Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1538840
30 Trail Rider www.TrailRider.com feet. It was at the summit that we found a series of extremely large and creepy old buildings constructed during the Cold War era to detect missiles possibly headed to destroy our country. Before and during the construc on of this site, Russia was a genuine threat to the United States, and no expense was spared to protect our people. A er seeing this site firsthand and climbing to the top of the tallest building, I couldn't imagine how much effort was involved in bringing all the materials up that long and winding road. Construc- on began in 1954 and was completed in two years at a cost of $21 million. That's 21 million 1954 dollars! Creepy doesn't even begin to describe the site, and the stories are endless with UFO sigh ngs, abduc ons, ghosts, and sadly, deaths from those exploring the area. We're told it was gated for many years, but the owners seem to have given up and let those explore at their own risk. It's been looted for years, leaving li le to take now, and the graffi ar sts have flocked, producing some world-class ra le-can work. We couldn't have picked a be er day for this adventure, as the skies were crystal clear with breathtaking views for miles atop the old building. Test Rides Triumph 400 Scrambler: Being unfamiliar with the 400 Scrambler, I was drawn to it by its looks. The bike is raw, all business, and looks like a modern version of a vintage bike with a tradi onal tank and seat combo. As one who prefers dirt bikes over street bikes, the ergo- nomics fit me perfectly with the bars, seat, and pegs all falling in place naturally. The bike fits me well, with my wrists much lower than my elbows. Being only 400cc and approximately 40 hp, it was no pow- erhouse, but the power was more than sufficient for the job at hand. Although our test ride only consisted of some pavement and a fair amount of loose gravel roads, the bike felt sure-footed. Our guided test ride lasted about 45 minutes, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, returning to the Triumph semi with a big smile. I liked it. Honda Transalp 750: The Transalp is a Rally bike, and I'll be honest, large ADV bikes are not my thing. I get it, bikes are tools, and there's always a be er tool for the job at hand. Dirt bikes do not make great street bikes, and vice versa. Giv- en that, I don't feel I'm the right guy to give this bike a proper evalua on, as being predominant- ly a woods rider, I have no business sharing my opinion, but here it goes. The bike is large and sure-footed. Brakes are fantas c, and it's got plenty of power, but you can feel the weight. Being only 750cc and as large as it is, I felt it was a bit un- derpowered and underwhelming to ride. The ergos didn't fit me well, as my wrists were higher than my elbows, which red my hands and arms during the short guided tour. Again, this is my opinion, but I'd say the Transalp is much more of a street bike than an ADV bike, although it looks the part quite well. As with all Hondas, the fit and finish were su- perb, and it's a quality piece that I'm sure will last a long me without consuming parts. Triumph 400 Scrambler Triumph 400 Scrambler Honda Transalp Honda Transalp