Any dirt bikers here?

[davsco]

first of all, F_CK all you tall guys!!!!! if you're 6' and bitching about seat height, imagine my barely 5-7, barely 30" inseam self. it's never fun coming to a stop! and that foto looks like my buddy, cracked hip and helo ride, rocks don't give. hopefully you fared a lot better. i'll gladly give an inch or two of travel/clearance in exchange for not having to search for a high spot when stopping.

[smdub]

Originally Posted by davsco

first of all, F_CK all you tall guys!!!!! if you're 6' and bitching about seat height, imagine my barely 5-7, barely 30" inseam self. it's never fun coming to a stop! and that foto looks like my buddy, cracked hip and helo ride, rocks don't give. hopefully you fared a lot better. i'll gladly give an inch or two of travel/clearance in exchange for not having to search for a high spot when stopping.

I'm sure you know us tall guys have similar feeling towards all you short people

I ride w/ a friend who might be about your height. He can ride his KTM 1090R 2-up and he can't touch the ground. He slides his butt way off the side when he stops. I've seen him ride his 501 from a stop and he mounts it like a horse on the go. Hes VERY good. Rarely falls. I sort of think its like the little kids on the 50s/80s at the mx track whose parents have to hold the bike at the start line. If you can't get back up on the bike by yourself if you fall, you learn not to fall so much?

I fared fine there (was trying to avoid hitting my head on that big rock.) I freakin' fell twice there in the easier stuff. I bail early and try to roll. Since I take my leg length for granted, I have a knack for sticking my foot in a hole I'm not looking for (giving credence to my theory that shorter people pay more attention.) I wear lots of armor but got a bone bruise on my hip riding the KAT this summer when I stupidly tried to ride across a very large sloped rock in the wet. Even w/ Leatt 3DF shorts I could use some more padding down there when we're goofing off in the rock sections. I also had a pretty epic bruise on my ass bouncing off a rock last year.

FWIW, KTM makes lowering kits for their bikes too. W/ no linkage in the rear suspension, the spacer has to go inside the shock. Similar how the travel limit spacer goes inside the fork in the front. Not like a DRZ/Husky/etc w/ linkage rear you can just swap a dogbone.

[smdub]

And if you are short and want a fun dirt bike to ride technical stuff there are trials bikes w/ seats. Beta Evo Sport is one. I know a super short fellow w/ one. There are also the 7/8 sized bikes like the KTM FreeRide / Beta Xtrainer. Very good woods bikes.

And there are of course trials bikes. No one complains about tall seats on those They are a BLAST in the technical stuff even if you aren't Tony Bou.

[ESP]

Originally Posted by Inka

I hear you Davsco, I'm debating that myself. Truth is, if I get another bike, I will need it to be decent on the highway, carry a passenger for short hops, and be suitable for some Adventure(TM) type riding. The weight will be an issue on tight single track that's for sure. The new Kawasaki KLX300R sure does look tempting though...

You are asking a lot from one bike. I can't think of a single dirt/dual sport bike that will do 2 up decently at highway speeds. Like firearms, you are going to need more than one to cover your specs.

The new 300/350 dual sport bikes will likely be fine off road and OK on secondary blacktop.

A 200-300cc 2 stroke for serious east coast single track.

The Husky 610/630 or KTM 690, as mentioned would be much better for 2 up and highway speeds. I took a Husky 610, with 50 pds of gear, cross country on the Trans America Trail. This is close to 5000 miles, mostly off road. So they are a good choice, but heavy for the tight single track around here.

The DRZ and KLR are proven inexpensive steeds, but are definitely on the porky side.

[N3YMY]

Mountain Ridge ATV, is not near Bedford, but that is the likely location to get on US 30 west to get to Lees Corner, which is fairly close.

I ride Famous Reading Outdoors weekly; get a day permit and join us one weekend.

Warning: it’s about 2.5-3 hour drive one way and the ready to ride time is typically 10am for my group. That requires a 5:20am get up and a 6:15 departure from Brunswick, MD.

However, it’s 20000 acre and I’m still finding new trails 5 years later.

Observe our idiocy here, here and here

[smdub]

Originally Posted by N3YMY

I ride Famous Reading Outdoors weekly; get a day permit and join us one weekend.

FRO doesn't have day passes (does it?)

[Lane Meyer]

I rode a lot up until 10-12 years ago. I just got tired of driving hours every time I wanted to ride. I still have dirt bikes, but don't do much with them these days. Around 10-12 years ago I got interested in observed trials. The small amount of woods that I have access to at home are enough for years of trials riding. I was good about riding at home for a couple of years and then got into competing. In the blink of an eye I was driving hours to events which was exactly what I started out tying to avoid. Had a lot of fun with that for about five years and noticed that chasing plastic trophies was starting to take the fun out of it. I went back to yard/local riding. Been so busy the last couple of years even that riding has suffered.

I'm not much help. Sorry.

For fun, a pic from a great ride in Northern California a few years back.

[Inka]

Originally Posted by Lane Meyer

I rode a lot up until 10-12 years ago. I just got tired of driving hours every time I wanted to ride. I still have dirt bikes, but don't do much with them these days. Around 10-12 years ago I got interested in observed trials. The small amount of woods that I have access to at home are enough for years of trials riding. I was good about riding at home for a couple of years and then got into competing. In the blink of an eye I was driving hours to events which was exactly what I started out tying to avoid. Had a lot of fun with that for about five years and noticed that chasing plastic trophies was starting to take the fun out of it. I went back to yard/local riding. Been so busy the last couple of years even that riding has suffered.

I'm not much help. Sorry.

For fun, a pic from a great ride in Northern California a few years back.

Great pic!! I miss the West!

[N3YMY]

Originally Posted by smdub

FRO doesn't have day passes (does it?)

I think they have a one time day pass.

The cost of that can be applied to an annual permit there after...

[N3YMY]

Originally Posted by N3YMY

I think they have a one time day pass.

The cost of that can be applied to an annual permit there after...

Yep, they do have a one time trial pass

Bad news: you need to go to Pottsville to get it.

Unknown if they would mail it to you.

The Dirty Santa Trail Ride was just a few weeks back. It’s a great way to sample the property before deciding to get a permit or not...