First Ride at Metcalf

1 11 2009

All week long I was looking forward to taking the dirt bike out for another spin. I made plans to meet up with a guy named Raj from South Bay Riders. We went to Metcalf Motorcycle Park at 9am in order for him to show me around a bit and because we are both starting out and would be at similar skill levels in the dirt. This worked out great and we had a really good time. We each took some spills, including one in which I totally locked up the back tire in the pebbles, slid all the way up to the top of 8′ berm, flopped off the bike and slid on my back all the way down the berm like an overturned turtle for at least 20′!

O'Neal Hammer Roost Guard

O'Neal armor saved my back

I really need to work on my touch with the back brake. I think I took more dirt samples than Raj did, but nothing serious. We both struggled to make it up a particular hill that we tried three separate times. I finally made it up on my third time around, but not without stopping part way up because I lost traction and momentum. Seems to me like a good measuring stick to use and see if I improve on future attempts. It was a lot of fun but it sure did take a lot of energy out of us wrestling the bikes.

Raj had to take off at 1:30 but I decided to hang around and get some more loops in. A nice guy named Brian was parked a couple of spots down from me and came over to say hi. We chatted for a bit and then he offered to take me for a spin and maybe show me a couple of trails I hadn’t done yet. We started off on trail 1, but he turned off into the GP track, which I hadn’t gone around before. It’s a really neat little track with some nice banked turns, but still more of an off road feel than a motocross track. Then we took off on down to some more trails. When we got to one particular junction, he pointed at a trail with a sign next to it with a black diamond on it. “Ignore that sign” he said, “it’s really not that hard. Just stay on the throttle, feather the clutch all the way up it, and let the bike follow the rut.” Sure. No problem. Well, I got about half way up it, finally got too squirrely and ended up stalling the bike. This was late in the day and with much of my energy sapped, it took me a few minutes to get out of the way, and get the bike kick started again. In the mean time, Brian had looped back around and come up alongside where I was on an adjacent trail. From there he offered some more coaching. When I complained that the back tire kept spinning he said “Go ahead and let the back tire spin, just put both feet down and let it spin, feather the clutch and you’ve got to give it more gas.” So I followed that advice to the best of my ability (clutch hand cramping and weakening as I went). I finally got up the climb and after some more rutted and tight single track we completed the loop. It really was a lot of fun and very challenging, for me at least. I’m glad he came by and offered to show me around. It was a great chance to see how an experienced rider does things :)

Worn Out Rear Tire

This rear tire needs replacing!

The majority of the trails were very hard-packed and dry, but it ranged from the equivalent of dusty concrete to jagged rocks to loose pebbly stuff. My rear tire is pretty much toast (it was when I bought the bike) so I’ll be replacing it soon, but I’m not sure a new tire would have made much difference in traction in those conditions. Dirt bike tires definitely appear to be less expensive than street tires, but maybe its because they probably don’t last as long? I should be able to pick up a new one on sale from Cycle Gear for less than $80.





Valentino Rossi, MotoGP Champion 2009

29 10 2009

When you look at Rossi’s list of records and accomplishments, it’s not hard to see why so many people consider him the GOAT. No he has clinched the 2009 title ahead of stiff competition from teammate Jorge Lorenzo, Ducati’s Casey Stoner, and Honda’s Dani Pedrosa. He is an incredible competitor.





Ben Spies, WSBK Champion 2009

28 10 2009

Ben Spies has taken the first ever World Superbike championship for Yamaha! We knew he’d do great things in WSBK, but there were times during the season when it looked like he would be denied by some outstanding performances by Noriyuki Haga and some bad luck (running out of gas on the last lap while leading race one in Italy, being taken out by Michel Fabrizio, being taken out by Max Biaggi, being taken out by Jonathan Rea, etc.)





Practice Run

26 10 2009
YZ250F In the Shade

YZ250F In the Shade

I took my new toy down to San Luis State Recreation Area for my first ever ride on it. It’s about a 2.5 hour drive to get there and I was nervous about leaving something critical behind, or finding out the bike didn’t want to run, or any number of other nightmare scenarios. But the drive was easy and I was definitely ready to twist the throttle by the time I showed up.

Unloading was easy since there are a couple of different height concrete ramps I could easily back my pickup to and unload the bike myself. Once I was ready and had all my gear on it was time to fire it up. I kicked and kicked and the thing didn’t want to start. “Those four strokes are coldhearted, ain’t they?” quipped a guy relaxing in the shade. The trouble is the choke plunger is worn out and wouldn’t stay “choked” so I had to try and hold it out while also kicking. Even at 6′2″ straddling the bike holding the plunger out, keeping it upright with the other hand, and kicking it over is a struggle. Finally it started to sound like it was firing and then eventually it burbled to a stuttering idle. I let it warm up while I cooled down. And then I put my helmet and goggles on, straddled the blue demon and dropped it into gear.

Finding Shade at San Luis SRA

Finding Shade at San Luis SRA

I took off for a lap around the perimeter of the park, attempting to shift up through the gears and listening for anything suspect. I think I just expect with a used bike the thing could explode into metal fragments at any time, but it was sounding and running well. I struggled to interpret any feedback from the shift lever with my new boots and motocross boots are like big armored leggings and take some getting used to. My first dump of the day happened in a corner when I accidentally downshifted into 1st gear instead of 2nd and the back end got loose and I didn’t save it. No harm done, I hit the dirt and the bike stalled, but I was fully protected. After that I got more and more used to riding, especially standing up. I am so much more comfortable on this bike than the little 125 that I took the MSF dirt bike school on. This size bike suits me much better and is actually quite comfortable to ride standing up on.

All in all it was pretty much everything I had hoped for in a test run. I just picked different paths and turns and directions each run and tested out braking and throttle and shifting. Just getting a feel for the bike and being in the dirt basically. I hope to go to some more interesting places in the near future, and try out some more interesting trail type riding. But I wouldn’t mind going back to the San Luis SRA just for some more practice and fun in the dirt.





It’s Time To Get Dirty

16 10 2009

I have wanted a dirt bike since I was a little kid. I don’t recall now how or why exactly I fell in love with them, I just know that I obsessed over every Dirt Bike magazine I could get my hands on. Growing up on a farm in somewhat rural central New York state, you would think that I had a little dirt bike on the farm then. No. No I had a bmx bike that I rode and made revving “brrraaap! brrraaaaaaap!!” noises on, but I never had a dirt bike. Today, I took a step back into my childhood.

I still have gear to get (helmet, goggles, gloves, pants, jersey, knee and elbow pads, roost deflector, boots), but with the money I saved buying a used bike I’m feeling pretty damn good about it overall. I secretly hope to get enough gear tonight and tomorrow to take a quick ride this weekend! Stay tuned.





Alice In Chains @ The Fillmore

29 09 2009

Alice In Chains Performs at the Fillmore in San Francisco

Alice In Chains Performs at the Fillmore in San Francisco


Went to see Alice In Chains at the Fillmore last night with my good friend Shawn. It was a pretty good show, decent crowd, and they sound every bit as good live as one could hope. I hadn’t been out to see a show since I saw Opeth at the Regency Ballroom in May, so it was a good way to spend a Monday night.





Beautiful Day for a Ride

26 09 2009




New Exhaust, Power Commander

2 09 2009

I just ordered a new M4 full exhaust system for my SV650s and a DynoJet Power Commander III usb! I can’t wait until they show up so I can install them and check out the new performance and sound. I debated for quite a while about which exhaust to get. In the end I think I would have been happy with any of them, but the M4 system seemed to be a good balance between performance and price. Plus I think the carbon can is going to look awesome (anything looks better than the stock can)! I’ll be sure to take pictures and post them during/after the install. Nothing like dropping a G on your hobby before 9am.





Tomahawk

26 08 2009

My good friend Jeff recently had me listen to a couple of tracks by Tomahawk. I had always heard that they were no good, and I was late to a show they opened for Tool several years ago so I never bothered to check them out before. All I can say is now I know what I’ve been missing. I’ve been listening to their self titled album almost non-stop for the last three or four days and I am looking forward to checking out Mit Gas next.





Arm Pump

19 08 2009

Michel Fabrizio, a World Superbike championship contender, retired from the Brno MotoGP race he was given the chance to participate in apparently due to arm pump. This post outlines how/why it could happen. This pretty clearly shows the level these WSBK riders (and I am mostly thinking about Spies going to MotoGP next year) need to elevate themselves to for the step up to the highest level.