to see how it would handle and again I was impressed. One has to remember though that bringing the speed down before negotiating a sharp corner you are hauling down over a hundred pounds of extra weight! It makes a difference vs my other two bikes! There was a bit of rear wheel chatter when really getting on the rear brake.
Going across that two track and crossing the washes (maybe a foot to 18" deep) I used all of the front wheel travel and did bottom once or twice. There is only 7.5" of travel, so one has to attack these things a little slower, where as the 630 and 250 just eat them up and you never have to get off the throttle. This was not unexpected though, and I never expected to ride the Terra agressively over rough terrain. On washboard surfaces, the forks and rear shock did fine, although the suspension gives more feedback to the bars, so just slow down a little bit.
My ride to Beatty, NV and back down Titus Canyon gave me 59 mpg. On the Cerro Gordo route that went to 55 mpg. I think 50 to 60 mpg is going to be a good spread to count on, although my bike has low mileage still and may loosen up a bit as the miles stack up.
All in all, the bike performed just as I hoped it would so I'm a happy camper. The tight turning radius is very appreciated, too. This summer I'll be putting on a Dunlop 908R rear and doing the Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route on this bike, and I have no fears. I like it!
No more than 7 MPH. I did make him a promise though and I kept it.