Motorcyclist USA — September-October 2017

70 | september | october 2017

Big Sur is world famous for its craggy

cliffs, the ceaseless pounding of the

Pacific Ocean, and the fog that buffets

the coast with wicked, cold tendrils.

Zack and I have seen the sights, breathed

the salt air, and shivered in the mist

numerous times over the years, but

this experience was entirely new. The

views were so awesome, so grand, as to

rival anything that’s ever entered our

eyes. The cliffs that jut out of the sea and

seem so impossibly steep at road level

continue to rise another half mile up,

and that’s where we were, navigating a

road cut along the very top of the moun-

tains. From that elevation the curvature

of the planet was clear to see, the sky a

cloudless, piercing blue.

We continued to ride, bounding along

on our little bikes and reveling in the

scenery and the excitement of exploring

this new, lonely mountain route. As the

sun began to descend the ridge narrowed

to a spine, and after threading through a

stand of red-trunked madrone trees the

trail abruptly ended at a small promon-

tory at the top of an dizzyingly steep bluff.

Amazingly, directly below us was the land-

slide that had blocked our path north, the

scarred flank of the mountainside and the

raw soil of the newly formed peninsula

visible some 2,500 feet below us.

As the sun set, the fog made its final

charge and pressed against the cliffs

below us, carpeting the world in cotton.

“It’s like an airplane sunset,” Zack anal-

ogized as we unfurled our tent, the sun

beginning to singe the cotton. It was

exactly like looking out of an airplane

window, except instead of peering out

a tiny portal our view was totally unre-

stricted and utterly magnificent.

Camping atop that cliff under a

vibrant moon, its crescent bright enough

to cast shadows, was an incredible

experience. Our final words of the night

conveyed how amazed we were that

these trails, this campsite, and this other

Big Sur existed and that we’d unwittingly

passed it so many times. This detour had

become our best road trip yet.

The next morning, what was on our

mind was finding fuel for the Rally. The

Versys’ larger tank promises at least 200

miles between fill-ups, but even getting

an impressive 60 mpg, the CRF Rally

will have you looking for a pump at the

120-mile mark. Back on paved roads

by midday, we made it to a gas station

without having to siphon from the

Versys and made it to Monterey in time

for dinner and a visit with friends.

This new breed of pint-size travel

enduros brings together so many

appealing aspects of motorcycling. And

other than being capped in terms of top

speed, there’s really no limit to what

they can be used for. Even if they can’t

surmount landslides, the Rally and

Versys can get you to your destination,

no matter what route you choose. For

gnarlier adventures closer to home, the

Honda is the way to go. And for more

range, comfort, cruising speed, and

gentler off roading, the Kawasaki is the

clear choice.

right Load the Versys with luggage and use

it for long-range touring and mild off-road

exploration. The Rally is a better streetbike

than the standard CRF250L, but it’s best

suited to gnarlier adventures closer to home.

MCY1017_COMP.indd 70 7/24/17 3:56 PM