mtnmanseth

Any update, Chad?

You have reached your quota of positive votes for the day

Yeah you did. To Mike's we go! I do have GPS tracks from a Tecate -> Cal's -> Mike's -> Tecate tour with Goofy/Blake from March last year that we can follow if needed. Anyone else interested?

Hey Chad, I thought Lojack only works in areas with Lojack coverage... was Lojack used to locate your truck in Mexico? Looking into installing this for my truck, but not if it doesn't work the second it leaves "San Diego" Lojack area...

Awww bro... heartbreaking. I'll keep an eye out for her in North County!

Hey gang - I’m currently embroiled in an epic housing disaster… I allowed a woman to move into my place on the beach in Encinitas on December 1st who I’m now sure is actually the devil. I believe she’s trying to steal/strong-arm my home, and I’ve hired an attorney to assist me. Unfortunately, co-tenant laws provide me zero additional rights to the place as the longtime incumbent tenant, so I’m now considering letting the terrorists win by moving out. This is a very long/shitty story that I can explain some other time - ALWAYS GET IMPORTANT VERBAL AGREEMENTS IN WRITING. Anyway, just letting my friends know that I may need a room to rent beginning mid-Jan or February 1. I do require garage space for 2-3 dirt bikes and a little storage. Prefer to stay in North County, but really don’t care as long as it’s north of downtown. If you know any friends or colleagues with a room/property to rent starting mid-Jan or February 1, please let me know. (I'm mid-30s, like beer/bacon, employed fulltime by the same engineering firm for 11 years, have excellent credit/references) Please PM me

Dddddddddang!!! You accepted a job offer with Fox from your dirt bike on a beach in Baja?!

I'm month-to-month, so moving out is not a problem. I've been there without a single problem, missed payment, or anything for 2.5 years. Soon as I give my 30-day notice, I'm off the hook for rent payment after 30-days. The problem with co-tenant laws/leases (aka housemate leases) is that when a crazy person moves in and just decides "Nope, I'm not paying what we agreed anymore", then the other co-tenant (me in this case) is 100% responsible to cover all rent. Before she moved in she was sweet and seemed reliable/reasonable. I entrusted this person to keep her agreement and made a horrible mistake of not getting a housemate agreement signed before she signed the lease with the property manager (a real POS who totally completely dodged all responsibility to mediate/assist me in this instance). Always protect yourself! Always always get things in writing! But... Even if I would have got a housemate agreement before her lease was signed, it would only help in Small Claims Court, as I would still be on the hook to cover 100% of rent when she decided not to pay. The property manager only cares that 100% of rent is paid. If it's World War 3 at one of their rentals? "You guys are on your own." So bummed.

Jacob - What do you mean by this? Do you mean you cannot carry gas in a gas can across the border? Technically, no. However, after they checked our bike registrations, Blake and I watched a Mexican border guard lightly kick both of our completely full 5-gal gas jugs (mine had 2-stroke premix in it) then waved us through. I think it's who you get and their mood that day/hour/minute...

Great adventure! That's me on the GasGas That's me on the GasGas Example of a water crossing Nantista had a great race! (most of the course markers for #1 were found in his rear hub) Blake and I thrilled to be finishers Both sporting Suspension 101 decals - where was George?? Resting between sections Jacob and I showing off finisher pins and cervezas frias Awesome Baja sunset

<robot voice> Task complete.

I received my update email yesterday. Thanks CaliforniaTrailMap.com

Y'all still goin' McDisneyland tomorrow, Nantista?

You would have definitely won Bar 10, George.

Broke half the Beta's clutch lever off while negotiating gnar at Big Bear with Blake a couple weekends ago so ordered one of these up on Friday... should be here tomorrow. Excited to feel the new feel.

I was shocked to have to replace the clutch fluid in the Beta after a trip to Mammoth a few months ago. The bike was only a year old but after major clutch action loss (lever went floppy almost to the bar) while rock crawling at 9,000 feet my research taught me that: Four strokes get so damn hot that the clutch fluid actually boils if contaminated with water "Wait, how does water get in a sealed system like the clutch line?", I thought. Because it's not actually sealed... you all probably know this already, but there are tiny air gaps in the lid on the perch reservoir that allow atmospheric pressure to equilibrate as you go up and down in elevation. Water vapor get into the system through those holes, ESPECIALLY if you live/ride near the beach or relatively humid climates like San Diego Okay, time to replace the hydraulic clutch fluid. USE BRAND NEW FLUID. Apparently, bottles of brake/clutch fluid are only good for maybe a few weeks after opening the bottle. Brake fluid is silicone based and hydrophilic (i.e. attracts water) so even just cracking the bottle will allow air vapor to "contaminate" the fluid. Your post doesn't indicate whether you tried fluid from a brand new bottle, but you might want to try that. The higher quality/cost of brake fluid the higher the boiling point... Motul 660 (~$25 bottle) boils at 617 degrees F. That's what I put in the Beta and it's been back to normal for several rides. You probably already know all this wildwood, but I didn't before I had similar clutch line problems so I figured I'd share with others. Since you don't perceive any detrimental wear to the individual pieces, could it be that you're using a bottle of brake fluid from 2005?

More great photos from your vault, GF! Thanks for posting reminders of the perfect Baja scooter trip. I have zero issues with repeating the exact same route sometime soon... sans Blake, until he stops cranking out kids

It's on the horizon, friends. Alllllllllmost here. Someday soon the temps in the mountains and deserts will drop below nuclear fusion temperatures as Mother Nature once again offers a passive invite to ride our dirt scooters across SoCal. I spent the summer learning to surf (borderline drowning) and chasing girls (wow they're fast) but I am getting REALLY excited to once again mount my Spanish and Italian princesses with all you clowns. Bring it on. Brapspectully, mtnmanseth

Blake, PastaPilot, and myself spent Saturday morning at the free SOS Technical Singletrack Riding Seminar and 3 big days brapping the hardest/fastest trails the Troy Meadows area had to offer. Blake won a tubliss setup and I won a private lesson from Offroad Moto Clinics during the clinic. PastaPilot set a new personal record and hopped a log literally seat high, and Blake won the "slow race" and put the first scratches on his brand new KTM. Trip report soon...

10 THINGS LEARNED FROM THE 2016 BETA INTRO font size Beta have been busy getting ready for 2016. Here’s 10 things learned about the Italian manufacture from their 2016 enduro launch… 1. Three new bikes in the works Beta are set to fill the missing spots in their enduro range with a 250cc and 300cc four stroke. And there's a 125 two-stroke possibly coming as well. A new 250cc four-stroke engine can be expected in the next two or three years with the 300 four-stroke basically following as a sleeved up version of the quarter litre thumper. 2. Oil injection isn’t fuel injection, but has its benefits The Automatic Oil Injection System is Beta’s oil pump of the 21st Century. It basically sprays oil into the Keihin PWK carburettor. The system collects data from the engine’s revs and load to vary the fuel/oil mix from 0.7 to 1.2%. It offers a dramatic reduction in oil consumption and exhaust smoke. It also reduces the chances of fouling a spark plug. The oil tank has a capacity of 300ml, which is enough for three full tanks of fuel. There’s a light on the dashboard that displays when everything's working fine and a second one to let you know when the oil tank needs filling. You can also cancel the system anytime and mix oil in the fuel tank. All four strokes receive fuel injection for 2016... 3. Growing figures Beta recently saw an increase of 35% in its enduro sales figures. In Italy – its biggest market – they currently hold 34% of enduro sales. Responding to the increased demand they plan to produce 15,000 units in 2016, which is 2,000 more than 2015. 4. Four-stroke fuel injection gets the thumbs up First seen on last year’s RR 350, the EFI that Beta developed with Synerject is now fitted to all four strokes. It’s probably the greatest upgrade to the 2016 thumpers. It brings a smooth power delivery and a huge reduction in engine braking throughout the four-stroke range. It also gives zero fuel spills in the event of a crash. 5. Xtrainer The widely popular Beta Xtrainer will see an increase in production from 500 to 1,150 units for 2016. The first batch of bikes will arrive at the end of July. Their only major upgrade will be a new CDI, similar to the one used in the 2016 two strokes. Riding the Xtrainer only confirmed what’s already been said about the bike. Compared to the RRs it lacks braking power and its suspension doesn't handle the big hits that well. But it fits the needs of beginners and those with no racing expectations. We loved the engine’s torque from low rpm and the overall idea than almost anything can be done easily. Beta are looking into developing fuel injected two strokes 6. Fuel injection considered for two strokes Beta’s Head of R&D Department, Stefano Fantigini confirmed their current status on fuel injected two strokes… “We are considering the option of installing fuel injection in our two-stroke range but haven’t actually tested anything yet. But to meet future homologation rules we will have to get serious about it soon...” 7. Racing models in September Beta's 2016 Racing models are set to arrive at the end of September. With Italian Marzocchi firm ceasing production, Beta turned to its trusty partner Sachs for a solution in the forks department. The 2016 Racing line-up will feature brand new closed-cartridge forks by Sachs. The two-stroke Racing models won’t have the oil injector system. 8. At last a new skid plate It’s taken Beta a couple of years to figure it out but they’ve finally designed a skid plate that actually protects the sides of the engine in the four-stroke range. It’s a long-awaited upgrade that will make Beta owners happy. The new skid plate is made from tough plastic with its raised front part preventing mud from getting underneath the engine. Undergoing plenty of changes for 2016 has made the RR 480 a winner... 9. Good as gold The new Sachs 48mm forks work better than any previous editions. Apart from their new looks, they’ve got new shims that improve oil flow, better resistance to bottoming and a new spring guide. Overall they give a more progressive feeling. 10. Beta better than ever The 2016 Betas are the most complete enduro bikes we’ve ever seen from the Italian manufacturer. If we had to choose winners, it would be the RR 250 from the two-stroke range thanks to its updated performance in low and mid rpm. From the four-stroke line-up, we were mostly surprised with the big-bore RR 480 as internal engine updates and fuel injection have made it more usable than ever. - See more at: http://www.enduro21.com/index.php/component/k2/item/2980-10-things-learned-from-the-2016-beta-intro#sthash.BKz317oI.dpuf

I'm in Encinitas too, and I'm fairly/totally certain that the closest public/legal true dirt riding is at the Pine Valley cul-de-sac on the 8... one hour 25 minutes away. One of the motocross tracks may be a little closer to us, though. Please let me know if I'm wrong...

Dirt bikes, private beginner/intermediate Enduro course, guns, cool dog, outdoor shower, huge motor/suspension shop with all the nice tools, and a cute baby boy... Spaugh's compound has it all! Thanks, dude, for the great day in the heat. And, Mimi, I went through the whole bike and found little/nothing that needed attention and the bike ran flawless today. Thank you (again) for the great deal on an awesome lil trials scooter - I'll take good care of it and put it to use! Thanks again and see you soon, Spaugh...

Nice fellas! Love that ride; been there many times... was the bear grass blooming? Side note: If you get back and you're curious about the critters, fishes, and surviving a brutal winter in them parts I just finished a book called Indian Creek Chronicles: A Winter Alone in the Wilderness... great (true) story about a college kid volunteering for Fish & Game near the Magruder cabin over the winter in 1990.

Too hot to ride around here and I ain't got no solid 4th plans. In and registered - website says I could be on the waiting list, so get on it! Anyone in north county have a 3+ bike trailer I can borrow that weekend, PLEASE? Muchas cervezas frias in trade!