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!