I Took

I was so stoked to get the opportunity to show ‪@spitescorner‬ around one of the most beautiful places in my home state. Oregon BDR section 5 is one of my favorites because it has gorgeous scenery and challenging riding. Jake was in town for the BMW MOA Rally and had a rented 1200 GS to ride, so we (along with John and Grant from Flying Eyes) set out to tackle the ORBDR from Sisters to Big Lake with a stop at the Skylight Cave along the way.
I was continually impressed with Jake's ability to ride that BMW 1200 GS through technical and sandy terrain despite a complete lack of traction on the rear tire. In fact the only person who ended up sort of crashing was Grant when he got crossed up on a slippery hill climb.
Riding through Central Oregon on adventure bikes like my KTM 790 Adventure is always a blast, and not even some unexpected rainy and even snowy weather near Hoodoo could dissuade us from what turned out to be an amazing motorcycle adventure.
Check out Flying Eyes sunglasses here: flyingeyesoptics.com/?ref=dork
Use promo code "dorkintheroad" to save 10%
(affiliate link)
Thumbnail pic courtesy of the amazing John Rathwell:
/ johnrathwell
SUBSCRIBE for more adventures, how-tos, gear reviews, and moto shenanigans!
bit.ly/dorkintheroad
Want early access to videos and other perks? Become a channel member: / @dorkintheroad
Dork in the Road stickers and other merch available at: motocampnerd.com/collections/...
Teespring Store: teespring.com/stores/dork-in-...
Instagram: / adorkintheroad
TikTok: / dorkintheroad
Support me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/user?u=26709234
Want to support the channel when you buy your dual sport or ADV gear and mods? Please consider using these affiliate links:
Rocky Mountain ATV/MC: bit.ly/3tYzpXq
Amazon: amzn.to/3aDkk4z
Revzilla: imp.i104546.net/4eMdJZ
MotoCamp Nerd: motocampnerd.com/?ref=dork
Giant Loop: www.giantloopmoto.com/?ref=dork
Cyclops Adventure Lighting: www.cyclopsadventuresports.co...
Save 20% on an OnX Offroad Premium or Elite membership with promo code "dorkintheroad"
www.onxmaps.com/offroad/app
Save 20% on Gaia GPS Premium with this link: www.gaiagps.com/discounts/?fp...
Camera Gear:
Insta360 Ace Pro: www.insta360.com/sal/ace-pro?...
Insta360 One RS: www.insta360.com/sal/one_rs?i...
Insta360 X3: www.insta360.com/sal/x3?insrc...
Insta 360 One RS Mic Adapter: store.insta360.com/accessory?...
Insta 360 Motorcycle Kit: store.insta360.com/accessory?...
Insta360 Extended Edition Selfie Stick: store.insta360.com/accessory?...
Thank you for supporting the channel by clicking on the affiliate links in this description.
FULL DISCLOSURE: MotoCamp Nerd pays me to create content for his KZbin channel. This isn't a "sponsorship" per se, but it does mean I use their products exclusively and may impact my opinions about camping gear. Fortunately their stuff is good so I'm happy to recommend it, but just FYI.
Disclaimer for reasons: I am not a professional journalist, expert motorcycle rider, or a mechanic. These videos are for entertainment purposes and represent my personal opinions and experiences. I'm just a dude who isn't even good at riding or making videos, so be smart and don't risk life or limb trying to follow my example or advice.

[@DorkintheRoad]

Want to support the channel when you buy your dual sport or ADV gear and mods? Please consider using these affiliate links: Rocky Mountain ATV/MC: bit.ly/3tYzpXq Amazon: amzn.to/3aDkk4z Revzilla: imp.i104546.net/4eMdJZ MotoCamp Nerd: motocampnerd.com/?ref=dork Giant Loop: www.giantloopmoto.com/?ref=dork Cyclops Adventure Lighting: www.cyclopsadventuresports.com/?AffId=15 Save 20% on an OnX Offroad Premium or Elite membership with promo code "dorkintheroad" www.onxmaps.com/offroad/app Save 20% on Gaia GPS Premium with this link: www.gaiagps.com/discounts/?fp_ref=dork

[@DonHenderson]

Hi, @dorkintheroad, I am a well padded gentleman like yourself and cant find any padded/waterproof pants in my size, where do you get your gear and what size is it, a 44 waist is too small and I am struggling to find anything larger. TC and ride free, Don

[@TheMotoShaman]

"Wet sand feels like sand but wet" - Ben, Famous youtuber...

[@solidsnake2665]

Excellent! Jake is the man!

[@peterrussell798]

“It’s very actively raining.” 🤣

[@kamax7672]

I'm with you Ben, every time I'm off-road I come away more impressed with the 790. I ride Enduro on an husky 250 so I figured I'll probably have to upgrade the suspension, but ya know for what it's designed for and what I use it for (kinda what you were doing) I don't think I have to. Look forward to more vids, party on.

[@rhugh02]

Always enjoy your vids but an actual shot of the 790 some where here would have been awesome 😎

[@LukasHalda]

Agreed, I was especially curious to see what tires is the 790 running and compare them to what Spite had.

[@easyfromtnbtw3555]

I really like my Transalp I don’t care what other people say most of em haven’t even saw one in person much less rode it

[@DorkintheRoad]

It's a great bike.

[@davidskaggs9914]

Same here...I get a lot of compliments on my Transalp and more importantly I love the bike. I put Veridian cruise control on it so it's real nice on long highway rides...took it to Yellowstone couple days ago...heading to Sturgis and Mt Rushmore area tomorrow

[@easyfromtnbtw3555]

@@davidskaggs9914 that sounds like a good time. I’ve been daily riding mine to work and grocery shopping and go hit the creek or the roads around the lake and in my opinion it handles like a naked bike on the road if you don’t have some crazy knobby tires

[@anneligustafsson16]

Oh god you are so funny!! One of the best on the tube❤❤❤

[@mrwest5552]

ooohh adventure down ladders into the earth, cool.

[@advredbikes]

Hey Ben, that looks like an awesome ride, very cool caves what better place to do a photo shoot, sorry you got a little wet. Looking forward to your next ride.

[@user-ci2di6kb2d]

Hey Ben you going to ride the nor cal BDR I was stoked to see it come right through my town of alturas. I’m setting up a ride called the modoc 300 which starts this Friday 300 plus miles across the Modoc National Forest two day camping trip and will expand next year

[@givemeanaxe]

Yeah i had to ride home in that same system. Coming over 26 i got nailed by slushy hail for about 20 minutes.

[@burddog0792]

Sucks you got soaked but the having all the steam coming off the sand looked super cool.

[@darrylpaterick3108]

You seem extremely confident and inpressed by the 790, yet were obsessed with "trust" issues on the Norden. Full disclosure I have a 23 standard Norden (loving it), but I kept my DR650 "just in case". I guess you got in my head 😂

[@jkmarshall3553]

Hard to believe you're on serious off-road trails like that when that KTM sounds so quiet and relaxed. I love it!

[@mikeandrews1899]

"Serious" has a definition of varying degrees ...... determined by the rider's perspective 👍

[@DorkintheRoad]

Sounds like he already defined it based on his own perspective.

[@mikeandrews1899]

@@DorkintheRoad yes .....that was my point , exactly 👌👍😁

[@mikeandrews1899]

@@DorkintheRoad I know that 40yrs ago , the shit I used to think of as too easy , and at that point in my life , not even entertaining because so . Now today at 60yrs old ......that same shit I used to think was easy as fuuu , I now see as a seriously difficult and almost too much of a challenge........ Perspective is an interesting thing 😳

[@kawabungah20]

You're making that KTM 790 look very tempting! Nice job. It's always fun to ride with the Dork on the Internet!! P.S. I just lost an expensive pair of prescription sunglasses. Owch. My remedy: in future, I will ALWAYS have a breast pocket available for them!!

[@calderwood9641]

Would love a comparison between your KTM and the new CFMoto 450MT

[@davidskaggs9914]

Sweet bike, but i will stick with the TransAlp for now. I was on the fence but my local KTM dealer didnt have the new 790 and so they were pushing the 890 and i didnt want that one.

[@fitzsmotoadventures]

What tires are you running on the 790? Just curious.

[@sled9263]

The deer antler count is done the same way in Canada as you in Oregon. A 4x4 is a 4 point. If not symmetrical he’d be for example: a 4x3 etc. I don’t think it’s a really big deal. as long as you’re getting out there.

[@stevec3936]

Are you still rocking the 2 Tracks on that? If so, how did they handle the wet stuff? I just put a set on my 24 Tuareg and am heading up from Vegas (zero mud ever!) to your neck of the woods for the Touratech rally, so curious if I should pucker or not... :)

[@darksidemachining]

Great video. Ben, I think you may have made a reference to getting some camping tips from KZbinr Joe Robinette. It might concern you to know that he was in a coma for three weeks after he suffered a head injury plus some other serious injuries from crashing his dirt bike while not wearing a helmet. Thought you might want to know.

[@DorkintheRoad]

Yeah I saw the video. Very sad.

[@MC0386]

Dork,are you worried about the cam issues with the twin parallel Ktm engine?

[@bcarlson86]

"...notably my ex girlfriend" 🤣

[@markcomisky7106]

Always be prepared boy scouts motto

[@johnyoung3103]

I think you should buy one.

[@raffs_adv]

What happened to the left hand mirror, did the ball pop out?

[@robertmills794]

Is the factory suspension NOT bottoming out constantly? I'm not small and thinking the 790 might be a good to consider as the next bike.

[@DorkintheRoad]

hasn't done it once. I have the preload all the way out, even. I was shocked.

[@normkiessling4490]

Hey dork what tires you recommend for my adventure bike

[@JasonRidesmoto]

It looks like ground clearance is the main concern on the 790? Really interested in the bike compared to my Ibex but not convinced yet that it would be an upgrade. Thanks again for a great video.

[@DorkintheRoad]

It has 9 inches of clearance. I've never heard anyone complain about it.

[@JasonRidesmoto]

@@DorkintheRoad Oh ok it just looks lower than most for some reason! But like you mentioned with its lower center of gravity... more confidence inspiring than a top heavy bike. Thanks

[@billmoughan9562]

What did the Doe say after she came out of the woods? "That's the last time I do that for two bucks"

[@louispaulter8733]

The KTM ‘23-‘24 390 ADV in the proper gear / RPM is a better on/off adv bike for the money plus overall better value for the majority of average experience to beginner riders than the larger KTM Adv MCs. Again, the current 390 Adv deserves a new review before the 2025 model arrives at US dealerships, - not to mention the arrival of the new ‘25 Royal Enfield Himalayan 450. You got to skate to where the puck is going to be besides knowing where the puck was once before.

[@LemonHolidayProd]

Hold on - an advertisement for Flying Eyes? What happened to Shady Rays?

[@DorkintheRoad]

Not an advertisement. I was just riding with those guys. Gotta respect that they saw that Shady Rays vid and were like "yeah but you need to actually try our product."

[@LemonHolidayProd]

@@DorkintheRoad I appreciate the response. I'm looking forward to hearing more about them from you! I feel like I can trust you to be honest about your experience.

[@davidmcmillan1477]

Any thoughts on the Camshaft issues? Are you concerned?

[@DorkintheRoad]

Well yeah but I doubt I'll have it long enough for it to matter. I'm gonna keep up on the maintenance and hope for the best.

[@davidmcmillan1477]

@@DorkintheRoad interesting. So then you are not concerned with resale value?

[@alexhilliard632]

So if the deer has four on one side three on the other is it a 3 point or 4?😅

[@DorkintheRoad]

3.5

[@boblynch7535]

I’ve found people in side by sides to be very helpful if you drop your 480lb. bike in a sticky situation by yourself.

[@kentooney5988]

Out of all the bikes you've owned/tested thus far, what would be your #1 choice for doing the Oregon BDR?

[@DorkintheRoad]

The one I did it on last year 😉

[@kentooney5988]

@@DorkintheRoad ah ha, must be BDR slayer

[@airadaimagery692]

First of all, we dont have mule deer, Black tail, or Elk in the southeastern part of the country. We only have whitetail deer, and you do in fact add all the points on both sides of the rack of a whitetail deer to score his size, no matter where you live. Its how the Boone and Crocket scale system is used to measure and score whitetail deer specifically. And you do have whitetail in the NW, they just arent as prevalent as the other three types. The antlers on Elk are scored like you said, 3x3/4x4, etc. Its not a geographical thing. Each species has its own proprietary way of measuring and scoring.

[@DorkintheRoad]

Interesting. I did not know that. So you're saying my dad and grandpa spent all those years shit-talking east coasters for no reason? ;)

[@airadaimagery692]

@@DorkintheRoad yeah, but that’s ok. I’m sure my folks did the same thing towards the west coasters, over something or another... I know they had a lot of crap to throw at the northerners! Lol... At least now we have this new way of sharing information, and making each other smarter situation going on. So we’re doing good!👍🤙

[@cpmoore76]

@dorkintheroad More and more into the KTM kool-aid ;) lol

[@DorkintheRoad]

the stupid thing is so fun. It's annoying.

[@friesenwayne5320]

Praising the KTM? What’s next… cats sleeping with dogs?😂

[@DorkintheRoad]

Cats and dogs living together... MASS HYSTERIA!

[@shepherdsking9687]

Not sure if I simply missed it, but have you @DorkintheRoad ever done a review/and/or a Bdr section or what have you on a Husky (Norden)? It's ok to drink orange kool-aid. I'm a long time KTM owner (350 sx and 1290 SAR) and nobody points at me and questions my sanity.

[@gresss]

How does it feel compared to the Norden? Is it just a furiously ugly cousin, or is the weight difference substantial?

[@joshuaroe3021]

If another guy just made it through the ride on a gs 1200 I don't know how you could call that a good "semi difficult" trailer for the 790 review. The 790 is supposed to be able to do what all other adv bikes aspire to, no?

[@DorkintheRoad]

I'm never going to ride at the "aspire to" level and neither will most of my audience. Plenty of reviews out there from more hardcore riders if that's what you're after. I do average guy shit.

[@joshuaroe3021]

@@DorkintheRoad I love your average guy shit! Just trying to figure out how well those big bikes do compared to say, the 701

[@kluthage421]

Racks aren't always symmetrical. Adding both sides makes sense. Complains about bikes being top heavy. Weighs 300+ lbs. All bikes are top heavy at that weight.

[@DorkintheRoad]

Be honest. You hit the thumbs up on your own comment, didn't you?