360 Knobby Tracks on Mother Earth's Face

This is a Pirelli MT16 rear tire.
The tire is the black round thing.
The thing behind the tire in my Fender electric guitar amplifier, something I haven't used regularly in a few years, now.
Want to buy it?

I went for yet another Pachaug rock n' roll pile ride yesterday after another Saturday morning freebee at jerk.
I hit the trail about 12 noon and had a good time out there.
I felt good, the bike felt good, it ran flawlessly, the suspension felt good, and I enjoyed the feel of two new tires:
Bridgestone M23 front and M604 rear.

On the way back to the start/end of the trail loop, I had to come to a stop in order to allow a train of idiots going in the opposite direction room to pass by.
This sucked for three reasons, and the third reason is one of the things that concerns me about the longevity of the Pachaug Enduro Loop.

1) I had a good pace going, and seeing these retards coming was a bummer since I knew I'd be the one stopping to make room.
Why was I stopping and not them?
It was because of reason number three.

2) The guy leading the parade of three 4-wheeled ATVs and one pickup truck was a guy I worked with for a (thank God) short time in the late 1990s, and he is the brother of another guy I also worked with during the same time period and also later at another place (both motorcycle dealerships).
The leading guy is a goddamned dimwit.
I mean stupid to the nth degree, folks, complete with low IQ and an ugly face to match.
I did not feel good seeing him again.

3) ATV are not allowed out on the Pachaug trails or anywhere within the Pachaug state forest.
Period.
End of story.
Not under any circumstance, no matter what kind of ATV or off-road registration you may have for it, and I wonder if retards like this will speed-up the closing-down of the Pachaug Enduro motorcycle loop, something that environmental wackos and horse lovers and posy sniffers and leaf watchers would love to see happen.

Having to stop for this guy and his band of idiots, who shouldn't have been there according to the Pachaug forest rules that I have to play by in order to ride my CRF-450X9 out there, was the only sucky part of the whole ride.
Of course, the smug look on this retard's face was one of, "Ug. Here come man on bike. I no slow down because Korg king of forest. I show him. Ug."

Yes, folks, seeing the smug (and hideously ugly) look on this caveman's ugly face said it all and reminded me all too much of how it sucked working in the same building as him all those years ago.

Damn, and I'd just about forgotten about him up until yesterday, too. ;)

The tire in the picture above is a Pirelli MT16 rear tire.

I tried this on a 42-mile Pachaug ride after jerk a few days ago on a whim because it looked like a beefy tire, I'd heard so many good comments about it from local riders and Internet forums, and also because curiosity got the better of me.

My verdict?

Traction on most ground surfaces was good to excellent with enough outright grip on the ground to hoist the front tire up into a wheelie without trying while under acceleration, accelerating at points of the trail loop where the tires I usually use wouldn't do that (they'd just accelerate with a solidly hooked-up feeling).

Also, much to my delight, the shower of roost coming off the rear tire while doing this throttle twisting was a fine sight to behold, and the tire basically lived up to it's visual impression of being a bad-ass Earth muncher.

Environmentalist (AKA brainwashed fanatics) are probably shedding a tear right now.

Either that, or reaching for a fresh box of tree spikes and piano wire. ;)

The down side to this MT16 tire was mainly the added sidewall height, or how much the back end of the bike felt jacked-up compared to my usual Bridgestones, the M22 and M604.

While all three of these tires are listed as being 110/100 - 18, the same size that the bike came with as original equipment, not all 110/100 - 18 tires from all tire manufacturers will actually measure-out the same, and this is one of those situations.

The back of the bike was about 1/2 of an inch taller, and this is a big deal in bike feel, folks.

This threw the balance of the bike off for me, and it was bugging me the whole ride.

The rear felt too high, the front felt too low, the bike's excellent straight line stability felt reduced and I felt that I had to use more bodily energy to steer the bike as needed.

In other words, the good feel of the chassis setup seemed ruined.

It just didn't feel right to me.

Too bad, because I liked the feel and traction of this tire everywhere except on the hardest conditions (AKA the rocks), and I was willing to put up with it's tall and squishy-feeling sidewall in the numerous rocky sections in order to experience the Earth-munching traction from this very old school tire (looks like it comes from the mid-1970s).

But, the tall-feeling rear won out and I removed it after that one ride.

Without a rear ride height adjustment feature on the rear suspension (which would basically shorten the length of the shock or move it's mounting point upward), the only way to reduce ride height would be to reduce spring preload and allow more than the recommended 100mm of rear suspension sag (with me sitting on the seat).

I can't even do that with the stock shock spring because, believe it or not, the Owner's Manual says I can turn the preload adjuster out a mere 3/4 of a turn (!!) before the spring becomes too long, and therefor too loosely preloaded.

Hmmm.

I will probably be going with the next softest springs both front and rear since the stock springs are meant for a 180 lb. rider, and I weigh 150 lbs.

I decided to try this before I tried the MT16 tire, and who knows, maybe with the new springs I'll be able to dial-in the rear ride height to where it's acceptable without resorting to too much rear rider sag or too loose of a spring preload setting.

We will see.

-John

359 Well-Used Lines

The WR-250FY as of yesterday, Saturday, February 11th, 2012, the year of "enlightened consciousness" (if you have become brainwashed enough to believe the lies put out by the many New Age fans out there).

I still have not sold the WR-250FY, although I have been chatting with a few people about it.
I do have one guy who wrote to me yesterday as well as talked to me via telephone yesterday, and he says he'll be contacting me today with an answer as to whether or not his buddy will by buying my bike.

We shall see, as there are typically some tire-kickers/daydreamers/guys-with-not-quite-enough-money to sort through when selling a nice motorcycle.
My method is very simple:
My bike is in excellent condition and worth my very fair asking price all day long.
No, I won't come down one dollar, as it is already Jewed-down for you. ;)
This has seemed to work pretty well in the past.

Unfortunately, the weather outside today is colder than normal, so me going for a Pachaug rock pile loop is in serious doubt.
Maybe, just maybe, the temps will hit at least 32 degrees and I'll load-up the ol' CRF-450X9, which is sporting a brandy-new M23 front tire (which it sorely needed).
If I do go riding today, I'll stick to my favorite 1.8 mile (or, was that 2.8 miles?) loop of the pine-needled, whooped-out section through the woods, a proven winner when not wanting to get the bike or myself wet in cold weather (and get some decent mileage out of it by riding that loop many times over).

-John

Edit:

Turns out that one of the guys I was talking to (the guy on the phone) was actually the front man for his buddy who was actually the potential WR-250FY candidate.
Well, they called me up this morning, they agreed to my price, and drove down here from Massachusetts and bought it.

It took five days from first listing the bike for sale to getting it sold.
Not too bad, and the two guys were adults with brains and seemed very nice to deal with.
Hope the new owner enjoys the WR-250FY as much as I did. :)

358: Hardly Ridden. Many New Parts

I will probably be down to one bike in the near future, the bike in the above pic.
Why?


After two fun-filled seasons of Pachaug rock pile riding, I've decided to sell the trusty WR-250FY.
And why is that?
I don't really need two bikes, I've ridden it a fair bit already and got to know it very well, I now have a 450cc bike like I originally wanted in the first place, and, I sure as hell could use the money in my savings account in case I have my rainy day. ;)





Yes, nothing lasts forever, but instead of some drunken, stoned hip-dip rock star singing about the cold November rain falling into his bloodshot eyes, I'm talking about doing more riding on the WR-250FY.
Even though just a few days ago I had my ol' buddy Tom at Nasin Machine take a second crack at improving the front fork valving (and I rode it just three days ago after jerk testing the results), I've looked myself in the mirror and decided to do what I think is best:
Now that I have a 450cc dirt bike (CRF-450X9), I can sell the WR-250FY and get some of that money back into my savings account.

I had a lot of fun riding the bike over two years, but since I was really looking for a 450 when I found it, and now I have a 450, may as well complete the process and ler 'er go.
I hope the bike ends up in the hands of a competent guy.
It deserves it, nice bike that it is.
I had fun with it.

I rode the CRF-450X9 out on the ol' Pachaug loop today, and it felt great, indeed.
The weather was nice, I didn't feel cold, I felt good, and the bike felt great underneath me and worked very well, especially the fine suspension and that awesome power and torque at the command of the throttle grip.
THIS is why men ride big-bore dirt bikes, folks - all of that power and torque is immensely enjoyable and it's a blast hoisting the front wheel skyward as you leap headlong into a rough section, the bike being worked beneath you.
Love it. :)

Both tires are worn enough to warrant replacement soon (and I'd actually change them before the next ride it I were not still in my winter pay cut season at jerk, so, I'm on a budget), but, I'll probably have to milk a few more rides out of them.
What tires will I buy?
Well, more Bridgestones, of course!
Those old-school M23 and M22 are hard to beat.
Period.
Can't be beat in my book, actually, except that with the 450cc bike, the M22 rear doesn't last more than three rides before it starts feeling worn.
Sure, I could still ride the bike with it, but a new one works so well, having a worn one is very noticable, especially when cranking on the gas with the bike leaned over on flat ground.
The M604 rear is a worthy tire for the rear, too, and it seems to last a fair bit longer, but, the trade-off is that it just doesn't offer the same level of performance as the M22 rear on all that hard terrain out there on the Pachaug loop.
Close, but no cigar, but the increased life expectancy makes it a good tire worth using.
It's a trade-off.

Tomorrow, the 5th round of the 2012 AMA Supercross Series, an FIM World Championship Event, is on TV at high noon.
Hope it's a decent race like last week's was, and not a snoozer like the first three were.

-John

357: Skier's Heaven

Since we are now officially in mid-winter (and I couldn't ride the WR-250FY right now if I wanted to, which I'll explain in a minute), I used this as the perfect excuse to check the valve clearances, Clarence.

Right now, we've got this white shit on the ground that people call snow.
Skiers and snowmobile riders (AKA: alcoholics) like the stuff, and I did, too, when I was a kid in school.
I no longer like it, though, because I dislike the cold weather that brings it, and now that I'm approaching the big five-oh on age, I'd rather not have the terrain I ride my dirt bikes on covered in snow, a thing that hides any trouble spots on the ground with a blanket of white cold.
You see, if you are in your teens or early 20s, you probably laugh at reading that comment.
I know how it is to be in that age group, and when you're young, you won't be thinking like I do about these things.
But, just you wait, sonny boy. ;)

So, that also means I did not ride my CRF-450X9 this past weekend, although the thought of getting it out there and at least riding the dirt roads in the ol' Pachaug state forest did seem doable for a moment or two.
I decided against it, though, because I wasn't really convinced the semi-fun of staying on the snow-covered dirt roads would be worth loading the bike up and getting it out there to begin with.
Too bad I don't live just a hop, skip, and a jump away, eh?
That probably would have made the choice to go much easier.
Hopefully, the weather forecast for this work week will melt this stuff.
We will see.

About the WR-250FY:
I haven't ridden the bike since shortly after buying the CRF-450X9 (in mid-November, and I'm guesstimating my last ride on it for the season was around the last week of November or the first week of December).
The remainder of the time has been spent riding the CRF-450X9, something which ain't too surprising since it's the newest bike to me and I already have a couple of seasons on the WR-250FY.
What I am doing with the WR-250FY right now, though, is the usual wintertime maintenance I do every off-season to my dirt bikes, things like having the rear shock serviced (check!), greasing the suspension bearings (check!), and checking the valve clearances (check-check!).
The above pic was taken while doing this, and I am happy to say that not only were all five valves in spec., but I don't even think they moved at all.
That's just fine and dandy with me. :)

The reason I say that I couldn't ride the WR-250FY if I wanted to is not because of the snow on the ground, but because I'm in the middle of phase two of the suspension servicing.
While I recently had the rear shock oil changed, I'm now in the process of having the front fork oil changed, and at the same time, ol' Tom from Nasin Machine (who serviced the rear shock) is going to make some changes to the valving shim stacks inside the forks in an effort to improve the performance.
Specifically, we're going to see if I can get the forks to use full travel at least once per ride while out on the ol' Pachaug rock n' roll pile loop (and maybe have a fork that will absorb the sharp bumps better), yet still have the feeling that the front of the bike is not riding too low, something that I don't like because it affects stability and the balance of the bike.
In other words, I'm going to see if I can have my cake and eat it, too.
No telling how it will feel unless it gets done and test ride it, so, I am anxious to try it out.

Another reason I'd like to ride the WR-250FY sometime in the near future is because I simply haven't done so but one time since buying the CRF-450X9 over two months ago.
I'll let you know how it feels once I do so.

Off to jerk,
-John

Shocker: 356 Frozen Knobbies All in a Row

The rear shock absorber from the ol' Pachaug rock pile veteran WR-250FY.
Once a year, during the winter, I'll have the front fork and rear shock oil changed.
I can do the fork myself, but I don't have the tools and high-pressure nitrogen gas needed to do the rear shock.
So, a couple days ago, I went to the place where I actually bought the WR-250FY back in November of 2009, Nasin Machine, and had my ol' buddy Tom service the shock.
I was able to watch him do the work as we talked bikes and suspension, and I now have a refreshed and ready-to-go WR-250FY Kayaba rear shock.
I also have one of Nasin Machine's stickers on the reservoir, too. :)


Like, duh.
Why do you think they call it a dirt bike?

I've had people over the years (mainly when I was just getting into riding dirt bikes years ago) ask me why I bothered to wash my dirt bikes when they're only going to get dirty next time.
Maybe these same characters should be asked why they bother to wipe their ass if it's only going to get all shitted-up next time, eh? ;)

I rode out on some of the ol' Pachaug enduro loop trails today, although I did something different.
Since it reached a high of only about 32 degrees F, I decided to concentrate my riding on a loop of a certain section that I really like (the pine-needled whooped section), a section that has a minimum of water and mud, or more like ice and frozen mud.
The loop is 2.8 miles each time around, is quite fun, and gives you a good workout at the same time.

I rode the loop 10 times, so math geniuses will know that I rode 28 miles today.
That's only half of my usual mileage, but since I didn't start riding until about 3:00pm and stopped at 4:00pm, that's not too bad for an hour's worth of riding.
I felt good on the bike and had a good time.

The second Supercross race of the 2012 season is on TV tonight from Phoenix, AZ.
I sure as fuck hope this race is not a snoozer like last week's was where no battling for the top spots took place.

-John

355 Degrees Above Normal

The CRF-450X9 after a recent Pachaug rockpile ride.
Changing the engine oil is not hard, but I read stuff written by other riders that make it sound like you're donating your liver, or some shit like that.
Ridiculous.
For me, doing this every few off-road rides has ALWAYS been the case, so I really don't know what those retards' problems are. ;)

It's Sunday morning, and I am not sure as of yet whether or not I'll be going for a Pachaug enduro loop ride today.
That's because I already went yesterday, and the weather we had yesterday was very warm for January 7th, indeed - a high of 60 degrees F.
Today's weather forecast is for nice conditions, but with a high of around 42.
That's still doable, but I'll have to see how long it takes for the mercury to start breaking the freezing point before I can make a final decision.

Yesterday's ride was a good one, with 55 miles all together.
It had been cold for a few days before, so the morning started out with frozen ground that was in the process of thawing out, something that always makes for damp patches that won't take much force from a front or rear tire to break free and result in a loss of traction.
In other words:
It can be dang slippery, so you best be keeping your eyes peeled and your head on straight.

I kept that in mind the whole ride, but I'm happy to say no mishaps occurred, I puttered slowly past the questionable sections (there were a few places where water was still frozen), and I was still able to ride at pretty much my normal pace through most of my favorite parts.
So, all-in-all, not a bad ride at all, and the warm weather made it all the more enjoyable.
Now, where is that long lost rich uncle who wants to present me with that multi-million dollar trust fund which would allow me to do this stuff 24/7 without having to go to jerk? ;)

This was my firt ride on the bike since the American Honda Product Improvement Campaign was performed, which is a more nicey-nice way of saying the bike needed to have some recall-esque work done to replace some parts having to do with the automatic decompressor.
The bike worked just fine and dandy, ran like a top, and the automatic decompressor is working as it should, allowing either the electric starter motor to easily turn the engine over, or allowing use of the kick starter if you prefer.
So, I'm glad that's out of the way.

Speaking of kickstarting the CRF-450X9:
While it can be done, it sure as heck ain't as easy and enjoyable as the ol' WR-250FY, something that shouldn't be too surprising since the engine displacement is almost twice the size.
The WR-250FY also has both electric and kick starting, but kick starting that bike is so easy, I rarely use the electric starter.
The CRF-450X9 is the opposite of that - kickstarting it takes enough muscle that using the electric starter makes much more sense.
Because of this, the automatic decompressor really needs to be working properly.

Speaking of the ol' Pachaug veteran WR-250FY, it sits here behind me in it's winterized state, and winterizing that bike means putting the battery on an automatic battery charger, changing the oil and oil filter, and running the engine for a few minutes on some Stabil-treated gasoline and then draining that gasoline out of the fuel tank and carburetor.
So, when the time comes to start it, it will start just as easily as if it sat for a couple of days, not a couple of months.
I imagine some time in March will be it's first ride of the season, and between now and then, I plan on the usual chassis lube and having the suspension oil changed in order to start the new season fresh.
Well worth the effort, Lenny.

Last night was the first race of the 2012 AMA Supercross season, and I still haven't watched the race.
It will be repeated on Speed TV this afternoon at 3:30pm, so you can guess what I'll be watching. ;)

-John

354 Icicles Hanging Off my Nose

Not really fond of these.
We're having a bout of winter weather right now (it's about 10 degrees F outside this morning), although, thank God, it is supposed to get back up into the 40s starting tomorrow.
All-in-all, so far, our weather this winter ain't been as cold as it was this time last year, so that is a good thing.

I rode the CRF-450X9 this past Sunday and also Monday after jerk, and what made riding on Monday possible was that I had a short day since there was no UPS deliveries running because of their long New Year's holiday weekend.
Must be nice. ;)

Sunday was a good ride, doing about 55 miles all together.
The weather was calm, mostly sunny, and around 50 degrees - not too bad for January.
There was less water standing on the trails than I expected, so that was an added plus.
I felt good, made some decent moves on the bike, the bike worked well, and although I was cautious much of the time from expecting less-than-perfect ground conditions, it felt like a good ride.

Being New Year's Day and on the warmish side, I saw a few groups of people out there walking little Fido, or just taking a nature stroll, or picking their nose, of just looking for a place to be alone so they can take a piss in the woods.
I tend to see folks walking their dogs off any leash, and I can only hope these mutts don't run away from the pinhead owner and go bite somebody approaching.
Those forest dirt roads they're on are still public roads, after all.

Monday was a bit shorter at 47 miles all together.
I cut out about 8 miles because it was colder (around 42 degrees) and didn't feel like having to negotiate the wettest section of the loop, a section of about a mile where it is wet most of the year, only drying out in mid-summer for a couple of months.
Other than that, it was another good-feeling ride out on the ol' Pachaug enduro loop.

I'm bringing the CRF-450X9 into jerk today to have the Product Improvement Campaign (oooooooohh, sounds pretty fancy, eh?) performed to the automatic decompressor.
That is supposed to restore my fair share of legendary Honda reliability, godammit. :)

-John