This site is dedicated to promoting Dual Sport and Adventure motorcycle riding in Minnesota. We are blessed with an abundance and diversity of natural resources that make Minnesota a prime location for long distance on and off-road touring. Here you will find information on the Trans-Minnesota Adventure Trail (TMAT) as news and articles. The TMAT is over 1200 miles long and stretches across Minnesota. Subscribe to the blog to keep up on trail updates and other Minnesota riding events. You can also become a member of our MEETUP group to get info on rides and events in Minnesota.
Welcome to a “Minne” Adventure!
April 30, 2012Zero Motorcycles builds bike for Special Forces
May 16, 2013
source ZeroMotorcycles.com
source ZeroMotorcycles.com
Zero Motorcycles announced last week that they have developed a new motorcycle for the U.S. Military called the Zero MMX. Zero claims the bike has special tactical advantages over traditional motos. Specifically the quick acceleration, near silent operation, and low heat signature separates it from other vendor’s offerings. Zero isn’t saying how many were produced, only they some number are undergoing “operation testing”.
From the press release:
“It was a very rewarding experience for the Zero team to go through such an exacting development process. The military needed a very specific set of core features on the MMX, and we were incredibly thankful to work side-by-side with them to deliver such a unique product,” said Abe Askenazi, Chief Technology Officer for Zero Motorcycles. “The great news for our civilian customers is that we made the decision to incorporate into our 2013 MX, FX and XU retail motorcycles virtually all of the powertrain enhancements associated with satisfying this project’s stringent military requirements. Our 2013 product is truly ‘military grade’!”
Key features of the new bike:
- Specialized military dash for quick and centralized mainline controls
- Keyless ignition engaged with dash toggle for quicker departure
- Modular and quick-swappable power packs
- Wet operational abilities in up to one meter submersion
- Switchable headlight for night-time stealth
- Integrated wiring to accommodate quick installation of front and rear infrared systems
- Safety override and reserve power capabilities to extend range during extreme situations
- Aggressive foot pegs and hand guards for optimal control
- Tie down eyelets with integrated tow cable and rear seat strap
The one meter submersion feature must have been especially fun to test! Great to see U.S. made dual sport bikes aiding our military.
Leave a Comment » | 
News | 
Permalink
Posted by Norske
New MinneADV sponsor: Rox Speed FX
May 3, 2013
I’d like to welcome the folks at Rox Speed FX as a sponsor to MinneADV.org and MinneADV.info. Not only do these guys have great farkles for your bike, but they are based right here in the Minnesota northwoods near Grand Rapids. Many of you may recognize the name from their very popular line of bar risers, but their family of products extends well beyond those. So take a minute to jump on over to their website and check out their merchandise. These guys aren’t just salesman, they do ride and know what riders require. I hear the President just got back from a ride in Patagonia. So jealous! Read the rest of this entry »
3 Comments | News | Permalink
Posted by Norske
Product Review: Zenni Optical Prescription Motorcycle Sunglasses/Goggles
May 2, 2013For those of us who have less than perfect vision and also ride, we face some interesting obstacles. Glasses often don’t often do a good job of protecting your eyes from the sun, wind, or dirt. Contacts often don’t fair any better, and can often be worse in the dirt. Face shields keep out the wind and dirt but are often too hot in the summer. There are manufacturers like Oakley that make OTG (over the glasses) goggles but not all helmets are compatible with them and they can limit peripheral vision. So what is a visually impaired moto-enthusiast to do?
You may want to check out the option of prescription wind glasses. These glasses look like normal sunglasses but have three differences; they have a foam or rubber surround that keep the wind out of your eyes, they have tinted UV protective lenses (optional), and have a second set of lenses behind the first matched to your prescription. There are many styles available and generally have thick strong frames that hold up to the abuse of bugs, dirt, and repetitively pulling and pushing them in and out of your helmet. Read the rest of this entry »
California bans motorcycle phone GPS maps
April 10, 2013Do you use a dedicated GPS unit on your bike or a Smart Phone? If you live in California you no longer have a choice. A judge has ruled that operating a phone based GPS on your motorcycle is too dangerous. Well thank you Mr. Nanny State! Now this is all based on California’s existing law banning the operation of a cell phone while driving. So I am assuming that operating a standalone GPS is still ok. Which of course makes no sense at all.
I am all for safe motorcycling and understand that anytime you take your hands off the bars you are increasing risk, but this is just another example of America’s legal system lacking common sense. I love my “Dual Sport Maps” app on my Android and I also know many you love “Motion X” on their iPhone. Will this sort of ruling ban the use of these apps here in Minnesota sometime?
Only time will tell. End of rant.
2 Comments | News | Permalink
Posted by Norske
New MinneADV site to organize rides and meet fellow Minnesota ADV’ers
April 9, 2013Today we launched a new website: www.MinneADV.org
The purpose of this site is to give the riding community a place to:
- Post and Organize Group Rides (no more emailing me, whoopee! Post it yourself)
- Meet fellow riders
- Post photos
- Create Discussions
The website uses the Meetup.com engine to run things. So hop on over to the new site, sign up, and RSVP for an event, or create your own. I will no longer be maintaining an event lists here on this blog, but instead will link to MinneADV.org. Feel free to send in feedback on how you like the site.
One tip for everyone; The site sets your email preferences to be very invasive. You will probably want to setup your profile to remove some of the spam emails from meetup.com.
Thanks, and don’t let the snowstorm this week depress you.
Canadian attempts cross country trip on KLR in winter
April 7, 2013
This guy really has some guts. Can’t wait to watch Part 2. Even if you aren’t a KLR rider, you should watch this. Living in the frozen north we understand the perils of winter riding, but this guy embraced them. Can’t give him enough props.
1 Comment | Uncategorized | Permalink
Posted by Norske
Successful Swap!
April 6, 2013Thanks to all who attended the inaugural MinneADV swap meet today. The weather was a bit disheartening this morning, but that didn’t stop a very good crowd from turning out. See photos below. In fact, by 9AM the rain and wind died down right on cue. It was great weather!
We had a good balance of buyers and sellers. We also had a good mix of different parts and gear. I would say at the busiest hour (between 9-10AM) there were probably 50 people. We ran out of space in the pavilion and a few people just backed their vehicles up to the side walk and sold from there. There were a lot of new riders that I hadn’t met before and new stories to share. I think I talked with just about every seller and they were all glad they came. Most were just happy to clean out their garages and see their stuff go to a good home.
Some suggested we do this again in the Fall. I’ll have to think about that. But we will definitely do it again next Spring!
8 Comments | Events | Permalink
Posted by Norske
