- Jul 19, 2006
- 422
- 0
My maiden voyage on the 300XCW.
Backgound info you will need later:
If you ever knew how my husband started me trail riding you would wonder why I continued. When I first started riding in 2003 I was on a Chinese 125 4 stoke POS. It did not even have enough power to pull my fat azz up any hill. Bruno decided he wanted to take me trail riding and took me to Evart. For those of you who do not know, it’s rated as one of the toughest trails in lower Michigan. Well as I rode Evart, I wasn’t even a mile in and my heart was beating outside of my chest. Bruno patiently waited and helped me along. I fell multiple times, had many bruses to prove it too. I wondered if I would ever make it out. That day I only finished about 8 miles of trail. Since then I up graded to an XR200, then XR250, and last year CR250. Now I bought a KTM 300 XCW.
Today, was like any any other trail riding day trying to get bikes and gear loaded. I would be riding the 300 for the first time in the trails. TJ tore Bruno’s CR500 apart trying trying to figure out what was wrong with his 500 AF conversion and never put it back together. SO, Bruno decided to ride the girly bike XR250, since nicknamed Snow Machine.
Bruno wanted to head to Lincoln Hills. I was thinking it was too far north, and the uphill tree rooted section would be covered in deep snow, so I suggested Tin Cup. I have always like the single line there and even rode there in snow a couple years back on the XR250, so how much worse could it be. We first stopped at Peacocks to buy ORV stickers. Leaving Peacocks we headed south and turned at 16th street trying to find a short cut to Tin Cup. At first the gravel roads were plowed, no problem. We continued until the only roads left were not maintained in the winter. We were driving the S10 two wheel drive with bald tires, wish we had the 4x4. We drove what seemed like 5-8 miles in this stuff. Luckly we did not get stuck. Every time we passed the Little Manistee ORV route or Trail all I saw was ICE. Somehow we ended up in Carryville, and headed south to the trail head.
Tin Cup trail head look great no snow on the trails, I though this should be fun and began to mess with the 300 odo. I am not sure how I will use this contraption in an FES since you have to flip between trip meter and clock. Right now, I am thinking I want a TrailTech.
Instructions from Bruno before I left trailhead, Keep it in first until you feel the power band hit, and ride it there. YEAH RIGHT.
Headed out on the trail to the east and was having fun for about 300 feet and hit snow. This section was not too bad, uphill sections were dirt. There was one uphill section I never could make in the past until I rode the CR250, on the the 300 I did it in second gear all the way. So far I am thinking I love this power. The only problem I was having was with the gripper seat, every time I moved, my pants would slide down. These are new MSR pants. (I am almost sure I will get banned from the FES because my high waisted granny panties will be showing all the time. Can’t have this in a family ride.) After that hill the deep snow takes over for about 2 miles to the power lines. This section my heart was beating through my Chest protector, had trouble breathing, arms tired, legs tired. Wow, was I out of shape. I was just release from my doc to ride again after ACL replacement. I did three months of PT and nothing prepared me for this ride. I came to a few tight corners with ice and began to get real frustrated. Those are the corners with a tree on the inside, and a hump caused from breaking before the corner and gassing after the corner. As I was riding through this deep snow I keep thinking about the first time Bruno took me trail riding, and I was getting mad at him. Well in the corner I shut my bike off and began yelling at him. He walked over to me, and I threw my helmet at him and I trudged down the trail in the deep snow. I told him he would have to get both bike out of the woods as I was done riding, I hated the bike. Well he took the XR250 down the trail and walked back, by that time I was back at the bike trying to get it around this corner hump/tree/ice and I was in deep snow. I got back on the 300 and continued riding. Finally got out to the power lines and there was less snow so we continued riding. Once we hit the quad trail and saw deep snow up ahead we decided to ride the ICY quad trail.
Down the quad trail there is LOTS of packed ICE. I have trouble keeping the front wheel going straight. I was fighting the bike. At one section I highsided and landed in the only dirt around. Bruno came back to find me and he asked if I wanted to ride the SNOWMOBILE (XR250). He told me to put it in second gear and put one foot on the ice and ski. So I did, and what a difference, I booked right along with that snowbike. At one section, I lost control going up a hill and ended on the edge of the trail. The front wheel was buried above the brake disk. I pulled it out and headed up the hill.
Back at the trail head, Bruno was singing. I was disgusted at him because he had lots of energy left and I did not.
Saturday I will try the 300 again where I hope to find ZERO snow.
Backgound info you will need later:
If you ever knew how my husband started me trail riding you would wonder why I continued. When I first started riding in 2003 I was on a Chinese 125 4 stoke POS. It did not even have enough power to pull my fat azz up any hill. Bruno decided he wanted to take me trail riding and took me to Evart. For those of you who do not know, it’s rated as one of the toughest trails in lower Michigan. Well as I rode Evart, I wasn’t even a mile in and my heart was beating outside of my chest. Bruno patiently waited and helped me along. I fell multiple times, had many bruses to prove it too. I wondered if I would ever make it out. That day I only finished about 8 miles of trail. Since then I up graded to an XR200, then XR250, and last year CR250. Now I bought a KTM 300 XCW.
Today, was like any any other trail riding day trying to get bikes and gear loaded. I would be riding the 300 for the first time in the trails. TJ tore Bruno’s CR500 apart trying trying to figure out what was wrong with his 500 AF conversion and never put it back together. SO, Bruno decided to ride the girly bike XR250, since nicknamed Snow Machine.
Bruno wanted to head to Lincoln Hills. I was thinking it was too far north, and the uphill tree rooted section would be covered in deep snow, so I suggested Tin Cup. I have always like the single line there and even rode there in snow a couple years back on the XR250, so how much worse could it be. We first stopped at Peacocks to buy ORV stickers. Leaving Peacocks we headed south and turned at 16th street trying to find a short cut to Tin Cup. At first the gravel roads were plowed, no problem. We continued until the only roads left were not maintained in the winter. We were driving the S10 two wheel drive with bald tires, wish we had the 4x4. We drove what seemed like 5-8 miles in this stuff. Luckly we did not get stuck. Every time we passed the Little Manistee ORV route or Trail all I saw was ICE. Somehow we ended up in Carryville, and headed south to the trail head.
Tin Cup trail head look great no snow on the trails, I though this should be fun and began to mess with the 300 odo. I am not sure how I will use this contraption in an FES since you have to flip between trip meter and clock. Right now, I am thinking I want a TrailTech.
Instructions from Bruno before I left trailhead, Keep it in first until you feel the power band hit, and ride it there. YEAH RIGHT.
Headed out on the trail to the east and was having fun for about 300 feet and hit snow. This section was not too bad, uphill sections were dirt. There was one uphill section I never could make in the past until I rode the CR250, on the the 300 I did it in second gear all the way. So far I am thinking I love this power. The only problem I was having was with the gripper seat, every time I moved, my pants would slide down. These are new MSR pants. (I am almost sure I will get banned from the FES because my high waisted granny panties will be showing all the time. Can’t have this in a family ride.) After that hill the deep snow takes over for about 2 miles to the power lines. This section my heart was beating through my Chest protector, had trouble breathing, arms tired, legs tired. Wow, was I out of shape. I was just release from my doc to ride again after ACL replacement. I did three months of PT and nothing prepared me for this ride. I came to a few tight corners with ice and began to get real frustrated. Those are the corners with a tree on the inside, and a hump caused from breaking before the corner and gassing after the corner. As I was riding through this deep snow I keep thinking about the first time Bruno took me trail riding, and I was getting mad at him. Well in the corner I shut my bike off and began yelling at him. He walked over to me, and I threw my helmet at him and I trudged down the trail in the deep snow. I told him he would have to get both bike out of the woods as I was done riding, I hated the bike. Well he took the XR250 down the trail and walked back, by that time I was back at the bike trying to get it around this corner hump/tree/ice and I was in deep snow. I got back on the 300 and continued riding. Finally got out to the power lines and there was less snow so we continued riding. Once we hit the quad trail and saw deep snow up ahead we decided to ride the ICY quad trail.
Down the quad trail there is LOTS of packed ICE. I have trouble keeping the front wheel going straight. I was fighting the bike. At one section I highsided and landed in the only dirt around. Bruno came back to find me and he asked if I wanted to ride the SNOWMOBILE (XR250). He told me to put it in second gear and put one foot on the ice and ski. So I did, and what a difference, I booked right along with that snowbike. At one section, I lost control going up a hill and ended on the edge of the trail. The front wheel was buried above the brake disk. I pulled it out and headed up the hill.
Back at the trail head, Bruno was singing. I was disgusted at him because he had lots of energy left and I did not.
Saturday I will try the 300 again where I hope to find ZERO snow.
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