Taming the Wild Beast

Ever since I can remember, I have always wanted to ride a dirt bike. For one reason or another, there was never any opportunity to do so. Something always stood in the way of my ambition: money, time, lack of equipment, etc.

Finally, after doing the Intro to Dirt Two-day riding workshop with Brian Garrahan, I decided to purchase my own dirt bike. What I didn't realize was how much additional gear would be needed for this new hobby of mine.

First, I needed to figure out whether or not to get a dual-sport, a green sticker, or a red sticker bike. California has strict emission rules for exhaust, and most off-road motorcycles have one of these three designations.

Dual-sport vehicles can go on or off-road but are not well suited for either. Green sticker motorcycles can be ridden year-round and are usually bikes manufactured before 2002 or newly manufactured but meeting specific California emission standards. The green sticker bikes come with headlights and tail lights (and can be transformed into dual-sport).

Red sticker bikes cannot be ridden from June through September except at specific locations. Lake Tahoe area has no restrictions on "red" sticker bikes; however, popular riding spots like Hollister Hills SRVA and Metcalf do restrict red bikes.

Initially, I wanted to purchase a dual sport - like a Yamaha WR250R. However, it was pretty heavy (300lbs) and tall when I sat on it. It would not be an ideal off-road bike for me. I also looked into the Honda CRF250L, but reviews of the motorcycle were not very encouraging (at least for off-road use). With a dual sport, I could ride from my home to Metcalf without transportation.

I checked with my buddies on South Bay Riders, and most riders were adamantly opposed to dual-sport bikes and instead recommended getting a dirt-only bike (green or red sticker) and a vehicle to tow it. Since I had a Toyota Sienna minivan, I decided to install a trailer hitch. I had my local Foreign Affair independent Toyota shop do the complete install.

Since I did not want to tow a trailer, I purchased a hitch-mounted bike carrier - specifically the aluminum AMC-400. It had excellent reviews, and I found a decent deal for it online at Summit Racing.

Once I received the hitch carrier, I installed it with the accompanying anti-sway module. The anti-sway module would prove to cause me some problems, as the supplied bolts were too long, and during one ride in my Toyota Sienna minivan, two of the four screws bent. I had them replaced with higher-quality bolts.

Now, it was time to settle on the exact motorcycle. I really wanted a "green" sticker bike to ride it year-round, but there were few used "green" bikes. I found one 2007 CRF250x but decided against it after learning about the numerous valve problems.

I finally found a great deal on a 2013 Honda CRF250R and decided to go for it! It was in excellent shape, and I decided that I could live with "red" sticker limitations. I could not ride it from June through September at specific popular locations. It is usually sweltering in the summer anyway, and I would be doing other sports like windsurfing or sailing.

I picked up the motorcycle on Sunday, December 6th, and took it to have it looked at by my local motorcycle mechanic, Jeff Morris. Jeff suggested adding Cycra handguards (to protect the brake and clutch levers), a plastic bash plate (to protect the engine), and a kickstand installed.

While my bike was prepped, I focused on acquiring the best safety gear. 

For the head, I chose the Shoei VFX-W Reputation off-road helmet. I always liked helmets made by Arai and Shoei (having used both when I rode my Honda VFR800 and CBR1000RR). The Shoei fit my head really well.

For knee guards, I chose the Fox Racing Titan Pro. These looked and felt very sturdy and well-made. I got the Fox Titan Sport jacket for body armor, which has lots of armor for both the chest, back, and elbows. I chose the Fox Racing Race pants for off-road jerseys and pants (which have built-in protection).

In addition to all of the riding gear, I needed to purchase a pressure washer - an AR Blue Clean AR383 - to wash the bike after riding, a chain degreaser and a DRC MX stand to service the bike. This hobby sure requires a lot of items!

I look forward to finally riding the wild beast at Metcalf and Hollister Hills.

I picked up my Honda CRF250R from Jeff Morris, which was prepped on Thursday, December 17th. Jeff found a lot of issues with the bike and did the following repairs and enhancements:

• Changed engine oil and filter with Lucas Synthetic Blend 10/40 motor oil (0.69L) engine
• Changed transmission oil with Lucas Synthetic Blend 10/40 motor oil (0.68L)
• Serviced air filter
• Found upper tank strap bracket open (replaced)
• Checked valve clearance (off LI.18, RI.12, LE.23, RE.24mm). Corrected/re-shimmed
• Flushed and bled front and rear brake fluid
• Adjust brake pedal height
• Re-positioned shift lever 
• Installed new Pro Moto Billet kickstand
• Set fork parallel
• Aired tires to 13 psi
• Installed new Hardline hour meter
• Installed new front and rear sprocket set
• Cleaned rear wheel and greased with waterproof grease
• Established new RK-520 Gold HD UW-ring chain
• Lubed hand and foot controls, adjusted clutch
• Installed new Cycra racer pack handguards
• Removed OEM engine guard and installed new Acerbis plastic skid plate