First Ride on the DR650 2026

 On Friday May 1st I rode the DR650 for the first time this year. It fired right up. Gotta love non ethanol fuel. My friend Doyle joined me and for the first time we rode together on dirt roads. He bought a Triumph 400 scrambler. We have been riding rode riding quite often and went skiing a few times earlier this year. The goal was to get to Magee Historical Ranger Cabin in the Couer D'Alene (it is misspelled on the map - a Garmin thing) or find snowline which ever happens first.

The route.



It was a glorious spring day with bluebird skies and perfect weather. We follow the route until we get to the Crooked Ridge Road and it doesn't go through. This happens often with Garmin City Navigator North America, Open Street Maps and Open Map Chest Maps I have on Basecamp. It is part of the adventure.

So we route back to the nearest rode sign to Magee that wasn't shot to hell and using a waypoint on the GPS I tell it go to Magee. So we did until we hit snow. There was a side x side at this point and he tried to head down the snow covered road. It wasn't long before we seen him again and had a fun conversation. In the photos some might say I am a wuss for not continuing, on the other-hand I have experience.



Remove the POS DR. Clearly I have jinxed myself and it will breakdown next time out.



Here is Doyle with his Triumph.



I whipped out my Idaho State Recreation Atlas from 2008 and was able to locate our position on the map. A small victory. We decide to see if the GPS would take us to the Wolf Creek Lodge and make our way out. It didn't and creating a route on a 4" screen is damn foolish so I live with it. Hell if Itchy Boots can ride in Mongolia with rotten gas and all sorts of obstacles I am happy riding around in the forest without reaching the intended destinations. The GPS routes us back the way we came and that's not bad.

Here is Doyle on the Fernan Lake Road.









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Doyle suggested we have a late lunch at the Vantage Point Brewing Company where I had a brat and a Helles Lager a German style beer in anticipating of riding in Germany in August.

Seattle Cossacks Motorcycle Stunt and Drill Team

The The Seattle Cossacks Motorcycle Stunt and Drill Team at the Spokane Motorcycle Show on 3/14/2026.

A mid sized city like Spokane having a motorcycle show is great. We got on up on on ya Seattle, again! All the brands are represented by local dealers, with vintage bikes on display and a swap meet of mostly old iron and bit and pieces is for sale. Also this year the Seattle Cossacks Motorcycle Stunt and Drill Team put on two shows on Saturday.

I have to get my Triumph dig in. This is a Tiger Cub a 200cc 4 stroke engine produced from 1952-1965.



Hopefully these Bag It and Drag It Customs bike have a rear suspension to raise the bike a bit while riding it. 

 






I prefer the older iron:















This is where my lust for motorcycles began in the early 1960's. I never owned a tote goat but I wanted to.



Then it was on to harass the Triumph dealer regarding the where a bouts of my 2026 Tiger Sport 800 Tour. Mission accomplished. Then it was on to see the Seattle Cossacks Motorcycle Stunt and Drill Team put on a show. These bikes are kick start. Some of them didn't want to fire up right away. It was interesting to watch them get the bikes running.

The stunt is a warm up. They are using one hand to ride the bike while the other is on another bike.



Keep in mind it was in the 30's during this show and snowed in Spokane the night before. At my house 400' higher than the show location we had 6" of snow on the ground.

I thought videos would be a better medium so here are a few videos I created to share the Seattle Cossacks Stunt and Drill Team. Itchy Boots is safe!

 

 

These guys have serious skills!

 

 

 

 

Stunts don't always go to plan. Look at the rider's expression in the last second of the video.

 

Putting on a show, shining a bald head and a dismount with flair!

Always the professionals and with a smile the first thing they do after the show is invite children to come sit on the bikes for a photo. Then they meet with anybody who wants to talk about the bikes and the show. Fantastic.

 

Palouse Wheats Field in Eastern Washington

Today I went for a short ride in the Palouse Wheat Fields in Eastern Washington.  The rolling hills are a great place to ride.  Today maybe the last day I ride this year until heading to Arizona in late November.  Possible snow is forecast in the next few days and I don't ride after the calcium chloride is used.

Here are a few photos from today's ride.

The Latah Creek Trestle near, get this, wait for it, here it comes......Latah Washington.

A shadow selfie!

Great shadows.

Wheat for next years' harvest is just showing before the snow flies.

Grain elevator near Tekoa Washington.

It was a great day to be on the Triumph Tiger.

Spokane WA to Osoyoos BC Fall Colors

 I rode my Triumph Tiger 900 Pro GT from Spokane Washington to Osoyoos, BC, Canada to watch the MLB playoff game between the Seattle M's and the Toronto Blue Jay's.

Some ride to eat, I like to ride to Canada to enjoy sporting event with Canadians. Went there once during the Stanley Cup even though a Canadian team wasn't playing the crowed was cheering on their favorite team. It was fun to watch.

Along Lake Roosevelt.

Mudget Lake near Fruitland Washington

Fall colors along Hwy 25 in Washington.

Lake Roosevelt aka the Columbia River.

After getting fuel I headed west on Hwy 20 a mountain pass. It had snowed a few days prior and there was still slush on the road with calcium chloride. Bummer. This was a mistake.

It was time to find a car wash and change machine at the car wash in Republic Washington was broke. If the change machine in broke it is a clue for the car wash's maintenance so to I ride on.

I found a car wash in Tonasket Washington and it wasn't on Google Maps are Garmin Maps. I inserted $5 cause I didn't have $2 nor did I have quarters. With the muck and salt removed I headed to Osoyoos.

After checking into the hotel I walked to the Owl Pub in Osoyoos to enjoy the game with fellow baseball fans. We cheer on our teams and had lot of smiles. Toronto won the game 13-4, but the enjoyment of going to and being in Osoyoos clearly outweighed any disappointment of Seattle losing the game.

The breakfast at the hotel wasn't to my liking so I went to Timmy's for a breakfast sandwich and a cup of coffee. The route today is back roads. It was a cool morning so I set my departure time for 10:00am and head to the tiny boarder crossing at Nighthawk.

Along Hwy 3 on the way to Nighthawk.

The closer I get the better it is.

Forest rats around Palmer Lake.

Palmer Lake

Spectacle Lake

Okanogan River

More fall colors. It is tough being retired.

I recently installed the Givi Touring windscreen and it works better in cooler weather. The Legendary Best Motorcycle Seat is very good.

The Triumph is terrific for how I and where I ride. It is not ideal for riding 85 mph continuously, that is not it's sweet spot and not mine either. It is good for sniffing and enjoying the scenery. It did a bit of sniffing, picture taking and riding off the main routes on this two day ride. It was glorious with the shadows and the fall colors. Time to change the rear tire.

Freezout Saddle Fall Colors

Today I road the Suzuki DR 650 about 280 miles to ride 105 miles of gravel roads to see some fall colors.

Recently the Doc said Jim you have arthritis in your left shoulder. So today I get a cortisone injection. Of course this is just a slippery slope called getting old. The next milestone is turning 70 next month. The shoulder held up better than the legs as I was standing more than I usually do as the road surfaces where a bit rougher than when I was here a year ago. It is good to get off my ass and eat some Ibuprofen.

I departed home at about 10:am and the sun goes down at 6:30. Didn't make home by sundown and the wife was pissed, when I called with minimal phone service at 4:00pm. Someday I won't be able to do this and won't even remember she blew a gasket or her name perhaps, not by choice.

I have been on this route before and even did a ride report on it, well most of it. The last section from Clarkia Idaho to Harvard was all gravel and some of that I have been on but get stopped by snow. I have been in the Spokane area 7 years now. This ride is a great reason to be here. The twin towns of Harvard and Princeton Idaho are about 6 miles from each other. Why they were named after two universities on the east coast is a mystery.

The whole route, mostly.



The gravel sections.





I will easy into the photos from bad to good and in order of the route. Some would blow a gasket to just see the scenery along the St. Joe River getting to the start of the gravel. It is hard to get a good photo there traveling into the sun.

Just before Stocking Meadows is a small creek, with a nearby campground.



Fall color starting.



Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson of Canned Heat fame was first 27'ers to die in the early '70's. The Song on the Road again is classic and it is in my head,

but I'm out on the road again

I'm on the road again

But I ain't goin' down that long, old lonesome road

All by myself

That song and 2400 others on my GPS. I am finally listening to the songs starting with the letter S and it stayed that way all day.

Fall colors.





The DR had the 21" hoop back on with a new Pirelli knob outback and a half wore out knob up front. They stuck ok but the front tried to tuck once or twice. Not on my watch today! I was riding well and picking pretty good lines and the DR makes it easy. Damn I love this bike. There were big erosion ruts and large nasty rocks everywhere and the DR handled it all.



I like this photo as it has some interest in the foreground.





Same location from a year or two ago. I was a week or so late this year and missed peak colors.





A sunset photo in the Palouse.



I had dinner at the Palouse Caboose in, .... wait for it, here it comes.... Palouse Washington onr of my favorite lunch stops. Today I had the BBQ pulled pork Sandwich for dinner. It was great.