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Rexx Riot

Dirt Virgin

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Hi guys!

I've been riding for 5 years and I've never been in the dirt. I own an sv650s (the fully faired one) which is my first and only bike thus far. I'm considering what to add to the stable. The intent is to either: keep the sv up and running for commuter duty and fast weekend riding OR to garage it and start prepping it for track only duty. I'm still working on all those logistics and ultimately which bike to get next but all in due time. But the thing is, I'm here cuz i am enamored with the idea of dual sporting/ADV riding. load up a bit of gear and head out for an overnight trip for the weekend! why not right? i was a geology major in school and had a BLAST exploring the mojave and joshua tree with my professor and fellow students (it was a good decade ago). thinking back on some of the trails we drove and the sites we saw i feel like heading back now on a bike would really be something special. i found this community while looking for san diego folks who might be able to help me as i am hugely unfamiliar with the legality of off road riding in and around the county. i'm okay with a bit of light hearted trespassing but i certainly don't want to get myself into a world of trouble, nor am i interested in riding someplace that is protected (for good reasons or otherwise). I was hoping the experienced folks here could help me learn about where to ride in the dirt around town and southern california in general. can you point me to some good resources that'll help me? my fiance and i are also interested in boondock camping (we intended to get an old popup trailer to drag around behind us) but haven't gotten started down that path yet. my hope is to drag the bike and camper to some interesting locations and make camp then get out on some trails together and see parts of the world that most folks never will. anywhere somewhat local we could expect to get into that kind of weekend adventure? with no dirt experience and no suitable bike in the stable i can't give you any expectations about what type of riding i'd be doing nor what kind of machine i'd have but th KLR is likely as they're so cheap i could easily add that to my SV and have my bases well covered. that being said though, the tiger 800 (while big and fat comparatively) is also very appealing to me as are smaller displacement machines like the drz and wr250. the direction i ultimately go on the bike will be somewhat dictated by the type of riding i can expect to do close to home. if i find that there are places very close to my home in south escondido i'd be more inclined to have a more dirt oriented dual sport but if i learn that i can't really expect to hit much or any dirt close to home my choice of bike will obviously swing the other direction because as of now we dont have the truck and trailer we hope to get down the line. 

 

anyway, i ramble. i'm excited to be around the san diego dual sport community and i can't wait to learn a whole bunch from all of you once my experiences start to inform me more and more. in the meantime thanks a bunch and i hope to see you around!

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There's some fun riding around Ramona and Palomar, which aren't too far from you.

San Diego Dual Sport Map

Ken is right about the DRZ's, they're excellent for someone looking for a first bike or a do it all bike. They're kind of like the SV650 of the dirt world. Sure there's faster bikes and bikes that are better at this or that, but the DRZs are reliable, inexpensive, and very competent machines, just like the SVs. Hard to beat the smiles per dollar ratio on them.

See you on the trails.

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Welcome RR, looks like you're on the right path. I've learned so much so from this "gang". No matter what you get you're gonna want to keep exploring a little further and further. As you read some of the old ride reports you'll find  a lot of the places around the county and  beyond. 

Good luck on your quest. 

Feel free to post up a street ride sometime. 

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Thanks guys! That GPS map is exactly what I'm looking for I really appreciate it (and I appreciate all of you taking the time to respond). Now I can begin to build some local knowledge and start scouting on my road bike!

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I road my sv out to Pamo road yesterday and followed it down to the end of the pavement after the bridge. If I were to continue from that point, how much riding is left to be done? I took a good look at the SD Dual Sport GPS map that Bfar linked above and it seems that Pamo is an access point to a pretty solid trail system including the Black Mountain Truck trail and beyond. Not having pushed my worn road tires at ALL I can't pretend to understand what waits beyond the pavement here but the location is nice and easily accessible to me without having to cruise any high speed highway at all. would a dirt noob like me be able to handle the trails there off Pamo on something like a KLR650 or is that too big a bike for too little experience in too technical terrain?

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Most of the riding is PAST that point. About a mile down the road, you'll have Santa Ysabel truck trail (SYTT)on the right. That route will take you to two possible destinations: The top of Black Mountain (turn left at the split) or back around to Black Canyon Rd. (right at the split). Both are fun dual sport fire roads, easily conquered on a KLR by any rider with motorcycle experience, even dirt noobs.

If you keep going straight down Pamo past SYTT you'll find Lusardi truck trail. This is an up and back trail with good scenery and a couple really cool areas where you'll ride through Coastal Live Oaks. Also fine for a dirt noob on a KLR.

And you have Orosco Ridge as well, which you would have passed the trail head prior to getting to the dirt road. This entire area is good for noob riders.

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Lovely feedback, thank you so much @Oracle . Nice to know that the road I ran delivers me to what seems to be a great place to earn my first stripe and build some new skills. Wonderful place in the world to cast your gaze too from what limited views I had from the asphalt. Can't wait to push beyond!

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Welcome !  Hope u enjoy our community and get out there in the dirt.

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Hope you're shopping for a dual sport that meets your needs, desert season is coming up and there are all kinds of great places to ride east of here that are generally too hot in the summer.  Welcome to the group, see you on the trail.

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Your SV could also handle the dirt on Pamo just so you can get a better view of the area

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Noted on my SV, thanks gents. I'm eager to add a DS to the stable and the promotion I just got will help to make that happen sooner rather than later now which has me ecstatic. At the onset I'm not too picky: dr/xr/klr/drz will all serve me just fine as a first dirt mount i think. inexpensive and seemingly good platforms to learn a lot from each with their own advantages. my front door is close enough to access pamo with just a short ride up the hill past the wild animal park really so i'm not particularly concerned with range and all day comfort as i don't intend to really range out far until i've built some skills...but i am dying to get back to mojave as soon as i feel confident in the dirt (at least a little). seems i can't get the DS soon enough though having seen for myself how easy it is to get to some good dirt.

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I joined in September?! Holy moly that was further back than I thought!

Just wanted to update the squad with some cool news! Aside from getting married and moving up to Idyllwild (hopefully it doesn't burn down this week, very close call at my house thus far we're on pins n needles) I've now FINALLY gotten my first Dual Sport and slotted it nicely in the stable next to my SV650SF! Lovely 2008 DRZ400S is exactly what the doctor ordered! Now we're zeroing in on the right bike for Mrs Riot! Ideas? Something light and no highway needed. Max 50mph. thinking tw200 or something similar. We're aiming to keep hers as close to a grand as we can. 

Huge thanks to @MacDuncan for really working with me and teaching me so many little details about the DRZ400s that he was able to part with and sell to me. Now that I can actually start riding some dirt with a proper tool for the job I am so eager to get out there and get lost. I'll have dozens and dozens of questions about gear and parts and trails and weather and everydamnthing else a noob could ask haha! 

But also a big thanks to the community. I'm not super active (but I'll probably start annoying you guys with a jillion questions) but I certainly lurk quite a bit and I've already learned a lot from so many of you just by being here. I am grateful for this group of people and I am eager to meet more of you and do and learn more about dual sporting and this lovely piece of planet we live on! Any time any of you head up to the Idyllwild area feel free to drop me a line and I can point you to some great local restaurants and, with some experience, I hope to build expert level knowledge of the local dirt scene up there. That'll take many years I'm sure, but no better time to get started! 

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Figure out the trail system in Idylwild and I’ll come ride with you. 

Been wanting to explore that area. 

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Once the flames die down I'm all over it. Bee canyon seems a great ride up from he met through the mountain to pine cove. Tons of stuff in the area to learn it seems then all of it in anza off 371 etc. Once we can go home anyone here basically has an open invite on weekends just hit me up and we'll work it out!

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2 hours ago, Rexx Riot said:

Once the flames die down I'm all over it. Bee canyon seems a great ride up from he met through the mountain to pine cove. Tons of stuff in the area to learn it seems then all of it in anza off 371 etc. Once we can go home anyone here basically has an open invite on weekends just hit me up and we'll work it out!

Was just up there last weekend.  So far the fire hasn't reached Bee Canyon.  I'd hate to lose the beauty that is on that route.

41770638200_f0065e9434_o_1.jpg

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Welcome RR! As you're finding out SDAR is a great resource and a great bunch of folks! 

Peace, Mark

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Just had my inaugural dirt ride. No dirt virgin here any more. Had a blast going up the dirt side of palomar mountain from 76 through the orchard. I'll never take traction for granted again! It was incredible. 50 in dirt is like no experience I've had in my life: juet absolutely intoxicating. Can't wait to meet and ride with you guys! Tons to learn but I'll sponge up all the knowledge you can share. Gave a great weekend everyone and thanks again for the welcome 

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Ha ha, sounds like you're totally hooked. It's a passion for sure. Aside from work and family, I don't dream about much else. When you get a chance, read some of the multi day ride reports members have posted and you won't be able to turn it off. Here's the link to a ride report we (CID, Mikey777, and I) posted last year. I'm just warning you, you're going be even more hooked to this sport... Read on and dream on...

 

 

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That's a great read, thanks Oracle. So many questions come to mind that I wouldn't even be prepared to begin to answer (tire choice, extras?, packing tools, how much camping stuff is too much? how much food and water? what kind of electronics and support gear etc) but I am very eager to start answering on my own. Can't wait to build some skills and experience so I too can tackle a challenge like this. Lovely!

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