Test Our New Tires
We just got our new tires put on (Mitas eo7+) and really wanted to give them a true test drive. The weekend weather was shaping up to be absolutely gorgeous so we contacted a few friends and headed up to the High Country Motorcycle Campground. This campground is fantastic.
The drive up was uneventful but we did take the back road to the entrance. This allows for a 5 mile off road trek that leads right to the campground entrance. Be aware that turning of Hwy 421 to this road can be tricky since there is NO turn lane and it is a major highway.
In short, the tires are fantastic. What a difference it "seemed" to make just on this short trek. It made both of us feel more stable. We arrived about 90 minutes before dark. We said our hellos but were pushing hard to get setup and cook dinner before dark. Well, we were able to setup in time but dinner did push us into the dark.
The weather was warm during the day but cold at night (in the 30's). After dinner, we cleaned up and had some drinks. One friend had an RV and we opted to go sit inside where there was heat. After talking for a while, we made plans for Saturday and retired to our tents. It was cold. I will say that we are prepared with the correct clothes and gear. Even with that, its still cold.
The next morning, we made coffee and had a warm breakfast. It was warming up fast and at 10ish, four of us hit the trails. Our friend led the way. We hit the first trail and what a difference. Again, we are by no means experts in any of this but we did notice two things.
First, the bike handled so much better on the trails. Crossing over gravel and other obstacles with ease. Our other tires gave us fits since it rolled around vs. gripping. Second, the tires stuck to the trail which allowed us to drive faster...much faster than before. Even our friends commented on how much faster we were able to move (just so you know, they take off and drive their way and at the end of the trail, are waiting for us - and no, they do not seem to mind). The way the tires were handling gave us more confidence in our abilities...something we really need.
One of the trails we would have liked to run was closed.
We drove over 100 miles on Saturday. What a day it was. We stopped at a local place for beer and then headed back to camp. We fixed dinner and again headed to our friends RV for some needed heat. Later at night we headed to our tents for another nights rest. Yes, it was cold again...I think it felt colder but we survived.
On Sunday, our friends headed up to VA for some more trails. They would be gone all day and we could not go with them since that would put us back home VERY late and neither of us planned to stay another night (our fault). We packed up our bikes allowing the sun to first dry our gear.
On the way home we hit some fabulous trails fully loaded and again were happy and amazed how are tires performed. A great purchase. We stopped for a quick beer at one of our local hang outs then headed home.