Well, well, well.
Here we are in the midst of another Memorial Day weekend, folks.
That means that I actually have Monday off from jerk, something that doesn't come around too often.
No sirree, Bob.
I'll take it.
That also means I have an extra day to ride the ol' CRF-450X9 if I so choose, and I just might do that.
It's Sunday evening as I type this wonderful bloggy post, and I've already ridden two days out of the weekend.
Should I go for three in a row?
Hmmm.
I do feel pretty good and have a good level of energy, so, we'll see in the morning on that.
Saturday's Pachaug enduro loop ride was good.
I rode my typical route for the majority of it, and it was 50 miles in total.
I felt pretty good, and (knock wood) the shitty feeling I had a couple weeks ago due to (presumably) pollen in the air seems to be long gone.
Instead, I had a good amount of energy, I could concentrate, and I made some good moves while on the bike, something that is always a great feeling, and something that never gets old.
Shit, if it did get old, I wouldn't want to ride now, would I? ;)
Where Saturday's ride route did differ from the usual was toward the end, at about the 30-something mile mark.
I finally rode down one trail of the Pachaug loop that I'd actually never ridden on before - ever - although I did walk down it on foot once last fall as an investigation of it.
This trail contains one of the "Hero Sections", so named because it is more challenging due to the very rocky, dried-up stream bed on this trail.
It literally is all rock and no dirt on the rocky section, something that I have never enjoyed riding in my whole time on dirt bikes.
It's called a dirt bike, not a rock bike, Leroy.
So, what I did was take the (much newer) bypass trail that some clever riders have recently cut in that runs along the side of this rocky stream bed, and that was much more like real dirt bike riding to me.
All-in-all, I'll have to ride this trail a bunch more times before I have a good memory of it and feel comfortable turning the wick up into the fun zone.
This, I shall do.
Today's (Sunday's) ride was on a different route for a change of pace.
I still utilized the same actual trails, but I put them together in a different order.
What I started off doing was something I haven't done since February (I think it was February, anyway):
I rode some laps around the mini-loop that makes-up my favorite pine-needled, whooped-out sections.
Each lap around that loop is 2.8 miles, and I did that for 10 laps.
That stuff is, as I've written before, basically like a motocross track going through the woods, and it is very enjoyable.
Very physically exerting as well, but that's part of the appeal to me because I want to get a good cardio workout while riding my dirt bikes, Bucky.
Why don't you try that?
God, if only the whole Pachaug enduro loop was like that terrain.
After a water and piss break, I then rode out to the start of a trail section about 5 or 6 miles away and rode that back to where I originally started the day from.
Next, one more loop around the pine-needled section, and then I rode back to the truck.
All-in-all, it was 44.4 miles and I felt good on the bike doing it, so, chalk-up another good ride.
I'm happy to say that the CRF-450X9 felt good, too, and although I still wish I had kept the ol' warhorse WR-250FY, at least I wasn't missing it too much since I simply got with the program and rode the bike that I do still have in a decent manner.
As I realize more and more that the CRF-450X9 feels best while not in the tightest trail sections, I hope I can simply put up with that fact by riding through the tighter stuff the best I can, and then letting 'er rip in the faster stuff where the bike shines and feels very good, indeed.
Hmmmm.
Kinda' like what I did today, Lenny. ;)
-John
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Sunday, May 20, 2012
371 Miles of Fun
Well, thank God that it didn't seem like tooooo long of a jerk week, and before long - POOF! - here we are at the weekend. :)
I do think there is some truth to the old saying that time seems to pass more quickly the older you get.
I rode out on the Pachaug rock n' roll pile yesterday (Saturday) on the ol' CRF-450X9, and things felt quite good, all-in-all.
The sun was out brightly, and while that was a bother in the bright parts of the loop, I'm happy to say that was the only real pain in my ass for that ride, at least the only pain in my ass that I had no control over.
I felt good, and actually remember thinking to myself at a couple of spots well into the ride that I didn't feel tired at all, even after the pine-needled, whooped-out section that I really like but is also energy-consuming to ride fast.
The bike felt as good as it always did (with one side note) and I feel like I did a good job of riding the bike.
It was genuinely enjoyable.
The side note about the CRF-450X9 is that, in the six months I've owned and ridden this bike out on the Pachaug enduro loop, I've come to the point where I am now having the feeling of something I knew before I even bought the bike, but I still had to live through it to remind myself of this once again.
That is:
Big power isn't everything, and there are plenty of times where a bike that has a lighter feel while on the move is simply the better and more enjoyable choice, provided it has enough power so it doesn't feel like a complete dog.
Naturally, I don't want a bike that is light-feeling yet has little power, but there is a thing called balance which is basically compromising between a light feel and having enough power to satisfy.
And, folks, do any of you out there care to guess which bike I've had in the past met that balance?
Yes, indeedy-do, the ol' warhorse 2009 Yamaha WR-250FY firebreather was exactly that.
In hindsight (and another old saying says that hindsight is 20/20 vision), I feel I should have kept the WR-250FY for the day I got tired of muscling the CRF-450X9 around on the tighter portions of the Pachaug loop.
Well, folks, I do admit that that day has come, and while I do not yet feel like putting the CRF-450X9 up for sale (because it does have some fine and enjoyable traits of it's own like big power and torque, good suspension in the medium- and higher-speed sections, and excellent straight-line stability and a solid and confident feel in these sections of trail), I have reached the point, six months after purchasing the bike, that I now believe I've seen the peak of my interest in the bike and probably will either sell it within a year, or retire the bike to something like using it for back-and-forth to work and before-and-after work trail riding on the easier trails.
So, if I've reached the point to where I'm basically regretting selling the WR-250FY, and now feel that the CRF-450X9 is just a bit too heavy-feeling in the tighter stuff, what do I do now?
Well, I believe that means getting yet another bike that is around the 250cc range.
But, which one?
And when?
Well, that's the million dollar (or, at least a few thousand dollar) question.
I am very curious to see if Yamaha will be coming out with a new WR-250F for the 2013 model year.
If they do and it has the same kind of features that the new-for-2012 WR-450FB does (new frame based on the 2012 YZ-250FB motocross bike, new suspension, and new bodywork in the interest of making the bike feel better and perform better), then it would be very hard, indeed, to not consider it.
Another choice would be to keep my eyes peeled for a used WR-250F that is worth the price that the seller is asking (most of the time, these used bikes are waaaaaay over priced for the model year and condition they're in - you know, the ol' ask-way-more-than-you-really-want routine).
Lots of used bike ads feature asking prices that make me chuckle.
Then, there are the European brands like KTM, Husagerg, and Husqvarna, manufacturers that still sell two-stroke off-road bikes, something I haven't owned in 20 years because Yamaha and Honda quit making 2-stroke trail bike years ago, and the vast majority of the 1986 Yamaha IT-200S models out there have been long ago beaten into the scrap heap by some motorcycle retard.
A highly-qualified motorcycle retard, though.
A 300cc two-stroke European bike would be something I've never owned, although I am reading-up on these.
I would expect these bike to feel light with strong power.
The down side is that the motorcycle shop I work at does not sell KTM, Husaberg, or Husqvarna motorcycles, although there are other shops within a 45-minute drive that do (KTM and Husqvarna, anyway).
To be honest, it isn't as likely for me to go this European brand route, but, I can't completely rule it out, either.
One advantage about these European bikes is that, at least up until 2012, it is easier to street register one of these bikes because the manufacturer's Certificate of Origin (looks like a title, but isn't a title) doesn't say, in effect, NOT FOR HIGHWAY USE.
Because of this, I'm told that all I have to do is go down to the local DMV branch, show my papers and money, and walk out with a legit license plate WITHOUT having to go through the hassle of modifying the bike with the required parts and bringing it up to the Whethersfield main DMV office in order to pass an inspection before it can be registered, something that takes additional time and money.
Choices, choices.
Well, one choice I did make just a few days ago was buying a POS fixer-up special for $1,000:
A 1998 Honda XR-250R.
What's a 1998 Honda XR-250R?
It's basically a technological age older version of the Yamaha WR-250FY that I had.
It's air-cooled instead of liquid-cooled, the suspension tech is older, the shape of the bodywork, seat, and the overall ergonomics of the bike are from the mid-1990s (fatter and not as flat and sleek with the seat and fuel tank shape), and, overall, a bike meant for recreational trail riding.
What makes this bike a POS fix-'er-upper is that it is in poor shape - the engine and chassis need to be disassembled for an overhaul, so I have to put time and money into it before I can even ride it to see if I actually like it enough to want to keep it and ride it for a while.
Why did I spend a grand on a POS?
Because it has a Connecticut street title, and this means registering the bike to ride legally out on the Pachaug enduro loop or back-and-forth to jerk will be easy (if you want to think of doing anything at the Department of Motor Vehicles as easy).
We'll have to see if this bike is actually going to be fixed and ridden because I haven't even disassembled the engine, yet.
If things simply look to be worn out with the piston, rings, and cylinder wall, then I'll fix it.
If I find out it needs almost every part in the engine replaced, I'll scrap the project and just try to get some of the money back by selling the bike as used parts over the Internet (known as "parting the bike out").
Well, that's what's on my mind this weekend.
Not 100% sure whether or not I'll go for a second Pachaug rock 'n roll pile ride for this weekend today (Sunday), so we'll see.
-John
I do think there is some truth to the old saying that time seems to pass more quickly the older you get.
I rode out on the Pachaug rock n' roll pile yesterday (Saturday) on the ol' CRF-450X9, and things felt quite good, all-in-all.
The sun was out brightly, and while that was a bother in the bright parts of the loop, I'm happy to say that was the only real pain in my ass for that ride, at least the only pain in my ass that I had no control over.
I felt good, and actually remember thinking to myself at a couple of spots well into the ride that I didn't feel tired at all, even after the pine-needled, whooped-out section that I really like but is also energy-consuming to ride fast.
The bike felt as good as it always did (with one side note) and I feel like I did a good job of riding the bike.
It was genuinely enjoyable.
The side note about the CRF-450X9 is that, in the six months I've owned and ridden this bike out on the Pachaug enduro loop, I've come to the point where I am now having the feeling of something I knew before I even bought the bike, but I still had to live through it to remind myself of this once again.
That is:
Big power isn't everything, and there are plenty of times where a bike that has a lighter feel while on the move is simply the better and more enjoyable choice, provided it has enough power so it doesn't feel like a complete dog.
Naturally, I don't want a bike that is light-feeling yet has little power, but there is a thing called balance which is basically compromising between a light feel and having enough power to satisfy.
And, folks, do any of you out there care to guess which bike I've had in the past met that balance?
Yes, indeedy-do, the ol' warhorse 2009 Yamaha WR-250FY firebreather was exactly that.
In hindsight (and another old saying says that hindsight is 20/20 vision), I feel I should have kept the WR-250FY for the day I got tired of muscling the CRF-450X9 around on the tighter portions of the Pachaug loop.
Well, folks, I do admit that that day has come, and while I do not yet feel like putting the CRF-450X9 up for sale (because it does have some fine and enjoyable traits of it's own like big power and torque, good suspension in the medium- and higher-speed sections, and excellent straight-line stability and a solid and confident feel in these sections of trail), I have reached the point, six months after purchasing the bike, that I now believe I've seen the peak of my interest in the bike and probably will either sell it within a year, or retire the bike to something like using it for back-and-forth to work and before-and-after work trail riding on the easier trails.
So, if I've reached the point to where I'm basically regretting selling the WR-250FY, and now feel that the CRF-450X9 is just a bit too heavy-feeling in the tighter stuff, what do I do now?
Well, I believe that means getting yet another bike that is around the 250cc range.
But, which one?
And when?
Well, that's the million dollar (or, at least a few thousand dollar) question.
I am very curious to see if Yamaha will be coming out with a new WR-250F for the 2013 model year.
If they do and it has the same kind of features that the new-for-2012 WR-450FB does (new frame based on the 2012 YZ-250FB motocross bike, new suspension, and new bodywork in the interest of making the bike feel better and perform better), then it would be very hard, indeed, to not consider it.
Another choice would be to keep my eyes peeled for a used WR-250F that is worth the price that the seller is asking (most of the time, these used bikes are waaaaaay over priced for the model year and condition they're in - you know, the ol' ask-way-more-than-you-really-want routine).
Lots of used bike ads feature asking prices that make me chuckle.
Then, there are the European brands like KTM, Husagerg, and Husqvarna, manufacturers that still sell two-stroke off-road bikes, something I haven't owned in 20 years because Yamaha and Honda quit making 2-stroke trail bike years ago, and the vast majority of the 1986 Yamaha IT-200S models out there have been long ago beaten into the scrap heap by some motorcycle retard.
A highly-qualified motorcycle retard, though.
A 300cc two-stroke European bike would be something I've never owned, although I am reading-up on these.
I would expect these bike to feel light with strong power.
The down side is that the motorcycle shop I work at does not sell KTM, Husaberg, or Husqvarna motorcycles, although there are other shops within a 45-minute drive that do (KTM and Husqvarna, anyway).
To be honest, it isn't as likely for me to go this European brand route, but, I can't completely rule it out, either.
One advantage about these European bikes is that, at least up until 2012, it is easier to street register one of these bikes because the manufacturer's Certificate of Origin (looks like a title, but isn't a title) doesn't say, in effect, NOT FOR HIGHWAY USE.
Because of this, I'm told that all I have to do is go down to the local DMV branch, show my papers and money, and walk out with a legit license plate WITHOUT having to go through the hassle of modifying the bike with the required parts and bringing it up to the Whethersfield main DMV office in order to pass an inspection before it can be registered, something that takes additional time and money.
Choices, choices.
Well, one choice I did make just a few days ago was buying a POS fixer-up special for $1,000:
A 1998 Honda XR-250R.
What's a 1998 Honda XR-250R?
It's basically a technological age older version of the Yamaha WR-250FY that I had.
It's air-cooled instead of liquid-cooled, the suspension tech is older, the shape of the bodywork, seat, and the overall ergonomics of the bike are from the mid-1990s (fatter and not as flat and sleek with the seat and fuel tank shape), and, overall, a bike meant for recreational trail riding.
What makes this bike a POS fix-'er-upper is that it is in poor shape - the engine and chassis need to be disassembled for an overhaul, so I have to put time and money into it before I can even ride it to see if I actually like it enough to want to keep it and ride it for a while.
Why did I spend a grand on a POS?
Because it has a Connecticut street title, and this means registering the bike to ride legally out on the Pachaug enduro loop or back-and-forth to jerk will be easy (if you want to think of doing anything at the Department of Motor Vehicles as easy).
We'll have to see if this bike is actually going to be fixed and ridden because I haven't even disassembled the engine, yet.
If things simply look to be worn out with the piston, rings, and cylinder wall, then I'll fix it.
If I find out it needs almost every part in the engine replaced, I'll scrap the project and just try to get some of the money back by selling the bike as used parts over the Internet (known as "parting the bike out").
Well, that's what's on my mind this weekend.
Not 100% sure whether or not I'll go for a second Pachaug rock 'n roll pile ride for this weekend today (Sunday), so we'll see.
-John
Monday, May 14, 2012
370 Hours of Waiting
Well, as luck (or the lack of good luck) would have it, I didn't ride at all this past weekend because I felt less than great.
I felt tired, I had some kind of a pesky ear ache that effected my balance, and I simply didn't feel up to it.
Must be some kind of allergy, eh?
That's too bad, because the weather was certainly good enough - no rain and sunny on Saturday, and no rain and mostly cloudy (yay!) on Sunday.
Guess I'll have to shoot for this coming weekend after the looooooong work week.
I mean jerk week.
I felt tired, I had some kind of a pesky ear ache that effected my balance, and I simply didn't feel up to it.
Must be some kind of allergy, eh?
That's too bad, because the weather was certainly good enough - no rain and sunny on Saturday, and no rain and mostly cloudy (yay!) on Sunday.
Guess I'll have to shoot for this coming weekend after the looooooong work week.
I mean jerk week.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
369 New Motorcycles
Sometime, I feel like I've bought and paid for 369 new motorcycles.
The real total of the bikes I've paid for over the years ain't that high, but it is over 50, no doubt.
And, as I would have it, I'm wondering how long I can go before I weaken and decide to buy another one.
It's only a matter of time.
And money. ;)
Yes, indeedy, a nice 2012 Yamaha WR-450FB would look mighty fine to me in the back of my truck heading out for an awesome ride.
Sigh.
Some day, I'll own another Yamaha dirt bike.
For now, though, my PAID FOR (that's very important) Honda CRF-450X9 is cutting the mustard.
There are times when I realize the ol' trusty Yamaha WR-250FY (remember that one?) is the better bike for me, and those times are when the going is tight and requires maneuverability instead of 450cc power.
Twisting the throttle makes me remember why I went and bought a 450, though.
That's fun, too. :)
It's often about compromises and making your choice.
Last weekend's Pachaug rock n' roll pile rides (yes, rides, as I went both Saturday and Sunday) were mucho better than the weekend before.
This last weekend I felt much closer to my normal self, and I had a good time out there.
The bike felt good, I rode in a decent manner, and I had a reasonable feeling of satisfaction that I'd done a good job of it.
The new front tire I recently mounted (the Bridgestone M603 and the match to the rear M604) works very well.
These are probably going to be the tires I use for the foreseeable future since they cost a few bucks less than the time-honored M22/M23, yet are still excellent tires.
Great traction and a great feel from them.
I'm sold.
The CRF-450X9 is ready to go for this weekend, and the weather forecast is good.
-John
The real total of the bikes I've paid for over the years ain't that high, but it is over 50, no doubt.
And, as I would have it, I'm wondering how long I can go before I weaken and decide to buy another one.
It's only a matter of time.
And money. ;)
Yes, indeedy, a nice 2012 Yamaha WR-450FB would look mighty fine to me in the back of my truck heading out for an awesome ride.
Sigh.
Some day, I'll own another Yamaha dirt bike.
For now, though, my PAID FOR (that's very important) Honda CRF-450X9 is cutting the mustard.
There are times when I realize the ol' trusty Yamaha WR-250FY (remember that one?) is the better bike for me, and those times are when the going is tight and requires maneuverability instead of 450cc power.
Twisting the throttle makes me remember why I went and bought a 450, though.
That's fun, too. :)
It's often about compromises and making your choice.
Last weekend's Pachaug rock n' roll pile rides (yes, rides, as I went both Saturday and Sunday) were mucho better than the weekend before.
This last weekend I felt much closer to my normal self, and I had a good time out there.
The bike felt good, I rode in a decent manner, and I had a reasonable feeling of satisfaction that I'd done a good job of it.
The new front tire I recently mounted (the Bridgestone M603 and the match to the rear M604) works very well.
These are probably going to be the tires I use for the foreseeable future since they cost a few bucks less than the time-honored M22/M23, yet are still excellent tires.
Great traction and a great feel from them.
I'm sold.
The CRF-450X9 is ready to go for this weekend, and the weather forecast is good.
-John
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
368 Dollars Better Used Somewhere Else
This past Saturday morning, I turned my cable TV box into the cable TV company, and I no longer have any cable TV access.
That's just fine and dandy with me, and I decided to do that because I no longer feel that the amount of money it takes to pay the monthly TV bill is worth it, anymore.
See, the monthly bill has been going up for what seems like every other month for the last year, and if memory serves, it's gone up $30 per month in just the past six months.
Seeing how the only time I turn the TV on is to watch some kind of motorcycle race (about 25 hours PER YEAR, I estimate), I felt the time had come to get rid of that cable box, save about $90 per month, and use my home PC to watch my motorcycle races, dammit.
Shit, now that I've done it, I only wish that I'd done it years sooner, folks, as I do not miss it one bit seeing that I had quit watching TV regularly at least 10 years ago.
It's just no good for your brain, people. ;)
A fantastic side benefit of having no cable TV bill every month is that I can better afford keeping fresh tires on the ol' CRF-450X9 for my weekend Pachaug enduro loop rides.
In fact, I should put a new rear tire on this morning after I submit this bloggy post, as the rear tire is now worn down enough to easily tell it's due for replacement if I want to keep a good feel for the next ride.
Yes, goddammit, I'll gladly trade that stupid cable TV box in order to better afford keeping fresh tires on the bike.
This past weekend's Pachaug rock n' roll pile ride was not a great one.
This time of year, and ever since I got into my 30s, I'm effected by something that makes me feel bad, effecting my concentration, balance, mental ability, and mood.
I doubt it's PMS.
Pollen?
Good question, because whatever the cause is, it had a big effect on my feel for this past Sunday's ride.
I had no mishaps, thank God, but I couldn't get the usual amount of enjoyment out if it, either - not by a long shot.
It actually hurt my head to concentrate on my riding, and that's too bad because the ground conditions were good and the weather was fine.
We'll see what this weekend brings.
Time to change a tire.
-John
That's just fine and dandy with me, and I decided to do that because I no longer feel that the amount of money it takes to pay the monthly TV bill is worth it, anymore.
See, the monthly bill has been going up for what seems like every other month for the last year, and if memory serves, it's gone up $30 per month in just the past six months.
Seeing how the only time I turn the TV on is to watch some kind of motorcycle race (about 25 hours PER YEAR, I estimate), I felt the time had come to get rid of that cable box, save about $90 per month, and use my home PC to watch my motorcycle races, dammit.
Shit, now that I've done it, I only wish that I'd done it years sooner, folks, as I do not miss it one bit seeing that I had quit watching TV regularly at least 10 years ago.
It's just no good for your brain, people. ;)
A fantastic side benefit of having no cable TV bill every month is that I can better afford keeping fresh tires on the ol' CRF-450X9 for my weekend Pachaug enduro loop rides.
In fact, I should put a new rear tire on this morning after I submit this bloggy post, as the rear tire is now worn down enough to easily tell it's due for replacement if I want to keep a good feel for the next ride.
Yes, goddammit, I'll gladly trade that stupid cable TV box in order to better afford keeping fresh tires on the bike.
This past weekend's Pachaug rock n' roll pile ride was not a great one.
This time of year, and ever since I got into my 30s, I'm effected by something that makes me feel bad, effecting my concentration, balance, mental ability, and mood.
I doubt it's PMS.
Pollen?
Good question, because whatever the cause is, it had a big effect on my feel for this past Sunday's ride.
I had no mishaps, thank God, but I couldn't get the usual amount of enjoyment out if it, either - not by a long shot.
It actually hurt my head to concentrate on my riding, and that's too bad because the ground conditions were good and the weather was fine.
We'll see what this weekend brings.
Time to change a tire.
-John
Sunday, April 22, 2012
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
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
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
