Dirtbike Bros: Dunning Kruger does dirt

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n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

Accidentally killing the bike in the air and hoping you don't lawn dart isn't much fun. You guys should go out to the DOONZ and practice jumping. Probably the best place to practice being in the air with as minimal consequences possible.

# ¿ Mar 18, 2014 20:02

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# ¿ May 13, 2024 09:35

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

Video plz.

# ¿ Mar 24, 2014 20:01

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

Wow, it didn't sound like you shut the throttle much off the jump. Did you seat bounce yourself accidentally or something?

# ¿ Mar 25, 2014 21:25

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

YZ250s don't need jetting messed with unless you're like some pro racer dude trying to get every last .1 hp. The 03+ YZ250 has a throttle position sensor in the carb and I rode it from 20F - 100F without any changes to jetting. You can probably find people to ride with on thumpertalk (warning they are fat/slow).

# ¿ Apr 27, 2014 06:54

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

Guni posted:

Hey goons,

Wondering if anyone can help/offer advice etc:

Was casually (heh) riding along on my 2010 Husqy TE 250, go to change down from 4th to 3rd (was only doing about 60KM/h) and the bike stalls out, but the engine kicks back in (sort of let the clutch out at the time it stalled out), anywho, that's all cool, poo poo happens, but wait! About 20m down the road the bike completely stops (held the clutch in and immediately stopped).

I then try to electric start the bike and nothings happening - I can hear the battery/starter motor/whatever working, but absolutely nothing from the engine, keep trying for a couple of goes and it fires up! How weird is that? Oh, what's that? It stalls out again? ... that's very weird.

After that, I tried the kickstarter, holy gently caress it's seized...and the bike still hasn't been started...

I'm thinking the engine is seized?

Tbh, I'm pretty pissed - I ride the fucker hard, but it's always had oil changes + services + air filter cleaned often at the right intervals and such.

The real kick in the nuts? It's only done 1730KM...

I don't remember where I argued recently about how 4T race motors don't like getting miles piled on them. This post would be a good I told you so.

DrakeriderCa posted:

So it turns out I'm dumb and don't know how to ride a dirt bike. I have a cheap chinese 4-stroke 250 enduro that's got an appropriate level of power for me but my buddy convinced me to try his YZ250F.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHofqBu5jP4

I sprained my wrist and broke a bone in my hand although it doesn't look much like it in the video. Any good resources on where to learn how not to do this again?

Should use this post as the reason why you shouldn't buy a YZ250 as your first dirtbike...

# ¿ May 6, 2014 22:46

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

Silver posted:

Ah ok, yeah didn't know that boiling over - lose brakes. Yeah mine get really hot and lock up. I just rebuilt the rear master so fluid is new basically. I adjusted them before this and it did it, so then lowered the lever and it did it again, might have to just lower it some more I guess. Thinking I'm just dragging my toe when sitting and it's causing the brakes to overheat. When they lock up the rear disk and whatnot is hot as poo poo. I'll adjust again, would like to find a good middle ground as before this was happening and the reason I adjusted was because they were fine when sitting but when standing I have to really stab deep with my toe to get on the rear brake. Trial and error.

Did you rebuild the MC yourself or did someone competent help you?

I'd wager you've got caliper issues.

# ¿ Jun 21, 2014 17:46

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

Gullous posted:

I hope you resolve that issue, Zool!

Here's a quick clip of me riding the 350. I had a minor case of whiskey throttle when I cased a triple.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9RLw3uLwGA

I still get pretty bad arm pump after a few laps. Besides exercise and stretching, I think 'm not gripping the bike with my legs as much as I should. Something to work on...

Dude you gotta stop chopping the throttle and landing on your front tire.

# ¿ Jul 17, 2014 21:29

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

I don't have much experience working with 4t top ends but timing being off by any amount doesn't work well. Valves going loose in a short period of time also seems totally wrong. If it was me I'd find a decent mechanic to spend an hour looking it over.

# ¿ Jul 29, 2014 15:52

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

You could do a compression test first. A lazy man's leakdown test.

# ¿ Jul 29, 2014 23:16

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

Zool posted:

Overshot the landing on a pretty big jump this weekend. I bottomed out hard and sprained an ankle. I suppose that's a sign I should turn up the compression damping a bit (sag is set correctly).

Yah definitely a bike setup problem.

# ¿ Aug 11, 2014 16:47

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

There is no amount of compression setting in the universe that will keep you from casing your bike if you land flat. You could go to heavier springs but that will present more problems if you aren't ready for them.

# ¿ Aug 12, 2014 01:52

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

Gullous posted:

I was happy with my start for the 2nd moto, but being a noob in "open misc", I got passed immediately.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-N2EbiO_GU

Good job in the video - at least the first few minutes I watched. Your riding looks safe if nothing else in this video. Last one you posted you looked like you'd die at any moment.

# ¿ Aug 13, 2014 08:20

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

Drum brakes are typically pretty on/off. The position of the lever looks like it's a bit above the peg which isn't how most people set it up. Put the brake lever in line with the foot peg and that should help a little. You can also adjust the actuation of the rear drum so the friction point is a little lower down.

# ¿ Sep 2, 2014 17:08

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

VTNewb posted:

Went downhill mountain biking with a friend yesterday. He overjumped the last jump and broke his spine, cracked three ribs, broke his jaw, pushed all his teeth forward, collapsed a lung and punctured the other. What is it about the last run of the day?

Pretty sure if you do that on the first run of the day it's your last run of the day.

# ¿ Sep 29, 2014 23:22

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

Where da crash at?

# ¿ Oct 19, 2014 21:20

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

Tell her to get some whitespace between her paragraphs - thnx.

# ¿ Nov 21, 2014 04:45

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

Contemplating trying to buy a 250 4T motocross bike. Probably not going to worry about riding trails, just a little DOONZ bike. I always rode my YZ450F better than my YZ250 but I'm thinking I don't need the power of the 450. What should I buy? Anyone spied any deals out in WA that look good?

# ¿ Nov 24, 2014 15:42

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

That looks like a real hoot. Your riding since the last video has improved like mad. Your life didn't flash before my eyes even once. Looks to me like it's now really time to work on your cornering/line selection.

# ¿ Dec 1, 2014 21:24

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

DOONZ: a 250 starting out is probably fine. Everything else you'll want to start smaller. The best 'all around' bike is a 4t 250 - but buyer beware when buying any used dirtbike. Be prepared to spend a lot on fixing things. Don't delay valves/pistons/etc unless you like selling bikes in pieces on ebay.

# ¿ Jan 15, 2015 06:30

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

A 2 stroke will flat out make you a better rider, that being said, a 2 stroke will take more time to learn how to ride properly. I'd say you want a WR / X / trail model if you think you'll be keeping the wheels on the ground. If you think you'll be jumping, you want the YZ / R / etc version of the bikes that are out there.

Stuff that is harder with a two stroke:
The powerband requires a lot more use of the clutch - especially when riding slowly and cornering. The idea that your clutch is actually your throttle is much more relevant with a 2T bike. You keep the bike on the pipe and you slip the clutch to moderate your speed.

Jumping is tougher on a 2T bike, because there is very little engine braking on a 2T the bike will stay at the same angle you go off the jump at. The front of a 4T bike will start to drop right away because of the engine braking the rear wheel has - this is a much easier to control - if your nose starts dropping too much you just gas it to bring the front up. If you jump nose up on a 2T bike it will stay nose up unless you slow the rear wheel - by pulling the clutch and hitting the rear brake in the air - which is easier said that done. The best is when you accidentally kill the bike mid air, and you just lawn dart your front end into the ground.

I'd be much more willing to buy a cheap 2T bike as they are far far easier/cheaper to service. There is a lot less that can go wrong, and even a relative amateur mechanic can do basically anything until you're at the point where you need to split the cases. If I was going to buy a 4T dirtbike I'd want to be in the $3000 - $4000 range and buying a bike that has clearly not been ridden much. Right off the bat you can get on top of the maintenance and stay on top of it. You'll probably want to have a real mechanic checking the bike / working on the bike from time to time. You can do the basics, but having someone that knows what a loose cam chain looks like, can leakdown check a bike easily, etc etc is much more important.

The best path imho is to start on a 125 2T - they are cheap and easy to maintain. Do a compression test and that's about all you really need to do. I started out on a 125 and I rode DOONZ (albeit pretty small DOONZ) and it did just fine. A paddle tire on a 125 for places with small dunes can be fun as poo poo. It won't cost you much to get into it, and it won't be so fast as to get you into trouble. A 125, especially on dirt, is still a pretty fast bike, especially if you've never ridden offroad. If you stick with it step up into the relatively expensive 250 4T bike after that.

# ¿ Jan 15, 2015 17:19

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

You should probably take the head off. A bike seizing is going to be loving poo poo up.

# ¿ May 2, 2015 17:00

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

cursedshitbox posted:

I'd run it.

Is there any coolant passage O rings or other associated fuckery between the case halves?

It was stationary. I have ultra lovely sloppy joints that saved my rear end. Had to get my manager to lift the fucker off me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY8RvOb3ED4
and a video of jumping off a little ledge.

You really should consider getting a bike that is suited for what you're trying to do there. You're lucky you didn't faceplant on that little drop.

# ¿ Jun 8, 2015 16:59

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

A DRZ is going to be much more capable offroad.

# ¿ Jun 16, 2015 17:30

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

Flip the camera.

# ¿ Jul 9, 2015 13:39

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

Washougal looks like a great track for someone with limited MX skills. Wish I still had a dirtbike and a place like that close to me.

# ¿ Aug 29, 2015 14:03

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

Moses is far better than Mattawa.

# ¿ Nov 20, 2015 04:16

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

Never heard of it. The site appears to also sell herbalife supplements, so they aren't against selling bullshit. Return it - don't see why it'd be appreciably better than a stock lever.

# ¿ Feb 4, 2017 04:42

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

If you want an easier clutch pull, get a hydraulic clutch - I believe there are aftermarket retrofit kits.

# ¿ Feb 5, 2017 00:08

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

Doonz are an idiot honeypot. In the states everyone is supposed to run flags which may or may not have helped.

# ¿ Feb 8, 2017 06:49

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

Slim Pickens posted:

Is anyone in Washington planning on doing the Desert 100 this year?

http://stumpjumpers.org/desert100/

I've never done it before, but I hear it's fun, if not a kick in the rear end as well. I'm considering the ironman poker run and the 50 mile race, but again, I have no idea what I'm in for.

Pretty legit terrain, I recall the start being a total shitshow. I tapped out at 50 miles, I didn't see the point in doing another lap. If you're slow consider the poker run, lots of speed differential / aggro bros and you could get nailed by lap traffic - the fast guys are crazy fast. I may go this year, but it will be the poker run if I go. You could have just as much fun going to moses or other sand riding areas.

# ¿ Feb 26, 2017 04:57

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

Do you not have barends?

# ¿ Aug 17, 2017 22:17

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

Anyone in the PNW want to buy a WR450F?
https://wenatchee.craigslist.org/mcy/6305792982.html

# ¿ Sep 14, 2017 20:36

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

kloa posted:

Buddy of mine was looking to sell his DRZ and get a WR450.

I'll do the needful and pass it along!

I might be into a trade, I'm dumb enough to own a DRZ twice. I've got a guy that wants to swap with a KLR, but I think his bike is worth about $500 less than mine so I'm probably going to pass.

# ¿ Sep 19, 2017 19:05

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

Hump the tank.

# ¿ Sep 22, 2017 22:00

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

How much offroad riding experience do you have?

Anything beyond mild dirt roads sounds miserable 2 up.

# ¿ Oct 30, 2017 07:13

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

Ride a lightweight bike and have your GF drive an offroad capable Jeep or something similar as a sag wagon. If you insist on doing two up, get out there and put a few days in doing offroad 2up before you actually start the trail.

Given that you're contemplating putting DRZ forks on your FZ09 and a longer shock, I've gotta really question if you're qualified to do this ride (don't do this it won't work).

Edit: 200 miles per day offroad is totally unrealistic as well.

Edit2: IRC is telling me to encourage you to try to modify your FZ09 and go that route for the comedy. So I change all my answers. Please just make a thread about all of it so you can prove me wrong.

n8r fucked around with this message at 19:24 on Oct 30, 2017

# ¿ Oct 30, 2017 19:22

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

Make a thread when you start on this trip. We can have a pool for how far you will make it and which tendon in your knee you tear first trying to stop a slow speed drop with your GF on the back.

# ¿ Oct 30, 2017 22:53

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

So have you ever ridden two up off-road? You should just do the road trip thing and if you want to do it on an adv bike, go for it.

# ¿ Oct 31, 2017 06:33

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

Walmart parking lots are not roads, hence off-road.

I feel like this tat trip was mostly an excuse to buy a bike which is cool. Then you go buy a dct? Shame.

# ¿ Nov 3, 2017 20:53

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# ¿ May 13, 2024 09:35

n8r: Jul 3, 2003; I helped Lowtax become a cyborg and all I got was this lousy avatar

FAT CURES MUSCLES posted:

DCT is fine and fun . Still has flappy paddles if I want to use manual mode, the only thing I need to get used to is slow speed turning when you usually feather the clutch but I think judical use of the back brake is required.

Please post your trip report here instead of advrider when you go.

# ¿ Nov 6, 2017 05:29

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