street legal 2-strokes

[breakdirt916]

well, I found one of the ST trail entrances



yeah I dunno...I'm teetering on the edge of being stranded while exploring

can't really even make out the trail:



maybe with a friend or on a Sur Ron so I can lift it up and turn around if need be

only 2 rides on the Kenda trackmaster



and it's already loosing chunks of rubber

I need one more cleaning/maintenance day then I want to explore new spots...



this one's called "the farm"...and mike metzger used to live really close and ride there

[breakdirt916]

did a preventative maintenance day:



after the 690 fiasco, I've been more vigilant on my bike's air filters

this is 7 rides...honestly doesn't look that bad

no way I killed the 690 w' from 4 rides with the factory air filter in place



plug checks on a smoker are kinda irrelevant.

It's always going to look a little oily/black.

The electrode looks pretty clean though...if that started to look bad, then I'd replace it. Last replaced November 2021.

I swear carb cleaner cans leak pressure...every can that's been sitting in the shed is empty by the time I use it



next time: pickup a can of carb cleaner on the way before doing carb maintenance day



the jets looked clear all the way through



ultrasonic wasn't necessary; but the carb is off so why not



no crazy striping on the front of the piston



from what you can see inside the spark plug hole, nothing crazy.

A light film of oil and not too much carbon build up.

The lizard just snuck into my bag (sitting outside the shed with the zipper open) while I was wrenching

tell me you wrench on bikes in the desert southwest, without telling me you wrench on bikes in the desert southwest.

[breakdirt916]

finally checked out "the farm"



Mike Metzger used to live and ride here!



mostly wider hard pack trails with single track offshoots cut into the hills



bike did fine without the flywheel weight.

I still have a weird "skip" or studder when WOT in high rpm's. I think going up one jet size on the main helped, but I'm not 100% sure. I'm going to ride it again to verify.



56 mile drive against traffic each way

no man's land...most towns in the Inland Empire (1-2 hours away from the coast) have areas like this to ride



how do they tolerate dirt bikes, and why you can get cheaper houses/land 1-2 hours away from the coast?



and it goes up from here throughout July/August 8 month riding season

2-3 acre lots out here can be had for $100-$150k, and 20 acres for $250k.

meanwhile, costal:





you're lucky to find anything with 6500sq ft lot for under a mil

ah, socal

but one thing I like about my local mountain/riding spot: can generally ride it year round. mid 80's in july/august in elevation

doing a local run this weekend after work

[OneCheekRider]

where's your local? Santiago Peak area? I still have the dirty setup on from the Mexico run and been wanting to do more dirty riding.

[breakdirt916]

Yes sir, that’s my local spot

With only 2-ish hours or sunlight after work, I won’t be going to the peak; just up north main divide towards Beek’s place and back.

You’re welcome to come, although I’m Not sure it’s really worth the hike from the IE if you have the SBNF behind you. Meet at Maple Sprints gate at 5:45pm, kickstands up at 6pm.

[breakdirt916]

nice little evening ride



I need a new front tire

I hiked down a couple of the single tracks from google maps:



they're not really rideable; hiking trails...moving on

about 13 more to explore off maps

still have the studder; but I think it's happening w' 50% throttle.

If I completely open the throttle, I don't have the issue.

Going to try adjusting the needle clip position to see if it goes away.

[breakdirt916]

oof...it was super foggy up the mountain



in some areas you couldn't even see a tail light 50 feet ahead of you

I ran the baja designs squadron headlight, and an LED helmet lamp, and all we got was an illluminated wall of fog.

More lights didn't help...you just gotta slow down.

but when the fog cleared in elevation, you're above the clouds:









I snapped a brake lever on a hill tip over and didn't have a spare on me

I literally have 95% of everything I'd need to ride solo: a spare clutch lever, shift lever, spare tube, C02 cartridges, Lezyne hand pump, tire irons, quick steel, safety wire, the tools to tear apart most of the bike, Garmin Satellite SOS device, water, spare GU sugar/electrolyte packs, rag to wipe visor...and no spare brake lever.

WTF Bhavesh, get your ish together!

Oh well...stark reminder that it's time for handguards if I'm trail riding

better to have it happen on a C ride after work than an A ride that you took time off work for

[breakdirt916]

turns out 2 riders had a head on in that fog 2 nights before; one broke his leg

price to pay to ride the local watering hole...super crowded! I'm hoping the evening/night rides cut down on traffic, and 15mph max around blind turns.

storage units are tricky...started at $90/month...month to month

they start you low until you (as the human condition goes) collect too much crap to move out, then jack your rate, and you stay because you don't have another option.

but...I have no problem being flexible and moving out in 1 day



bye bye unit #118. you served me well for 3 years.

YZ is now stored 45 mins away, so she won't be ridden much for now:



I may head up there once a month and just start cleaning her up, replacing plastics, going to 2 gallon MX tanks w' new graphics kit, and new front tire. Project/maintenance for a bit

in the mean time, 690 is street parked nearby, so that will be the primary for a few months.

Still looking for a unicorn single story 2br/2ba house w' driveway and small backyard 1 mile from work that's not 1.1 million

[breakdirt916]

yewwwww



got the storage unit back at $88/month



what a trip old 2 strokes are so jerky/wanky/shaky/noisy compared to modern thumpers. Power delivery somehow fades at middle rpms' before it gets on the pipe. Clutch release is jerky. Wheels super shaky. Chasis twisty? the rider compartment is so cramped, and things are falling off of it.

it feels weird

always takes awhile to re-learn this

but once I got on dirt and got on the pipe the bike is just SO LIVELY





it's wildly fun at nearly 1/10th the price of the FE350

I just want to ride it, and futz with it as much as I can. If I get a late start at work, I want to stop at a moto shop to pickup parts. As I'm at work, I'm trying to think of which mods I want to do next.

it needs a good cleaning/gone through/maintenance check, and definitely a new front tire. Unfortunately due to daylight savings, the post work rides are now night rides, so I gotta find some midweek days to ride.

[breakdirt916]

getting cooler, and more time on the YZ



I’ve been trying to ride mid week, daytime. The local fire road is crowded AsF with Jeeps/Toyotas/Subaru and daylight savings makes it dark earlier



ST was pretty bushy; I should really bring a small trail saw and help with maintenance.









started and ran fine, but I really need to go through it after B2V. Chain fell off but luckily those WR adjusters were easy to "click" tension into the chain after I loosened the axle

bike is also super "blubbery" at a certain throttle/rpm position. Want to do some jetting/air screw testing to see if it cleans up

I think the fuel petcock is also leaky. It spits drips here and there so I'm thinking I should just replace it

definitely takes awhile to get used to this bike again after the 690; it's kind of exhausting when you're not in sync with the power

this is my last ride until B2V; don't want to risk getting hurt/misplacing gear on a "C" level ride when I have an "A" level ride coming up.

[breakdirt916]

bike is also super "blubbery" at a certain throttle/rpm position. Want to do some jetting/air screw testing to see if it cleans up

^^ ever heard of this Kurlon?

I was thinking about replacing that seal for good measure.

[Kurlon]

I changed that out with the one from JD Jetting on my 150 SX. The OEM one was not horrible looking at 8.5hrs but I did think the bike was getting to be slightly harder to start? It's a fairly straight forward job, I'd suggest doing it. I'm not sure if that issue goes back to your era TMX though, thought it was only the recent KTM sourced ones that were having that issue?

[breakdirt916]

I may send them a message; I may just need a standard carb rebuild kit with bowl gaskets and what not.

After 3 years of working with the general public, I finally got it:



slight runny nose; mild upper chest congestion; but otherwise I had no idea I had it. I am bi-valent boosted from mid october-ish.

moto has always been a source of "socially distanced" preoccupation.



some of those knobs were completely flattened out



just did a mellow, local 30-ish miles



tinkered with the air screw:
-1/2 turn out = blubbery from closed to 1/4 throttle
-1&1/2 turns out = smooth
-2&1/2 turns out = smooth, slightly less power from closed to 1/4 throttle

I really want to do a full test and tune day:
-carb: needle positions, different jets, etc.
-shocks/forks: pre-load, clickers

the cyra pro bend didn't fit; want to try the Tusk D-flex w' signals

raining the next few days = chocolate cake in the hills Tue/Wed

[breakdirt916]

well, Mon/Tue were chocolate cake

Weds, was damp dirt



still fun tho!

haven't been here in almost 9 months; it's changed a lot!















still getting in tune with the smoker again...man is she a blast WOT on the pipe in 3rd up hills. 2 hours was an enough to burn 400cal

those little gas tank vent hoses suck.

They just pop off at inopportune times then spit gas all over your jacket. Going back to a long hose snaked to the ground

[Kurlon]

If you get a chance, try the new 23 KTM 300XC, I'm hearing amazing things about it.

[breakdirt916]

I heard that too!

I can't imagine how much magic the newer ones are...I rode a 300 XCW today with a lectron and IT WAS BUTTER

Reche Canyon WAS AWESOME











telling ya'll, the best "dirt bike" trail riding is not in the OHV areas - it's in the hills of SoCal after a rain.

I had a friend host who knows the area - this is the *only* way to do it. He connected so much prime stuff!

the ridges were awesome! just don't look to the left or right



the only two issues were (1.) I suck at downhills (2.) my excited brain kept telling me to go, go, go. But my body was cooked after 2 hours. We finished at the 3-ish hour mark with 30 miles, but I was starting to ride sloppy. At one point it felt blubbery and low on power, so I thought the top end was about to go out. I kept the rpm's low and rode out the rest of the day. It's more capable than me for sure (2nd/3rd gear WOT up hill climbs, it flies), but it's still a difficult bike to ride compared to newer stuff and there's certainly some doubt regarding its reliability. You can't even get a truck into some of those spots for a rescue.

for your viewing pleasure: Crusty Demons at the same spot: https://youtu.be/4p4Pg1CEChs

[Kurlon]

I can't imagine how much magic the newer ones are...I rode a 300 XCW today with a lectron and IT WAS BUTTER

Think XCW butter low end, but SX on top, with the smoothest transition between the two you could imagine. Power to match my 500, but significantly lighter and less tiring to throw around.

[breakdirt916]

gah, that's probably the best trail bike out there.

I'll hand it to KTM; they really push the envelope for innovation. They're always trying to make the product better.

if I was a "real" dirt bike rider, I'd be into it. No plate; real dirt bike rides we gotta truck out anyways.

[breakdirt916]

Sat since December, and started after 5 kicks

I will be honest, it looks rough

But I have been watching all these facebook/IG reels where you see a car detail edited into 1 minute, and it amps me up to do my own

Stoked to get my hands on this YZ and clean it up!

I also need to purge my storage unit. I want to get down to:
-bike
-street/dirt wheels
-desert tank or stock tank
-gear bag
-1 bag of “garage” tools to completely disassemble
-1 tool roll of trailside items
-1 tote of spares (mainly discontinued parts, like extra power valves/cylinders)
-Rabaconda

I am absolutely hating having more than that. I keep moving junk from one storage to another storage. F this.

[breakdirt916]

oh no, I did it...I used the YZ as a street bike.

THE YZ IS NOT A STREET BIKE.

if I want to ride to bike nights, ride out with friends, then get a damn street bike.

2 bikes was always "the way". (light plated dirt) + (street bike that can do freeway)

I just needed a fix. Felt great to twist the throttle and get on that back wheel...had several people come up to me amazed at the 2 stroke’s smokey awesomeness. CA is pushing the electric agenda, so I'm going to ride this 2-stroke as looooooooong as I can

Harley night at the speedway races were kind of a riot though:



there's a biker bar 5 miles from home; that's fine to ride pavement to.

Going to hit a local trail tonight after work; first dirt ride on the YZ in months!

[breakdirt916]

me for months: "I'm gonna get an ultra bee and ride the local trails!"

the local trailhead:



the dude said he'd made it all the way to the mountain peak and back, with 40% battery to spare. No issues with power. It works, local trail bike approved.

and the best part?

I took the YZ out locally, and about 1 mile down the road it suddenly was down on power. I clutched in and coasted, then let out the clutch again. It felt "lazy" and still down on power (almost like low compression before the top end goes out). I pulled in the clutch lever again, and it stalled while coasting. Luckily I was (mostly) downhill and only a mile from the truck, so I coasted all the way back, with the engine off. After letting the bike sit a few mins, I tried kicking it over. The compression felt present, but the bike was hard to start. It eventually fired, but stalled pretty quickly.

sooo...I think it needs a teardown and inspection; maybe a new top end. Luckily, I have a brand new wiseco top end ready to go.

But why would the top end go out so quickly?


if I added up all the rides I did; I can't imagine there's more than 45-50 hours on the top end over 1-1/2 years. I felt like I've gone 150+ hours on a top end before.

oh well, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Periodic tear downs and preventative maintenance is the way of the 2 stroke.

I also messaged Tom Morgan from TMR. He said he'd do a full top/bottom for $3,000-$3,500 with an 8-ish month back log. That makes me VERY weary. It was bad enough trying to chase down a mechanic who was ghosting me in my own state; out of state motor rebuilds sound SKETCH; especially at that price.

^ imagine doing these local trail rides with fewer parts to fail?

[Kurlon]

Yeah, a PROPER full bottom end rebuild is a LOT of just fiddly time cleaning, bearing swaps, seals, more cleaning, inspections, clearance measurements... Possibly lapping the case mating surfaces back to truly flat, clearance measurements again... So that cost doesn't seem outrageous, just hard to swallow given the age and value of the bike in question. I've no experience with TMR but I know a few people who have had BAAAAAAD experiences with two stroke rebuilds by remote shops, veeeery slow turn arounds and lots of gaps in communication seem to be the norm?

[breakdirt916]

agreed, I'll pass....the remote shop thing is a nah from me. Rather just find a local rebuilder for the bottom end, mail out the cylinder to power seal, and do the rest myself.

which...





how does it look?



compared to a new piston?



the top end is fine!!

I was already in there, so I rebuilt it anyways

But when I took it for a ride, it was still stalling when the clutch was pulled in and was hesitating/surging when WOT. It also wouldn't fully rev out.

So I pulled the carb off and sprayed carb cleaner through all the passageways to make sure they blew clear: NOW it runs a lot smoother! It "idles" again!

But the bike still won't rev out, is down on power, and flattens out in power.

Then after a sputtery ride around the block, it suddenly just "released" and the bike breathed better and took off like a bat out of hell.

sticky power valve!

I never had the power valve stuck that long after warming up! I did 2 laps around the block! On the other hand, the bike had been sitting since December-ish.

Lesson learned, try to start/run it every now and then. She doesn't like to sit for too long.

I'm kind of stoked that the top end looked pretty good at 40-50ish hours! I can definitely go double that!

[Kurlon]

Only thing different I would have done: Checked the ring gap, if that was good I'd have put the original piston back in and sent it for another 40hrs.

[breakdirt916]

that would have been smart; top ends are getting expensive!

It's over $200 for a kit, including gaskets



ohhhhhweee!



power valve got a little sticky when I was coasting down the mountain mostly idling. Next time I do a teardown, that power valve is getting cleaned!