Dirt Bikes

[mike343sharpstick]

... We all have E-start now, even the guy with the 2-stroke KTM.
I think every good woods bike has e-start now. Having the kick starter in most instances costs extra! I was actually the last hold out, kicking that 560cc, high compression bone crusher.

[SuperBuickGuy]

... We all have E-start now, even the guy with the 2-stroke KTM.
I think every good woods bike has e-start now. Having the kick starter in most instances costs extra! I was actually the last hold out, kicking that 560cc, high compression bone crusher.

if I replaced my 09 CRF 450r with a 2020, I wouldn't even have a kickstarter... you can retrofit from 19 down, but now it's not even an option.... but razing will happen, kickstarter or not

[BangShift McT]

Let's see... Honda 50, Honda Trail 70, Yamaha YZ80, and Yamaha YZ490 two-stroke. I kind of want one again. But I think I want a street bike more for a motorcycle, and a three-wheeler or a quad for an off-roader if I were to do that again.

[SuperBuickGuy]

Let's see... Honda 50, Honda Trail 70, Yamaha YZ80, and Yamaha YZ490 two-stroke. I kind of want one again. But I think I want a street bike more for a motorcycle, and a three-wheeler or a quad for an off-roader if I were to do that again.

you know how people suck? they suck squared when you're on a motorcycle on the street.

[Monster]

razing will happen, kickstarter or not.

Somehow, I think you're up for it.

[BangShift McT]

you know how people suck? they suck squared when you're on a motorcycle on the street.

Riding a Kawasaki GTR1000 Concours on Interstate 5 near the Tacoma Mall in 4pm traffic, rain looming. I understand the pucker factor completely. But out here in Cornfield, KY, I think I'm a bit better off. You can hear the sound of an approaching moron from three miles away, their squatted GMC blatting like a fat Scotsman on the can who had his first drunken round with a cheap Mexican restaurant the night before.

Too much?

[SuperBuickGuy]

Riding a Kawasaki GTR1000 Concours on Interstate 5 near the Tacoma Mall in 4pm traffic, rain looming. I understand the pucker factor completely. But out here in Cornfield, KY, I think I'm a bit better off. You can hear the sound of an approaching moron from three miles away, their squatted GMC blatting like a fat Scotsman on the can who had his first drunken round with a cheap Mexican restaurant the night before.

Too much?

it was a blue hair who killed my uncle on his bike. didn't even realize she was dragging him the 2 miles it took for witnesses to get her stopped.... Redding California.

[BBR]

Re-jetting and putting new reeds in Judd's 125. My eyes are getting too old for these tiny parts. haha

The float is about to drive me nuts. Swapped jets, put it all back together, fuel pukes from the over flow. Take it apart, clean it all out again, put it back together, same thing. It's new float needle time I suppose.

[BBR]

Picked up a new float needle at the local shop. Popped it in and it is good to go. The jetting, new reeds and new float needle sure seem to have cleaned it up.

[65RHDEER]

Longest day on a dirt bike.

The longest days riding I have done on a dirt bike, a Suzuki DR400, is 660km, 410miles. We were doing a double crossing of the Simpson Desert in Central Australia in 04, across to Birdsville in Queensland then back to Alice Springs. Things were going to plan until it started to rain and didn't stop for 2 days. We went into the desert from the west but to get through you have to cross some major clay pans. We may have been able to get the bikes through but the backup 4X4 would have been very slow so we stopped about 1/3 of the way across and waited for the rain to stop. We had crossed one sizable clay pan on the way into the desert, when we got there on the way out and saw the state it was in we knew we weren't going forward in that direction.

There was a track that went south but it was through private property, there were some on the trip who had deadlines to meet so the decision was made to go south through the private land some 180km, 112m. We caused a fair bit of damage to the property tracks dragging 4X4 through swollen creeks and smaller clay pans. Not a good thing on our part because we knew we shouldn't be in there causing the damage of the 9 bikes and 6 4X4's. After two days and we rode/drove through the homestead grounds and onto Oodnadatta. We hadn't been in town long when the local police came and took some details from the group. We'd later make a payment to the property so they could make some repairs to their tracks, I think we got off lightly given the amount we paid. We camped the night just out of Oodnadatta.

The next morning we started back for Alice Springs thinking we'd spend one more night out before we got there. Back out to the main highway that goes through Central Australia was 200km, 125m. I got there first riding at about 80kmh, 50mh and waited 45 minutes for the rest to get there. We regrouped at various spots up the highway, it would have been a lot shorter day if they rode at my pace! It was then 420 km of tar back to Alice Springs and the plan was to stop about 100km shy for the night. So we got to that point after dark but the majority of the group decided to push on to a shower and a real bed. 660km for the day!

[Tubbed Pacecar]

BBR: Your pic sort of reminded me of my time spent doing new bike uncrating & set ups @ the local Honda dealer back in 1979 (high school senior after school & Sat job)....anyways, the Z50's came two to a crate, and for some reason, the throttle cable was not connected to the slide. So, after spinning the top cap off, if you were lucky, you could stick your pinky finger down into the carb, cock it sideways a bit, and fish the slide out. BUT, that worked less than 50% of the time, and Plan B was to sit on a milk crate, and flip the bike upside down on your lap, and shake the Sh!t out of it until the slide would come out. Once retrieved, it was easy enough to attach the cable, spin the cap back on and add some new oil, the factory fish oil having already been drained before inverting the bike
It's funny, having done set ups on Gold Wings, CB750's (first year of the Twin Cam!), XL's/XR's, CT125's, etc, the biggest PITA cam from the smallest bike

And even more entertaining was watching all the people checking out my brand new Yamaha RD 400 Daytona Special parked outside the showroom. I asked the owner of the dealer how much a 400 Hawk would be, his discount was a joke! But the lads @ the local Yamaha dealership, knowing I was working @ the Honda dealership, gave me a SMOKIN deal!!

Re-jetting and putting new reeds in Judd's 125. My eyes are getting too old for these tiny parts. haha

The float is about to drive me nuts. Swapped jets, put it all back together, fuel pukes from the over flow. Take it apart, clean it all out again, put it back together, same thing. It's new float needle time I suppose.

[SuperBuickGuy]

Longest day on a dirt bike.

The longest days riding I have done on a dirt bike, a Suzuki DR400, is 660km, 410miles. We were doing a double crossing of the Simpson Desert in Central Australia in 04, across to Birdsville in Queensland then back to Alice Springs. Things were going to plan until it started to rain and didn't stop for 2 days. We went into the desert from the west but to get through you have to cross some major clay pans. We may have been able to get the bikes through but the backup 4X4 would have been very slow so we stopped about 1/3 of the way across and waited for the rain to stop. We had crossed one sizable clay pan on the way into the desert, when we got there on the way out and saw the state it was in we knew we weren't going forward in that direction.

There was a track that went south but it was through private property, there were some on the trip who had deadlines to meet so the decision was made to go south through the private land some 180km, 112m. We caused a fair bit of damage to the property tracks dragging 4X4 through swollen creeks and smaller clay pans. Not a good thing on our part because we knew we shouldn't be in there causing the damage of the 9 bikes and 6 4X4's. After two days and we rode/drove through the homestead grounds and onto Oodnadatta. We hadn't been in town long when the local police came and took some details from the group. We'd later make a payment to the property so they could make some repairs to their tracks, I think we got off lightly given the amount we paid. We camped the night just out of Oodnadatta.

The next morning we started back for Alice Springs thinking we'd spend one more night out before we got there. Back out to the main highway that goes through Central Australia was 200km, 125m. I got there first riding at about 80kmh, 50mh and waited 45 minutes for the rest to get there. We regrouped at various spots up the highway, it would have been a lot shorter day if they rode at my pace! It was then 420 km of tar back to Alice Springs and the plan was to stop about 100km shy for the night. So we got to that point after dark but the majority of the group decided to push on to a shower and a real bed. 660km for the day!

to a European, the distances Americans travel is without context. To an American, the distances Aussis travel is without comparison. I have lots of friends who farm - most of the area they farm is in the 7000 acre, range (basically 7 square miles), the largest, of those I know is 40,000 acres. I know of 2 farms in WA that are 100 square miles... now some context, you can seed 26 acres an hour, combine at about the same rate - and all farms drive their acres at least 4 times every year. Point is, I can't even imagine that trip you took on a dirt bike - I have no context.

[cstmwgn]

to a European, the distances Americans travel is without context. To an American, the distances Aussis travel is without comparison. I have lots of friends who farm - most of the area they farm is in the 7000 acre, range (basically 7 square miles), the largest, of those I know is 40,000 acres. I know of 2 farms in WA that are 100 square miles... now some context, you can seed 26 acres an hour, combine at about the same rate - and all farms drive their acres at least 4 times every year. Point is, I can't even imagine that trip you took on a dirt bike - I have no context.

There are places on this continent that allows for long rides on dirt bikes. Baja for one. We did a tip ride that netted ~2,000 miles. We left Tecate bought new tires in LaPaz and had a drunk day in Cabo, stopped by Hotel California and numerous other places. It was quite the adventure. I assume the "clay pans" are similar to our dry lakes that become bottomless when wet. They can be quite difficult if you push on too far thinking you can stay on top of it at speed.

[65RHDEER]

Said goodbye to an old friend earlier this week, a 90 KTM 540. I had it for 24 years of it's 30. It went to a friend of a friend so I can still keep tabs on it.

[65RHDEER]

sell? what is this thing?

You know all to well

As a man ages they say they get wiser. It's sad really... I don't want to be that man...