09/23/2017
There was a previous post by a new member and young rider on a dual sport FB page asking for advice and questions. I thought a lot about that post and those questions AS WELL AS the responses, comments, and replies.
I don't like making myself a target and hope I'm not doing so with this post. ...I just like biking, all things motorcycles, want us all to ride together, and just help the new members and younger riders.
It's not fair to a new and beginning rider like Tommy, the original poster who is around 17yrs old, who's just looking for advice about getting a bike and getting into the awesome world of dual sporting.
How many of us were young and needed advice back in the day when we were starting out? I sound like some 90yr old rocking back and forth in his chair (HA!!!) but in my day starting out we didn't have internet and I had to search thru the magazines for reviews on bikes to get an idea about what was out there. And how many bike magazines were there in the mid-80's??? ...just two or three that I ever saw.
I didn't live around a track and only a handful of buddies rode bikes.
I would've loved to have been able to went online and post these questions to experienced riders who've paid their dues and put miles and miles on good AND bad bikes and got some honest advice and friendly opinions.
I'm a writer so here's two stories and I must digress for a moment fella's.
My first bike was an '85 XR100 which I out grew quick. Less than a year later I was looking for a new bike. All my friends had CR's and YZ's which were two strokes and had no headlight. ...not a good mix for the type of general trail riding we all did here in The Appalachian Mountains. I love two strokes and own a great KDX200 but back then all ya had was the motocross two strokes to choose from and I rode simple trails.
All my buddies told me to get one like theirs. "Don't get one like so and so's. I've heard it ain't good. Get one like mine. Don't talk to so and so. He don't know what he's talking about." ...all the typical talk that teenage boys talk.
Welp...I ran into a true ambassador of the sport of biking one time and he gave me the best advice out there and it paid off. I was out riding my 'lil XR100 one evening riiight before dark and he roars up on a CR500...fully decked out in protective gear and clothes. ...I swear it was the baddest thing I've ever saw!!! Over thirty years ago and I still remember that one meeting with that rider!!!!!
We started talking and I told him that I was ready for a new bike. I'd taken a growth spurt at 13yrs old and my bike was too small for me and my skills that season had outgrown the engine size as well. I was all like "I WANT A BIKE LIKE YOURS!! What is it? Where can I get one? That's what I want. ..the fastest loudest biggest bike out there!!! And it's soo similar to all my buddies bikes cause it's a two stroke and they've got CR's and YZ's and we all ride around here and they will love it to. ...gimme some advice mister!!! I wanna ride all thru these hills and I love riding and I ride all day and I wish I didn't have to go home cause it's getting dark and did I say I like riding and wanna ride all day and night and blah blah blah." ...I rambled on and on and on like the little boy I was and just like Ralphie on The Christmas Story chasing after his Red Ryder BB Gun. BAHAHAHA!!!!
As he is setting upon his huge ass CR500, engine pinging and smoke wafting from the tailpipe, the bike looking like my very own Red Ryder...he looks at me and says, "Dude, get what you want. ...not what your buddies want or ride. Go to some dealerships and look at all the bikes before you jump on the first one you see or get one just because your buddy has one. And you see how it's getting dark? I'm headed home cause it's getting dark just like you cause we have no headlights. Ask yourself...would you like to do night riding any? Wouldn't it be nice to ride on into the night? And you know what? You've talked about riding far and wide and taking long trips. ..I don't doubt you a bit. The biking bug has bitten you buddy and if you get the right bike you'll stay with it like I have for years. But some bikes aren't the best for some areas and types of riding. These bikes get limited range so you should stick with a four stroke for long trips. ...and no mixing gas. I love this bike but it's not the best for taking adventure trips on buddy. Sit down and think about what you want to do on a bike. Ride in the night, take long trips in the hills, you're still young and little so don't get a huge bike that ya can't handle, get enough power to ride you around and have fun on but not one that's gonna be dangerous and heavy and not fun like my bike here. ...I love it but it's all I can do to ride it here in our woods safely. You've been riding that XR for a while now, right? You do know they make a 200 and a 250 in it? And the Yamaha shop has a bike like the XR's called a TT and its a 225 and has the same engine that you're used to and has a headlight so you can ride in the dark. You can get what ya want buddy but if I were your age starting out I'd look at those bikes. ..you'll do everything that you said that ya wanted to do on one of those. See ya around sometime buddy. ...good luck on getting your new bike!!"
And with that he kicked that beast of a 500 to life and roared off into the fading light of the evening...power-bands hitting loudly.
I thought a lot about what he said to me on the ride home. ..actually, that was all I thought about for days.
I never met that fella again...not once in over thirty years. I sure would like to tell him that I took his advice...
I got that awesome '86 Yamaha TT225, and rode that great bike from the summer 1986 all the way past '89 thru out my high school years and a bit afterwards. It took me on great night rides and long rides everywhere for years. ...that was the bike that got me into dual sporting!!!! And that was before dual sporting and adventure bikes were a thing.
Ended up trading it to an '88 XR600R that I still have. ...old ways and technology can still be good ways. But I've also moved down a bit in bike size and up in technology and have a bike that makes me feel like that teenager again on a light and nimble and just plain fun bike. Not gonna say the brand...the brand is not important!!!
What is important is that it's got a headlight, is light and nimble, and just the perfect amount of power.
I'd really really like to thank that dude from long ago on that big beast CR500 cause I'm still taking his advice. ...a true ambassador to the sport of biking!!!
As for last nights ride...I, along with my biker buddy Nathan, got to pass on some of that wisdom and kindness.
We were out riding and ran into two brothers riding bikes with their families. They were about 13~15yrs old and out growing their bikes. They looked at our bikes and stared and drooled over them asking all sorts of questions. I finally look at one them and said "Take it for a spin buddy!!! ...be careful and treat it right and no wheelies." He looks big eyed at us and says "Really???!! Ok...let me ask my dad." ...you shoulda seen his expression!!!!
My bike is juuust a tad to big for him being a 350 but he tiptoed up on it and nervously asked if it would launch away. "No buddy...you'll be fine on it. Just take it easy." I replied.
His dad says ok and he's off on my bike. My buddy Nathan looks at his brother standing there and says "Get on that one buddy!!! Be careful on it." ...you should seen his expression as well!!!
And so there they both go...off in a cloud of dust into this beautiful sunset. Ha!!!!
They ride back up to us in a few minutes happy as can be!!!! ...and a little wiser and more well informed about their search for their new bikes.
We watched the sunset and talked all things bike til the darkness came and it was time to leave.
That's all it took. ...a little respect and kindness and sharing of hard-earned wisdom and perhaps changed their biking hobby for the better for years to come.
Later on we all traded names and they thanked us for letting them ride our bikes.
After they left Nathan and I laughed as we said to each other that those lil' fella's won't sleep a bit tonight cause they were sooo excited...especially the youngest one who was sooo excited after the test ride that he was bouncing all around. Ha!!!
The funny thing is they found us on FB and messaged us thanking us for the test ride and looking at our bike pics and all that FaceCrack stuff and I sent him a link to a video of a bike review on bikes he'd asked about and later the older brother says of his younger brother,
"He's not gonna sleep at all tonight." Bahahaha!!!!! ..we all remember and know the excitement of getting to test ride a new or different bike. And me and my un**es just like to help any and all bikers, new and old alike.
Anywho....the long-winded stories are over. ..this old fella in his rocking chair apologizes.
There's a lot of wise and useful knowledge between all of us riders. Whether we've ridden just a season or two or been riding like myself for +30yrs...we all have real world experience and knowledge to share to new riders like this fella.
We all should be ambassadors of the sport and help beginning riders and young people.
I've seen bikers pick on each other in this thread, smart off at each other, put down one another's favorite rides, as well as pick on, smart off, and put down the original poster, Tommy.
And if you read all the comments and replies you'd see that this fella that's been called reckless, a kid, irresponsible, unknowledgeable, and worse by a few bad apples in our great sport of biking...he's been kind and sincere and happy and polite in every one of his replies. Go on!!! ...reread the entire thread and all the comments and his replies if his post is still on here.
He's a stand up fella and been respectful and just honestly trying hard to learn from we older and more experienced riders.
How many of us when we were his age wanted a bike that could outrun cars? How many of us still want a bike that can out run cars?? Ha!!!
How many of us wanted that perfect bike that could do motocross, enduro's, ride like a dream across country, haul all of our expedition gear for weeks at a time, haul all the babe's and hot girls on, and also hang curves with our knees dragging and leave the cars behind??? ...every damn one of us are still searching for that one of a kind perfect bike!!!
And Tommy is asking guys like us with experience what we have discovered in our search and long years of riding so he can make the best decision.
There's been some great comments and advice given on this thread. ...true ambassadors of the sport of biking and caring fella's right there. I'd ride with y'all any day!!!!
And then there's been some Debbie Downers and bitter fella's that most of us wouldn't ride with if they were the last person on Earth to ride with. ...I'd help y'all out if y'all were broke down on the trail but please don't ever invite me on a ride.
Tommy...reread your post and you'll find some words of wisdom by some true zen masters of this sport and some great advice by true dual sport riders and simply good people.
Disregard the negative and bad comments by some very few individuals on there cause let me tell ya buddy...you'll hardly ever see them on the roads or trail. They are few and far between in this sport and out there in the real world, on the street and trails, out having fun and turning up the miles, you'll only meet the best of people and will meet tons of new friends on all kinds of different bikes who will give you honest sincere advice and share good knowledge as well as sharing miles and miles of road and trail time with ya....and never ever put you, your buddies, or your buddies bikes down.
Good luck in your search for your bike and I hope to see ya on the roads and trails soon biker buddy...and thought y'all might simply like a few of my rambling stories and this post.
Hope everybody is riding this weekend!!!!!
