I'm Going Fuckin' Crazy

Having a puppy means that often I can't even have 2 minutes to myself to think. I'm not just training the puppy, I am training my wife to train the puppy. She is having more problems with Toffee than me. Toffee likes to jump up and down on her and bite. Me? Not as much. When I need time, I have to steal it by going into the garage to work on the bike. At this point, work is a better place to be.

It's so frustrating trying to blog, while my wife and the dog are around. I usually can't even finish writing a full sentence. And when I actually have to explain to Emily why I need time to myself, I need extra time to calm down, before having my alone time. Argh!!!!

CRF300L- My First Dirt Ride

It's Christmas day. Like most people who work, I have the day off. This Christmas is unlike Christmas days of the past- for the first time ever, I have nothing scheduled! My dear mother moved to SoCal to retire in the warmer climate (and to be closer to my sister and her grandsons) and Emily's family scheduled no get togethers. Her sister made a last minute announcement that she's heading out of town (pre-planned unannouncement). I was determined not to let this day go to waste. It hasn't rained in a week, so the trails should be in pretty good shape, so I decided to take the bike out to a nearby park and test out all my new equipment.

I mounted up the Versahaul on the Jeep yesterday, so I wouldn't have to do everything all on the same day. I wanted to see if I could omit the hitch drop/extender this time to bring the bike closer to center, reducing leverage, increasing stability, but I wasn't sure if the handlebars and pegs would clear. Also I needed to test a method of getting the bike up the ramp, since the Jeep is so tall. I got a few sturdy milk crates lined up along the side of the rack, so I could elevate myself as I walked the bike up the ramp. I also needed to turn the bike on and clutch it up the ramp in first gear, but it got up there and indeed it fit just fine without the extender! I loaded up all my gear and off I went to Frank Raines OHV!

It took about an hour to get to the park. It's a bit of a drive down Hwy 5, then there's still another 16 miles of windy roads to get into Del Puerto Canyon. Carnegie is much closer, but I know that park is harder and for my first time out, I wanted to be somewhere that I was familiar with. Also Frank Raines is not as popular, so I figured there would be less traffic out there on a Christmas day.

When I got to the park, I saw that there was one other vehicle in the parking lot- a big dually truck with a giant toy-hauler. I found an incline at the back of the parking lot and used that slope to help get the bike off the rack, reducing the steep angle of the ramp. I found a nice picnic table and got situated over there, so I could lay out my gear and get organized. I used the document cubby on the bike to carry my cell phone, Garmin Mini and car keys, leaving everything else behind. I elected not to wear the chest protector. I did try it on, but it just seemed too bulky and I couldn't even pull the jersey over it. I had also already decided to return it to Amazon, so I didn't want it to appear as worn. I got dressed with all my other new gear, hopped on my bike and headed out to find a trail.

I started on the East Ridge and climbed up the hill. After a bit, it forked off to Fire Road. And then I encountered a couple of puddles in the road. I had the option to select the road to the left and avoid the water altogether, but I was feeling like that optional road might take me away from the Fire Road, so I elected to negotiate the puddles. How deep could they possibly be anyway? I picked the one on the right. I slowly entered and I found that it was about 16" deep! Yikes! The front wheel started to wash out and then the rear wheel lost traction and the bike fell over on it's right side! I didn't get trapped, as I already tried to put my right foot down to help the bike stay upright, but the mud was too soft to even stand in. The engine stopped by itself. My boots both filled with water. I took a couple of seconds to compose myself, before attempting to get out of this mess. I restarted the motor and tried to walk the bike out in first gear. The bike only starts in neutral with the kickstand up (which is kind of fucked up) and I was on the right side of the bike, so I had to start the bike in neutral, reach over the seat and pop it into first gear, as I was holding onto the clutch with my right hand, then switch hands again to get my hands on the handlebars. The rear tire was stuck in a hole and the bike would not make forward progress. I tried 2-3 times with no success- the rear wheel was just digging deeper. I knew if I kept attempting like this, I would just make my situation even worse. So I directed the front wheel 30° to the right and sure enough, the bike slowly worked its way out. My socks were soaked with muddy water. My pants and right glove were covered in muck. I shook it off and headed back to the Jeep. Wow! Right off the bat! Into the mud hole!

On the way back to the Jeep, I decided I wasn't going to let this incident get the best of me. Once I got to the base intersection, I headed up West Ridge trail. There were some steeper and loose stuff, but nothing that was too scary. I learned that the throttle was very sensitive in first gear- throttle pop and chop. Second gear was much smoother. I got to the part where the road takes a sharp left and heads steeply down the hill. I didn't feel like attempting this today, so I walked the bike around and headed back down to the parking lot again. Before getting there, I encountered a very steep decline, where my rear tire was losing traction. Nearer to the bottom of this hill, I thought I was going to stack, so I let off the brakes slightly and just ran it out. A good save!

I'd only been out for about half an hour, so I decided to try East Ridge again. This time, I tried the split to the left- a good choice! The road took me to the Jeep playground, where I saw a JKU trying out his suspension on the big tires. I continued on with the trail where I caught up to a big blue GMC. After trailing him for a few minutes, he let me pass by. As it turned out, the road only went for about another 1/4 mile. At that point, I turned around and headed back to the parking lot after passing him again, and then the Jeep also that was making his way up the road.

Man, I couldn't wait to get those cold wet boots off my feet! I stripped down to my bicycle shorts and changed into a dry t-shirt. I took a few minutes to warm up and collect myself. When it came time to load up the bike again, I drove the Jeep to that incline, but when I tried to position the bike higher up on the slope, I had issues- the ground was soft and while trying to turn the bike around, it almost dumped on top of me. Luckily, there was a big side-by-side that saw me and the guy came over to give me a hand. He immediately recognized that I was new to this, so he just did it for me and gave me some tips for next time. On my way out, I drove by and gave him and his wife a "Merry Christmas!". 

After I got home, I unloaded the bike and all my gear and went in for a hot shower. I left the rack on to take off another day. That night, I washed all my gear by hand and let them hang dry. I also rinsed out my boots with fresh water a few times, then left them upside down to drain out and dry.

Well, I got the first day down in the books. and I got the first major drop of the bike out of the way. The bike needs a good wash, then I'll hit the reset button and wait for the next dry period to take her out again!

How Low Can You Go?

In the tradition of dirt bikes, this dual-sport enduro is plenty tall. Honda specs the seat height at 34.6", but it sure seems higher than that. (I think I have a 29" inseam.) Even just trying to keep ONE foot partially on the ground and the other on the bike is pretty impossible. But I bought the bike with a game plan :)

I wasted no time in working on the first part of the plan. I had done some research on just how much I can cut down on the seat. The bike came with a fancy expensive Seat Concepts premium comfort saddle, but I didn't mind shaving it down. I bought an electric turkey carving knife from Walmart and went to town on that seat. I took my time and was deliberate about my measurements and my cuts. The hardest part was getting the staples to stick back in the seat to hold the cover back on. Some areas took 4-5 tries, but I got it in the end. The entire project probably took about 3 hours with the going back and forth to the bike to try it out and all. I effectively cut just over an inch off the seat.

Part two of my lowering strategy- working with the suspension. I have looked at all the different options of how to lower that rear shock. Most popular are the lowering bones (because they're cheap), but they tend to change the leverage on the spring, therefore making it feel softer. Also some report that it enables the rear tire to bind into the fender, if taking a hard hit. The best option is probably purchasing a whole new shock that can be custom built "shorter", but the cost is anywhere from $600-$900. Yikes! The third alternative is to drill a different mounting hole in the shock bracket, therefore lowering the bike. Simple. This solution does not alter the characteristics of the shock or spring. And this mod is completely reversible! I just popped the bike on my stand, removed the rear shock, drilled the two holes (one on each side, so the bolt can go through). No need to remove any panels! The whole project only took just over an hour. This lowered the bike another 1.5"! I reciprocated with the forks by raising them 18mm in the triple clamps. This only changed the head angle from 27.5° to 27.0° a very nominal change!

Between the seat and the rear shock mod, I reduced the seat height by over 3"! Now, I can sit pretty comfortably on the bike with one foot almost fully flat on the ground or two toes on the ground! I'm not looking to flat-foot both sides (that would be utterly ridiculous!), so this is going to work out just fine for me!

My New Bike! The Honda CRF300L

For DAYS, I've been scouring the web for a CRF300L. They've only been available in the US since November, 2020, so basically there's only bikes out there that are 2 years old. In the meanwhile, I've hedged my bet by putting down a refundable $500 deposit at Hayward's Eastbay Motorsports for a brand new 2023 model. These bikes are so hot and hard to get, even the dealerships are only getting about one per month. I told the guy that I would be getting my refund if I can find a better deal.

Every day I check Craigslist and FB Marketplace to see if anyone is posting a bike for sale. Well, Saturday night, I checked Facebook and found that there was a used bike dealership in Sacramento that had a 2022 model with the ABS braking system, for a really good price! The bike had 2600 miles on it and looked brand new! Right away, I messaged the ad to see if the ad was real and if it was still available. Of course I knew I wasn't going to get an immediate response, since it was almost midnight. I went to the dealer's website to see if I could get more information and pics. From there, I also inquired about the bike.

Sunday morning came and I had to go to puppy training school. I did get a response through FB messenger and an email follow-up. The seller, Shawn, sent me more pictures as well as video about the bike. The bike came with a bunch of accessories included- upgraded seat, skid plate, cell phone holder, rear rack and soft luggage to name a few. He said that he would hold the bike for me, if I was intent on driving up today. He didn't want a deposit. I told him that after puppy class, I would get home, mount the rack and head out.

I got a late start, but still managed to arrive by 2:45p. They closed at 4p, so I had a little room to breathe. Shawn had the bike parked right at the entrance of the store. He started her up and showed me the bike. It was in excellent condition! I tried to sit on it, and it was tall, but I had a plan to make it rideable for me. Shawn was on his way out, but he set me up with Ann, who took my payment. She was very nice and a pleasure to trade stories with. The bike came complete with 2 keys, receipts for accessories and work done, owner's manual and original Honda dealership packet. One of the techs helped me to load up the bike and tie her down.

I drove the bike home with no incident, but was worried about her all the way. I wasn't sure if the handlebars were going to hit the spare tire, so I had the hitch drop/extension mounted, which brought the bike further away from center, making the Jeep more bouncy. When I finally pulled into my driveway, a flood of relief poured over my body! I got her unloaded and put her to bed in the small garage. Unmounting the rack can wait till the next day. It was late, so I went in to get some dinner and look over the documentation. I was pretty damned pleased with the purchase!

Today I spent some time checking out all the extra accessories on the bike. It had a throttle lock (cruising device), Kriega soft luggage set, a Seat Concepts premium seat to name a few things. After adding up all the receipts, It came to close to $2,000 worth of accessories and work! I realized that the bike was only purchased 4 months ago, but it had 2600 miles on it. I looked up the previous owner, who is a fire safety inspector, who lives in an apartment. Putting the clues together, what I am figuring is that the original purchaser was a 38-year-old single guy (who wasn't struggling with money), who had some buddies that were all set to go on a motorcycle adventure ride to perhaps Baja for a week. This guy wanted to go, so he bought the cheapest dual-sport he could find, quickly outfitted it with luggage and touring amenities (Ram cell phone holder, USB charging ports, cruise control), and did the trip. After he got back, he realized that if he really wanted to pursue this kind of activity, he would really need a bigger, stronger motorcycle. With a lack of space to keep the bike, since he lives in an apartment, he sold the bike. He paid cash for the bike with title in hand and didn't really care too much about how much he recovered for the bike, so he sold it on consignment to the place I bought it. It was priced low for quick sale. Lucky me!

I stripped off most of the accessories, trying to get it to look close to stock, that way I could really access what I bought. I gave the bike a quick wash and it's a keeper! Of course, the bike will need work to make it appropriate for my shortness. Plus the bike will need work to up the torque and horsepower, and possibly some suspension work. That will all come in time. But for now, I am pleased as punch at the bike that I just acquired!!

Versahaul Motorcycle Rack- What an Awesome Deal!!

I've been looking for a motorcycle hitch carrier to fit on the back of the Jeep to haul the prospective bike around. I was pretty fixed on getting a Versahaul unit. I've known about this brand for decades and in my mind, there's no comparison in quality. Of course they're way more expensive than any other cheap imitation Chinese knock-off brand, but you gotta pay if you're gonna play. Brand new, after shipping and taxes, well over $800!

I found a few racks for sale in the "near" vicinity, like San Luis Obispo County, Roseville and outer Sac. I communicated with some of them. Someone in Roseville had a rack that had only been used twice and was in fabulous condition willing to sell for $400. Plus he was heading through Dublin on the way to San Jose and was basically willing to deliver for free. But then I was able secure a deal with someone who lived in Auburn who had the same rack that had never been used! It was assembled, but no motorcycle was ever put on it. It included the accessory brake lamp kit with the license plate light! After I told him about the other rack I was going to buy, he offered to drop his price to $400!! Now, how could I possibly pass that up?! He was right on the route to Palisades, so I figure that I could pick it up on the way back from a day of skiing. He told me that he was willing to keep it for me until Sunday went skiing.

Well, then came the snow. It was dumping for days through Sunday! So I changed my ski day to Monday. He was willing to still hold it for me. When Monday morning arrived I made a game day decision that the roads would be too messy and the traffic would probably be too fraught with accidents to drive to Tahoe. I didn't want to wait in traffic for an extra 2 hours. Again, the seller said he would hold the item for me.

I headed up mid-afternoon to pick up the Versahaul rack. As I'm driving, the seller messaged me to correct the destination, as he actually lived half an hour further than he had previously stated on FB. Argh!! After three hours of driving, I finally reached his house! The rack was exactly as he had described it- it was everything I was hoping it would be! I handed him the cash, we got it hooked up and I headed home.

The drive home was a little unsettling, just that I had never driven with one of these on a car before and I was nervous that something could fall off. Worrying all for nothing. Everything was fine, except that we never got the lights to work. I'll have to check that out later.

I got home and after a more thorough inspection, I found the product to be in excellent shape and an awesome value, since it also included the brake and license plate lights!

A Wrench in My Plan...

After weeks of researching, I have come to realize that it is nearly impossible to "plate" a California green sticker dirt bike. There are services that I could pay for online to do it, but they do it through trickery, titling the bike out of state, then bringing it back into California, etc. and they're not cheap.

So I turned my attention to street-legal dirt bikes. Just about every manufacturer makes one. As it turns out, for the Honda CRF250F that I want to buy, there is a CRF250L! But a couple of years ago, it got a little makeover with a bigger engine, which means more low end torque! It also comes with a slipper clutch! The difference in price isn't all that much between the dirt bike and the street-legal model. With the fees it would take to title the bike, plus all the accessories that I would have to install on the bike, it only makes sense just to get the enduro version.

But as luck would have it, this CRF300L is pretty hard to get a hold of. They've only been produced since 2020, plus they were hard to get from the dealerships. Used ones are few and far between. I'll keep my eyes peeled on the usual places- FB Marketplace and Craigslist.