Due to the ongoing fire around Big Bear portions of the run was re-routed at the last minute. Registration was at 7PM and I learned later on that about 45 riders signed up, that is considerably down from the normal amount. I'm sure this had to do with the fires, we had called several times in the last couple of days to make sure the ride was still on.
Prior to the ride I hade made some changes to my 99 FE 501. One of them was rejetting the carburator using advise from the web site. I ended up very close to Taffy's recomendations on the his old Delorto and really the only change from my old setting was the change to a 268 (from a 272)emulsifier tube together with a new K51 needle. I initially had put it together with the needle clip on second from bottom, where my old on was and last time it ran really rich. I changed the needle two clips to top and the bike would not even start, moved it down one and the bike fired right away.
I have owned this bike for 5 years and even though it seldom starts on the button, it always fires when kicked. Now, let me tell you. I can not believe how much this little change made. The whole night it fired halfway down the stroke on a real effortless kick, it was awesome. Tried it the next morning, same thing.
Another change was mounting Dunlop's new rear 120/90/18 952 tire. This is kind of a "do it all" tire from them and it worked really well. I will get the front tire this week as well.
On to the ride:
We started at 7000 feet and the temerature was probably high 70's and hit about 40 miles of combined fire roads and trails in Holcomb Valley, north of Big Bear. We then took a fire road down to Lucerne Valley and at this point it was pretty dark. We stopped at the crest and admired the view. As soon as we started going down it was like a furnace ant the temp went up a good 20-25 degrees. We rode in the outskirts of town and went in for our gas stop at 48 miles. I had used exactly one gallon at this point.
As we are ready to take off my riding buddy discovered a flat fron tire. We went for some fix a flat and took a chance on it holding, which it kind of did. We had to re-fill a couple of more times. We now hit a section of really washed out track through the dessert and then climbed back up towards Big Bear to hit some more exciting single track and very rocky sections. We were having a blast and both of us and the equipment lasted real well to about the 100-105 mile marker, where we went off track and my buddy riding first ended up going down a really off camber, soft and steep hill. I was lucky enough to stop at the top and question if we were on the right track, which we were not. Anyway, we lifted, pushed and finally got his bike back up this hill again. It is about 12.30-1 am a this point and as we find the right track again, I realized how tired I'm, how my new boots are stiff, how my behind is sore and on and on, well you get the point. Bottom line was that the excursion down the hill used up the last energy we had. So we took it real easy and rode back to the registration point on fire roads. What was real weird was that we only came across one bike this whole run. I think we were some of the first ones back who rode the whole trail.
It was a great ride and to top it off I was stoked about how well the bike was running.
Hakan
Prior to the ride I hade made some changes to my 99 FE 501. One of them was rejetting the carburator using advise from the web site. I ended up very close to Taffy's recomendations on the his old Delorto and really the only change from my old setting was the change to a 268 (from a 272)emulsifier tube together with a new K51 needle. I initially had put it together with the needle clip on second from bottom, where my old on was and last time it ran really rich. I changed the needle two clips to top and the bike would not even start, moved it down one and the bike fired right away.
I have owned this bike for 5 years and even though it seldom starts on the button, it always fires when kicked. Now, let me tell you. I can not believe how much this little change made. The whole night it fired halfway down the stroke on a real effortless kick, it was awesome. Tried it the next morning, same thing.
Another change was mounting Dunlop's new rear 120/90/18 952 tire. This is kind of a "do it all" tire from them and it worked really well. I will get the front tire this week as well.
On to the ride:
We started at 7000 feet and the temerature was probably high 70's and hit about 40 miles of combined fire roads and trails in Holcomb Valley, north of Big Bear. We then took a fire road down to Lucerne Valley and at this point it was pretty dark. We stopped at the crest and admired the view. As soon as we started going down it was like a furnace ant the temp went up a good 20-25 degrees. We rode in the outskirts of town and went in for our gas stop at 48 miles. I had used exactly one gallon at this point.
As we are ready to take off my riding buddy discovered a flat fron tire. We went for some fix a flat and took a chance on it holding, which it kind of did. We had to re-fill a couple of more times. We now hit a section of really washed out track through the dessert and then climbed back up towards Big Bear to hit some more exciting single track and very rocky sections. We were having a blast and both of us and the equipment lasted real well to about the 100-105 mile marker, where we went off track and my buddy riding first ended up going down a really off camber, soft and steep hill. I was lucky enough to stop at the top and question if we were on the right track, which we were not. Anyway, we lifted, pushed and finally got his bike back up this hill again. It is about 12.30-1 am a this point and as we find the right track again, I realized how tired I'm, how my new boots are stiff, how my behind is sore and on and on, well you get the point. Bottom line was that the excursion down the hill used up the last energy we had. So we took it real easy and rode back to the registration point on fire roads. What was real weird was that we only came across one bike this whole run. I think we were some of the first ones back who rode the whole trail.
It was a great ride and to top it off I was stoked about how well the bike was running.
Hakan
