Guided Dirt Bike Rides with Tucson Moto Tours

Mar 06

Brian,

This is the first chance that I had to be in front of a computer since the ride. I just wanted to thank you for a wonderful day! I really enjoyed the company with yourself and Phil," great guys to say the least". Can't tell you the last time I had a thrill like the one on Tuesday. Sledding has been my life for the last five years. The ride made me realize how much I enjoyed being on a bike. Could not imagine having what you have in your back yard. Thanks again for the great day and I will be sure to share your info with any of my buddies that may be in your area. (L to R, Tom D. and Phil C.)

Thanks again,
Tom D.

Brian,

Thanks for a wonderful time trail riding with your company last month. I had a super time riding the trails with your guidance. I've never seen such a great place to ride, there must be a thousand miles of trails near you. The best part was being able to come out to Tucson without even a helmet. Your scooters are all late models in great condition, the Kawasaki 400 was perfect for me, you can't beat that smooth low end torque. Also those after market front forks sure soak up the rough stuff. I'd also like to thank you for stopping occasionally to point out unusual plants and great views. Tucson Moto Tours phone number is in my rolodex. I hope to be back soon for more fun in the dirt.

Thanks Again

Jerry B.

Hi Brian! I'm sorry that I have taken some time getting back to you, but my internet access is limited these days. Thank you for the photos, they are fun to show off to my friends and reminisce on the great time we had. As for a critique I would like to begin with saying that the customer service you presented was top notch. I almost feel weird in calling it that because I felt more like a friend than just a customer. As far as the riding went, obviously you and your wife made me feel quite at home and comfortable with being around you. I also fell in love with the WR 450. That is the bike I will eventually get for riding off-road away from the track. I never felt that I had to push myself beyond my limit on any of the trails we rode, and you made sure to instill that which is very important. You were also very accommodating with allowing us to choose where we would like to go and let us know what to expect. I truly felt that my expectations were met- which were mainly that I make it back home in one piece. Oh, going down on someone else's bike is always nerve racking, and you did not make Tom or myself feel uncomfortable about it when we did. Thank you very much for the experience and I hope to do it again, or maybe you can meet us out in Colorado some day for some riding. Take care of yourself and I wish you happiness and success with your business. Your Friend- Andy V. [excerpts from Andy's email - Jim B., Tom V. and Andy V. (L to R in photo)]

I recently took the opportunity to ride with Tucson Moto Tours and I must say I was impressed with the accommodating atmosphere. I was initially concerned that my KLR 650 would not be up to the requirements of heavy off road use, but Brian assured me that he would adjust the tour according to my equipment and riding ability. We set out early the day after Thanksgiving. Although my protective gear was adequate, Brian fitted me with some additional knee protection just in case. He also talked a little about what to expect on the trails and how we would react in the event of an emergency. Riding in pairs is always encouraged, especially since the areas we would be riding in were very remote with limited cell phone service. Brian took the lead and started off slow to get a feel of my abilities. He used standard hand signals to indicate right, left, and stop as well as a foot kicked off the peg to indicate an up coming obstacle. These signals were imperative later in the day as the speeds increased and the ruts and rocks came up faster. The trails consisted of an assortment of what Southern Arizona has to offer, a combination of rocky jeep trails, steep rutted sand stone, and soft sweeping sand and loom. Some areas were 1st gear tight and twisty, and others were flat out as fast as your steed can take you. My particular favorites were the low lying sand and loom where predictable traction and sweeping turns just begged to have you twist on the power and hang the rear wheel out flat track style. All of this was done with a bit of caution. On one of the sections where I was leading, I came ripping through a turn to find myself face to face with a couple of cows blocking the trail! I was able to stop in time and the cows just meandered off the trail. We also encountered a Mule Deer running across the trail. I was leading this time as well, but again no collision. Just a little excitement to keep me riding within my limits. A pit stop at Café Aribac for a sandwich and choice of beverage, a quick once over of the bikes and we were back on the trail refreshed and rested. The ride back consisted primarily of loose rocky and steep rutted trails which brought us to one of the abandoned mines in the area and some scenic views of the valley. The final run was a high speed run punctuated by some steep washouts that come up fast at 50 MPH and really tested my KLR's suspension. Overall I had a great time and Brian kept the tour route within the limits of me and my bike. I will certainly be back for more.

B. Shaw

In keeping with my statement from my last ride with Tucson Moto Tours, I came back for more. This time was a half-day ride due to time constraints on my schedule, but this didn't hamper the fun factor a bit. This time we set out toward SR 286 to investigate the trails in the area. The conditions consisted of mostly jeep trails and some under developed graded roads. The divided unpaved roads spawned an impromptu drag race between Brian and I that saw speeds of up to 80+ MPH. Not very fast by road standards, but try it with some perpendicular washed out ruts and deep dips that come up fast and really test your suspension. I entered one that didn't look too bad until it was too late, I had to ride it out and my KLR came down like a meteor that had my Moose skid plate doing a great impersonation of a road grater at the bottom. I flew out of the far side as gracefully as a dump truck. (KLRs aren’t meant to fly)Down to about 65MPH, I could see across the median that after negotiating the same dip, Brian had about 3 bike lengths on me by now and was pulling away with his XR 650R. Back hard on the power was all I could do to hang with him. The end came up fast and I nearly shot off into the desert but the KLR brakes did their job of getting me stopped before I met with the vegetation. We discussed a possible flat track course in the future, but today we had more exploring to do. We continued to zig zag the desert on Jeep trails that were a combination of hard pack and deep sand until we came upon what turned out to be an old missile silo. It had been dismantled and filled in, but to find something of this scale in the middle of nowhere was an interesting find.

I said it before and I'll say it again, I had a great time and I'll be back for more.

B. Shaw

Absolutely the most amazing and awesome ride I have ever experienced!!! That’s the only way to describe the phenomenal four hour blast I experienced on my expertly guided desert carving ride to and from the tranquil oasis town of Arivaca. I had not been on a dirt bike in over 12 years and quite inexperienced at riding in sand, but with the expert advice of trail master Brian Blangsted, it all came back to me. After about 20 minutes of re-familiarization I was blasting through the desert at mind blowing speeds - mind blowing for me at least! The trail is covered with beautiful desert life and unbelievable views. The ride is as challenging as you want it to be. From jutting rocks where you meticulously choose your path in a first gear idle to all out 100 mph rocket run on a wide winding gravel road. It’s all up to you how fast you want to make the scenery go by. This is a ride you won’t want to miss. Don’t just take my word for it, experience it for yourself!!

C. Linder