Jump to content

Blogs

Featured Entries

  • Coach Robb

    10 Body Indicators That Tell You When to Workout & When to Back Off!

    By Coach Robb

    TIME TO REST - Pay attention to these 10 body indicators to gauge when to work out and when to back off!   If you don’t take time to rest and recovery, your body wont adapt to the stress of training and racing – and as a result you won’t get stronger or faster. If you neglect recovery for too long, you will start to lose strength and speed.   Here are some symptoms to look for: First your sleep patterns will be off (tired and you can’t sleep, restless sleep, etc.). Second your energy
    • 2 comments
    • 4,797 views
  • scottiedawg

    Turning Stones vol 1

    By scottiedawg

    The official ride video...Make sure to watch in HD The day started by waking up in a lavish hotel room at the Aranwa Resort in Urubamba, Peru. I had a couple of hours to eat breakfast, gear up, and drive across the valley to another fine hotel to meet up with Imad. A month prior, I received an email inquiry about running a one day hard enduro tour. I was available for the dates, so I began discussing the options for the tour. What I found out was that Imad, who lives in Dubai, was vacat
    • 5 comments
    • 1,770 views
  • Paul Olesen

    Help! - Bike Only Starts When Pushed

    By Paul Olesen

    Today I want to talk about a situation I hear all too often. Someone’s bike, whether it be a two-stroke or four-stroke, only starts when it is pushed. Before I discuss potential causes for this scenario, take a moment to think through the situation yourself. What mechanical factors would result in either a two-stroke or four-stroke only starting when it is bump started? In either case, the reason the engine is able to start when it is push started is because it is able to build more
    • 17 comments
    • 2,728 views
  • Paul Olesen

    DIY Piston Ring Compressor

    By Paul Olesen

    Today I want to share a quick tip with those of you who are working on your own engines but just can’t justify buying a set of piston ring compressors. It’s entirely possible to make a perfectly good ring compressor from materials you can get at the hardware store. All you need is some plumber’s pipe hanging tape and a hose clamp that is sized according to your cylinder bore. To construct a DIY ring compressor from plumber's pipe hanger tape you will need to determine the length of tape requi
    • 11 comments
    • 3,723 views
  • Paul Olesen

    What Spare Parts Do You Bring To The Track or Trail?

    By Paul Olesen

    With warmer weather and the riding season around the corner for many of us, I wanted to cover a topic that can either make or break an event. Whether you’re competing in a racing series or traveling to the track or trail, let's talk about event preparedness. More specifically, what spare parts should you keep on hand? Plus, what methods do you use to keep your spares organized? Honestly, I struggled with organization until I started working on this post. I had no method to my madness. Every t
    • 16 comments
    • 1,677 views
King Moon Racer Bikes
 

King Moon Racer 01: Chapter XII - False Start #3...Runaway!

I had finally reached a point where I could fire the girl up.  It had been a few years since I kicked over something with such high compression that was this tall, so the bike went on the stand. Fluids…check.  Oiled filter…check.  No visible leaks…check.  Spark at the plug…check.  Time for the moment of glory. First kick…nothing.  Second kick…a burble…YES!  Third kick… …and a nightmare began to unfold in my garage… There are many younger riders, or mechanics from the four
dingerjunkie

dingerjunkie

0
King Moon Racer Bikes
 

King Moon Racer 01: Chapter XI - Finishing the Triage Build (False Start #2)

Three days after finishing up the suspension work I received a box at the front door.  It took five weeks, but the top-end work by Eric Gorr was flawless.  Out of paranoia, and at the request of some doubters on one forum thread, I had etched a marking on the cylinder casting to ensure I got the same part back.  There should never have been any doubt.  There was also a new number stamping/etching by Gorr’s shop, letting me know they keep notes on cylinders that come through their business.
dingerjunkie

dingerjunkie

0
King Moon Racer Bikes
 

King Moon Racer 01: Chapter X - Fuel...What Kind, How Much & How to Deliver It

This component of the project is far-reaching.  The decisions here impact areas way outside of mixing fuel, oil and air.  How much fuel will I need to carry with a given setup?  How much will that weigh?  How will it impact ergonomics and suspension?  What will the maintenance burden be for the motor or for the fueling system itself?  How will environmental variances impact setup and maintenance issues? This is where systemic thinking is required.  All components of a system interact, and
dingerjunkie

dingerjunkie

0
King Moon Racer Bikes
 

King Moon Racer 01: Chapter IX - Mastering the Front Suspension

I was ready to give in and trust a local suspension guru with this.  Experience with tuning suspension goes beyond repair.  A specialist, with special tools, has their place.  That is why I sent my top-end to Eric Gorr for corrective work.  Even simple suspension stuff can be difficult to coordinate…ever try to measure race sag on a bike without two other people, or a hugely expensive, computerized tool?  I’ve never re-valved and tuned suspension like this on my own.  However, I have rebui
dingerjunkie

dingerjunkie

0
King Moon Racer Bikes
 

King Moon Racer 01: Chapter VIII - Working on The Rider

I could tell that this bike, once done properly, should surpass me.  I also know from instinct that my kids will physically surpass me sooner than I’d expect.  There is no reason to magnify those two gaps by working with the kids, working on the bikes and not improving myself. Years of working at a computer, sitting behind drum sets in clubs and eating the wrong things have left me beyond “pudgy.”  So, what does my personal assessment look like? I need to shed fat, not weight.  So, a
dingerjunkie

dingerjunkie

0
King Moon Racer Bikes
 

King Moon Racer 01: Chapter VII - “First Ride” Revelations, Interrupted

Working through a bike in “evaluation state” can be rewarding, frustrating, draining and entertaining all at the same time.  The key to keeping your sanity is remembering that the goal of these first few rides is not to figure out how long you can delay doing more work to the bike.  It is also not about fine-tuning or dialing in. This is where you hope to see what the character of the basic bike is, so you know how to approach making it a long-term fit.  However, many times this stage is a
dingerjunkie

dingerjunkie

0
King Moon Racer Bikes
 

King Moon Racer 01: Chapter VI - Operational Madness (Bringing Her to Life)

In the last post, I went over everything I found during a half-day triage-pass on the project bike.  It wasn't pretty, but it lined up with about what I expected for this project at my starting price. So, given my project-approach rules (covered in a previous post), I reviewed each area of the bike and made my decisions on first purchases and first actions to, at least, be ready for a legitimate evaluation ride.  Here is the grocery list as I wrote it in the first post-triage night.
dingerjunkie

dingerjunkie

0
King Moon Racer Bikes
 

King Moon Racer 01: Chapter V - The Many Faces of Neglect (My God…What Have I Done?)

The bike came home, and tear-down began.  Everything I found would be expected by anyone to takes the care and feeding of old dirt bikes seriously.  Anyone insisting a two-decade-old bike NOT have most of these issues at purchase will spend as much on that bike as they would on a new machine (they are called “vintage shop restorations”). Craigslist pictures are always taken to hide problems.  Horrors, or amusing jokes, always come during the visit to see the project.  Even if externally cl
dingerjunkie

dingerjunkie

0
King Moon Racer Bikes
King Moon Racer 01: Chapter IV - THE RULES (Guidelines for This...Or Any...Project)

King Moon Racer 01: Chapter IV - THE RULES (Guidelines for This...Or Any...Project)

This chapter is really a set of guidelines that I’ve learned to apply in just about any project, whether it be working on a bike, repairing lawn equipment, writing software, re-engineering a product for a company, handling handyman jobs around the house…you name it. These are here as a framework to refer to when working through my King Moon Racer.  Thinking about these rules when tearing down keeps me from being overwhelmed by a project.  They keep me in controlled stages with my budget. 
dingerjunkie

dingerjunkie

0
King Moon Racer Bikes
King Moon Racer 01: Chapter III - THE OBJECTIONS (Why the **** Would You Choose That?)

King Moon Racer 01: Chapter III - THE OBJECTIONS (Why the **** Would You Choose That?)

A 1997 CR250R?  Really?  They supposedly handle terribly.  They supposedly vibrate horridly.  They have a tiny tank and a 19” rear wheel when you’re going off-road.  You’ll spend more than what the bike is worth before you’re anywhere close! Yeah, yeah, yeah… It is time, once and for all, to end the line of argument about the “value” of ANY bike regarding maintaining, restoring or improving it.  This is not a disposable commuter-car that you’ll drive until it explodes.  We’re not wat
dingerjunkie

dingerjunkie

0
King Moon Racer Bikes
King Moon Racer 01: Chapter II - The Hunt/Finding My Starting Point

King Moon Racer 01: Chapter II - The Hunt/Finding My Starting Point

For those who caught the list of bikes in my previous post, you’ll likely see a pattern.  Outside of maybe the SOHC 750-4, most of the bikes I’ve rebuilt and chosen to love have been also-rans.  Not necessarily high in popularity.  Sometimes hard to source stuff for (especially the ’82 650 Seca and the ’72 GT380).  Many were frequently considered lost causes (why would someone care about that pig of a 1992 KDX250 when the 200 was better and more common?). I’ve made my choices for a few rea
dingerjunkie

dingerjunkie

0
King Moon Racer Bikes
King Moon Racer 01: Chapter I - An Introduction

King Moon Racer 01: Chapter I - An Introduction

Many of you reading this will get far different things from what I write.  Some will see this as a bike-specific technical project.  Others will see this as reflections of a father indirectly teaching lessons to his son.  Many will take the contents as a general primer on how to…and how not to…approach the reclamation of a neglected motorcycle.  I’m sure a good size group will simply chuckle into their coffee at the ramblings and failings of an aging goof in his garage. Regardless of what
dingerjunkie

dingerjunkie

0
King Moon Racer Bikes
Welcome To My Island

Welcome To My Island

Glad to see you here.  I hope you find what I fill this place with to be enjoyable, entertaining, educational and at least a bit familiar. This blog is actually a re-direction of writing I've been doing during a recent restoration project.  It had hit about 14 chapters and, rather than try to publish a book or start my own website, I decided I needed to find a place to share that others could administer. Thank you to Thumpertalk for providing this space...looking forward to giving yo
dingerjunkie

dingerjunkie

0
Trail Tales of Enduro in South America
I AM A FILMMAKER

I AM A FILMMAKER

Check out this little promo...This should make you want to watch the film!   Here is the official movie trailer   A few years ago, I had an idea which turned into a dream. I wanted to become a filmmaker and create a full blown feature documentary. The theme would be centered around that which I am so passionate about…Motorcycles, exploring, overcoming obstacles, and doing things that are beyond the scope of what most people would call normal. The festival
scottiedawg

scottiedawg

1
Speed Through Fitness
Why Your Goal Setting Isn't Working!

Why Your Goal Setting Isn't Working!

During this podcast, Coach Robb explains why identifying frustrations and the associated steps to addressing them is the quickest path to ultimate achievement.  As a performance coach of 35 years, Coach Robb takes a deep dive into why humans gravitate towards actions and thought process that undermine their full potential.  Whether this potential is in the area of professional, financial, relationship, health, wellness or athletic performance, Coach Robb walks you through the subtle yet destruct
Coach Robb

Coach Robb

1
The Moto Trip of A(My) Lifetime
Day 8: Rand Colorado/Parkview Mountain

Day 8: Rand Colorado/Parkview Mountain

August 9th was another early morning for us, mostly because we stayed up late having drinks and hanging out at the pool the night before. Luckily the days are long in Colorado during summer. It was the 5th day of riding so everyone is starting to get tired and really feel the miles we have covered. No worries though, I still felt like a kid on Christmas morning at this point.Ready to go take on the next location. The previous day had given us enough free time to load everything up and prepare fo
AUbraaap

AUbraaap

0
Speed Through Fitness
The Ultimate Four-Step Holiday Survival Guide & 7 Surprising Sources of Injuries

The Ultimate Four-Step Holiday Survival Guide & 7 Surprising Sources of Injuries

During the first half of this podcast, Coach Robb explains why he wants you to embrace the joys of the holiday season with friends, family and colleagues.  Many people dread the holidays because they fear gaining those unwanted pounds and feeling guilty for indulging. By following Coach Robb’s four simple steps you will minimize weight gain, avoid feeling horrible, and prepare yourself for multiple days of holiday festivities. During the second half of the podcast, Coach Robb explains the
Coach Robb

Coach Robb

0
Trail Tales of Enduro in South America
The Famous Scott

The Famous Scott

Put your hands in the air! I’ll start with the backstory. I had sold a 2016 Husqvarna TE300 to a local fell named Eduardo. He liked it so much that he wanted to buy my other one that I was selling. He was a bit more of a beginner than I had originally thought, but was set on those particular bikes. He had cash, and was ready to make the deal. Living in Peru, you become accustomed to doing certain things without any thought. Take speeding for instance…You can fly by a police car with
scottiedawg

scottiedawg

0
Speed Through Fitness
Coach Robb Podcast #26 - The Difference Between Epstein Barr, Adrenal Fatigue and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Coach Robb Podcast #26 - The Difference Between Epstein Barr, Adrenal Fatigue and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Coach Robb Podcast - #26 - The Difference Between Epstein Barr, Adrenal Fatigue and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Are you struggling with fatigue, can’t lose those last 10 pounds, not sleeping at night, have poor concentration, experiencing body aches…. (just to mention a few)? Have you sought professional help only to be made to feel like you are losing your mind and it is all in your head?  Well the truth is there is a process associated with fatigue and during this podcast Coach Robb walks y
Coach Robb

Coach Robb

4
Ontario Dirtbiking || CRF230F
Park to Park Trail Muskoka - Overnight Camping Trip

Park to Park Trail Muskoka - Overnight Camping Trip

Nearing the end of the riding season here in Ontario, I was looking for one more ride, something new and fun. So for some reason,  I decided an overnight camping trip would be a good idea, one last adventure to end off the season. Well, it was October 26th and the temperature outside was dropping rapidly, most people would think, "who wants to sleep outside right now?". Apparently, I did, and I was gonna bring my cousin Nic with me, me on my CRF230 and him on his TTR225. But where in Ontario do
MIllerHonda230

MIllerHonda230

0
Trail Tales of Enduro in South America
Trail Tip #1...Don't Forget Your Brain

Trail Tip #1...Don't Forget Your Brain

Over the course of my time in the saddles of various colors of dirt bikes, I have come across numerous situations where a little ingenuity and preparation was the difference between a horrible disaster and a sweet adventure. Let’s start with letting the cat out of the bag. There are a million and one ways to fix various issues. However, we can all agree that when the inevitable happens (its dirt biking and you will break things), having a clear and logical fix might be the thing that saves your
scottiedawg

scottiedawg

3
×
×
  • Create New...