Hello All.

I recently purchased a '17 AT for a bucket list ride in the spring of 2020. Very happy with the bike so far, quite a different experience from my old 650 Vstrom.

I hail from Southern Ontario, Canuckistan, which will be the starting point of my spring trip. I plan on being on the road for 3.5 months. Have to be back by Labor Day to move my one lovely daughter back into University.

Very much looking forward to an extended ride, with only two deadlines to meet the entire time. Not a particularly original ride, but I've never done anything of this magnitude before - Ontario out to the Yukon, Alaska, BC, Washington State, Idaho BDR, and southern Utah before returning home. Obviously hoping the AT will be a reliable, comfortable, capable machine for the trip.
I look forward to conversing with the group here, as i'm sure i'll be looking for some pointers / advice as I rig the bike up to suit my needs.

Cheers folks.

Hi and welcome and also a wave to you from south of Detroit
Did you go DCT or manual?

Thank you, Sir.

I got the candy red DCT with 7500 kms (4660 miles) on the clock. Glad I had a window of decent riding weather this fall after purchasing to get used to the DCT. Didn't take too long till I stopped reaching for the clutch out of habit... haha. Rides very nice. Was especially surprised when I took it out on the trails. Still can't believe how nimble it feels off road for a pretty darn heavy bike. Previous owner had put Mitas E-07's on it, which I'm sure makes a big difference from the stock Dunlops. I've not heard a single positive thing about the stock tires...

Used to go to visit my sister in Perrysburg OH a few times a year. That can't be too far from you, I'd imagine. Was happy when they moved though, the 4 hour drive to the border at Windsor from the Toronto area is a serious snoozer!

John

Funny thing about those stock Dunlops. I had them on my 17AT for about 1200miles and I thought they worked very well. I ride in the N Ga mountains on plenty of twisty roads both dry and in the rain and never an issue. I only switched to the Shinko 804/805's for more off road, fire road riding.
Planning a trip out to Idaho next July for a wedding and will probably put them back on for the trip.

[QUOTE=Tuono07;314863]Funny thing about those stock Dunlops. I had them on my 17AT for about 1200miles and I thought they worked very well. I ride in the N Ga mountains on plenty of twisty roads both dry and in the rain and never an issue. I only switched to the Shinko 804/805's for more off road, fire road riding.
Planning a trip out to Idaho next July for a wedding and will probably put them back on for the trip.[/QUOTE

Hi Tuono07.
Im ordering a set of those Shinko's to send to my buddy's in Washington so I have them ready to throw on before we do the Idaho BDR. I will obviously be doing tons of asphalt on this trip, but my preference is off road. Looking foward to see how the Shinko's work out. I still have the Dunlops the previous owner gave me. They have 2700 kms on them. The front doesn't look so good, but the rear looks fine. Maybe i'll toss them on yet after hearing your comments. We'll see.

I'll be on the Idaho BDR probably the second two weeks of July. Enjoy your ride out there. That's a good haul from Georgia!

Cheers

Me too. And my '19 came with Battlax's fitted. After 8000 miles the Battlax's looked like they still had 5000 miles left in them. Great you'd think, BUT - previously I never got the Traction Control to kick in when the Dunlops were fitted. With the 19 bike TC has kicked in 3 times when I haven't been doing anything out of the ordinary, and these were all on dry tarmac. So at the 8k service I got them to put Dunlop Trailsmarts on. They will only last to the next 8k service, but that's OK 'cos they can change them at the same time.
Mike