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.
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