Group ride this weekend

[frostbite]

I'll be going on a group ride this weekend with some DS guys. Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha's all around (except for me of course). I'll try to take some pic's and post a ride report (new forum perhaps?). We're hitting our local military base, Camp Gagetown.

Google Map of area:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...51116,0.171661

Base www site:

http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/cfb_gagetown/

I just hope I can keep up.

[ImEazy]

Sounds like fun. I look forward to a ride report. I'm still looking for
someone to ride with. Best of luck to ya...

[tzrider]

I just hope I can keep up.

Yeah, that would be my worry with a bunch of 250s, 350s, and or 600s. Lots of pix and a ride report! I STILL haven't gotten out on any sort of longish ride with mine. I'm always interested in said subjects.

[frostbite]

I'm back. While I get the brick surgically removed from my backside here's a quick summary:

~100km off-road, ~100km on
Dumped it 4-5 times (lousy tires + sketchy riding skills = ouch!)
1 bent brake lever
Several fresh scratches
Tossed the chain ( its official - the chains _ARE_ crap )
Lost 1 bolt on the front exhaust shield

I didn't break at thing! It wasn't from lack of trying though. Some nasty, nasty trails - mud, dirt, grass, water, gravel, rocks - oh the rocks. A regular buffet of terrain. I'll post some picks and a bit of a ride report soon. I'll be giving the bike a once over in the next few days since I rode it pretty hard.

[tzrider]

Sounds like fun. Glad to hear she didn't break! I haven't taken the Diamo into anything that rough. The stiff suspension might not be too great. I have ridden my Jenching on some pretty gnarly single track woods trails, buried it in mud up to the base gasket, have jumped it a lot over MX style jumps, etc, to the point of bottoming the shock. It has taken everything I could dish out to it. It's got softer plastic bits, more off road oriented than the Diamo.

I do need some bark busters before I go to the woods again. And, yeah, I got to buy an O ring chain. I do have a brand new 428 chain out in the shop, but it's not an O ring. Won it at a race one weekend. Figure I'll use it on an XR or something.

[culcune]

I was talking the other week to Bruce Matty of EJ Cycles in Ohio who deals in Chinese bikes (his link is on the LF200GY Group site). We were talking about the stuff that gets broken, and he put it into perspective that these bikes aren't meant for the heavy off-road stuff. At least not stock.

However, they seem to hold up pretty well on the few rides I have read about (this one and the 340 miles roundtrip on Thumpertalk).

[frostbite]

I've posted my pics in the gallery and provided comments for each.

http://www.chinariders.net/gallery2/...?g2_itemId=420

I suggest starting at the first pic and hitting 'next' to view them in order.

[culcune]

The wet ground should have been the first clue that you'd be in for a bumpy ride.... 8O

[tzrider]

I'd like to have one of those water filters. I just use halazone tablets. Mix, wait 20 minutes before you drink.

Check out this link. This is how they did it in the fifties.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29723

[culcune]

See, they really didn't 'walk' both ways to school in waist deep snow uphill for 10 miles....they rode Harleys!

[tzrider]

I like this shot. The penalties to be paid for a miss step....

[ImEazy]

Looks like you had a good time Frostbite.
Thanks for the report and pics.

Question: Did you run normal air pressure
in your tires or did you let some out? I
noticed that when using around 30psi in
mine it is harder to get through the mud
without slipping and sliding. The last time
I went out I dropped them to 20psi and
they worked alot better. Just curious. It
will be a while before I can afford better
tires and I'm trying to make these work
for now. I need to get a pump of some
kind so I can reair them to 30psi before
returning to the road. Luckily I'm only
a few minutes from the trails.

[frostbite]

Question: Did you run normal air pressure
in your tires or did you let some out?

I run about 25psi in the rear; the front around 28. I would like to run much lower pressures but I'm afraid of turning a tube and ripping a valve stem. I suppose rim locks and better quality tubes would alleviate this.

I'm no experienced dirt rider either. This is my first motorcycle; before this I was strictly an ATV rider. There is a lot more planning and skill involved when trail riding on 2 wheels and I have much to learn. Couple that with 'questionable' tires and it was hair-raising to say the least.

For my next 'serious' off-road outing:

- new chain
- new tires
- rim locks and quality tubes
- practice!

[culcune]

I hear you on the practice! Around Yuma, we don't have much in the way of dirt, but it's all sand, like trying to ride through a Southern California beach, but without the babes, cool weather (now), or ocean. I rode down the street to a place nicknamed "Jackrabbit" which is an open sand area with small hills, jumps, etc. Mostly its a place to get to quickly, especially if your driving a 4 x 4 and don't feel like driving to the Imperial Sand Dunes. Many a quad is there on the weekends.

I just got back from a slow run through there, and forgot what a bitch it is to ride through sand. The bike seems to want to throw you off first twitch. I didn't mess around with air pressure as I just pulled off there on a whim from my street riding. I need lots of practice on sand, to say the least!

[culcune]

TZ, I forgot to thank you for the link to those really cool shots of the Harleys. It's amazing what they can do these days with special effects and digital photography, lol