Madhatter wants a dirt bike….

[Madhatter]

So a rain delay kept us from riding till about lunchtime. So we set the sag on the gas gas. Then we set up in our riding area and we are going to cook some hotdogs ( becoming a dirt bike ride day tradition) and the cow saw the bag of charcoal and they think it’s a bag of cubes. So we are surrounded for awhile as the cows investigated what we were doing. One cow tried to take my riding pants .

 

[Madhatter]

We rode some of our established trails then cleaned up some new ones . A great day to play on the bikes.

 

[ballisticexchris]

How very cool is that!!!

 

[Madhatter]

after 4 months ownership of the Beta I have ridden it more miles than the Honda CRF450 X after 3 years of owning that bike . I like this Beta.

 

[Madhatter]

now the honda is a great bike and I got it pretty cheap . but . always a but. from my own inexperience and the Hondas quirks (four stroke flame outs when least expected ) it was happier in the wide open areas (a Baja racer extrodinare ) the Beta seems the polar opposite , it likes the slow and me being slow that's a plus . at 63 years of age not really wanting to hurt myself so I am cautious at what I try , I increase my level of difficulty each weekend I ride . I have a growing confidence in the Beta that was never going to happen on the Honda . I look forward to riding the Beta were the Honda I was avoiding the ride more and more . I am I hope overcoming some of the bad habits the honda was giving me as I relearn to ride a dirt bike again from fresh attitude . reality is that at my age I will never roost a bike like carrots nephew ,but he is young and fearless and heals quickly , me , I know what gravity will do to you , physically I am pretty healthy but a little over weight , everything works but have one knee that is iffy ( no pain but will need a remedy soon ) and I have I think a I'm not quitting attitude ...... my favorite part of riding the Beta is the tight trails that are 1st gear and you are working it to get through it , more open trails allow me to work on bike control (and where do I put my big feet , been an issue ) creeks and ravines that are steep give me pause (rear brake practice will help here ) but am gradually trying more difficult terrain . and my riding buddies make each riding day great fun . its funny they all want to ride the beta at some point in our day . it is a well set up bike (thank you previous owner ) and that is the key . Beta slogan is ridabilty , it is a great slogan for this company . looking forward to Saturday ride.

 

[ballisticexchris]

Yes Terry 300 2 strokes are like that. Trail riding the big 450 and up 4T's can be a handful for sure. The first 2 things I do on all my dirt bikes 4T or 2T is get the suspension/chassis/ergos and the jetting dialed in. What's cool about the 300's is because of the lack of engine braking they are easier to keep upright on slow trails with very little clutch work.

You would like my Beta 498. I have the FCR carb that has been reworked by Tokyo Mods and an adjustable leak jet installed. It made a huge difference in readability at low RPM's.

 

[Madhatter]

 

[Madhatter]

A picture of me putting through the creek bed.

 

[ballisticexchris]

WOWEE!! That bike looks like a mini bike with you it. That is a sharp outfit and motorcycle ensemble!!

 

[Sierra1]

That was mean. I'd hate to see what you'd say if I got on it. That being said. . . . I'm probably over the weight limit.

 

[ballisticexchris]

That was mean. I'd hate to see what you'd say if I got on it. That being said. . . . I'm probably over the weight limit.

My comment did not come out right. Terry looks to be a tall dude on that bike. His knees are bent and toes touching the ground.

 

[Madhatter]

6'2" at 270 lbs with all the gear ..... always like bright colored shirts , and knee braces fit under the pants . the bike has springs for a 240 to 260 lb guy , so trying to loose a little weight to keep it in its sag sweet spot . it is really close even at my weight. off the center stands I can flat foot all the adv bikes out there . BMW ,Ducati , KTM , Yamaha ...
cant hurt my feelings calling me fat , I'm a bit fat .... when I lived in the country had a lot to do keeping up the place , city life , nothing to do . can mow my yard in an hour , took 3 days to mow my yard at my former place .
had a woman I asked to dance one time tell me I was a bit fat . im like " you expect me to cry or something " I danced with all the ladies , she mostly set . she left early. some women like fat guys.

 

[Madhatter]

if you look closely at my left foot you will see a root , my foot went under the root , had I been riding it fast there it might have pulled me off the bike . my foot went right under like it was a strap. the boots have saved me a few times already.

 

[Madhatter]

the cell phone photos do not show how steep the creek is , this one is about 4' to 5' , the sides are steeper than it looks . the soil where my left foot is slopes up from the bike toward the camera . so it is on a slight rise and the suspension is I think still a little compressed as I came off the creek bank . but I can flat for it on level ground.

 

[Madhatter]

clothes match the bike ....

 

[Madhatter]

 

[Madhatter]

It looks pretty tame and it’s steeper than it looks, it’s a good spot to work the bike and practice techniques. Carrot and his nephew “wild thing “ both crashed . Easy but you had to pay attention to throttle.

 

[ballisticexchris]

I can see clipping that tree would be easy!

 

[Mak10]

Put her back together today. All smiles with the results.

 

[ballisticexchris]

Very nice Mark. I am a big fan of the RFS engine. The throttle at low RPM's is going to be a big improvement on the FCR carb. Ron himself does the delicate porting and intricate modifications to those carbs. It should be perfectly jetted for your bike. My Beta was an odd one so I took the whole bike into them and had them dial the jetting in by actually riding it.

Oh, don't forget the skid plate LOL!!