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Putting the G back in G/S


roadscholar

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roadscholar

 

Edit....oh yes, we were concerned about avalanches. Our group actually set off two of them the day we were out. One intentionally, one accidentally. We all wore beacons and had to take a class to learn how to use them. We also carried shovels and probes. It was serious business, but a complete blast once the adrenaline got flowing

 

Glad to know you're taking it seriously, I lost a good friend to one in about 1980 I think before anyone was using beacons. Roger and I went to Aspen every year from the late 60's to late 70's, he was an excellent surfer and went from never been on ski's to winning hotdog contests in 2 weeks (don't think they call them that anymore) : ) He and some buddies kept doing increasingly crazier stuff, sometimes they'd taunt the ski patrol into chasing them down the back side of Ajax (Aspen Mtn) out of bounds then hitchhike back to town. Then they'd go to Aspen Highlands, start avalanches and outrun them, and always got away with it. They went helicopter skiing in Canada and to Chile in the summer. In 1980 he went to France with someone and never came back, it was a sad day for those that knew him, he was really a great guy. :cry:

 

 

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roadscholar
Well c'mon let's go..

 

If anyone's interested in some Colorado small bike stuff I plan on being in Salida before and after the Unrally

 

We're going to need a full time DROOL emoji around here if these pics keep showing up! :grin:

 

Bill, do you know what date you are going to be out there before the UN? Have truck & small camp trailer. (very small) And, the search is on for a small D/S bike.

 

Need to work a bunch of levers but I would love to get out there again this year! :thumbsup:

 

Pat

 

I'll have room for you Pat and you know there's extra scoots but you may want to be independently mobile too, there's a lot to see, I get that. If you want to fly or drive, either works. I'll PM you on times I plan to be there.

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Thanks Bill, let me know when you know. :thumbsup: Wish I could say I'm 80/20 in, but, probably more like 50/50 at this point.

 

Again appreciate the loaner offer!

 

Pat

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roadscholar

Pat, shown this one before but I know you know Kyle and I really like this vid he made a few years ago at the Polar Bear. I warned the guys on big bikes of the impending sand pit and gave'em the option of going around, only one took it!.

 

.. :grin:
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I've ridden sand several times on big GS's. Sucks for me. Standing was better but I can not stand that long, and that was 10 years ago.

 

When I lived in NM in the early 70's it took me a long time to get the XXXX's to get to 50-60 and ride on top and let the bike slip and slid.

 

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Friend :rofl:

 

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The guy in the beginning on the DR was a hoot. I have a friend that rides his RT that way. Outriggers don't come up til about 25 mph. :P

 

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roadscholar

That's some classic stuff Doug, wish I had some shots from those days. Who's the guy on the Cushman (or Mustang I can't tell), I think about everything was a dualsport then : )

 

I have a buddy that used to ride like that too (wasn't all that long ago either), it was like he was always about to crash but he never did.

 

I used to fight the big girls in the sand but once you ride something half the weight you wonder what the heck you were thinking..

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The first picture is me on a 69 Suzuki Savage that I did a lot of mods to. The crash photo was a friend on a Kawasaki 238 Greenstreak.

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Man, the name Savage was so much cooler than Duster. This was the first real motorcycle I ever rode. By the time I got to ride it though, my older brother had spanked it pretty badly. It had no clutch and I had to use a milk crate to start off because I couldn't reach the ground. There was some great youtube material there, all wasted! :grin:

 

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Pat

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Thanks for posting. I had not seen this. Good stuff.

 

He talked about the bbq in Marble after he did Schofield Pass. My friend and I can attest to it. We stopped there on my "Bucket Ride" on our way to Crystal Mill and then up Schofield and the Devils Punchbowl. Great brisket lunch. :thumbsup:

 

Brings back great memories of places I have ridden over the last 25 years. :grin:

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roadscholar

Quite a ride tale. I've been going the last 10 years and haven't seen all that, still chippin away at it tho : )

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roadscholar

Nice, I didn't know you had those. They would be good to show the moto-haters that some of us actually ride like model citizens. :grin:

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roadscholar

My main riding buddy Dave had shoulder surgery last Nov. and hasn't ridden since. He's been hitting therapy the past 5 months but was really concerned about getting back on a dirtbike. On a whim and because it was unseasonably cool we decided to do an easy re-acclimation ride. Also it rained yesterday which makes for nice conditions plus there were some trails I wanted to check out for next year's PB rally.

 

He was going to ride his 350exc and because I'd been thinking about selling mine, I wanted to ride it once more. You know, just to make sure : ) When I got to his house he was having trouble with his tubliss systems holding air so I suggested he ride the 690. Realizing it was buried deep in his trailer we decided to go back and get my little TE250, figuring we'd swap back and forth.

 

At the 1st stop he was laughing because the 250 was so much fun, and I didn't want to give up the 350, so we stayed put. At the end of the day he said it was just what he needed and way better than therapy, mental or physical. And the 350...what was I thinking : ) btw, a little birdie told me someone else around here might've just gotten one of those too..

 

Here's one longish segment. Dave's learning how to edit video so maybe he'll come up with something better in a few days, we'll see..

 

Cinco de Mayo back in the saddle ride

 

 

Edited by roadscholar
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And the 350...what was I thinking : ) btw, a little birdie told me someone else around here might've just gotten one of those too..

Well I just checked the mirror and no SEG, (shit eating grin) nope can't be me! :grin:

 

Made offers on these two but couldn't get to a comfortable dollar amount.

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Just goes to show you I'm a little confused on where I want to be. :dopeslap::grin:

 

Pat

 

 

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roadscholar
And the 350...what was I thinking : ) btw, a little birdie told me someone else around here might've just gotten one of those too..

Well I just checked the mirror and no SEG, (shit eating grin) nope can't be me! :grin:

 

 

Let's just say somebody's screen name is back in business. :grin:

 

Pat, DR650's are always around, nice WR's don't always come up often and when they do, tend to go quickly. They're out there tho just have to beat the bushes. As a do-all Colorado bike I like em, nothing's perfect but singletrack to Interstate is their range and although the outer edges might get a little ragged, a competent pilot can deal with it.

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Pat, DR650's are always around, nice WR's don't always come up often and when they do, tend to go quickly. They're out there tho just have to beat the bushes. As a do-all Colorado bike I like em, nothing's perfect but singletrack to Interstate is their range and although the outer edges might get a little ragged, a competent pilot can deal with it.

 

Appreciate the info Bill! :thumbsup:

 

Pat

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Got a buddy down here looking to unload two WR400's for cheap. One of them has a street title. He just bought a "new" leftover 2012 or 2013 WR450 for a great price and needs to make some room. If I wasn't in the middle of a kitchen remodel, I'd already have the street titled one in the garage.

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roadscholar

There's a guy named SingletrackJeff over in the panhandle that rides a DR650 like that. All his buddies have 500exc's and he has no trouble keeping up with them : )

 

And this guy, Mike from Tarpon Springs, he thinks it's a YZ or CR.

 

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Yeah, I bet there are few guys out there that could impress us with this old tech sledgehammer of a motorcycle! :grin:

 

What's your opinion on an east coast DR stock jet setting out ^^^^ west? I'd hate to be pulling a carb apart out on a trail somewhere.

 

You are right about the WR250, they appear to be an endangered specie at the dealerships up this way. Actually, they are selling every one they get. Kinda tells you something, I guess.

 

Pat

 

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roadscholar

 

What's your opinion on an east coast DR stock jet setting out ^^^^ west? I'd hate to be pulling a carb apart out on a trail somewhere.

 

 

It'll work good enough to get by but it's not optimum. Near the top of the big paved passes mine starts bogging at or near full throttle so I back off some and it's smooth again. But that's in a high gear at speed on a fairly steep climb like Monarch.

 

On trails at slower speeds it's fine but don't think I've had it much over 11k. Chris might have a better idea as it's his only bike there and he's been over some 12 and 13k passes on it, maybe he'll chime in.

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lawnchairboy

My little DR has been up and over 13k, bone stock. Engineer and Imogene. It chugged a bit over Imogene but did just fine. Been up engineer a couple of times now. That was coming from sea level. It lives in salida full time now, whip keeps race gas in it for the winter and rides it a it around town.

Edited by lawnchairboy
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Thanks for the info guys, that sounds good enough for me! :thumbsup:

 

I went up to the Yamaha shop this morning and was prepared to buy the WR they HAD last week but that train left the station already! :/ Never thought there would be such a demand on an eight year old designed 250 dualsport motorcycle.

 

Anyway, made a counter offer on the DR I mentioned earlier, not sure if he'll take it. $200.00 less than his first bottom price, we'll see.

 

Pat

 

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roadscholar

I forgot about last summer, Chris and I rode up to Sargent's Mesa on the CD to look at the war memorial Soldierstone. The official elevation is 11,730' but due to a bizarre space/time continuum anomaly we got separated up there (Chris followed the rules, I didn't) and I ended up over 12k. The bike ran like a champ, but I got lost awhile riding on the CD trail : ) Anyway seems like a good segway for a ride report, and btw this would make a good day ride/destination for any GS'ers coming thru Salida in July, it's all big bike friendly.

 

west side Monarch

 

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Doylesville cutoff

 

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When day riding in Colorado you want to have at least 150 mile range.

 

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For the record, there isn't 'sposed to be a bike in this picture : )

 

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This is quite a special and inspiring place and I thought Chris could appreciate it having dedicated a good bit of his life serving our country.

 

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On the way back thru the San Luis Valley I rode a ways up Hayden Pass but it got gnarly pretty quick and was getting late so I turned tail back to Villa Grove.

 

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I'm always amazed at the vastness of this valley

 

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When I rode CO last year my DR ran great 90% of the time. I had only added a .020 shim under the stock needle. Probably should not have had it in for the altitudes. It ran clean all the way up Engineer, Alpine Tunnel Rd and the speed run we did over Old Monarch Pass Rd. I think it must have recently been graded as it was easy to pin it in the lower gears. Seemed like a super highway. :rofl:

 

The only time it ran bad was going up Cottonwood Pass out of Buena Vista on the pavement. It doesn't take much throttle going up it and it acted like the ignition shut off regularly. The first time I thought, what the heck just happened. My friend behind me saw my head jerk forward. A really bad misfire or what. Not the feeling from a normal surge. It kept doing this all the way to the top. When going up Alpine Tunnel it ran great when on the gas. Something about low throttle opening without much load. When I got back to CA I pulled the plugs. It had been pretty rich and this was after we stopped in Utah and rode the Burr Trail at a pretty rapid pace. My only conclusion was it was getting way too much fuel and the plugs would misfire. Probably should not have the shim under the needle. My friend had a KTM needle in his and his did it just a little but not enough to throw you forward like you had hit the front brake or shut down the ignition. I just sold the bike and the carb is bone stock. New owner loves the way it runs and starts.

 

A DR is a great choice for CO roads. I just need something lighter or I would not have sold it. With my Cogent suspension fork and shock mods it rode great going up rocks like Engineer at the bottom portion. I would rather ride it than the WR250 that I took up Schofield and the "Devils Punchbowl" the year before as the increased torque helps an old slow poke like me get by.

 

In Buena Vista last year waiting to have dinner with another member here, John Ballantonio.

 

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Great stories guys! Doug, what's the deal with the slick looking taillight on your bike? I like that! :thumbsup:

 

Pat

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roadscholar
Doug, what's the deal with the slick looking taillight on your bike? I like that! :thumbsup:

 

Pat

 

Looks like the unit from a drz400e (non street legal) or drz250, which is probably a good idea as dr650 taillights are notorious for stress-cracking and eventually falling apart.

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Ah, looks more modern. :thumbsup:

 

Bill if you don't mind, how does 4k sound for this bike? It's a 2011 with 1400 miles.

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Pat

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lawnchairboy

Funny Doug, my DR really stumbled up cottonwood also, to the point that I thought I got a bad load of gas in BV a couple of years ago. I ran back down to salida and hopped on my GS and met the group on the back half of the loop in pitkin.

 

Turns out I missed a pretty good rain storm by doing that.....

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DR 250 light. May not be DOT?

 

For reference I sold my 2015 with 1600 miles for 6k. But the bike still had almost new tires (MT21 and TKC 80 rear) handguards, LED turns, skidplate, Supersprox with new Regina chain, and the pricey Warp 9 wheels, 3 1/2" wide on rear. I think I gave the buyer a more than fair price with the extras.

 

To me, the $4k sounds about right.

 

If you get it and would like a white Clarke tank with trick $95 cap (Vented without tube so tank bag fits great without a tube getting bent over and pinched) I have one for sale and an almost new MT21 rear tire for sale. Only parts left from the bike. Also, if you want any info on suspension stuff that really worked, let me know.

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roadscholar

I'd think so Pat, I see 03 to 06's people are asking 3500 or more for that are far more "used". It sounds fair plus they're fairly easy to move if need be.

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Unless it falls apart by Friday, I have a BLUE deal in Johnston! :thumbsup:

Bill, lunch on me! :clap:

 

Doug, thanks for the offer (tank and tires) but may not need them if this happens. :thumbsup:

 

Pat

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roadscholar

Sounds good, don't let it fall apart : )

 

Do you remember this guy? (Mr DR350)

 

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He went blue and you couldn't pry him off of it..

 

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I see he has Go Race suspension. I had them do my WR250 also. Or does he just have the stickers? :lurk:

 

Here's my DR350. Think this was near Animas Forks, 1993. This bike was great. I found out that the Honda CR250 had the same forks but with cartridges. So, I had RaceTech put cartridges in my DR. Not too many folks did this. The forks were great. :thumbsup: This was a '91 and I rode it for about 5 years.

 

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My WR outside of Salida

 

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roadscholar
I see he has Go Race suspension. I had them do my WR250 also. Or does he just have the stickers? :lurk:

 

Here's my DR350. Think this was near Animas Forks, 1993. This bike was great. I found out that the Honda CR250 had the same forks but with cartridges. So, I had RaceTech put cartridges in my DR. Not too many folks did this. The forks were great. :thumbsup: This was a '91 and I rode it for about 5 years.

 

 

No it already had the suspension done when he got it from another local, Nick. Nick went orange and got a new 6 days 350, guess it's a progression..

 

I still have a soft spot for DR350's, somehow ended up with four at once a few years ago, down to two now, '98 and '99 (they had the drz400 front forks).

 

This one had stock gearing and couldn't make the climb in 1st (MSTIL, it's leaning on a rock) and I fried the clutch but was able to ride it back down and the 40 miles to camp w/o using it. Dave (Mr DR350) told me to try it the next day when it was cold and sure nuff it's worked fine ever since. (We lowered the gearing the next day too). Somehow I'm not sure a KTM could manage that : )

 

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btw Doug you'd love this trail it's Quakey Mtn Tr (singletrack), goes from Sargent's to Black Sage Pass, check it out.

 

 

 

 

 

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roadscholar

That's kinda how I feel about Schofield > Marble, now which way is easier, down or up I can't remember?

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We went up it from Marble on the WR's. Maybe harder but I hate downhills. The guy's dogging two new GS1200ADV's down with street tires we saw might not agree. I have always preferred going up stuff. Don't know why they call it the "Devils Punchbowl"? Great seasonal bbq place in Marble. :thumbsup: Actually there is a rocky section between Marble and Crystal Mill that I thought was as technical as going up Schofield. But, then I had not ridden for 9 years.

 

When you are coming up Engineer near the top there is a section that looks really steep. When I saw it again last year I thought I'm going to hate coming back down. Well the DR went right up it in 2nd. When I came back down, just before the hail and rain we got in, I got down aways and said where the heck was the steep part? Well, I had been thru it. The big DR goes downhill great, especially with all the suspension mods from Cogent I installed. Actually I felt Engineer has become more technical than it was 20 years ago but is fairly easy after the first 4 miles coming up out of Ouray. Quite a few rocky steps. I just had to convince myself to attack the rocky step spots a little harder.

 

I have not been over Pearl Pass. Hear that can be exciting. :P

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I missed out on a local DR350 a few years ago. It was a garage queen that hadn't been ridden in years, but looked pristine. It was the first year with the electric start. Guy couldn't get it started and was asking $500. I had a crisis at work I had to tend to that slowed me down by about an hour. I pulled up to his house just as another guy was loading it into his trailer. I was bummed about it for weeks.....still kind of bummed. Thought it would be a blast for tooling around on.

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I missed out on a local DR350 a few years ago.

I'm kinda in that holding pattern until Friday. No deposit just a verbal deal on a pristine WR that Bill found for me up this way. :thumbsup:(man he's good!) :grin:

 

Know what you mean though, stinks missing out on those great deals! :(

 

Pat

 

 

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Do you remember this guy? (Mr DR350)

 

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That would be Dave, I believe? I think Jim has a better memory of him though! :/

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Good to hear that! :thumbsup:

 

Pat

 

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roadscholar
I have always preferred going up stuff.

 

When you are coming up Engineer near the top there is a section that looks really steep. When I saw it again last year I thought I'm going to hate coming back down. Well the DR went right up it in 2nd. When I came back down, just before the hail and rain we got in, I got down aways and said where the heck was the steep part? Well, I had been thru it. The big DR goes downhill great, especially with all the suspension mods from Cogent I installed. Actually I felt Engineer has become more technical than it was 20 years ago but is fairly easy after the first 4 miles coming up out of Ouray. Quite a few rocky steps. I just had to convince myself to attack the rocky step spots a little harder.

 

I have not been over Pearl Pass. Hear that can be exciting. :P

 

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I ran into these guys in town and again at the steep climb on Engineer, they were loaded down and didn't think their 1st gears were low enough to make it so they turned back. While I was there another guy on a new Aprilia 450 with brand new gear tried it. He kept wheelie-ing in 1st trying to get rolling. Finally I told him to slip the clutch and I'd push him. It was all or nothing but he made it : )

 

Engineer has gotten more technical in about the 6 year span I've done it. My take is the 4wheelers and side by sides (they have roughly 10 times the contact patch of a motorcycle) loosen the dirt with wheelspin and rain washes it away leaving you know what. Jeeps not as much because they have to go a lot slower.

 

This was summer before last. There were some steps I had to go down (no pics) and was sure the suspension was going to bottom but it didn't, I decided going down wasn't so bad : )

 

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I don't have any pics from last year except movies. Don't know how to bag a frame. We find the most pics and video do not show how really steep some spots can be. I would do Engineer again but not sure I would do Schofield again. Most of the time, once moving the big DR went up in second the way it was geared. Both of us were down one on the counter, but I was up 2 in the rear. It was obvious mine went up much easier then my neighbors DR. I'm also about 70 lbs lighter than he was.

 

I think I recognize some of those rocks, or do they all look alike :dopeslap: I don't know if I will ever get to ride CO again, but would be fun to try with a KTM.

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roadscholar

I think I recognize some of those rocks, or do they all look alike :dopeslap:

 

I don't know if I will ever get to ride CO again, but would be fun to try with a KTM.

Probably both.

 

You've done it on really good suspension and I hadn't until I rode a Husky 250 last Fall. The stock WR is pretty good but this was an eye opener, I'm taking the 400exc this year, your 350 would be fantastic.

 

I thought I'd get by okay on the little DR and did but jeez what a difference. These are our guys and dhanson from 3 years ago.

 

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