In gearing up for this 500+ mile endeavor I know I am going to need a good amount of spare parts and supplies to keep me going the distance should I run into bad luck. I am starting to compile a list of "stuff" I think I am going to need to have on hand to complete this race and to keep the bike going. I am hoping to source many of these items used from craigslist, ebay, bike forums, etc and even possible borrow some generic parts, such as goggles and fuel cans. This list will also include bike and gear components and upgrades such as better headlight and new boots.
Support Gear
- 4 - 5 gallon fuel cans
- 2 extra air filters with foam outers
- 2 spare ultra heavy rear tubes
- Spare chain
- Complete set of spare wheels
- Set of tires. Going to start testing tire combos soon. (My tire experience on these bigger bikes is geared more for dual sport characteristics and DOT requirements. Without having to worry about DOT, it opens up a whole new world of tire choices.)
- Extra brake pads, front and rear
- 3 Extra spark plugs
- 1 gallon of oil
- Extra clutch lever
- Extra Grips
Bike upgrades
- looking into lighting upgrades. Baja Designs Squadron Race light or light bars???
- Complete suspension overhaul prior to race day.
- Plan on running Bib Mousse front and Ultra Heavy tube rear.
- Engine work as required, at the very least rings and top end clean up.
- New plastics. I have a lot of new plastics that came with the bike, including the unicorn white rear fender. I am missing a few other pieces. If I am not planning on winning, I might as well look good coming in last.
- Graphics. see above comment.
Personal Gear
- Boots are looking pretty well done right now. Will definitely need a pair prior to next summer.
- Required safety lighting
- I need to try another knee pad. My current knee pads get uncomfortable within a couple hours of riding. Not gonna cut it over longer times.
- Palm blister devices. Lots out there, never tried one, and it has got to be better then tape.
I already have a good amount of spares for the bike, extra tools, and some spare gear so I hope the list doesn't get too out of control.
If any of you out there have suggestions, please feel free to chime in. I'm learning this as I go and don't mind the wisdom of veteran racers.
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
The bike that will eventually finish Vegas to Reno
TA-DAA!
After all the bike I have rode and raced, I am going to be running a 1996 ATK 605 in the 2016 Best in the Desert Vegas to Reno race. I had a hard time deciding which bike to run and why. It was hard to resist the urge to go with the newest flashiest bike, or jump on something that all the magazines loved and I may have not been comfortable on.
I chose this bike for a few reasons.
1. It wasn't something you see everyday. It was unique, but still reliable and fairly easy to come across parts for. In the sea of orange, red, yellow, green, and blue I can't tell who is who. But I can tell you every ATK I have ever come across in person. It was oddball enough to get my attention, and I hope it will attract other's attention as well. Honestly it was between this and an XR650R, but I went ATK because of the uniqueness and history of the company, and it had electric start.
2. It is a fairly light 600 cc bike. As far as 600s go, it is pretty light. 300sih pounds may seem heavy for a dirt bike, but in the open desert at high speed I feel very well planted on a bike of this weight. I don't feel that ruts and rocks that sneak upon me or are buried in the sand will deflect the bike nearly as much as if I was on a 230 pound bike.
3. Its a 600. It has the torque and horsepower to go fast, but I don't have to fight aggressive power delivery, I can miss shifts, I can lug, I can just point and shoot. I don't feel that I need to ride super aggressive to get the full benefit of the bike. I don't have to scream the motor to get to the power or abuse the clutch trying to find it.
4. It is very reliable. 450s make about the same power and torque, but I have seen the life span of a few. If something goes wrong, I feel this motor will get me where I need to go. I have almost 3 quarts of oil to work with. It is air cooled. Wide ratio 5 speed. Simple easy DIY maintenance. I wanted something I can ride and practice with over the next year, fix the issues I find, and still be able to afford to "freshen up" before the big race. On this Rotax motor, by freshen I mean rings....maybe. These Rotax motors seem to eat up miles if taken care of.
5. And just plain cool factor. These ATKs were built by hand, with all sort of high end parts. When you dig into one there are all kinds of cool touches and features. To me things like the aluminum air boxes, billet hubs, billet triple clamps, stainless exhaust, all seem like features you would see on the old "works" bikes. I love the old bikes that were built for the 4 stroke nationals of the 80's, and this just reminds me of those types of bikes. ATK built these bike with a lot of the parts most racers went out and bought after the fact too. Stock you get an aluminum skid plate, Talon hubs, heavy duty spokes, D.I.D wheels, 190W stator, Answer bars, talon sprockets, billet clamps, tunable Supertrapp exhaust, electric start, 3+ gal tank, and California plated. I have spent a good chuck of change getting some bikes up to the point where this bike is stock.
These 605's have some pretty cool engineering built into them. With the single sided frame, engine used as a stressed member of the chassis, linkless suspension that actually works really well. I have gone through the forks already, done a valve inspection, added a Scotts stabilizer and mount. These will be covered at another time.
When I bought this bike, an added benefit was that it came with a complete set of plastics and a second tank. This also included 2 brand new WHITE rear fenders. If your an ATK fan, you probably know how hard white rear fenders are to come by. So prior to the race I hope to have a near new looking ATK 605 to bring to he starting line.
I will follow with the maintenance and build up of this bike, along with ride and race reports. Along with other desert racing and dual sporting related information. Got a lot of work and training ahead of me.
After all the bike I have rode and raced, I am going to be running a 1996 ATK 605 in the 2016 Best in the Desert Vegas to Reno race. I had a hard time deciding which bike to run and why. It was hard to resist the urge to go with the newest flashiest bike, or jump on something that all the magazines loved and I may have not been comfortable on.
1. It wasn't something you see everyday. It was unique, but still reliable and fairly easy to come across parts for. In the sea of orange, red, yellow, green, and blue I can't tell who is who. But I can tell you every ATK I have ever come across in person. It was oddball enough to get my attention, and I hope it will attract other's attention as well. Honestly it was between this and an XR650R, but I went ATK because of the uniqueness and history of the company, and it had electric start.
2. It is a fairly light 600 cc bike. As far as 600s go, it is pretty light. 300sih pounds may seem heavy for a dirt bike, but in the open desert at high speed I feel very well planted on a bike of this weight. I don't feel that ruts and rocks that sneak upon me or are buried in the sand will deflect the bike nearly as much as if I was on a 230 pound bike.
3. Its a 600. It has the torque and horsepower to go fast, but I don't have to fight aggressive power delivery, I can miss shifts, I can lug, I can just point and shoot. I don't feel that I need to ride super aggressive to get the full benefit of the bike. I don't have to scream the motor to get to the power or abuse the clutch trying to find it.
4. It is very reliable. 450s make about the same power and torque, but I have seen the life span of a few. If something goes wrong, I feel this motor will get me where I need to go. I have almost 3 quarts of oil to work with. It is air cooled. Wide ratio 5 speed. Simple easy DIY maintenance. I wanted something I can ride and practice with over the next year, fix the issues I find, and still be able to afford to "freshen up" before the big race. On this Rotax motor, by freshen I mean rings....maybe. These Rotax motors seem to eat up miles if taken care of.
5. And just plain cool factor. These ATKs were built by hand, with all sort of high end parts. When you dig into one there are all kinds of cool touches and features. To me things like the aluminum air boxes, billet hubs, billet triple clamps, stainless exhaust, all seem like features you would see on the old "works" bikes. I love the old bikes that were built for the 4 stroke nationals of the 80's, and this just reminds me of those types of bikes. ATK built these bike with a lot of the parts most racers went out and bought after the fact too. Stock you get an aluminum skid plate, Talon hubs, heavy duty spokes, D.I.D wheels, 190W stator, Answer bars, talon sprockets, billet clamps, tunable Supertrapp exhaust, electric start, 3+ gal tank, and California plated. I have spent a good chuck of change getting some bikes up to the point where this bike is stock.
When I bought this bike, an added benefit was that it came with a complete set of plastics and a second tank. This also included 2 brand new WHITE rear fenders. If your an ATK fan, you probably know how hard white rear fenders are to come by. So prior to the race I hope to have a near new looking ATK 605 to bring to he starting line.
I will follow with the maintenance and build up of this bike, along with ride and race reports. Along with other desert racing and dual sporting related information. Got a lot of work and training ahead of me.
Monday, June 8, 2015
back on a Smoker
After several years on bigger 4 strokes, all weighing close to or over 300lbs. I was sucked back into 2 stroke bikes. I am a huge fan of 2 strokes and really enjoy the way these bike deliver power and handle. When I dove back into desert racing I when with a proven 2005 YZ250.
I was able to find a killer deal on a 2005 Yamaha YZ250 with all the desert goodies you could ask for. The bike was owned by another district 38 member who was a proven contender in the Vet class. The build sheet goes something like this:
M&M suspension
Race Tech springs
BRP sub mount triple clamp
Scotts Stabilizer
unknown brand aluminum skid plate
FMF Fatty pipe
FMF Q Stealth Silencer
V-force 3 reed block
Excel wheels with 18" rear
Dunlop AT-81 rear tire
Dunlop Geomax MX-52 front
Pro-Taper charmichael bend bars
UFO YZ update body kit
IMS wide pegs
IMS 3+ gal tank
11oz flywheel weight
This bike was a blast to ride!! On the tight single track there is no better choice. The light weight 2 stroke really shines in the tight stuff and the stabilizer really made it handle well in the desert. This was the first year of the aluminum frame and the only year this frame got the AOSS front forks. The newer 06 and on YZ got the SSS forks which seem to be some of the best forks out there right now. I never rode the bike is stock trim, so I couldn't tell you how good or bad these forks are from the factory. I can tell you though M&M did a great job on the work they did on these. These forks were nice and plush with great bottoming resistance.
I did a handful of races on this bike and the conclusion I came to was that to make this bike work like it should you need to be on your game. There was no sitting down and putting through the desert at high speed like I could on the XR or ATK. The harder it rode the smoother it rode. I think this is where the 2 strokes tire you out more. The YZ benefited the more aggressive rider, and frustrated the slower, tired riders. I guess this is what it feels like getting old. The YZ felt like a handful at higher speeds over rocks and whoops where as my old XR or ATK truly felt like a cadillac and just ate up terrain effortlessly.
I believe I got so used to larger bikes and being able to just cruise over anything and everything that the YZ felt like a mountain bike with a motor. It was flickable, it was nimble, it was point and shoot, but those aren't major factors in long distance desert racing. I saw this as an incredible single track or tight woods racer and I envy those that could run this 2 stroke for hours one end, like its meant to be.
I knew I could go faster and be more stable on a heavier bike over a longer period of time. So after almost a year on the YZ250 I again opted to go back to the 4 stroke desert sleds. I love everything about 2 strokes, but for 500-600 miles race, my skills and ability are better suited on a bigger 4 stroke. But I do see another 2 stroke in my future for single track/trail weapon.
Next Post will be the current bike that I plan on running in the 2016 Vegas to Reno. All these previous bikes have led to this!
I was able to find a killer deal on a 2005 Yamaha YZ250 with all the desert goodies you could ask for. The bike was owned by another district 38 member who was a proven contender in the Vet class. The build sheet goes something like this:
M&M suspension
Race Tech springs
BRP sub mount triple clamp
Scotts Stabilizer
unknown brand aluminum skid plate
FMF Fatty pipe
FMF Q Stealth Silencer
V-force 3 reed block
Excel wheels with 18" rear
Dunlop AT-81 rear tire
Dunlop Geomax MX-52 front
Pro-Taper charmichael bend bars
UFO YZ update body kit
IMS wide pegs
IMS 3+ gal tank
11oz flywheel weight
This bike was a blast to ride!! On the tight single track there is no better choice. The light weight 2 stroke really shines in the tight stuff and the stabilizer really made it handle well in the desert. This was the first year of the aluminum frame and the only year this frame got the AOSS front forks. The newer 06 and on YZ got the SSS forks which seem to be some of the best forks out there right now. I never rode the bike is stock trim, so I couldn't tell you how good or bad these forks are from the factory. I can tell you though M&M did a great job on the work they did on these. These forks were nice and plush with great bottoming resistance.
I did a handful of races on this bike and the conclusion I came to was that to make this bike work like it should you need to be on your game. There was no sitting down and putting through the desert at high speed like I could on the XR or ATK. The harder it rode the smoother it rode. I think this is where the 2 strokes tire you out more. The YZ benefited the more aggressive rider, and frustrated the slower, tired riders. I guess this is what it feels like getting old. The YZ felt like a handful at higher speeds over rocks and whoops where as my old XR or ATK truly felt like a cadillac and just ate up terrain effortlessly.
I believe I got so used to larger bikes and being able to just cruise over anything and everything that the YZ felt like a mountain bike with a motor. It was flickable, it was nimble, it was point and shoot, but those aren't major factors in long distance desert racing. I saw this as an incredible single track or tight woods racer and I envy those that could run this 2 stroke for hours one end, like its meant to be.
I knew I could go faster and be more stable on a heavier bike over a longer period of time. So after almost a year on the YZ250 I again opted to go back to the 4 stroke desert sleds. I love everything about 2 strokes, but for 500-600 miles race, my skills and ability are better suited on a bigger 4 stroke. But I do see another 2 stroke in my future for single track/trail weapon.
Next Post will be the current bike that I plan on running in the 2016 Vegas to Reno. All these previous bikes have led to this!
Friday, June 5, 2015
Big Red Pig
The reputation behind Honda's XR650R needs no explanation. A factory bike designed to destroy the desert at high speeds. I got to say, it doesn't disappoint. I transitioned from the 07 KTM 450XC to this bike because I was looking for a bike that could eat up thousands of miles before in depth engine work was required. This bike did that without batting an eye.
I had an 02 XR650R that promptly got decked out for the desert and long haul dual sport rides. Previous owner had the suspension setup really well. This was my first long term experience with a steering stabilizer. I got to say, it saved my butt more then once. I won't have a desert bike without one ever again.
The build sheet was the typical desert sled build.
- Scotts top clamp and stabilizer
- Guts Racing seat
- IMS 3.2 gal tank
- 6.6 gal Acerbis tank
- FMF power bomb header
- FMF Q4 silencer
- aluminum skid plate
- Vented side panel
- emissions removed
- 49 state intake boot
- baja designs dual sport kit
- 200W ricky stator. has 2 100W AC legs. I also ran 2 trail tech DC regulator/rectifiers for the redundancy.
- Pro taper CR high bars
- Acerbis hand guards
- unknown make 12 LED light bar. 4 spot and 8 flood.
I built this bike with the intention to go 200+ miles between fuel stops. Also anticipating long solo rides. This is why I went over kill on the tank, and had a someone redundant electrical system. I one of the legs from the stator failed, I had another. I ran 2 DC regulator/rectifiers and everything was DC. If needed I could unplug a few wires and still have a light of some sort if I got into a pinch.
This whole project was awesome. The bike really did make a killer dual sport and would have been a perfect Mexico bike. Yeah, it didn't have the luxury of the electric start my KTM and ATKs had, but once you got the bike dialed in, and know the kicking routine it would fire up nice and easy when cold. If you went down and flooded the carb, that's another story. If that's the case, take a breather and understand you got a few minutes before your up and running again. The ergonomics fit me pretty well, but you have to remember I am twisted and actually prefer the 80sish feeling bikes. This is more a sit "in" the bike then a more modern sit "on" the bike. The suspension, once set up is actually pretty incredible. The forks are conventional forks and lack the "bling" of modern upside down forks, but they worked great. The precision concepts 1X suspension build sheet is readily available on the internet, along with several other "recipes" if you want to take it up a notch. I followed the 1X build sheet, minus the CR500 shock body and if felt great. I couldn't find the bottom and it was truly a desert cadillac.
Other then that, the bike handled it's weight really well and I was very pleased with it. Aftermarket is flooded with just about any part in any color you could ever want. I totally feel that if Honda ever decided to replace the XR650R with a modern equivalent, it would never be able to make enough of them. The formula they used for that bike I feel is nearly perfect for long distance, high speed, desert and dual sport.
At this point in my life, I had a young infant, had a nice new 07 FJ cruiser, and just changed jobs from a place 5 miles from my house to an office 30 miles from my house. I regrettably sold this bike for a street bike to get me around town in traffic and save some money in gas. Last I heard, the guy I sold it to promptly crashed it hard. Never heard any news since. It would be fun to get another and build it up again or build a 1X replica. The bike is incredibly versatile and with a different tank and gearing you can take it into a totally different direction.
I had an 02 XR650R that promptly got decked out for the desert and long haul dual sport rides. Previous owner had the suspension setup really well. This was my first long term experience with a steering stabilizer. I got to say, it saved my butt more then once. I won't have a desert bike without one ever again.
The build sheet was the typical desert sled build.
- Scotts top clamp and stabilizer
- Guts Racing seat
- IMS 3.2 gal tank
- 6.6 gal Acerbis tank
- FMF power bomb header
- FMF Q4 silencer
- aluminum skid plate
- Vented side panel
- emissions removed
- 49 state intake boot
- baja designs dual sport kit
- 200W ricky stator. has 2 100W AC legs. I also ran 2 trail tech DC regulator/rectifiers for the redundancy.
- Pro taper CR high bars
- Acerbis hand guards
- unknown make 12 LED light bar. 4 spot and 8 flood.
I built this bike with the intention to go 200+ miles between fuel stops. Also anticipating long solo rides. This is why I went over kill on the tank, and had a someone redundant electrical system. I one of the legs from the stator failed, I had another. I ran 2 DC regulator/rectifiers and everything was DC. If needed I could unplug a few wires and still have a light of some sort if I got into a pinch.
This whole project was awesome. The bike really did make a killer dual sport and would have been a perfect Mexico bike. Yeah, it didn't have the luxury of the electric start my KTM and ATKs had, but once you got the bike dialed in, and know the kicking routine it would fire up nice and easy when cold. If you went down and flooded the carb, that's another story. If that's the case, take a breather and understand you got a few minutes before your up and running again. The ergonomics fit me pretty well, but you have to remember I am twisted and actually prefer the 80sish feeling bikes. This is more a sit "in" the bike then a more modern sit "on" the bike. The suspension, once set up is actually pretty incredible. The forks are conventional forks and lack the "bling" of modern upside down forks, but they worked great. The precision concepts 1X suspension build sheet is readily available on the internet, along with several other "recipes" if you want to take it up a notch. I followed the 1X build sheet, minus the CR500 shock body and if felt great. I couldn't find the bottom and it was truly a desert cadillac.
 |
| Planning on long, pitch black, night rides. |
Other then that, the bike handled it's weight really well and I was very pleased with it. Aftermarket is flooded with just about any part in any color you could ever want. I totally feel that if Honda ever decided to replace the XR650R with a modern equivalent, it would never be able to make enough of them. The formula they used for that bike I feel is nearly perfect for long distance, high speed, desert and dual sport.
 |
| Driver's seat. |
At this point in my life, I had a young infant, had a nice new 07 FJ cruiser, and just changed jobs from a place 5 miles from my house to an office 30 miles from my house. I regrettably sold this bike for a street bike to get me around town in traffic and save some money in gas. Last I heard, the guy I sold it to promptly crashed it hard. Never heard any news since. It would be fun to get another and build it up again or build a 1X replica. The bike is incredibly versatile and with a different tank and gearing you can take it into a totally different direction.
 |
| super tanker. |
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
George!...you NEED to get a dual sport!! (read this if you're new to the dual sport/offroad world.)
I have asked some of my team members to contribute to the Blog. To add any useful info they might want to pass along to the dual sport/desert world. This is a total new guys take on getting into riding, and choosing a bike. When I worked in the motorcycle industry, this was a very common question, what bike to start with? George is looking at this question through the eyes of a motorcycle rookie and has a lot of the same issues, questions, and concerns that all new riders have. This is not the typical professional test rider write up of a bike, this is one man's jump into the dual sport world with literally zero experience and learning as he goes. Might be useful to you if your on the fence about riding and bike ownership.
-Rob
________________________________________________________________
A little about me and this review. I am totally new to the world of motorcycles, but thanks to my friends I mustered the courage to take the MSF course and get my license. The goal of this review is to leave some perspective from a newbie to anyone thinking about getting into riding a motorcycle.
As someone completely new to anything you just don’t know what you don’t know and for something like riding motorcycles I decided to be conservative with my first bike. So instead of a big adventure bike I went with a small manageable bike that would be able to do the following:
Adventure riding/Moto Camping
Single track
Commuting to work.
Riding on the highway
There were many bikes to choose from but in the end the DRZ-400SM just looked awesome and the DRZ platform comes highly recommended for doing anything on the street and dirt.
I first used an empty Cul-de-sac and went through many of the drills we did at the MSF class. Then when I got comfortable I went for my first solo ride around the neighborhood. Going from the 250s at the MSF class to the DRZ-400SM seemed like a natural transition as I felt the bike was well within my skill level to handle but had much more potential. It had nice acceleration and it felt comfortable at about 50-60mph. Even though I just started to ride motorcycles the power was not too excessive and it was light enough for me to handle on the dirt even with street tires. I was really happy with the feeling of control I had over this bike and the little bit of power it had. I do wonder if its bigger brother the DR650 would have been the ultimate choice but its hard to tell, I think I would miss this light fighter of a bike.
The Pro's
For a beginner this bike seems to be a great fit. I feel one of the strong points that makes it such a beginner friendly bike is how much torque it has. What this means is you can crawl over terrain that you are not comfortable tackling quite yet. What I’ve learned on some rides is other bikes might not have quite as much torque so you will have to maintain a certain amount of RPM's or speed to get over terrain.
During one ride I ended up stalling on a hill but I was able to start it again and resume my climb at a very mild pace thanks to how much torque this bike has. I basically feathered the throttle and powered through every rock I came across (I couldn't keep on my line). It seemed to me that regardless of my lack of confidence this bike would take me over almost any terrain at a controllable speed which is a huge comfort for me at my current level of skill.
Another thing that is nice is the mechanical simplicity of the bike. It is relatively easy to work on and there is a wealth of Youtube videos and online tutorials that show you how to change your oil, rejet your carb and swap out other components. I was concerned with the carb and if I would have trouble getting it started during the California winters but that wasn't a huge issue for me.
The aftermarket is incredible and relatively cheap so you will have multiple options when it comes to upgrades (skid plates, exhaust, seat, tires, etc.). The main things I would recommend upgrading is the exhaust and seat.
I am no wrench monkey and haven’t ever worked on vehicles but I was able to do many upgrades and repairs on this motorcycle by myself just following the youtube videos and forums.
Some Con's
When you get to highway speeds 70-80mph it is not exactly a comfortable ride. Some probably aren't bothered but I get tossed around a bit because of how light the bike is and the gearing is between dirt and highway which causes some pretty good vibration in the pegs. I've watched some videos and people have geared it tall for the highway which I may try at some point but you lose out on the opposite spectrum which is the dirt.
The seat seems to be hated universally and a lot of people will swap that seat out for something else. I tried my best to stick with it but take my advice and just look for a more comfortable option.
Conclusion
For someone with no background in riding motorcycles I would highly recommend this bike. If you are like me and want to try everything from street to dirt with one bike you should definitely look into dual sport bikes. I have been commuting almost every day with this bike and have slowly grown into this bike. I also don’t think I would outgrow it quite yet as the better I get the more I can get out of this bike and I see plenty of skilled riders choose this bike as their main ride. The ability to swap tires and try a different style of riding gets me excited for what I can try to do next and this is all possible because of the versatility of the DRZ-400SM. The next stop may be a supermoto class and some time on a track or another off road adventure.
-Rob
________________________________________________________________
A little about me and this review. I am totally new to the world of motorcycles, but thanks to my friends I mustered the courage to take the MSF course and get my license. The goal of this review is to leave some perspective from a newbie to anyone thinking about getting into riding a motorcycle.
As someone completely new to anything you just don’t know what you don’t know and for something like riding motorcycles I decided to be conservative with my first bike. So instead of a big adventure bike I went with a small manageable bike that would be able to do the following:
Adventure riding/Moto Camping
Single track
Commuting to work.
Riding on the highway
There were many bikes to choose from but in the end the DRZ-400SM just looked awesome and the DRZ platform comes highly recommended for doing anything on the street and dirt.
I first used an empty Cul-de-sac and went through many of the drills we did at the MSF class. Then when I got comfortable I went for my first solo ride around the neighborhood. Going from the 250s at the MSF class to the DRZ-400SM seemed like a natural transition as I felt the bike was well within my skill level to handle but had much more potential. It had nice acceleration and it felt comfortable at about 50-60mph. Even though I just started to ride motorcycles the power was not too excessive and it was light enough for me to handle on the dirt even with street tires. I was really happy with the feeling of control I had over this bike and the little bit of power it had. I do wonder if its bigger brother the DR650 would have been the ultimate choice but its hard to tell, I think I would miss this light fighter of a bike.
The Pro's
For a beginner this bike seems to be a great fit. I feel one of the strong points that makes it such a beginner friendly bike is how much torque it has. What this means is you can crawl over terrain that you are not comfortable tackling quite yet. What I’ve learned on some rides is other bikes might not have quite as much torque so you will have to maintain a certain amount of RPM's or speed to get over terrain.
During one ride I ended up stalling on a hill but I was able to start it again and resume my climb at a very mild pace thanks to how much torque this bike has. I basically feathered the throttle and powered through every rock I came across (I couldn't keep on my line). It seemed to me that regardless of my lack of confidence this bike would take me over almost any terrain at a controllable speed which is a huge comfort for me at my current level of skill.
Another thing that is nice is the mechanical simplicity of the bike. It is relatively easy to work on and there is a wealth of Youtube videos and online tutorials that show you how to change your oil, rejet your carb and swap out other components. I was concerned with the carb and if I would have trouble getting it started during the California winters but that wasn't a huge issue for me.
The aftermarket is incredible and relatively cheap so you will have multiple options when it comes to upgrades (skid plates, exhaust, seat, tires, etc.). The main things I would recommend upgrading is the exhaust and seat.
I am no wrench monkey and haven’t ever worked on vehicles but I was able to do many upgrades and repairs on this motorcycle by myself just following the youtube videos and forums.
Some Con's
When you get to highway speeds 70-80mph it is not exactly a comfortable ride. Some probably aren't bothered but I get tossed around a bit because of how light the bike is and the gearing is between dirt and highway which causes some pretty good vibration in the pegs. I've watched some videos and people have geared it tall for the highway which I may try at some point but you lose out on the opposite spectrum which is the dirt.
The seat seems to be hated universally and a lot of people will swap that seat out for something else. I tried my best to stick with it but take my advice and just look for a more comfortable option.
Conclusion
For someone with no background in riding motorcycles I would highly recommend this bike. If you are like me and want to try everything from street to dirt with one bike you should definitely look into dual sport bikes. I have been commuting almost every day with this bike and have slowly grown into this bike. I also don’t think I would outgrow it quite yet as the better I get the more I can get out of this bike and I see plenty of skilled riders choose this bike as their main ride. The ability to swap tires and try a different style of riding gets me excited for what I can try to do next and this is all possible because of the versatility of the DRZ-400SM. The next stop may be a supermoto class and some time on a track or another off road adventure.
Monday, June 1, 2015
2007 KTM 450XC
This has was by far the newest and best dirt bike I have ever owned. It was electric start, had the amazing RFS motor, great suspension (once setup correctly. spring rate is vital on PDS systems), and just rode great! Did not make a great dual sporter though. I got this bike for a great deal from a military friend of mine. He mentioned he was looking to sell, and I immediately put my 97 ATK up for sale. This bike is the last and arguably the best year of the RFS motored bikes, and it is a great looking bike.
I went through the process of getting this bike plated and street legal. Yes, you can still get a plate for some bikes in California! The XC model for this year had the short stroke motor from the SX models, and a haybrid transmission from the SX and EXC/XCW models. It was a great snappy bike that I made work in everything. I took it to the track, street use, single track, desert, and even got a taste for supermoto on it.
Lets just say I put some miles on this bike. With the supermoto setup, I rode this bike almost daily. To this day, still the most fun bike at any speed below 50 MPH. I did the typical mods, GUTS racing seat foam, IMS tank, EXC silencer, 100W DC stator, etc. I soon found out that street use and abuse on a true dirt bike came with a toll. Stock valves where the first to go, eh it happens. But it happens relatively quick when you put several thousand miles on a short stroke motor that's meant to rev. Eventually I had a stock style oil ring shatter and started burning a LOT of oil. Luckily I caught it on a short ride. Then I believe between the insane amount of traction of street tires on supermoto wheels, along with possibly the counter shaft bolt coming loose, there was soon a noticeable amount of wear on the counter shaft. This led to a full rebuild of the motor.
So this whole series of events led me to the same conclusion many before me have come to, and even mentioned to me before I got this bike. 450 MX bikes, don't make the best dual sport/daily riders. They will eventually pay the price. I got to say it was a blast, but it all haunted me later on in the maintenance department. Ive seen many claims that the long stroke EXC motors can take the abuse and 20,000 miles is not unheard of, and if I had the cash I would have turned this into a long stroke motor, but it just wasn't an option at the time.
Between a 600 and this particular 450, I felt more comfortable on the slow, lugging, tractor power of the prior 600s I have owned. But this KTM was incredibly smooth and user friendly to work on. It was snappy and it really felt good in the desert and tight trails.
The take away I took from this experience is that high revving 450s make terrible dual sport/commuters. I am never going to find one bike to do it all. I was looking at doing long bike camping trips, and a 600 series bike was probably going to do much better then a 450 will. (Honestly, if it wasn't for the me trying to do camping off a bike, I would prbably still have this bike to this day.) And I confirmed I can still plate a green sticker bike. I started doing more solo riding and getting comfortable with navigation and riding/preparing for long rides by myself. As far as prepping for Vegas to Reno, a 600 will need less attention prior to the race.
Lets just say I put some miles on this bike. With the supermoto setup, I rode this bike almost daily. To this day, still the most fun bike at any speed below 50 MPH. I did the typical mods, GUTS racing seat foam, IMS tank, EXC silencer, 100W DC stator, etc. I soon found out that street use and abuse on a true dirt bike came with a toll. Stock valves where the first to go, eh it happens. But it happens relatively quick when you put several thousand miles on a short stroke motor that's meant to rev. Eventually I had a stock style oil ring shatter and started burning a LOT of oil. Luckily I caught it on a short ride. Then I believe between the insane amount of traction of street tires on supermoto wheels, along with possibly the counter shaft bolt coming loose, there was soon a noticeable amount of wear on the counter shaft. This led to a full rebuild of the motor.
Between a 600 and this particular 450, I felt more comfortable on the slow, lugging, tractor power of the prior 600s I have owned. But this KTM was incredibly smooth and user friendly to work on. It was snappy and it really felt good in the desert and tight trails.
The take away I took from this experience is that high revving 450s make terrible dual sport/commuters. I am never going to find one bike to do it all. I was looking at doing long bike camping trips, and a 600 series bike was probably going to do much better then a 450 will. (Honestly, if it wasn't for the me trying to do camping off a bike, I would prbably still have this bike to this day.) And I confirmed I can still plate a green sticker bike. I started doing more solo riding and getting comfortable with navigation and riding/preparing for long rides by myself. As far as prepping for Vegas to Reno, a 600 will need less attention prior to the race.
Friday, May 29, 2015
1997 ATK 605 DSES
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| CALVMX Vintage motocross, Glen Helen |
As a dual sport I felt this fit me better then the 94 I had. It went straight at high speeds, wheel wouldn't deflect, suspension stock was plush and would suck up whoops all day long. It took getting used to in single track, it fells top heavy at real slow speeds. Once you realize you need to keep your momentum up though, it would do pretty good. I would be able to get into the flow of tight twisty trails, but it did make you work for it a bit more than a MX bike. This is the only bike I felt comfortable on at VERY high sustained speeds in the desert. I have ridden bikes that had a lot of suspension work, and even some of those didn't feel this good. A lot of folks I talk to about these older ATKs have mentioned that this suspension combo seems to perform better the more you throw at it. I will have to agree with them on that.
I beat on this bike for almost a year with no serious problems or issues. I did everything from commuting to and from work, to single track, to desert. I racked up several thousand miles on this bike in the short time I had it. Then I was tempted with a deal I couldn't pass up. A friend of mine was leaving the area and he was selling his 2007 KTM 450XC. The grass is always greener on the other side, right?
Again, ATK is still in business out of Utah and parts are still available. They are not producing a dirt bike at the moment, otherwise I would probably have one of those as well. ATK actually has some of the best customer service I have ever experienced from any dealer, let alone the factory! Those guys are awesome to work with.
Got a few more bikes to talk about before I get to my race bike. Hopefully this is some good reading for you all.
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
The Crew
This is where I beg, plead, make promises, ask for some help in trade for beer or bike work to get my chase team together. Lucky for me I have a few friends who are willing to drop what they are doing for the sake of adventure.
1. Jerry - A good friend of mine who I met working at a motorcycle shop. We talked bikes, that led to guns, that led to school, that led to Vets BSing, metal fabrication, that led to past lives and rock crawlers, and that led to him hiring me for a manufacturing job in the tactical industry. We have both been looking for the sweet life on our own terms.
Jerry is another Jack of all trades, master of none type of guy. He is a guy that can get things done with what he's got. I figure if there was anyone to lead a chase crew, that's the kind of guy you want. He also has experience operating a chase team in other motorsports. He has experience tackling, what most people consider huge endeavors, within a budget and with realistic expectations. Jerry will be the guy that keeps me in check when I try to get too carried away with ideas and grand plans.
2. George - George is a friend I met through Jerry. An engineer from the desert who likes shooting. Me and Jerry recently talked George into picking up a dual sport. This guy is now riding more then I do!! So I now I am going to expose him to a whole new side of dirt bikes I hope he enjoys and never forgets.
3. Dad - At this very moment, he doesn't know he is going to be doing this. But I know if it involves motorcycles, racing, and race trucks, he is will be in. He grew up riding in the California desert and Mexico as a kid. His stories and pictures of desert racing in the 60's and 70's are what got me into the sport. He was off bikes for over 30 years, and got back on a Harley a few years ago. Being as he is in Utah and I'm in California, we have yet to ride together. After years of me telling him about my dual sport adventures and desert racing, he got back into the dirt this past year. He now has a V-strom 650 all decked out for adventure riding.
So this is the tentative chase team. (I know life happens and things get in the way, so this team is open to change.) I will be offering my 2007 FJ cruiser up as the vehicle, but depending on our planning and what we think is best, I may have to "rent" one of their vehicle or just rent a van in Vegas to haul everything. The logistics of this whole operation I'm sure will be evolving over the next year with everyone's input.
Eventually the profile of each member of the Team will be posted.
1. Jerry - A good friend of mine who I met working at a motorcycle shop. We talked bikes, that led to guns, that led to school, that led to Vets BSing, metal fabrication, that led to past lives and rock crawlers, and that led to him hiring me for a manufacturing job in the tactical industry. We have both been looking for the sweet life on our own terms.
Jerry is another Jack of all trades, master of none type of guy. He is a guy that can get things done with what he's got. I figure if there was anyone to lead a chase crew, that's the kind of guy you want. He also has experience operating a chase team in other motorsports. He has experience tackling, what most people consider huge endeavors, within a budget and with realistic expectations. Jerry will be the guy that keeps me in check when I try to get too carried away with ideas and grand plans.
2. George - George is a friend I met through Jerry. An engineer from the desert who likes shooting. Me and Jerry recently talked George into picking up a dual sport. This guy is now riding more then I do!! So I now I am going to expose him to a whole new side of dirt bikes I hope he enjoys and never forgets.
3. Dad - At this very moment, he doesn't know he is going to be doing this. But I know if it involves motorcycles, racing, and race trucks, he is will be in. He grew up riding in the California desert and Mexico as a kid. His stories and pictures of desert racing in the 60's and 70's are what got me into the sport. He was off bikes for over 30 years, and got back on a Harley a few years ago. Being as he is in Utah and I'm in California, we have yet to ride together. After years of me telling him about my dual sport adventures and desert racing, he got back into the dirt this past year. He now has a V-strom 650 all decked out for adventure riding.
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| A little dated, but its motorcycle related. |
So this is the tentative chase team. (I know life happens and things get in the way, so this team is open to change.) I will be offering my 2007 FJ cruiser up as the vehicle, but depending on our planning and what we think is best, I may have to "rent" one of their vehicle or just rent a van in Vegas to haul everything. The logistics of this whole operation I'm sure will be evolving over the next year with everyone's input.
Eventually the profile of each member of the Team will be posted.
Monday, May 25, 2015
1987 Husqvarna 430XC
Big bore 2 stroke. 6 speed. Need I say more? The 87 Husky 430XC was actually a really fun and fast bike. The suspension was surprisingly good off road. Ergonomics were the typical 80s style, sitting more behind the tank and farther back. The seat was also typical 80s era, wide, deep, and very comfortable. The cool thing about the Huskys from this era was that there was so much interchangeable parts between the models. Bottom ends had parts that could be swapped as far back as the air cooled models. You could pretty much pick a tranny from any of the models and slap it it. You have 250, 430, and 500s, 2 stroke and 4 strokes even, to share parts between. I was lucky enough to get the better electrical system that put out 140 watts if I'm not mistaken. In California, these parts along with a green sticker is a recipe for a plated bike.
I never got to the point to plate it because the one big pitfall of the bike, vibration. This bike had gobs of low end power, but would still produce the power up high to make this bike fly...If you could hold on long enough. The bike vibrated more then any other big bore 2 stroke I had to date. From my research and getting in touch with guys who dealt with the factory desert teams that ran this bike, the solution was adding a motor mount. From the factory, there was only 2 motor mounts, and no head mount. So the hot trick of the day was to add this extra mount and it eliminated some of the vibration, along with balancing the motor.
This was one of the best looking bikes I have had, and at the time I didn't know I had a lot of trick, hard to find parts for it such as guards, up-tite skid plates, up-tite reed blocks, pipes, and enough extra parts to make three-quarters of another bike. With the huge amount of low end grunt it made a killer trail bike, but at the time I wanted speed. I really wanted to like this bike, but as my one and only bike, this wasn't it.
From this experience I found out how much vibration can really effect your stamina. It wasn't something I put a lot of thought into at the time. But when you spend a few hours on a bike that puts your hands to sleep, it's really hard to want to like the bike. The ride becomes less enjoyable. If I find another, I will definitely look into flex bars and balancing the motor, and if that doesnt cut it, break down and add the motor mount. Its just too damn cool to not want another one.
CafeHusky.com was a huge wealth of knowledge of these bikes. This is one of the less popular generations of Husqvarnas, but there are some die hards on that forum that really know there stuff. It is a one stop shop for older Huskys.
From this experience I found out how much vibration can really effect your stamina. It wasn't something I put a lot of thought into at the time. But when you spend a few hours on a bike that puts your hands to sleep, it's really hard to want to like the bike. The ride becomes less enjoyable. If I find another, I will definitely look into flex bars and balancing the motor, and if that doesnt cut it, break down and add the motor mount. Its just too damn cool to not want another one.
CafeHusky.com was a huge wealth of knowledge of these bikes. This is one of the less popular generations of Husqvarnas, but there are some die hards on that forum that really know there stuff. It is a one stop shop for older Huskys.
Friday, May 22, 2015
Fitness....as in, lack of.
I am looking at fitness as more then just having the strength to survive, but as a means of injury prevention. Since getting so far out of shape, it doesn't take much for me to get sore, or cause muscular injuries. I want to be able to take the beating, fight off injuries, and if an injury does occur, a higher level of fitness will be beneficial in the healing and recovery process.
So for my fitness strategy to conquer I will dive back into my military training. I was never the fastest, or the strongest, but I could hang on for days. My level of endurance and high threshold for pain and misery carried me for years. Since getting out, almost 4 years ago, I have not got back into any sort of physical training routine. It was'n required to earn a college degree, I had no time or extra money to become involved in anything that demanded physical training, so it all just slipped away. The days where I could wake up, goto the gym, have a 2 hour lunch to goto the pool, get off at 4 and got for a 5 mile run are behind me now. Free time is a scarce thing these days. So whatever I do I will have to make it work in short intervals.
Between the typical military physical beat downs and body hardening I did a few months training with a crossfit gym and at one point followed more of a body building type regiment. I think for this I am going to to a little of everything. I don't have access to a pool, so that will be cut out, even though the pool was one of the best exercises I got involved in. My schedule allows for about 45 minutes in a typical corporate gym, 3 treadmills, a smith machine, a bike, and an elliptical, and a bit of time after work after my son goes to sleep and between whatever home projects I am working on.
At the gym I use at work I want to focus on cardio. I've got 45 minutes to use, and figure sprinting until my lungs burn and riding hills on the bike is a good use of this time. At home I will reacquaint myself with the pull up bar and my old friend the kettle bell. I will have to see if I can modify some interval training schedules to accommodate what equipment I have access to. Ultimately if I can come across a used rower, this would be a huge help.
Shortly I will have some sort of baseline recorded. I know where I stood at the peak of my military career, so I will compare to that as best I can. As of now, I am 220 lbs, and slow. At my best I was 190 lbs and nothing on earth could have made me give up whatever task was placed in front of me. Now, I am pretty sure my past self would have slapped my present self into a bloody mess if we met.
This fitness portion will be ever evolving and I will record the baseline I create to show progress over time.
So for my fitness strategy to conquer I will dive back into my military training. I was never the fastest, or the strongest, but I could hang on for days. My level of endurance and high threshold for pain and misery carried me for years. Since getting out, almost 4 years ago, I have not got back into any sort of physical training routine. It was'n required to earn a college degree, I had no time or extra money to become involved in anything that demanded physical training, so it all just slipped away. The days where I could wake up, goto the gym, have a 2 hour lunch to goto the pool, get off at 4 and got for a 5 mile run are behind me now. Free time is a scarce thing these days. So whatever I do I will have to make it work in short intervals.
Between the typical military physical beat downs and body hardening I did a few months training with a crossfit gym and at one point followed more of a body building type regiment. I think for this I am going to to a little of everything. I don't have access to a pool, so that will be cut out, even though the pool was one of the best exercises I got involved in. My schedule allows for about 45 minutes in a typical corporate gym, 3 treadmills, a smith machine, a bike, and an elliptical, and a bit of time after work after my son goes to sleep and between whatever home projects I am working on.
At the gym I use at work I want to focus on cardio. I've got 45 minutes to use, and figure sprinting until my lungs burn and riding hills on the bike is a good use of this time. At home I will reacquaint myself with the pull up bar and my old friend the kettle bell. I will have to see if I can modify some interval training schedules to accommodate what equipment I have access to. Ultimately if I can come across a used rower, this would be a huge help.
Shortly I will have some sort of baseline recorded. I know where I stood at the peak of my military career, so I will compare to that as best I can. As of now, I am 220 lbs, and slow. At my best I was 190 lbs and nothing on earth could have made me give up whatever task was placed in front of me. Now, I am pretty sure my past self would have slapped my present self into a bloody mess if we met.
This fitness portion will be ever evolving and I will record the baseline I create to show progress over time.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
My riding experience.
When I first got interested in this race I was sure I was going to be the only new guy, the one unprepared guy on an old bike in a sea of professionals and factory teams. I don't know where that stigma came from, but in my research and reaching out to prior racers I found this was not the case. I was an amateur, budget racer, that was just looking for a finish, not the win. I made a lot of assumptions that seemed to put this out of my reach, which ended up not being the case.
Assumptions such as: I need to be a pro level rider. I need to have a huge budget and a fleet of chase vehicles. I need the newest bike with all the best parts. In reality, if you have a few bucks, a desire, some mechanical ability, and a good attitude you can probably make this happen.
So to tackle the assumption that I needed to be a pro level rider. This is not happening for me, period. So this excuse was crushed once I came to the conclusion if I waited for this I would never make it. I just ride as much as I can and try to ride different disciplines.
I have been fun riding since I was a teenager out int he Utah desert. It wasn't until I was in my late 20s that I started taking on races and competitions. Each year I do a handful of motocross, desert, vintage motocross, and have done a few stints into street/supermoto bikes here and there. I believe they all teach you good riding skills and have aspects that transfer from one discipline to another. Unless I tried these different riding styles I would never have made these connections from one style to the other.
I am far from an expert level rider, novice to intermediate depending on the type of riding and organization. I do feel I am consistent thought. I do not go out twist the throttle and get over my head. I typically ride to my ability and calculate the risks and pick my lines carefully. From talking to folks who have done these long races luck, good prep, fitness, and mental attitude go a LONG way into completing the event.
Being in southern California I am very fortunate to be in the middle of dirt bike heaven. Thanks to organizations like District 37, District 38, CALVMX, and Pala Raceway, I wouldn't have nearly as many experiences or met some incredible folks who all have good advice or tips to help me become a better rider.
The point of this whole rant to to get those guys out there who are on the fence or think they need to have the best of the best, be the best, and have tons of money to really look into this event and do some research. Its a huge event, but thanks to the Best in the Desert Organization it is still doable for the grassroots guys.
Assumptions such as: I need to be a pro level rider. I need to have a huge budget and a fleet of chase vehicles. I need the newest bike with all the best parts. In reality, if you have a few bucks, a desire, some mechanical ability, and a good attitude you can probably make this happen.
So to tackle the assumption that I needed to be a pro level rider. This is not happening for me, period. So this excuse was crushed once I came to the conclusion if I waited for this I would never make it. I just ride as much as I can and try to ride different disciplines.
I am far from an expert level rider, novice to intermediate depending on the type of riding and organization. I do feel I am consistent thought. I do not go out twist the throttle and get over my head. I typically ride to my ability and calculate the risks and pick my lines carefully. From talking to folks who have done these long races luck, good prep, fitness, and mental attitude go a LONG way into completing the event. Being in southern California I am very fortunate to be in the middle of dirt bike heaven. Thanks to organizations like District 37, District 38, CALVMX, and Pala Raceway, I wouldn't have nearly as many experiences or met some incredible folks who all have good advice or tips to help me become a better rider.
Monday, May 18, 2015
1994 ATK 605 DSES
This is the first of a long string of ATKs for me. I came across this on a trade for a Yamaha Blaster my wife had. She was over the quad due to a rollover and figured I would give this a shot. Got as much info as I could find on ATK, which isn't a lot, and headed on out for the trade.
If your not aware of ATK, they are an American motorcycle company that opened shop in the early 80s. They started in Laguna and then moved to LA. Their early bikes were all ahead of their times and full of small innovations. Linkless PDS rear suspension all the way back in the 80s, years ahead of KTM. Actually the guy who designed ATK is the same person who designed KTM's PDS system. Early ATKs had the rear brake mounted on the counter shaft. Race bikes in the 80's had fuel injection and all kinds of trick parts. Frames were hand welded C&J units and all had the legendary robust Rotax motors. If you like small business innovation and history, read up on ATK. They have had a pretty interesting history and always seem ahead of the game.
This particular ATK 605 was made in Los Angeles. WP suspension all around, electric start, large tank, Talon hubs, etc. This bike had it all out of the box and this particular bike also had an aftermarket cam and a full Up-Tite racing stainless exhaust, this is vintage, exotic, unobtanium. The bike did great and it got me into old 4 strokes and dual sports.
This bike handled its weight really well as long as you kept your speed up. All the primo parts worked great. I did mostly single track and a bit of desert on this and folks were always pretty impressed with its nimbleness. The motor has more torque than you know what to do with and it can lug way gown low. This was a bike you can put in 3rd and leave it there for most of the day. You just point the front wheel and throttle over it all with this pig. The only real complaint is the seat. If you need it for more than a few hours, you're going to pay the price.
I sold this bike, not full appreciating what it was. I thought there were bigger and better things out there. So it went to a knew home, and from this point on every bike I ever rode was compared to this.
Since I got turned on to ATK, I think I have only seen one other in person. Then out of the blue I started seeing questions about ATKs in the local dual sport club forum. Shortly after I saw some pictures, and to my surprise it was my old bike!!! The story is, the guy who bought it from me neglected it pretty badly. To the point it no longer ran. It was picked up by a new owner who dove into it with a new top end, new transmission, and continues to ride this bike all over the southwest and Baja. Outside of a broken clutch cable the bike has never let him down. ATK owners are a pretty small community and I thought it was pretty cool that I can see the new owner still taking this bike out on some very impressive adventures.
Same bike, new owner.
The 605 is still having some amazing adventures.
This particular ATK 605 was made in Los Angeles. WP suspension all around, electric start, large tank, Talon hubs, etc. This bike had it all out of the box and this particular bike also had an aftermarket cam and a full Up-Tite racing stainless exhaust, this is vintage, exotic, unobtanium. The bike did great and it got me into old 4 strokes and dual sports.
This bike handled its weight really well as long as you kept your speed up. All the primo parts worked great. I did mostly single track and a bit of desert on this and folks were always pretty impressed with its nimbleness. The motor has more torque than you know what to do with and it can lug way gown low. This was a bike you can put in 3rd and leave it there for most of the day. You just point the front wheel and throttle over it all with this pig. The only real complaint is the seat. If you need it for more than a few hours, you're going to pay the price.
Since I got turned on to ATK, I think I have only seen one other in person. Then out of the blue I started seeing questions about ATKs in the local dual sport club forum. Shortly after I saw some pictures, and to my surprise it was my old bike!!! The story is, the guy who bought it from me neglected it pretty badly. To the point it no longer ran. It was picked up by a new owner who dove into it with a new top end, new transmission, and continues to ride this bike all over the southwest and Baja. Outside of a broken clutch cable the bike has never let him down. ATK owners are a pretty small community and I thought it was pretty cool that I can see the new owner still taking this bike out on some very impressive adventures.
Same bike, new owner.
The 605 is still having some amazing adventures.
Friday, May 15, 2015
A short history of Vegas to Reno
To give you all a little background about why I picked this as my first "long" race, I will tell you a bit about the race itself. The race is put on by the Best in the Desert racing association and the Vegas to Reno race is one of several longer races put on each year. Vegas to Reno's claim to fame is the fact that its the longest point to point off road race in the U.S. Casey Folks has put this race on every year since 1996 and and to this day still sits at the starting line giving each rider words of encouragement as you wait to get the go ahead to take off from the starting line. This race has gone through several revisions of the years, from single day events, to 3 day events racking up 700+ miles. It seems to have settle back into single day races with anywhere from 500 to 600 miles.
Now with all this lineage and huge mileage, why would I choose this one? Well several things pop into my mind as a budget minded average racer. First thing I think about is safety. There are much bigger races with much more notoriety taking place south of the boarder, but I have no experience in Baja, and out there experience and knowing the lay of the land is everything. I just don't feel comfortable taking myself and being responsible for a support crew into Baja at this time. Hell, working on the logistics in the U.S. is going to be challenging enough let alone dealing with another language, remote pits, booby traps, pre-running, and 1000 miles of seat time. If I go down and need help I have comfort knowing helicopters, ambulances, safety vehicles, etc are near by.
Second reason I chose this race is the cost. Entry fees are relatively cheap, I can camp at the starting line, and typically all but 1 or 2 pits can be accessed by just about any truck or van and are close to main roads. I don't need to convince several teams of friends to bring several chase vehicles with duplicate or triplicate parts and pit for me. Being on a budget, this race can be done with one chase vehicle, and I can afford a pit service to pit for me in the remote pit locations. So, get 2 or 3 buddies in a truck loaded with fuel, food, parts, and a good attitude and I am set. I have talked to several teams that went down to Baja to race and it seems tens of thousands of dollars to prep, get there, race, and get home is the norm for motorcycles. Maybe another day.
The race is a high speed event. In reading about bike prep for this event, the normal gearing question usually comes up, and the answer is always the same, "gear to the moon." This course usually offer long sustained high speed sections, and this is where time can be made up. I am sure we can all say the day before the race, that "slow and steady wins the race," or "to finish first, you must first finish", but that usually goes out the window the second you see another person. I have to practice patience in this situation, because when I see dust ahead my race pace picks up and the competitor in me kicks into gear.
The terrain is relatively "easy", the course is well marked, and pre-running weeks in advance is not allowed or required. I am not the first to do this as my first long race, but it doesn't make it any less challenging. The best part is that I will have a chance to run with the professionals and off road legends on motorcycles, quads, and cars.
I will have 24 hours to get across the state, trying to keep Trophy Trucks behind me, and trying to beat the night. If it comes to it, I will be running in pitch black, with only a headlight, getting passed by trucks that are capable of 140 mph IN THE DIRT! This is incredible and terrifying all at once. I can't think of a better way to spend a weekend.
Second reason I chose this race is the cost. Entry fees are relatively cheap, I can camp at the starting line, and typically all but 1 or 2 pits can be accessed by just about any truck or van and are close to main roads. I don't need to convince several teams of friends to bring several chase vehicles with duplicate or triplicate parts and pit for me. Being on a budget, this race can be done with one chase vehicle, and I can afford a pit service to pit for me in the remote pit locations. So, get 2 or 3 buddies in a truck loaded with fuel, food, parts, and a good attitude and I am set. I have talked to several teams that went down to Baja to race and it seems tens of thousands of dollars to prep, get there, race, and get home is the norm for motorcycles. Maybe another day.
The race is a high speed event. In reading about bike prep for this event, the normal gearing question usually comes up, and the answer is always the same, "gear to the moon." This course usually offer long sustained high speed sections, and this is where time can be made up. I am sure we can all say the day before the race, that "slow and steady wins the race," or "to finish first, you must first finish", but that usually goes out the window the second you see another person. I have to practice patience in this situation, because when I see dust ahead my race pace picks up and the competitor in me kicks into gear.
The terrain is relatively "easy", the course is well marked, and pre-running weeks in advance is not allowed or required. I am not the first to do this as my first long race, but it doesn't make it any less challenging. The best part is that I will have a chance to run with the professionals and off road legends on motorcycles, quads, and cars.
I will have 24 hours to get across the state, trying to keep Trophy Trucks behind me, and trying to beat the night. If it comes to it, I will be running in pitch black, with only a headlight, getting passed by trucks that are capable of 140 mph IN THE DIRT! This is incredible and terrifying all at once. I can't think of a better way to spend a weekend.
Monday, May 11, 2015
Bikes that have come and gone.
Since I first tried to get the Vegas to Reno show rolling a few years ago I have had a few bikes come and go. A few winners, and a few I was glad to let go. First thing you all have to understand is I tend to go for either practical or odd. Not sure why, but if its a solid runner or if it was just some thing you don't see every day I was into it. The new 4 strokes are here to stay, but I still love everything about a 2 stroke and even the old tractor 4 strokes. The new bikes are obviously the way to go if you want to best of the best technology has to offer, but as a hobby racer, I do not have the time or money to rebuild the bike at least twice before this race.
Since the idea of racing the KX500 I have always longed for another desert ready KX5. I passed on the idea of going this route for 2 reasons. First, they are getting hard to come by in good shape, and I would really like to find an old retired team green bike and let it loose back into the desert, and secondly I wanted a bike with a plate. Here in Temecula there are a lot of killer desert riding areas that are closed off to everything that isn't street legal. With the plate I can do half day or morning training rides and be back for dinner. I want the seat time but don't want to miss out on local opportunities.
Here is a quick rundown on my bike history. Each bike made me realize what I really wanted in a bike and what was and was not necessary in a long haul race. I will just mention the desert bikes and by pass my stints back into motocross.
1989 KTM 500 DXC
This bike has a great reputation in its hay day in Baja and Australia. At one time this bike had the highest horsepower rating of any production dirt bike, at 64HP. I got it all Bro'd out and spent a lot of time scraping paint. It road pretty good but parts are very hard to come by. I needed something with a reliable parts source. Wheels, top end parts, all parts seemed very hard and expensive to come by. If I can every get to the point of having a second fun bike, this will be one I keep in mind. Outside of maybe the NORRA Mexican 1000, I don't think this would have been a great choice for Vegas to Reno.
This is the potential of what it could have been.
More bikes to come. Along with ride reports and the opinions and comments of the "Average Joe" racer that I am.
Since the idea of racing the KX500 I have always longed for another desert ready KX5. I passed on the idea of going this route for 2 reasons. First, they are getting hard to come by in good shape, and I would really like to find an old retired team green bike and let it loose back into the desert, and secondly I wanted a bike with a plate. Here in Temecula there are a lot of killer desert riding areas that are closed off to everything that isn't street legal. With the plate I can do half day or morning training rides and be back for dinner. I want the seat time but don't want to miss out on local opportunities.
Here is a quick rundown on my bike history. Each bike made me realize what I really wanted in a bike and what was and was not necessary in a long haul race. I will just mention the desert bikes and by pass my stints back into motocross.
1989 KTM 500 DXC
This bike has a great reputation in its hay day in Baja and Australia. At one time this bike had the highest horsepower rating of any production dirt bike, at 64HP. I got it all Bro'd out and spent a lot of time scraping paint. It road pretty good but parts are very hard to come by. I needed something with a reliable parts source. Wheels, top end parts, all parts seemed very hard and expensive to come by. If I can every get to the point of having a second fun bike, this will be one I keep in mind. Outside of maybe the NORRA Mexican 1000, I don't think this would have been a great choice for Vegas to Reno.
This is the potential of what it could have been.
More bikes to come. Along with ride reports and the opinions and comments of the "Average Joe" racer that I am.
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Years later the dream remains.
To anyone that might have looked at this for even a split second and wondered what the hell happened between the last post and now.........well, life happened.
The initial attempt at the BITD Vegas to Reno race never took off. Team mate went to the other coast, went through a handful of bikes, got out of the military, went back to school full time, went to work full time, had a baby, moved to another town, and changed jobs a few times, to name a few things. It happens, I know, but every years I look ahead into August and hope this will be the year. But every year things come up or I just can't drop it all to prep, train, and race.
So fast forward to 2015. I am several months away from finishing up my degree, I have a good job in the Aerospace Industry, we live even closer to riding areas, I still have a bike, I have done a lot more desert races over the past few years, and I still dream of Vegas to Reno. With the good things comes the bad, mainly I have gotten out of shape. I am far from the shape I was when I was in the military. There is just nowhere near the amount of "runnin and gunnin" in the cube farms that there once was with the Marines. Instead of morning PT, ruck runs, and miserably long field Ops, its early morning commutes to sit in a cube and glaring into a desktop all day. I think I have fallen into the slump a lot of infantry guys fall into when they get out. I have no goal, no mission, no reason to train, no purpose to sweat and bleed. I am hoping with a future goal and a sense of purpose my discipline will kick back in and I can focus.
Back to the mission at hand. The goal at the moment is to prepare to race the 2016 Best in the Desert Vegas to Reno off road race. Prepare myself, my bike, and a support team. At this point it will be a solo run, but if I can get another rider that can roll with the punches and I can get along with, this may change. Until then, this is going to be a one man show.
Over the past few years of dreaming I have gained a lot more knowledge and experience in the desert, on bikes, solo riding, and learned more about myself. Since the military I have worked in the motorcycle industry, tactical industry, and the aerospace industry. Each of which have started with talking to somebody about bikes and how one day I want to race this race. Funny thing is, all of these great opportunities started with a conversation about motorcycles. It's crazy that my life changed and doors were opened because of a shared passion of motorcycles.
Anyways, I'm back in the game. Forming a solid program, got pounds to shed, got bikes to prep, and got just over a year to prepare myself for the early morning flag drop.
The initial attempt at the BITD Vegas to Reno race never took off. Team mate went to the other coast, went through a handful of bikes, got out of the military, went back to school full time, went to work full time, had a baby, moved to another town, and changed jobs a few times, to name a few things. It happens, I know, but every years I look ahead into August and hope this will be the year. But every year things come up or I just can't drop it all to prep, train, and race.
So fast forward to 2015. I am several months away from finishing up my degree, I have a good job in the Aerospace Industry, we live even closer to riding areas, I still have a bike, I have done a lot more desert races over the past few years, and I still dream of Vegas to Reno. With the good things comes the bad, mainly I have gotten out of shape. I am far from the shape I was when I was in the military. There is just nowhere near the amount of "runnin and gunnin" in the cube farms that there once was with the Marines. Instead of morning PT, ruck runs, and miserably long field Ops, its early morning commutes to sit in a cube and glaring into a desktop all day. I think I have fallen into the slump a lot of infantry guys fall into when they get out. I have no goal, no mission, no reason to train, no purpose to sweat and bleed. I am hoping with a future goal and a sense of purpose my discipline will kick back in and I can focus.
Back to the mission at hand. The goal at the moment is to prepare to race the 2016 Best in the Desert Vegas to Reno off road race. Prepare myself, my bike, and a support team. At this point it will be a solo run, but if I can get another rider that can roll with the punches and I can get along with, this may change. Until then, this is going to be a one man show.
Over the past few years of dreaming I have gained a lot more knowledge and experience in the desert, on bikes, solo riding, and learned more about myself. Since the military I have worked in the motorcycle industry, tactical industry, and the aerospace industry. Each of which have started with talking to somebody about bikes and how one day I want to race this race. Funny thing is, all of these great opportunities started with a conversation about motorcycles. It's crazy that my life changed and doors were opened because of a shared passion of motorcycles.
Anyways, I'm back in the game. Forming a solid program, got pounds to shed, got bikes to prep, and got just over a year to prepare myself for the early morning flag drop.
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