SteveO

Thanks for the pictures. I always wondered what that trail was like. Now I've found out the easy way. Which model Husky are you riding? BTW, turn the mirrors inward when you get into the dirt. DAMHIK. Steve

I hadn't been out on the 650 for quite a while, so I decided to ride out to Rincon and ride up and down Nate Harrison Grade. I had to put on my rain gear in Escondido. There was fog and drizzle all the way up. On the way down, the clouds started to lift and I could see where I was going. Almost all of Nate Harrison Grade is lined with wild flowers! I don't know the names of all of them, but there were lupines, four colors of monkey flower, deerweed (my favorite), and many kinds of "yellow" flowers. Mountains are great for wildflowers because they can bloom at different times at different elevations. That makes the timing a lot less critical. Anyway, if you need an excuse to go ride Nate Harrison Grade, now you have it. Steve

They call for replacing clutch disks, piston, and lower bearings at 10,000 km, which should be a little over 200 hours of dirt riding. Exactly right, Ken. It will take me two years to put 10,000 km on my DR650. Now piston, etc. replacement doesn't sound so bad. Excellent. Thanks. Steve

Thanks, Wil. OK, to summarize from the KTM 530 EXC Service Manual: Change engine oil and filter and gear oil every 15 hours Check valve clearances every 15 hours Replace spark plug every 30 hours Change piston, conrod bearing and crankshaft main bearing every 90 hours (non-competitive use) Change camshaft bearing every 90 hours (non-competitive use) Replace foot brake cylinder seals every 60 hours (non-competitive use). I estimate that I ride my dirt bike about 100 hours a year, so I can see how frequently these maintenance items would occur. Not unreasonable maintenance, but certainly a lot more than I am used to. Does anyone have numbers from the Husky TE510 manual? Joliet, does your TE510 manual say anything about pistons and bearings? Steve

Thanks to all who responded to my post. I certainly learned something new here. If I decide to go to a lighter bike, at least I will have some idea of what I am signing up for. Any additional info still welcome. Steve

I was reading Wil’s (650hucker) thread about what bike he should buy and didn’t understand what all the talk about 4-stroke top end maintenance/repair was about. I thought maybe valve adjustment. Then I read that the BMW G450X (not available in CA) required an oil change every 10 hours and a new piston every 70 hours!!! Then I read that the Beta RR 400/450/520 requires an oil change every 15 hours and a new piston every 90 hours. My Suzuki DR650 requires an oil change every 3500 miles (or 12 months) and doesn’t say anything about a new piston. Valve adjustment is every 7000 miles. Now I am wondering if there is some alternate reality for high performance dirt bikes. There are two bikes that I am thinking about if I decide I need a lighter bike: KTM 530 and Husky 510. To cut to the chase, do either of these bikes require 10-15 hour oil changes and new pistons every <100 hours? Steve

Oh, so you're saying they are reliable now? I hear they are very reliable if you follow the scheduled maintenance. Change engine oil, oil filter, and transmission oil every 15 hours Clean the spark plug cap, air filter and fork covers every 15 hours Replace spark plug every 60 hours Replace clutch plates, piston and rings, con rod bearings, balancer shaft bearing, and crank shaft bearings every 90 hours, unless the bike is raced or used harshly, then every 45 hours Replace the gear bearing every 180 hours, unless the bike is raced or used harshly, then every 90 hours Check valve clearance every 30 hours. So how does this compare to a KTM 530 EXC? Edit: for the answer, see my thread in Equipment & Technical Forum Steve

Well, of course, I didn't know what the trails were like until I got there. By the end of the day, either my sand riding had improved or I was on a better class of wash. None of these washes were as bad a the last mile of Arroyo Seco del Diablo, which I rode in mid-November, before the rains. I was so glad to get out of that wash, only to find that the Diablo Drop-off was impassable (by me anyway) due to really deep sand and that I had to turn around and go back! I am tentatively planning to ride the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands next spring. However, this ride made me realize that it would be an 11 hour ride if I rode at this pace. I will have to do some research and see if that trail is sandy or, hopefully, hard dirt. Steve

I had a nice ride yesterday in perfect weather. I staged at the Blow Sand Campground on Hwy 78 and started riding at 9:35 am. I went up Blow Sand Wash and then west on Goat Trail. These were my two favorite trails because they had nice hills. After starting up Borrego Mountain Wash, I came to the one-way drop off. I didn't know it was there, so I was glad I was going the right way. These things never look as bad in the pictures as they are, but this one wasn't as bad as it looked, so the picture is about right. After bouts of deep sand, Cut Across Trail was easy, flat and long. I went through Tule Wash and then half way up Arroyo Salado, I stopped for lunch. At the end of Arroyo Salado, I took Ella Wash to Short Wash, with side trips to Vista del Malpais and Fonts Point. I originally planned to take Inspiration Wash to the dump, but I was running low on time, so I took S22 and Peg Leg Rd to the dump, where I got lost and asked directions at the dump office. Once I realized I needed to head south, I was OK and got onto Borrego Sink Wash. This was another of my favorite washes, with lots of whoops and no deep sand. I took Borrego Sink Wash all the way to Buttes Pass Road, which I took down to Hwy 78. With photo and lunch stops, the 65 mile ride took 4:52. I said I was slow. But I had a good day. Here are some pictures. Blow Sand staging One-way down into Slot Canyon In Borrego Mountain Wash Lunch in Arroyo Salado; the bike is facing the wrong way A Badlands picture from Vista del Malpais Borrego Springs from Fonts Point Steve

Ride completed (had to skip Inspiration Wash). Will add write-up and pictures tomorrow. Steve

When you say I'm SOL, are you refering to my initials or my luck?! OK, that's what I plan to do. It's nice to know that it works. Thanks. Steve

Parking is free....... What are you trying to accomplish with the track(?)......you can use the "trackback feature" on the tracks setup page if you want pop-up screens to indicate turns and/or if you want to know the distance to the end of the track..... Thanks, Chris. I know that I can trackback a track, but I now have a combination of routes and tracks for this ride and I wanted them to be all routes. Because the tracks are "off-road", I can't just create a route that follows them without selecting every single point on the track. Steve

I'm going out to the Borrego Badlands tomorrow. I have never ridden there and I'm pretty slow in the sand, so you've been warned. The plan is to stage at Blow Sand Campground on 78, arriving at 9:00 and ready to ride at 9:30. I've used some tracks posted by SDAR members, plus Google Earth and the AB park map to create a loop ride that starts up Blow Sand Wash, then Goat Trail, Borrego Mtn Wash, Cut Across Trail, Tule Wash, Arroyo Salado, Ella Wash, Short Wash, Fonts Wash, Inspiration Wash, Borrego Sink Wash, Buttes Pass Rd. Weather on Wed is forecast as 57F at 9:00, rising to 70F in the afternoon, with the day partly cloudy to mostly sunny. Those of you who have been there, feel free to offer advice. My first question is, is there a day use fee to park at Blow Sand Campground? Another question, how can you turn a Garmin track into a route? Steve

I was out there yesterday. Some areas off of the main roads have a lot of powdered dirt. Especially the peanut-shaped loop trail that goes through 32 38.163N 116 48.501W. If you ride through there, you will need to be separated from the other rider by at least a hundred yards. Have fun. Steve

Be sure to try the trails west from N33 24.773 W116 41.182 and N33 25.477 W116 40.923. Then let us know how far you got on them. The trail east from N33 25.347 W116 40.967 is pleasant, but after about 4 miles (after going down the switchbacks and starting up again), you should turn around to avoid annoying the locals. I assume they live out there for a reason. Google Earth is a real help in finding trails. Too bad it's not usually possible to see locked gates from the satellite. Steve