Riding the Cross PA Adventure Trail on TW200s - Part 9

The final leg of our 6-day trip across Pennsylvania on the Cross PA Adventure Trail. We had a hard time leaving the trail behind, and in this episode we did a lot of reflecting and talked about our past week's experiences. Aside from our own memories, there's a lot of history out there on these back roads, and we share a little bit of that with you.
We'd like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who took the time to help map out this route, and also to everyone who found our trip interesting enough to watch our videos and even subscribe to our channel. We look forward to sharing so many more of our adventures with you.
For more information about the Cross PA Adventure Trail, see the Facebook Group:
/ 3305105366277043
The Kelly Hotel in Marienville:
/ kelly.hotel
Get ANF trail permits at the Forest Lodge Campground:
forestlodgecam...
Check out Michael Shynes!
michaelshynes.com/

[@michaelbyrnes4936]

Absolutely loved this inspirational vlog

[@michaelmcshane6280]

I really enjoyed following along with you on your adventure.

[@ricksmith1842]

Okay so I awoke this morning 4:30 out of a good Motorcycle riding dream and I tried several times to find that dream again until 4:45AM. I just kept thinking I have several episodes of your CPAAT left so I fired up the coffee and tuned in again to your channel. Truly enjoyed your views and "views". IMO You've captured the meaning of riding. Be Safe

[@CrossAdventuring]

Glad we could help with that feeling! We're definitely feeling the urge to get back out again, ourselves!

[@scottpearson5871]

What a great adventure. Great job on the editing of all the videos!! The goat at the end of each video was quite funny. My wife raises goats and we have one of these screaming goats just like yours. 😂

[@CrossAdventuring]

Thanks for watching! We love goats! ha ha! Stay tuned over the next few weeks. We are heading out soon on a new motocamping adventuring on the BDR PA Wilds-X route!

[@douglasrobinson8806]

Thanks for taking the time to film this and post it. I enjoyed the whole series and it was inspiring.

[@CrossAdventuring]

You are so welcome!

[@mth32871]

I just finished watching all 9 parts of your adventure, and I loved every minute of them. You've definitely inspired me to go create some adventures of my own. I can't wait to get a TW200 to add to my garage. I knew before watching your videos that I wanted one (only really found out about them maybe three weeks ago), but now I know for sure that I want one (even though I love my KLR and DR-Z 400SM). I love the song that you put at the end of each video - definitely words to live by. Thank you for sharing your adventure with us.

[@CrossAdventuring]

Tambra here...thanks so much for watching and letting us know you enjoyed the videos! My friend, a woman my own age, just bought her first motorcycle on Saturday...surprise - a TW200! I took her on her first "long" ride this afternoon - a whole whopping 25 miles after a really rainy day. They are great, get-it-done bikes that go pretty much anywhere. We have a lot more videos to finish editing over the winter once we are stuck inside a little bit more with snow. Thanks again! Happy adventuring!

[@mth32871]

@@CrossAdventuring I'm excited for her to doing some more riding with you guys - you look like so much fun to ride with. :-) I'm looking forward to watching them - and to hopefully getting a TW200 of my own soon (a local dealer is putting in an order of bikes on the 11th, but he wasn't sure if a TW was on that order - crossing my fingers that one is!)

[@dirtcopdualsport]

What a great campsite at the beginning!

[@CrossAdventuring]

Wasn't that gorgeous! There's more video of it in the previous episode, too.

[@dirtcopdualsport]

@@CrossAdventuring I'll have to check that one out then

[@notagain8661]

I long to have a partner who would ride and camp like you two have. She's a very rare find! 👍

[@CrossAdventuring]

She is indeed!

[@nathanduckeorth806]

Dumb chickens 🐔 anyhow! Wonderful videos thankyou from Apollo PA!!!

[@SP_3333]

Big rocks = bear country. Thanks for sharing your trip.

[@CrossAdventuring]

Yes, and we never saw a single bear! We were disappointed!

[@abyields7831]

8:44 I’ll show you how it’s done 😅, love it! Well done, it looked deceiving at first.

[@CrossAdventuring]

They always do! Then the ones that look really shallow swallow you up.

[@Eric-Red]

Enjoyed the series and adventure. I have a 2006 TW and have planned a few back country routs for hte near future.

[@CrossAdventuring]

The TWs are such a perfect bike for these routes! Enjoy the ride!

[@drjdvm]

As always this was another great episode. Thanks again for taking us along. Also, you mentioned you were from Titusville. We have friends who we knew from the Chicago area by the names of Don and Evelyn Deliman. I know Titusville is not very big and thought maybe you knew them. Anyway, thanks again for the great series. And good luck on your next adventure.

[@CrossAdventuring]

Tambra here - ha ha! Small world! Just chatted with Don and Evelyn at Walmart the other day! ;) Glad you enjoyed our journey - Thanks for watching!!!

[@suemerrithew2154]

we are totally enjoying watching your vids....we are now waiting for our 2 TW 2024 to arrive we are from New Brunswick Canada...east coast .

[@CrossAdventuring]

Thanks! And, how exciting for you! It would be a dream for us to head north and ride the Atlantic Provinces.

[@davidallison9372]

Great videos you should try out Montour Road and the many roads near Cross Fork PA

[@CrossAdventuring]

Is that the area the new BDR-X runs through?

[@TheRealTragicallyInept]

Thank you for sharing this adventure with us. It's so inspiring and for me living in NYC, makes this trip achievable. I feel like I've made new friends. It seems you ran into quite a few areas that had no cell coverage. Have you thought of or would you recommend the use of one of those Garmin InReach satellite devices, particularly for those who might choose to travel alone?

[@CrossAdventuring]

Yes, I think if you're riding solo, that would be a good idea. With more than one rider, someone can at least ride to a spot with a signal, but if you're alone and you have a problem, you could be there for awhile before someone stumbles onto you. Only a small percentage of the route is like that, but there are enough remote spots to matter. Thanks for joining us!

[@nippinkoi8924]

You can get bigger tanks hold 2.5 gal ,👍 really enjoyed this series on to next one 👍👍

[@CrossAdventuring]

We've considered those bigger tanks, but we have found that we never even need to tap into our Rotopax (yet). At low speeds, we get as much as 100 mpg, and we have yet to find a stretch of road that doesn't have a gas station right when we need it.

[@abyields7831]

Love your vids, no filters, 100 % nature. Stay safe and ride on, thank you for taking us along!

[@CrossAdventuring]

Thanks for watching! We have a lot of videos to edit from our ride this past week on the BDR-X PA Wilds loop!

[@budr243]

Awesome you two !!! Thanks for the ride along. Enjoyed each and every segment, but the ending was the best, loved the flashbacks, well done. I live in Wilcox, Pa., and have rode many of the back roads that you were on. I now have an older TW200, bought last fall, and am looking forward to riding these roads again. Hope to see you out there. 😊

[@CrossAdventuring]

Thanks! It brings us so much joy to relive those memories, and even more when we can share that passion and happiness with others. Bring your TW and come ride the trails with us!

[@CrossAdventuring]

Tambra here - I sure enjoyed all those roads! Eager to get the new season going - waiting for the weather to warm up and the rain to stop. Thanks so much for watching! Enjoy your rides!

[@PSBEadventures]

Man, I sure enjoyed this adventure! Koty (riding buddy that rides the DR650) and I will be on the MABDR mid April. Can't wait! This held me over! In 35 years I haven't seen the 200 yamaha, 225, or 250 version (virtually the same head on all) wear the stem out on the valve like that. Almost like they forgot to heat treat that one. I guess at sometime it could have been run super lean and got the valve hot and cold a bunch. Glad it got fixed up! I knew I could hear a little something going on! Looking forward to the next adventure!!!

[@CrossAdventuring]

Tambra here - that darn valve sure had me concerned!! But it was such a fun ride that I just kept holding my breath and enjoyed the ride! Thanks for watching!

[@PSBEadventures]

@@CrossAdventuring that's right! The tdub will always get ya home, even ticking!!

[@searchingfor6thgear44]

I worked with one of the foresters to set up the route across ANF, then went up and verified it before posting to the CPAT. I've been on it a few times, now. It is really fun to hear the enjoyment you two had crossing the forest. Thanks for sharing!

[@CrossAdventuring]

Thanks for scouting it for us!

[@dangunn6961]

Excellent videos. I've been to Wharton a few times and I've stayed at the Kelly Hotel in Marienville many times. Very nice area there. I'm getting a small trail bike in a few months to ride the forest roads up there. How are those Yamaha's holding up? I'm either getting a Honda ct 125 or a Yamaha like yours. Keep making the great videos.

[@CrossAdventuring]

Thanks for joining us! That's a tough choice between two very cool bikes. We often talk about adding a CT125 to our fleet. Our TWs have certainly taken a beating. Tambra's needed a new intake valve after completion of the CPAAT, with (I think) only around 4,000 miles on the clock. But since that, it's been rock solid. Mine (Mike) started making an odd noise at the start of the 2022 season, but I just kept on riding it, probably logged close to 2,000 miles, with no issues other than the odd sound. My friends just think it's something vibrating; the valves are right in spec. It now has almost 12,000 miles on it, and runs stronger than ever. The fat tires on the TWs make them great little mudders. They are old tech, still have carburetors and everything, but since they haven't changed much since 1987, parts are really easy to come by. The CT125 has that sweet fuel injected engine carried over from the Grom, and has the Honda 4-speed semi-automatic transmission. I don't think it has quite the grunt that the TW has, and is more likely to get left behind in the mud, but it's still be nice little bike. Whichever one you pick, you're going to have a blast.

[@1966dc]

Great series! Enjoyed it all. Sorry to see it end, but looking forward to joining your next adventure.

[@CrossAdventuring]

Tambra here - Thanks for watching! We are pretty eager to get rolling on new adventures this year!

[@PABeardedBiker]

Just watched your whole series on crossing PA. Great job. I live in Clarion, PA not too far away. I have a KZbin channel also but all paved road motorcycling. I’m very interested in going off road though. Your trip looked amazing. Ride safe.

[@CrossAdventuring]

Well, howdy, neighbor! We spend a lot of time camping and riding around Cook Forest, grab one of those Pan Americas and join us! We'll definitely be checking out your channel!

[@PABeardedBiker]

@@CrossAdventuring we love riding around Cook Forest too but especially love Tionesta. We always seem to wind up there somehow. Keep up the great work. I’m thinking of getting something smaller than the PanAm. We will see. 👍

[@eddiecash1983]

Great video series!!!!! I love my T-Dub, I don't know if anyone has asked this question or not but I'm curious what saddle bags you guys are using????

[@CrossAdventuring]

Thanks! Hers are Moose Racing, mine are Nelson Rigg, can't remember which particular models. We plan to do a follow-up that talks a bit about our setup, so stay tuned! - Mike

[@davidschmude]

Oozy mud, huh? Sometime when we’re together and we encounter “non oozy” mud will you point that out to me? LOL. I enjoyed your video series. Thanks for taking me along !!

[@CrossAdventuring]

Tambra here - ha ha ha! yeah...mud does tend to have that "oozy" always going on! Thanks for watching!! We need to get in some other camping adventures this year still!

[@budmatto9205]

Enjoyed your entire series and looking forward to your next one !! I love seeing rural PA and all that it has to offer. PA-born and a fellow T-Dubber.

[@CrossAdventuring]

Thanks for watching! We sure had a great ride across PA, and went back out through Central PA again on the TDubs on the new BDR-X PA Wilds loop in September. Videos still to come from that ride!

[@jpaulie2008]

I have enjoyed the ride along. Looking to do some camping near the Allegheny State Park in NY since I am from Syracuse, NY. Want to do some dual sport riding around that area in NY and Pa. Maybe take some of the Cross Pa Trail back east on my way home.

[@charlesebyjr2925]

Excellent videos, I’ve been to many of those locations by car and with family years ago. Thanks for the memories. Any suggestions for a bike for a large (fat) man to ride trails?

[@CrossAdventuring]

Thanks for joining us, Charles! Gosh, there are so many choices these days for riding, so many great bikes out there. This route was mostly dirt roads, so nothing technical to worry about. Any larger bike would do fine, as long as it had tires suitable for dirt. Budget is a big consideration, too. Since our TWs are about the smallest, lowest-budget option there is, I'll start low, but maybe jump to mid-size to accommodate a bigger person. The old reliable KLR650 is a real go-anywhere bike that has been around forever (much like the TW). The new ones are now fuel injected, adding to their reputation for reliability. The Suzuki DR650 is another long-production-run option, with great dirt and off-road capabilities, although I believe they have discontinued it. Honda's CB500X has really come into its own in recent years as a mid-size option, as has the Kawasaki Versys-X. The Suzuki V-Strom is a very comfortable bike that's better suited for asphalt than dirt, but it would have no problem handling this route, and is available in a 650cc, 1,000cc, and 1,050 (newer) version. You can pick up used ones for really great prices. The Royal Enfield Himalayan is perfectly suited for this kind of stuff, and can be bought for about the same price as a TW, making it the most affordable option I'm listing. It's 400cc, but a bit heavy and not super power-efficient, so it's also the slowest option. Regardless, we may add one to our stable sometime in the near future. If your budget allows (and you can find one), the Yamaha Tenere 700 is currently leading the pack in popularity for doing this stuff. Also worthy of note are any of the BMW GS models, from the mid-sized ones to the big 1250s. The Honda Africa Twin quickly earned a reputation for being able to do it all, and even has an automatic/semi-auto transmission option. I'm certain that I've left out some other good ones; hopefully others will chime in and share their thoughts. Hope to see you out there riding some day!

[@charlesebyjr2925]

@@CrossAdventuring thanks for all the ideas, I’m sure I’ll find something suitable to fill my needs, looking forward to your next adventure, please be careful.

[@meriwethersayan]

Excellent video! My husband and I loved following your adventure. I have a personal question about gear. I’m am trying to find a comfortable bra for riding. Curious to know which one works best for your

[@tambrasabatini4854]

Hi! Thank you for watching! I just wear a regular sports bra. Nothing fancy. Keep it comfortable! I do prefer not having bra straps slide down my shoulders, so anything that is an x-back works best for me. Happy riding!

[@dirtysquatch7036]

For my own peace of mind please tell me you had the valves checked and adjusted. Im cringing just listening to them tap away...lol

[@CrossAdventuring]

Ha! We mentioned that a couple times throughout the trip, with a conclusion at the end of this video.

[@nickcastillo7255]

Can you do the cross pa adventure trail in a 4x4 ? Are the trails wide enough

[@CrossAdventuring]

@@nickcastillo7255 Yes, all of it is on public roads. Weather is the biggest factor on how difficult it is, with mud being the biggest challenge.

[@nickcastillo7255]

@@CrossAdventuring great to know, thank you! Loved the videos