the 550 goes for a SWIM

as i sit and write this post i hear friday after-workers screaming up the road to the trails for a nice supper ride. i already got 75 miles in today. the 550 i think was trying to tell me something. i usually come down out of the mountains down this trail that has 32 switchbacks (deadmans gulch) at the very end there is a creek to cross. i have crossed this creek probably 20-25 times without incident, or should i say serious incident. well today was a little different. the creek is only about 15 feet wide and looks fairly benign. there are some large holes and ruts from all us motorheads crossing it but i know that. my buddy went first on his 1987 tt350 and had no problem. i took a slightly downstream line and hit a monster hole and went over. i have ridden with and talked to 3 other people who have dumped in the creek this week and totally flooded their bikes, and one guy who tried to ride across the bridge (a 5" wide log) who dumped it. i got lucky though. my line was at the downstream end of a pool and there were lots of rocks just under the surface. the bike and i tipped downstream onto the rocks that were barely under the water so it kept the berg from going completely under. i was trapped momentarily but quickly got up and pick the bike up. no water had run over the seat despite dropping it. just 2 days earlier water came up over my seat crossing this creek and i stayed upright. i checked the airbox and it was dry and fired it up and rode the 15 minutes home to empty out my boots. maybe the 550 was just a little upset because it hasn't had a proper washing in awhile because i have been riding it so much. oh well. tomorrow we will do 80-100 miles and i'm sure we will cross the creek again. will let you know.
cheeseburger

Hey it looks like what you need is not a billet air box cover but rather a billet snorkel!

Thanks for the report Colby. Sounds like you're having so much fun on the big 550 and getting plenty of saddle time!

Regards,
Log

well i didn't get the long ride i was hoping to because my riddin buddys partied to hard and forgot to get up, arghhh! i decided to head out solo. cruisin up the road i caught a guy on a 300 ktm and flagged him down. he had already ridden 80 miles solo and had just gassed up and was heading back to his car a mere 80 miles away. we rode together for 25 miles on awesome buffed single track. got some hail and thunder and the trails got a little slick. we parted at a junction and agreed to meet at my house monday morning to ride, he lives 3.5 hours away. i rode another 15 miles in the light rain solo. decided to pop over a pass i hadn't done this year. to many trees down but i managed. came to east brush creek and had to cross,25 feet wide but only a few feet deep and not yet rutted out, piece of cake. however 20 feet after the creek is a mountain goat section of ugly rock ledges and step ups to get up, about 8 feet in two sections. i had done this section last year but had forgotten how tricky it was, and it had gotten worse. i got up the first step and had to clutch and i rolled back a little and lost my balance and dropped it. immediately i see steam pouring out. i had put a hole in the radiator :evil: so her i am 20 miles from home alone, its raining, and my radiator is f__ked. i get the bike up the ledge and park under a tree and begin the surgery. the hole is where the lower inside mount had pulled away. i put some MSR aluminum quick weld over the hole and put it back together. then filled it with creek water, bled the system and was good to go, no more leak. i took the jeep road to the highway and went home on the road. i am glad i carry all those tools. today i ride my new fully suspended mtn bike. tomorrow i will ride with new friend as the MSR weld seems to be holding fine.
cheeseberger

Colby, Good job getting back, I poked a hole in my rad on a 100+ degree day, let cool a bit,and the JB Weld is still holding a year later.
Put a tube of that stuff in your tool belt w/ that MSR alum. stuff and you can fix anything.

P.S. Send some rain my way!