We picked up Wilson's new 99 CR250R on Thursday night and Friday morning my
buddy Brandon calls asking if he can come up and play. Wilson suggests
Brasstown Possum Trails in Murphy, NC because he wants to try it out on some
tame MX and the last time we were at Rockcrusher (Just up the road in
Hiawassee, GA and home of what is perennially called the Mudcrusher race as
part of the SORCS series) everything was peaked out SX style with huge drops
between the jumps.
Brandon brought his son Landon who rides Travis's old TTR90 and we had both
of my boys. Travis wanted to take the KX85 and the 220 Bayou as he totally
lost interest in riding the bikes but has really been having a ball on the
quad lately.
Nobody answered at BPT, email bounced and no returned call from the
messages, so we hit Rockcrusher and man am I glad we did. I've been there a
couple of times right after the races and just had a tough time finding
trails because of all the intersecting trails from previous races created
lots of dead ends, etc. This time, the course was still marked for the most
part and in really good shape (OK, so I like it a little gnarly)
The track still just doesn't do it for me....the 2 jumps that I did like
(big step up at the end of a long uphill, and a really sweet tabletop) both
now had an extra SX style moonshot in front of the old jump. Found out the
hard way because I didn't take a site lap and realized my mistake in midair
then plowed nose first into the face of the old table ramp. Stupid move on
my part!
Anyway, we take off to find some trails and hit the gate outside the parking
area and before too far, I'm seeing SORCS arrows and we pick up the race
course. The ground is still slightly damp from the dew, so there is no dust,
but as I'm flying over these massive spiderwebs of exposed roots I am very
thankful that it hadn't rained in a few days! We follow this as it twists
and turns up and down hills for a while and the roots and ruts are just
pounding Landon on the little bike so I suggest we cut across the field
where everybody parks for the races and try the field on the opposite side
of the parking lot road that I had seen a couple of years back as a
spectator. Excellent choice!
We flew through the field and once again saw SORCS arrows but they looked
pretty beaten and worn so not sure if this section was used for the recent
race or not. Turned out to be a killer loop with great flow and lots of
variety in the terrain, steep rocky uphills, fast sections and a few
technical downhills. We played a lot of tortoise and hare games waiting on
folks to catch up, but I found out quickly that the biggest thing limiting
Wilson's advancement in riding skills was an underpowered bike. Usually I
have to stop and wait for him to catch up and occasionally provide
assistance on hill climbs....not so today as he was breathing down my neck
at every turn and flying up the hills. Travis rode sweep on the quad and
kept up just fine considering the 20 year old Bayou is sporting the factory
OEM tires that now have less than a half inch of tread remaining. (I can't
believe those things are worn out with only 20 years worth of riding on
them!) He did get stuck in one big mud puddle where he picked a line through
the deepest part of the slime. But other than that he rode awesome!
After we got back to the truck, and were taking a break for snacks and
drinks, the only other riders out there today come up from riding nack in
the woods.It's a family of 4 with the kids riding little bikes (fully geared
up) and Mom & Dad riding big utility quads with sneakers and those fancy
clear helmets. Guess you don't need a lid while riding on one of those big
monsters because they can't possibly roll over....right?
Everybody loved the previous route so we mount up to tackle it again. About
halfway around I swap bikes with Wilson to see what all the grinning is
about and holy cow was I surprised! I knew the CR would be good at the track
but had a few reservations about its woods ability without a few mods, but
man that thing simply rocked no matter the terrain! It is very nimble and
tracks like a dream. The suspension is set up pretty stiff but it soaked up
whatever came my way without getting all twitchy. The power is simply to die
for and it has grunt from the very bottom all the way through to the top.
That was the most surprising of all as I was expecting a high-strung MX bike
that would require high revs and a lot of clutch work on some of the hills,
but it chugged uphill like a freight train. About 5 miles was all he gave me
before he repossessed his steed.
Landon was slap worn out by the time we got back this time so after a rest,
and they needed to head back to Atlanta before too long so I suggested that
just the 3 big bikes take one more loop. Brandon decided that he had enough
too and opted to kick back with the boys while Wilson and I wicked it up a
notch. This started out the most fun of the day. He still can't hang right
with the old man, but he's not far off the pace. We had made it about a 1.5
miles in and started up the first real climb when I notice a piece of blue
plastic that hadn't been there before. A little farther up I see what looks
like one of my orange tie-downs and then a few tools scattered about. Turns
out that Travis had lost the toolbox lid off the quad and had bounced the
rest of the contents out climbing up the hill. I threw the tools in my
camelback and used the strap to tie the lid to my handlebars and we set off
again...at a little slower pace since the lid isn't keen to stay put. I had
told Wilson to go on up the hill while I strapped up and when I got to the
top, he wasn't there. I rode for another couple of miles and never did see
him. About the time it started sprinkling I saw him coming towards me on a
long straightaway. Seems he took a left towards Albuquerque somewhere and
got off on the wrong trail. We had only gone a little ways when the bottom
literally fell out.
It's raining like crazy but the traction is decent and we motor on. We came
up on the 2 downhill sections that were steep, but a breeze earlier in the
day. Now they are flowing with a river of red mud about 4 inches deep. The
first one is a slippery switchback and we make it down fine. The second is
just straight down about a hundred yards with a sharp left-hander at the
bottom. I manage to creep down without too much drama and look back just in
time to see Wilson's back tire pass his front and him do a downhill superman
dismount. There was no walking up the trail, it was as slick as ice so I
made my way through the woods and over to his bike. The left handlebar was
jammed into the ground and it provided an anchor to hold us on the hill, but
there was no way we are going to pick the bike up. Every time I tried my
feet would slip and I'd wind up holding on to the bars with one hand while
the rest of me hung off in a great impression of Sylvester Stallone in
Cliffhanger. I pulled myself up and decided to just raise the bar as much as
possible and slide the whole thing down the hill. I had just gotten the bar
loose when I lost footing again and the next thing I know, I am sliding 60
feet to the bottom of the hill in the middle of a red river that has
completely filled my boots. Get back up , walk up the hill and notice that
the clutch perch became a casualty in that last bit so I just drag it on
down to the bottom. I found a way that I could kind of hold the lever in a
certain position and get a little bit of leverage on the clutch cable so
Wilson jumps on the KDX and we head for the barn. The clutch work wasn't
pretty and it was sketchy a time or to, but we did finally make it back and
headed for home.
Tired, sore and grinning.....wouldn't change a thing if I had to do it all
over again.
Wilson just amazed me all day long on a brand new bike that is so much
bigger, heavier and powerful than anything he'd ever ridden. Travis
rekindled his love for riding. I don't care one bit if he rides a quad as
long as we get to spend time together on the trails.
Today was one long string of those priceless moments you get with your kids,
hope yours was just as memorable!
--
KW
aka DirtBikeDad (GOR, ADVRider, FRP, GA-MXRacing,
OCRA,KDXRider,SingleTrackPlanet)
aka GA-Spode (JustKDX, KTMTalk)
aka warrenmountain (Photobucket, TNRideReports, Thumpertalk)
03 Kawasaki KDX 220R
01 Kawasaki KX 85
'99 Honda CR250R
90 Kawasaki Bayou 220
03 Husky ZTH5221
Thanks for sharing, Keith!
I enjoyed the report, and am really glad that Wilson is taking so well
to the 250 2-stroke Honda. I can't wait to ride with him.
Tell Travis that I'm also looking forward to riding with him again.
(Esteban is too.)
Congratulations, Dad! I know what this means to you.
Good Riding!
Jim
**************************************************************************************
wrote:
>We picked up Wilson's new 99 CR250R on Thursday night and Friday morning my
>buddy Brandon calls asking if he can come up and play. Wilson suggests
>Brasstown Possum Trails in Murphy, NC because he wants to try it out on some
>tame MX and the last time we were at Rockcrusher (Just up the road in
>Hiawassee, GA and home of what is perennially called the Mudcrusher race as
>part of the SORCS series) everything was peaked out SX style with huge drops
>between the jumps.
>Brandon brought his son Landon who rides Travis's old TTR90 and we had both
>of my boys. Travis wanted to take the KX85 and the 220 Bayou as he totally
>lost interest in riding the bikes but has really been having a ball on the
>quad lately.
>Nobody answered at BPT, email bounced and no returned call from the
>messages, so we hit Rockcrusher and man am I glad we did. I've been there a
>couple of times right after the races and just had a tough time finding
>trails because of all the intersecting trails from previous races created
>lots of dead ends, etc. This time, the course was still marked for the most
>part and in really good shape (OK, so I like it a little gnarly)
>The track still just doesn't do it for me....the 2 jumps that I did like
>(big step up at the end of a long uphill, and a really sweet tabletop) both
>now had an extra SX style moonshot in front of the old jump. Found out the
>hard way because I didn't take a site lap and realized my mistake in midair
>then plowed nose first into the face of the old table ramp. Stupid move on
>my part!
>Anyway, we take off to find some trails and hit the gate outside the parking
>area and before too far, I'm seeing SORCS arrows and we pick up the race
>course. The ground is still slightly damp from the dew, so there is no dust,
>but as I'm flying over these massive spiderwebs of exposed roots I am very
>thankful that it hadn't rained in a few days! We follow this as it twists
>and turns up and down hills for a while and the roots and ruts are just
>pounding Landon on the little bike so I suggest we cut across the field
>where everybody parks for the races and try the field on the opposite side
>of the parking lot road that I had seen a couple of years back as a
>spectator. Excellent choice!
>We flew through the field and once again saw SORCS arrows but they looked
>pretty beaten and worn so not sure if this section was used for the recent
>race or not. Turned out to be a killer loop with great flow and lots of
>variety in the terrain, steep rocky uphills, fast sections and a few
>technical downhills. We played a lot of tortoise and hare games waiting on
>folks to catch up, but I found out quickly that the biggest thing limiting
>Wilson's advancement in riding skills was an underpowered bike. Usually I
>have to stop and wait for him to catch up and occasionally provide
>assistance on hill climbs....not so today as he was breathing down my neck
>at every turn and flying up the hills. Travis rode sweep on the quad and
>kept up just fine considering the 20 year old Bayou is sporting the factory
>OEM tires that now have less than a half inch of tread remaining. (I can't
>believe those things are worn out with only 20 years worth of riding on
>them!) He did get stuck in one big mud puddle where he picked a line through
>the deepest part of the slime. But other than that he rode awesome!
>After we got back to the truck, and were taking a break for snacks and
>drinks, the only other riders out there today come up from riding nack in
>the woods.It's a family of 4 with the kids riding little bikes (fully geared
>up) and Mom & Dad riding big utility quads with sneakers and those fancy
>clear helmets. Guess you don't need a lid while riding on one of those big
>monsters because they can't possibly roll over....right?
>Everybody loved the previous route so we mount up to tackle it again. About
>halfway around I swap bikes with Wilson to see what all the grinning is
>about and holy cow was I surprised! I knew the CR would be good at the track
>but had a few reservations about its woods ability without a few mods, but
>man that thing simply rocked no matter the terrain! It is very nimble and
>tracks like a dream. The suspension is set up pretty stiff but it soaked up
>whatever came my way without getting all twitchy. The power is simply to die
>for and it has grunt from the very bottom all the way through to the top.
>That was the most surprising of all as I was expecting a high-strung MX bike
>that would require high revs and a lot of clutch work on some of the hills,
>but it chugged uphill like a freight train. About 5 miles was all he gave me
>before he repossessed his steed.
>Landon was slap worn out by the time we got back this time so after a rest,
>and they needed to head back to Atlanta before too long so I suggested that
>just the 3 big bikes take one more loop. Brandon decided that he had enough
>too and opted to kick back with the boys while Wilson and I wicked it up a
>notch. This started out the most fun of the day. He still can't hang right
>with the old man, but he's not far off the pace. We had made it about a 1.5
>miles in and started up the first real climb when I notice a piece of blue
>plastic that hadn't been there before. A little farther up I see what looks
>like one of my orange tie-downs and then a few tools scattered about. Turns
>out that Travis had lost the toolbox lid off the quad and had bounced the
>rest of the contents out climbing up the hill. I threw the tools in my
>camelback and used the strap to tie the lid to my handlebars and we set off
>again...at a little slower pace since the lid isn't keen to stay put. I had
>told Wilson to go on up the hill while I strapped up and when I got to the
>top, he wasn't there. I rode for another couple of miles and never did see
>him. About the time it started sprinkling I saw him coming towards me on a
>long straightaway. Seems he took a left towards Albuquerque somewhere and
>got off on the wrong trail. We had only gone a little ways when the bottom
>literally fell out.
>It's raining like crazy but the traction is decent and we motor on. We came
>up on the 2 downhill sections that were steep, but a breeze earlier in the
>day. Now they are flowing with a river of red mud about 4 inches deep. The
>first one is a slippery switchback and we make it down fine. The second is
>just straight down about a hundred yards with a sharp left-hander at the
>bottom. I manage to creep down without too much drama and look back just in
>time to see Wilson's back tire pass his front and him do a downhill superman
>dismount. There was no walking up the trail, it was as slick as ice so I
>made my way through the woods and over to his bike. The left handlebar was
>jammed into the ground and it provided an anchor to hold us on the hill, but
>there was no way we are going to pick the bike up. Every time I tried my
>feet would slip and I'd wind up holding on to the bars with one hand while
>the rest of me hung off in a great impression of Sylvester Stallone in
>Cliffhanger. I pulled myself up and decided to just raise the bar as much as
>possible and slide the whole thing down the hill. I had just gotten the bar
>loose when I lost footing again and the next thing I know, I am sliding 60
>feet to the bottom of the hill in the middle of a red river that has
>completely filled my boots. Get back up , walk up the hill and notice that
>the clutch perch became a casualty in that last bit so I just drag it on
>down to the bottom. I found a way that I could kind of hold the lever in a
>certain position and get a little bit of leverage on the clutch cable so
>Wilson jumps on the KDX and we head for the barn. The clutch work wasn't
>pretty and it was sketchy a time or to, but we did finally make it back and
>headed for home.
>Tired, sore and grinning.....wouldn't change a thing if I had to do it all
>over again.
>Wilson just amazed me all day long on a brand new bike that is so much
>bigger, heavier and powerful than anything he'd ever ridden. Travis
>rekindled his love for riding. I don't care one bit if he rides a quad as
>long as we get to spend time together on the trails.
>Today was one long string of those priceless moments you get with your kids,
>hope yours was just as memorable!
XML Sitemap
>buddy Brandon calls asking if he can come up and play. Wilson suggests
>Brasstown Possum Trails in Murphy, NC because he wants to try it out on some
>tame MX and the last time we were at Rockcrusher (Just up the road in
>Hiawassee, GA and home of what is perennially called the Mudcrusher race as
>part of the SORCS series) everything was peaked out SX style with huge drops
>between the jumps.
>Brandon brought his son Landon who rides Travis's old TTR90 and we had both
>of my boys. Travis wanted to take the KX85 and the 220 Bayou as he totally
>lost interest in riding the bikes but has really been having a ball on the
>quad lately.
>Nobody answered at BPT, email bounced and no returned call from the
>messages, so we hit Rockcrusher and man am I glad we did. I've been there a
>couple of times right after the races and just had a tough time finding
>trails because of all the intersecting trails from previous races created
>lots of dead ends, etc. This time, the course was still marked for the most
>part and in really good shape (OK, so I like it a little gnarly)
>The track still just doesn't do it for me....the 2 jumps that I did like
>(big step up at the end of a long uphill, and a really sweet tabletop) both
>now had an extra SX style moonshot in front of the old jump. Found out the
>hard way because I didn't take a site lap and realized my mistake in midair
>then plowed nose first into the face of the old table ramp. Stupid move on
>my part!
>Anyway, we take off to find some trails and hit the gate outside the parking
>area and before too far, I'm seeing SORCS arrows and we pick up the race
>course. The ground is still slightly damp from the dew, so there is no dust,
>but as I'm flying over these massive spiderwebs of exposed roots I am very
>thankful that it hadn't rained in a few days! We follow this as it twists
>and turns up and down hills for a while and the roots and ruts are just
>pounding Landon on the little bike so I suggest we cut across the field
>where everybody parks for the races and try the field on the opposite side
>of the parking lot road that I had seen a couple of years back as a
>spectator. Excellent choice!
>We flew through the field and once again saw SORCS arrows but they looked
>pretty beaten and worn so not sure if this section was used for the recent
>race or not. Turned out to be a killer loop with great flow and lots of
>variety in the terrain, steep rocky uphills, fast sections and a few
>technical downhills. We played a lot of tortoise and hare games waiting on
>folks to catch up, but I found out quickly that the biggest thing limiting
>Wilson's advancement in riding skills was an underpowered bike. Usually I
>have to stop and wait for him to catch up and occasionally provide
>assistance on hill climbs....not so today as he was breathing down my neck
>at every turn and flying up the hills. Travis rode sweep on the quad and
>kept up just fine considering the 20 year old Bayou is sporting the factory
>OEM tires that now have less than a half inch of tread remaining. (I can't
>believe those things are worn out with only 20 years worth of riding on
>them!) He did get stuck in one big mud puddle where he picked a line through
>the deepest part of the slime. But other than that he rode awesome!
>After we got back to the truck, and were taking a break for snacks and
>drinks, the only other riders out there today come up from riding nack in
>the woods.It's a family of 4 with the kids riding little bikes (fully geared
>up) and Mom & Dad riding big utility quads with sneakers and those fancy
>clear helmets. Guess you don't need a lid while riding on one of those big
>monsters because they can't possibly roll over....right?
>Everybody loved the previous route so we mount up to tackle it again. About
>halfway around I swap bikes with Wilson to see what all the grinning is
>about and holy cow was I surprised! I knew the CR would be good at the track
>but had a few reservations about its woods ability without a few mods, but
>man that thing simply rocked no matter the terrain! It is very nimble and
>tracks like a dream. The suspension is set up pretty stiff but it soaked up
>whatever came my way without getting all twitchy. The power is simply to die
>for and it has grunt from the very bottom all the way through to the top.
>That was the most surprising of all as I was expecting a high-strung MX bike
>that would require high revs and a lot of clutch work on some of the hills,
>but it chugged uphill like a freight train. About 5 miles was all he gave me
>before he repossessed his steed.
>Landon was slap worn out by the time we got back this time so after a rest,
>and they needed to head back to Atlanta before too long so I suggested that
>just the 3 big bikes take one more loop. Brandon decided that he had enough
>too and opted to kick back with the boys while Wilson and I wicked it up a
>notch. This started out the most fun of the day. He still can't hang right
>with the old man, but he's not far off the pace. We had made it about a 1.5
>miles in and started up the first real climb when I notice a piece of blue
>plastic that hadn't been there before. A little farther up I see what looks
>like one of my orange tie-downs and then a few tools scattered about. Turns
>out that Travis had lost the toolbox lid off the quad and had bounced the
>rest of the contents out climbing up the hill. I threw the tools in my
>camelback and used the strap to tie the lid to my handlebars and we set off
>again...at a little slower pace since the lid isn't keen to stay put. I had
>told Wilson to go on up the hill while I strapped up and when I got to the
>top, he wasn't there. I rode for another couple of miles and never did see
>him. About the time it started sprinkling I saw him coming towards me on a
>long straightaway. Seems he took a left towards Albuquerque somewhere and
>got off on the wrong trail. We had only gone a little ways when the bottom
>literally fell out.
>It's raining like crazy but the traction is decent and we motor on. We came
>up on the 2 downhill sections that were steep, but a breeze earlier in the
>day. Now they are flowing with a river of red mud about 4 inches deep. The
>first one is a slippery switchback and we make it down fine. The second is
>just straight down about a hundred yards with a sharp left-hander at the
>bottom. I manage to creep down without too much drama and look back just in
>time to see Wilson's back tire pass his front and him do a downhill superman
>dismount. There was no walking up the trail, it was as slick as ice so I
>made my way through the woods and over to his bike. The left handlebar was
>jammed into the ground and it provided an anchor to hold us on the hill, but
>there was no way we are going to pick the bike up. Every time I tried my
>feet would slip and I'd wind up holding on to the bars with one hand while
>the rest of me hung off in a great impression of Sylvester Stallone in
>Cliffhanger. I pulled myself up and decided to just raise the bar as much as
>possible and slide the whole thing down the hill. I had just gotten the bar
>loose when I lost footing again and the next thing I know, I am sliding 60
>feet to the bottom of the hill in the middle of a red river that has
>completely filled my boots. Get back up , walk up the hill and notice that
>the clutch perch became a casualty in that last bit so I just drag it on
>down to the bottom. I found a way that I could kind of hold the lever in a
>certain position and get a little bit of leverage on the clutch cable so
>Wilson jumps on the KDX and we head for the barn. The clutch work wasn't
>pretty and it was sketchy a time or to, but we did finally make it back and
>headed for home.
>Tired, sore and grinning.....wouldn't change a thing if I had to do it all
>over again.
>Wilson just amazed me all day long on a brand new bike that is so much
>bigger, heavier and powerful than anything he'd ever ridden. Travis
>rekindled his love for riding. I don't care one bit if he rides a quad as
>long as we get to spend time together on the trails.
>Today was one long string of those priceless moments you get with your kids,
>hope yours was just as memorable!