We teamed up with off-road legend, Say No To Slow guru, Romaniacs winner and Kriega ambassador Chris Birch to serve up another inspiring film, and this might be the most stunning so far…
Backcountry Blast sees Birchy riding a KTM 500 that he has modified to make it more suited to long-distance, hardcore trips while still being nimble enough to cope with the kind of terrain most of us would shake our heads at. He calls it the ultimate all-rounder. Birchy packed light and rode a couple of hours on tarmac to meet his mates before heading into the wilderness.
‘A bit of struggling is good for you in the morning,’ he tells them, and he ends up proving it. We quizzed him about his new bike and the adventure.
Was this trip the maiden voyage for your new KTM?
I had already done a couple of overnight rides on it to iron out the bugs.
The plan for the 500 build was to make a bike that I can travel with but still enjoy the technical, almost hard-enduro trails. I got given a set of the [rally] tanks to test by the manufacturer so that was a starting point. It’s really important to me that the bike performs as well as possible. I see many of these builds where people sacrifice the performance for long-range comfort. I’ve got my ADV bikes for that.
What are the key modifications?
The TACS PRO tyre pressure system is a real stand out. It gives the bike the flexibility I want. I can go from trail pressure to hard enduro soft and back again at the push of a button. I’m stoked with that set up.
I’m running WP Pro Component suspension front and rear. It’s been set up specially for this bike and for me by Solid Performance in America. It wasn’t cheap but suspension is so crucial to get right. Without it, the extra weight I’ve added would be much more noticeable.
The Aurora Superlight rally tower is another highlight. It looks great, gives me a bit more wind protection and is light enough not to make the bike too heavy.
How did the bike behave, and do you have any updates planned?
The bike worked really well. Since doing the video I’ve fitted heavier fork springs and a different GPS mount. It’s feeling pretty dialled-in now.
What will you use this bike for?
Now that I’ve got the bike set up I’ve got to find the right adventures for it. I’d really like to send it to Idaho to explore the endless single track there. That might have to wait till next year, but I think that’s the plan, send it to the USA.
Who are the mates you rode with?
I rode with James Scott. He was on the Yamaha. As well as being the fourth generation to farm that area, James is a New Zealand Enduro, cross country and MX2 champion. He’s also a ISDE gold medal rider. The other rider was my good mate Liam, who was on his own 500. We have ridden plenty of adventures together over the years.
Did you have any struggles on this ride?
The only real struggle was self-inflicted. I shot my mouth off that I’d be able to ride up that waterfall before properly checking it out. Once I’d said it, there was no way I was going to get away with not trying it. I was pretty happy to not drown my precious new bike.
Is it legal to go tearing across the beach like you do in the film?
It is legal to ride on that beach, not all beaches are legal in New Zealand but that one is. It also helps that we are in the absolute middle of nowhere with nobody to annoy.
What luggage did you take and what did you pack?
I used the Kriega OS-BASE Dirtbike with OS-6 Adventure Packs. I ran as light as possible, but had my full OS Tool Roll as we were pretty remote. We all carried the Trail18 backpacks which gave us enough room for some overnight gear. Mine was fitted with Trail Pockets, and Liam was using the Chris Birch Edition Harness Pocket. The bikes were fitted with Haul Loops.
Check out the other Birchy films on the Kriega YouTube channel.
And read our Chris Birch Interview.
To get your own Kriega adventure luggage, order directly from kriega.com or head to your local dealer for a closer look
Kriega UK dealer network
Kriega Worldwide importers