william

what time are we meeting and where? I assume saturday and sunday? or is friday open to grab campsites?

very nice sunset pic. Where was the ride?

Wish I had seen this thread before I had mine rebuilt with the same springs. Look at what the difference is between stock and recommended. http://racetech.com/ProductSearch/1/Suzuki/DR350SE/1996. Stock is 39 and they recommend 46-53.

what side racks can I get for Dr350? don't see any except for DRz, which I guess I could have cut and modified by welding shop. Thanks, William H.

I have a new set of springs that were way too much pull for my Dr350, that you can try. I forget the brand.

Here is the official response. It does not seem like they listened to us. Basically they are giving 1/2 to the marines, and will only let OHV use the Marine portion when they want to. Why cant the marines go to the US army training grounds, those are already big enough. What We Have to Say About Johnson Valley By JohnConger, Acting Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Installations andEnvironment at the Department of Defense. Thank youfor your petition. TheAdministration's proposal for expansion of the land reserved for use by theMarine Corps balances Marine Corps training requirements that extend throughoutthe year with preserving safe public access for recreational activities withincertain areas of the Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Area. Theproposal was transmitted to Congress for consideration on April 26, 2013,because, for areas greater than 5,000 acres, Congress is responsible forcreating and renewing withdrawal of public land for military training andtesting. This baseexpansion plan was developed over the course of nine years in consultation withthe Bureau of Land Management (BLM), community leaders, and recreational usersand was subject to an environmental impact statement that assessed the needs,alternatives and impacts of large-scale training exercises at the TwentyninePalms Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center. If enacted,the proposal would affect approximately 188,000 acres of the Johnson ValleyArea: 42,000 acres would be designated for recreational use, 43,000 acres wouldbe shared recreational and military use, and 103,000 acres would be reservedfor exclusive military use. The 42,000 acre recreational use area and the43,000 acre shared use area would remain under the jurisdiction of theSecretary of the Interior, managed by the BLM. The 43,000 acre shared use areawould be available for public recreation, except for two 30-day periodsannually, when it would be closed to the public for military use. In addition,the Administration also proposes to designate these approximately 85,000 acresof land (the 42,000 acres and 43,000 acres referenced above) as the “JohnsonValley Off Highway Vehicle Recreation Area” under management of the BLM. Thisarea would remain available for OHV recreational activities, both informal andorganized. Approximately 103,000 acres of the 188,000 acre area would bereserved for exclusive military use. The King of the Hammers race is an exampleof the type of organized race that could continue in the shared use area. Thisrace, which has in the past crossed both what would be the shared use area andthe exclusive use area, has been a significant generator of economic activityassociated with OHV recreation in the Johnson Valley Area, accounting for over15% of the total yearly visitation. In addition the Marine Corps will consider,on a case by case basis and under controlled conditions, the use of thisexclusive military use area for organized races, including the King of theHammers race. Enactment ofthis proposal is essential to provide the space required to train Marines forspecific missions and to ensure the Marines' continued success when calledupon. There are no other Marine Corps properties where this requirement can bemet. Marines need to train in as close to a real-world setting as possible andMarine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) training must allow Marines to conductintensive operations over extended distances that allow for maneuvering in thepresence of ground and air live-fire. A MEB consists of 15,000 Marines andsailors, and their aviation and ground combat equipment, including artilleryand mortars. Currently, training of this scope must rely on classroominstruction and simulation which cannot provide realistic and practical experiencefor command, control, and maneuver. This absence of a MEB-level training rangelimits Marine Corps readiness by leaving the USMC without a venue forconducting fully integrated, live fire MEB training. Since 2000,the Department of the Navy has intensively studied the Marines' warfightingrequirements. In November 2000, the Marine Corps published Marine CorpsStrategy 21, which identified the MEB as the primary contingency response forceof the Marine Corps. An independent study by CNA's Center for Naval Analyses in2004 concluded that MEB-level realistic large-scale air, ground training isessential for the Marine Corps to prepare units to respond to large-scalecontingencies, and that this training can only be conducted at an expandedTwentynine Palms. In 2008, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, UnderSecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, concurred. InFebruary 2013, after nine years of study and analysis, the Marine Corpsdetermined the only viable cost effective alternative was to expand theTwentynine Palms training area into the Johnson Valley OHV Area. TheDepartment of the Navy's Environmental Impact Statement evaluated the economicimpacts of the proposed expansion on communities and businesses. The proposedbase expansion would provide net benefits to the local economy, including 110new jobs, $4 million in additional salaries, and $7.5 million in additionalregional sales. This would be in addition to the existing contributions byTwentynine Palms to the local economy, including a 2012 workforce payroll ofapproximately $600 million (most of which is spent in the local area bypersonnel stationed and employed on the base), $1.8 million from the U.S.Department of Education to San Bernardino County schools, and base contractsvalued at $28 million awarded to local vendors. The increase in jobs andexpenditures is expected to offset a projected loss from the recreational andfilm industries of $1.5 million in sales and $216,000 in taxes. (The $1.5million in sales represents approximately .01% of the $1.1 billion in sales theRetail Trade and Accommodation/Food Services sectors of Yucca Valley, AppleValley and Victorville generate annually). TheDepartment of the Navy places a high value on maintaining positive relationshipsin the communities in which they are based and Johnson Valley is no exception.The development of this proposal has been carried out in consideration ofextensive public input with the goal of balancing the needs of Marine Corps'training requirements with existing recreational activities.

Can you post the route. I'm looking for a low speed route to big bear. Thanks in advance, William

also the trail tech computer does not show mileage. I don't think it was ever hooked up correctly.

I found a 2000 DRZ400E in Arizona with lots of off-road mods. But it does not have any turn signals or mirrors? What about smog rules? I don't see any of that stuff on Ronayers micro fiche as even being sold on that model anywhere. Does that mean it will be allowed in California? Thanks, William Harrington

where is starting point? how much dirt versus road?

I met BP near Jewel Valley road Monday AM, and he said we could ride border fence road all the way west to Chula Vista and beyond. Said there were some areas where you had to detour, and know where you were going, but did not imply at all that it was not allowed. We paid for border fence and road, why not use it?

I'm going to break out that led zep album and figure out how to get it on my ipod. I did not recognize it was about bike riding, being very late to the biking thing. William

I can show for the S&T only as I have to work tomorrow. Do I need to bring food for the cookout? Thanks, William

I did the entire perimeter jeep trail one time, but was pretty beat up after that run. But I made it all the way, even through muddy spots. If it is no tougher than perimeter road, I might be ok.

Can a beginner on a dr350 keep up on this run?