I Just Used 386 Zip Ties

Just a short bloggy post today since there was no WR-250FP riding this weekend.
No riding is a bad thing, but, it was for a good cause since I spent the weekend getting the bike ready for my trip to DMV on Tuesday.
Yes, folks, I'm going to try my luck once again at getting my bike street registered (this will be the third one, too) so that I may ride the Pachaug loop as a legal beagle and be 100% legit.
I want to play by the rules, you know.
Bring on Tuesday because I want to get this over with.  ;)

-John

My Grandma's Volvo Just Hit 385 Miles Per Hour

Today was shakedown and carburetor fiddling ride number 2 with the WR-250FP, and things went OK.
There was a noticeable improvement in throttle response since the accelerator pump was working this time out, although the settings seemed a bit on the rich side.
The bike performed better than last Sunday, but still can be improved by more testing.

I hit the Pachaug loop with the new carburetor needle and accelerator pump in tow and was very interested in seeing how the bike would perform.
You might not realize this, but the bike will not reach full operating temperature until I'm about 10 or 12 miles out, and it's at this point where the true nature of the carburetor settings can be felt.
It was then that I could tell that with the additional fuel of the accelerator pump squirt doing it's thing, while throttle response was improved, the main jet felt a bit too rich (too much fuel), and maybe the amount of fuel squirted with each squirt of the accelerator pump was a bit too much, as well.
So, after the 64 mile ride was completed and I was back at the truck where my tools were, I installed a smaller main jet and took the bike for a spin.
It felt a bit better and a bit stronger with revving out with the throttle open wide, so that was a slight improvement.
I also turned the fuel screw (also known as the pilot screw by some folks, although others insist it is not a pilot screw when we're talking about this particular design of carburetor) in from 3.25 turns out to 2.25 turns out, and that seemed a little bit cleaner-running, too.
I'll stick with these settings for the next ride and see how things are once I get out about 10 - 12 miles from the truck, again.  ;)

How was the ride?
Pretty dang good, all-in-all.
We got some rain Friday afternoon and some yesterday, too, and a bit more this morning before I loaded up and left.
I wasn't thrilled with having damp rocks and tree roots to negotiate, but, when you wanna' ride, you just go with it.
Since the total mileage was 64 miles, that meant I added the southern section of the Pachaug loop to this ride and it was good.
There were numerous water holes to cross due to the recent rain, but I got by unscathed.
I do like that section much better when it's completely dry since I don't have to slow and kill my pace, so, I hope this water dries up quickly.
Why slow down for the water crossings?
It because I don't know what obstacles or what the shape of the terrain is under the muddy water, Lenny.
If I had it all memorized, that would be a horse of a different color:
Shit brown, to match the color of the chocolate milk-looking water in those holes.

The bike performed well, less-than-correct jetting and stock-and-plugged-up muffler and all.
The freshly-serviced rear shock felt very cushy out there on the bumpy terrain and seemed to work very well, indeed.
Tom from Nasin Machine says he made no damping changes, but it did feel more supple and gave a softer ride than last Sunday.
I liked it.

Just as with last Sunday's ride, I was enjoying the light feel and high maneuverability of a 250cc bike.
On sections of trail that required changing direction while at the same time taking numerous and repetitive hits from the rocky terrain, this enhanced ease of handling was just what the doctor ordered - doing this stuff on the CRF-450X9 was much more difficult and that bike basically dictated you just try to ride through the uglies on the ground in a straight line without the maneuvering out of the way part.
Unfortunately, that's not always possible, and that's when you start muscling the bike around.
None of that muscling around required with the WR-250FP, thank you.

As I mentioned last Sunday, I'm very impressed with the bike's ability to chug way down low in the RPM range as tight trails and rough and rocky climbs are negotiated.
This was one of the great traits the ol' WR-250FY exhibited, and it's the same with the WR-250FP.
Very handy, this is, and I can only imagine how things will feel once an FMF exhaust system gets bolted on.
I'll have to wait until after my trip to DMV for that, though.
Soon.

Knock wood, but I still haven't had a difficult time getting the bike started, hot, cold, or anywhere in between.
That's just fine and dandy with me, and since the 250cc engine is so easy to kick over (as long as you use the manual decompressor lever as you are supposed to), I do not miss or need an electric starter with this bike.
I'll take the weight savings with less parts to have to haul around, thanks.
In fact, I wished the ol' WR-250FY came without an electric starter because I simply never needed it.

We're currently in the dog days of summer, which means hot and very humid weather conditions.
When it's like this, it tends to sap your energy and any water on the ground takes forever to evaporate.
Still, I felt good out there today, had a good ride, made some good moves on the bike, improved the bike's carburetion performance another small step, and had a good time riding my dirt bike.

This week will probably see the arrival of my Baja Designs dual sport kit, the collection of parts needed for DMV inspection and registration.

-John

384 Little Squirts

This isn't the carburetor from my WR-250FP (it isn't even the same manufacturer of carburetor that my bike uses), but you get the drift.
Or, squirt.



Do you see that little squirt of gasoline coming from that brass thing sticking up near the bottom of that carburetor opening?
The Keihin FCR37MX carburetor my WR-250FP has uses a system that squirts gasoline into the engine as shown in this pic, and it does it whenever you open the throttle fast enough to trigger the accelerator pump into action.
This gives the bike snappy and immediate throttle response that otherwise wouldn't be there when opening the throttle quickly.

Well, today, while installing the new carburetor needle (that I bought because I have read about guys using it who have also uncorked their WR-250FPs and got better performance), I also checked the operation of the little squirt of gas that is supposed to come out of that little brass nozzle.
No squirt came out with just a very slight ooze of gasoline that didn't squirt from the nozzle, but merely dripped out and puddled at the bottom of the nozzle.
When I first cleaned the carburetor a week ago (last Saturday), I made sure the accelerator pump nozzle and passageway leading to it were clear by squirting first carburetor cleaner and then contact cleaner through the whole thing, but, for some reason, the accelerator pump was not squirting one tiny bit upon today's inspection.
Just oozing a small dribble of gas.

So, I now believe that the accelerator pump wasn't even working for all of last Sunday's shakedown ride on the ol' Pachaug loop, and here I was thinking the bike ran pretty good considering the stock carburetor needle and main jet (and stock exhaust system) were still in place.
Hmmmmm.
So, that naturally meant that as soon as I realized this, the carburetor came right back off for cleaning #2, with special attention aimed squarely at the accelerator pump squirt.

All I did was simply repeat the cleaning I did last Saturday with the parts pertaining to the function of the accelerator pump:
Blowing the passage from pump diaphragm to output nozzle clear, and them simply putting it all back together correctly.
This time, however, once the carburetor was back on the bike and held in place by the forward inlet manifold, I hooked the fuel line up, connected the throttle cables, and put gasoline into the carburetor float bowl before I attached the airbox boot to the rear of the carburetor.
This let me see the view similar to the above pic as I twisted the throttle.
Aaaaahhhhh, a nice little squirt of gasoline was a wonderful sight to behold, squirting straight toward the rear of the intake valves, Lenny.

This is one time where seeing a little squirt near my bike was a welcomed thing.  ;)

I then put the rest of the bike back together, started the engine, and could immediately feel and hear that the WR-250FP is now much more snappy in the throttle response department compared to how it was on last Sunday's ride.
I'm not sure how much of this snappy throttle response is due to the new OBEKP needle (the one that came stock with the 2002 Yamaha YZ-250FP motocross bike, a bike that came with no EPA regulations like the WR-250FP did), and I'm not sure how much of this snappiness is due to a functioning accelerator pump, but, I'll wager that the accelerator pump has much to do with it.
And, as said above, here I was thinking the bike ran half-way decent last Sunday, considering it was only semi-uncorked and using the stock needle.
Now, the slightest blip of the throttle has the engine sharply responding and feeling very much like my ol' WR-250FY did after I'd uncorked that one.
So, you can bet your booty that tomorrow is going to be another test ride session to both test the results on the bike's performance with a function accelerator pump, and also (I assume it will be required, although I wouldn't argue if it were not needed) to do a bit of fine tuning to the carburetor settings with the new carburetor needle (and a working squirt).

Now, naturally, I wonder what prevented the accelerator pump from working properly.
A passage that was still blocked or became blocked with a wayward piece of crud still in the carburetor?
Maybe.
Improper assembly?
Maybe, although there is nothing complicated about it, really.
Hmmmm.
This rates up there with wondering how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop.  ;)
At any rate, I'm stoked that all is now well and I'm off tomorrow morning - bright and early - to do some more riding.

I had the bike apart not only to install a different carburetor needle, but also to get the rear shock off the bike and over to Nasin Machine to have the shock serviced.
I decided to do it this past jerk week and get it over with, and that was a good move.
Although Tom didn't make any modifications to the damping settings, he did replace the rubber bump stopper that is at the bottom of the shock shaft since the original one was rotting away from 10 years of sitting in a guy's basement.
So now, the shock absorber is all serviced with fresh oil, fresh nitrogen gas, a good bump stopper, and the bike is put back together.
Weeeeee.

Next stop:
Sunday test ride #2.

-John

I Just Rode 383 Miles

The WR-250FP relaxing in the front yard after today's Pachaug rock pile ride.
How did the bike perform on it's first ride with me at the controls?
Read and learn.


Yes indeedy, folks, today was the starting point for yet another bike that has me riding it on the ol' Pachaug enduro loop, and things went very well, too.
When I loaded the truck for the trip out there today, I also brought a collection of tools with me because I knew I'd be fiddling with the carburetor setting (since the bike still has the stock EPA needle and stock main jet).
I unloaded the bike and rode it a couple of miles around the truck to sample how it ran, stopped and adjusted the carburetor needle setting a step richer, and left it like that for the day.
The carburetor settings as they are right now are merely a temporary setting that will be used until after I get the bike inspected and registered (before this month is out, I surely hope) and can then sigh in relief that I survived yet another DMV trip and THEN get the bike jetted properly and ride to my heart's content.

Well, how did the WR-250FP work out there?
Very well, I am so happy to say, because I experienced what I was missing with the CRF-450X9:
The feeling of light weight and maneuverability.
In fact, I rode down a trail today that I basically didn't dare try with the CRF-450X9 because it's tight in spots and I knew full well that riding the 450 there would have been like wielding a locomotive down that trail.
The WR-250FP made this particular trail quite fun to ride because of what it does well:
Display a great balance of good, effective power with excellent maneuverability.
The WR-250FP has a similar torquey pull way down low like the ol' WR-250FY did, yet still can get up and go when you open the throttle and wind it out.
Sure, the 250 can't match the 450 in sheer power and torque at any point in the rev range, but, believe it or not, I wouldn't go back if you gave me a 450 for free, Bucky.
No way, Jose, I'm sticking with a mid-sized bike, thank you very much - my old nagging wrist and shoulder were already thanking me today as they didn't complain much.
Simply put, the WR-250FP was much easier for me to ride out on the ol' Pachaug loop and without the pain of my aging body.

So, even though the jetting is not great (for now), the engine passed the acid test.
How was the handling and suspension?
It was great, Lenny.
The bike feels light, allows the rider (me) the ability to actually maneuver the bike around trail obstacles without having to opt to ride straight over them, instead, and, as I was wondering about before I rode it, this WR-250FP with the steel frame likes to brake slide into and around corners with a better feel than my two recent aluminum-framed bikes did (WR-250FY and CRF-450X9), and rear brake sliding to negotiate corners is one of my old tricks from when I was a teenager, Bub, and I still do it a lot.
I've read and heard many comments about how steel is actually a better material for a dirt bike frame, but marketing men have made steel obsolete and old-fashioned.
Well, I like it, Leonard - the bike is stable in a straight line and carves corners well and is very willing to make sudden moves on a twisty and obstacle-strewn trail.
A very nice feel from the handling side of things.

Suspension action is good, even with the ten-year-old oil and nitrogen gas pressure in the rear shock (I'll have Tom at Nasin Machine do a basic service on the shock after DMV is over and done with).
I set both the fork and shock at the stock damping settings, set the rear spring preload to achieve the usual 4 inches of sag with my weight on the seat, and went riding.
Both ends worked well, lending a decently cushy ride over the sharp bumps while not feeling too soft over the faster bits, such as on the pine-needled whoops through the woods.
At times, the rebound damping at the rear seemed a little light, but I didn't turn the clicker to make it heavier, either, so maybe next time out I will.

As on the ol' WR-250FY, taking the gnarly stuff was best done with the throttle open and weight transferred to the rear wheel, allowing the rear suspension to soak-up the bumps.
In situations that feel right for doing this, the bike is really in it's element, and a couple of times I was basically amazed that the ugly-looking terrain I'd just seen with my eyes as I approached it passed underneath the rear wheel incredibly easily and with a good feel from the bike as a whole.
Overall, I liked the action of the suspension enough to stay with the stock valving, at least for now.
A good suspension, I'm very happy to say.

My feelings on a couple of points I'd read about 2001 and 2002 WR-250Fs, points that were supposedly sore spots:

1) I'd heard that these bikes can be a pain in the ass to start.
Mine wasn't at any point in today's 54.6 mile ride, and I hope it stays like that.
The bike is kick start-only, complete with a little manual decompressor lever near the clutch lever, but it always started right back up when I stopped the engine - hot, cold, luke-warm, it didn't matter -  and I did stop the engine a couple of times just to test the restart ability.
The bike passed the tests just fine.

2) I'd heard that the 3 gallon fuel tank holds a lot of fuel but makes the rider pay the price for this by being so big and bulbous that it makes the forward part of the seat end rather abruptly and not allow the rider to get far enough forward on the bike to pull-off some in-the-seat aggressive cornering maneuvers, the kind of maneuvers where you want to slide up forward to the front of the seat and get close to the steering stem.
This was not a problem, at least not for me, and I'm a rider who is quite aware of the need for a seat and fuel tank shape for some good ergonomics on a dirt bike.
Compared to the WR-250FY and it's flatter seat and 2.1 gallon fuel tank, you cannot slide up as far forward.
That is true.
However, although I couldn't get as close to the steering stem while performing in-the-seat cornering, the WR-250FP still felt fine while doing this.
It simply was not an issue.
That's just fine with me because I was wondering about this.
Nothing to fear.

At the end of the ride today, I was able to wash and lube the bike without feeling quite as beat-up as I'd been feeling lately on the 450, and that was basically the whole point of going back to a 250cc bike.
If you're naturally a bit skeptical, you're wondering how I can be bigging-up a 10-year-old 2002 model dirt bike and trying to make it sound like it's better than the 2009 models I rode before it.
Well, Bucky, the bike simply felt good to me out on the trails today, and in comparison to the CRF-450X9 I was owning and riding just two weeks ago, the WR-250FP feels lighter, handles easier, and doesn't prevent me from riding down any trail I care to take for fear that it will feel too big, heavy, and ill-suited for the job.
Quite the opposite, in fact.
The CRF-450X9 suspension was of a high quality, indeed, and the bike exuded a solid feel that made you feel it could handle the fastest and bumpiest situations you could find, and it had a strong engine that could easily propel the bike up to those speeds in short order.
However, there are all too few spots like that out on the ol' Pachaug enduro loop, Hank.

As for comparing the WR-250FP with the WR-250FY I rode before the 450, both bikes share the same light feel and go-anywhere ease of maneuverability.
The WR-250FY ran better with much better throttle response, but that's just a temporary thing because I haven't bought the parts (yet) required to rejet the carb on the WR-250FP, and I did have to do that with the WR-250FY as well.
I prefer the feel of the steel frame on the WR-250FP, and I like the extra gallon of fuel capacity, too.
The suspension seems to work as well as the WR-250FY's did (actually, equal at the rear and a bit better on the front for some reason), and the overall handling and feel of the bike is very much as I remember the WR-250FY being.
That means it's very good stuff, Edwardo.
As time goes on and I rack-up the miles, I'll keep you posted as to how things go, as usual.

Next stop:
Buying the parts needed for the DMV inspection and registration.
Stay tuned.

-John

382: I've Got that Ol' Familiar Blue

Yes, folks, by blue, I mean another blue Yamaha dirt bike - the red CRF-450X9 has left the building.

Geez, just the second day this guy's had it and it's already going to pieces.

Big news with me and my Pachaug rock n' roll pile ride starting just yesterday.

No, actually, starting last November, truth be told.

See, that's when I bought the CRF-450X9 and started using that as my Pachaug loop bike, and then come February I sold the WR-250FY in order to recoup the money used to buy the CRF-450X9.

Ged'dit?

So, what I did was sell the CRF-450X9 yesterday (to a guy I work with, actually, and I'm sure he'll enjoy it) and bought a used 2002 Yamaha WR-250F, which from here on out shall be called by it's official Yamaha model designation:

WR-250FP.

Why?

Read and gain wisdom, Grasshopper.

I think I've written before on this bloggy blog that getting rid of the WR-250FY was a mistake because that 250cc bike was simply a better-balanced bike for me out on the Pachaug loop, Lenny.

Actually, I was telling people that before I even made the switch, so I'm not completely dumb.

What's a better-balanced bike mean?

The CRF-450X9 had power - and plenty of it - but, believe it or not, power is not the only thing you need to have an enjoyable dirt bike ride on the Pachaug loop.

The CRF-450X9 felt much heavier in the tighter and slower going, especially while negotiating the slow stuff and rocky ground at the same time.

Considerably heavier and even a bit ponderous in some cases.

OK, a lot ponderous in some cases.

This is because the heavier spinning parts of the 450cc engine act as a gyroscope and give resistance to turning the bike, and that feel is always there.

So, while the CRF-450X9 had big power and torque (a good thing), it felt much more ponderous to handle out on the Pachaug enduro loop (a bad thing).

The WR-250FY, on the other hand, had less power than the 450, of course, but still plenty.

In fact, I was often impressed at how much it did have and I was never at a shortage for it with that bike.

It also had a light and easy feel to it's handling, something that made riding the tighter sections much easier than on the CRF-450X9.

So, do you get the picture, here?

In other words, the smaller 250cc bike was the better bike for me.

Period.

While I had good rides on the CRF-450X9, the increased effort required to manhandle it out there finally caught up with me and I decided to get rid of it and go back to another 250cc bike.

Very nice.

So, what are the details with this new-to-me bike?

It is the previous version of the WR-250FY that I used to ride, basically.

Instead of a 2009 model, it is a 2002 model, and one that, according to the original owner, only has 275 miles on it.

I am a bit skeptical about the mileage shown on the odometer because, just as with my last two bikes, the odometer the bike comes equipped with is a resettable trip meter

Still, that's what the guy claims, and I can say the bike is in very good condition.

In fact, any parts I'm replacing before my first ride on it aren't due to being worn-out or from crash damage, but from the deterioration that comes with just sitting in some body's basement with gasoline in the carburetor.

Here are the main differences between the WR-250FY I used to have and this WR-250FP:

*No electric starting on the WR-250FP - it's kick start only, Bub.

That's just fine and dandy with me because I only used the electric start on the WR-250FY about once a year just to see if it was still there.  ;)

The added bonus is the bike weighs 10 pounds less with no electric start parts on it.

*The frame is made of steel tubing instead of aluminum beams, as all dirt bikes were back in the day.

While this does make the bike look more dated having a blue-painted steel frame, I couldn't care less, personally.

I never bought an aluminum-framed bike just because I had to have an aluminum frame, but because that's what was available at the time.

While the aluminum-framed WR-250FY handled well, I'm sure the WR-250FP will handle just fine and dandy, too.

In fact, there's every chance in the world that I'll actually prefer the feel of the steel frame.

I'll let you know after my first Pachaug ride, hopefully in a couple of weeks.

*The fuel tank holds 3 gallons of gasoline, just like off-road bikes all did when I was a teen.

That's a big deal to me because with the WR-250FY (and also the CRF-450X9), the 2.1 gallon tank (1.9 gallons on the CRF-450X9) was just big enough to do about 60 miles, period, and doing any more mileage without gassing-up would be a roll of the dice.

In fact, since adding the southern part of the Pachaug loop the past couple of weekends, I was stopping for gas at about the 45 mile mark to play it safe.

With the 3 gallon tank on the WR-250FP, I'm estimating around 80-90 miles fuel range, and that's a fair bit of a cushion in the peace-of-mind dept.

Now, I'll be able to ride without having to stop for gas, even with the added mileage of the southern part of the loop.

Nice, Bucky.

Those are the biggest differences.

There are others that aren't as noticeable to the eye, but I'll discuss them in the coming weeks as I see an opportunity to mention them.

It sounds like I'm trying to say that this 2002 model is just as good as or better than the 2009 model I used to ride, but not really.

I'm only being enthusiastic (and realistic) about the bike I now have, Buckwheat

So, don't you worry, son - if I have a beef with the WR-250FP, I'll be honest about it, as usual.

Actually, I'm not only enthusiastic about this WR-250FP.

This bike has a good look about it, and I mean more than just it's styling.

When I look at a bike that's sitting awaiting it's next (or the first for me) ride and I like what I see and have a good feeling about it, that is a VERY good thing and a feeling I had with the WR-250FY, too.

It must run in the family.  ;)

Am I sad to see the CRF-450X9 go?

No, other than not having a ridable dirt bike at the moment.

It was starting to make my old nagging injuries I've had for 15 years or more, like my right wrist, come back to haunt me with the pounding I was taking riding it, something that didn't happen on the 250cc bike.

I don't mean from crashing it, either - my old, weary joints simply complained more on that bike.

It was simply not the bike I should be riding every weekend, especially both days on the weekend.

Ouch.

Too bad I had to find that out the hard way, but, you know what they say about experience being a good teacher.

What I'm doing now is basically tearing the bike down and cleaning, greasing, ordering carburetor parts (since the bike sat for most of the 10 years since it was built, and the carburetor rubber parts need replacing), and once I have that operation done, I'll take it for it's maiden voyage.

After I'm satisfied that the bike is ready for prime time, I'll be going through yet another episode of modifying the bike with the parts needed to pass a CT. DMV inspection up at the Whethersfield office, getting it street registered, hanging yet another new license plate on the back of one of my dirt bikes, and using it on weekends out in Pachaug.

Hooray!, even though I'm never super-happy to have to go to the DMV for anything.

Stay tuned, people.

-John

I've Got a Temperature of 381

The 1986 Yamaha IT-200S, the S meaning a 1986 Yamaha motorcycle.
You should have know that part, Bucky.

To a lot of young whippersnappers out there reading this blog (assuming that youngsters still have brains in their heads instead of rocks), a 1986 model dirt bike is as old as the hills.
Yes, I consider that old, too, but it is a model of motorcycle that I personally have experience with, and I know how it works and feels.
Yamaha is no longer manufacturing 200cc 2-stroke off-road motorcycles (the 2-stroke YZ-125 and YZ-250 are classified as motocross by the way, not off-road), so if a rider wanted a 200cc off-road 2-stroke dirt bike, this is almost the latest model out there - somewhere.
If I'm lucky, I'll be able to pick up a Yamaha IT-200 that isn't beat to shit by some shitheads, get it registered, and ride it on the ol' Pachaug enduro loop.

Compared to the CRF-450X9 that I'm currently riding, it would feel like a flyweight in comparison.
Also, it would be interesting to see in the present just how much or how little my view on dirt bikes from days gone by, that I know worked well back then, are being viewed through rose tinted glasses.
That means to see whether the memory of the bike in my head will actually stand up to the test, Lenny, and come out favorably, or to come out not seeming as great as the memories of it were.
I'd also go for a 1982 or 1983 IT-175J or IT-175K, as I also had one of those and they were great, too.
Better in some ways that really count, like ergonomics, a word that means how the bike is shaped with the seat, fuel tank, footpeg and handlebar positioning, and how those aspects fit and feel to the rider.

I'm thinking about light-weight dirt bikes from my past this morning because I had a good ride out on the Pachaug loop yesterday (Saturday).
Where's the connection?
You shall read about it, Edwardo.

What I did yesterday was to add an approximately 10 mile section, known as the "southern loop" to other Pachaug loop riders, that I've ridden just one other time in the past 20 years, and that one other time was last August on my ol' trusty WR-250FY.
On that ride last August, I encountered a few deep muddy water ruts and holes that turned me off and took it's toll on my energy, but, I decided to give it another go yesterday on the CRF-450X9 because I had a bit of a hunch:
I thought that I may have gotten off the beaten path and took a wrong turn last August, and the trail that had the bummer mud holes wasn't even part of the real Pachaug loop, but just some other side trail to be avoided unless you like getting stuck, which some retards do.
Well, that was the case, and by paying close attention to my odometer and the official NETRA route sheet, I did not take that trail with the obstacles that I didn't like.
In fact, I think I know where the wrong turn was made last year.

The ride was pretty darn good, and the extra mileage from the southern part of the loop put my total for the day at 61 miles on the button.
Not to bad.
The trails on this southern part of the loop were pretty good.
Although they were quite rocky, they were still negotiable as long as you knew how to actually ride a dirt bike, and the revalved suspension of the CRF-450X9 felt good over them.
I good compromise, I must say, as while still not ultra-plush and still allowing for the rider (me) to feel the hits the suspension takes along the way, they are softened a bit so I'm not being beaten up and punished at the same time.
As said, a good compromise that seems to be working.
Thanks, Tom from Nasin Machine.

Anyway, the trails were featuring a number of spots that had uphill and downhill rock ledges, something that gives good traction in the dry, at least, allow you to keep some speed up, and I had fun riding them.
There were also numerous spots that had natural terrain jumps that give the chance to catch some air (get your wheels off the ground if you hit them fast enough), and once I take these trails often enough to memorize the lay of the land, that's a sure bet to happen whenever I ride over them.
The trails were also wide, wide enough for some kind of off-road 4X4 vehicle in most spots, and I have to imagine that's what goes out on those trails from time to time, as well as ATVs.

This southern loop section came into my usual loop at about the 25 mile mark and lasted for about 10 miles, and after that was done, it put me right into my favorite pine needled whoop section through the woods.
I felt good, had good energy, rode the bike in a decent manner, made some good moves, had no mishaps, no crashes, and had a good time out there.
Not a bad deal, Howard.

So, if yesterday's ride was good, why am I daydreaming about Yamaha IT-175s and IT-200s?
It's because of my feeling the effects of cold, hard physics.
That is:
A 450cc dirt bike, even a modern one with all of the technological bells and whistles, is, in my opinion and for this 46-year-old and 150 pound rider, really more than is needed, and when I say more than needed, it's not really the enormous power and torque the engine has at all engine speeds and in any transmission gear you choose that I'm referring to.
I mean the feeling of heavy mass that has to be steered in the intended direction, something you feel every time you want to slow for a corner while in the rocky bumps or negotiate a tight section, something I encounter a lot on each ride.
In other words, the CRF-450X9 is simply more heft than is ideal, and the large-displacement engine (the source of the hefty feel) with that great power and torque is overridden by that hefty feel.
Or, for the real dimwits out there:
It's more bike than is really necessary out on the ol' Pachaug enduro loop, and a smaller-displacing bike is really the better way for me to go, all-in-all.
I should know, as I'm the guy riding them, and I was thinking about this very thing at several points on yesterday's ride.

So, for now, I'll keep riding this bike until fate intervenes and I see something I would like to ride for sale.
Stay tuned.  ;)

Edit:
I went out on the ol' Pachaug enduro loop again today, Sunday, and it was a good one even though I ran off the trail and smacked a couple of fingers on my left hand into a tree.  :)
Details on that in a moment.

I rode basically the same route as yesterday except for skipping a 3 mile section that I don't take often on the big ol' CRF-450X9 for reasons mentioned above.
I rode the southern part again, intent on getting to know that part of the loop as I want to make that part of my usual route from here on out.

When I got up this morning, I felt a bit sore from yesterday's ride, my nagging right wrist was feeling sore, and to top that off, I felt a a little tired even though I got 8 hours of sleep, but, I still wanted to go and ride Pachaug.
Why?
Because I ride dirt bikes, dammit.
So, my plan was to ride the same route as yesterday but to use my head and not be a hero and slow down if I started to get tired and/or lose concentration because of feeling tired.

Well, I did slow it down in some sections on the second half of the ride, but it was due mainly to my pesky right wrist.
I tweaked it waaaaaay back in 1996, and although it never bothered my for most of those years, riding out on the Pachaug loop with that wonderful Connecticut rocky terrain, especially on the CRF-450X9 with it's strong acceleration AND uncanny ability to hit sharp bumps harder than a smaller bike while under that strong acceleration AND with the way it requires muscle to muscle through the tight sections, my wrist started to cry, "Uncle!"
So, I slowed down through the more intense sections requiring wrist power, patty-caking the throttle (not opening the throttle as aggressively as usual, especially when hitting bumps) to lessen the jolt, and, basically, wishing I didn't have a bum wrist.

However, it was while riding more gingerly with the throttle when I crashed.
While going through the last few tenths of a mile in my favorite pine-needled whoops section, I hit a good-sized tree root (that I've crossed many times before and I had it in plain view) that shot my rear wheel off to the right, pointing the bike toward the left, and into the woods I went.
I came to a stop when my front tire rolled up the sloped side of the trail and into a sturdy pine tree, but, since rolling up the incline toward the woods used some momentum, I wasn't going fast and I just jolted to a stop.
The bigger deal was my smacking my fingers against another tree, and then after I came to rest, I realized the floor of the trail was down about 18 inches since the trail was down at the bottom of a mini-valley with the sides of the trail raised above the part where my tires are supposed to roll.
That naturally meant the bike fell to the right side.
No harm came to the bike, luckily, and I was OK other than smacking my fingers, so, I carried on like a good soldier.
I think the reason I messed-up while crossing over that tree root was because I was too sloppy with the throttle that I was patty-caking and gassed it too late, causing the tire to just bounce off it instead of drive through it.
Geddit?

I was able to complete the last pesky hill climb, the rocky one (there aren't many that are not rocky out in Pachaug) just before finishing the ride that I sometime mess-up and have to stop.
However, by this point my wrist was saying, "Enough, already!", and I took that rocky uphill in 2nd gear instead of my usual 3rd gear on the CRF-450X9.
It's a bummer having to slow down like that, but, as I planned on doing, I needed to use my head and listen to my body, Lenny.

All-in-all, it was a few miles less than yesterday at 57.1 miles for a total.
The majority of the ride was good, I rode well, I enjoyed the newish southern sections (there was a cool rock sticking up about 2 feet off the ground at the top of a hill that lets you get some air), and basically survived another good weekend of dirt bike riding.
I'm already looking forward to next weekend, this time with a fully rested body.  ;)
-John

380 Degrees in a Circle

This isn't my bike, but is very much like it and represents the typical modern dirt bike rear shock absorber.
Shocking, isn't it?

This weekend's Pachaug enduro loop rides are in the history books (since it's 5:17 pm on Sunday afternoon) and I had a pair of good rides.
Allow me to tell you about them.
Hmmmmmmmmm?

Saturday was the first time out on the revalved front forks and rear shock with the ol' CRF-450X9, the revalve getting done during this past week by Tom at Nasin Machine, and the bike definitely felt different as compared to the stock valving.
I asked for a valving setup that would work better at the slower speeds and sharp, rocky and tree-rooty bumps of the tighter sections of the Pachaug loop while not going so far on the soft side of things that the feel would be too soft on the faster sections that I really enjoy.
I have to say that that's pretty much what Tom delivered with the new settings.

First of all, Tom told me that the original settings of the fork and shock valving was obviously meant for a heavier rider and/or for terrain where you can get some speed up and hammer through the bumps and rough terrain, like somewhere out west in the open spaces of Baja.
Well, it sure felt like it since the original settings felt better the faster I went but would feel stiff on the slower sections, and what makes these sections slow is all of the sharp bumps you have to slow down for.
Well, I slow down, anyway.

With these new valving settings, the suspension basically feels similar to the stock settings with softer damping.
It seems that this softer damping is more in tune with my body weight of 150 pounds where the stock settings are probably meant for a rider at least 30 pounds more than me.
A few extra cheeseburgers in my stomach might have done it, no?
So, where the stock settings felt good hammering through the pine-needled whoop section, it now actually feels even better on that part of the Pachaug loop because the stock settings provided damping that was simply more than required for me and my pace and weight.
This was a pleasant surprise because I found myself going a bit faster here - automatically - since the bike simply felt better and easier to ride a bit faster through this fun section of trail.
Very nice, Bucky.

How does it work on the slower and rockier sections?
It feels, again, similar to the stock settings but with a bit less damping, giving a bit softer ride over the rocky, rooty, choppy stuff.
I wouldn't call it the perfect setup for this type of terrain because it's still stiffer than is ideal for the rocky shit, but is a bit better, and that was the goal:
A bit softer without going all the way to sit-down-on-the-seat-through-the-rocks soft and cushy, and where if I had that done, I fear things would feel too soft on the faster sections.

So, all-in-all, the new suspension settings feel like it was worth the work and money for this to be done, and Saturday's loop was very much a get-used-to-the-new-settings acclamation ride for me.
I felt pretty good while doing it, too, although the rear tire was pretty much toasted before the ride started, and after, it was really time for a replacement to be mounted.

That rear tire replacement came that evening in the form of a new Bridgestone M604, size 110/100-18, and today's ride was started on a brandy-new rear meat (slang for tire).
At the same time, I replaced six spokes on the rear wheel, not because they were broken but because the spoke nipples had seized to the threaded end of the spoke, making it impossible to turn the nipple and tighten the spoke tension.
There are still three that need to be replaced (wish I had taken a detailed count instead of just winging it when I ordered the spokes), but I'll get those done at the next rear tire change.
I should have known!
Old-timer dirt bike riders out there have read that line somewhere before, haven't you?  ;)

With a fresh rear tire, the bike felt even better since rear traction allowed the kind of grip that allows proper weight transfer toward the rear of the bike under acceleration, something that not only feels good, but makes for a bike that handles as it is supposed to, Lenny.
With the new rear tire, the suspension felt even better on my second ride with it as I am starting to get a feel for how it works on the different sections of the Pachaug enduro loop.
Bump absorption on the sharp bumps is better, making not only for less jolts annoying me, but also for better front and rear traction.
The bike still feels best on sections where I can keep some speed up, but slower sections are at least better than before in most situations.
A good example of this is where there are burly-sized tree roots stretched across the trail from one side to the other with the trail on an incline and the dirt on the ground has been eroded (Egad! That bad word EROSION!) away after 40-ish years of riders enjoying themselves out there, exposing the roots and making for a kind of uphill staircase-type bump to contend with.
The suspension now gives less of a firm jolt and more of a cushion as the fork and shock can now move more when hitting these kinds of obstacles at speed, and the benefit is a better ride, more ease of keeping control of the bike, and better traction.
Sounds like a good thing, no?
Well, it is, Edwardo.

All-in-all, today's ride was very nice and quite enjoyable.
I felt a bit sore from the ride on Saturday, but that wasn't noticeable once on the go and I rode well, made some good moves, and had a heck of a time out there.
I blew the last rocky uphill climb while riding toward the finish of the loop (the same one that has proven more difficult on the CRF-450X9), but, that's what happens on that hill if I don't keep looking ahead and keep the throttle on, not stare at one part of the ground and roll the throttle off, loosing momentum.
That's called fucking it up.
Once I stopped, regrouped my thoughts, and got moving, I was able to continue in fine fashion.
The mileage was the same as yesterday's:
50 miles on the button.
Good stuff.

During this coming jerk week, I'm installing a new clutch cable since I realized on Saturday morning the original one is fraying down at the elbow where the cable turns a corner.
That's an easy fix and shows why eyeballing your bike while performing routine maintenance is a good thing, Zeek.

-John