It’s 6am Sunday morning the kids are asleep and the house is quiet. The roar of a YZ pierces the silence as the Twenty Something’s across the road tune their bikes up for what I am sure will be a day of hard riding and play.
The baby is awake and the chance of settling her is basically nil with the windows all but vibrating and the smell of petrol filling the air. The roar continues for the next 3 hours as they tweak and tune their bikes riding up and down the street.
As I sit, coffee in hand peering through the window remembering a day that we too were so keen to ride it got me thinking. There is a reason so many do not understand trail bike riders - and there it is.
Perhaps I am a little out of touch with the rider within, having been some 9 years since I last gripped those handlebars. Or perhaps I have learnt that it is the few that spoil it for the many.
Let me paint the picture. We live North of Perth surrounded by sand dunes and new developments; a natural terrain of jumps and trails. The temptation for riding enthusiasts in our area is too much and so at any given time several can be seen cutting it up.
With the family awake we decided to take a drive up to the Lagoon for the day. I found myself holding my breath for most of the way.
For a large stretch of the way, two young guys darted across the road in front of us wearing short sleeved shirts and boardies, at least they had helmets on I suppose. Another youngster had been fishtailing alongside us in the gravel for a small stretch, no helmet.
I don’t know if it’s the mother in me but for the first time in my life I got a glimpse of what the other side sees. Recklessness. I saw a sheer disrespect for the power they have in their control and realised something: just like its not a gun that kills, its not a bike either - its the rider.
I love riding, the freedom it gives you, parking up under a tree for lunch, the fresh air and that time stands still until you see the sun starting to fade. I get it, I really do, but another fire burns in my belly just a bright. With two small children sleep and silence are rare commodities in this household. So I’ve crossed over to the dark side and become the cranky lady next door.
I actually couldn’t believe that the words “Can’t they just shut those bloody bikes up for one day” rolled out of my mouth. Where was she, the twenty something girl that would have embraced the un-welcomed alarm clock, surely she was still in there somewhere?
I’m not at the point of frustration that I would walk across the road and say something to the guys that show such a lack of consideration but I can sympathise with others who face similar issues on a regular basis and I can see how these situations get out of hand. I hate the word ‘hoon’ because I like to believe that for the most part whilst the behaviours are annoying (sometimes even destructive) that they are not consciously malicious.
So I’m not a hoon and I’m not really the cranky lady next door. I’m just someone who both loves a good ride and would like to get a sleep in once in a while.
People are as passionate about bikes as others are against them. A non rider will never understand the allure of kicking your bike over and taking off for the day. They don’t understand revs and they wouldn’t have a clue what knobby’s are so let’s start try understanding their language so we can avoid turning otherwise reasonable people into the ‘cranky lady next door’.
The Stealth Bomber arrived in a large timber box a few weeks after my first RTRA blog ʻThe Sound of Silenceʼ back in mid November last year after a much anticipated wait. It took about two months after placing the order for it to finally arrive and so I was very keen to get it out of the box and get into the saddle. I gave a quick look over the manual which seemed straight forward enough, fitted the carbon fibre handle bars, seat and front wheel and then...waited very patiently for two hours to fully charge the battery! When you have a new toy that holds so much promise, charging a battery can be a testing experience, but two hours later, it was an experience that was worth the wait. Appearing to be a morph between an enduro motor bike, a down hill mountain bike and a Stealth Bomber long range fighter aircraft, this bike looks like nothing you've ever seen before. So, the million dollar question is...did it perform to my expectations?
Even having come from a late model KTM 250excf, the Bomber feels light, maneuverable and turns on a dime. Its 4,500 watt brushless electric motor supplies instant torque the millisecond you open the throttle and is definitely not to be taken for granted. An electronic speedo/energy read out/ every kind of trip data you can dream of gauge, showed I was flying along the bush trails near my house at 60 kms/hr with no effort on my part at all and with only the sound of the wind and the knobby tires ripping at the loose gravel
The nine speed sequential gear box takes some getting use to, but as it only effects the pedaling ratios, the actual electric motor powers on regardless. In fact, it seems that at best, if you do choose to pedal, you can only add about 10 to 15% to the power that the motor is generating anyhow. This being said, it does help to select the right gear when approaching very steep hills as that 10 or 15% extra can make all the difference between doing it in style and coming unstuck
After ʻtestʼ riding for a several weeks by myself, I joined a group of mates on an organised ride in bush that ranged from flowing fire break trails to tight single tracks to technical creek crossings. They were all riding late model Honda, Yamaha, Burg and Huski 450s and I must admit, I was unsure how the Bomber would perform amongst such illustrious company. The area we were riding in was new to me and so I slotted in towards the rear of the group and soon found that in all but the long straight sections where they might get up to +90 or 100 kms, the bomber was holding its own. The tight sections were definitely suiting me better and on several occasions my companions looked on enviously as I nimbly wove my 50kg Bomber over logs and around rocks and trees.
Before going out with the 450s, I knew I would have to ride hard to keep with the pack and there were occasions that I found myself wanting more horse power. I had tested the bikeʼs battery life on the road with slicks cruising at 55kms/hr and had repeatably achieved a range of 60kms. I am told that some are getting +100km on a single charge. On a hard ride through the bush, I had yet to flatten the battery and this for me was to be the real test. I am past the need to always be the fastest and to be honest, enjoy a more leisurely ride, but keeping with the pack was a necessity here (for ego reasons mainly!) and doing so sucked the juice dry and just shy of traveling 30kms, I was flat. This tells me that bush riding between going flat out and cruising, you can expect a minimum of 30kms and potentially up to 50 or 60kms. At less that 1c/km, that equals pretty good value, but make sure you plan your trip to be back to your base before you run out. Getting to know the Bomber and your own riding style will help ensure that.
So, did it perform to my expectations?
I would have say a resounding yes, but it has changed my riding style and I no longer just rap on the throttle and throw rooster tails all over the place just for the sake of it. The power of the Bomber seems to get to the ground without the usual carnage and combined with the silence, I seem to be adopting a more ʻin tuneʼ with my environment riding attitude. Now, when I look at a big hill, I still give it all I have and have a great time getting bounced and flung all over the place as I hit rocks and washed out gullies, but when I get to the top and I look back down its hard to tell that I had even been there.
On a final note, where I was getting out once a month at best on a trip that involved a long drive out to Metro road and ride of 40 to 50kms, I now ride almost everyday in my local area (the Perth foothills) and I am rediscovering the riding areas of my youth without the risk of encountering angry rangers or annoyed neighbours. So, is the ʻsound of silence experienceʼ meeting my ʻriding needsʼ?
Someone quite special to the RTRA died on the weekend. Jaye Radisich, the former Swan Hills MLA passed away after a courageous battle with cancer.
Few people would know this, but Jaye was the catalyst for the formation of the RTRA.
In February 2007 a friend suggested I contact Jaye about the deplorable state of Gnangara. I did this, and instead of getting a standard 'thank you for sharing...' response I received a phone call asking whether I would show her around the area so she could get a better idea of the problem.
I did this on a typically hot dusty day in early March. Jaye was of course suitably horrified with the conditions at Gnangara, and when we had finished the tour she gave me some advice about getting things done through the Government.
"It's all about the numbers." she said "What you really need is to get the riders together through some form of association so you can say "we speak on behalf of x hundred riders and we need a better deal"".
This made a lot of sense so we immediately put the wheels into motion and the Recreational Trailbike Riders' Association of WA Inc came into being just a few weeks later, on March 27.
I didn't really expect Jaye to follow up (and just that one suggestion turned out to be incredibly valuable), but Jaye did not forget about our Gnangara visit, as this extract from Hansard from April 2007 shows:
Ms J.A. RADISICH
… In my last minute I raise the issue of trail bike riding in the Gnangara pine plantation. Trail bike riders are welcome to ride in the plantation. That is fair and reasonable because people with trail bikes do need somewhere to ride. However, I am very concerned that this is not a safe environment. There is no signage and no safety measures have been put in place whatsoever. There have been deaths at that site. We need to undertake a serious assessment of how unlicensed bikes can be ridden off-road so that riders have a proper recreational experience in a safe environment.
Sadly, ill health forced Jaye to leave state politics. As possibly the first politician to raise the need for action for improved riding opportunities, as the person who inspired the formation of the RTRA and as a person who cared and was prepared to stand up and take action Jaye Radisich will be sadly missed but fondly remembered.
It was a nice weekend for a ride - lucky for us, as it had been arranged some two weeks ahead of this day.
Two of my riding companions and I had decided to venture to our favourite riding area for a ride in some country that we had not been to for about 12 months.
We suit up and head off on the transition stage to the start of the day’s dirt adventure. The black top is a necessity to get to the ideal start point and as we make our way to the start of the dirt trail we start to feel the beast beneath and realise what we’ve been missing over the festive, hot season.
The summer months always seem to pass so slow, so we relish the chance to ride again and enjoy the company of mates in the great outdoors. It brings joy just to think that the season has started for trail riding adventure.
The fire trails were pristine and would appear not to have been used in the time that we had last passed this way. The dust is under control and the surface is a little soft and slippery. In places the trail appears impassable , but with some creative thinking we make ramps to get over the fallen trees, and fill in the troughs on the hill climbs made by the flowing water from the past wet season. All great stuff to get back into the swing of riding. By this time two or three hours had passed so we found a place to take a break.
As we rested at a water crossing point on a main dirt road, traffic passes and along comes the local Ranger. The Ranger asked about how we were doing and passed the time of day before continuing on his rounds. Good to see that Rangers can be good guys.
Continuing our trip the three of us venture onto some more ground and some great scenery. This is what it is all about - the great outdoors with some mates, doing what we enjoy most, away from the stresses of the working world.
Six solid hours of riding before making it back to the cars, and didn’t we all know that we had been off the bikes for some time! Clearly we need to ride more to regain our ride fitness, so the conversation quickly turns to planning our next ride date.
It's coming up for seven years now since I first got involved in trail bike issues and there's one question I still wrestle with. Regularly. What are the things that we as riders can do to help ensure the sustainability of our sport?
I'm not talking about lobbying government for more land, less restrictive regulations or funding to build trails. Those things are fairly obvious and in many cases reactive.
What I mean is: what are the things that I can do as an individual that will make a positive difference?
I have a fair idea of the things that I can do as an individual. I can make sure my bike is no louder than it needs to be and that I ride it quietly when I'm around people (on trails or in houses). I can stay away from areas where I know I shouldn't be such as walk trails, water catchment and dieback areas. I can work on riding smoothly so that I can be fast without ripping up the trails.
I know I can do all of these things, but will they make a positive difference?
What does it matter that I consciously try to do the right thing when there are lots of other riders who don't know or don't care?
We all talk about the 'irresponsible minority' that threatens to ruin things for us. Surely what I do or don't do won't influence them, will it?
I don't ride with the 'irresponsible minority' so they can't watch and emulate me (and anyone who has seen how I ride wouldn't want to emulate that anyway!).
I don't think I even know anyone in the 'irresponsible minority' - and even if I did they probably wouldn't listen if I tried to enlighten them.
If I'm doing the right thing then very few people will even know I'm our there riding so the 'community PR' value is lost (only the 'irresponsible minority' make the news).
Now it's easy to get disheartened when you look this way at the power of the individual to make a positive difference.
But I think it comes down to this. There will always be an 'irresponsible minority' and they will always cause us trouble. But the more marginal they become the less trouble they will cause.
I can't influence people who neither know nor care about the impacts of their actions on other people, on the environment and on our sport. That's out of my hands.
What is in my hands is the influence over what I choose to do, where I choose to do it and who I choose to do it with. I can make these decisions for no other reason than knowing that I am doing my bit for the future of riding.
If enough of us just focus on what we can do maybe ... just maybe we can make that positive difference after all.
I sit here in my Y-fronts and string vest in the midst of a Perth heatwave with the deadline for my next blog post looming. How can you even think about riding in this heat?
Which gets me thinking? How does one wile away the time when waiting for better riding conditions to arrive?
Here's some of my tips...
On advrider.com the motto is Ride The World - see amazing dirt oriented motorcycle journeys around the world from real people. None more amazing, than AdvRider inmate neduro as he took on this year's Dakar rally - with daily blogs, phone-ins and amazing photos...
A local has also been on an interesting international sojourn - check out Pounce from local riding
group http://www.crustyquinns.com who spent Christmas and New Year travelling around Laos and
Thailand:
If racing is more your bag; the Aussie summer is AMA Supercross time. See Chad Reed and his
compatriots take it to the septics in this 17 round series featuring the best in the world. Mad skills,
crazy racing. If you don't have pay TV - you can find torrents of the shows a couple of days after the
races. If you don't know what a torrent is - check with your nearest 15 year old.
And of course there's YouTube - check out Dream Ride - this Aussie made production takes dirt bike
videos to the next level. Shot on a camera capable of 25,000 frames per second! The slow-mo is
mesmerising!
Of course if you're not a wuss like me - you could still be out riding in this weather with the other
Mad Dogs and English men.
If you do - beware of the curse of summer: dust - you can't see through it - you can't breathe in it. But top tip - if you wait 60 seconds it disappears! Think about that next time your sucking your riding buddy's dust when you're riding three metres behind them.
Another year comes to a close and a big thank you to all RTRA members for your support in 2011!
They say it's the squeaky wheel which get the oil. Well after 5 years of squeaking (loudly) it looks like 2012 is shaping up to be the year we get some much needed lubricant. The state government is promising long overdue funds towards recreational trails. Certain members of the industry (who shall remain nameless for now) are finally dislodging their heads from the sand and throwing their support behind our activity (which as the main beneficiaries they should be). Even some areas of local government are recognising the leading role RTRA is taking and showing some interest in various projects.
All in all 2012 promises to be a landmark year in trail bike riding, and perhaps this time next year WA may lead the country in its approach and management of the activity.
So stay tuned, stay safe and have a great Xmas/New Year!
Well here we are only a few weeks away from another Christmas. I’m sure on Christmas morning there will be squeals of delight all over Western Australia as kids unwrap Pee Wee 50s, JR80s, CRF100s, KLX110s, and the like. I can only imagine the excitement of getting a new “mini bike” for Christmas as a kid. Wow!
Unfortunately for many kids the enjoyment will be short lived. Because of a lack of knowledge and some unscrupulous sellers out there a lot of parents will be sold cheap copies of the quality kid’s bikes that the Japanese manufacturers make. I’ll state right now that in the past I have worked in the motorcycle industry and sold all of the brands mentioned above at one time or another. Time to be blunt – There is a lot of crap out there that “looks” like a good little bike. Don’t be fooled, I don’t believe there is anyone who manufactures kid’s bikes to the same standard as the Japanese. I’m not talking competition bikes here like the awesome little KTMs etc, but little kids fun bikes. Take a look at them and then consider you can buy a new bike for around $3,000 that will give you trouble free riding fun until your kids outgrow it. You can then sell it and recoup most of your money. It’s a VERY cheap investment in your kids riding fun. The only problem you’ll have is that five of your mates will want to buy it for their kids and you’ll upset four of your mates when they miss out.
The other alternative is to buy a cheap copy, probably spoil your kid’s Christmas, and burn $1,500 in the process. I don’t think sitting back with a beer on Christmas day with little Johnny crying because his bike won’t go will make you feel good about saving $1,500. Think about the time you bought a cheap screwdriver, socket, drill, etc, etc, and it failed as soon as you tried to use it on anything substantial. It’s the same thing.
Years ago I sold my daughter’s used LT80 to someone who bought a cheap “Copy Bike” for his daughter. He told me it only lasted three hours before it died. I suggested that he meant three days, but no, three hours was all she got out of a brand new kid’s ATV before it was dead, and he couldn’t buy parts for it.
Don’t even start me on the safety aspects of poor brakes, failing suspension units, breaking chains, plastic wheel bearings, breaking frames, no spark arrestors, and so on.
So, please do everyone a favour. Buy quality and buy once. You’ll be happy that you did. And don’t forget some good, protective riding gear, a helmet and boots as a minimum.
Santa, if you’re reading this, all I want is a trails system from Perth to Albany that can be enjoyed by all, just like the hikers and mountain bike riders already have, or another couple of thousand RTRA members so we can pull some more weight with the pollies.
I had been off the dirt bikes with motors for the last 22 years or thereabout. So I have enjoyed getting back into dirt bike riding in a big way, riding my road registered enduro bike at any chance that I get. I must say that I love to ride my TM 250 2t EN fast. Which brings me to the realization that official riding areas with a one way trail network are very important to the recreational and sporting pursuit of dirt bike riding.
So far I have been to West Coast Safaris' Ride Park at Kirup, which has a great mix of enduro style loops of varying difficulties and a natural terrain MX style trail. Great opportunity to ride and learn in a safe environment without have to slow down because of the possibility of another vehicle coming the other way.
I have also been out to Dirt Rider Heaven at Mogumber which has more MX style tracks to ride - a great place to learn and hone the bike riding skills - again in a safe environment with everybody going the same way.
Both of these areas are on private land.
This makes me strongly aware that part of what RTRA is working towards - open public riding areas with controlled direction trails and a mix of different style of tracks for all ages to use - is heading in the right direction and is the right direction for a sustainable safe dirt bike riding community for all.
I strongly believe that the State Government needs to head in this direction with a sense of urgency. And that we all need to make enough noise that it takes notice NOW.
As a motorcyclist with over 35 years of experience of road, trail and competition riding, I assure you that the benefits from trail bike riding are many, including economic, social and the general well being of participants.
12 months ago I wrote to you seeking your active support for the WA State Trail Bike Strategy which was developed more than three years ago and has only been actioned in part by providing very limited funding of $80k , despite members from both sides of the House supporting the Strategy (Hansard [ASSEMBLY .— Wednesday, 23 March 2011].
Whilst this initial funding is welcomed, I note with some asperity and cynicism that recent fatal shark attacks off the Western Australian coast have resulted in immediate decisions from the Government to spend the substantial sum of $13.5 million over the next 5 years into studies of shark behaviour and other measures to reduce the risk of attacks. This expenditure is further to the Premier's recent knee-jerk reaction to spend $1 million to subsidise daily aerial patrols until April 2012.
Whilst shark attacks create an air of palpable fear in the community, it is undeniable that people who venture into the dangerous environment of the ocean do so at their own risk. A value cannot be placed on the impacts of tragic shark attacks, and one feels for the families and friends of victims. Nevertheless, sharks live in the ocean, their movements cannot be predicted and no amount of studying and patrolling will assist in reducing the risk of attacks.
Recently, the community has also been saddened by the unnecessary deaths of trail bike riders. Where is the decisive action from Government to take action and commit funding over these tragic incidents? Are the lives of trail bike riders of less value politically, than ocean lovers?
The State Trail Bike Strategy can’t begin to address the issues until the government formally endorses it and allocates the necessary funds.
Recreational motorcycling is here to stay. The lack of amenity and safe places to ride will continue to be a problem in the community until action is taken.
I urge you to act now and provide adequate funding for the WA State Trail Bike Strategy.
