Well, I finally had spare time to fix my bike. I found a few
electrical connectors corroded and not connecting as designed. After
some hot melt glue, solder wire, electrician's tape and a few hours of
pleasure on the garage I had the bike working.
So, I tried to go riding. Got in touch with some friends one week ago,
to a ride with about 20 friends. It was fun, despite one of the guys
showed up with a completely bald tire... The trails were dry and he
could more or less keep up, until his front brake hose got caught on a
branch that ripped the hose off... His bike is a 200cc four stroke
Chinese something. Cool looking zero quality bike. I had lots of fun
with it on the grass hill climb. I did the climb with my bike, other
buddies did it but guy with bald tire couldn't avoid wheelspin. I rode
down with my own bike, rode his bike up the hill bald tires and all,
walked down the hill and rode my bike up, trying to clear the very
last step, 1m high clay wall. To clear it I have to scream the second
gear while climbing, because I need speed enough to jump from the lip
of the almost-top of the hill to at least case the engine with the
clay wall top. First attempt I looped the bike. Second attempt I
stalled the bike. Third attempt I made it and while I was turning the
bike around to reunite with the guys bike stalled sideways on a hill
and I fell over my back and right knee, bike on top, bending the knee
brace (next will be fiber, carbon of glass, no more metallic braces
for me!). I had medical revision at work last week and when doctor
asked to take shirt off I could notice his surprise when he saw a big
green-yellow bruise on the ribs-back area... I passed the medical,
btw :-)
Then, last weekend my gf came from her 600km away town to spend the
weekend with me. I suggested a trail bike ride, two up, just sight
seeing, slowly going around on second and third gears at most. Ride
was great, I even crossed logs with her on the back, until bike
stalled while going strong on third gear. Three pushes downhill and
thing didn't start. I could feel compression and had plenty of gas.
Time to check electrical. No spark. Checking further, CDI was really
hot and voltage regulator cool, exactly the opposite of what I should
have. Battery was dead too. I suspect bike drained battery to produce
sparks until voltage dropped and could not drive the coil anymore or
whatever. Damn bike. This is the second time since 2002 this bike
breaks on the trail, just on my first *ever* ride solo. Ok, I had the
girl with me, but while she is a rider herself, she doesn't have the
minimum mechanical knowledge and afterall we were middle of nowhere
with no cellphone coverage... We had to push bike up a long hill
(narrow farm roads). Up that hill got phone coverage, called a friend
who showed up (2 and a half hours and lots of calls to confirm
location later) with another friend on another bike and a rope. Friend
A towed my bike while friend B rode my bike and I took friend B's bike
to return with gf. Two more hours and we were home... phew! What a
good impression I gave her on our first motorcycle ride together.
This has been a busy last 15 days. I'm going to China in a couple days
and everything in theirs (and ours!) culture leads to last time urgent
actions. Without any planning is much more fun! I think I will feel
right home there.
Will try to fix my bike next month when I'm back home... I'm missing
the last two enduro races of this season, one was yesterday and next
one in a couple weekends but I almost don't care about it anymore. The
races this year, except one, were very disappointing on an
organization point of view. I used to love racing!
hope everybody's ok! let's ride!
-- T
In article
> This has been a busy last 15 days. I'm going to China in a couple days
> and everything in theirs (and ours!) culture leads to last time urgent
> actions. Without any planning is much more fun! I think I will feel
> right home there.
Cool! I was starting to get worried, was thinking about sending an
email to you because I haven't seen anything for awhile. Have a great
time in China, I will try to get caught up, I owe rmd about 4 ride
reports.
--
Charles
'99 YZ250
****************************************************
wrote:
>Well, I finally had spare time to fix my bike. I found a few
>electrical connectors corroded and not connecting as designed. After
>some hot melt glue, solder wire, electrician's tape and a few hours of
>pleasure on the garage I had the bike working.
>So, I tried to go riding. Got in touch with some friends one week ago,
>to a ride with about 20 friends. It was fun, despite one of the guys
>showed up with a completely bald tire... The trails were dry and he
>could more or less keep up, until his front brake hose got caught on a
>branch that ripped the hose off... His bike is a 200cc four stroke
>Chinese something. Cool looking zero quality bike. I had lots of fun
>with it on the grass hill climb. I did the climb with my bike, other
>buddies did it but guy with bald tire couldn't avoid wheelspin. I rode
>down with my own bike, rode his bike up the hill bald tires and all,
>walked down the hill and rode my bike up, trying to clear the very
>last step, 1m high clay wall. To clear it I have to scream the second
>gear while climbing, because I need speed enough to jump from the lip
>of the almost-top of the hill to at least case the engine with the
>clay wall top. First attempt I looped the bike. Second attempt I
>stalled the bike. Third attempt I made it and while I was turning the
>bike around to reunite with the guys bike stalled sideways on a hill
>and I fell over my back and right knee, bike on top, bending the knee
>brace (next will be fiber, carbon of glass, no more metallic braces
>for me!). I had medical revision at work last week and when doctor
>asked to take shirt off I could notice his surprise when he saw a big
>green-yellow bruise on the ribs-back area... I passed the medical,
>btw :-)
>Then, last weekend my gf came from her 600km away town to spend the
>weekend with me. I suggested a trail bike ride, two up, just sight
>seeing, slowly going around on second and third gears at most. Ride
>was great, I even crossed logs with her on the back, until bike
>stalled while going strong on third gear. Three pushes downhill and
>thing didn't start. I could feel compression and had plenty of gas.
>Time to check electrical. No spark. Checking further, CDI was really
>hot and voltage regulator cool, exactly the opposite of what I should
>have. Battery was dead too. I suspect bike drained battery to produce
>sparks until voltage dropped and could not drive the coil anymore or
>whatever. Damn bike. This is the second time since 2002 this bike
>breaks on the trail, just on my first *ever* ride solo. Ok, I had the
>girl with me, but while she is a rider herself, she doesn't have the
>minimum mechanical knowledge and afterall we were middle of nowhere
>with no cellphone coverage... We had to push bike up a long hill
>(narrow farm roads). Up that hill got phone coverage, called a friend
>who showed up (2 and a half hours and lots of calls to confirm
>location later) with another friend on another bike and a rope. Friend
>A towed my bike while friend B rode my bike and I took friend B's bike
>to return with gf. Two more hours and we were home... phew! What a
>good impression I gave her on our first motorcycle ride together.
>This has been a busy last 15 days. I'm going to China in a couple days
>and everything in theirs (and ours!) culture leads to last time urgent
>actions. Without any planning is much more fun! I think I will feel
>right home there.
>Will try to fix my bike next month when I'm back home... I'm missing
>the last two enduro races of this season, one was yesterday and next
>one in a couple weekends but I almost don't care about it anymore. The
>races this year, except one, were very disappointing on an
>organization point of view. I used to love racing!
>hope everybody's ok! let's ride!
>-- T
**************************************************************
Thanks for the ride report, Tiago!
I'm afraid that you got "arrested" by Murphy's Law.
I'm wishing you a safe and profitable trip to China.
Maybe you could give us a "trip report" from China.
Come back to us soon.
Jim
Wudsracer/Jim Cook
Smackover Racing
'06 Gas Gas DE300
'82 Husqvarna XC250
Team LAGNAF
XML Sitemap
> and everything in theirs (and ours!) culture leads to last time urgent
> actions. Without any planning is much more fun! I think I will feel
> right home there.