I've finally decided to upload some accumulated videos. Most show me lost......or picking up the bike. Ha. Last June I decided to run one of my favorite trails south of Linville, NC in the Pisgah for the first time of the season on my 71st birthday. Location in the description. I didn't plan on much of a ride but I wound up having a pretty good git and a fun day. View: http://youtu.be/Q5pnOh_8n_c I can't hang on to this bad boy like I used to........so I'm thinking maybe a 310 for the steeps and the 610 will be my back roads horse. Just an old man and his Husky.
I realize CH auto loads the URL so the Youtube description and location doesn't present initially. This unmaintained FS road is generally known as Old House Gap rd and FS1503 on some maps and Google. It's about 3 miles south of Linville, NC off of Roseboro rd just past the first single lane bridge going south...... and about 3 miles north of Edgemont NC in the Pisgah forrest.
I've gotten a couple questions about the bike. I drove from NC to Doylestown PA just west of Philadelphia in Dec 2012 to fetch this 2008 beauty with 1300 miles on it from the second owner. I wanted a 610. He was retired and sort of a Ducati street guy and just didn't like trying the dirt solo. The bike came from Fast by Ferracci and I had a chance to chat with Eraldo on the phone after purchase. Off the top of his head he thought they used #1-99, #2-99, and #3-101 on the Ibeat........if I remember correctly. However they set it up........it is perfect. So it burbles and pops a little bit on deceleration.......that doesn't bother me a bit.......it snaps right off of idle and spins the tire so easily I cannot imagine needing to do the power-up .........the 14T helps with that. Otherwise the bike is OEM. Seat concepts seat , Pro Billet tail rack , hand guards, and upgraded chain. The Husky forums were invaluable doing the mods and Italian production clean-ups required, with the balancer nut re-torque probably being the most important. I like the MotyDesign light battery and I have the 3500mv capacitor across connections which hopefully allows the engine to keep firing if the battery takes a crap. I've only got 3300 miles on the bike but all the rest of the "stuff" works perfectly......temp sensor, fuel pump, ,speedo, radiators, and everything else that generally whirls and twirls. The 610 is truly a great dual sport. I would like to see Husqvarna do wider ratios and 6 speeds in their smaller bikes. My 6 speed XT225 is almost as nice a back roads burner as the 610...........except for that power........... Just an old man and his Husky-
BP, you were clipping along pretty good on that bike ... I like 6 speed bikes also, CR 6 speeds for me
RR, I seldom ride more than 50 mph on the tarmac so even some of the 12-13 tooth "geared down" smaller bikes would probably still work for me out on the rode. The lighter weight of the 250-300 cc class is what I need now for the trails. I like being able to pick up the whole rear end, solo, to place on a log and such if I need to do tire work......or just bulldog my way out of a single track glich. The 610, and it's power, is a lot to handle down slow.
Hi RR, Yeah, for strictly off road I agree on a CR 6 spd............I'm pretty much referencing the TE-plateable category of Huskies where it's nice to be geared down for the dirt and have a tall gear for the highway. I've watched all your videos over time. You've done some interesting riding there in your part of the world.
These 250-350 cc engines today coupled with the suspensions, make for some very good bikes I think for the tracks and trails and short hard top rides today... Myself, I can't go past the 250cc size bike really ... That size is still light enough to muscle up and still has plenty of power for most things a rider needs offroad ... A 600 size bike would just be too much for me.. Yep this place seems really cool to me ... Most days are about the same weather \ people wise and I just go out and see what I can see when dirt bike riding ... Sort of like a reverse of Bill Murrays' Ground hogs Day movie .. Plenty of demo rides over here also and lots are not on motorcycles. It's a big toss up on how to spend your time, sometimes ... And Happy Birthday ... Seems the older I get, the faster time flies ..You seeing the same thing?
Wide ratios on Betas. Take a demo ride if you get a chance. I didn't realize Cross Lanes, WV dealer carries Betas .. That's not too far from me................maybe I'll look into them. They also carry Huskies.
And Happy Birthday ... Seems the older I get, the faster time flies ..You seeing the same thing? For sure. The older we get, the quicker we lose muscle tone and stamina when we go dormant ........as in; over the winter. I have noticed the last couple years I am really out of riding shape at the beginning of the season.........and I haven't caught up well during the riding months..........that's just the nature of hitting the 60's .....and 70's. So I'm in a bit of a panic........as in......"this is my last good year" meme. But that mainly relates to doing the knarly stuff. I realize I have to ride smarter and smarter ..........and minimize risk......especially solo. SO, I'm down to the old saw: " I'm not as good as I once was.........but I'm as good once as I ever was" However, "the good once" part equals about 30 seconds. Ha.
I'm 57 and understand your words all too well ... I'm lucky enough to be in a location where we ride yr round so I can retain some fitness ... I'm thinking of upping the ante with a heart rate monitor and maybe make each ride into a specific type workout ...Yep, it leaves quick and returns slowly the older one gets ... BP, just apply what you have over an extended time period ... You'll get back what you need ... Your vision OK? I'm a carrot eater and yellow-eyeglass wearer trying to keep all obstacles in front of me in focus ... I missed seeing a stub of a small tree a couple days back and hung my foot on it but the boots did their job and saved me, again ... -- There are numerous examples of a crash or some injury ending someones' riding .... This applies to both PRO and friends due to mishaps so be careful out there. Don't be that rider if possible ..
