Sunday, September 16 2012 - Patience paid off. For 3 days I could only admire the snazzy KTM 350 EXC-F in my garage. Other priorities prevented me to go for an adventure ride with the “Ferrari” of dual sport bikes. But finally, the perfect day presented itself: no rain on the horizon, sunny and 64 F (18 C) degrees as a maximum - perfect conditions.
But before leaving, I made some adjustments that were beneficial:
- I removed the visor on my hybrid helmet - it has the effect of a parachute on the highway with a dual-sport motorcycle. So much for the look;
- I adjusted the mirrors - returning from St-Bruno, Qc where I picked up the bike a few days earlier, I realized on the highway that the mirrors were very, very well secured, which is a good thing, unfortunately in a position that did not suit me well;
- As the bike is pretty high, I got used to removing the kickstand before sitting - a lot easier!
With the 350 EXC-F, I had to use my imagination and all the pockets of my jacket and my pants since there is obviously no suitcase or anything to carry some goods in. This way, I could carry my usual equipment: camera, iPhone, 2 cans of energy drink, cereal bars etc etc..
And finally, a precaution: the fuel tank on the KTM is 10 liters with the reserve, so I planned for refuelling along the way... I will get back to this.