Old Racers Race!

The 50 something annual Lilliputian Cross Country event.

The annual Dist 36 Lilliputian put on by the Dirt Diggers North MC Club which has been held at Prairie City OHV Park for at least 40 years changed venues this year due to COVID-19, the State park is still unable to hold spectator events. The race was moved to River Front Park under the bridge in Yuba City. River Front is a moto cross venue with multiple tracks which has been around for probably over 50 years.

They used to have an annual Cross Country event there called the Thorn Tree named after the thorn trees that populated the area. I believe the last one held was in 1977 and I rode it. At that time they had access to a lot of land and the course was probably a good 8 miles or so long. Lots of changes since then and this weekend’s course was around 4 miles with a very, very deep sand section that ran along the bank of the Yuba river. A couple of days before the event that area was covered with brush and trees, they hacked a two bike wide trail through it, I don’t know how long the section was but it was brutal and all you could hope for was to survive it each lap. The course then opened up into a sort of grass track that was in reality a flat weed field that had about a hundred flat turns as it twisted and turned and eventually came back to one of three motocross tracks where you were on and off of until the check. For guys like me a lap was about thirteen minutes. It didn’t take long before the super fast riders in the front rows were starting to lap guys like me, that will make you know what pucker up. The track layout was good except the long brutal sand section that took its toll on many riders. I could never relax and settle in and find any kind of rhythm on the course so I struggled a lot. 

Because there hadn’t been a cross country race there in so many years coupled with the new venue it attracted a lot of us old timers to come out and ride it, remembering the old Thorn Tree. For those of us who hadn’t ridden a cross country event in years it was certainly more difficult than the regulars who follow the Dist 36 cross county events. It had been about 4 years for me and for one of my old friends Larry who showed up it had been about 15 years. 4 years VS 15 years I faired a little better than he did.

None of us old guys got hurt other than our pride a little and were able to tell stories before and after the race it doesn’t get any better than that.

As you can see by the pictures it was a clear sunny day albeit a cold windy day. It rained Friday night and a little early Sunday morning which helped keep the dust to a minimum, although by the time I left and the last race was in progress the dust was getting bad in some areas.

Doug 21J

21J Explores LHRB

The OX-Hydro LHRB Brake

As far as I know these particular left hand operated rear brake systems are currently only made for KTM and Husky bikes, someday no doubt for Gas Gas as well.

Why a handle bar mounted rear brake in the first place? I have several friends who have taken the use of it to another level by removing the rear brake pedal and using the handle bar mounted brakes only. The advantage especially in right hand corners is not having to put your foot on the brake. That’s brave, I’m old and don’t easily learn new tricks but I do use my LHRB. I primarily use it for down hills especially on long down hills if they are real steep and I want to keep my right foot on the pegs to dab if necessary or just in situations where it feels more comfortable to do so. Another reason is, I use Rekluse’s and I have been in situations going up steep single track hills and for one reason or another needed to stop or turn around and go back down. Usually in these situations is where I have to get off the bike on a very narrow trail and bull dog it around to go back down. Or to keep the bike from sliding backyards because the Rekluse will free wheel and all I have is the front brake and no way to lock up the rear wheel; I’ve had the bike slide backwards and eventually get on top of me and that can become a very difficult thing to get out from under.

Over the years I’ve used cobbled together LHRB systems using Rekluse and bicycle parts and a friend of mines ability to make hydraulic lines. They worked ok certainly better than nothing but always felt it left a little to be desired.

OX- Brake has made for sometime a cable operated LHRB I never tried one but understand they also worked ok but not the ultimate solution. I know Rekluse used to make a LHRB system I just checked their web site and didn’t see one offered, so I don’t know what happened.

The OX-Hydro Brake is a sealed self contained system that comes ready to install no bleeding necessary. I have two systems the first is a hydraulic Dot 4-5 the second one is a mineral oil system. I’m going to guess the mineral oil system will be the one used going forward I’m sure OX- Brake have their reasons for using mineral oil.

I’m very picky about how my rear brake is set up; first I tend to be a rear brake dragger when riding on trails and use it to steer the bike sometimes. I have the brake pedal set up below the level of the foot peg I have size 13 feet that sticks out making it hard to find the peddle sometimes. I also leave a certain amount of pedal play so that my foot can rest on the pedal and not be dragging the brake. I know I’m not the only one who does this.

Adjusting the peddle position and amount of free play in the peddle effects the amount of lever you have at the handle bar. The OX-Hydro Brake replaces the heim joint which connects the foot pedal and master cylinder the more free play and downward peddle adjustment the less lever pressure you’ll end up with. So it’s a fine line between having the peddle position and free play where you want it and having enough handle bar brake pressure to stop the rear wheel.

OX-Brake has developed a new proto type to eliminate this issue for us brake draggers and I’m going to get one to try. Chuck at OX-Brake explained to me why the current system is limited in the kind of brake settings I like and how the new one will eliminate this problem for riders like me, I’m not going to try and explain it mainly because I can’t remember exactly what Chuck said and it was over my head anyway. So I’ll stop for now and pick up after I installed the new proto type.

I have installed and ridden with the new Proto type and after some trail side adjustments I now have it the best it can be for my riding style, which is much better than the other two I have, which is not to say they don’t work properly, they do, the proto type provides more adjustment for guys like me. The Magura system is a one pull, no need to pump the lever it makes no difference the first time you apply the brake is the best it will be and it will always return to the same place.

I’ve been sold on the OX-Hydro LHRB since I got the first one but soon there will a more adjustable version for riders like me.

I think they are reasonably priced at about $300, especially when you consider you’re getting a completely sealed hydraulic system no fuss no muss.

Doug 21J

Part 1.5 TE300i

Before I report the latest on the 2021 TE300i I want to share another Doug story.

If you remember I said I might want to install an adjustable idle screw while CA was and still is burning. I ordered the idle screw and spring part watched the videos and took to heart the instructions that said do not strip the head of the very small torx tip screw. After removing the throttle body and carefully heating up the area to loosen up the red loctite up until I could see the loctite bubbling around the screw and trying as gently as I’m capable of with no success in removing or even getting it to budge despite repeated re heat attempts, I finally succeeded in, that’s right stripping out the head, the area is too small to work in. Next step, try to easy-out it that didn’t work either. I finally ended up with a small drill hole that went through the end of the loctited screw. Fortunately I hadn’t really damaged the end of the screw that keeps the idle where it originally was so I still had the option of putting it back on.

The next day I met a friend of mine at his shop and we spent three hours trying to get that screw out, we event tried to take the butter fly valve out so we could remove the plastic piece off where the throttle cable connect so we could create room to work. Had it almost apart but couldn’t get one of the butter fly valve screws out.

With my tail between my legs I came back home had lunch and spent another three hours coming up with the one of finest of examples of a Rube Goldberg, Okie fix there is. I fashioned a tapered pin that slides down and through the drilled out center of the screw. The pin can’t fall out because it’s tapered plus the installed angle won’t allow it to. Next I threaded the hole in the throttle body where the idle screw and spring would normally drop through and double nutted the bolt. Dropped the pin in through the drilled out center of the screw, screwed in the bolt put it all back together, started the bike adjusted the idle then locked it in place. I’d say the tapered pin has only about an eighth of an inch protruding through the end of the screw.

My perfectionist friend cringes at the thought of my bush fix and I do as well. It’s not the bit least ideal to take a brand new bike and do that to it, wait until I sell it and have to explain that to a prospective buyer. Hopefully by that time I will have many, many uneventful hours on it.

Doug 21J

Well here we are again

I sold the KTM 250SXF. And I’m also done with buying any out of state bikes they are a big, big hassle to get registered here in CA. DMV does not like bikes coming in from out of state and make the process as difficult as they can and the 250 was a big hassle.

So what did I get to replace it, a 2021 Husky TE300i? Does this sound a little familiar, it should I bought a 2020 TE300i late last summer and sold it earlier this year with only 18 hrs on it. Something I shouldn’t have done in retrospect. I was working on getting a Sherco dealership for a local dealer and thought it was going to happen and sold the Husky so I could buy a Sherco. Well that didn’t happen and that turned into my buying the 2020 Husky FE350E, which I’ve written about, actually I’ve written about both bikes.

I’ve finally gotten the FE350 working well for me and it I still have it. No thoughts about selling it at this time.

My first ride on the new bike was like; wow I remember why I liked the 2020. I don’t think they’ve made any real big changes to the 2021. The big difference this time around on the 2021 is I rode it the first time with all the goodies installed, Flex bars, Rekluse, steering damper, FMF muffler S/A, left hand operated rear brake, Aircells and Shinko tires front and rear. I didn’t touch a thing the first ride not even the suspension settings, left them as they came from the factory.

The bike just works so well overall. It’s only about three pounds lighter than the 350 but because of the 350’s motor inertia the 300 feels much lighter even when picking up the 300 feels feel’s much lighter. I thought about getting the TE250i but they are really hard to find and the 300 will be easier to sell when the time comes. 

I’m looking forward to riding this bike and will report on it as time goes by.

Doug 21J

PS,

I do not need to tell any of you that 2020 has been at the very least bizarre. As side note I’m not sure if or when things will return to normal whatever that means. But for now this is what it looks like.

Since I bought my new bike I haven’t been able to ride it much. It’s a trail bike and the forests have been closed the air quality has sucked and it’s been blistering hot.

The only thing I see this bike might need is the ability to raise the idle. It’s locked from the factory and has to do with European emission standards. In my short time riding the bike the low idle hasn’t been a problem. However I do have a Rekluse auto clutch installed and the factory settings are a low RPM engagement and a low RPM disengagement. With a low idle the motor will return to a low idle and disengage much quicker, which means it will free wheel quicker. I haven’t ridden any long or steep down hills yet where having some engine braking is a benefit, but a higher idle will keep the Rekluse engaged longer.

With that said there are several businesses that offer a solution. You have to remove the throttle body and remove a screw that is locked tighted and only allows the butter fly to close so much. It requires applying heat to the area to loosen the lock tight before you can remove the screw. After that you can install an idle adjustment screw, I may do this while the forests are burning. The other thing that can be adjusted is the power valve. The carbureted models came with different colored springs that changed the opening of the power valve. Today’s TPI bikes have a squared headed brass looking fitting that can be turned in or out to adjust the valve’s opening. Each bike is adjusted differently the brass fitting has been turned in or out at the factory (they must run these motors at the factory and adjust them accordingly) so any adjustments must be in increments from where they come set from the factory.   

Until.

21J

Not again, yes again.

I sold the mud bike I bought at the end of last year. During our ongoing COVID 19 lockdown I spent what seemed like months looking for the next project. I wanted a lighter 4 stroke bike to ride in the woods. I finally found a candidate a super, super clean 2017.5 Factory Edition 250SXF with 12.2 Hrs. That’s right a motocross bike that weighs 219 lbs without gas and came with a bunch of goodies on it that I wouldn’t have to buy and the price was very, very good. Yes it’s a five speed close ratio transmission the only drawback to a five speed is limited top end on those occasional fire roads. But I’ve had five speeds before and found I seldom wound it out especially when it turns 13000 RPM before I ducked back on to a single track.

 

The bike came with a brand new Guts soft seat a brand new Acerbis skid plate, FMF muffler and spark arrestor the high dollar Rekluse and a brand new set of graphics. I added a fan kit, foot pegs, kickstand, Flex Bars with Cycra hand guards, speed odometer, left hand operated rear brake and an 18” rear wheel. Some of this stuff I took off my mud bike.

My major concern was/is the suspension the forks are air and of course the suspension was set up for MX not trail riding. And so far this has been the only real issue. The bike is so light it dances around like a two stroke and we haven’t been able so far to get it plush enough for me. Right now I’d say there would be a lot of riders who would think the suspension is great where it is right now, but it’s not for me and after all it’s me that counts.

The bike handles very well and will eventually be much better once the suspension is worked out. I’ve been surprised at the amount of power the 250 puts out especially when you consider how much I weigh. The 250 wasn’t intended to haul a big belly like me around but it does. The motor revs very freely pulls ok off the bottom and overall has very good power. 

Bucky at SBB has been working with me on the suspension. He re valved the shock and changed the spring I’m about to try the third different settings on the front forks the air forks are tricky for trail riding. If this doesn’t work I think we will go to a spring fork conversion kit

Second ride after the last fork re valve and before this latest ride I changed the rear shock spring back to the stock unit and rode 34 miles at Chalk Bluff so obviously it worked better with the softer spring. But the front is still not where I’d like it, so I have put the Explor forks on off my KTM 350 dual sport bike on and will try this combo. One of the things I don’t like about the Air Forks is they are still a little harsh in the initial part of the travel and they hold up in the middle of the stroke, I’m expecting the forks to move in the middle as I go through corners and when they don’t it throws me off. If you read MX bike reviews one of the things testers constantly complain about is that the forks don’t hold up in the middle of the stroke as they corner apparently lots of ex pro MX’ers like the fork to hold up in a corner I don’t, I like them to move as I go through a corner.

I’ve fallen off this bike five times already and have taken lots of skin off my arms as a result. I finally discovered one of the reasons. I’d like to blame it entirely on the bike but can’t. The rear brake master cylinder was inconsistently bleeding off and of course it did it when I needed it the most, I’ve fixed that issue.

The Explor forks solved the front end problem for me. Stan, Wayne and I rode about thirty miles at Chalk Bluff and the bike worked the best it has today. Still didn’t keep me from peeling more hide off my arms though as I hit the ground again a couple of times, most of the damage was done going over a 20” log.

So the question now is do I keep the Explor forks off my 350 on it and then what do I do for my 350? I can convert the air forks to spring forks, but I’m not confident that will work for me, do I look for a set of Explor forks for sale or do I cut my losses and sell the bike before I put more money in it still not knowing if spring forks will solve my problem. I’m leaning at this moment towards selling it.

I’ve decided, I’m in the process of getting it ready to sell it.

Oh well. Stay tuned.

Doug 21J