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.
For a long time now, I have enjoyed the sport of trail and enduro riding. The rush of speed and power of the modern enduro bike combined with getting away from the big smoke and out into the Australia bush are the two things I enjoy the most. One aspect of trail riding that has always seemed to put these two at odds with each other is the noise. Don’t get me wrong, I love the roar of a revving engine as mush as the next bloke, but what would it be like to fly along bush tracks with out the sound of an engine? What if I could pursue this pastime without everybody within cooee also knowing about it (and potentially, getting annoyed by it)? Would a ride without the reverberating revves of a four stroke engine diminish the experience? Some would say yes, some would say no.
Two of my other adrenaline driven pastimes tell me that the noise of an internal combustion engine is not actually critical to such pursuits. In addition to trail and enduro riding, I am also a keen snowboarder and windsurfer. I love carving down a snow covered mountain at speed or the sense of power as I fly across the water propelled by 30 knots of wind, but these sensations would be diminished if they were accompanied by the sound of a screaming engine.
With this in mind, I have been actively monitoring developments in electric powered enduro and motocross bikes. A quick search of ‘electric motorbike’ on the net demonstrates that some serious contenders may soon begin to challenge the dominance of the internal combustion engine. One of the big name bike manufactures, KTM, has been testing an electric motocross bike, and from all accounts, they are well on their way to production. When and what variant will hit our shores is yet to be seen, but given the way most car manufactures are racing to sell us hybrid and all electric vehicles, it would seem highly likely that it is only a matter of time before motorcycle manufactures also start parading their forays into the modern era of electric propulsion (not to mention the electric trials bikes that are already taking that aspect of riding by storm).
On the local front, a small Melbourne based company called Stealth Electric Bikes has been quietly developing three bikes that are rewriting the rules about what we should expect from electric power, and in the process creating a whole new class of off road motorcycles. I have taken the plunge and ordered one and am now eagerly awaiting delivery of a Stealth Bomber, their flagship model. I have committed to the Bomber with my eyes wide open and as such, am not ready to sell my petrol powered enduro bike just yet, but I do expect to leave it at home in the shed a lot more often and still be able to fullfill my desire to enjoy this fantastic pastime while leaving the noise behind. I expect delivery any day now so watch this space and I’ll let you know how my soon to be discovered ‘Sound of Silence’ stacks up.
In a previous blog Brett G posed the question: What is the ideal ride?
Well on a recent trip to the USA I think my family and I took part in the ideal ride.
Lorene, Shelby, Daniel and myself were staying with friends in St George, UTAH when it was decided that we would explore Sand Hollow State Park and some areas of Zion National Park.
The ride began at an ATV rental store on the edge of town. From here we followed roads that led to trails which took us through scenic sand dunes and prehistoric rock formations to arrive on the beaches of the Sand Hollow reservoir for a quick dip in the warm blue water.
After drying off and a bite to eat we were on our way, eventually climbing about 760 meters in altitude to the top of a beautiful red plateau looking down into Zion National Park and up to Pine Valley Mountain. It was hard to believe we were riding quads in a national park - legally!
Unfortunately time was running out and we had to head back to town which by now was about 100kms away.
Every one of us was on a charge back down to St George but there was still time to enjoy the sand dunes on the top of the plateau before one final stop for photos of the giant rock formations such as the giant prehistoric petrified snapping turtle, alien nusery and battleship.
Riding back into town we pulled into a gas station, filled the quads and grabbed a coke. Nobody even looked twice at us even though we were on quads! Everybody ride quads in St George it turns out.
Maybe some day in the not too distant future through the continued efforts of the RTRA my family and I will be able to enjoy a similar experience on our quads on our home soil.
This is a story about how riding trail bikes is not really designed for those of us who are size challenged – particularly for those of us who are…let’s say “petite”! Okay so I’m built more suited to being a jockey – 5 foot nothing, weighing in around 50kg and not particularly strong.
My first bike was a KLX125, which was a lovely little bike; great to learn on but not road registerable and therefore illegal to ride anywhere except private property and designated ORV areas. So we started the hunt for something more suitable:
Seat height around 850mm
Weight – as little as possible
Electric start – preferable
Road registerable – mandatory
In 2005, for 12 months only, Yamaha sold a road registerable TTR125 but they were pretty scarce and sold mostly in the Eastern States. We found one in Sydney and bought it sight unseen and had it shipped over. I loved this bike – very confidence building as both feet were firmly on the ground and it did everything I wanted, even a couple of 2 day West Coast Safari rides.
But as my experience grew I started to out grow the bike – I wanted more power and better brakes, suspension etc…so we were back to square one. No road registerable, enduro bikes were low enough or light enough. If I couldn’t get both feet on the ground, I needed a lighter bike.
Eventually we decided on the KTM200 – the lightest bike of this type we could find weighing in at 98kg, but my feet were miles away from the ground. Sander and his guys at Bunbury KTM came to the rescue with a plan which shaved an impressive 110mm off the height. This included:
Dropping the forks through the triple clamp as far as possible
Revalving the shock and fitting a spacer to reduce seat height
New shorter, softer spring
KTM low seat
Shorter motard side stand
The 2-stroke has taken a fair bit to get used to, as has the lots of extra power and I can only get one foot down and what I wouldn’t do for an electric start! But I love the fun of this bike, it doesn’t require me to ride it on the power band all the time (as long as someone takes it for a blast every now and then to clear it out) and the handling is amazing compared to the TTR.
But why do we have to go to all this effort to get a suitable bike – surely there is a big enough market of smaller/novice riders who still want a decent bike?? The TTR-230 has been the only bike in this market, but it is very heavy and from all accounts doesn’t handle well (and Yamaha have recently stopped selling a road registerable version).
So to all the bike manufacturers out there – us small female riders want a <100kg, <900mm, 250 4-stroke, with an electric start that is ADR compliant and capable of being road registered – now is that too much to ask???
It's nearly 24 hours since Marco Simoncelli's tragic passing and like Stoner, Rossi and all Marco's competitors as well as GP fans around the world I feel devastated and sick in the stomach.
Marco was a champion human being. God bless you Marco and RIP.
There is no doubt as a result of Marco's death the GP community will come together to mourn, examine, comfort, extol, improve and remember a great rider and human being. Marco's family and close friends will be loved and supported by this great community. Teams, race organisers and fans will seek to make improvements, increase safety and ensure Marco's life is remembered long after he is gone.
As I think about Marco, I also think of the West Australians who have had their lives tragically cut short as a result of accidents on trail or quad bikes this year (let alone the last 10 years). As a member of the WA riding community I find myself wondering what have I done to mourn, examine, comfort, extol, improve and remember these great people and part of my community. The answer I am very sorry to say is nowhere near enough!
Surely as part of the riding community I can do something to ensure these riders are remembered whether by improvements to the sport, increased safety, being accountable to riding colleagues, staying in touch with the families left behind.
RTRA represents the recreational riding community. Support us support you.
