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2010 brings a new year to all of us, but for me it means a fresh start in many ways. 2009 was full of “change” (ugh…do i hate that mantra now). Regardless, I’m back on the keyboard!

I’m going to get caught up on the authoring stuff due to the many things that have been going on in my little world:
Dirt bike (now dirt bikes)
Suspension stuff
Getting “unmarried”
Off-roading: the 4-wheel version
Driving the Rubicon Trail
P90x
Racing in the Baja 1000
Crashing the dirt bike in a bed of cacti (friggin’ yesterday)

Right now, with few exceptions, life is good and the plan is to share that now that I have things fairly well sorted.

Happy trails and lets have a great (well…better) 2009.

AB

Hmmm…unfortunately it looks that way.  There are two recent articles in the Motoczysz ‘club’ that lead me to think the C1 will be part of motorcycle history before it ever made its official production debut.  Having visited their operations back in 2006 and always being a quiet cheerleader for their efforts, I am saddened at this apparent news.  Spare me the I told you so’s as the task at hand for one guy was immeasurable - but he still had the sack to try.  For that, Michael Czysz will always have my admiration as an innovator.

Ckeck it out:

The last blog entry in its entirety…

The likely straw that broke the camel’s back…

As I accelerated down the straight, I

Four of us are heading to Virginia City, NV to run the local off-road GP.  Why?  I have no idea.  We’re not going to win.  Its twelve hours away.  And its about three times longer than I have ridden at once in twenty years (granted, its open two-track versus single-track).

Its probably going to be around 120 miles and probably 5-6 laps.  We figure, based on the past results, that the race will last about four hours.  After so many of the actual fast guys finish, they end the race with all participants finishing the current lap.

Every year the track is a little different in terms of route and lap length.  Another guess is that the laps will be around twently

I just found out that a friend of mine who has helped me out with parts for my ‘06 YZ450F is involved with a local motocross / desertcross track called Grinding Stone Sports Park.  I haven’t been there yet, but oddly enough I was planning on going there this month to break my MX cherry.  I was told (before knowing his affiliation with the track) that this is an excellent all around track for all talent levels.

Here is the schedule with one race already in the books:

Round 1 - January 24-25
Round 2 - April 4-5
Round 3 - May 23-24
Round 4 - October 10-11
Round 5 - November 7-8
Round 6 - December 19-20

The official schedule on their website is here.

My

Kids are smarter than politicians.

 I’m not going to rewrite an excellent article on the subject here.  Check it out and thanks Malcolm.

I’m not big on State and Ferderal taxes and/or fees. That said, as a BLM and a State Trust land user, I have happily paid my usage permit fees over the years under the assumption that my fees were assisting in maintaining and supporting the land usage(s). Well, in AZ for the State Trust land that assumption is WRONG!

My riding buddy was given a form letter when he was at a local OHV park by a park ranger. It rambled on a while about our current dust concern and its negative impact on the air quality, then came the kicker - all of the State Trust land usage permit revenue goes into the State’s general fund.

From that point forward in

No, that is not a typo.  Both of my YZ450 fork seals were leaking a couple of rides back and I actually fixed the problem without the costly process (time and/or money) of replacing them.  These fork seals were replaced ust after I bought the bike so that I would have a fresh start and a ‘known’.

How?  Check it out:

Its similar material to mylar and it purpose is to clean the inner surface of the fork seal from debris, etc.  35mm film has been rumored to work as well. 

I could go through the whole process of documenting the how-to process, but its laredy very nicely done at the SEAL MATE website.  The Cliff’s Notes version is simple

1. pull down the dust
   Keep reading >>

See… this is a play in words.  This exact Bill was defeated this week in the House falling TWO votes short of the two-thirds needed.  Good news right?  Nope.  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid stuffed the exact same Bill in the Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Battlefield Acquisition Grant Program as an ammendment - a friggin’ 1300 page ammendment.  I’m guessing as many politicians will read it as did the Stimulus Bill from Pelosi/Obama - ZERO.

Idiots.

This is what happens when feel good democrats are in charge.  All of us off-roaders: 2-wheel, 3-wheel, quad, jeepers, and sand rails need to come together and send an overwhelming message to our U.S. Senators and our Senate Leadership.  The House defeated the Bill yet

Since I have recently mastered the art of changing tires manually, I have a whole collection of extra valve stem caps and cores. This experience, of course, is due to my penchant for pinch flats on the dirt bike. I am hoping that $200 later and front + rear Tubliss systems that will be something of the past.

Probably five years ago, I made a valve core tool by using a metal valve stem cap with the slotted end and a YZF750 connecting rod bolt. The threads were not the same pitch and by forcing them together…well…its a permanent tool.

I have looked for that damn tool for a couple years now and probably two dedicated searches of the

I don’t know about you, but four years seems like a long time. :)  I would personally like to thank all of the contributors who knock out articles and the visitors who read them.  And how do I pay my respect?  Let the hosting contract expire!  Sad, but true.

Over the past four years, there have been about 600,000 unique visitors and several million page visits.  Admittedly, I haven’t been quite the author as in the past.  Its kind of tough now that I’m riding no more than once a week out in the dirt.  When I was commuting two wheels daily, it was easy to knock out an article about the stupid shit that I saw on the road.  But now