Vintage Veloce

Somehow I hadn't heard about this. Apparenly the County of San Diego isconsidering a new off road park. There is a meeting Jan. 30. at 6PM. More info here: https://www.sdparks.org/publicmeetings/ I plan on zooming in to voice my support, please join me!

On my 2013 350 EXCF, I had a big tank to start... and it ended up I never really went that far. I was always lamenting that I put too much gas in and had to deal with the extra weight. I think mine was a KTM branded tank. I ended up replacing the big tank the smaller 3.2g Acerbis tank, and I was much happier. Still plenty of range for me. I think I typically got 40mpg... The tanks are shaped so they don't really feel much wider at your knees. But the weight is real. The biggest tanks replace the stock radiator "wing" bodywork and use that area for fuel. The somewhat smaller ones like the 3.2 gal keep the stock radiator wing bodywork. Big: Smaller:

I know some of the gang here runs these tires. After I mounted my new Maxxis Desert IT tires... I notice these small markings. Of course, I didn't mount the tire with this direction of rotation. But is this really a direction marking? I've never seen one like this and I found a post elsewhere where someone says it is not. The tread isn't directional. Hmm... I looked at my Maxxis mountain bike tires, which are directional, and they have a traditional ">ROTATION>" marking clearly labeled. Does anyone think I should remount my tires with these pointed forward? Man I hope not...

Wow, I received an actual reply from Maxxis!

I called them. no answer yesterday. Maybe I'll call again... but I'm not sure the office drones in the USA will know what that marking means. One side. This is what I think. Surfing the web I have found other Maxxis tires with standard ">direction>" markers. I'm feeling more confident this some other confusing mark.

I need to have a seat modified, and I'd like to try a local upholstery shop. I saw an ancient thread about this, but I figure things may have changed. Any current recommendations for shops in San Diego to get a seat modified and upholstered? Bonus points for pictures of their work! (And yes, I know Seat Concepts are great and I have one on another bike, but I'd like to have this one done locally.)

I made it out to Lake Arrowhead this week to test out my freshly serviced KTM suspension. Bike ran fine, but I found it rather slippery and hot. 😉 Some sections were bit harder than I like to tackle alone. I had made a bunch of GPS tracks to use and have attached them. But the one labelled "loop 23mi" is an actual filtered track from the trip. Tracks are attached at the end of this. Hopefully someone else can enjoy them! Lake Arrowhead Tracks.GPX

Yes, that was exactly the slippery issue. It was OK, but I suspect that in the year the surface is nicer. As I hoped, my suspension is much cushier... I need to go someplace more familiar to make some adjustments... but that will wait to fall when the desert cools off. I'm much happier riding in temperatures below 80 degrees!

So... we were going to Big Bear, and but my wife has expressed a preference for Lake Arrowhead. Any recommendations for an easy 50 mile trail ride in that area? I'm looking for good and easy jeep trail level stuff (but no or very little pavement). I'll be alone and just looking for very easy dirt touring. I plan on breaking out my "California trail maps", but if anyone has any great recommendations, I'd love a GPS track? (Obviously Big Bear isn't that far, and so maybe I'll truck the bike over there for a ride too, but is there stuff right around Lake Arrowhead?)

Thanks Oracle. Good idea to check the Forest Service maps Looks like there is this little nest of roads/trails North of the lake. Probably about 3-5 miles of pavement to get there from the South side of the lake. 😉

Well, there was covid and I've had a couple injuries and I just haven't ridden the dual sport. And now the desert is hot. I got out to Anza Borrego about 2 months ago and just got a day in before banging myself up again. I'm just about good again now. 😉 So I rebuilt the bike completely, and I'll be damned if I wait till the fall to get out on it in the desert. (Don't tell me to ride at o-dark thirty in the desert, that's not happening. I'm not an early riser). I'm thinking Big Bear is the closest place with reasonable temperatures. I want to go for a couple days and bring my wife... so... I'm looking for a nice place to stay. While I'm out riding my wife will want to see the lake, do easy hikes, check out the village, etc. So we need a really nice place to stay up there. Does anyone have any recommendations for a hotel or airBnB? Also, any good and easy 50-ish mile gps tracks? You know, jeep trail level stuff. I'll be alone and just looking for very easy dirt touring. 😉 I plan on breaking out my "California trail maps", but if anyone has any great recommendations, I'd love the track.

If you are up for a fiction movie, are into old Italian stuff, and road racing is also cool to you, check out this: It's fantastic.

Did you ride that with George? He just retuned my suspension, so it would be cool to ride a route he knows and then give him my feedback....

That looks awesome, thank you. Screen shot:

Wow, that looks awesome. Trying to plan my first moto trip up there in a couple weeks.

Just did a total overhaul of the bike. After all the mechanicals I treated it to a new tank, all new black plastics and new saddle bags. George at Suspension 101 just went through the suspension for me and made some adjustments. I'm expecting the new colorway to cause great improvements in my skills! Now I just need to find someplace with reasonable temperatures to try it out!

Note to self: "Avoid Hurricane, Utah in the summer!"

Sadly, Cafe Husky has shut down again, and I suspect finally. Some of us have migrated the HQVadventure, here: https://hqvadventure.com/forum/

I've been thinking about getting one of these... and I have questions! And I'd love to see one mounted with a bike on it. Maybe someone has one and I could visit to see how it all works? I'm thinking about an aluminum one, so I don't wreck my back putting it on and off the truck. - Are the secure to drive without the bike mounted? - do the make your headlights point at the sky? - how is handling on curvy roads?

Three? How does that work? 😉

dirt dame, how does that short jeep handle with the bike on the back? I had been considering a jeep and then got nervous about using a carrier with it... Van, that Black Widow that you linked to is the one I am considering.

The aluminum ones seem to be 30 - 40 pounds. The steel ones seem to be about double that. I'm sure the steel ones are more robust! But my back will be much happier with an aluminum one.

Thanks Riggerman, I may take you up on that! I do have my heart set on an aluminum one, as the steel ones will be to heavy for me to deal with. I have a Nissan Frontier right now, but the idea would be to get an Nissan xTerra and then I'd need a carrier.

I have a good pickup truck now and put the KTM in the bed. But on some trips I've been concerned about the security of the other gear in the truck bed. So I've been thinking about getting a SUV, like maybe a Nissan xTerra, so I could carry my gear in the truck and then hang the bike on a carrier off the back.