Monday, June 27, 2011

310


The WR-250XX after an after jerk on a Monday ride.
The ride was only so-so because there were too many Sunday drivers out on a Monday.
Very slow-poke-ish, in other words.

Things have slowed down a bit at jerk during the past week or so, so, since I finished my work before 7:00 pm (now, that's something a bit rare), I went home and broke the WR-250XX out for an after jerk ride.
I was held-up several times on some good roads, but, since I'm a law-abiding and responsible motorcycle rider, I just don't pull out and pass everybody at will (like I'd like to when I come up on some idiot driving waaaaaaaayy too slowly).

Still, there were some good parts, too, so all was not lost on these knuckleheads.
The bike still performs excellently - the engine pulls strongly, the feel of the handling is great, the suspension works very well, the front brake is very good, and those Michelin Pilot Power tires are magic.
I still had a good time out there, tonight. :)

-John

Monday, June 20, 2011

309, and the Riding was (Mostly) Fine

Well, my buddy and I went for that ride, and it was enjoyable for the most part.
There were a few too many slowpoke Sunday drivers out on a Saturday afternoon, but, neither one of us have any control over that.

We went on a loop of roads that I believe my buddy rides on at least semi-regularly, so he led the whole way and I followed.
The route was decent with some good curves and hilly terrain to enjoy.
We basically were in the area in and around the Chaplin/Mansfield/UConn area much of the time.
I can't remember the last time I went up that way (northwest of where I live), myself.
I liked it, I'm happy to say.

Yesterday (Sunday), I was out on the bike for a good long time, going out on two rides.
I tend to base my routes over areas I know fairly well, although I'm starting to expand things by taking roads I haven't been on in literally 20 years, or never before at all.
Feels nice to discover a new road that I like, although I have to remember to take the time to learn the road before I can ride it at the pace I like. :)

Off to jerk,
-John

Saturday, June 18, 2011

308 Winchester

No, I don't own one of those, but it makes a good title, doesn't it?

I just got done doing my typical pre-weekend-riding maintenance on the WR-250XX, and, in fact, I'm now waiting to see if an old riding (and school) buddy is going to have time to go for a ride before it gets dark.
I'll wait until about 5:00 pm, and if I don't get the call, I'll assume he is busy and I'll hit the road solo.

One of the things I did to my bike this afternoon was install a new fuel pump, which sits inside the bottom of the fuel tank.
Why did I change the fuel pump?
Some 2008 WR-250X and WR-250R models have been known to have fuel pumps that were made not-quite right, and the fuel pump can act-up when the weather and the bike get hot.
If the fuel pump gets hot enough, it can quit working, stop the engine, and you then can't restart the engine until the fuel pump cools down enough.

I had this happen to me a couple times with the WR-250RX I rode last year.
Once the bike cooled for about 45 minutes, it started and ran, but, since that's a drag, I decided to order a new fuel pump and make the change before my luck ran out when I'd rather not have that.
Replacement fuel pump are made correctly, so, wish me luck. :)

An added bonus I discovered when I changed the pump in my WR-250RX last year is that the new pump actually made the engine run a little bit stronger.
I wouldn't mind if that's the case with my WR-250XX, too.
I'll find out in a couple of hours, I guess. :)

Anyway, I'm so glad that it's the weekend.
Jerk is typically busy this time of year, and I'm not getting any younger.
Just don't tell anybody, though. ;)

Edit:
My buddy just called (3:57 pm), so it looks like we're riding together for the first time in about 5 years.

-John

Monday, June 13, 2011

307



The WR-250XX, after the ride.


Had a decent ride yesterday (Sunday) afternoon just before sunset, which is my favorite time of the day to ride due to better visibility for me.

It was a pleasant surprise because the weather forecast called for rain all day long, and it turned out that the whole afternoon was dry on the roads.

So, I got the bike out, did my usual checks to it before I fired it up, and hit the road.

I felt good on the bike, and the bike felt good, too. :)


Now, unfortunately, it is Monday morning, and, as usual, the weekend went by too fast.

I need to look into getting some longer weekends. ;)


-John

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

306, and Motorcycling Tricks


The WR-250XX.
This is the bike I ride these days on the street.
It's a lot of fun to ride, as long as you know what you're getting when going in.

A bike like the WR-250XX ain't for everyone.
Most guys who want some kind of a sporty bike to ride on the street will demand much more power from their bike, so a 250cc single-cylindered engine is a no-go for them.
With the typical 600, 750, or 1,000cc sportbike, there's ample power available to get the rider up to high speed in a second, where with the WR-250XX, it takes longer to get up to speed.

This is because we're talking about a 30 horsepower 250 vs. a 120 horsepower 600, or a 180 horsepower 1,000.
That alone will make most young guys, especially the ones who are very conscious of their image (how they feel that others will view them), think the WR-250XX is a piece of junk.
They feel it is way too slow and way too weak.

That is true, because there is no way a WR-250XX can compare with a much larger bike on power, torque, and acceleration.
So, why do I ride one?
Because you can't have your cake and eat it, too, with physics.

The advantage with the WR-250XX is that, because the engine is so small and narrow, the bike feels as if it weighs nothing when compared to a bigger bike when you start tossing the bike into sharp corners.
On corners where I'd slow down a bit when on my 1,000cc sportbikes, I'll take at full throttle on the WR-250XX with no braking at all.
That's because I don't get the sensation of having to turn the (comparatively) massive, heavier engine around the corner when on the WR-250XX.
Simply put, there's less weight and mass to quickly change direction.
The rider can feel this.

The kind of roads that suit the WR-250XX are tighter ones where keeping a speed of 40-60mph is a challenge, and this is where the light weight can be put to use.
Basically, you get the bike going and try to slow down as little as possible.
It is very much a case of having just enough power and being able to use it all, versus having an abundance of power and metering it out in small, controlled doses.

Off to jerk,
-John

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

305, and a Whole Lotta' Jive


This is, basically, what a whole lot of banter about how we need to keep pushing to keep public land open amounts to:
A whole lot of baloney, and a whole lot of hot air.

Why do I say that, when environmentalists are pressuring and lobbying to close public lands so that you can no longer even walk on them?
It is because I feel that the people who really run things and call the shots for our government want all of us off the land.
Period.
That's the goal, and a lot of the hot air blown about simply contributes to the goal.
I think a lot of it does more harm than good.

The big shots want control (and ownership, basically) of this land for themselves.
I believe this plan is carved in stone as far as they're concerned.
They created this whole environMENTAL movement just for the sole purpose of brainwashing everyone into believing mankind is wrecking everything, and herding people off the land is one of the cures for this.

In other words, folks, we've been lied to in a big. BIG, disgusting way.

The reason why I say bantering about this is hot air is because it simply won't derail this agenda of closing land down and handing it over to the UN, or guys operating on their behalf.
What it really does, because it never get to the heart of the matter, or mentions why it's happening, or dares point the finger at anybody, is simply muddy-up and confuse people.
Probably on purpose since I expect the people controlling all this to be involved with both sides of the conflict.
What happens when I hear or read the hot air is that somebody will state they're all for "treading lightly" in an effort to keep public lands open, and this is the only way to go about it.
You must muffle your bike down so that you can barely hear it run.
You must avoid crossing streams, lest you churn-up some dirt that will float downstream.
You must be sure you barely turn a leaf over, or leave a tire track in the dirt.
YOU must constantly be aware that YOU are the cause of all the world's problems, and that the Earth would greatly appreciate it if you'd just sell that dirt bike and stay home watching TV.

In other words, this whole tread lightly campaign is just another brainwashing tactic meant to make people feel that they still haven't done enough of the right thing as far as trying to keep public land open, and it's all their fault when another umpteen million acres gets closed down to anyone and everyone for good.
The sad thing about this tread lightly brainwashing is that decent folks with good intentions get lured into it, thinking they're doing the right thing, when in reality, they're being controlled by the very opposition they are supposedly fighting.
Another sad thing is that, since it's a scam, too, no matter how "lightly" you tread, the land still continues to close, just as it's planned to.
It keeps on closing, bit by bit, no matter how much you cheer we all need to tread lightly.
That's the whole idea.
To keep you chasing your tail while the big plan goes right on as the big shots want it to.
It's simply a way to get you burning-up your time and energy fighting something they know you can't win.
Kinda' like tossing a dog a fake bone that he'll never be able to chew down to size because it's made not to be able to be chewed on.
It's just something purposely made to keep him content and busy, while his master can then get down to doing real important stuff.

I think it's nauseating how each new dirt bike comes with a little booklet telling you how to tread lightly.
You are even being reminded that it's all your fault before you even ride the bike you just bought.

What you think about that?

Off to jerk,
-John