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Spark plug cleaning, save ole sparky for another day

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Hard core racers change spark plugs before every race to insure that they don’t have a DNF from a simple inexpensive part.  But for the rest of us that cannot afford to throw a plug away after every ride or race.  Especially because some of our machines require those iridium style plugs that can be up to $14 each!  Here is a nifty tool that can make worn or carbon fouled plugs new again, or at least new enough to be a spare back up plug to carry in case of emergencies.  The tool runs off of air with some abrasive that “blasts” the plug to remove deposits to allow the fouled plug to fire again.  It only takes a few blasts of air to clean a typical carbon or oil fouled plug, so you could do this with a portable air tank.  This makes it possible to bring it (with air tank) with you in your tool box.  Now obviously this will not fix plugs that failed because of cracked insulators, eroded electrodes, or other physical damage.  Best part about this tool is it can be had for under $10, well worth the price to extend the life of a plug that has electrodes that are in good shape but just is fouled to the point that electricity will not jump the gap.

Good Bye 2008, Hello ‘09

It’s the last day of the year and I can’t help but feel relieved, 2008 was a roller coaster ride that I’m glad is over, my stomach can’t handle much more. Like most roller coaster rides, it [08] left me feeling a bit queezy, yet oddly enough I’m looking forward to the next ride. I’m looking forward to a new year, new tracks, new race teams, new models, and most importantly to the new memories. ‘09 has a nice ring to it, and I think we’re in for some great racing, the GNCC side is going to get interesting with guys like McGill and Borich now pretty used to their rides, Ballance on an all new YFZ, and rookie sensation Ockerman as a full time Pro. The MX side is going to be nuts as Wimmer tries to defend his #1 plate against former teammate Wienen and his Green counterpart Creamer, Upperman is rolling, Byrd looks faster than ever, Brown is on an all new YFZ, Natalie has a year under his belt on the Can-Am, and KTM is now in the loop. The UTV thing is blowing up, and I’m predicting record numbers at the GNCC UTV rounds. Lets keep our fingers crossed, and here’s hoping that 2009 is everything we’re hoping for.

I wish you all a very Prosperous New Year.

A Diamond in the Rough: Christmas Valley Sand Dunes

MSRP on a Honda TRX 450R: $6,999.  Enough gas to make it there and back: $200.  11,000 acres of windswept, untouched sand beneath your paddle tires: priceless!  For one sleepy little town in central Oregon, Christmas lasts all year long.  At least for the ATV enthusiasts that live there that is.

If you read ATV Sport Magazine you might recall an article that was run back in the July issue entitle “Secret Sands.” This article highlighted Oregon’s Christmas Valley Sand Dunes.  An 11,000 acre sand box smack dab in the middle of the central Oregon desert.  To the average person it’s quite a desolate site.  Miles and miles of sage covered hills gradually give way to rolling desert sands that if on foot, would seem to go on for miles. While desolate is certainly an accurate term, there is no limit to the amount of fun to be had for the adventurers that make the trek to these magnificent sand dunes.

Nestled about an hour and a half from Bend Oregon, the Christmas Valley Sand Dunes offer something for everyone.  Sandy trails zig zagging through the sage brush.  Countless crescent shaped bowls that with enough speed can send your stomach reeling to your feet from the G-forces.   And of course, ample opportunities for catching air.

The only thing the coastal dunes offer over Christmas Valley are the long power sapping hills.  There is no absence of steep dunes in the area but the dunes themselves aren’t particularly tall.  What the dunes lack in height they more than make up for in area as these dunes are larger than all three of the coastal dune ranges put together.  The best description I have for these dunes; its like a mini Glammis.  Fun roller coaster dunes, plenty of flat ground to open it up on, and enough area to explore and keep you busy for a good long weekend.

If you choose to make the trip out to Christmas Valley (which I strongly recommend) there are a few things you should consider before you go.  First of all, its very primitive.  There is no sanctioned camping on site at the dunes.  There are outhouses at both camping areas but no other onsite facilities of any kind.  On the bright side, there are no fees other than the mandatory ATV Sticker which you can pick up at any dealership for around $10.  If you’d rather have full RV hook ups and don’t mind trailering your machines to the sand, the town of Christmas Valley is about 20 minutes from the dunes.  If your like me and your machine tends to break down often, bring every spare part you have lying around your shop.  Its a long trip back to Bend for something as simple as handlebars (which I learned about on my last Labor Day trip) or any other typically minor repair.  If nothing else, chances are someone else there will break down and you can make some serious cash off of them by selling them parts because they won’t want to make the trip back either. Lastly, pay attention to what time of year you’re going.  Summers are VERY hot and dry in the Oregon desert and because this is desert sand it can be very dusty at times.  The best times to visit the area are in the spring and late fall months when there is some moisture in the sand.

The video that follows are some highlights from my Labor Day experience with a few friends.  Our trip was cut short do to inclement weather and some much needed repairs but I’m eager to get back to these dunes in the near future.  If you’d like to go and want more info shoot me an email.  Maybe we can put a big group trip together and you can be in the next video :-D    Seth@localheroesnw.com

A Look Back At 2008

We here at ATV Sport often have to keep the throttle pinned even when we aren’t riding. You see, in the magazine industry, you’re always faced with a deadline and always thinking about the future. It’s such a regular occurrence that we often forget to look back and review the past year. For this year, we decided to skim through our own mags and highlight a few things from each issue. Enjoy.

2008 March
Big Feature: 450cc Class Woods Shootout
Racing Highlight: Racer of the Year
Hot Product: Elka System 3 Dampener (www.elkasuspension.com)
Funny Line: In answering the question, “What does your racing contract with Yamaha involve?” Brandon Sommers answers, “Letters, sentences and paragraphs. He he!”
On The Cover: 450 TEST (450cc sport models)

’08 April
Big Feature: Speed Freaks – Big-bore Woods Shootout
Racing Highlight: Off-road Birthday Bash – Baja Turns 40
Hot Product: Epic Racing Products Fun Fueler (www.epicracingproducts.com)
Funny Line: On describing Mike Cafro’s scamper in his underwear in Baja, author Jesse Wozniak wrote, “At this point, Cafro said he stripped down to his underwear, slung his gear over his shoulders and ran back to his 450.”
On The Cover: Feel The Power (Open class trail quads)

’08 May
Big Feature: Honda’s Hero – 400EX Revitalized
Racing Highlight: Built To Last – WBGO’s excellent coverage of 6 endurance quads and what makes them tick.
Hot Product: LEATT Brace (www.leatt-brace.com)
Funny Line: “He must be OK folks, he’s waving off his mother.” Cody Anderson describing the announcer’s post-race comments at a local race.
On The Cover: Ride For Fun (Honda 400EX)

’08 June
Big Feature: Building XX – In –depth look at Honda’s 700XX
Racing Highlight: Happy Go Yokley – In-depth interview with GNCC racer William Yokley
Hot Product: Steering Stabilizers Buyer’s Guide
Funny Line: When asked, What new things will we see on your quad this year? Yokley answered, “A rider with no belly handing over his belt, and the National Guard as my title sponsor.”
On The Cover: Sexy Quads (Yamaha YFZ GYTR)

’08 July/August
Big Feature: Sport Quad of the Year (Can-Am DS 450)
Racing Highlight: And They’re Off! Glen Helen AMA Pro ATV Opener
Hot Product: Youth Quad Buyer’s Guide
Funny Line: “Notice I said ‘race photo.’ Nobody wants to see a picture of you and your nerdy sister eating cake on your 5th birthday,” said Number 87 columnist Cody Anderson in his “The Sponsor Game” column.
On The Cover: Big-Bore 700XX (Honda’s open-class sport model)

’08 September
Big Feature: Big-bore Open-Class shootout
Racing Highlight: Super Cool – ATV Supermoto outside of Las Vegas
Hot Product: Dual Exhaust Buyer’s Guide
Funny Line: “When I first started racing, I wore jeans, a jean jacket, a helmet and combat boots,” explained GNCC veteran and multi-time Vet class champion John Gallagher.
On The Cover: Big 5 Shootout (Open class quads)

’08 October

Big Feature: 2009 New Models Previews & Tests (Kawasaki/Can-Am/Polaris/Yamaha/Arctic Cat/Suzuki
Racing Highlight: The Farr Side: Team FRE KTM

Hot Product: Hit The Dirt (Trail tire Buyer’s Guide)
Funny Line: “If I was a tomato, I’d find the first jalapeno and kick his spicy little ___! I get blamed for his salmonella outbreak— stupid!” Editor Jerrod Kelley said in his column.
On The Cover: Battle-Ready Quads from Can-Am (DS 450 X xc & X mx)

’08 November

Big Feature: 2009 New Model Previews & Tests (Yamaha/Arctic Cat/Can-Am/Polaris/ Suzuki/KTM)

Racing Highlight: Local Talent – AWRCS series by Amy McConnell
Hot Product: Iomega eGo Portable hard drive (www.iomega.com)
Funny Line: “We all know General Mills’ Lucky Charms is an tremendous cereal — incredible taste performance, high-quality packaging, brightly colored marshmallows and that awesome leprechaun. Did you know, however, that the generic Malt-O-Meal knockoff, Marshmallow Mateys, delivers almost the same sugary enjoyment for a fraction of the cost?” Contributing editor Tom Kaiser led off the off-brand 450cc four-stroke model story with this quote.
On The Cover: Built To Win (KTM SX quads)

’08 December
Big Feature: 2009 Yamaha YFZ450R

Racing Highlight: Three Men & A Cat

– Fines Double Racing Team’s Arctic Cat Thunderc

at & Racing The Vegas to Reno event.

Hot Product: DRD Raptor 250 Exhaust (www.dubachracing.com)
Funny Line: “Just figure out what is going to be in the path if you go straight, because you’re going to be there, and you’re going to hit it, whether it’s a barbed wire fence, rock, a cow, an abandoned car, a ditch or a cliff,” said Danny Prather about the Honda 700XX’s handling.
On The Cover: New YFZ450R (Yamaha’s new 450cc four-stroke)

New Year Resolutions

Now that the presents are unwrapped and dishes are done it’s time to relax. But wait 2009 is just around the corner and so is the dreaded New Year Resolution. Sure everyone says they are going to get to the gym more often, quit smoking, save more money et cetera but how can you actually follow though with them this time?

Here are a couple of ways to get it done:

#1 WRITE IT DOWN This may be the single most important piece of advise I can give you when it comes to achieving your goals or resolutions. Once something is in writing you are more committed to achieveing the results. If forces accountability.

#2 TELL EVERYONE YOUR GOAL When you share your goal with friends and family they will help keep you on the right track. If your goal is to loose weight and your friends see you reaching for the potatoe chips they will help remind you how detrimental that is to your success.

#3 SET STEPS TO YOUR GOAL Achieving a large scale goal is hard work and everyone needs a little help along the way. By setting steps in your goal you have small measureable victories that will eventually enable you to achieve the larger goal.

I hope this helps you achieve all you can wish for in 2009.

What are your resolutions for 2009?

I’d like to know.

Quick tip, installing hand grips

If your like me and you go through hand grips almost once a season, installing grips is one of those jobs that is so easy, yet sometimes frustrating that you dread doing it. You know the drill. You get all ready to install them and fight them on the bars, and then after all your muscling, you come to find out that after one ride they just spin allowing your hands to slip of the bars. Well in this article I will outline some good practices that will ease the installation and increase safety.

First remove the old grips and ALL the old glue or what ever adhesive was left behind. A little trick to removing old grips is to score with a razor knife a few times down the length of the grip. Then just peel it off the bars. A 50/50% mix of rubbing alcohol and water will make quick work of the left over adhesive. This same procedure can be used on the throttle side as well regardless of the type of throttle your using (twist or thumb), although I recommend removing the twist throttle housing to prevent breaking the housing.

Installing can be aided with use of some heat from a heat gun, a hair dryer I have found ineffective as it fails to get hot enough. Just be careful to not to overheat the grips, just enough to soften them a little. Likewise I recommend installing on a twist throttle housing with it removed.

Adhesive choices: lots of debates can be had on this subject, I personally follow the recommendations of the grip manufacture that I am using. For example, Pro-Grip brand grips, use Pro-Grip brand glue, Renthal grips, Renthal glue, and so on. Now some see this as a marketing ploy, and its possible, but in my experiences different grips are made of different compounds and various percentages of natural and synthetic rubbers, thus different glues react differently. My theory is Pro-Grip branded a formulation that best adheres to THEIR grips, likewise with Renthal ect… I have also heard people using spray paint as a grip glue. I have had mixed experiences with the spray paint method so I don’t recommend using it as the only means of affixing the grips to the bars.

Safety wire: regardless the method you use to secure your new grips I suggest using safety wire as an added protection of grips breaking loose, slipping or turning. You can use a light gauge mechanics wire or places do sell wire labeled as “safety wire”, ether way I highly recommend getting a pair of dedicated safety wire pliers as it makes the whole job easier of wrapping and twisting then cutting the wire.

Use these tips and your grip will not only be better but safer.

Looking back, my 1973 Kawasaki F11

For most of us the winter weather interrupts our riding adventures and forces us to burrow ourselves into our garages and ultimately onto our computers. It also allows us to have more time to think about past events, rides, and even machines. I spoke briefly about this in an earlier post http://www.atvmagblog.com/2008/12/02/reflections-of-machines-gone-past/ As I was writing I thought to myself, everyone has some stories about their machines, past and present. Well this is my story about one of those bikes in the collection.

The bike I chose for this blast from the past for this week is the 1973 Kawasaki F11 (250cc).  First off just a little bit of history on the bike when it was new.  The bike itself was not really a revolution in motorcycling.  Loosely based on the frame and engine of the KX250 works bikes released the same year, the F11 was the “enduro” or dual purpose version of the KX.  For those too young or ignorant to read up on the evolution of offroad motorcycling, motorcycles in general sold in the US had to have some street legal prowess to even be considered by most potential buyers, partially because of the oil embargo of the 70’s.  At the time public perception was that if the bike was “offroad only” it was not a good value because you had to have a means of transportation to the track or trail, at a time when pickups were strictly for work or utility and the sport ute was 20 years away.  The F11 was a bargain with a MSRP of $495 compared to say a (superior) European offroad only race bike had MSRP’s of $1,000 or more and were not street legal.  This was also at a time when the term big bore machine meant 250 and 350cc machines.  Designed to compete head to head with Yamahas DT1 it fared well with the “green streak” modifications (similar to Yamaha’s GYT-kits, pronounced “git-kit”).  The F11 was a departure from Kawasaki’s traditional rotary valve 2 strokes being a more typical piston port machine.  The F11 only had a production run of 2 years before it was dropped and the KX250 was the only bike that filled the 250cc single cylinder spot.

Ok with a little background on the bike out of the way here is my experience with the bike.  I didn’t acquire the bike new of course, and I was not necessarily looking for that particular bike, lets just say it found me.  Back in the 90’s my family always took vacations around the country, with regular trips back and forth to Denver from our home in south central Nebraska.  One trip back from a vacation we stopped by an old Kawasaki dealership in a town of about 7,000 total population, (McCook,NE).  From time to time we would stop in to “shop” their back lot and storage room, well this time they had acquired a 1969 H1 500cc triple (street bikes we collect) and as we dickered on the price of the for the 500, the dealer asked “Is there anything else you want back here?”  I had spy-ed the F11 sitting way in the back under a good layer of dirt. ”I said what do you want for that?”  The dealer replied, “Well I will just give you that since your already buying the 500, anything else you see that you would like to take off my hands?”  We also came home with a DT175 that had been hit by a car, but that’s another story.  We paid for the 500 and a day later I made a trip back to the dealer for the 3 bikes. 

After getting it home and doing some preliminary cleaning and adjustments, I proceeded to try to fire the bike.  Everything was in spec, carburetor, ignition points set correctly and in time, but it just would not fire and run.  Upon a compression test revealed very low compression, I kinda suspected it in the beginning but I have made bikes in worse shape run and run well, so I didn’t think a whole lot about it. A tear down for a top end was in store.  Now I found out why the dealer gave it away with the other bike, the piston had a small piece missing on the crown near the edge of the ring land.  Ok not a big deal, I have done top ends before, no biggie.  Sourcing the parts was the real challenge and probably the reason the original owner abandoned it at the dealer years ago.  The piston, rings, and wrist pin were obsolete from the OEM and Wiesco.  In the days before Ebay and the Internet, my only shot was either find a bone yard bike/engine that was in better shape that I could rob the parts out of (not my first choice) or find some NOS (new old stock) parts.  Through many phone calls to dealers spanning the country, I got a tip of a guy that buys up dealers parts inventories when they go out of business.  I thought SCORE!  Well this was a mixed blessing as the guy only has the parts cataloged by part number on micro-fiche.  So without an OEM part number he could not tell me if he had the part(s) or not.  With some digging on some old micro-fiche parts diagrams I got my numbers, and sure enough he had all the parts I needed NOS.  Fast forward a month or two later I had basically a “new” 1973 F11M. 

Many good memories were had on that bike.  I hate to fathom how many hours I put on that machine.  At the time it was all I had for a motocross bike, even though it was not a true mx bike.  The thing was heavy hovering around the 300 pound mark, and suspension was sub-par even for its day, 4 inches in the front and about 3.5 in the rear with little to no damping to control the springs.  I felt I handled the bike well considering its drawbacks and ultimately I believe made me a better rider for the future when I would update my equipment.  I am a firm believer that ANY rider should cut their teeth on a vintage or lower performing bike for a while before they go head first in to one of these cutting edge machines.  Below is a link of me and my friends riding these bikes back in the day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9O1pdW1o4g

Goin’ for a test ride

My first opportunity to work as a test rider for ATV Sport Magazine was nothing short of spectacular. Back in July, ATV Sport Editor and chief Jerrod Kelley contacted me about participating in this new blog. I was ecstatic for the opportunity to be considered for the position and set out immediately in hopes of making an impact on our sport.

My first order of business was to accompany Bill “WBGO” Lanphier to the 2008 Dune Fest. (You may have seen the videos) WBGO was covering the event as well as testing the 2009 Suzuki LTZ400 and needed a photo rider.

I left Portland in the wee hours of the morning and rolled into Winchester Bay around 9 a.m. WBGO had arranged for me to stay with Jaybo of Sandbros.com for the weekend so we met at Jaybo’s camp and headed off to collect the Suzuki for the test and photo shoot.

Glen Hannsen, director of communication for American Suzuki was on hand at Dune Fest with a slew of new machines from Suzuki. We stopped by the Suzuki semi, picked up the Z400 and headed off into the dunes for photos. WBGO hopped aboard the Zuk while I chased behind on his borrowed Can-am DS450. That was only the second time I had ridden one of the new performance 450’s and I can honestly say I didn’t know what to do with all that power! My current ride is a 1991 LT 250R that just doesn’t have the umpf of today’s four strokes.

Bill and I proceeded to ride around the dunes for a bit while he got a feel for the machine. After some sandy trails and carving a few dunes he pulled to a stop and said “Ok, find a jump, I need some jump pictures.”

Excuse me? Did you just ask me to hop on a brand new, from the factory quad and jump it repeatedly just so you can take pictures? It was like music to my ears. I climbed aboard and motored around until I found a dune that I felt would suffice. I’ve jumped dunes quite a bit so I have a fairly good idea of what I’m looking for in a sand jump, but being as I was on an unfamiliar quad, that wasn’t mine for that matter, I wanted to be comfortable before I started railing a dune and flying through the air.

It was spectacular to say the least. Several runs, then some direction from Bill. “Can you tweak it this way or that?” “Let the quad move underneath you in the air.”

Once we had enough “air” shots, we proceeded to see what kind of sand the machine could really throw. I carved the face of the same dune I had been jumping repeatedly whipping the rear end of the machine around, sending a spray of sand towards Bill’s awaiting lens. Different angles, various positions, run after run until he got just the shots he was looking for.

On one run I happen to look behind me to see what kind of spray I was making and he signaled me over and said, “ That was great. Do it again, just don’t look backwards!” I laughed as I can understand why he wouldn’t want me looking over my shoulder in the shot.

From the jumping and sandslinging we made our way to one of the many tree islands in the sea of sand that is Winchester Bay. Many of these islands have crystal clear puddles of water near them and WBGO thought a few hydroplaning pics would look good.

Before we soiled the machine with water and wet sand, we found a nearbye ledge that I rode a few wheelies off. He wanted some shots with the nose of the quad in the air as I rode off the ledge. The difficulty came as the ledge had a blind take off. It gradually sloped uphill and then dropped immediately with only a small shoot to aim for between two large clumps of sea grass. Additionally, I was approaching the ledge at an angle so I would blindly aim for where I thought the clearest path was, quickly straighten the quad out when I got to the ledge, then allow the front wheels to lift off the ground. The last challenge was getting the wheels back on the ground so as to avoid the puddle of water at the bottom of the dune. We were trying to keep the bike as clean as possible for photos, so steering clear of the puddle was necessary.

After several runs at the ledge Bill asked me if I was ready for a swim. Thankfully it was a warm day so the water looked inviting. He briefly explained what he was looking for and I took off for run after run through the water.

The outcome was truly amazing. What separates real photographers like WBGO, from people who think they take good photos, like me, is that he can see the whole picture. Where I would merely pay attention to the action in the photo, WBGO is looking at the scenery, background, foreground and seemingly everything else captured in the frame. The reflection of the bike in the water, the horizon line against a blue sky backdrop. Every detail was considered as he took photo after photo.

Needless to say, I’m already looking forward to the next opportunity to work as a test rider.  Not sure when or where it will come along, but maybe I’ll have the priveledge of testing a Trinity 525 Banshee or perhaps a heavily modified big bore fourstroke.  Not likely, but I’ve got my fingers crossed!

Editor’s note — For the complete 2009 LT-Z400 ride report and to see Seth’s debut in ATV Sport magazine, please pick up a copy of the December 2008 issue or visit www.atvsport.com.

Would You Rather - ATV Style

OK, I posted this on our MySpace page roughly a year ago. I figured it was time to get some new feedback. Share your thoughts.

Would you rather ride a utility quad or a sport quad?

Would you rather ride a two-up quad or drive a UTV (Rhino)?

Would you rather beat Bill Ballance or Dustin Wimmer?

Would you rather be hit on by a moto ho or a stripper?

Would you rather eat track food or fast food?

Would you rather race MX or GNCC?

Would you rather race in the desert or dirt track?

Would you rather try an ATV backflip or a 200-foot-plus jump?

Would you rather race with a twist or thumb throttle?

Would you rather get beat by a girl (woman) or someone 10+ years older than you?

Would you rather be on the cover of a magazine or be on the local news?

Would you rather ride naked with a helmet or ride in MX gear without a helmet?

Would you rather crash in the whoops or on a jump?

Would you rather race the Baja 1000 or Dakar?

Would you rather poop in a port-a-potty at the track or in the woods?

Would you rather sleep in a tent or in a $29.95 motel?

Would you rather eat a hot dog or a Snickers bar?

Would you rather drink Monster, Red Bull or Rockstar?

Would you rather ride in deep mud or dense fog-like dust?

Would you rather be hit from behind by a trophy truck or hit a tree at full speed?

Would you rather be on a factory race team or fully sponsored by the aftermarket?

Would you rather ride without gloves or without socks?

Would you rather be married to a women’s ATV champion, a supermodel or a professional cheerleader?

Would you rather see a story about yourself in a magazine or on the Web?

Would you rather race for a living or be retired?

2008 AMA PRO ATV Racing

Here’s a photo recap of last year’s AMA Pro ATV National opener at Glen Helen in Southern California. Photos by Jerrod Kelley.

2008 ATV Pros at Glen Helen

Read More Posts: Select Month January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008