street legal 2-strokes

[breakdirt916]

yeah, I dunno...I should really just use process of elimination and rule out carb before going into electrical

rented an '05 FZ6 last week and liked it!



it felt A LOT like the FZR600 I had for about 10 years

except it's FI



it's amazing how stable and fuss-free the bike felt at 85+





more upright riding position than the street triple (easier on my aging knees ), relatively low maintenance, good power, mellow/boring down below, but can get up and boogie if you want to unlock it at 12k rpm

Opinion: my buddies want me to get an ADV bike, put dedicated street tires on it, and use it exclusively on the road. But at that point, won't a sport touring bike be more fun? The DL650/ADV twins feel like they "run out of steam" when revved out, whereas a sport touring bike will have the power curve to boogie if you want to.

add a top case, taller windscreen (madstad if I can find one), leave a plug for a heated vest, tire plug kit + pump, stock exhaust, do the tires/chain/sprockets over the next year, done

talking myself into it at this point

meanwhile in YZ world:

finally retired my cyclegear body armor for something better:



$180, guy bought it, had a kid, sold the bike

these Giant loop pronghorn straps are the shiet:



holds it in place, with a little flex

yeah, it's messy...I need to dig up my shorter black ones and I'll tie it up nice and neat

[breakdirt916]

[breakdirt916]

ohhhhwee, this is a nice dual sport!



rented the Husqvarna FE501 for a day:







now this had everything the 350 lacked:
-you can be lugging up a hill near idle, romp on the throttle and wheelie the rest of the way up. in 3rd gear
-you can run the rpm's pretty low while putting around, then suddenly release the dragon and have the bike flying down the fire road

you can also ride it super lazy, and it will be tame and mellow.

suspension is good, tire sticks to the ground, MX frame for quick steering, low weight and easy to flick (feel light when it loft the front wheel from its torque), well balanced, low center of gravity





spirted in fire roads? check! capable of smoother single track? check! plated? check!

If I got this instead of the 350, I would have kept it

first day riding 90+ heat for ~3 hours/45 miles.

I drank one liter per hour, and ran out at the end!

it's doable, but you definitely need to hydrate in advance (with electrolytes; maybe 1/2 a bottle before and 1/2 a bottle after), have a base layer which manages your sweating/moisture well, drink one liter/hour, maybe use liquid IV, pour water on your neck at stops, no gnarly hill climbs, and keep the ride short. First sign of unexpected, lightheadedness and you head home. Ideally you shouldn't get to that point.

[Kurlon]

Ahem, TOLD YOU SO! I’ve been praising the 500 since I got mine, glad to see you got to experience one.

[breakdirt916]

agree 10/10, just an impressive culmination of dual sport engineering

I tried the 500exc an liked it as well; I was a little curious how different the 501 "felt" compared to the 500 w' a different map/linkage,

and (it could be in my head, but...), the 501 was a little softer/smoother



tbh, you can't go wrong with either bike

3.1 gallon tank, hand guards, good tires/UHD tubes(liss?), rack to carry tools, done

you don't even need to desmog/exhaust/re-map it

is yours in dirt or sumo trim?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

back to the smoker Sunday...trying Super M instead of 927

really need to sit down and plan what's next for it...

I tend to drink coffee & buy new parts for it before I installed/sorted the parts I already have

in my head, to make the YZ "good", I'm thinking a Lectron/Smart carb + repair the woods ported cylinder + head cut for pump gas + FMF Gnarly, and the power will be silky smooth. Rox risers to open up the rider compartment. Balanced wheels to make it less janky on pavement. 2 gallon tank to remove the watermelon from between my legs.

then how does a smart carb/lectron fare when you put on an aftermarket exhaust? is any jetting necessary to compensate for more air flow?

stupid, stop. Start by cleaning the carb, installing a new battery, fix the turn signals, new 2-stroke oil, etc.

[loudbeard]

Ahem, TOLD YOU SO! I’ve been praising the 500 since I got mine, glad to see you got to experience one.

Didn't we all advise him to get the 500 when he was going through is decision process and ended up with the 350? I feel like that was a thing

[breakdirt916]

I know I know

After my well-researched friend locally landed on his 701 (due to his stature), he suggested the 350 was the right bike for me.
-I'm 148lbs
-it most closely matched the YZ ride patterns
-was nearly as light
-100% more reliable
-higher quality components (ie suspension)
-more forgiving than the 500/501's, which can be one braap away from a helicopter ride

Most importantly, after he bailed me out of the desert when I blew up the YZ, he suggested that once I had something more reliable, it could grant me entry into the "long distance desert riding" segment that the more senior/experienced guys were doing. It's the best riding in SoCal & where I should aim to be. I won't get that invitation on the YZ. Be present, you don't want to miss these rides with this crew.

in retrospect, his sentiment is accurate. The 350 is an excellent bike; I jut felt ripped off when I rode it, especially when the 501 was a night of drinking expense away. I'm not a pro, but I felt my abilities were underestimated. If I can tame the wild bull they call a 90's two fifty 2-stroke, I'm confident I can handle a 501.

[Kurlon]

So, you remember at Stimilon when I had Factory Connection redo the suspension on my 92? Yeah... NIGHT AND DAY difference, that kit can be made awesome.

That said, while the 500 on paper has the potential to be a whiskey throttle nightmare, the heavier flywheel and biased towards low and midrange cam make it much less of a threat than say, a proper ripper 450 that is waiting to bite at any moment. There is a top end, but it's not the sudden manic rush of a 450, it just builds then tapers. Plus you can gear the 500 stupid tall (Loudon gearing) and it'll still do the business at walking pace without complaint. The threat of the 500 isn't sudden snap throttle accidents, it's loafing along and realizing you're doing 70mph without effort or revs to warn you.

It's nice to see the weight penalty for the 500s has come down decently too, though the rumor mill says the 2017+ 500s aren't quite as reliable as the 2012 to 2016 generation, a side effect of bringing the weight down?

[Kurlon]

All that said, I still want to give an injected 300SX a try...

[breakdirt916]

Excellent description

Not what the 450sx would punish you with…I could FW a 501!

Meanwhile, at this spot that I frequent:



https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/losangel...rabuco-canyon/

Suspected ex Ventura county LEO had a dispute with wife (ex-wife?) And shot up the place. 4 dead (including the shooter) and 5 hospitalized. I was watching the abc video and met that fire chief a few times when they send paramedics when kids pass out from vaccines. Close to home!

[breakdirt916]

Yesterday I was not ready for a dirtbike ride...I left work later than usual, the bike wasn’t loaded in advance, I had to get gas, it was hot, and I didn't inspect the bike for loose fasteners

But I sucked it up, went late, and did a sunset ride anyways



and I’m glad I did, because it was a blast!!

I hate getting ready for almost every ride, but when you get there, it’s always worth it.

All good things in life are worth waiting for.



first day running super M

(btw, is ok to mix it in with some 927 left in the tank?)



(could be in my head, but...)

it feels a little "zingier" than the blubbery 927



still have the mid throttle/rpm studder, so maybe you're right Josh - it may be a jetting issues

so I didn't run it in mid-rpm's that much; I was WOT most of the time



bike is so damn lively, it was a friggen blast!



I swear, someday I'm just going out to do some jetting testing.

[breakdirt916]

you really needed to be out a little earlier to see the blue moon at its largest





battery is dead, so I'm WOT for a lot of it to keep the headlight running, and the bike just zings and flies. When you're in sync with the power and balanced properly on the bike, it's just floating, and you're just steering

[breakdirt916]

these sunset rides have been very pretty:



not doing a lot of single track at night though:



just short 30 second sections when it's light out



Halloween is coming!

guessing it's their season to get laid...seen a bunch out lately



RIP little guy (not me, guessing it was a 4x4)

he will be dinner for the ants, mountain lions, birds, and return to the natural cycle of life from whence he came

1-2 sunset rides left before they turn into night rides

then IT'S DESERT SEASON

I recently started dating a girl that I like...so getting rides in now, in case it goes in the family direction. I’d then finally turn the bike into a resto mod project like I’ve been saying for years. Cherish every ride, as you don’t know when you won’t or can’t.

[breakdirt916]

slowly getting too dark for a post-work ride



Really foggy at some spots heading up, almost turned around.

But once you cleared the clouds, it was clear:



and by the time I headed down, it was all gone

gonna need a new chain soon; it keeps stretching

[OneCheekRider]

I'm bummed I couldn't join for this!

[breakdirt916]

Kurlon knows, so it's about time I finish this out

3-14-2024, finally with someone that cares about me, so I sold the bike:



New plastics went on, you can buy the vintage style graphics on eBay, and it went a good home.















^^ this is the Yamaha US headquarters in Cypress, CA

I love that pic; kind of looks like a magazine ad out of the 90's! I got over 50 inquiries for it

The new owner lives in the mountains and loves 2-strokes.

He has a 90's CR250 and wish he just had a plate; he knows what he's getting into. The dude is SO stoked and absolutely loving the bike the way that I did. It's a fun overall bike, and like ole' faithful, just goes and goes.

He's already been out in the desert, mountains, people in local groups also recognize the bike, and he's even gotten a DM message from someone who had that exact bike and wish he never sold it. Huge stoke surrounding his experience so far, and the bike is being enjoyed the way it truly deserves.

he sends me posts from time to time, so this thread may keep going

[typeone]

man, sad to see you part ways but awesome the new pilot is jazzed. always cool when you can see a bike live on.. .

[breakdirt916]

the new owner is loving it!

He describes it as 'ole faithful. It just goes, and it's a blast for what it is

another cool nugget about selling it: I was contacted by KEITH CODE as a potential buyer.



KEITH M'FN CODE from twist of the wrist made an inquiry to buy this bike.

kinda wished I sold it to him as a reason to meet him and talk about vintage Yamaha 2 strokes

in the mean time: I met a girl, got married, sold all the motorized bikes, and was looking for a low maintenance, lower speed/risk option, with nearby riding areas.

and along came the clearance deals:



you can't find anything used (even Chinese) emts's at that price point

Yamaha was leaving the US emtb market, so they were selling them cheap with 5 year warranties.

reviews say it has dated geometry, doesn't have a mullet setup, but it's just a smooth, easy riding bike. Kinda like the YZ

tighten the motor mounts with loc tite, maybe add some shims in the linkage, pedals, replace tubes for tubeless (or mousses's?) and just send it

Can even re-purpose some of my moto safety gear; although it's a bit heavy

so yeah, I kind of leap frogged

vintage 2-stroke -> (skipped over modern 4 stroke) -> electric, and not even a motorcycle

[xrocket21]

Congrats on getting married dude! Huge life changes! Get back on 2 wheels!!!!

[breakdirt916]

Thanks man! It took a long time...I wish I met her 10 years ago!

the Mav has also been a perfect toy hauler



street bike, dual sport, big dual sport, eMTB, easy.

does not fit with the tailgate up; so I'm also considering a hitch carrier so I can keep the the bed cover on for the other 90% of the time



50-ish lbs; easy loading/unloading

and easy to store!



did a quickie pavement run around the block, and it was definitely different

the "thrust" of electric was trippy

eMTB is far more rewarding per rotation than acoustic

very interested to see how it does in the local single track!

anyone know what kind of gear?

pads/helmet/shoes?

[OneCheekRider]

married? no motos? who is this guy?!

jk congrats! sounds like you're thriving and that's great to hear!!

also LOL at blowing off Keith Code

[breakdirt916]

thanks everyone!

so it only 3 months before I finally found the time to take her for a ride:



aaaaaannnndddd....

it was just ok; still gonna take some getting used to. Not flowy and fast with slip like a dirt bike. Bikes are "smaller" and way more bumpy. Was tempted to find something with a throttle.

knowing the trail system, how to get into sync with the power, going where there's fewer people, and quicker loading/unloading will make it more fun. My camel bak was stinky with old water from my last YZ ride. Maybe some night rides are on the agenda to stay more clear of people.

good news is that I burned more calories in a couple hours than I do with a (quick gym workout) + (standing 8 hours at work).

Plus, 4 trail systems were under 25 mins from home.

fire roads were boring...I definitely enjoyed flowing single track more

@onecheek - I rode the Fullerton MTB loop. Had a mix of fire roads, and some ST side tracks. Gonna try Aliso Woods, Whiting Ranch, and Santiago Oaks next.

[breakdirt916]

taken her for 2 rides so far:



Still getting used to it. Being in sync with the electric assist is something I’m not good at yet



my favorite parts are going down in elevation on windy, flows sections

already got a flat; debating whether or not to go tubeless

But definitely gets your heart rate up, way less work to prep/go/load, and close enough to home/work that I went before work a couple times