You best be watchin' where you be steppin', little forest critters, lest somebody in an automobile squash the daylights out of you.
I have an ol' buddy named Tim who I used to work with, and more recently, have ridden dirt bikes with.
Tim fancies himself an outdoorsman, much more so than most people.
He feels he has a better understanding of how all things outdoorsy work, and has a better appreciation for it.
I believe that also includes me, even though I have literally lived in the woods all my life.
When we go riding together, he sometimes shows more interest in a bird that swoops down into view than riding the bike.
In fact, I believe that his riding a dirt bike is at least partially due to it being an easier way to cover miles and get out into the woods to observe, study, and admire nature.
It makes him feel good.
The reason I wrote that about my buddy Tim is because, one fateful day in February of 2010, we were driving down the road in my clammy ol' Ranger and a squirrel ran out in front of me.
I ran the squirrel over.
Tim reacted as if it were his own personal pet squirrel.
Basically, he became so upset over it, it drove a wedge between us and damaged our relationship.
Yes, folks, my running over a squirrel did that, and since that time, I rode with him a couple more times before deciding it was no longer feeling like a good time and worth the trip out to his neck of the woods.
Basically, Tim still feels that I need to be punished for running over the squirrel, and his way of doing that is acting like a jerk to me.
However, we still keep in touch via phone when he'll call about once a month on average.
I'd like to get together and do something we both enjoy - riding our dirt bikes - but not until I feel convinced it would be worth it.
Well, just last night, Tim called to tell me he's been scanning the classifieds for a Honda CR-F450X.
That's a Honda dirt bike that is, basically, the Honda 450cc version of my Yamaha WR-250FY.
That is, a dirt bike made for off-road use that is based on their motocross bike called the CR-F450R.
So, it's a CR-F450R with lights, odometer, 18-inch rear wheel, electric starting, softer suspension settings, and choked-up air intake and exhaust mufflers.
Once you get rid of the choked-up parts, you have an off-road version of their 450cc motocross bike.
I think this is great news because his current dirt bike, a 2007 Honda XR-650R - is simply a big, heavy tank for riding in the Pachaug rock pile.
In fact, most riders would agree that it's a pretty poor choice for that area since it's way more weight, mass, and size than makes sense out there, and the fact that it's a 650cc engine won't make-up for the weight and size penalty.
No, that big bike is meant for more wide-open spaces, and when he told me that he's thinking about a CR-F450X, I said that it was a great idea.
A CR-F450X would be a much better choice for the trails that we'd ride on, and would be much more enjoyable to ride.
If he ends up getting one of these bikes, I just may have to go riding with him again.
Hopefully, there aren't any kamikaze squirrels out on that day. ;)
Off to jerk,
-John
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