LAB2V Dual Sport Tour
Map Explore
Chart (Mouse wheel zooms in)
Story
The LAB2V (Los Angeles to Barstow to Las Vegas) Dual Sport Tour is a
motorcycle event that began as an off-road race from Barstow to Vegas
in the '60s. This year was the 26th annual event. The ride is a
two-day event, starting this year in Palmdale, CA, overnighting in
Barstow, CA, and finishing in Las Vegas, NV. There were over 350
participants, all riding street-legal dirt bikes. The full route
covers from 400 to 500 miles, mostly offroad - dirt roads, jeep trails,
and single-track trails. It is no longer a race - it's officially
called a tour.Our four rider group was from California,
Colorado, Indiana and Alaska. We were riding a Suzuki DR650, a KTM 525
EXC, a BMW 650 XChallenge, and a KTM 300 XCW. The Suzuki DR650 was
replaced enroute with a Yamaha TW200 due to mechanical problems.The
weather was perfect - morning temps around 40, reaching 70 during the
day. Some of the participants saw a few raindrops/hail, but our group
enjoyed a dry two days.Both days are full days. All of our
group arrived in Barstow after dark on day one. To avoid the same
problem on day two, we skipped part of the offroad route and picked up
the route at Baker, CA. As a result, we were treated to a spectacular
ride down Red Rock Canyon in Las Vegas shortly before sunset.The shorter track displayed on the map was an additional ride we took after the LAB2V from Pahrump, NV through Death Valley to Mengel Pass and back. This was probably the most scenic ride of the entire trip.
Plan on a very early start on both days in order to complete the
planned route. And even with an early start, I doubt the route on day
two could be completed before dark. The routes vary somewhat
from year to year, but plan on using various "bailouts" and alternate
routes based on your distance remaining and the time of the day.Take
advantage of any available fuel stops, based on your bike's
capabilities. One rider spent the night in the desert on day one after
running out of fuel. Sweeps are used to ensure no one is left behind,
and a check out/check in system is used, but this fellow somehow
slipped through the cracks.LAB2V uses roll charts, GPS tracks,
as well as a separate sheet of instructions. If you are new to the
event, it is advisable to use all three. The route could be ridden
using GPS alone, but much valuable information was included in both the
roll charts and separate instructions. Using the roll chart alone
would also suffice, but it is very helpful to back up that information
with a visual display.
motorcycle event that began as an off-road race from Barstow to Vegas
in the '60s. This year was the 26th annual event. The ride is a
two-day event, starting this year in Palmdale, CA, overnighting in
Barstow, CA, and finishing in Las Vegas, NV. There were over 350
participants, all riding street-legal dirt bikes. The full route
covers from 400 to 500 miles, mostly offroad - dirt roads, jeep trails,
and single-track trails. It is no longer a race - it's officially
called a tour.Our four rider group was from California,
Colorado, Indiana and Alaska. We were riding a Suzuki DR650, a KTM 525
EXC, a BMW 650 XChallenge, and a KTM 300 XCW. The Suzuki DR650 was
replaced enroute with a Yamaha TW200 due to mechanical problems.The
weather was perfect - morning temps around 40, reaching 70 during the
day. Some of the participants saw a few raindrops/hail, but our group
enjoyed a dry two days.Both days are full days. All of our
group arrived in Barstow after dark on day one. To avoid the same
problem on day two, we skipped part of the offroad route and picked up
the route at Baker, CA. As a result, we were treated to a spectacular
ride down Red Rock Canyon in Las Vegas shortly before sunset.The shorter track displayed on the map was an additional ride we took after the LAB2V from Pahrump, NV through Death Valley to Mengel Pass and back. This was probably the most scenic ride of the entire trip.
Plan on a very early start on both days in order to complete the
planned route. And even with an early start, I doubt the route on day
two could be completed before dark. The routes vary somewhat
from year to year, but plan on using various "bailouts" and alternate
routes based on your distance remaining and the time of the day.Take
advantage of any available fuel stops, based on your bike's
capabilities. One rider spent the night in the desert on day one after
running out of fuel. Sweeps are used to ensure no one is left behind,
and a check out/check in system is used, but this fellow somehow
slipped through the cracks.LAB2V uses roll charts, GPS tracks,
as well as a separate sheet of instructions. If you are new to the
event, it is advisable to use all three. The route could be ridden
using GPS alone, but much valuable information was included in both the
roll charts and separate instructions. Using the roll chart alone
would also suffice, but it is very helpful to back up that information
with a visual display.