Jeff and the rest of our crew were happy to see a little green on our final day of riding. The weather and moisture content of the soil were just about perfect.
Our objective was to be in San Diego early enough to clean up at the hotel, grab a bite and head to Qualcomm Stadium for a bit of pit cruising. Our compressed schedule necessitated the most highway miles of the trip, so after passing the El Capitan Reservoir, we tightened the formation and merged onto Interstate 8 near Alpine. There was plenty of butt wiggling and side-saddle action in the final 30-mile blast, but we finally made it to the Ramada Inn on Hotel Circle. Once there we were all greeted with the now-familiar routine of Maley and his magical coolers. On top of that, each tour participant was given a little swag bag with a few goodies and KTM paraphernalia and a certificate of completion to forever commemorate the occasion. The only thing left was to soak in some SX action, party our asses off one last time and make ready for return flights out of SD.
Rolling through the pits was a blast, especially to some of the guys who hadn't done that type of thing very often. Even for those of us who are familiar with the scene, getting into the MDK and KTM Jr. SX big-rigs was something new. Chatting with the Red Bull girls on the greener side of that well-guarded fence was another much appreciated benny that comes with being Scot Harden's entourage.
To be honest, the Supercross main event was something of a snoozer until Chad Reed's crash threw in a bit of excitement. Even better was the soda, coffee cup and box of french fries that our drunken neighbors threw at the group in front of us for refusing to sit down and blocking the action. A few minutes of belligerent banter and threats with a side dish of security intervention was just what we needed to kick off our final night together as a group. We braved the mass exodus of race fans and made our way back to Hotel Circle for one last chance to enjoy our temporary riding buddies.
Our final night was spent celebrating a successful tour. Justin Maley (right) and I had to buy this guy a beer just for having the balls to wear that shirt in public. We have no idea who he is, but it's suspected that he is the original P-Diddy.
Wanting to stay close to home, we wandered into the dark confines of the Tickled Trout, our hotel's karaoke wonderland. As it turned out, the drinks were much better than the talent, but beer has a wonderful effect on the auditory senses. By the time our raucous group picked out a song and grabbed the mics things were sounding damn fine in our ears. I remember plenty about that evening, but the fact that I can't recall exactly which song we so brutally mutilated means not only that I was unfit to walk, but that my final few hours hanging out with newfound friends left more of an impression on me than our braying did with the other patrons. If you really want to see our rendition, keep your hopes up and eyes peeled on YouTube for a video of two Dutchmen, a Texan, one Australian, an Oregon boy, some random blonde chick and a guy wearing his homemade "P is for Porn" T-shirt. If that doesn't work then you'll just have to imagine the rest of our Tickled Trout debut. As bad as it might sound it was the perfect way to cap off an awesome Adventure Tour.
Just about anyone, much less a motorcycle enthusiast would have been captivated by the evenings spent listening to Scot's many tales of his racing career. Tales of being dog tired after hundreds of kilometers of unmarked trail blazing through sand and camel grass in the Dakar Rally only to reach the bivouac and discover a fellow competitor, a friend, is dead. This is a man who has seen and done it all in the off-road world. Not only has he rallied, but raced and won multiple Baja events, National Hare Scrambles, Best in the Desert races and traveled across the world for ISDE competitions.
Making new friends and helping one another is just as big a part of the tour as the actual riding.
Just listening over the course of dinner would have been a good time in itself, but having access to him for the better part of a week for questions, riding tips and personal insight was a real treat. Mix in the fact that we were aboard the perfect machines, didn't have to worry about anything more than what to choose off the dinner menu and were graced with faultless weather and soil and it's tough to imagine a better riding experience. I was never bored with the terrain, always had someone faster to chase and built a sense of camaraderie by giving and receiving support from every individual on the trip. Plus, everything went about as smoothly as possible which speaks volumes to the professionalism and experience of the KTM Adventure Tour program.
Even before we had dropped the clutch on our trip, Tom, speaking from the experience of his two previous KTM Adventure Tours made a noteworthy comment. Our appetites sated, we headed back to the hotel with our bellies topped off and brains full of vivid images of pain and racing glory. From the front seat of Scot's Nissan Titan, Tom turned around, raised his Texas drawl over the growling exhaust and said, "You guys might have come to ride motorcycles, but this is the real adventure right here."
He was right.
A special thanks to KTM Adventure Tours and Scot Harden for inviting us to participate. For more information about available tours and scheduling, visit
www.ktmadventuretoursusa.com. Below is a list of sponsors who contribute to the tour effort.
Scot Harden and KTM are a good match for the Adventure Tour program. The bikes couldn't have been better-suited and the guide service was equally as impressive.
KTM Adventure Tours North America
38429 Innovation Court
Murrieta, CA 92563
Phone: (951) 677-2823
Fax: (951) 677-2307
www.ktmadventuretoursusa.com
Contact for International Tours
KTM Adventure Tours AG
ZÂrcherstrasse 305
8500 Frauenfeld/Schweiz
