Wilcox Boots
Hello fellow Adventurers!
So a few months back, I saw an ad come across my Facebook feed for Wilcox Boots with a nice picture of mud, dirt, and the great outdoors! I decided to click on the ad and within a week found a pair at my door step.
The company was originally a Kickstarter design which I thought was pretty cool. What really caught my interest in purchasing these was the well done company video, expressing the quality, handmade workmanship, and “Made in North America” brand.
I was in the need for a good pair of American-made leather boots and these looked like they would fit the bill. The price was on the high end at $190.00, plus shipping, but I decided to take the plunge.
I now emphasize “Made in NORTH America” because I misunderstood the video by assuming the boots are made in the good ole’ USA. I later found out the footbed was made in Connecticut and the boots were made in Mexico.
Initially, I was pretty upset and almost sent the boots back because I really wanted to support the American workforce. However, I decided to put them on and was instantly blown away by the glove like feel on the interior and comfort of the footbed. They come pre-waxed which aids in the waterproofness and smooth finish.
I have since spent many days and long hours in these boots, which included roughly 10 hours straight walking around the 2016 AIMExpo. I can say these are the most comfortable boots I have ever owned. The quality and workmanship is second to none. With new designs and colors coming out, I know these will not be my last pair!
Relaxing after a long day at the AIMExpo!
In the end, I’m extremely happy with my purchase and highly recommend them for anyone looking for a great all around boot!
Below is a link to the site and they have provided a coupon code “2wheeladv” for 25% off.
http://bit.ly/2f0sq8F
Posted in Gear Review & Thoughts and tagged #bmwmoa, #bmwmotorrad, #explore, #madeforadventure, #makelifearide, #spiritofgs, #xladv by admin with comments disabled.
Klim Krios Karbon Adventure Helmet
All aboard the KLIM KRIOS train!
Several months ago, I had the opportunity to meet one of the KLIM Regional Managers who happened to be at my local dealership (EuroCycles Of Tampa Bay). After checking out some of the new products coming in, I was asked about providing my input on a review regarding the new helmet they would be releasing soon.
Of course, I said I would be glad to, but did I actually think I would receive the helmet? Eh… 50/50. However, true to their word, the UPS man arrived a few weeks later and left a brand new Klim Krios Karbon helmet at my door.
After unboxing the helmet and looking over the features, I turned to my wife and told her to go pack for a camping trip!
My initial impressions of this helmet was that it’s super light, looks awesome, and has an easily interchangeable face shield. Included inside the box was the dark tinted shield.
We packed the R1200GSA and headed north to Helen, GA, through Deal’s Gap, around to Gatlinburg, TN and finally had to head back down south to Florida. I acquired approximately 1400 miles in total with the Krios and my longest day was roughly 550 miles, not to mention we were two-up.
With this helmet only weighing approximately 3.25 lbs, and being almost a pound lighter then my older helmet (Shoei Hornet X2), it was a considerably noticeable difference. In the past, due to a old injury, I would feel neck and shoulder fatigue within an hour or so of riding. Not the case with the Krios. Its low weight and well thought out peak design helps eliminate excess pulling from wind and diverts it to the open cutouts which in turn, either force air into the helmet for ventilation or create a stabilizer as it passes to the rear spoiler.
If I could change two things, it would be to add a windscreen opening on the right side, and to be able to raise the windscreen just a crack to add additional venting when in serious humidity.
All in all, I think this helmet was well thought out, looks good, and priced very reasonable at $549.99, which is well below what I believe it could sell for.
They have a transition lens as an option, and the ability to equip a Sena 10U headset, which is made specifically for the Krios. Currently two color schemes are available including, Element Matte White and Stealth Matte Black. Klim will be soon releasing several other color options which look pretty awesome!
I want to give a big thanks to Dustin and the staff at KLIM for making this happen!
If you have further questions about the Krios, hit me up! Until next time…
Krios enjoying the view.
Our waiter liked the helmet so much, he moved the table over just to sit it on top!
Posted in Gear Review & Thoughts and tagged #bmwmoa, #bmwmotorrad, #explore, #madeforadventure, #makelifearide, #niagarafallstourismcanada, #spiritofgs, #xladv by admin with comments disabled.
GA, TN, and NC – Weekend Getaway
Happy Fall Y’all! It’s the better half of 2wheeladv, back to share about our most recent trip 2-up.We started out the Autumn Solstice with a little motorcycle ride up I-75 through hell, er… Florida, which has not quite gotten the Fall memo yet.
Once we caught sight of the mountains in North Georgia, the temperature significantly dropped and we started to enjoy ourselves. We came upon a fabulous creamery/ice cream shop which caught up with me and my lactose intolerance not long afterwards. I confess and repent of my foodie sins as this trip completely blew my non-dairy, gluten-free diet. 
We made our way to Helen, GA, and celebrated the first official day of Oktoberfest with a beer and pretzel. Not much else to taste that evening since the town center was hoppin’ (quite literally), but everything else shut down early.
We spent the night at the Unicoi Lodge, in an overpriced 1980’s room albeit on pristine grounds with lovely flowers. The next morning, we partook of German baked goods and carried on about our trip.
Next up, was slaying the Dragon Tail.
Following such badassery, we made our way to the lovely Gatlinburg, TN. We glamped in a hotel that night due to the rain and sipped on some delicious blackberry wine after tacos. The server loved the Klim Krios so much that he gave the helmets their own table.
We made our way back towards North Georgia via a scenic parkway. The rain kept it nice and cool and it was a lovely ride. We spotted our dream home along the way.
For our final evening, we spent the night at the Lake Oconee KOA in Greensboro GA.
It was a charming spot overlooking a lake. We relaxed in the hammock before I hid in the restroom for a half hour due to a spider blocking the door.
We returned to the Sunshine State the following day, but not without encountering a religious zealot at a Burger King. That’s middle GA for you. This licensed mental health counselor had to keep it moving in order to practice what I preach (tolerance, non-violence, etc.).
Overall, it was a relaxing, long weekend and a great way to celebrate the change of a season and new beginnings. Here’s to hoping for cooler days ahead in the Sunshine State.
Posted in Travel, Weekend getaways and tagged #bmwmoa, #bmwmotorrad, #explore, #madeforadventure, #makelifearide, #niagarafallstourismcanada, #spiritofgs, #xladv by admin with comments disabled.
2016 BMW MOA Rally & Beyond
Longest adventure yet two-up! Written by 2wheeladv’s better half.
Could not have picked a better week to leave the country this past month with all of the political nonsense coming to a head, and story after story of senseless violence. We were reminded to go back to the basics on this trip, yet also enjoyed the finer things life has to offer and each other’s company, of course.
Our trip began with some Florida friends and a trip to good ol’ Cracker Barrel for some breakfast ham and hash brown casserole. We made our way over to Sanford for the Auto Train and made it there with plenty of time to spare, but then the train was 4-5 hours late so we had plenty of time to wait.
Good thing us GS riders can be spotted without question, for at the train station we met up with several new friends, waited together, and made a party out of it to boot. A little shady gas station trip later with our shuttle driver and personal body guard, we had some cheap wine and beer to go along with our pizza delivery.
Prior to boarding the train, we indulged in some local fried chicken and biscuits, courtesy of Amtrak, and continued on our journey of breaking every diet rule we have been trying to follow since New Year’s Day.
Minus the ridiculously long delay, the train ride to Virginia was smooth and we had a great night’s rest.
Lunch onboard the Auto Train
Once we disembarked, we followed some friends on a scavenger hunt for GS Giants, but after a while, the stop and go became too cumbersome with two-up and a fully loaded bike, so we did our own thing.
We made our way through the countryside of Pennsylvania, which is now one of my top places I must explore more in depth my lifetime. I picked out my farm at the top of a hill and dreamed about moving my fur babies there, plus several horses, cute little pigs, maybe a llama, goats, chickens… oh, and perhaps the husband. 😉
Interestingly enough, the scavenger riders ended up staying out the same hotel as us, just by the PA/NY line, which was unplanned and somewhat creepy, but as I said earlier, one can spot a GS rider, and apparently a certain pair of Florida GS riders, without question.
Holiday Inn
The following day, we rose early and continued on our way through the Allegany Mountains of New York. It was a lovely ride with perfectly moderate weather, and lots of sun. We rode all the way to Toronto.
Riding in for the first time
Toronto was a mind blowing city to ride through on a motorcycle, and the traffic was unreal, no matter the time of day. Toronto has so many skyscrapers that there are at least 3 main parts of the city. We checked out the BMW shop in Toronto, which sells both cars and Motorrad. Snooty to say the least, with the exception of one service rep, who reported that their insurance for Motorrad is 10k per year. We checked out the 4th floor Motorrad section then thanked our lucky stars that our insurance rates are much better. Explains why so many people were staring at us!
BMW Toronto
Had a taste of poutine at Smokes and made our way to the KOA Kampground. No way that we were going to shell out $400/night on a hotel! We bought some Canadian hard apple cider (the first of many), and Canadian candies to snack on and called it a night.
KOA West Toronto
We returned to downtown Toronto in the morning and acted all touristy at the CN Tower after enjoying some coffee and such from Tim Hortons. We also checked out Kensington Market, which is the most extensive farmer’s market we have visited. I convinced the husband to try Kombucha Tea along the way so he could experience what it feels like to be a glorified hipster.
CN Tower
Kensington Market
Kensington Market
Checked out Budd’s Motorrad on our way south, and the hubs got his hands on the new BMW GS Trophy Helmet, which is not yet available in the U.S. Might have pissed a few people off with that purchase, but the man could not stop himself and I really could not blame him.
Budds’ Motorrad
BMW GS Trophy Carbon Fiber Helmet
Us 2wheeladv-enturers then rode ourselves to the Marriott Fallsview on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. We parked ourselves in a top floor room for several days. Why would want to leave with a Jacuzzi tub and a perfect view of the Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and Wednesday evening fireworks?? Ate some overpriced appetizers along the way, and continued our mission to remain a wee bit tipsy on Candian hard apple cider throughout the trip.
Marriott Fallsview 23rd Floor!
We received punishment for our many drinks and poor food choices when it was time to walk everywhere… resorted to paying $4 one-way for the two of us to take a hillside elevator; although, it was not in operation when we attempted to use it to access the Journey Behind the Falls experience. Thus, we enjoyed a brisk walk all the way around the hill at 7:30am.
Next up was Ontario-on-the-Lake. Basically Canadian Wine Country. A pristine town with culture, amazing cheese, and wine. Tried some ice wine and it literally changed my life. Had to make some room in the panniers to bring home some booze. We have our priorities straight for sure.
We then made our way back to the American side and had a nice little chat with some Border Patrol Agents. 😉
Next up was Buffalo, NY. We checked into a Hyatt and then made our way to the MOA Rally in Hamburg, NY. I people watched before deciding it was more my honey’s deal than mine and scheduled a massage for the next morning (which was glorious after riding so much on the back of a motorcycle).
GS Giants Course
Later on, we dined at Oshun with Aaron from EuroCycles of Tampa Bay and met some more new and old GS friends.
Best meal we had during the trip for sure!
Saturday, husband returned to the rally and hobnobbed with the vendors while I gallivanted with the ladies. Had some delicious coffee at SPoT Coffee in Buffalo, enjoyed the massage, and met “The Man who stopped the Falls.”
For real, his engineering firm stopped the American Falls with a dam in the 70s. The Falls Stopper and his lovely wife took us on a tour of the American side of the Falls and we had burgers at On Top of the Falls.
Redverz Vendor
I reunited with hubby, and our group checked out Anchor Bar, birthplace of the Buffalo Wings. Interestingly enough, their spaghetti was the real winner!
The Original!
Dinner with friends.
After being accosted by an ununiformed, no ID, and open carry “security officer” in a parking garage, we lived to see the next day, which was mostly a riding day. We rode over 450 miles for Maryland Crab Cakes at Romano’s in Glen Burnie, MD. I had experienced them frozen, but fresh was amazing for sure.
Crab cakes!
The following morning, we toured DC and made our way back to the Auto Train. Got harrassed again by a man who was loading bikes for Amtrak and clearly took issue with GS riders. We were not the only ones, but at least our train was on-time for the return trip. We rode in coach on the way back, which will never occur again, if I have my way, but made it back to Sunny Florida. Hotter than hell, we stopped at a favorite Mexican spot in San Antonio, FL and finally made it back to our little farm. Not the hilltop one, but I am working on it. We immediately wanted to return to where we came from, where the weather was more moderate and duty did not call, but after settling back in, home did feel sweet after all.
Bridge to USA
Long Way Down…
No sleeping bag, just KLIM gear.
Unloading at the Auto Train, Lorton VA.
Posted in Travel and tagged #bmwmoa, #bmwmotorrad, #explore, #madeforadventure, #makelifearide, #niagarafallstourismcanada, #spiritofgs, #xladv by admin with comments disabled.
Cayenne Pro by Rev’It
Just picked up a new pair of the Cayenne Pro’s.
At first these were pretty stiff and controls where difficult to feel. After 400+ miles these feel and function great! Good airflow and awesome protection. Kinda pricey but worth it in the end.
Ride safe✌️🏍
Posted in Gear Review & Thoughts and tagged #bmwmotorrad, #explore, #madeforadventure, #makelifearide by admin with comments disabled.
Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro
Hello Adventure Enthusiasts!
I recently had the opportunity to briefly test and evaluate the all-new Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro. Upfront disclaimer: The following feedback is based on non-scientific facts and is solely based on opinions from a somewhat decent rider (debatable)…
To start off, I want to give a big thanks to Euro Cycles of Tampa Bay for allowing me to evaluate this new machine.
I started off with a street ride, getting the feel for the raw power of 160 ponies! The engine and riding characteristics are right in-line with what you would expect from Ducati. It’s got the sound, looks, and ergonomics features, which makes riding it that much better.
Living where I do, we don’t have fantastic swoop back curves and winding roads. However, we do have a decent little loop not too far away. The Multistrada felt right at home while leaning into the curves and powering out of them. I rode in sport mode, enjoying a positive throttle response which felt right at home with my style of riding.
Two legends hanging out
Now for the off-road portion. Disclaimer: Street tires and light off-roading.
Bike was just too pretty to get dirty, so I mostly explored hard-packed dirt roads and grass. I ran it through the basics, as far as serpentine with cones, slow mo balancing, and the ability to kick the rear end around.
What I noticed right away was that the Multistrada is heavy off-road and I mean heavy… All the weight sits up high, unlike some of the other adventure motorcycles I’ve ridden in this class. The braking system in Enduro mode seemed confident to handle the task.
The ergonomics of the electronic riding modes was by far my favorite feature. The display screen was easy to read and change between riding modes. The screen is bright and provides a cell phone style display.
Taken at night
Another awesome feature which is seen on other Ducati lines is the lighted handlebar buttons. Still waiting for the Germans to catch up on this one…
To sum it up, the Ducati name will always have a loyal fan base. I’m grateful to have been given the opportunity to ride this beautiful motorcycle. It has many great features, and plenty of accessories are coming out to make this a fully capable adventure bike!
Posted in Gear Review & Thoughts by admin with comments disabled.
St. Augustine & Daytona Beach Weekend
My wife and I enjoyed a fun filled weekend of culture, food, and wine starting off in the oldest city in the country, St. Augustine, FL.
St. Augustine was established in 1565 and is well known for its Spanish colonial architecture. The city itself has many amazing sites and attractions to explore.
When traveling by motorcycle, I normally don’t book a hotel room in advance. My personal feeling is by booking in advance, it forces me to be on a time schedule which is something I don’t like being on when riding. However, when traveling to St. Augustine during high season, it’s a must!
We lucked out and got the last room at Best Western Spanish Quarters located at 6 W. Castillo Drive, St. Augustine, FL 32084.
Walking around town
After a good night’s sleep, we headed south along A1A and enjoyed a gorgeous sunrise riding along the east coast of Florida.
Stopped at Crabby Chris which is a local food spot along A1A. Really enjoyed my burrito!
We ended up staying the night in Daytona Beach, where I found a reasonable hotel right on the beach: Hilton Daytona Beach, 100 N. Atlantic Ave., Daytona Beach, FL 32118.
The view from my balcony.
The hotel has garage which allows you to park your motorcycle and also includes a bike wash area!
While my GSA was taking a rest, we went exploring on foot and ended up at a bar on top of the pier.
The next morning, I woke up at the crack of dawn to capture more sunrise photos.
With my bike packed, we said our goodbyes and headed home.
Until next time, ride safe!
Posted in Travel by admin with comments disabled.
2016 March Moto Madness!
This year, I had the opportunity to once again attend MMM (March Moto Madness) in Tellico Plains, TN.
For those that are unfamiliar with MMM, it’s an annual event held world wide at various locations other then the main event which is in Tellico Plains. The 2016 season had additional hosts from Taiwan, Japan, the UK, and Spain.
Accommodations for the event include camping, whether in a vehicle, RV, or tent. They offer Porta Johns, showers, and provide hot meals. Oh, and I can’t forget the cold beer for purchase!
Staging and camping area.
During my prior trips, I discovered a wonderful bed & breakfast (Farm House Inn) inside the main town of Tellico. The owners, Kyle and Laura, take exceptional care of their guests and best of all, Kyle rides and will even lead tours if you twist his arm.
Throughout the event, you can find yourself doing the Twisted Throttle Cherokee Challenge, various trials courses setup for smaller and larger bikes, and self-guided routes throughout the boarding states. If you are not savvy with route sheets, no worries… with over 600 attendees you can find a riding buddy!
Riding buddy giving his BMW F800 GS a dirt nap.
I ended up with a screw in my tire. Luckily, between our group members we managed to have everything needed on hand to change it out.
Various beautiful and unique sights along the way.
I look forward to what 2017 MMM will bring and I encourage those who have missed out this year to put it on your list!
Until next time, ride safe.
Posted in Scheduled Events by admin with comments disabled.