Originally posted by 70 marlin
So you want too be a hero? Just go ride a many hours, as most as most of us have combined! Then maybe you’ll have ground to criticize. DB is one of the founding father of our sport! I read that article and found it to be very helpful. As most of his publishing. It nice to see something other than how to do FX jumps. In the zines!
Hmmm: musta hit a nerve there. Calm down now. I do admire DB.
Now, for my rebuttal: No, I honestly care not for the fame or label, nor do I contain a sliver of talent he does. He's no doubt a better engineer than I (besides graduating from a better school), is certainly a superior rider, and good enough to make a reasonable living in the sport - that in itself is a tremendous accomplishment worthy of "hero" status like the few others in this sport.
Lest those who read this misunderstand, I admire him greatly; so much where I follow exactly what he has said over the years, to the point three of my bike purchases were based on his favorable comments, and those of Larry Roeseler (sp?). One of those bikes I modified heavily like his, which explains how I came to speak with him the few time I did. And I passed up an opportunity to purchase one of his former machines.
I do have grounds to criticize because (this America, after all; moreover) I have done technical writing on a professional level in my career: proposals, specifications, and assessments, which go up the ladder and often well beyond my superiors at work. When reporting it had better be based on fact - if not it needs to be stated as such. It is incumbent upon the authors (let alone moral) to inform his audience and give them the information they need to make intelligent, prudent decision(s).
My point earlier was he is human like all of us and will err in judgment, one of which I have and always will object to, that being the reinforcing of the '90-'99 DR350 swing arm: is not as productive as one would believe.
Reinforcing the swing arm masks the real source of the problem, that being the shock linkage curve is not correctly mated or optimized to the stock shock (travel) in a proper fashion. And as such it causes the rear end to be loaded in a harsh portion of the travel at critical moments (whoop-de-dos). Revalving cannot fix this (been there, done that too). These phenomena can be solved by two methods: changing the ride-height position in the shock stroke with different-length dog bones or a longer travel shock. Both work to negate the linkage-induced oddities. I've approached this four different ways and the latter produced the most dramatic and conclusive results, albeit is the most costly.
Now back to the argument. What is published in the 'zines may be misconstrued as fact by a reader when it may very well not be, especially to the uninformed and inexperienced. Sadly - it shouldn't be this way - it is up to the intelligent consumer to determine the validity of the claims and propositions, which makes this place and the wealth of experience contained herein superior to all others sources. Real-life guys and gals with real-life exposure, not pampered editors with accolades rolling-off-the-tongue effortlessly for those distributors so inclined to equip at a whim. (DB, as an off-road editor seems less likely to fall in this manner.)
In closing let me state I too am saddened by the shift of the printed media towards the flash/showy-side of the sport (where the $ is), and getting far away from Joe Average; this began in the early '90s and continues to this day. On occasion I do read them, but there is little worthy to be gleaned.