Moab???

[2strok4fun]

Next year dont let me out so easy, MAKE me go.

Good stuff!

 

[scar tissue]

A couple more courtesy of local trip photographer David Gill.
1) Me returning from 5 MOH
2) Placelast and John coming up a beautiful canyon w lots of waterfalls.
3) A couple of Knuckleheads in front of an arch, early on day 2.

 

[scar tissue]

1) John and David in front of the Mercedes I promised my wife ;)
2) So much for Ti Foot pegs. They shatter when hitting granite. New fastway ones are on the way.

Also if anyone needs their susp done, Jake Thompson (susp by Jake) wasn't very busy right now. He got mine turned around in 1 day.

 

[2strok4fun]

Awesome!

 

[the Eel]

1. John Gill pondering the enormity of it all with Scar off in the distance
2. The Gasser enjoying a brief respite
3. After 5 Miles of Hell ... I look like I've been through more than just 5 Miles of it in this picture .. jeezus

 

[the Eel]

All smiles as we load up after a long Day 4

 

[the Eel]

PlaceLast first floated the idea of a trip to Moab sometime in early 2009, as I recall it. I was immediately interested. Especially since I’d been riding less since I moved to Washington, believe it or not. Yeah there’s tons of incredible riding here, but moving, homeownership, and just life in general have a knack for getting in the way of riding sometimes. So the idea of a week of riding and camping with members of the Wrecking Crew in unfamiliar territory was just the ticket. I decided right away that I was gonna make this trip.

Of course preparation is not one of my strengths. A great motto for life is “Why do something today that you can do tomorrow?” In that light, I completely disassembled my bike about 8 weeks before the trip. Stripped it to the frame.

Right away I noticed that there were cracks in two of the frame tabs that would need attention (our White Center Blacksmith is great!). I also wanted to put in new rings, new rear wheel bearings, straighten the pipe, and just clean things up in general. Riding on the west side (or the “wet” side as they call it here) of the Cascade Mountains is hard on a bike. It’s super muddy … just impossible to keep a clean bike, at least for a dirt-magnet like me.

I ordered some parts from GoFasters and also decided to take my suspension in for service and a revalve to Les Tinius of LT Racing, who it turns out, is just a 5 minute drive, relaxing 40 minute ferry ride, and then 15 minute drive from our place in West Seattle. You guys gotta visit us out here, it’s awesome. There was a pod of orcas playing off the ferry dock just a few weeks ago. Anyway, I digress ….

I was cutting it pretty close with all the parts and the revalve but figured I would get it together in time (giggle, snicker). I was scheduled to drive out to Moab leaving Sunday morning, arriving Monday, which gave me an overnight buffer to stop and sleep some if I couldn’t handle the drive non-stop, it being 18 hours one-way.

Friday evening I settled in and I started putting everything back together. Went pretty well except I clearly need someone to show me how to remove and install wheel bearings. What a pain in the ass. A hammer was used extensively, but surprisingly, duct tape was not needed. I basically destroyed one of the seals but got it in there, though its ability to do its job was certainly compromised by my “light touch.”

I closed up for the night knowing that Saturday was a big day, lots to do.

 

[the Eel]

So it begins. Saturday off to a great start and everything is going back together nicely – takes a little time to figure out the whole linkage, dogbone, shock setup but worked it out. The engine dropped in easily. Pipe straightening not a huge success but better than it was. Around 7 PM it’s moment of truth time. I fill the radiators with coolant and …. it’s disaster.

Coolant leaking out where the head meets the bottom end right near the exhaust manifold. Disaster because I’ve had this happen before and the outcome was always very bad – usually requiring at least another new gasket, which I didn’t have. After having rolled around on the concrete floor all day working on the bike, I was pretty much crushed. The trip was over for me. I let the guys know I wouldn’t be making it and closed up shop for the night. Game over.

The next day started out in desperation. I started looking for KTM dealers on the way to Moab. Scar planted this seed when I was talking to him about not being able to make it. He remembered the time Thumbs had a similar problem working on his CR125 right before Dirtweek and pulled the trigger on a new KTM 200. Great idea except most KTM dealers are closed on Sundays and Mondays. LOL.

Rhona cheered me up so I decided to try and retorque everything, knowing that if it worked, I could leave Monday morning, drive straight through, and still be ready for the first day’s ride on Tuesday. I loosened and retorqued the base nuts 3 times, emptying and refilling the radiators each time, with no success. Still leaking. I was at my wit’s end so decided to pull the cylinder all the way off and completely reinstall it. What I found might give the legendary “rag in the airbox” story a run for its money. On the front bottom edge of the head I saw about an inch of old gasket that I had not scraped clean. AAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHH. I scraped it clean and reinstalled the cylinder without incident (surprisingly, no duct tape was needed). The bike started right up.

YEAH BABY!!!!! IT’S ON!!!!!

 

[the Eel]

I left at 7:30 AM Monday morning and the first 14 hours were uneventful. I stopped to buy some new Cycra handguards in southern Idaho as I had snapped one in half trying to reshape it to fit my bars earlier. The Cycras are nice, highly recommended though a bit spendy. Once in Utah, I started to head south past the Great Salt Lake and a whiteout hit. Speeds were reduced to 35 MPH and visibility was very poor. After seeing more and more cars in ditches, flipped over or stuck, I decided it was time to pull off the road, probably for the night, hoping I could still make Tuesday’s ride. I called the guys to let them know, pulled into a Chevron station (barely as I don’t have 4-wheel drive and the road was getting really bad), pulled out my sleeping bag, and got some shut eye. It was about 10 PM.

I woke up around midnite and all was quiet. A lot of snow on the ground but the road looked like it had cleaned up a bit so off I go. I saw a gnarly accident on the way – head on between a box truck and a tractor trailer. Scary as hell.

I drove for a few more hours and arrived at camp, pulled out my sleeping bag, and got some shut eye. It was about 4 AM.

 

[Sieg]

Moab would be a hoot on a bike. I go down a few times a year with the jeep, and really would like to take a trip with my FIL on the bikes. I don't think my rebuild will be finished before it gets too hot down there.

 

[placelast]

Good stuff Eel! Keep it coming.

I am still feeling the effects of our riding; esp. day 4; was scheduled to do a dual sport ride in the coastal range near San Luis Obispo today (Penguins High Mountain) but passed. Was looking forward to 125 miles of grassy oak-covered hills, though could not get the right attitude and into gear just yet.

Broken bike parts: enduro computer sensor, mirror, RR turn signal - gone, LR turn signal - dangling.

Broken gear: helmet vent -sheared off awaiting reattachment.

Injured body parts: thigh bruise - gone, knee pain - subsiding daily.

 

[scar tissue]

FYI My stuff is filthy. That red clay is hard to get out of white riding gear especially after it was reapplied over a few days.
My bike has crust everywhere. I pulled it apart to get the susp redone and decided to clean up as I went. Every tube, wire, cable, nut, bolt, and crevice was covered w that red cement.

Though I did find that those Armor All cleaning wipes work really well eating through grease and splooge.

I got my new Fastway pegs in mounted in the lowered position. I'm ready and looking forward to KM in July :)

 

[2strok4fun]

Great write ups! Wish I went :(

For KM, I wont be able to do the traditional 4th-O-July weekend, have a wedding to go to. Not sure if Bundy is in for the 4th either. I WILL be doing at least one trip there, just dont know when.

 

[2tall4moto]

Great ride report. Great action pictures.
Placelast, I guess I'll be seeing you in NM before long.
New map, many trails are now illegal and Game and Fish is in charge of enforcement. :coocoo: