Hey,
Noob here. Thanks for having me on board!
Old guy, 45, 6' 2", 260, Only been riding since last fall when I got invited to go to Tomahawk MX in West Virginia and spent 4 muddy, chilly hours on a CRF230 with no kick start and a dead battery, so, every stall and fall was an exercise in finding enough of a slope to get her roll started. At the end of the day, I was exhausted, beat up and exhilarated.
Before that, I've been riding 4 wheelers for about 2 years just for fun; I have an '03 Polaris 700 Sportsman and an '01 Artic Cat 400, both utes, and I ride one or the other at least a little bit nearly every day. Until I went to Tomahawk.
I bought that CFR, got a new batt,
and, unless it's snowy or icy out, (aka '4 wheeler days') I ride it, at least a little bit, every day. It's small for me, but, a great learner bike.
Over Christmas, I went to Albuquerque to see my best friend and his little brother and to go ride in what he endlessly describes as Heaven. He talked about this thing they ride, a K something or other, 2 stoke, bad ass bike. At that time, 2 stroke, 4 stroke, anh, I kinda knew what that meant. Kind of. Whatever. It's a bike, right?
Well, his bro is the total gear head and they have two of those green things and borrowed a third one from a friend for me to ride. I am not very flexible and learning to kick start it was a chore, especially at altitude. Little brother started having reservations that I was not ready for this, at all. So, he gets me up on a little bank to help get me situated to kick the thing, get her running and I follow big bro around through some basic little whoops and turns while little bro watches, playing life guard.
Satisfied I'm basically competent, posture, can shift and break and have decent body control and can keep the thing under control, we set off on an endless track of tight turns for what seems like an hour. It was probably 15, 20 minutes.
KX 500 is starting to become a solid image in my mind.
We take a break, the feeling comes back to my fingers and then we blast off for some trail riding. It is beyond gorgeous. I know I need to do the turn work, and lots of it, to develop skills and that's fine, however, it is work to me requiring lots of effort and concentration. When we hit the trails, there it is. The euphoria starts setting in. Blasting along, get it into 3rd, then 4th and just all this endless, intoxicating effortless POWER.
The scenery, the bike, the wind, the...power.
We take another break and start doing little bluffs and washes and we hit this stuff called 'sand' and now I am taking an ass whipping! They keep telling me 'you gotta carry more speed, Larry' and I see it and understand it, but it is an act of faith I am not ready to make and I struggle along, way too slow, fighting the bars every step of the way. They have mercy on me and we go do a little more trails.
They had been taking turns, one leading, one following me. Well, we're all big dudes, 6 foot plus, all over 250 and following them, monkey see, monkey do, was a fabulous way for me to learn, but something is sinking in; as big as we all are, this is effortless for the bikes, this KX thing. They both look like they're just one with the machine. So, in any event, big brother has the lead on this long straightway, looks back to check on us and TAKES OFF, just nails it and GONE. I'm fine, puttering along in 3rd, getting the feeling back in my hands, smiling, and little bro eases ahead of me, looks at me like "Are you good to go?" and I can just feel it, he's like a thoroughbred chomping at the bit and I signal "Hell yeah! Go get 'em!" and he just EXPLODES into a wheelie and is gone, like a rocket. I am simply in awe as he runs down his brother.
K X 5 0 0
So, next day, I'm a little sore, thighs especially, but not too bad. I'm in decent shape, so I'm gtg. We go ride somewhere else which was about 10 miles from yesterday in distance but a universe in terrain. Little Bro has judged me ready to step it up! It's hill time.
I figure, kewl, I'll ride a bit and, seeings how I am tired from yesterday, I'll go back to the truck and let them blast for awhile when I've had enough. Well, we go up a hill, across a little ridge line and then the next 4 miles is nothing, NOTHING but whoops across this ridge. Non freaking stop! Little Bro is like a jack rabbit, dancing across them, over them, around them, pure athletic grace and majesty. I am trying to copy, but I am also holding back in deference to the gnarly little scrub cactus that are everywhere. That and my noob skill level. Every time lil bro stops to check on me, I am grateful because I GOTTA have a break. As soon as I get close, ZOOM, off we go!!! He can't hear me cursing him but he can see the smile on my face.
Eternity finally ended, we're at some weird moonscape rock outcropping, I lean the bike against a boulder and collapse. I'm thinking 'how in the hell am I ever gonna make it back?'
I'm shot!
We're just getting started.
The next part is miles and miles of flat out straight, open prairie and it's no more work and all euphoria again. My first time in 5th! Jackrabbits scurry about with those huge ears. A deer blasts between me and lead man, not close at all, just an amazing moment.
Then, we're at this sand dune. I climb it a couple times, but I am seriously blown by now and totally enjoy watching them run up and down this thing. All whoops, then up. Lil bro is showing big bro that faster is better on the whoops, get on top of them. I have a great vid of them coming over the top together, airborne. My first time I'm going too slow as usual, kinda keeping it straight then up the hill and I'm starting to bog down. My first thought is 'don't blow the down shift and end up in neutral!' but first, I try a little more throttle...
This is THE KX 500 moment of the trip in two rides full of them.
She just LAUNCHES me from starting to bog, on a pretty steep hill, to just get up and go and you better hold on, son, up to the top. The brothers are sitting up there, watching this, I get up there and they both look at me and are just laughing their asses off.
After this, we're doing some sand trails and I notice my speed is up and it, this sand stuff, is getting...easier to ride.
Then, I'm praying there is another way back
because my sense is that we're going in a circle back to the beginning. No such luck. We pick up the whoop ridge trail all the way home. I'm going a little faster, I'm starting to hit a few tops, I can feel I'm dancing, if just a little.
We run some hills a little longer. Just a few more runs. Just a few more looks at the views, just a few more laughs, a few more moments...
And it's over.
I describe it as riding a 70 hp chain saw.
I can kick start it.
I learn what 2 stroke is. Really is.
I learn that little bro is truly amazing; All three ran flawlessly.
I fall in love with green.
I learn that big, bad ass bike WILL get you out of trouble if you let it.
I learned that the fraternity of dirt bike riding is a friendly one. We stopped and said high to everyone we came near, and they us. Get to know names, say hello, look out for one another. Share that smile.
In any event, I'll post some picks when that time comes and I say hello to you all and I look forward to being part of a Green world. Maybe by summer, I'll have found my KX500.
Beers to y'ah!
