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Silver
May 12, 2001

Suzuki lover number one!
Portion of Red Trail at Stillwater. Bob said it was the easy part. It wasn't. I bitch a lot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=audzEjBPcsY

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Deeters
Aug 21, 2007


That looked like a fun trail until that drop off. I've never liked steep downhills, even on the street.

Silver
May 12, 2001

Suzuki lover number one!
It actually was a really fun trail. My thing is I'm still new and this was only my second time there so I had no idea what to expect. Backstory on me telling Bob "Don't think bob, stop thinking" was because this was actually one of the tougher parts of the red trail, but when we were getting on it it was "I think this is one of the easy parts" and the only thing I said I didn't want to do that day was steep uphills, that part had a good 3 or 4 that were WHOA gently caress steep to me and one was roots all over the top of it so I was bouncing around like a mad man on top. Made it through it all but drat if I wasn't "gently caress YOU BOB" lol.

At the end of the video where you hear me bitching it might sound like I'm mad but I'm not really. Bob and I are good bros and we banter like that a poo poo ton. I call him one of my other wives because we bitch back and forth like that so much. I listened to it again and was thinking "Hrm, I actually sound kind of mad there" which really I was like "gently caress this red trail and gently caress you Bob" lol but as bros go by the time we got back to the blue trail I was over it.

Long day of loving riding. Most I've done really thus far. Serious case of noodle arms. I need to get in better shape. I have video of pretty much the whole red trail and a lot of the blue trail but I'm slow and to anyone else it'd be boring as gently caress, so not posting that.

My main thing right now is experience and learning to assess things and my ability to handle them. As that gets better I won't care about not knowing what comes up next as much. As for that day, sweet gently caress I made it up some hills that if I had had another way to get around them there would have been NO WAY I would have tried them. I just used the "Go for it and pray" method there.

Only registered members can see post attachments!

shacked up with Brenda
Mar 8, 2007

Been really fine tuning the GasGas lately. Fiddling with jetting, control position, etc.

I cut the threaded rod on the rear master cylinder so the pedal is adjusted lower so I can ride my rear brake again. I also drilled into the plastic and zip tied it closer to the frame so it doesn't get cought on my boots.

Finally, after lots of fiddling yesterday I hit the holy grail of my front end suspension set-up. I was having a lot of packing and harshness when smashing through rocks at high speed. I increased the rebound two clicks, and spent lap after lap adjusting the front fork spring preload.

Now, instead of deflecting and bouncing around, the bike will just walk over all manner of obstacles without deflecting and causing my wrists grief. Ready to race on sunday!

Tape Leg
May 8, 2003

We were all delighted, we all realized we were leaving confusion and nonsense behind and performing our one noble function of the time, move.

Silver posted:

It actually was a really fun trail. My thing is I'm still new and this was only my second time there so I had no idea what to expect. Backstory on me telling Bob "Don't think bob, stop thinking" was because this was actually one of the tougher parts of the red trail, but when we were getting on it it was "I think this is one of the easy parts" and the only thing I said I didn't want to do that day was steep uphills, that part had a good 3 or 4 that were WHOA gently caress steep to me and one was roots all over the top of it so I was bouncing around like a mad man on top. Made it through it all but drat if I wasn't "gently caress YOU BOB" lol.

At the end of the video where you hear me bitching it might sound like I'm mad but I'm not really. Bob and I are good bros and we banter like that a poo poo ton. I call him one of my other wives because we bitch back and forth like that so much. I listened to it again and was thinking "Hrm, I actually sound kind of mad there" which really I was like "gently caress this red trail and gently caress you Bob" lol but as bros go by the time we got back to the blue trail I was over it.

Long day of loving riding. Most I've done really thus far. Serious case of noodle arms. I need to get in better shape. I have video of pretty much the whole red trail and a lot of the blue trail but I'm slow and to anyone else it'd be boring as gently caress, so not posting that.

My main thing right now is experience and learning to assess things and my ability to handle them. As that gets better I won't care about not knowing what comes up next as much. As for that day, sweet gently caress I made it up some hills that if I had had another way to get around them there would have been NO WAY I would have tried them. I just used the "Go for it and pray" method there.


Practice bike skills before or after you go ride trails and such. Play around on rocks, hills and such right around your truck. Do this for a good 30 minutes every time you go ride and you will find that your skills will improve quickly. Focus on the things that worry you when you ride. The kind of things you don't want to come along on a trail. For me when I first started I was really scared of very steep downhills because I was worried I would gain too much speed and not be able to slow down again. I started looking for steep but short drops and tried to regulate my speed throughout. Basically I got a lot more comfortable with when and how much to use my front brake and realised that hey I won't wash my front all the time if I have weight on the front tire. Control your practice environment and disarm the obstacles that nag at you and you will improve significantly. If you have questions about any particular things on trails or in riding feel free to ask. I really, really fell in love with dirt biking when I lost any fear of obstacles and simply started reacting to things out of instinct rather than prethinking it. Once you reach that point it because fun on entirely different level.

Saga
Aug 17, 2009
State: UK
Riding: some trials, MX and trail riding
Bike: 1976 TY250B twinshock.
Terrain: Woods...
Other stuff:

Sold my KDX after realising I live in the shittiest part of one of the shittiest countries in Europe (after the low countries) for dirt riding. We basically have a choice of a few overcrowded outdoor MX tracks inhabited by the British equivalent of rednecks or a bunch of extremely short lanes inhabited by people who try to kill riders.

From my neck of the woods...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-17113810

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=22&f=74&t=1117363&mid=0&i=0&nmt=Farmer+Kills+Green+Lane+Biker&mid=0

Keeping the TY as you can actually do trials and my in laws have enough land to do the occasional bit of practice. It's having a top end rebuild which will be finished at some point and then hopefully I haven't lost the rest of the bike in various boxes.

e: I want tape leg's trails and also beard. Could I borrow them?

shacked up with Brenda
Mar 8, 2007

I had a baaaaad race hah.

I got brutalized fairly signficantly in the first minute in a domino effect crash. This bent my shift lever back and under my footpeg. I was stuck in first gear the entire race. Also, my chain came off twice, which is weird because it's adjusted to where I always keep it, guess I need to make it tighter than three fingers.

Despite this I managed to stay on the lead lap and finished dead center in my class, but it's kind of a piss off. I came very close to just stopping after the first lap due to frustration.

GI Joe jobs
Jun 25, 2005

🎅🤜🤛👷
Good on you for sticking it out! First is pretty drat slow. How did you crash, and were you hit from behind? Maybe that incident moved your rear wheel, giving the chain enough slack to jump off... Just a theory

shacked up with Brenda
Mar 8, 2007

Gullous posted:

Good on you for sticking it out! First is pretty drat slow. How did you crash, and were you hit from behind? Maybe that incident moved your rear wheel, giving the chain enough slack to jump off... Just a theory

That's a really good theory. Yeah I was very frustrated. There was about a mile and a half of field track that I was stuck going about 10 mph in. Sort of embarrasing.

I had paid my money so I just decided to stick it out. I made it a game to try and pass people in first. Went from 17th to 9th by the end, which is ok I guess. A far cry from good though.

shacked up with Brenda fucked around with this message at 15:00 on May 14, 2012

FlerpNerpin
Apr 17, 2006


Sounds about as good as I could hope to do with a fully functioning bike. Sorry about the bummer race but good job sticking it out anyway.

Silver
May 12, 2001

Suzuki lover number one!

Tape Leg posted:

Practice bike skills before or after you go ride trails and such. Play around on rocks, hills and such right around your truck. Do this for a good 30 minutes every time you go ride and you will find that your skills will improve quickly. Focus on the things that worry you when you ride. The kind of things you don't want to come along on a trail. For me when I first started I was really scared of very steep downhills because I was worried I would gain too much speed and not be able to slow down again. I started looking for steep but short drops and tried to regulate my speed throughout. Basically I got a lot more comfortable with when and how much to use my front brake and realised that hey I won't wash my front all the time if I have weight on the front tire. Control your practice environment and disarm the obstacles that nag at you and you will improve significantly. If you have questions about any particular things on trails or in riding feel free to ask. I really, really fell in love with dirt biking when I lost any fear of obstacles and simply started reacting to things out of instinct rather than prethinking it. Once you reach that point it because fun on entirely different level.

Forgot to say thanks for this post. :cheers: Will start trying to do this.

GI Joe jobs
Jun 25, 2005

🎅🤜🤛👷
You should get an xr100, Silver
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9j8hzKS5XQ

I grew up riding this "track", but I'm a little faster now. And a little bigger (you can hear the fender hit). I put in a few good laps around 2:09.

Silver
May 12, 2001

Suzuki lover number one!
100?? Pssshh whateva! TTR110! Or CRF150F!

Actually my buddy has a flat track in his back yard, I need to get over there next Monday and see if he'll let me ride his bike(s) which consist of XR80's and XR100's on it and get used to sliding around a bit more. Still not used to having the bike go slip n sliding. Getting better at it, but not used to it.

A picture of my new brand best good riding buddy friend.

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NitroSpazzz
Dec 9, 2006

You don't need style when you've got strength!


I bought a bike with no seat and the kick stand on the wrong side. 2005 Gas Gas TXT 300 Pro

lovely seller's photo since I got home with it at 2am


Already looking for pallets, boulders and other stuff to build a course in the back yard. Am either going to learn a lot or hurt myself on this thing.

shacked up with Brenda
Mar 8, 2007

My trials experience went like this:

Year 1: Learn a lot
Year 2: Compete a lot
Year 3: Win enough to get promoted out of your depth and hurt yourself
Year 4: Bike company goes out of business, sell bike

Tada!

(Awesome bike by the way)

NitroSpazzz
Dec 9, 2006

You don't need style when you've got strength!


VTNewb posted:

My trials experience went like this:

Year 1: Learn a lot
Year 2: Compete a lot
Year 3: Win enough to get promoted out of your depth and hurt yourself
Year 4: Bike company goes out of business, sell bike

Tada!

(Awesome bike by the way)

Rode around in the yard for 45 minutes, felt weird but pretty good. Going to have a lot of fun on this thing.

Found a nice little loop on the spare lot that I was going to run but drat if there isn't a trick to starting that thing. A trick I haven't figured out yet. Previous owner got it first kick every time, took me 10-15 tries the first time and no luck second time.

Watched youtube videos and try to replicate but I'm doing something wrong.

invision
Mar 2, 2009

I DIDN'T GET ENOUGH RAPE LAST TIME, MAY I HAVE SOME MORE?

NitroSpazzz posted:

I bought a bike with no seat and the kick stand on the wrong side. 2005 Gas Gas TXT 300 Pro

lovely seller's photo since I got home with it at 2am


Already looking for pallets, boulders and other stuff to build a course in the back yard. Am either going to learn a lot or hurt myself on this thing.

I'm so jealous of this. I want a trials bike so bad... they look like they're a riot .

Saga
Aug 17, 2009

NitroSpazzz posted:

I bought a bike with no seat and the kick stand on the wrong side. 2005 Gas Gas TXT 300 Pro

lovely seller's photo since I got home with it at 2am


Already looking for pallets, boulders and other stuff to build a course in the back yard. Am either going to learn a lot or hurt myself on this thing.

Very difficult to hurt yourself, surprisingly, until you get to vtnewb's level and start trying to climb obstacles the size of small buildings. For reasons I don't fully understand, it seems to be easier to go really badly wrong on a bmx or 26" trials bike than the motorised kind. At least that's been my experience. I think maybe because with a bike you have the effect of the crank rotation stabling the bike and a lower c of g.

shacked up with Brenda
Mar 8, 2007

FWIW here's my current (for sale) trials bike all cleaned up!



Saga and I are TY buddies.

Saga
Aug 17, 2009
In bikes if not in talent! :stare:

My TY twinshock is still in pieces. :( Needs the top end doing as the rings were well and truly shot - blow-by all over the piston. I wasn't sure whether the hollow rattling noise was just the silencer being completely loose after the last time I looped it, but it turned out it was the top end. Might possibly have been the times I rode to work on it. I don't think it enjoyed being wrung-out in fourth for 20 miles at a time.

Of course I have so little time that I then gave the engine in a box to my local bike shop, who are still getting around to ordering the parts after like 2 months. I did take the opportunity to torch and repaint the "silencer" (amplifier?) and order some new pegs to replace the bent originals. I even found the brake pedal spacer that's missing as NOS on ebay, so I'll be able to use the brake without worrying about putting a hole in the cases.

Invision, you should buy that TY mono. I mean look at it, it's a thing of beauty.

Beve Stuscemi
Jun 6, 2001






I'll be hunting down some DRZ S wheels for it soon

shacked up with Brenda
Mar 8, 2007

New shift lever (and oil and air filter) and back on the horse! Race tomorrow!

Silver
May 12, 2001

Suzuki lover number one!
Good luck :) I was supposed to go ride today but found out I had a nail in the front tire around 8:30 or so and patch wouldn't hold it so ended up doing that today instead.

GI Joe jobs
Jun 25, 2005

🎅🤜🤛👷
Ugh, I've been there, Silver. I rushed a tire change Saturday, and woke up to a flat tire. No riding since the shops are closed. Since then I've carried spares.

Ugh, my 690 was showing signs of an electrical short. I had to pull the entire harness to find the wear spot:


Looks like the 690 isn't fully ready to race...

I plan to rewrap the entire harness and add cushioning at the frame contact points. Then look for a real dirt bike :v:

In light of this damage, I wonder how well designed EFI MX bikes are. I imagine they keep the wire count down to a minimum and employ a healthy dose of bracing and cushion.

Saga
Aug 17, 2009

Gullous posted:

Ugh, I've been there, Silver. I rushed a tire change Saturday, and woke up to a flat tire. No riding since the shops are closed. Since then I've carried spares.

Ugh, my 690 was showing signs of an electrical short. I had to pull the entire harness to find the wear spot:


Looks like the 690 isn't fully ready to race...

I plan to rewrap the entire harness and add cushioning at the frame contact points. Then look for a real dirt bike :v:

In light of this damage, I wonder how well designed EFI MX bikes are. I imagine they keep the wire count down to a minimum and employ a healthy dose of bracing and cushion.

What is it with KTM? My duke II had the same chafing where the loom moves from the headlamp pod (where all the fuses are) to the chassis. IIRC I found out because if you turned the bars left to the lockstop the engine would stop.

FlerpNerpin
Apr 17, 2006


Saga posted:

What is it with KTM? My duke II had the same chafing where the loom moves from the headlamp pod (where all the fuses are) to the chassis. IIRC I found out because if you turned the bars left to the lockstop the engine would stop.

To be fair, its a 690 Enduro and Gullous rides it like he stole it. That bike has had a hard, hard life.

Z3n
Jul 21, 2007

I think the point is Z3n is a space cowboy on the edge of a frontier unknown to man, he's out there pushing the limits, trail braking into the abyss. Finding out where the edge of the razor is, turning to face the darkness and revving his 690 into it's vast gaze. You gotta live this to learn it bro.

Spiffness posted:

To be fair, its a 690 Enduro and Gullous rides it like he stole it. That bike has had a hard, hard life.

You say this and I can clearly see in my mind's eye him 30 feet off the trail, clods of dirt flying 30+ feet off the rear tire, blazing his own singletrack through the underbrush.

Or going straight through the puddles we skirted around.

FlerpNerpin
Apr 17, 2006


Z3n posted:

You say this and I can clearly see in my mind's eye him 30 feet off the trail, clods of dirt flying 30+ feet off the rear tire, blazing his own singletrack through the underbrush.

Or going straight through the puddles we skirted around.

Or ripping around a berm, giving it the beans, catching traction off a root, wheeling it straight into a tree and in one fluid motion restarting the engine, dropping the clutch and powering off down the trail like nothing happened. Headlight status = smithereened.

Frozen Pizza Party
Dec 13, 2005

Spiffness posted:

Or ripping around a berm, giving it the beans, catching traction off a root, wheeling it straight into a tree and in one fluid motion restarting the engine, dropping the clutch and powering off down the trail like nothing happened. Headlight status = smithereened.

Man, you guys have all the fun :(

Deeters
Aug 21, 2007


It seems like my local riding spot isn't going to be open this year. Apparently the flooding from Hurricane Irene and the freak October snowstorm did a lot of damage and they still haven't been able to finish clearing the trails. So do any of you from the Northeast know of good trail riding places, preferably ones that don't require me to register my bike in that state. I already checked out Massachusetts, and they won't accept my Connecticut registration for any of the state forests.

shacked up with Brenda
Mar 8, 2007

Deeters posted:

Connecticut registration for any of the state forests.

You're down in CT? Let me ask the NETRA bros.

Deeters
Aug 21, 2007


VTNewb posted:

You're down in CT? Let me ask the NETRA bros.

Yeah. I'm relatively sure the only other places in CT are either motocross tracks or only open for enduro events, and I don't really have a bike for either. I don't mind traveling out of state to find some good trail riding

cheesebot
Jul 21, 2002

I cheesebot

Deeters posted:

Yeah. I'm relatively sure the only other places in CT are either motocross tracks or only open for enduro events, and I don't really have a bike for either. I don't mind traveling out of state to find some good trail riding

If your bike is registered (i.e.: street legal and current, it's hard to tell from your post) you can ride Pachaug in CT.

http://www.blackibags.com/serve/pachaug_enduro,_edited.pdf

Deeters
Aug 21, 2007


I should have mentioned that, it's only registered for offroad. CT won't let you make things street legal just by throwing on a light and turn signals, unfortunately.

The more I think about it, the more "Buy a dual sport" seems to be the right answer.

Blaise
Sep 10, 2003
About a year ago I bought a DRZ400S.



And I rode it some cool places.



And then sold it. A month later my brother decided to get into bikes and bought a beater $100 ninja250 which we were never able to get running right :argh:

So last week he sold it for $900 and bought this for $2000:



Cool, same bike right? Nope...



:dance: That's right, a plated 2000 DRZ400E model with various goodies (aftermarket handlebar, rotor protectors, knobbies, bash plate, etc). Already ordered a jet hit for it, the FCR carb is fantastic.

He can't stop smiling he loves it so much. I'm tempted to buy a KTM just to piss him off :D

Kony Kid
Mar 16, 2012

Blaise how did you get so ... round?

but really where were those pics taken? Utah? Colorado? Arizona?

Blaise
Sep 10, 2003

Kony Kid posted:

Blaise how did you get so ... round?

but really where were those pics taken? Utah? Colorado? Arizona?

Lots of protection. I'm wearing an EVS G5 ballistic jersey there:



When you're 6'2 you have to wear XL even if you're not round :(

Pics are from Utah (top of the world) and somewhere in Colorado.

SchwarzeKrieg
Apr 15, 2009
In what's probably not the wisest financial decision I've ever made, I traded my 94 Mustang GT for a 2008 KTM XC-F 250 today. Aside from putting around on my friend's old XR100 a few years ago, this will be my first motorcycle experience at all. I'm super excited/nervous/prepared to be hospitalized.

Saga
Aug 17, 2009

SchwarzeKrieg posted:

In what's probably not the wisest financial decision I've ever made, I traded my 94 Mustang GT for a 2008 KTM XC-F 250 today. Aside from putting around on my friend's old XR100 a few years ago, this will be my first motorcycle experience at all. I'm super excited/nervous/prepared to be hospitalized.

Prepare to be hospitalized! (You will have a shitload of fun and also scare yourself shitless first, however.)

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Tape Leg
May 8, 2003

We were all delighted, we all realized we were leaving confusion and nonsense behind and performing our one noble function of the time, move.
When you're in the hospital, I'll take that bike off your hands

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