The Dakar has me all dual sport fixated at the moment. To pass the never ending Canadian winter I've been looking up hard to find bikes and then seeing what it would take to go get 'em.
For $3000US there is a Yamaha Ténéré for sale at the Power Brokers of the Black Hills out in South Dakota. That's a capable dual sport named after part of the original Paris to Dakar race.
The cunning plan would be arrange to pick up the bike in the spring. It's a few hundred bucks to fly out to Rapid City. It happens to be right by the Black Hills and Sturgis where the big Harley thing happens. I've got no interest in that, but the Hills are supposed to be lovely riding, and only four hundred miles west is Yellowstone. I've always wanted to see the mega-volcano that will eventually wipe out most of the human race.
It's over 700 miles east before I get to Deluth on the west end of Lake Superior. From there it's still a long way home. In previous dream rides Deluth has been the apogee of around the Great Lakes rides. This time it would be the half way point on a long ride east.
