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2009.08.01 | 2009.04.01 | 2008.08.01

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Time to Plan for Fall Rides

It’s late summer in Southern California and that means you need to start planning for Fall Rides. Information on two of the best are now available on the web.

 

One of the best Dual Sport rides in the country is the Orange County Dualie (www.dualies.com) BASS LAKE 250 Club Ride. It’s a club ride, you need to join the charity-driven club to ride the event, and it’s got limited entry, but it’s held in the Sierra National Forest and other lands skirting the Yosemite National Park. Scenic roads and trails would be an understatement, and the weather will be fall perfect the weekend of October 3rd 2009. Land closures threaten a lot of areas and it’s possible that this could be the last ever BASS LAKE ride, so view the ride & entry flyer (http://dualies.com/OCD-2009_Bass_Lake_250_Entry_Flyer.pdf) and arrange to be part of history before you lose the chance.

 

If you’ve ever held a dirt bike handlebar in your hands it’s a sure bet you know who Malcolm Smith is. He portrayed himself, of course, in the iconic 70’s motorcycle documentary ON ANY SUNDAY (www.brucebrownfilms.com/sunday.htm). Armed with a wink and a smile, and riding skill that no one to date has ever matched; Malcolm really revels in seeing others enjoy the sport. On November 15th, 2009, Malcolm, and the ride team from the famous SOBOBA Trail Rides (www.sobobarides.com) are putting on the “Ride the Mountain with Malcolm Smith Dual Sport & Adventure Ride”. Open to riders of all skill levels, on any size Dual Sport or Adventure bike, the event will allow riders to course through the same San Bernardino Mountain trails and road were Malcolm forged his great riding skills. To join Malcolm and the gang, download the ride & entry flyer (www.irs-media.net/sobobarides/id15.html ).  

 

Check out these great riding opportunities, and get out an ride this fall!

Thu, August 6, 2009 | link

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Last fall motorcycle riders across the country, not to mention our families and friends, followed the daily exploits of an intrepid group of six riders that rode the Rocky Mountains from Canada to Mexico on a variety of Dual Sport motorcycles.

 

Now you can download the all the blog entries from that one-in-a-lifetime adventure (see the link above).

 

Learn how well the human body withstands impacts with cattle.

 

Discover how to rebuild a Honda XR650L engine in a Wyoming hotel parking lot.

 

Marvel at how good GOOGLE is at finding fine dining.

 

Gaze upon the majestic beauty of the United States and see sights that make you proud to live in a land as grand as ours.

 

Download and read our story, and then tell yourself "I can do this!"

 

We know you can, and visit often as we'll post GPS tracks and other information on this and other motorcycle adventures.

 

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!

Motorcycle Industry Media Guy - Larry Langley will be spending time at the Ridin' Times blog. Visit often to read about his, and the riding adventures of his friends.

 

Sat, April 11, 2009 | link

Monday, August 4, 2008

Larry's Big Red XR650L

August 3, 2008, North Fork, California. The CDR event is just starting to fill my reality as I arrive at Larry and Sue Langley’s lovely home, just south of Yosemite at the edge of the Sierra National Forest. After several months of preparation our 2008 Continental Divide Ride (CDR) dual sport adventure is just two weeks away. I was recruited to not just ride the event, but to build and prep most of the machines that would be used by the six riders.

 

Sandra, my motorcycling wife, and I drove several hours from our Corona California headquarters through the cool San Joaquin valley darkness to deliver Larry’s CDR-prepped Honda XR650L. Larry, a media-relations guru in the motorcycle industry, has been off-road racing and dual sport riding for nearly half a century. He lays out challenging dual sport rides so no one knows better the potential for adventure that the CDR can present.

 

The next day, with Sandra in tow on her Suzuki DR200SE Dual Sport, we took Larry’s bike out for a shake-down cruise. We had revised the suspension (with springing and damping work from Fineline Suspension out of Utah) and added a DeVol lowering link to make the ride more supple while allowing the bike to rest at a height that permits easier mounting and dismounting.

 

We had refreshed the engine with new OE valve train parts and a quality WISECO piston. We mounted EATON’s new super-sized tapered handlebars to add strength and reduce vibration. Electric grip heating elements and power sockets for a heated vest and GPS were also added.

 

 

Also added was the Sequoia Adventure Rack set up from Turbo City (www.turbocity.com/default.php?cPath=69_74&osCsid=5bc794bc4df664874073567063d2ee31) which holds Tour master’s Cortech sport saddle bags (www.helmethouse.com). The rack system provides dedicated mounting points for the bag’s retaining straps and supports them to prevent wear and damage to the motorcycle. Perfect for use on the CDR because the bags are easily removable for toting into the hotel at trail’s end.

 

 

After the 40-mile shake down we found a couple of things to adjust and change (including reducing the side stand length is response to the reduced suspension length) and the big red Honda is ready for it’s ride.

 

TOMORROW – A primer on the CDR ride route, plus a breakdown of the other riders and their bikes.

Mon, August 4, 2008 | link