The trip report is at the end.

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On the road again.

We departed around 2:00PM towards I-251, then I-15 and finally US-395 north.

Was an uneventfully ride all the way to Trona on CA-178, where we got gas and saw the first two GSs going to Death Valley, plus another rider in a KTM.

We arrived around 6:30PM and it was already dark. Our hotel, Furnace Creek Ranch was good, and the food at the 49rs was good too. Around 8:30PM we were in bed.

Next morning I found that I should had done the canistertomy on my GS: the side of the rear tire was all scratch by the canister modification, after I had installed the Jesse begs.

To my luck, a bunch of fellows GS motorcycles were there to do it with me in less then 10 minutes, in front of Raffy Motogear4you trailer.

GS canistertomy crew

After few more minutes and we were ready to go to the Racetrack at Death Valley, about 90 miles north.

Only 6 of us were going there, so after getting gas ($3.12) I was ready to go.

The road goes North to Scotty's Castle, Ubehebe Crater, Mesquite Spring, Grapevine, Titus Canyon and many other places too.

The first 60 miles are good pavement, then you make a right turn towards Ubehebe Crater for about 5 miles were the road wasn't so good and from there is about 27 miles of gravel.

Before entering the gravel, we stop to deflate the tires a bit. I was ridding two up and I left 25/30 from the original 35/44. The side photo shows the damage from the canister.

GS Canister and Jesse begs don't mix.

Then the gravel begins. It was worst at the start then at the end, and took me about 45 minutes to do the 27 miles.

When you get to Teskkette junction there is only 7 more miles to go. (you won't miss it: has a lot of Stovetop kettle there. I left my card inside of one. :)

Teskette junction

Racetrack is famous for the sliding rocks there.

Is' t a dried lake bed that contain boulders that have moved inside the dry like. Some of then weighing up to 700 pounds and the explanation so far is that when rains there, the superficies of the dry lake became's very slick, then the wind moves the boulders.

And if something fall from the car?

The boulder below is a fake mover... We could see that it was moved by hand.

This one... maybe... not so sure.

The group photo at the Racetrack, then the Ubehebe crater and finally a yellow BMW RS 1200 with car tires on it.

Furnace Ranch brings a lot of things to see.

Going back home, and doing a stop at Wildrose charcoal Kilns.

We got some snow on the roads here today, and was cold, about 35F. We spend only few minutes taking some pictures and start going back to the warm temperatures of the desert.

The bike got 6000 miles exactly at the Kilns.

Who is Elton

I was born in Brazil and my wife and I moved to USA, California in 1996, for a change in our lives. Took us some time to learn the language and get into this country, but I think we are doing very well expect the learning a new language after 35 is not easy. We became citizens in 2007.
 My wife and I we love to travel and by the time I was writing this page, we have logged more them 100.000 miles on few motorcycles we had and now we are riding this BMW K1200LT 2002 and the BMW R1150GS 2003, many more miles on our car and much more on the airplane.
Winter we do Snowmobile, Summer we go to the lakes for water sports (PWC) and we motorcycle year around (one of the goods of living in sunny California).

The BMW 2003 R1150GS performed very well wasn't for the rear tire, that had it's shoulder destroying by the canister.

It makes that the way back we got some serious vibration after 90mph, but hei!!!. we are not suppose to ride at 90mph, so slow down.

The wind/cold protection on this bike is minimal. We were very cold all the way back. I need a better windshield. Looks like the combination Givi+tobinators is not the best option. I have to find something else.

The Jesse bags performed good, after minor adjustments on the rear box.

The electrical tank bag was good, but the J&M comm system could be better. I'm not sure if I would buy it again.

The bike handles good on the washboards, but it was hard for us. We need to practice a little more on deep gravel and unpaved roads, that is for sure.