10/30/02

Kim,

I have read your article and it is quite funny....I too write for a local off road newsletter up here called "Off the Beaten Path". I have a very good article on guys teaching their women how to ride. I will forward it to you when I get home and if you would like to reprint it you have my permission.

I have been riding for about 28 years and racing for 18years. I am a multi time provincial and national champion in both cross-country and hare scrambles. I have dabbled a bit in motocross but my heart is in the mountains!! My husband and I have recently started up a production company, Dirt TV, and are going to be releasing a full length riding video put to music. Our eventual goal is to produce a television show but for now the video is keeping us very busy.

Check out our website at www.dirttv.net and let me know what you think.

LISA RAFFAN
Dirt TV
Assistant Producer

10/28/02

Hi Kim!

Just wanted say THANKS! for another great column about the great micro-on-the-fritz syrup explosion caper! You keep my sides hurting!(unlike a 5th gear-pinned get-off, which eventually goes away)Inside advice: never, NEVER try putting a jar of marshmallow creme in a microwave, talk about a mess! Your 1st Gear trail adventure reminds me of two similar stories, which I will try to keep short. The first time my dad took my mom out for a ride in the early 70's, he was on his Kawi "Trail Boss" 100, and she was on my little brothers Honda Trail 70. All went well the first few miles, despite her having forgotten how to shift a minicycle with an automatic clutch. First Gear all the way. For some unknown reason, he led her up a trail to the top of Red Mtn. in Valley Center, which just happens to be the highest peak around, to "show her the view". Mind You, it had a big water tank at the top, and was paved, but it is very steep and winds around the mountain on the way to the top. Being very determined to not be wussy, against her better judgement she followed him to the top, white-knuckling it all the way. After a short time taking in the for-miles-around view, it was now time to head back DOWN. Needless to say, she was still very much a learning BEGINNER. My dad says,"See you at the bottom, and heads down, oblivious to the drama within taking place behind him. At least she didn't know how to shift out of first! Scared stiff, with a death grip on the wanna-be-a real-bike-folding-mini-bars, she picks up her feet, and gravity takes it's course. Soon she is hurtling down this steep grade, with the simultaneous sounds of a fourstroke mini-engine revving at 9 grand with the throttle off, outriggered boat tennies scraping the asphalt in a last-ditch effort at scrubbing off some speed,and the loudest, shrillest , panic-stricken scream that you have ever heard! She reaches the area where the incline tapers off, (without crashing, which was a minor miracle in itself)and scrubs to a stop, her heart beating its way to a major coronary, and her face a mirror image of that painting known simply as "The Scream". My dad was stopped at the bottom waiting like "no big deal", but upon seeing the obvious drama and panic which just unfolded, asks simply, "What Happened?" Which rightfully unleashed a tirade of insults, ranging from "Why would you take ME up that damn Hill" to "I was so scared that I forgot where the stupid Brakes were"! She never got on a motorcycle again, still to this day, 30 years later.

The second 1st Gear story is much less amusing: My dad had our two bikes loaded up for a weekend trip out to Borrego Springs. He took his mighty Hi-Lo Range "Trail Boss" 100, and I had my trusty orange Kawasaki 90 "Bushmaster", which I had proudly modified myself -with a cut race-disc, a Bassani "chamber"and a big-fin aluminum Webco head! Wooo! It was fast! Being around 14 Years old, that bike meant the entire world to me! At the last minute we took my "neighborhood friend" with us. I really didn't like the guy cause he was always bragging about how great he could ride, despite not even having a motorcycle! Well, we got to the dez, and due to tales of bravado the entire way, my dad lets him take my bike for a ride first. Off he goes, looking like a flailing squid, winding my beloved rotary-valve 90 to the upper reaches of the atmosphere. I still cringe when I recall the sound of my poor bike revving till it couldn't rev anymore, under the merciless twist of buttheads right wrist! After a 1/2 hour, and no 2-stroke sounds whatsoever, my dad decides it would probably be best to go look for him. An hour later, here they come, my bike on the end of a tow rope. He says,"I don't know what happened, the thing just quit". I knew my trusty bike wouldn't do that, I'd ridden it everywhere from Oregon to Big Bear,and back. Turns out the twit didn't have the brains to know how to shift, and he'd wailed my bike for 8 miles in first gear, in the summer heat,till its little aluminum heart stuck itself solid to the red-hot iron cylinder. He blamed it all on the bike, never paid a dime, and I never forgave him!

They go back quite a ways, but theres my two first gear stories!

Kim, I want to tell you about a cool website for you to check out. I met these girls last month at Glen Helen at the World Cup of Motocross, when the MX des Nations race fell out , and made the US look like bumbling idiots. They have a new business that they are trying to get off the ground, and I hope they make it. Maybe you could send them some E-advice or something , maybe you could help them with some business contacts. Check them out for yourself. They are a "mostly-girls-only" clothing company. They have a race trailer, some product, and made a nice little display at the race.Perhaps you could guide them to some women-oriented MX events,or dez things like Nationals, or the Adelanto GP. You can find them on the web at: www.teamdirtygirls.com . It's not as bad as it may sound, actually it's a pretty cool little hook! Sorry about the blue, thats dub-dub-dubaya

teamdirtygirls.....dot com. They have a nice site that tells about them, and what they're trying to do. I'm sure that you could help them more than I can, I know little about these things(womens events). I'm going to send them an E-Mail, suggesting that they check out your column(and foxy picture), as the coolest moto-chick (and moto-mom) on the planet! Thanks again for the column, Kim! Are going to the Elsinore GP or to the Baja 1000? Just ask Super Hunky, you get some amazing stories out of Adventures in Mexico!

By the way, for many Years I've had on my answering machine at the end, the greeting, "Have A Full-Throttle Kind Of Day"!, just heard that Cameron Diaz is working on a new flick called "Full Throttle", as well as Charlies Angels 2. She's into it! GO GIRL! A good friend of mine, Larkin White,"the Off-Road Beemer/Triumph Guy" just finished up some Extra work in a movie called "Torque",starring Ice Cube. S'posed to be like the Fast and Furious on motorcycles, but who knows what it will end up being after Hollywood gets done with it! Bye For Now, Kim! Keep up the good work! and.......keep the rubber side down! Also Glad you're knee is finally feeling better, those things seem to take forever!

–-Baja Dave :) the locomoto man~

10/20/02

Kim, Loved your article, way too funny. I hope the trailer is back to normal now and you are working on another story. Have a great time on your next ride.

Thanks for the laughs,

~JB

10/29/02

The article says dry weight of 249lbs while the specs says 262lbs. Which is correct?

Kawasaki claims 262 on their most recent specs for this bike... Which is identical to Suzuki's DR-Z400E specs... Coincidence? NOT! Except for the plastic these bikes are both Suzuki! Suzuki and Kawasaki have a partnership with some shared models this year.

Now for the incorrect data in the text? It appears that the DR-Z400 (Kick Start Only) is the model that weighs 249, which is not being offered by team green. I suspect that they changed their minds about the hardware without updating their marketing package thoroughly...

Sorry for the confusion!

10/22/02

Very nice, I would like to see more of this type of article. I'm older now and I think dual sporting is the way to go for me.

Regards,
George Moul

10/23/02

I found this site by accident and I think it's great. I especially like your "project crf450" section, since I have been stepping through the Honda ranks from 99 cr125 to 01cr250 and now the 03crf450. I hope you do another "project crf450" for the 03, I would like your input on after-market and not have to rely on "Yamaha-action" I mean motocross-action.

What caught my eye was the photo of the Magura hydraulic clutch slave cylinder mounted to the crf450. It is listed under "Your article here". I looked around the site but could not find the article or review on it. I put one (Magura clutch) on about two weeks ago, but was not too happy with the mounting and how far the slave cylinder sticks out. There was talk of Summer's Racing making a guard for it but have yet to see one. If you can point me to the article or just give my some feedback on it, it would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. It looks as though you are based in SoCal. I grew up down in Escondido and have been living in the Carson Valley and Tahoe area for the last 5 years. My buddies and I take a week long moto tour of all the tracks down there, the second week of November every year. Maybe we'll run into you guys?

Thanks,
Stephen

Sorry to tease you like that Stephan - there is no Magura clutch article on Project CRF. We have a photo there that a reader sent in to us to check out - we liked it - kinda grabby - so we ran it. Unfortunately, we have no solution either. The ORC Project CRF450 bike never had a Magura - probably for that reason.

ORC is based out of Vegas - but we are scattered all over the country - check our Staff page for more. It is entirely possible that you will bump into one of us at a SoCal event! Just keep your eyes open for shirts with our logo - and press passes!

- Editor

10/16/02

i think you should do a "project 1981 IT 465 Yamaha" project!!!

Norman

Hmm - Let me think... NO!!!

- Editor

10/08/2002

Greetings,
I am an owner of a 2002 crf 450. I would appreciate any info you can give me on the valve and head specifications. I beleive improper wear has lead to the intake valve seating in the head incorrectly causing the valves not to close properly. my symptons are:

1) bike will not start (when cold)
2) lack of compression
3) intake valve tolerance less than .002in.

We too have heard various complaints about this (or a similar) problem. Check back here for updates, we will give un update when we learn more. I believe there is a non-titanium intake valve available that resolves the issue.

would love to see a head to head battle between the 450's. ktm vs. honda

So would we! Hope we have the opportunity