DigDug

That's some good advertising there. Great sales pitch! When was the last time you read an accident report that stated "This guy would have survived had he been wearing an Arai instead of a (insert whatever discount brand you like)?" My two cents - You're paying for comfort, durability (how long before that cheek pad or visor mechanism wears out), availability of replacement parts, etc, not necessarily for safety. (And that's just my two cents)

That was a way of life out at many of the forward operating bases I went to while in Afghanistan. Luckily, they had these fancy 3-legged stools that you could lay the bag out over and squat down on (VERY CAREFULLY!!). They even built some plywood enclosures for a little bit of privacy (well, except for the open area in front of you): They would pile them up into metal drums and burn them daily. I guess the chemical reaction of the powder in the WAG bags made them harmless to do so. I feel sorry for the poor guy that has to do it though. For number 1 - they didn't want everyone going wherever so they installed PVC pipes into the ground - at least that way, it was out of "sight" while it seeped in: I knew I took those pictures for a reason!!!

The old City Navigator versions used to let you unlock to two devices, but I think the new version (NT I think?) is sold with a license to make it unlockable to only one unit. You'll have to read your licence agreement (you know, that thing you clicked "I agree" to without reading) to see what you're entitled to. Good thing you did it to the new device first!

Straight from the horse's mouth! I guess the latest firmware updates allow you to use an SDHC card up to 4GB. By the way, there are programs out there that will combine your topo maps segments (the old topo maps, not the new version - yet) so that you can get more of them inside the 2025 limit of the 60/76 series.

Supposedly, the older units won't suppord the SDHC standard, so a 2GB is the biggest you can use. Some people have said it works with larger (that if you have the latest firmware updates - you can use the new standard), but the limitation you'll run into (espcially when using the topo), is that you're limited to 2025 total map segments on the older units too. The topo uses small map segments (the blocks you select in mapsource to install) and they add up quickly. You could swap your card back and forth, but unless you've unlocked the maps to both units (the ones that need to be unlocked anyways), you'll only see the maps on the one that you have.

I use: about:blank Then type in what I want.

I couldn't get the camera out fast enough for your first on (into the mud). It was like a great slo-motion fall where the bike never fell. Just you sliding down the hill upside down.

Not too bad. 70s up high up into the low 80s as we got lower in elevation - just my guesses. Talking to the guy working the gas station in Ocotillo, he was saying it's they're supposed to get a couple more weeks of cooling weather. Might have a few more nice weekends in the desert!

Great ride everyone. Almost 120 miles, and the wind wasn't really that bad! No issues other than a kickstand customization and a carb rebuild in on the trail. Here's a few pictures:

Only two (sorry Paul!): It was a great few hour rides. Thanks Paul for dragging me out of the house on a beautiful day!

I'm going to try and make it out too. I've never been to the park, is the "day use" area relatively easy to find? Any fee for parking there? Can I jump in the spring after the ride to rinse off? :heh:

Ken, that was an absolute worse case scenario. Old (should have been changed a few hundred miles before that trip) tire. Second (golden BB) puncture, about 1/8 inch from the first, already plugged (and ridden for several hundred miles, including two national hare-and-hound races, with the plug in). Soft compound tire that wouldn't take two plugs next to each other, etc. And, as you saw, it was easily fixed by throwing in my spare tube. Heck, did you notice I rode that thing for a good 50 or so miles on the flat? Worked fine (felt funny, and I wouldn't want to go bashing in the rocks with no air, but it worked) to get me into the gas station. That's one of the beauties of the tubliss. You've got 360 degrees of rim-lock (as long as the inner liner doesn't let go) and can ride on a flat. Heck, I was up to 70-80 mph (where it was legal!) on a flat front tire and still had great control of the bike. I do carry both gauges, but don't bother to check the inner-liner unless the tire seems to be leaking (indicating an incomplete seal). I also carry a small bicycle pump in case I need to inflate the inner liner (has to get up to 100psi), but I've never had to use it on the trail. Yeah, that inner-liner is a little unwieldy to put into my saddle bag - but it fit with a little twisting fold. I've since picked up some rubber patches. You know, the big round, thick ones that stick to the inside of the tire itself. Sort of like tube patches, but thicker. They're designed for cars, and dirt-bike tires flex more, so I'm not sure how they'll work. A little too much work to put on while on the trail, so I'll stick to plugging them out there and patching them if I get the second puncture that can't be plugged. Don't let my crappy luck in Death Valley dissuade you if you've been wanting to give them a shot!

I'm going to try and make it there for an 8:30 ride. See you then!

I asked this question earler so those that decide to patronize All American know what to watch for, other than giving you a price that you didn't like, what did this guy do and say that makes you say he was ignorant and rude? We're curious, and I'm sure his boss would like to know...

[Don't look TrophyHunter] I had that happen on time to me. We were pulled over one time in Arkansas and treated, what I thought, was unprofessinally by the sheriff's department. No tickets were issued, but I felt his attitude wasn't the way an officer should act. Noted name/badge number/etc. We got home and I called the desk to express my concerns. The operator said that the shift supervisor was out of the office but connected me to his cell phone. "Officers so-and-so, how may I help you?" - yup, the same guy that pulled us over. Nevermind... [/Don't look TrophyHunter] On a side note, with the impending government shutdown and not knowing what's going to happen to my and the rest of the military's paychecks in the near future, I wanted to throw out a funny quote I heard: "Apparently, freedom IS free!"

What surprises me about this poll is that only one person thinks it's ok to wear them if you're over 50 (yes, that was my vote). That tells me we have a bunch of over-50 people here (or getting close)!!!

Can you elaborate on this? What did he say that was rude and ignorant. I'm just curious. The only thing you mentioned was that you thought his prices were high.

Less than 10% of it is pavement, usually. It's a different loop each year however. These guys try to minimize the pavement and it's usually only to connect trails. If you want to attempt any of the hardways, I'd recommend bringing as small and light a bike as you have with a plate.

I love watching Ken Block videos! The banks on that track are insane. It's always amazing what you can do with an endless supply of horsepower, talent, money, and most importantly - tires! I think this is one of my favorites (yeah, it's an older one, but good): And this one is pretty funny:

Those are nice radios for sure. I was looking at one for my 950 for the longer trips, but I'd never seen one mounted on a smaller bike like that. Nice writeup! One thing for people to keep in mind is that, in the radio world, more power does not always translate into more range - for two reasons: 1 - Just because you have a big mouth (power wise), doesn't mean you have big ears. Unless both ends of the conversation (i.e. your riding buddies) have the power, you won't be able to carry on a conversation. I've had this happen when I've been in my truck and talking to guys on handhelds. They could hear me, but their transmissions wouldn't even get over the static in the truck. 2 - The VHF band which is line of sight. I can sit on the coast and talk to the repeater on Palomar mountain with my 5-Watt VX-170 (50 miles or more - line of sight), but if you're riding in the mountains (or even in the sand washes of the desert), the terrain will block the signals no matter how much power you're putting out and you won't reach even a 1/2 mile. Would you recommend this radio for something like the 950? I'd go with the 10W model for the ease of mounting.. (edit.. it looks like they've discontinued the SR model and only make the R model now. Maybe I'd just be best finding a good mount for my VX-7R instead)

Whoa!!! You'd be all set, Strega. Thought control AND a matching black flight suit! (I don't want anyone knowing what I'm thinking while I'm riding, by the way! )

Or Strega on an orange bike?

I bet! You don't happen to have a link, do you?

It could very well be a big deal. I know of one particular (actually WAS excellent) trail in Big Bear (Not an open area, but an OHV area regardless) that was closed due to noise. Sound checks are happening now in our OHV areas - it is becoming a bigger deal. Closed course? Well, apparently that can become a big deal too. Take a look at this article about sound issues at Pala Raceway: Pala Raceway to address noise pollution [soapbox] Like you said, 99% of the casual riders (even those that race) can't put all that power to the ground effectively anyways. And "I like the way it sounds" is akin to the old "playing cards in the spokes" thing. Grow up and stop ruining it for everyone else because "you like how it sounds"(On or off road). Oh, and sorry, but many of us (and I include myself here) could better stand to lose 5 pounds from even higher up on the bike (my mid-section) before losing 5 pounds from a louder/aftermarket exhaust. I'd bet the performance gains would be even better too! [/soapbox] On the lighter side - this thread reminds me of one of my favorite South Park episodes of all time! The F Word And as long as we're on the Harly Bashing train, I got this from a friend at work:

Wait until it starts bagging on all the "dirt bike/dual sport riders" with loud aftermarket exhausts too (because it sounds cool - I've heard people say that)!