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HispanicSlammer

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Blog Entries posted by HispanicSlammer

  1. HispanicSlammer
    The Entrance to Shelf Road You can see the cliffs in the distance, its a bumpy jeep road when it reaches the canyon - taken just north of Canon City
    Here are a few pics from my recent solo run on the gold belt tour, mostly dirt roads in the Wet Mountains and along the Pike Forest.

    The Sangre De Christo range hwy 96 near Rosita

    Cooling Clouds An afternoon rain storm forms over the mountains

    Westcliff taken from the gas station in Silvercliff, beats me why there are two separate towns right next to each other?

    Shelf Road In all her bumpy glory at Trail Gulch - Four Mile Creek below

    Work Horses they scrambled when I came up to the fence but when they saw the apple slices I had they were soon eating right out of hand

    Goldfield Mine just north of Victor

    Pikes Peak South Face

    Pikes Peak South Face at the end of Gold Camp Road

    Cathedral Park On Gold Camp Road

    Cathedral Park up close

    Old Stage Road Descending to Colorado Springs my home town below - it was getting dark and cold!

    200 mile loop
  2. HispanicSlammer

    Emory Pass

    By HispanicSlammer,

    video preview
    This is a video cut from the second part of the "Gila Monster" ride my two buddies and I took to the southern part of New Mexico last August. Emory Pass is part of hwy 152 and is situated smack in the middle of the Gila National Forest. We happened to be doing the road on a busy weekend, labor day weekend and found the road well traveled, I decided to take it easy passing while my buddy was a bit more furious when he passed. We ended up doing two passes that day. I love this road but for its remote location, its one of the best I have ever done.
    :media: Emory Pass Video
    The video is rather short, about 3 minutes featuring the music of James Cotton, blues man extraordinary - "Cut you loose". 1 mb/sec sample rate wmv format
    THE MAP
    [map=AARTsJrsAVA4vcdZ3NLQ4qJuamB-Tr_SkQ]http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=2855967962099858914,32.905010,-107.751740&time=&date=&ttype=&saddr=NM-152+%4032.905010,+-107.751740&daddr=32.892273,-107.829781&mra=mi&mrsp=1,0&sz=12&sll=32.88939,-107.692795&sspn=0.166923,0.374222&ie=UTF8&ll=32.90683,-107.789955&spn=0.083445,0.187111&t=p&z=13&om=1[/map]
    Photos from the trip

    The Gila Monster

    Scenic Overlook

    This is the Monster Tail

    Kingston NM

    White Coyote Cafe - T or C NM

    Reserve New Mexico

    Late Lunch in Silver City

    Vertical Profile from my GPS
    :media: Gila Monster - the first part - video
    :media: Gila Monster the trip the year before
    low res you tube

  3. HispanicSlammer
    Surfing the Gravel
    The weather here in Colorado has been a complete mystery - snowing one day, sunny the next and 70 degrees out, the snow however is persistant and its not melting in the High country. Good news for the fire fighters out here but damn it sucks for riding. I know this happens every year but this year it seems to be hold out just a bit too much for my sanity, I want to ride man! So yesterday I decided to brave the cold and go out for a ride while the sun was out.
    I headed up Ute pass to do my local loop - pine loop! It was a mess, gravel piled up the lane medians and between lanes in the double lane highways, when I turned off on hwy 67 I noticed a Buell blasting by as I gassed up at the Loaf and Jug. I went behind him but he was gone - just a couple of slow poke Metric Crusers to pass and a bunch of cars. Heading down into the creek area where it gets twisty the road was way too unpredictable, the gravel would look clean but as soon as you rounded the turn it was strewn all over the lane after the apex. It was ticking me off to say the least. The county wont sweep it till the snow melts so it will be at least early to mid June before its good enough to burn a tire on. I held to to 50-70 depending on the conditions, then I slowed way down when I hit the tighter higher turns at Deckers, where the Platte River confluence is. I noticed a sherrif in a pickup carrying an atv pulling out behind me at the Deckers strip mall, well more of an old west type wooden decked thing, his atv had snow tracks on it, very cool. I thought I was going the speed limit and so I did not pay the sherrif any mind. At the end I wanted to take a picture so I stopped at the parking area at the Cheeseman Lake trail head at the bottom of Horse Power Hill.
    Mister Sherrif pulls in and starts hassling me about speeding? I say "what I wasnt speeding" then he says I was cause I was pulling away from the guy. I realize its pointless to argue with the Bald headed sheriff deputy and just let him be the boss - he starts in on me about the three speed limit signs I passed and asked me what they where, then he asks me what the speed limit is on Horsepower hill? I say its 55 - "NO" he says its 50mph! Geez come on I am not even on the damn thing yet I dont write that shit down for later reference! I remain smiling and in a decent mood since - well I am riding after all after a winter full of snow and cold wind, this is way better than not riding! I dont let the lecture get to me, he must see this and the fact that I am not being a prick, and I am not fighting his authority he decided to let me off with a warning! '
    Then I see off with a hand shake and he heads up Horsepower Hill to wait for me no doubt, so I say 'F' that and turn about to Deckers to go a different route, I decided to ride along the Platte and head to Sedalia via a dirt road thats about 3 miles long, whats the difference between a dirt road and the shit I am on anway? Gravel and dirt are the same thing! It was fun, riding along the river, all the fly fishermen were waving as I went by, there must have been 20 out there!

    Deckers road
    I was soon in Sedalia and making my way back to Colorado Springs via hwy 105 to Monument, its been a year since I was on this road, it was clean so I wicked it up to 80-90 and was having much more fun now that I was out of the gravel pit! Then I got a few tacos in Monument and headed home, I wasnt able to do Horsepower hill since the sherrif was watching - he did however make a good point, he said "this time of year 30 mph means 30mph with all the gravel on the roads" I agree! I just dont think I was speeding thats all! It seemed like I was crawling! So thanks officer for letting me off on this one! I hate being lectured to by the cops but if it saves lives its worth it, and he did after all let me go! I just know he was waiting at the top of HP hill though to get me!
    The route
    [map=AARTsJpyAl23K2ioD7XfYfT3ZHgKexnFPg]http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=14425989079078246010,38.839050,-104.830150%3B6985301553826647655,39.305572,-105.198464%3B13904077250748869946,39.439400,-104.961530%3B8149489834544979123,39.292350,-104.966890%3B14378410351962145764,39.129960,-104.910300%3B229676682778073002,39.242780,-105.266002&saddr=I-25+N+%4038.839050,+-104.830150&daddr=CO-126%2FDeckers+Rd+%4039.242780,+-105.266002+to:CR-67%2FS+Platte+River+Rd+%4039.305572,+-105.198464+to:US-85+N+%4039.439400,+-104.961530+to:CR-105%2FS+Perry+Park+Rd+%4039.292350,+-104.966890+to:CR-105%2FS+Perry+Park+Rd+%4039.129960,+-104.910300+to:80906&mra=ps&mrcr=0,1&via=4,5&sll=39.244751,-105.262756&sspn=0.038487,0.093555&ie=UTF8&t=p&z=9[/map]
  4. HispanicSlammer
    video preview
    This is a video from 2006 I did with some guys from Sport Touring.Net - 6 guys from Northern Colorado, some very experienced riders and a couple no so experienced. The ride organizer is an MSF instructor in Loveland and he took us up into the foothills and ran us through the paces of the twists and turns of Stove Prairie road, this was the first and only time I have been on this road and for the most part I liked it very much. It is just a long trip to get to it for me, involving riding up into Denver and through it to get to Loveland its hardly worth it when there are so many other great roads around here. You really need to take an entire day for a trip up there. I enjoyed it - I new 3 of the guys from other rides and 3 others I did not know, 4 of us went on ahead a faster pace and 2 lagged behind, falling back at the first sign of tight twisters. I was keeping pace in the rear with the faster guys and took notice of where the two behind me fell behind.

    preview 2 passing another group

    video preview One bike stays with us a bit
    It got a bit confusing when we caught up to a large group of BMW riders and passed the lot of them, that is pretty much where I lost the other two riders behind me, not wanting to get left behind I stayed up with the faster guys. We rode the entire road and stopped at the end and waited for a good half an hour and decided to go back to the point where I remembered seeing them, there was no sign of either of them. So we went back another 5 minutes and decided they must have broke off and gone home, we remembered one of them saying they had to be back soon for domestic duties. So we turned around and completed our ride hoping to get a call on the cell phone when we able to get phone service again. (cell phones don't work in the foothills)
    :media: Stove Prairie Road High Resolution Video
    The video runs about 10 minutes 4 riders in our group and we passed a number of bmw riders along the way, music by Smashing Pumpkins. I may have posted this video last year but I could not find any refrence to it - it is one of my favorite rides I have done over the years. Once we stopped for lunch we called one of the guys who fell behind and he told us that the last guy (who I had never met before) overcooked a turn and went off the road, he was fine but his bike was damaged. We actually went right by them but since they were off in the tall grass we could not see them. Which is why we always ride with a sweeper so in case somthing like this happens there is somebody there to take care, they were able to get a tow truck out and haul the bike home in an hour. I was surprised we did not see them - If the new guy had not said he might turn back we would have scoured the area much deeper and found them - but since we thought he went ahead and left like said he might do we left it at that. Thank goodness for our sweeper!
    THE MAP
    [map=AARTsJqg2RTHcFKPQOmV2bS8nXJo1Zeoxg]http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=13326196971030042725,40.466289,-105.206696%3B17919899042705951093,40.682830,-105.389260&time=&date=&ttype=&saddr=CO-56%2FCR-27+%4040.466289,+-105.206696&daddr=40.603005,-105.343094+to:CO-14+%4040.682830,+-105.389260&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=11&via=1&sll=40.580063,-105.35408&sspn=0.301951,0.748444&ie=UTF8&ll=40.587885,-105.310822&spn=0.301915,0.748444&t=p&z=11&om=0[/map]
    low resolution you tube video

  5. HispanicSlammer
    Skaggs Springs Road
    This Little Diddy is a video from my trip to Laguna Seca with my buddy Dan. We hooked up with Veefer800canuke and his buddy Craig and made it a foursome. Craig's bike was not running so great and it was sucking up gas at an incredible rate, we stopped at the bridge on Skaggs Springs Road to regroup and figure out what to do about the gas situation. The Bridge is on the Eastern side where all the sweepers are, its a great road no doubt. This was the first time I have ever been on this road and I count it as one of the best ever. There is no music, no editing cuts, just the guys and 13 minutes of some of the best sweepers in the country.
    :media: Skaggs Springs Road In The Raw

    Skaggs Springs Road
    [map=AARTsJqbE3S5H69YYPQ6-qaInwlXLffH9Q]http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=8891268118343789646,38.671307,-123.099337%3B5181230995183463954,38.713138,-123.005367%3B4688894796061070055,38.788817,-123.016589&saddr=Stewarts+Point+Skaggs+Springs+Rd+%4038.671307,+-123.099337&daddr=Stewarts+Point+Skaggs+Springs+Rd+%4038.713138,+-123.005367&mra=pr&sll=38.740963,-123.060951&sspn=0.150763,0.374222&ie=UTF8&om=0&ll=38.746051,-123.053741&spn=0.301504,0.748444&z=11[/map]
  6. HispanicSlammer
    Monarch Pass In The Rain
    I found some more footage from our annual Colorado trip to Creede, this short video is of the ride home over Monarch pass topping out at near 10,000 feet at the Continental divide. There were 5 of us riding up the pass but I was in the lead for most of the video. It was cold at the top!

    The Terrain

    video preview
    :media:
    Monarch Pass In The Rain Video
    runs about 4 min, 1mb/sec wmv music by New Order.
  7. HispanicSlammer
    The Big Piggy at the river crossing
    I missed my chance to go riding when it was warm, Saturday it was 70 degrees out, but I was tired from working the night shift and so thought I could take a nap for a few hours (or so) then get up and go out and enjoy the sunshine around noon. When I woke up it was already dark out and I missed the whole day! Then Sunday it snowed and was cold out, Monday was sunny but still cold. Tuesday it wasn't so cold but it wasn't as good as Saturday. I get 4 days off every other week cause I work a compressed 12 hour day shift/workweek. Or should I say 4 nights off cause I always end up sleeping most days off. Tuesday (today) I was gonna ride hell or high water. I just installed a new 200 watt stator from Ricks on the piggy so that I could use my gps with it - and not drain the little nicad battery pack that came with the Baja Lighting/street legal kit. I installed the last year and I tried using the 100w stock unit but the lights would cut out as soon as I plugged in the gps about 15 minutes into the ride.
    I got this thing all street legal, its still a race bike but its got dot dirt tires, turn signals, a speedo, crappy little mirror, and now I have a stator that can power up this light kit, and my gps at the same time.
    I took off for Pueblo, via Meridian road from my home in Colorado Springs, it felt like 60 outside and the wind was blowin fierce. Dust from the dry winter was getting in my eyes and I haven't ridden this XR650r for months I had to get used to it again. Seems I have to get used to it every time I ride it, I am not a dirt devil by any means. My route would take me along dirt roads mostly except through the city of Pueblo, then off down Lariat Loop road onto another Dirt road called Little Burnt Mill road. I stopped at "Burnt Mill" but did not see a mill anywhere? I supposed thats because it was burned up?? Duh eh! I found this road last year on my trip to Santa Fe, looking for a way to stay off the interstate mostly and enjoy some back road adventuring. It seems to be well traveled though - I passed lots of cars on the dirt part. There is a creek that runs along the length of it and ends up at a Reservoir called Saint Charles Reservoir, thats the name of the river too the Saint Charles River - though its barely a creek really.
    I really like the hilly bluffs around the southern side of this road, it got me out of the wind and the sunshine seemed to warm it up a bit. However when I reached Burnt Mill I found that it was much colder the higher up I got in elevation. Pueblo is about 4000 feet and Burnt Mill was about a thousand feet higher up. I live at 5200 feet so I was basically riding the bowl formed by the Arkansas River basin. Everything seems to flow into it from this area. It is always windy in Pueblo too because of this, the wind follows the same path as the water does.

    Little Burnt Mill Road Greenhorn Mountain in the background

    Little Burnt Mill Road I love the bluffs along this road and the old cottonwood trees.
    When I got to Burnt Mill I decided to keep on going and go get a burger in Colorado City, there is a burger joint along I-25 Called Max's its a very homey small town home grown restaurant, where most everybody seems to know each other. However since its off the interstate its always packed with the lunch crowd. I managed to find a small table by the window. The burger was just as good as I remembered, I do enjoy this place, and the owner, the staff, and the customers always seem to be the same as when I left them the last time.

    Max's Diner Colorado City
    After eating my burger I got back onto the bike and the temp dropped another 5 degrees so I unpacked my heated vest, thinking I would shut off the headlight and plug it into the battery charger wire. NOPE the gps died, the speedo died and no heat! I guess 200 watts is pushing it? I unplugged the vest and everything came back on again - the vest did warm me up though since it was 45 degrees out with the wind blowing 25 mph it seemed like 30F! I was feeling much more confident and took Burnt Mill road at a clip of 75-80 that is until I passed a cop on the paved section, a left turn and back onto the dirt part again and no sign of cops - I was back up to speed.

    Saint Charles River More like a stream than a river - this is at Burnt Mill
    THE MAP
    [map=AARTsJqsy-Wml_D8KxNwkqaChK_ZMM-3IA]http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=11755780299001803584,38.777368,-104.777133%3B16171332272027393792,38.732540,-104.726979%3B7362721521074245626,38.564255,-104.608400%3B15580941568504734239,38.442820,-104.589546%3B2336215332259686766,38.346156,-104.697861%3B9429582127590062000,38.249760,-104.662010%3B9000269612217704604,38.182150,-104.679665%3B3944433312485290856,38.143896,-104.701113%3B10777289495694964411,38.051492,-104.794646%3B3030382981191587853,37.961130,-104.799980&saddr=S+US-85-87+%4038.777368,+-104.777133&daddr=S+US-85-87+%4038.732540,+-104.726979+to:S+Meridian+Rd+%4038.564255,+-104.608400+to:CR-501%2FOverton+Rd+%4038.442820,+-104.589546+to:38.42347,-104.610443+to:N+Purcell+Blvd+%4038.346156,+-104.697861+to:CO-45%2FS+Pueblo+Blvd+%4038.249760,+-104.662010+to:CR-230+%4038.182150,+-104.679665+to:CR-230+%4038.143896,+-104.701113+to:Waterbarrel+Rd+%4038.051492,+-104.794646+to:CO-165+%4037.961130,+-104.799980&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=4&sz=10&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8&dirflg=h&sll=38.449287,-104.69696&sspn=0.622712,1.496887&ie=UTF8&ll=38.414862,-104.916687&spn=1.246001,2.993774&t=p&z=9[/map]
    Looking at the terrain map you can get a sense of this bowl effect the Arkansas River vally forms, wind just pours down the valley into Pueblo
  8. HispanicSlammer
    I just finished viewing the pictures from the Pacific Northwest Meet put on by Kiethbob and wow what a great time yall had up there - I really looked hard at attending that event, but alas the ride to made it prohibitive (2 weeks vacation instead of just needing one). I really love attending motorcycle meets as opposed to huge rallys for the comeradrie and the sheer fun of riding with kindred spirits. Sometimes it ends a bit of tradegdy, I have attended 2 sport-tourung.net meets and there were crashes in both, one was rather serious, and I happened to have been leading the ride at the time. I blamed myself for pacing a bit too fast but really we all are on our own bikes, and we have individual control over our own rides. It is important to have fun AND be safe! Sure riding is risky and riding in groups is too but without risk what would be the thrill of riding a motorcycle in the first place?
    I see riding in groups as more of a plus than a minus, first off your with people who enjoy the same thing you do! Riding that is, having something in common like that is great! Then you have support from other riders, God forbid somebody should go down there is someone there to help you and seek assistance if need be. Riding with others makes you ride better, time and time again I have improved my riding skills by riding with those of more experience or with better technique than I and so I have learned how to ride better.
    This year I was lucky enough to attend the TexasMac ride and so enjoyed one of the best rides of my life last may, both with the group and the adventure of getting there as well, I saw the south for what it really is a place of great diversity and hospitality - just as the saying goes. Now I have the opportunity to again head south at the pleasure of the VFRD Fall Dragon ride comming up soon next month and I cant wait! It is an opportunity I cant waste nor would I want to, and it is all made possible by the folks here at VFRD! I am greateful for this and would like to attend as many of these wonderful events as possible, thats what I really love doing, meeting the folks I read about on this very site everyday and making new riding buddies!
    Be safe out there and enjoy yourself on your bike!

  9. HispanicSlammer
    I took the XR 650r down south Tuesday for a 300 mile loop through Pueblo, Buela, Colorado City, San Isabel, and over the Wet Mountains to Gardener and Up over Mosca Pass.

    map google earth image

    Buela Colorado Sleepy Little town southwest of Pueblo

    Buela Colorado Main Road

    San Isabel National Forest Hwy 162

    Lake San Isabel west

    Mosca Pass in the distance

    Gardner road miles and miles of dirt road

    Mount Blanca 14,000 foot peak from top of Mosca Pass

    East From Mosca Pass

    Sunset Mitchel Mountain Road

    Sunset Mitchel Mountain Road

    Sunset Over the Sangre De Christo Mountains

    Sunset Glorious Riding
    I spent pretty much 8 hours on the road that day riding mostly flat dirt roads on the big pig, ended up riding home in the dark, and a bit buzzed over the wonderful sunset near Westcliff. It wasnt as easy as riding the vfr but it was still a Honda@
  10. HispanicSlammer
    Well after returning home from the Mosca Pass ride I have not touched the XR since last week, too disappointed to do so. Until I mustered up the patience to replace the scored up cams. Which I did, and promptly ripped up that set too. OOKKKAAAYYY maybe I am missing the root cause here!!
    This time I took the head off and took out the spark plug and pumped the kick start to see if it was oiling the cams? NOPE NO OIL OUT OF THE DARNED JETS!!
    So I took off the plate to the oil filter and shot compressed air in the hole, it sprayed out perfectly - no clog? But then a pin and an O-ring fell out onto the floor? I looked where could this go, checked the manual no pin supposed to be there! WTF were did this pin come from? I then took off the whole side plate clutch cover and found a spot where it could go, checked the manual sure enough there was a pin there in the diagram! DUH!! I was in the wrong place! I put it in, put on a new O-ring and put it back together and did the pump thing again with the kickstand, this time oil came out the hole!! YEA now I am getting somewhere!
    So far I have solved my overheating problem, new thermostat and and a higher compression cap did that.
    Now I think I have the oiling issue licked too.
    Still got this jetting thing to solve though all the recommended jets are in there from multiple sources, I think I have the wrong slow jet its too rich for this altitude! Thats my next task after I replace the cam again! Then on to the suspension it could use some softening up must be gunked up with snotty oil in the forks. New seals, and bushings too! Rebuild the shock too! Maybe a softer spring cause it wants to launch me out of bumps!
  11. HispanicSlammer

    Hello Vfrd

    By HispanicSlammer,

    Hello Ladies and Gents,
    Opps thats a bit optistic, since I have ridden with some of you, perhaps women and dudes is better? In anycase I am proud to announce the blog service arm of vfrd availible for vfrd members.
    I am hosting a ride to Creede here in Colorado on July 23rd sunday if your interested and are in the area to ride. It is a big ride so bring your best gear.
    Above are pictures of last years ride.
  12. HispanicSlammer
    I dont think I have ridden that fast for so long! We did the Cripple Creek thing like planned then we headed over High Park Road and hwy 50 for a Burger at Texas Creek. I think we rode the entire streatch of hwy 50 at over a hundred plus, all three of us, and had so much fun we turned around and did it again, passing the same cars over again.
    "Excuse me can I get by ya - AGAIN" Dan said as we talked about it at lunch.
    One green SUV we passed pulled into the restrant and slowed down and stopped where our bikes were, I guess to give us the what for, but thought perhaps the possibility of getting beat up by three motorcyclist was too much and screetched out of the parking lot when he saw me pointing at him through the resturant window....the A-Side street bike gangstas we be (Atmel employee riders)!
    :squid: Craig was doing his normal passing on the right thing, which I just wont do, and well cause it scares the piss out of me when he does it, so I wait and get around them when I can. I am no double yellow puss either! I mean its a sport bike right! Dan was haulin on his gixxer, I could get up close in the first part of the turn but he would pull away with that big liter coming out of the turns, no way when he rolls on out of the apex.
    Then High Park Road which is a bit scarry really, Dan piled into a gaurd rail two years ago on it, and another local rider died on it 4 years ago when her bike piled into a cow on the road, its open range out there. Its got long straits inviting you to roll on then it hits you with an off camber corner into a blind left then another left, and then rolling roller coaster type hills where the road dives off in one direction or another. It also comes complete with large chunky chipseal and gravel in some turns from the recent hard rains. You gotta respect High Park cause it doesnt bark it bites! You cant help it though to ride it fast! We also did the peg scraping turns from Victor to Cripple Creek and that was where the kinks where worked out for all of us, it was go fast time from then on! Jebus we were going fast today! Hey I know the guys, I know where each of us is fast and slow, and we ride together pretty good now! Nothing like squiding it up with your friends once in a while, tommorow they both punish me on the dirtbikes again.
    They had the trail maps out for the dirt bike tommorow and just kept piling on trail after trail. Craig says "From the Tanner Trail you can ride all the way to Lake Isabel" Assuming of course you got the stamina and the skill to do it! LOL I am in for it tomorrow!
    :squid:
    PS the EBS pads were a bit grabby at first but the rear is doing this choppy thing at low speed, like a stutter when I get on the rear brake a bit, maybe I need to take them off and refit them with the shims that came on them, I read somewhere to take off the shims for the rear brake? It feels like rolling over a warning strip. I dont like it, perhaps I need to bleed the rear proportion valve again? It does not do it every time?
  13. HispanicSlammer
    :media:
    Rampart Range Video - The Hard Part
    Dan and Craig ride the roughest steepest part of the Rampart Range Trail system, getting stuck along the way. Dan rides a yz400 race bike not geared for climbing, with a racing flywheel it doesn't have the torque for this kind of riding, he must rev and feather the clutch to achieve momentum a tiering task that is fraught with fatigue if you don't ride well.
    Rock slant Dan and Craig must keep the bikes from sliding off a slanting granite rock face to get to the other side of the trail.
    Google Map of the area
  14. HispanicSlammer
    I am sure Craig and Dan had a wonderful time tearing up the Stulz Tanner Trail on the dirt bikes today, me I woke up late and slept in for a change skipped my punishment this week. I am finally fully recovered from a week of soreness from the last time I went dirtbike riding with those guys. I am thinking I really dont enjoy the dirtbike experience as much as they do. Perhaps it is because I ride a 650 instead of a 400 like they do or that I just suck at it? In any case I have to ride to the trails since my truck is now my former truck, the water pump literally fell off. Well it lasted like a trooper. Which is why I bought a street legal XR650 as opposed to a trail only bike.
    A 400 just cant be ridden at highway speeds on the highway and well drivers around here are predatory ya know. But then I suffer on the trails cause they just wind away so easily in the tight technical sections, and of course I suck. I am also trying to overcome a serious mental block when it comes to riding the dirtbike, as some of you may remember I broke my pelvis riding Dans dirtbike (Jan 2005) and I just dont have the cojones I used to when it comes to riding off road. I could use the exorcise though and do find it to be physically challenging in a good way, always gets my heart rate up, and I seem to be gaining fitness as I continue to pursue off road riding.
    I have to fix the xr yet again cause I ripped off the rear turn signal in a failed attempt to ride up a difficult hill last week, and had to bail off when the bike pitched over, breaking the signal off - it actually melted on the exhaust can. I am thinking of ditching the outrigger signals in favor of smaller ones that mount on the plastic and dont stick out so much, this is the second time I have lost that right rear signal.
    Instead of riding I worked on the forum again, and was quite entertained at BR and his picture posting woes. Das Bone who cant find his shoe laces lately stole a laugh too. These two guys can ride the snot out of a bike but when it comes to being computer savvy naw!
    Concerning the VFR I have some new issues - replaced my brake pads yesterday with new EBC HH pads all around and now am thinking perhaps I should have gone with a G pad in the back or an H? Its a bit grabby, and for some reason I get a stutter when I press on the rear brake petal at low speed, like I am riding over ripples in the road? I took the shims off perhaps the pads are shaking or jostling in the caliper? Or perhaps I need to bleed the rear brakes again, the Proportion Control Valve might be causing this. I know its not a warped rotor cause I just replaced that off season, and it doesn't happen at higher speeds and it is not happening every time at low speeds either? I am at a loss to explain it, its very frustrating to have spent all of a hundred bucks to replace all the pads and to have this stuttering as a result. I read somewhere to take off the shims on the pads when installing the rear brake pads, perhaps thats incorrect?
    In any case I also ordered new wheel bearing for the front, new oil seals, axle and axle bolt for the front wheel. Baileyrock noticed they were worn when I was staying at his place in preparation for the TexasMac ride last spring, and now I am finally getting around to taking care of that too. Fun Fun Fun btw I am loving the Pilot Powers never gone faster than with these babies or have I had so much confidence in the bike even with stuttering brakes and worn front wheel bearings, when I get this all sorted it will be a dream ride!
    Now I just need to get motivated to do my valves - I can hear some ticking in there after 77k miles I am sure I need to replace a shim finally (incredible 4 valve checks and still have the original shims)> and last time I was painting my headers I broke a header stud need to remove it and replace it, and drill out another one and replace it too. The header bolts just corrode on them and they break off too easy, I hope I dont have to remove the engine to do that job? That would be a PITA just to replace two header studs?
  15. HispanicSlammer
    VFRD once again gets hacked, as some of you know, after all the work and the money I spent securing the site with the upgraded forum software I must have missed somthing and they got in and changed the board wrapper with a downloader trojan. I deleted it as soon as I saw it, they seem to always attack the board wrapper and plant a frame in there. I am thinking of writing a script myself that refreshes the board wrapper every hour with a clean wrapper so even if they do get in and change it the script will wipe it clean when it trips.
    The problem is we are not exactly sure if they are changing the wrapper by gaining access to the admin area, using ftp, or directly infusing database code in somehow and avioding passwords and such. I checked my ftp logs and I am the only one on them, I changed the user names and passwords to the database, and put in new passwords for myself in the forum admin area and the cpanel server access area too. Then I ran virus scans, file checker scripts from invision board, deleted all files I no longer needed and checked for any backdoor files they may have left.
    I am sort of resigned to it a bit that I am unable to stop the hacking on the wrapper so I plan on doing some automated clean up scripts that negate the damage for as short of an amount of time as possible. Its like graffite really, you cant stop it you can just paint over it clean it up. I am taking that tac now.
    yesterday some kid from Fort Carson - a young soldier and his buddy were out pulling wheelies on Acadamey blvd, one pulled a wheelie in front of a cop and then they both ran as the cop turned on his lights, they speed at triple digit speeds till one of them colided with a car and died at the scene. I posted it in the forum. My freinds and I gathered at Dans place to watch the MotoGP races I recorded on dvd, and we talked about it for about ten minutes. Craig said he saw the bike still on fire as he turned off the highway to come to Dans place. then we forgot about it as soon as the races started - Darwin wins again!!
    Be safe out there.
    I have a ride organized for this comming sunday check the calender if your in the area and want to sport tour colorado!
  16. HispanicSlammer
    MY VFR that is!
    Just competed the 5th annual Ride to Creede this year was the biggest gathering yet, 7 riders this time, compared to 4 last year. We also made very good time, stopping to regroup where we lost one or two. This time we had 3 BMW's with us from ST.N where I also posted this ride.
    I realize I haven't posted in the blog in over a week, well since I am out riding its hard to keep up. Last week I rode with Craig and Dan in the Rampart Range area on the dirt-bikes, I am thinking I am not so into Dirt-biking as the guys. I just don't have the leg strength in my left leg to take 40 miles of whoops, my knee gives out and then I am sore on the left side for 2 or 3 days later - thats where I broke my pelvis last year. For once I would like to ride a dirt-bike trail without getting injured or overly sore afterward. It really seems I take a beating when I ride a dirt-bike, I don't see how people think its safer? I always feel totally out of control when I go fast on the dirt-bike. I get used to the bike squirming around but when it corrects really hard or falls in a rut I just know I am done for, then I manage to keep the bike up. Last time I was totally on the gas on a very wide jeep road and went wide, tried to correct and fell in a rut. The bike fell out from under me and I bailed off, no injuries just frustrated I lost control. It was later that I got injured a bit I did not see a rock jutting out of the dirt till I was right on it climbing a hill I lifted my left leg over it then when I put it down I got it caught a bit making the next left hander and I sprained my hip. That hurt for days afterward, much worse than actually bailing off. I like climbing and down-hilling but not whoops they suck, jumping is alright but my bike is big and not so soft in the suspension so I come down hard.
    Oh well I have been considering selling the XR after this season I have not enjoyed it so much... and I could use a new cage!
    Working on the website a bit this morning - fixed the nav bar so show the portal and the forums together. Making some automatic backup scripts for the database and working on odds and ends here and there.
  17. HispanicSlammer
    Part 2 - Craig takes the camera this time as they ascend and descend the Devils Slide at Rampart Range, trail number 676. ATV tracks mostly up steep climbs, whoops, rocks, tree roots, tight switchbacks. Craig on a Honda XR400, Dan on his Yamaha yz400. A few stalls, some rain and lots of good trail!
    THE TRAILS

    THE VIDEO

    Video Preview

    Devils Slide Video
    Runs about 12 min 768kb/sec wmv
    ...................
    Info on Rampart Range
  18. HispanicSlammer
    Just fitted the bike with EBC HH pads all around, and put on a few stickers for the crappy plastic hugger. Going to head up to Cripple Creek, Victor with Dan and Craig for a bit of fun. We wanted to do hwy 67 to Pine but the CDOT says its closed due to flash flood damage. Dan has to be back early so its just a local ride.
    It is sunny out and a bit cool should be fun!
    When I was fitting the new brakes I noticed a bit of play in my front wheel - wheel bearings are shot, thanks Baileyrock for bring that to my attention when we were at your place putting on my wheels after the texas mac ride, I have been monitoring them. I think I will replace everything, the wheel bearings, the seals, the axle and the mounting bolt too.
  19. HispanicSlammer
    My XR that is, this time around!
    Figured out that I had missed an oil jet oring and had it in the wrong spot! no wonder it was chewing up cam shafts! Well anyway I fixed it, then pumped it to make sure oil was getting to the cams! Had it all back together and of course could not get the cam chain tentioner to release! This thing is complicated more than the vfr?
  20. HispanicSlammer
    Well I was surprised to get a PM from Florida Member Jeremy555 that basically invited me to ride with the guys again at Deals Gap in September - airfare to get me there, room, and a bike to borrow for the weekend! WOW what can I say about that - other than yes of course. It would be impolite and ungrateful to turn down a gesture like that, and luckily my boss also agreed and let me have the time off to do it!
    I really don't know what to say really, thank you guys, really its a great thing to do for the "Ole Dumbass" - reference to what a beemer dude once called me while riding in New Mexico, God forbid a VFR be allowed to pass a BMW? So after all the frustrations associated with Hackers, losing cameras, dropping stuff on dirt-bike trails, the day to day grind of our mundane work weeks. There is light at the end of the tunnel, and the Southern VFRD boys are making that possible. Everything I have heard about Southern Hospitality is true! I am so looking forward to coming back to ride those awesome Appalachian mountain roads again!
    It will be great to hang out with Baileyrock again too for a while.
    I mean how can I pass up an opportunity like that??
    read about the Deals Gap ride in the Rider Groups>South forum
  21. HispanicSlammer
    video preview
    :media:
    Canyonlands at Twilight video
    This is a short 5 min video of the our trip through the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Canyonlands National Park Utah. It was incredibly hot for 9pm somthing like 100 degrees in the twilight, I cant imagine how hot it is in full daylight in July?? The road is surreal surrounding you with red rock lava like stone walls on each side and then falling deeper into Glen Canyon along the Colorado River near Lake Powell. Its one of the nations most beautiful recreation spots, a must ride!!!

    Canyonlands Map UTAH highway 95
    Attached map files
    Canyonlands mapsource file.gdb
    Canyonlands MS Streets & Trips File.est
  22. HispanicSlammer
    I let my Buddys Dan and Craig take the vfrd viosport cam with them up to Rampart Range last week and they filmed some good trail riding in the Front Range Foothills. They drove up to Rainbowfalls Trail Head and proceded to ride several of the Rampart area trails, almost 120 minutes of video. I cut it down to 10 minutes of part of Long Hollow Trail #650 for your viewing pleasure, this makes me want to go ride my 650!!


    Long Hollow Trail Video
    Here are some map files of the area
    Google Earth
    Long Hollow Earth File
    Mapsource
    Long Hollow Garmin File
    Here is a popular Rampart Range Website with details of the area trails
    http://www.rampartrange.org/pages/rampart_trails.asp
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