Here's
the page where we lump all of your responses, rumors, rants,
raves and insight into the world of dirt bikes. Click
here and email away.
Well,
It has been nearly a year since we updated this - and what a
insane year it has been. High time we get back on the ball and
post some of the comments our readers sent us this year... Check
through the comments by month.
Check
Through The Comments By Month.
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09/18/2002
- Mike, I just finished reading your article "What you need
to be legal." Thanks for all the info. I wanted to let you
know however that you stated in the article that the temporary
out of state sticker program was dibanded. This is not correct.
I just checked with the state and got a list of bike shops in my
area where they sell them. They cost $20 and are still required.
Here is the info on who I contacted at the state.
California State Parks ? OHMVR Division,
Non-Resident Permit Program
P.O. Box 942896 Sacramento, CA 94296-0001
916-324-4442; E-mail, pubinfo@calohv.com
Keep up
the good work,
S. Nugent
Awesome
- Thank you!
09/13/2002-
In the 2003 CRF450R article you state "The aluminum-framed
four stroke single that set the world on fire last year is
basically unchanged for 2003, except for minor details". A
whole lot changed on the bike, get it right!
Our
mistake... I guess it depends on how you define "A whole
lot..." Honda gave us very little detail on enhancements -
Honda's own Press Releases are extremely vague.
By
the specs:
|
Rake: |
Trail: |
Wheelbase: |
Clearance: |
2003 |
27
deg. |
4.3
in |
58.5
in |
13.3
in |
2002 |
28.6
deg. |
4.68
in |
59.4
in |
13.0
in |
Hopefully
this translates into quicker turning, rather than instability.
On the positive Side - Honda just released info on it's new 2004
CRF250R - which will be running in the 125 classes against the
YZ250F - and the new CRF250X Electric Start.
Kim,
Thanks. Once again, a great many people can feel satisfied,
going to bed throughout the month, wondering what the hell it
was you were trying to say and still close their eyes with
something more than they woke up with.
-
Fidel Gonzales
09/11/2002
- Hit the nail on the head.
Me, the nail.
Hit on the head, used to it.
Good
article - Matt McLane
Glad
it wasn't just our confused noggins she hit! Thanks Matt!
09/06/2002
- Mr. Hobbs,
Why the hell do Bell helmets cost so damn much anymore?
I finally had to replace my Moto 5 (what's that smell?) and was
shocked at how much Bell is charging! Outrageous!
So I bought an MSR on sale for $150.00. A comparable Bell cost
around $400.00.
Too bad, I've worn Bell helmets all my riding life. What's the
deal?
Rgds,
Matt
Burbank
Ya'
know, I think it's just a name recognition thing and folks still
buy
'um. That, and they have themselves into so many different
markets they
need to offset the cheap stuff they sell at Wal-Mart.
MSR's
are nice helmets and I'm sure you'll be happy with it.
Thanks
for writing,
Mike Hobbs
09/17/2002
- I used to live in a suburb of Dallas, Tx. After the ft
Worth arena Cross in 1998, we returned home from racing the
event on amateur day. I unhooked my trailer and left the bikes
in it. Since we lived in a small, fairly nice housing
subdivision, I used the trailer to keep all of the tools and
gear in instead of keeping it in the garage,. This kept the
garage looking nice and gave us room to work. Anyway, every bit
of dirtbiking gear, bikes, spare parts, etc were in the trailer.
I drove the van to work and upon returning, NO TRAILER. some
low-life Piece of sh!T stole my trailer, bikes and all. The
police came to the house and fortunately everything but the
trailer was insured. The trailer was not but considering what I
lost I considered myself lucky. The police were fair but one
said i should have had a lock on it and that is when I broke
down. I own my stuff. i don't think I have to lock my truck or
buy expensive locks to protect property that is mine. I think
that thieves should get their fingers broke and spend hard time
instead of a slap on the wrist. but in reality I have gone to
extremes to protect my investment and hard work. My 13 year old
son was 8 at the time and really upset about the whole
situation. I have my new trailer insured and keep it hooked to
the truck 90% of the time and drive a different car to work.
insurance at 100 dollars plus a year for 3 bikes, etc. etc. just
my little story.
Kevin
Ruckdeschell
A
friend at an Enduro in New Jersey had this happen while he was
racing about that same year. Thieves pulled the trailer right
off his truck while his family was helping at the race - all of
his kids bikes were gone. Makes you wish you could have been
there to beat the snot out of 'em...
09/17/2002
- I have reicently lost a ATV due to theft. A 2000 Yamaha
Banshee, I had $13,000 in the bike. It was covered by
homeowners, due to the theft was from my locked garage. The
thieves broke into my house thru a window. I replaced it with a
2001 DS 650 and proceeded to extensively modify it. I cannot
find anyone who is interested in insuring my ATV's for a
reasonable rate. I have a 2001 Bombardier DS650, 2002 Bombardier
DS50, and a 2002 Yamaha Grizzly 660. Every insurance company I
have checked for theft wants to tag on collusion, Insulating the
a MSRP is like adding 3 new cars to my policy. Is their anyone
who specializes in ATV insurance?
Thanks,
Brian Cole
I
have had great service fromn "insuremytoys.com".
Please,
check them out and tell them that "Off-Road.com" sent
you.
-
Pat Chicas
09/17/2002
- A simple idea that saved my bike. Put a padlock through
the rear brake disc since most discs have holes located on the
outer edge. This saved my bike. The thieves first tried cutting
through the disc with a hacksaw which must have taken some time.
The little dweebs gave up on that bright idea and, obviously
frustrated, tried pushing the bike with the rear wheel locked
which made enough noise and slowed them down enough for my
neighbors to alert the police. When the police arrived they
threw down the bike and ran. They were not caught but everyone
knew who they were by that point and the police raided their
apartment a few months later. They are now where they belong,
behind bars. I needed to replace my rear disc but I had the
pleasure of doing a couple wheelies in the alley behind their
apartment a few days later just to rub it in.
Tony
Clever
and less expensive than the Kryptonite disc lock! The only
concern is that the bike can still be loaded into a truck
easily, and the lock dealt with later... Throw an anchor cable
or chain into the equation and that could be a formidible
deterent.
09/01/2002
- Hey guys, Good article on bike theft. I just wanted to let
you know what my buddies & I do when we camp at Glamis. We
lock all of our bikes together with a heavy chain to the hitch
or bumper of one of our trucks...then we always have someones
tent right next to the bikes so if someone was messing with the
bikes we would hear it. We also do a couple of things to the
bikes to make them harder to move, first..we pull off the spark
plug cap, & second...we put all the bikes in 5th gear before
we chain them up..pretty hard to find nuetral that way. Anyhow,
hope these tips can be of use to any of your readers. Thank you.
Jeff
Birdsong
Blythe, CA
Good
ideas - Thanks!
08/31/2002
- My company has a solution to this problem, a lo jack
system that is installed into the ignition systems of dirt
bikes. When the bike is started the system is armed.
I will send you info if interested.
James Gibson
PecBell Communications Inc.
Definitely!
We will follow this up!
We've
had literally hundreds of responses! Sorry we can't put them all
here, but these are some of the highlights. Thanks for all your
comments!
09/15/2002
- hey hunk, good to see ya still raisin hell! Still got that old
red tank CZ?
not long
ago i saw a front page article in our local paper about how
hospitals were filling up with casualties as kids emulate their
heroes who do these ridiculous freestyle stunts, both fantasy
and real life. And somehow, as usual. it is the fault of the
industry - not the media, the person, or the supervising parent.
I think it was a UPI article, but will try and find it if it
will help ya. [prob just infuriate ya] the fact that this was a
front page center article completely unrelated to any local
activities tells me that the envirogeeks truly DO have deep
pockets and want us all out of the woods. A real eye opener to
be sure! let me know if i can help ya.
paul
09/07/2002
- Well, there's one viewpoint, one that's clearly informed
by long association with the forces of Good in Our Sport.
I read
Rick's words, I support the same causes, I spend my time and
money supporting people like Rick who support these causes.
But where
does the money come from that I use to support people like Rick?
From software development actually. More specifically, Internet
application development ? big corporate B-to-B sites.
That's
not really a conflict, between providing natural gas liftings
reports and responsible motorcycle citizenship. But I've been
knocking around the Internet as long as Rick's been knocking
around the MX political scene, and what is clear is that there
is a type of person who sees something on a computer screen, or
hears the word computer or Internet, and decides forthwith to
blame the device, or blame the messenger, or blame the medium.
I will
grant you that there may be one or two pornographic images on
the Internet. Well, I know for a fact that the Internet can be
used as a medium for accessing child pornography, for accessing
actual rape and snuff films, as a medium for accessing stores
that sell narcotics illegally, as a means for accessing "data
havens" where people trade stolen credit card numbers, as a
means for hacking into governments and corporations and space
agencies, and more. The Internet can be used as a tool to
amplify the most offensive, illegal, morally outrageous traits
of human existence.
But
despite what the Baptist church thinks, and despite what Strom
Thurmond and the Republican Party think, the Internet is not the
agent of this offensive, illegal, morally reprehensible
behavior. Bad people are just bad people. A far greater number
of people do amazingly constructive things with the Internet
than do bad things with it. The true Internet revolution has
only fairly begun, but the fact is that a few right-wingers did
get out in front before people had a chance to become educated
about the fact that the messenger wasn't the problem, and
could have done great harm to a tool of tremendous social and
economic growth. Here's what you do when someone messes with
child porno or snuff or whatever whacked-out crap people mess
with: arrest them. Rehabilitate them. Elect them mayor of
Washington or governor of Louisiana.
Last
weekend at the track, some little punk threw roost in my face,
but I don't blame Freekstyle or Electronic Arts. He just has
ineffective parenting. I have no doubt he saw one of us adults
roost each other and mimicked what we'd done, because we do in
fact roost each other ? call it male bonding. Did the kid
knock there's a difference between doing it on the trail, like
he'd seen us do, and brodying on pit row and spraying a bunch
of wives and pets? No, but his parents should take the time to
teach him these things if they're going to let him hang around
an MX riding area.
I will
grant that the content of video games, since it is CONTENT,
needs a more strict examination than the MEDIUM of the Internet.
But only so that we'll know if it has blood, gore, simulated
crime such as Grand Theft Auto, overly realistic death or such.
There is a ratings system for these things and stickers that go
on the box saying "this one has blood and gore and women in
g-strings, be forewarned." Then parents do what they do,
either keeping it out of the hands of their kids if they are
very young, or having an educational session to the tune of
"you are old enough to know the difference between make
believe and real life, and this is what our family's and your
beliefs are on X and Y and Z topics."
If you
don't have time to do this, it means you are a bad parent. If
parents just don't do this cause they can't be bothered, it
means they're bad parents. If people grow into young adults
with an inability to tell right from wrong, it means that they
had bad parents. If somebody gets to be Rick's age and still
can't tell a videogame from reality, I have to think they're
marginally clued old codgers who can barely fire up Microsoft
Outlook to get onto the American Onlines to bitch about
pornography on the Internet, only even they've figured out
that nobody is listening to them bitch about porno on the
Internet any longer so they're gonna go after video games.
Good timing ya know, all the consoles are getting Internet
connectivity now, and they're quite realistic these games.
Maybe there'll be some cheap thrills along the way while they
investigate what it is they should be offended by.
Let me
help, here's a quickie tour of current and upcoming things for
you to be offended by:
- Grand
Theft Auto: You're in the Mafia, and you regain health
points by screwing hookers, but you can beat up the hookers
after you use them and take your money back.
- Blood
Omen 2: You're a vampire named Kain, and when you kill a
man and suck his blood it's just gory. When you kill a
woman and drain her body, your victim very clearly has a
dying orgasm as you swallow her lifeforce. Mmm look at her
shudder.
- Aggressive
Inline: You are an inline skater, one of 10 or so "well
known" skaters, or one fictional skater, Chrissie. She has
pony tails and a Catholic schoolgirl outfit, and when she
gets upside down breaking sick air you can check out her
whitey tighties.
- Dead or
Alive 3: You're a ninja see, only you can play as one of
these chick ninjas and show serious nipp and ass.
- Dead or
Alive Beach Volleyball: Coming Soon, the girls from DOA3
return in a volleyball game for Xbox Only! Featuring special
nude mode.
- Medal
of Honor: Remember that movie with the opening half hour so
bloody that you could barely sit through it? Now you can Be
There! That's right, Stephen Spielberg does games and you
can go soak yourself in the blood and gore of Omaha Beach
and go hand-to-hand through Europe, blowing heads off, you
name it. Among the bloodiest games ever, certainly among the
best games ever.
All of
these are in fact wonderful games. Appropriate for small
children and marginally clued old people? Definitely not. Will
small children and the marginally clued come into inappropriate
contact with some of them? Unfortunately, probably yes.
Even
worse, some of them may write columns with an audience of 5.7
million readers.
Electronic
Arts? Ahh, I actually thought the commercials were a bit much
too. There's a limited number of MX titles that come out, and
we're gonna buy pretty much every title that comes out anyway.
It would have been enough to say "better trick system than
Ricky Carmichael with some cool level innovations."
If EA's
going to continue as a primary sponsor of the sport of MX riding
though, I agree with Rick that it is incumbent that they
immediately become visible as Good Citizens in Our Sport.
Support with their time and money and name the fight to keep
riding areas open. Support with their time and money and name
educational programs that communicate to a wider audience what
our issues are.
See,
that's the thing, I think the average citizen has no real
opinion about OHV's or 2-stroke pollution or land use issues
or the things that we live and breathe. I think that if they did
though, they would be much more likely to support our freedoms
than to want to limit them.
Oh and
Freekstyle? Wicked fun game, but somewhat derivative of Sled
Storm and that other EA Big title. Wish it had a nude mode like
DOA3 Volleyball so we could get really freaky with Jill.
- Joe
Abernathy
Well
said... Wanna write for us?
09/05/2002
- Rick, I had to take lunch and a 24 ouncer of Steel City before
commenting on this.
Remember back in the 50's when William Gaines published Tales
from the Crypt? It was so controversial that Sen. Whatshisface
from Tennessee launched an all out Senate investigation bent on
preserving the moral fiber of our youth. It went nowhere and
Gaines later went on to publish Mad Magazine.
This is
just another fad that will soon be over (like shaved heads,
piercing and freestyle mx hopefully). Since I live in Los
Angeles I have to wade through thousands of bald headed,
tattooed and pierced goofballs daily, and that's just to buy
beer!
I could go
into my standard diatribe about how women getting the right to
vote, long travel suspension and 4 strokes started it all but
I'm too busy standing around in the garage gazing at this cherry
'67 BSA 441 Victim I just purchased. A rotten bike but what a
rotten bike. Oooh, looka that tank....
Know where
I can get a ziener diode?
Cheers,
Matt
09/02/2002
- The game is cool. Shut up. Don't be a pussy
wow...
I am underwealmed. I think you missed the point.
09/02/2002
- You go Rick!! I was disgusted also when I saw that crap on TV.
What kind of booger-eating idiot would actually give the OK for
that to be aired without understanding the consequences of their
actions? Do they really understand the effect that is made on
todays youth? Apparently not. Now every punk kid with a bike
will think its cool to roost little animals and set a fire or
two. The injustice and damage that EA Sports has done is
intolerable.
On a
lighter note, I've been reading your stuff since the days of
Dirt Bike and have always enjoyed it. Thanks for the laughs over
the years..
Shannon Duncan
Bakersfield, Ca.
09/01/2002
- Dear Super Hunky, I practically quit buying Dirt Bike
magazine when you left! I had no idea of the off-road.com site
and was pleased to find that you are continuing to offer your
views and opinions to the riders of our sport. I agree with you
completly, corcerning the disgusting ads on television, as I too
was completely schocked to see such carnage.
As our
sport increasingly reaches the limelight we must strive to
present it in a positive manner to ensure it continues to
thrive. EA Sports has tarnished the face of the sport for as
long as Freekstyle remains in television ads and on department
store shelves. Many people see me as a "freak" due to
my passion for dirtbikes, and games of this nature simply
re-affirm their beliefs.
E Ass
Sports does not care about the well being of the sport, they
simply want to exploit it for every penny they can get.
I agree
with your opinion of "freekstyle" completly.
Andrew
Smallwood
Newfoundland Motocross Association
09/01/2002
- Get off your high horse! It's a freakin' video game for
christs sake!! If you are to much of a moron to distinguish
between fantasy and reality then you have no business at all
commenting on such a thing. As far as tattoo's and piercing go,
not everyone who has them are bad people or "vile" as
you put it. It is narrow minded people like you who form these
stupid stereotypes and start all this BS in the first place! The
only thing you have accomplished with this article is promoting
the sale of this game. GOOD JOB
While
Rick's comments were possibly excessive concerning personal
appearance, I am not so concerned. I am surprised when folks who
dress in a way that says "F... Y..! to the establishment
and all you stand for" expect to be treated with respect by
everyone. Where appearance is concerned, there is a significant
portion of society which equates perception as reality. Whether
this appearance is simply style or an act of rebellion is not
generally considered, the easiest answer is assumed.
The
same can be said of the sport of dirtbiking, especially within
circles that oppose OHV use on public lands. Time after time I
meet folks on the trail who shoot nasty looks, or flip me the
birdie for my choice of recreation. I consider myself an
ambassador to my hobby - and usually stop and talk. Sometimes it
pans out and they go on with a different perception than before,
sometimes not. Sometimes they have a negative image so firmly
entrenched, that no evidence to the contrary will ever change
their mind. Perception = Reality.
I
think that supplying a negative and destructive image is
dangerous as it can establish the preconception, or reinforce
one already established. Rick has spent many years fighting a
losing battle over OHV land use - so have I but my contribution
is 7 years - his is closer to 30. He knows at a gut level the
amount of damage this kind of image (whether in words, photos,
video, or cartoon) can do.
To
have a major supporter of AMA events present such an image is
nearly inexcusable, far more effective coming from a company
that "supports" the sport than it would be from the
Sierra Club. I think it was stupid! It was unnecessary to sell
the product - does not accurately represent the product - and
may have set OHV interests back years.
I
read some of the propaganda written by a grass roots radical
environmentalist org in an effort to have a National Hare &
Hound cancelled - stating that the bikes would do irreparable
harm to the sand washes within this western Colorado area. OK -
sand washes... flash floods tear down these channels several
times a year. Just about any moron should realize that a flash
flood is going to completely reorganize anything in it's path
far more efficiently than 100 Caterpillar D8s... A race with
several hundred bikes is nothing to this area.
They
also claimed that "cute widdle bunnies" would be
maimed and killed. I don't know about you - but I have never
seen roadkill in a race, dead cattle carcasses yes... In any
case - John Doe in Vermont probably has not logically explored
the issue. He is happy to let others paint a picture of
destruction, get worked up into a righteous fury over "the
widdle bunnies," and vote his conscious - or send in public
comments from across the country. Environmentalists do not have
a negative stigma to overcome - we do. It's not a fair fight,
they can play dirty - we can't - we cannot afford to.
"Well
I don't care! I never ride trails - I think it's a stupid waste
of time..." Something else to consider. If
environmentalists succeed in pushing trail riders off public
lands, where to you suppose these people will go to ride? Think
about it a sec... Tracks, right? How many people can a track
support safely? What would happen under the theory of supply and
demand? I can assure you that the cost to ride would be one hell
of a lot higher before there were more tracks...
I
will not be buying the video game, not because they have
offended me, not because it looks like a stupid game, but
because they have harmed me, breached my trust, and stabbed me
in the back.
-
William Perry
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