flash412
03-03-2006, 02:31 PM
Saturday, February 4th, I flew to San Jose, Costa Rica, with four friends. We rented brand spankin' new KTM 640LCs and did some GREAT dual sport riding for a week. We did not take a tour. We simply rented bikes from Wilhelm von Breymann, proprietor of www.costaricamotorcycletours.com. He is a first rate guy with a first rate business catering to tourists. Whatever you want in Costa Rica, he can put together. We returned the bikes a seven days later, the following Saturday and flew home Sunday the 12th.
Day one, five of us picked up brand new 2006 640LC bikes. Some had 600-700 km on them, some had 6-8 km. Went 6 km before one bike overheated... no coolant had been installed. Fixed that. Another 20-30 km later, same bike had major clutch issue, rideable but flat-shifting only. Rental place brought out a KTM 950 Adventure and traded out, to be re-exchanged later. Took a ferry ride and then rode down to Montezuma. Roads in that area range from bad to horrible. Dual-sport heaven.
Day two, great ride along the coast road. Nothing paved. Several water crossings including some rivers.
Day three, traded 950 back for an '04 640, MUCH better for the gnarly dirt back roads and donkey trails we did that day. On a downhill in sand and pea gravel covering a smooth rock, I lost the front end without warning and went down hard on my left arm. We bandaged it up and kept riding. Did a VERY gnarly single-track donkey trail. Four hours later at the clinic, I got six stiches and scrip for antibiotics. Bike suffered only a rashed hand guard.
Day four was to be a LONG road day to transfer to the Osa Penninsula. Up too early, catch the ferry. Mr Toad's Wild Ride at a closed bridge, following an SUV WFO on the back roads, through the river into Quepos where one of our party was robbed of his backpack during lunch. Plan changes as his passport was in the pack. We headed back north to Jaco for the night.
Day five was again and early riser. Arrived at US Embassy ~8:30AM. Business completed by 10. Headed north up to La Fortuna. Hotel with great view of volcano Arenal.
Day six was a beautiful dirt ride around Lake Arenal. On a DEEP water crossing (the one river in a day of many streams and puddles), with football size/shaped rocks, one bike took a bath. CPR worked just fine. Got "the money shot" of the five bikes & riders lined up along Lake Arenal with volcano Arenal in the background. Gonna have trip t-shirts made with the photo and under it, simply, GPS coordinates and date.
The last day, we rode to the cauldera of volcano Poas. The roads were, for the most part, paved twisty heaven. Looked down into an active volcano. Ate lunch and then made our way into San Jose to return the bikes. Four of the five had gone down one way or another. Damage was minimal. Charges were quite reasonable.
Departed next day.
Along the coast road of the Nicoya Penninsula (Pacific side).
http://flash412pix.home.comcast.net/CRI_43b.JPG
Tony, Hubert and Alan with dirt-eating grins at the end of a dual-sport day.
http://flash412pix.home.comcast.net/CRI_48b.JPG
Deciding which way to go at an intersection of some of the better-surfaced dirt roads.
http://flash412pix.home.comcast.net/CRI_56b.JPG
Post-crash handguard rash on my (formerly brand new) bike.
http://flash412pix.home.comcast.net/CRI_78b.JPG
Volcano Arenal, as seen from the private balcony of our hotel.
http://flash412pix.home.comcast.net/CRI_81b.JPG
The "Money Shot"
http://flash412pix.home.comcast.net/CRI-AF0261d.JPG
N10°26.478 W84°47.347 - 10 February 2006
There is a video HERE (http://www.blachowiak.com/blachowiak/todd/CostaRicaFeb2006.wmv). Most of it is just "interview" footage because whenever Todd tried to ride with the camera, it shut itself off. There is some footage of the first of probably three dozen water crossings. The misty/smoky stuff near the end is the cauldera of the volcano Poas.
HERE (http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=15oiw03f.1si8j74n&x=1&y=-1sylqt) is a link to the photo album.
Summary:
KTM640LC - PERFECT bike for Costa Rica. Stock seat sucks.
Costa Rica Adventures - Perfect rental agency, period.
Costa Rica - GREAT place to dual sport. Speaking Spanish helps greatly. Fuel costs ~US$3.75/gallon there.
Conclusion - VERY glad I went. Two weeks might have been better. A month probably would have been too much.
OBBMW: An F650 Funduro belonging to one of Wilhelm's employees was there when we returned the KTMs.
Day one, five of us picked up brand new 2006 640LC bikes. Some had 600-700 km on them, some had 6-8 km. Went 6 km before one bike overheated... no coolant had been installed. Fixed that. Another 20-30 km later, same bike had major clutch issue, rideable but flat-shifting only. Rental place brought out a KTM 950 Adventure and traded out, to be re-exchanged later. Took a ferry ride and then rode down to Montezuma. Roads in that area range from bad to horrible. Dual-sport heaven.
Day two, great ride along the coast road. Nothing paved. Several water crossings including some rivers.
Day three, traded 950 back for an '04 640, MUCH better for the gnarly dirt back roads and donkey trails we did that day. On a downhill in sand and pea gravel covering a smooth rock, I lost the front end without warning and went down hard on my left arm. We bandaged it up and kept riding. Did a VERY gnarly single-track donkey trail. Four hours later at the clinic, I got six stiches and scrip for antibiotics. Bike suffered only a rashed hand guard.
Day four was to be a LONG road day to transfer to the Osa Penninsula. Up too early, catch the ferry. Mr Toad's Wild Ride at a closed bridge, following an SUV WFO on the back roads, through the river into Quepos where one of our party was robbed of his backpack during lunch. Plan changes as his passport was in the pack. We headed back north to Jaco for the night.
Day five was again and early riser. Arrived at US Embassy ~8:30AM. Business completed by 10. Headed north up to La Fortuna. Hotel with great view of volcano Arenal.
Day six was a beautiful dirt ride around Lake Arenal. On a DEEP water crossing (the one river in a day of many streams and puddles), with football size/shaped rocks, one bike took a bath. CPR worked just fine. Got "the money shot" of the five bikes & riders lined up along Lake Arenal with volcano Arenal in the background. Gonna have trip t-shirts made with the photo and under it, simply, GPS coordinates and date.
The last day, we rode to the cauldera of volcano Poas. The roads were, for the most part, paved twisty heaven. Looked down into an active volcano. Ate lunch and then made our way into San Jose to return the bikes. Four of the five had gone down one way or another. Damage was minimal. Charges were quite reasonable.
Departed next day.
Along the coast road of the Nicoya Penninsula (Pacific side).
http://flash412pix.home.comcast.net/CRI_43b.JPG
Tony, Hubert and Alan with dirt-eating grins at the end of a dual-sport day.
http://flash412pix.home.comcast.net/CRI_48b.JPG
Deciding which way to go at an intersection of some of the better-surfaced dirt roads.
http://flash412pix.home.comcast.net/CRI_56b.JPG
Post-crash handguard rash on my (formerly brand new) bike.
http://flash412pix.home.comcast.net/CRI_78b.JPG
Volcano Arenal, as seen from the private balcony of our hotel.
http://flash412pix.home.comcast.net/CRI_81b.JPG
The "Money Shot"
http://flash412pix.home.comcast.net/CRI-AF0261d.JPG
N10°26.478 W84°47.347 - 10 February 2006
There is a video HERE (http://www.blachowiak.com/blachowiak/todd/CostaRicaFeb2006.wmv). Most of it is just "interview" footage because whenever Todd tried to ride with the camera, it shut itself off. There is some footage of the first of probably three dozen water crossings. The misty/smoky stuff near the end is the cauldera of the volcano Poas.
HERE (http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=15oiw03f.1si8j74n&x=1&y=-1sylqt) is a link to the photo album.
Summary:
KTM640LC - PERFECT bike for Costa Rica. Stock seat sucks.
Costa Rica Adventures - Perfect rental agency, period.
Costa Rica - GREAT place to dual sport. Speaking Spanish helps greatly. Fuel costs ~US$3.75/gallon there.
Conclusion - VERY glad I went. Two weeks might have been better. A month probably would have been too much.
OBBMW: An F650 Funduro belonging to one of Wilhelm's employees was there when we returned the KTMs.