Colorado B.S. Thread

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Thanks! Nah I've had these for a while. Just haven't really had the chance to use them lol. Still have to install the rear ones. I won a gift card to a small Offroad place years back at a raffle and the only thing I had use for on the site were these.

I'm not sure if they are a particular brand. They aren't flat LED strips like the normal ones. I'll see if I can find a pic of what they look like.

Edit
Like the ones here
http://www.quasarled.com/clear-ruber-encased.htm

 

Just finished watching Abraham Lincoln vs the Zombies. Presidents day theme tonight.

 

Finally getting around to fixing my ktm 450exc hoping to make it street legal and ride the crap out of it on these amazing colorado trails!

 

Got my

$18 Baofeng UV5R BAOFENG UV-5R VHF/UHF Dual Band Radio 144-148MHz 420-450MHz Transceiver

Baofeng UV5R in the mail today. I'm not sure what the fuss is about with programming it, to me it seemed straightforward. Listened to about 4 different nets tonight all of which were barely interesting due to the novelty. Thursday evening is the outdoor america usa net. Camping and offroading topics apparently. Maybe it's a bit better suited to my interest. Still waiting on my call sign to transmit but this ht is pretty solid for recieving.

 

The 690 will feel like a rocket ship compared the a Dakar. That being said doing more than 100-140 miles on it at a time will be, annoying. The short wheelbase makes it twitchy or not feel planted at speeds above 60mph. Non-knobby tires help but then you loose a bit of off-road ability. Fuel mileage for the 690 was about 50-55mpg for me pretty consistently. In the sandwash it dropped of course.

For aftermarket fuel tanks I'd get the Safari tank. I had the Rally-raid tanks and cracked two of them from semi-nasty spills and tip overs in the dirt.

I'd avoid anything 2010 or older, or if you get them just replace the fuel pump, filter, and injector to the newer style.

I owned a 690 for 2.5 years, and 14,000 miles; mostly dirt. I traded it for a 950 and 525 in September. I bought it before I had my taco and couldn't haul bikes with my last vehicle. It was great for riding a hundred miles and change to the trails, blast around and then ride home, or camp off the bike. I did do a 3,800 mile trip on it from Denver to Vancouver, Canada, then down the coast a bit and then back home usually avoiding interstates. That's what made me sell it; the trip wasn't very enjoyable due to the constant highway twitchieness and being tossed around in air blasts from other vehicles. That and on trips I rarely got into terrain that I wouldn't be comfortable on a 950/990 when loaded with camping gear (my camping/traveling gear is ~51 lbs).

The 690 will be able to hit a lot of trails the Dakar can't even touch; that being said the suspension needs a revalve badly as the front forks are valved more like their supermoto variants and the rear shock needs a stiffer spring unless you weigh 140-150 lbs in gear.

You'll love it but it's not quite in the same class as a pure dirt bike in the dirt, but it's also leaps and bounds better on the street then a pure dirt bike. It's leaps and bounds better than anything else in the 650cc class of bikes in the dirt, but also just marginal to average on the street compared to those same 650cc class bikes.

For around town the thing rips, very light very flickable, gobs of power. Also I wouldn't even try 2-up on it. I've done it but it's not comfortable for anyone.

I would say it's the best bike for RTW travel though where speeds are rarely over 50-55mph and it's rough roads most of the way. That being said, after riding both in varying terrain I'd probably take a carbed 950 RTW. But if you ask me again after riding across Mongolia I might have a different tune...

 

Thanks! and yes I know the 690 isn't the best for long pavement stretches... but as I said I did 24,000 miles in 11 months on a Dakar, so I think it'll feel like a cruiser compared to that 2x4 on wheels! LOL

I think the 690 is the largest I'd want going across Mongolia... hell I've even been thinking about the WR250... 6 gears, FI, LIGHT! but I'm still 7 years away from retirement... probably 10+ from being able to do that dream...

 

Some shots from my Singles Awareness Day on the 14th. a group of us went up to the CMC Cabin in the Brainard Recreation Area and stayed Friday and Saturday nights.






The only modern accessory to the cabin is a solar panel that runs the L.E.D. lights inside.




This is where I was able to enjoy my morning "paper work".

 

Hummm just thought of something. I need a copy of the 285 75 16 aired up. Just a copy of the arch. Any one that has one that is going to the taco on the beach? I can bring a marker and card board to copy it.

 

Yeah if I don't take the 950 I have currently then I'll probably get a 250-450cc dual sport. I'd personally jump at a 450 or 500cc twin putting out 50+ hp that was 375 lbs or less with a wide ratio gearbox and longer wheel base similar to the adventure tourers. If metal 3D printing ever gets a bit cheaper I might throw down and try to make one.

But alas, dreams.

 

Sent you a text

 

What 450-500 twin for that description? I'm drawing a blank, But it's been a while since I've looked so my memory is failing me.

 

I'm 285 70 if you can go with ball park I'll be there

 

Aprilia

 

No one makes one. I'd have to build it myself.

 

CCM 450 Adventure comes close but not a twin. The newer Thumpers are pretty smooth though.

 

Nice! what year? Hopefully not the 2008 or 2009. Seems like KTM worked out the oil transfer issues by 2010 though.

 

Ahh OK I was racking my brain sure I was overlooking something obvious lol

Nothing of theirs is what I want to take around the world. Great bikes though

Interesting... Never heard of it... Only CCM I'm familiar with is the hockey company.

 

Not sure the CCM Is released the states yet. If I remember correct it uses the Rotax motor.

 

Sorry to interupt the Cycle talk but been looking into UCAs for my lift and not getting the Pros/ Cons of Tubular v Billet built options other than I think Surfers used to say "Tubular".

Any help/ advice would be greatly appreciated.