367 Broken Electrons

Howdy.
It's been a couple of weeks since my last bloggy post, ain't it?
Much of that is because 12 days ago, my ol' trusty home PC took a dump and was acting in such a way that it would not reboot itself.
So, being the layman that I am with personal computers, I unplugged it and took it to a nice guy I know that runs his own computer shop for a check-up.

Well, this time, it was more than just a debugging of some stupid virus or such because he told me that the mother board inside my PC was fried, and since my computer was 8 years old (and that's a long time for a PC he says), he doubted that he could even get a new one to replace it with.
His recommendation to me was to shit can the old one and just buy a new one, and I took his advice.
I had him build me a brandy-new one, so here I am typing this on my new PC at home on Sunday afternoon.
It's a nice unit, and I'm just about familiar with the new (to me) Windows 7 operating system (my old one used Windows XP).
Oooohh, Stone Age, huh?
Eh, it's only money.  ;)

Earlier today, I went out for a ride on the ol' Pachaug enduro loop on the ol' CRF-450X9.
The ride was good and the weather and ground conditions were good as well.
It was completely cloudy and threatening to rain, but that's just fine and dandy with me because since bright sunshine reflecting off the light-colored ground makes me squint all day, I can see much better when the clouds cover the sun, Lenny.

I felt good, rode well enough to be satisfied with my riding, and even took a trail that I haven't done in it's entirety in about 6 months due to it being a flooded mess at the half-way point.
The last time I did this trail all the way through was on the ol' Yamaha WR-250FY, and doing it on the bigger CRF-450X9 sure gave me a workout (especially since I don't know it from memory all the well), but I completed it without incident.
I'm glad that the mini lake at the middle is dried-up, so now I can add this to my usual loop.
Until we get some quagmire-producing rain storm that floods it out, that is.  ;)

I need to change both tires, again, as I could easily feel a distinct loss of traction at both ends due to worn tires.
It really does suck big balls that I have to change tires so often if I want to have the best tire performance, but, that's how it goes when you have to ride on pavement a few miles each loop - the road wears the tires down a lot faster than the dirt and rocks do.
How fast and how often?
After 4 rides out there, the tires are worn enough to effect traction noticeably and start thinking about new ones.
The 5th ride is more so.
By the 6th ride, they're a liability and should be replaced if you expect anything like what a new tire can deliver off-road, and they really feel loose and less-than-solid when leaning the bike over and trying to use the brakes and throttle in a spirited manner, Bucky.
You really should have known.  :)

So, during this week, I'll be installing two new Bridgestones:
An M604 on the rear, and instead of my tried-and-true M23 front (which I hope I don't regret), I'll go with an M603 front tire, one I haven't used since my 2008 Yamaha WR-250R (not F, but R. Read this shit right, would you?), which was the dual-purpose bike I rode for a year, and which was the bike I used to get back into off-road riding in the summer of 2009, something I hadn't done regularly at that point for about 15 years.
The front M603 is the match for the rear M604, and since I do like the M604 rear, and since I just couldn't resist being a dork and straying from my old standby M23, well, I just hope it works and gives me a good feeling.
We'll see next weekend.
In fact, since I've already got the CRF-450X9 washed after today's ride, and there's almost two hours before FIM World Superbike comes on TV, I'll change that front tire right now.

-John

I Saw 366 Pieces of Horse Crap

I'd bet that these two lovebirds don't have to clean up after ol' Bessy and Velvet.
Yes, folks, a pile of horse shit on the ground, left behind from when a horse went by, is the less glamorous part of riding a big animal with a pea-sized brain.
Just like back in the olden days.

Well, the weather this past weekend was rain on Saturday, but Sunday was good.
The ground was damp from the previous day's rain, but enough water had dried-up so things weren't sloppy wet, the dust was held down, and aside from being a bit cautious in the shady areas looking for damp (and slippery) tree roots, traction was very good, indeed.
As it turned out, my Sunday Pachaug rock pile ride was not too bad, even though I didn't feel as good as I usually do.
At least the bike felt as good as it usually does.

One of the prime reasons (actually, THE reason) the bike felt good was because i was using my favorite Bridgestone M23/M604 tires.
These tires feel so much better than the cheap junk I tried last weekend, there is simply no comparison.
It's like trying to compare eating a meal prepared by a famous chef versus one prepared by some drunk slob who can't see straight.
Wait.
It's even more obvious than that.
It's like comparing the quality of life of a guy who is in perfect health versus a guy who just took a trip to the electric chair.
Yeah, that's it.

The tires performed just as they always did and should do, absorbing all of those sharp hits and jolts littering the ground, as well as gripping the ground in excellent fashion at the same time.
It is easy to forget (or not even put any thought into) how important tires are for the feel of your motorcycle, and I often see guys with bikes that have completely shit tires mounted.
Hmm.
They must like that kind of stuff.

So, although the bike worked well, I wasn't feeling too well.
It seems that every year around this time, I feel effected by something that makes me feel noticeably down both physically and mentally.
On Sunday's ride, I got tired sooner and I didn't have the usual concentration and coordination that I typically would out there.
That's too bad, because the bike and conditions of the ground and weather and visibility were good.
I didn't crash, but I did screw-up a rocky hill climb while on the way back toward the gravel lot where the Pachaug enduro loop starts and ends, closing the throttle when I should keep it open, coming to a jolting halt, and having to collect my wits and start the climb again from a stop (not always fun).
That was because I just couldn't think and concentrate on that I was doing and needed to do in the usual manner.
I think that's often called an "off day".
With any luck, this weekend will be better.

Now that April is here, the dirt roads leading through the heart of the Pachaug state forest are open to cars and trucks, and that means big pickup truck towing big horse trailers.
These folks will drive out the the spot in the forest where they park their rigs, unload their horses, and ride down the dirt roads and certain trails.
Even though I'll always be courteous and pull over if I'm approaching a horse rider head-on (or slow or stop and wait for them to pull over if I'm approaching them from the rear), it is a drag because the dirt bike I'm riding isn't something the big animal with the little brain likes.
These horses get spooked easily, and I'm always wondering if the guy or girl riding it will get bucked around by a horse getting all frisky because it's scared by the sight and sound and smell of my CRF-450X9, not to mention the big possibility of the rider copping an attitude because I'm suddenly there spoiling his or her (usually it's her) serenity on National Velvet.
It's just another reason why I personally think horses suck.
I couldn't imagine a more boring way to spend the day, folks, and I've tried it.
Gim'me a dirt bike any day, please.

Off to jerk,
-John

365: Good Tires Ain't no Jive

Aaahh, that's more like it.
I mounted a pair of my usual tires for the CRF-450X9 - Bridgestone M23 front and M604 rear.
These tires feel great, get great traction out on the hard surfaces of the ol' Pachaug rock pile enduro loop, and actually flex in order to absorb bumps, something a tire should do.

As of this second (Thursday morning before jerk), the tires are on the bike, the bike is cleaned and serviced and ready to go, and I'm just waiting for the weekend to get out there and ride once again. ;)

-John

364: 363 Reasons, Plus One More

I went for another ride yesterday (Sunday) out on the ol' Pachaug rock n' roll pile enduro loop with the CRF-450X9.
It was a good ride, considering I still had those garbage Kenda and Sedona tires on the bike.
I let an additional PSI of air pressure out of each tire in an effort to make them less bouncy and unruly, and it did help a tiny bit, although, of course, they still felt worlds away from the tires I should have bought.
Good thing these tires are coming off the bike this week and are going to that great tire recycling plant in the sky.
Or maybe it's just down the road a few miles.
Who cares, just as long as they're no longer on my bike, Lenny.
You want them?

I felt good on both rides this weekend, although better on Sunday, and the bike was working well except for the instability caused by the tires.
I'm very much used to the new softer springs in the suspension, and since it's been a few rides with them now, I feel the place that their benefit is most apparent is in the corners.
The bike settles down a bit further in the suspension stroke while taking sharper corners as it should, and this seems to make the front end stick in the corners better and gives a more confident feel overall.
Because of this increase in cornering confidence and feel, it was worth it to change springs and experiment with the fork oil level.

I'm looking toward the coming weekend with some real tires on board (Bridgestone M23 front and M604 rear).
I'm sure the difference will be amazing in a good way. :)

-John

363 Reasons to Stay With What You Know Works for You

The Sedona MX887 IT rear tire.
A budget-conscious tire for riders on a budget.



The Kenda K774F Budds Creek front tire, another tire for those with no money to spend on their dirt bikes, or for guys who like the picture in the advertisement.

Yesterday (Saturday), I tried out my two new tires, the ones shown in the above pics.
I rode the CRF-450X9 (what else?, as it's the only motorcycle I own) and rode my usual loop out at the ol' Pachaug enduro loop, and the weather and conditions were just fine and dandy for a good ride.
Unfortunately, I had to go ahead and spoil the proceedings by deciding to purchase (while in a bout of money pinching during my winter pay cut period) a pair of cheap tires, the ones shown above.
These tires felt so poorly out on the trail, that I knew I'd made a big mistake before the first trail section ended, particularly with the rear tire.

What was the problem?
I mean, those pics above look so cool, right?
Sure, Lenny, as that's all part of marketing and advertising, and most certainly part of that holy word spelled SALES.
Things pictured in advertisements always look better than they really are in real life - why do you think a Big Mac from McDonald's always looks more mouth-watering-good in a commercial than the real thing up for SALE at your local joint does when you take a hard look at the one you just bought as you hold it in your hand?
Hmmmm.
Still feel like eating that, Bucky?

The problem, mostly with the rear but also with the front tire to a lesser degree, is with the fact that in order for these tires to be sold for less money than my preferred Bridgestone M22, M23, and M604 tires (quality tires from a manufacturer that does not want to be known as a cheesy tire manufacturer), corners had to be cut somewhere.
The corner cut was in the basic construction of the tire, itself, which seems as if it uses some stone-aged method of tire production that is not only being as cheaply as possible, but makes the tire feel as if it has 457 psi of air in it at all times, even though I had the front at 10 psi and the rear even lower at 9 psi.
Just for comparison, my favorite Bridgestone tires get run with 10 psi of air pressure in them.

So, the resulting performance and feel from these tires was that they bounced around all over the place, especially off the rocks that stuck up out of the ground, and they bounced off of them as it there was a black and round super ball (remember those) wrapped around my rims.
This made for a very unstable ride out of the bike, negated the possibility of any good feel from the bike, and, basically turned a good ride into semi-torture.
The bike felt so bad with these tires, I had to slow down over my favorite rough sections, and that takes fun out of the ride, Mac.
If I could put a performance price tag on these tires, they'd sell for $1.98 each.
Enough said?

You'd think that a guy who's been riding motorcycles for over 30 years would and should know better than to try this, but, as the old saying goes:
You live and learn.
Sometime, I add, you have to live and learn the same thing a second time so you won't forget it. ;)

On a slightly positive note, the forecast rain showers haven't started yet, so there's a chance I'll go out for another ride today.
Here's to hoping I survive these tires a second time. ;)
I guess you can predict these tires are to be removed from the bike during the week before next weekend.

-John

362: Riding with the Flu

This could be a pic of me for the past four days.
Although our mild winter is leaving for spring, it is giving me one last punch in the nuts with a cold.

Well, I believe that I'm done with messing around with the CRF-450X9 suspension for the time being.
I've settled on what I feel is a good setting, the bike is feeling good, it's feeling balanced front and rear, and, I'd also rather not have to tinker with the suspension settings every time I go riding as well as during the week, too.
So, now that I've got the bike feeling nice after the spring changes and settled on my fork oil level, clicker settings front and rear, and fork tube height, I'm satisfied with it and I'm going to leave well enough alone except for routine maintenance.
This bike really does have a very good suspension straight off the showroom floor, and in my opinion, it's the front fork that has much to do with that.
It does a good job of taking big and small bumps, sharp and rounded bumps, whoops, rocks, roots, and whatever else the ol' Pachaug rock n' roll pile enduro loop has to offer, and the bike feels good and stable the whole time.
Therefor, now I've got the balance feeling as I like it after taking things apart for the softer springs, I can now enjoy it until next time the wrenches have to come out for some TLC, which should not be for about three month when I'll grease the rear suspension bearings and steering head bearings.

Just for the record, I settled on the standard (as delivered off the showroom floor) fork tube height, .45 kg/mm fork springs (optional softer spring rate offered by American Honda), 312cc of Honda's HP 5 weight fork oil in the outer fork chamber, standard fork compression clicker setting, and one click out from standard on the fork rebound clickers.
With the rear suspension, I have a softer 5.2 kg/mm spring (standard is 5.5 kg/mm), three clicks out on the rebound clicker, two clicks out on the low-speed compression clicker, and a half-turn out on the high-speed compression adjuster.
The spring preload is set to achieve 4 inches (100mm) of sag with my weight on the seat, which seems to be the dirt bike industry rule of thumb for full-sized dirt bikes with 12 inches of rear suspension travel.

So, now that I'm satisfied (tired of monkeying with it since it feels good ;) ), just how does the bike differ from how it felt with the standard firmer suspension springs?
Well, in all honesty, I have a hard time feeling any rock-solid difference.
I think the bike rides a wee bit lower in the suspension stroke due to the sorter springs allowing my body weight to compress it a bit more (which is OK and was actually the goal since I thought it wasn't compressing enough from my weight), but other than that, I can't really pin-point any other change that probably isn't just my imagination.
So, I guess it was worth it to have the suspension squat down a little bit more, down to the point to where it is supposed to according to suspension gurus, and the bike takes the bumps and feels stable just as it always has.
However, I also don't feel that it was an eye-opening experience, and quite frankly, I easily could have left the suspension alone as far as the settings went - it worked that well from the start.
But, since what's done is done, I'll just leave my softer springs and 312mm oil level well enough alone and ride, ride, ride.

So, now that I've ridden this 2009 Honda CRF-450X9 almost every weekend since I bought it in mid-November, how do I feel about the bike?
Well, I'll be more than happy to tell you, and tell you from the point of view of a guy who had to go out and buy the bike with his own hard-earned money, and as a guy who has no reason whatsoever to hide any blemishes or suppress and outstanding qualities with the bike.

The good points:

*450cc of big-bore, 4-stroke power.
As you would expect from a 450cc dirt bike, the power and torque is strong at every single point of the rev range.
Basically, if the engine is running, it's making strong power, and this is extremely handy (and fun) when getting the bike to practically leap out from under you in order to seat-bounce over a whoop a mere yard in front of you, or torquing out of a tight corner in 3rd gear without the bike feeling as it it is having any trouble at all with pulling such a tall gear for the situation.
I wanted a 450 to be able to have fun with the big power more CCs provides, and I got it in spades.

*Excellent stability in a straight line.
No matter how rough or bumpy the ground is, as long as you keep the throttle open, the bike tracks as straight as can be over gnarly terrain no matter the whoops, bumps, jumps, logs, rocks, or brainwashed environmental hippie-dippie following the mating habits of the three-toed newt.
The bike has a very solid feel to it, as if it is right in it's element out there on the Pachaug enduro loop, and that's saying something since I'm not a big guy.
The bike basically gives me the feeling that in order to get bounced off my intended line out in the rough, I'd have to make some kind of a blunder, and that spells confidence, folks.
And when you're feeling confident on your dirt bike, you enjoy the throttle twisting all the more, Lenny.

*Very good suspension.
I think I already covered the suspension qualities above.
Go read it.

*The bike is well-built.
I've owned a few other Honda motorcycles as well as about 50 Yamaha motorcycles (no lie), along with a Kawasaki and a few Suzukis.
The Hondas and Yamahas are noticeably better-made when compared to the other two.
Period.

The things I don't like, but have to live with:

*The bike feels heavier than the WR-250FY I was riding before this bike.
No surprise there and completely normal, although this is something that is felt any time a direction change is made.
Most of the time, I forget about it, but sometime, as when I'm riding with a case of the flu, I can feel it using-up my bodily energy when changing direction.
Good thing I'm in decent shape.

*The clutch lever free play will increase when using the clutch a lot in the tighter going.
Another thing that is actually fairly common in the dirt bike world, but I'd have no problem not having to deal with it, either.
I'm not talking about actually slipping it like a maniac, either, but just pulling the lever in and letting it out.
After about 30 seconds of this, the free play at the clutch lever feels like it increases 50%.
Once I quit doing that, it cools down and goes back to normal...until the next time.

*The engine sips oil on every single ride.
One of the distinguishing things of Honda's CRF-250R, CRF-250X, CRF-450R, and CRF-450X models is that the engine has two separate oil cavities, and the oils in these cavities do not mix with each other.
One does the clutch and transmission parts, and the other does the rest of the engine parts.
The plus side of this is that clutch wear particles don't get into the engine parts oil, and engine oil heat won't effect the clutch as much.
The shitty side of this is that the engine parts oil capacity is half of that of other 450cc bikes that use the same oil cavity to lubricate the whole nine yards.
So, instead of a quart-and-a-half of 10/40 for the engine to run with, my CRF-450X9 has a 700cc oil capacity for the engine parts.
Yes, half the amount of oil, and if your engine uses oil on every ride, you need to make sure you check the oil level after each ride and fill back up to the top mark on the handy dip stick.

I'm told on Internet forums devoted to the CRF-450X that this is common, and that I should just get into the habit of adding oil when needed (after every ride).
My typical trail loop is 50-55 miles, folks.
I can easily do that, but it does make me wonder what guys out west who may be out many miles from civilization do.
I'd be carrying a quart of oil in my backpack, Lenny.
Supposedly, using the piston and piston rings from a 2006-and-later Honda ATV using a similar engine, called the TRX-450R, cures this oil consumption, and this is supposedly due to the TRX-450R ATV using a piston with a slightly wider piston skirt and two compression rings instead of just one.

Seems that Honda Motor Co. over in Japan believed the typical ATV rider is too dumb and lazy to keep an eye on his engine oil level, so they gave that machine a piston that is better at keeping oil use down to something like normal, but the dirt bike riders are much more keen with their equipment and won't bat an eye at adding oil after every 55 mile trail ride. ;)
Frankly, Frank, I'll take the low-oil-use route, if I had a choice in it, and it I ever get to the mileage where I need to change the piston and rings in this CRF-450X9, you can bet I'm going to try the TRX-450R parts to cut oil use down to something as you'd expect from a modern off-road bike, thank you very much, Spanky.

*The air filter removal and install is tight, although I have to say that now I've been doing it for four months, I've almost forgotten about how much easier my WR-250FY was with this.
I'm also not a fan of the way the air filter sealing surface of the airbox makes it so the air filter sealing edge has to fit down into an awkward, narrow channel instead of a nice and wide and foolproof flat surface that you can feel around with your elbows after you've installed the air filter when checking for a proper airbox-to-filter seal.
I'm guessing this was done in order to firmly lock the filter in position once installed and not allowing it to slide around and/or rotate, but, I know from other bikes I've owned that this can be accomplished with methods that are still easier to work with.
Honda.
We make it simple. ;)

So, there you have my unabashed and straight-up feeling on my bike, like it or not, Bucky.
Honestly, I think the oil consumption issue is ridiculous, as having to add oil to the engine after one ride is, in my opinion, asking for too much from the typical bone-headed rider who simply refuses or doesn't have the gray matter between his ears to do that big job.

Compared to my trusty ol' 2009 Yamaha WR-250FY, the blue bike I sold last month and rode out on the Pachaug rock pile loop for two years and 2,000 miles, this CRF-450X9 is not quite as user-friendly for a couple of key reasons.
First, the engine oil level in the Wr-250FY never went down between oil changes (typically done by me each 225-250 miles), never mind having to add oil after one two-hour and 55-mile ride.
Second, the air filter removal and installation on the WR-250FY was ten times easier, and since air filter service is such a big, big part of proper dirt bike care and feeding (the filter gets dirty after one ride), having one of the major maintenance tasks required of dirt bikedom made easy for you is a real plus, Jimbo.

The big plus of the CRF-450X9 is the 450cc of power and torque, as well as it's great suspension and freight train-like stability over rough ground.
I wonder if combining the qualities of the two bikes is possible.
Hmmmmmm.
Maybe a blue 450cc bike in the future?
Well, I was actually looking for a nice used Yamaha WR-450F when I bought the Honda CRF-450X9, but, the CRF-450X9 popped-up first, so I bought it.
The 2012 Yamaha WR-450F is a new design that looks very cool, indeed.
Maybe in a year or two, after some rider has lost interest in his nice and seldom-ridden 2012 Yamaha WR-450F, I'll be able to take it off his hands.

-John

361: Time for a Spring, or Springtime

It's springtime in more ways than one, folks.

It's been about three weeks since my last bloggy post, and that's basically because I always seemed to forget about putting one up here.
Until today. ;)
So, what's new?
Well, I'm back to my normal hours and pay at jerk, which makes it easier to put up with that stuff.
Jerk, that is.
If you work for a living, and everyone I know does, you know what I mean.

Also new is a change I made to the CRF-450X9 suspension last week.
According to people who know dirt bike suspension, my weight of 150 lbs. is too light for the springs in the fork and shock of my bike, and going with the next step lighter springs would be the hot setup for me.
Well, I decided to do this, installing the springs myself (and changing the fork oil at the same time) and taking it for a ride out on the ol' Pachaug rock pile loop last Sunday.
On that ride, I could tell that something wasn't right with the front fork because it felt too firm on the sharp bumps.
During this past week, I took the forks apart and basically dumped the oil out and refilled the forks with oil while being more careful to remove as much excess oil as possible while bleeding what is called the upper chamber within the fork.
Well, I just came back from a ride this afternoon (Saturday), and I'm happy to report that the fork is working as it should, again, so it does seem to me I left too much oil in the fork the first time.

Now, I'm fine-tuning the front and rear ride height, or adjusting how high I want the front to feel as compared to the rear of the bike via sliding the fork tubes down 2 or 3 millimeters, something I'll try on tomorrow's ride.
I tend to favor the front feeling a little bit higher versus having the rear jacked-up, and to be honest, I'm not sure whether or not I'll continue to use these softer fork springs or go back to the standard heavier fork springs with a slightly lower than standard oil level.
The reason I think this is because, stock, the fork worked and felt just fine to me, and I only changed springs on recommendations from suspension experts' websites and comments on forums regarding my weight.
My gut feeling is to go back to the stock springs in order to keep the front end up as I prefer, while using a lower oil level so the front won't feel too high or stiff all the time, and this should allow the fork to both ride a bit high as I like, and allow for supple initial movement over small and/or sharp bumps.
I'll probably do this during the coming jerk week, so, stay tuned for the results.

Post ride edit:

I started today's Pachaug enduro loop ride with the fork tubes lowered a few millimeters, but pulled them back up after about 15 miles.
I did this with the tools in my handy-dandy tool belt, called a fanny pack.
The bike felt a bit unbalanced with the forks three millimeters down, but pulling them back up two millimeters and leaving them at one millimeter down felt better.
The bike felt good for the rest of the ride (49.5 miles in all), and I do believe I'll leave the suspension settings like this for now.
I think with the next front tire change (coming in a few more rides), I'll add 5cc of oil to each fork and put them back to the standard tube position.
I will be sooooooooo happy once I get the suspension dialed to suit me, folks. ;)

The actual ride was pretty darn good.
I felt a bit tired during the second half of the ride, but I'm really not surprised because I have always felt tired at times for no apparent reason during this time of year ever since I reached about 30 years of age.
Maybe it's that springtime, huh?
Once I readjusted the fork tube height, I got down to a good ride - the bike felt good and I rode well enough to feel good about, especially while in my favorite pine-needled and whooped-out sections.
I typically have a good time through those parts, and today was no different.

The reason the mileage was only 49.5 and not the usual 55-or-so was because I took a shorter route while riding on the dirt roads in the more-populated parts of the Pachaug state forest.
You know - the part where you meet people riding horseback.
Today, I must have stopped 7 times and spent 10 - 15 minutes waiting for fooli-oohs on horseback to trot past as I gave them the right of way, all so I won't see one of them do a Christopher Reeve right in front of me (I hope) should ol' Paint get spooked by the sound of my bike's engine running.


-John