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Having fun making a riding video:
Not too long ago I picked up a 2001 Yamaha WR250F for a super bargain. The previous owner recently had the engine professionally rebuilt with a bunch of goodies:
Bored out to 262cc
New Crank
New Main Bearings
New Cam Chain
New seals throughout bottom end
Ported cylinder head with a 3/angle valve job
Kibblewhite stainless steel valves
Hot Cams with auto/decompression
Some other goodies came with the bike as well:
Dr. D exhaust
spare gas tank and seat
a couple of spare air filters
and some other goodies
All in all, I got this bike for a steal of a price.
March 07
Since at the time I didn't have a truck or a trailer, I had to borrow a truck to go pick up the bike. Its been a number of years since I have ridden a dirt bike, so getting back on the bike this year took some getting used to. However, I've really grown to love the thrill of trail riding.
Since the bike won't fit into my 4Runner, and getting a cheap aluminum hitch carrier was a bit scary, I decided to build my own hitch carrier. Yes, I have a glue-gun as well, so building this wasn't a big deal. Here are some pics of my bike loaded on the hitch carrier, ready to be taken to the trails. I have since changed the way I strap it down, more pics of that to come.
Here the bike is loaded on the hitch carrier. Distance shot
to show the carrier and bike relative to the vehicle.
Close up shot to see the hitch carrier. Notice the ramp is
sitting just below the bike, in the center of the wheel rails. I'm still
debating about putting a couple of bars on the sides of the front tire. Probably
will at some point in the near future. I have driving plenty of washboard
roads without the tires moving an inch.
Here is a side shot. Because I have custom suspension on my
4Runner (notice the rear shackles on this 99 4Runner Limited), I had to build
a hitch drop. Of course, its all 1/4" steel, and glued together with a Miller
DVI Mig welder.
June 08
Well, since I've sold the 4Runner, I thought I may be appropriate to update my page with the latest bike transportation.
Picked up a 2005 Double Cab Taco that seems to fit the bill.
Along with the truck, I need a way to get the bike into the truck, so I picked up a 3-way folding ramp from Discountramps.com for about $70 bucks.
The small 1' high step I picked p from Walmart for about $20 bucks. It folds down flat, and can easily hold a good 200lbs.
The larger step I picked up at Home Depot, and is 2' high, just right to help get into the back of the truck. This step ladder also folds down so it fits into the cab of the truck.
Modifications
September, 2007
So, many of you in the dirt bike scene are aware that Rekluse makes automatic clutches. The reviews on these clutches, if properly setup, have been simply awesome. Well, I must agree, they are simply awesome. I did a lot of research on this clutch before I put down the money for this clutch. Was it worth it? Absolutely! During my installation process, I took a few pictures to help anybody else who is interested in this type of clutch.
Here are a few of the basic tools you will need to get the
clutch installed. What you don't see in the picture (yes, I'll need to get
it updated) is a dental pic tool. These are really handy when you are trying
to pull the clutch packs out. Yes, it can be done with a flat tip screwdriver,
but its much easier with the right tool.
Here is a close up picture of the cable operated clutch actuator
that sits on top of the case. Mine was kinda dirty due to a leaking seal
on the front sprocket.
So, lay the bike on its left side. I believe the instructions
call for you to drain the oil. In my case, I didn't need to do that, as the
oil moved to the low side of the case.
Don't forget to remove the pin on the back side of the bolt
that holds the rear brake pedal on.
I though I would show you the differences in the bolt sizes
for the crank case cover. The two larger ones are the same size, and then
there is a 3rd one that goes with the centering pin, which is a little longer
than the other 4 shorter bolts.
I have never delved into the motorcycles mechanics before.
However, as you can see from my web site, I'm no rookie to handling sockets.
These pics are for the person who has the bike, but has yet to do any real
maintenance on their bike. Here is a shot of inside the clutch cover.
Here you can see the friction plates stacked up.
At first, I put tape down to seal off the rest of the case
from clutch. However, I found that the tape would stick to the clutch boss,
and the make getting the friction plates out a little more difficult. I then
moved to the back up plan; terry cloths. These worked quite well, and I was
able to seal up the gaps very well.
Here you can see the clutch springs coming out. These won't
be used anymore. However, don't throw them away. You may end up selling the
bike down the road and may want to keep your Rekluse.
Here is a shot of the clutch boss and the friction plates.
Another shot of the friction plates
Here you can see the centering pins going into the clutch boss.
Look closely, you can see 4 very small washers that are sitting around each
centering pin. These washers are very small, don't loose them. I had, lots,
and lots of washer left over. Don't be surprised. It appeared that they give
you a generic bag of parts, and you use what you need from the bag.
Here is the heart of the Rekluse. Hover over the picture
to see an image by Rekluse.
Here is something I found interesting, and nearly put a stop
to my whole setup. Notice how the centering pins don't pass through the Rotating
Hub Assembly. I was a little concerned when I came across this. However,
rotate the holes one more to the left or right, and the Assembly falls right
into place.
Rotating Hub Assembly in place.
Here the Pressure Plate and Ball Bearings are being installed. You
may be wondering if I put any oil on the bearings before I installed the
Top Plate. Actually, I installed the parts to make sure it would all go together
correctly, then I took it apart, lubed it as necessary, then put it back
together for the final install.
Next, the top plate is being installed.
Just about done.
Rekluse states that if you don't use their gasket, serious damage can occur. I noticed that their gasket is quite a bit thicker than the stock gasket.
Next up, I went through the break in procedure. Fortunately, it was a work day for most folks, so many people in my neighborhood were at work and didn't complain about me racing up and down the street. Because I installed new Friction Plates, Rekluse recommends that you check the gap between the top Friction Plate and Drive Plate. When I put it all together the 1st time, it was dead on. After the break in, the gap spread to the maximum allowed. So, I used another one of the Rekluse Drive Plates in place of one of my stock drive plates. Yes, you need to get back into the case, replace the Drive Plate, remeasure the gap, use Loctite again and put it all back again. But in light of the cost of this unit, and the simple 10 minutes it takes, its well worth it to ensure you have the right gap.
I rode the bike the very next day on some tight trails for a straight 4.5 hours. The clutch performed flawlessly. I never had an issue with the bike stalling. In fact, I noticed that when I started the bike in neutral, and then put it in 1st gear, the bike didn't move as much as it did when I had a standard cable clutch. Well worth the money, and when properly setup, performs awesomely.
July 29th, 2008
To the right you will see an X-ray scan of my broken right thumb. I've got a temporary splint for now, until the swelling goes down, then on Tuesday I'll get the real cast. Wish you all were here to sign it....maybe next time.
So, here is how it went down. I decided to take a ride on Tuesday, after work to keep my legs in shape before the upcoming WeBe Harescrambke in Espanola. Well, as I started out on the trail, I could tell my groove was a bit off, I could just feel how something just wasn't right. I wasn't wheeling off the line, and I wasn't flying across the tops of the whoops as I normally do. This day I decided to mount a camera to the top of my helmet, it could have been this extra few ounces that threw my balance out of whack, either way, I was not on my game. So, about 6 minutes into my ride I was taking a long sweeping left turn, and I overshot the berm. As the front tire went over the berm, I was still leaning into the turn. This caused the front tire to wash out, and I went down on my left side. As is the standard when I go down (not that it's that often), I usually slide on my left shoulder and helmet. This time, I went down pretty hard, so hard that my helmet didn't do its usual bounce, but actually performed a hard slap and grind through the rocks on the trail. Somehow, my right hand thumb got jammed into something (I still have no idea what) with enough force to break my thumb bone. Now.., I've wrecked in the past like this, and actually ripped a transponder from my chest protector right off. It was zip tied into place with TWO zip ties, and I still ripped it off with my thumb in a wreck. This previous incident may have caused a hair-line fracture, and Tuesday's event pretty much sealed the deal for the full breakage. So, who knows when the break started, but I certainly know now that its broken all the way through. At any rate, its kinda bizarre how my right hand thumb got messed up when I went down on my left side.....strange. Anyway, I hit hard enough that my "bell was rung". Anybody who has had their head hit hard enough to have their bell rung knows what I'm talking about. I didn't black out or see stars, but I sure FELT it. I got back up, gathered my scattered wits, and re-started the bike. My camel-back also tore the shoulder strap from the back of the pack, which left it chocking me as I was trying to get it off. Yeah, my thumb was hurting, but I also knew I needed to get off the trail before I was not able to fully grasp the throttle and ride out, basically before the swelling was too much. So, after getting the bike started I rode back to the truck in 1st and 2nd gear and loaded the bike into my truck, and then iced my thumb down. I carry with me emergency supplies in case stuff like this happens. I broke out a small pop-able ice bag and applied it to my thumb. This really helped me a lot and allowed me to control the wheel as I drove home.....ice packs sure are nice.
Ok, so I went home....yeah, I was feeling a little sick, and figured I had a slight concussion, but nothing too bad. I decided to wait it out (the typical wait period when I was growing up was about 2 weeks before medical attention is given) and see if I would feel better the next day. Wednesday morning comes along, and I'm feeling worse, like dry-heaves over the porcelain bowl.....yeah, that was fun. So, I decided to go ahead and go to the hospital for some anti-nausea drugs, and while I was there, we decided to get my hand x-rayed as well. So, after a CT scan (which turned out just fine), and the hand x-rays, the doc let me know I'll be donning a cast for the next six weeks. Needless to say, I'm disappointed that I won't be out there riding, but oh-well, life goes on. In fact, this darned splint is hampering my ability to control the PS3 game-pad........not good at all.
Yeah, I've got a headache, but the doc game me some really cool pain killers (nice).......
and life goes on.
August 16, 2008
Made a visit to the Orthopedic's office and came out wearing a Spica Cast. I have to wear this cast for three weeks then it will be cut off, take a few x-rays, and the Doc will determine if another cast is needed.
Here you can see some facny art-work my wife has put on.
Disclaimer: What you see on these pages are my own experiences and what changes I have performed on my vehicle. Should you choose to attempt these type of changes to your vehicle, I am not responsible for any consequential damages that may result from these type of modifications. I do not encourage any readers to copy these modifications to their own vehicle. Modifying your vehicle can be dangerous to you and anybody else on the roadway. Please take care in what you do with your vehicle.