First time at the dunes.

[lithium]

Okay, so we were planning on taking my bike up to the silver lake dunes (for those of you in michigan) and i have to say I'm pretty psyched. I just have a few questions.

Will a my yz125 be very capable on the dunes or will i be lacking in power?

Are paddle tires a must? Or can i just deflate my off road tires a lil bit and be good to go?

Any riding tips\techniques for the dunes would be sweet too. As is said, im a first timer.

Thank you

 

[ellandoh]

youll make it just fine , keep an eye on your plug and if it gets too light raise youre needle, if that doesnt work or the bike gets sputtery put it back, go to david allen racing (right at entrance) and get a larger main jet.
get the paddle tire, youll be ok but its worth it
if you are camping and want an adults only campground style val-du-lakes, if not yogi bear campground.
keep your speed up , your weight a little further back than usual, jumping takes a little getting used to

this jump here is on the shore of lake michigan on the north side of the old dragway :cool:
http://www.dirtrider.net/forums3/attachment.php?attachmentid=7868

take a camera and expect to be hooked , after the first trip you will not accept any less than 2-3 dune trips a year :)

 

[lithium]

Sweet :cool:

Its cool to hear from someone who's actually been there.
Thanks for the info it will definately help. :nod:

 

[ellandoh]

oh yeah, when you crest a hill you can remember what it is like and decide to jump it next time, DO NOT TRUST IT WILL BE THE SAME FOR TOO LONG. wind can change things in a hurry and turn your downslope into a cliff hanger :yikes:

you must have spark arrestor, orv sticker and state park sticker
you will want to have vehicles that can get into the dunes, parking lot vouchers are a pain and must be obtained for saturday and sunday , the day b4 you want them, dune ready passes, (no trailer w/vehicle able to go out on the dunes) can be obtained friday or sat for the rest of the weekend.

voucher center is 300 yds down the street the entrance is on

if all else fails take a tow strap and anyone with vouchers will hook you onto their bumper and get you in whether youre on your bike or in a truck with bikes in back . quads get towed from miles away, as long as they dont start the machine they allow it. ride your bike or quad on the street for 20 feet and you will get a ticket :think: weird ehh

 

[lithium]

Woah...Yeah i remember this being kind of a pain, a few years ago when my bro took his sand rail up there, and it was his first time ..so he didnt know what was going on :bang: lol

We already have state park stickers, and I'm planning on getting an orv sticker soon. We might not have any vehicles that can be on the dunes other than the bike and a jeep my bro has...

Also, you said you needed a parking voucher for sat. and sunday and you need to get them the day before. What about during the week? Do you still need a parking voucher?

Thanks for all the info...i might've been pretty screwed without it. lol

 

[ellandoh]

during the week no vouchers are needed
if you have trouble on the weekend trailer your bike to the end of the line , wait there for your bro to drop the trailer back at campground and tow strap your bike in. provided you go get dune ready vouchers and cant get the parking lot voucher for the trailer

go down this page til you see the voucher rules
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10365_15070-34760--,00.html

 

[lithium]

Sweet. Thanx for the help. I just have one more question. Where did you get your flag? I talked to my dealer about it and they acted like theyd never even heard of dune riding before. lol.

 

[MXGirl230]

They have the flags at David Allen Racing...if they have any instock. You're coming from Rockford...doesn't require going into Holland. I was going to say my husbands shop (Quality Service Plus) has them. Check Shawmut Hills...hmmm....seems like Jerry Grow's Honda in Muskegon had them at one time...been a few years though.

Watch for the idiots there. Every year someone gets seriously hurt or killed because of another idiot. Last year two guys were drag racing and one of the guys creamed someone else.

Have fun, be careful

 

[Toothmech]

That's awesome that you're heading to the dunes! Another thing to note in addition to getting the flag for the bike is a place to mount it. I grew up roaming the dunes there, and have seen way too many people wasting precious duning time in the parking lot rigging-up or fixing broken flag mounts. You can buy mounts @DAR (David Allen Racing) which are about $5 for each piece (they claim you need 2 bolted together) which sandwich onto your rear axle using the axle nut. It's kind of a ripoff. Make the mount yourself before you go. If you just go get some 1/8" to 3/16" flat bar stock (steel, don't mess with aluminum- ask me how I know) drill a hole big enough for your axle in the end of a 4-5" piece of it (about 1 1/2" wide stock is plenty). Then bend a 90 in it and drill a 1/2" hole in the other end (that's the size of the flag bolt). Bolt it on and snug it down to specs, it should hold pretty well. If you have access to a welder (best method), weld a little 1/2" piece off of the back of the 90 that is flush with the swingarm to keep it from rotating backwards as you ride. Did any of that make sense? (prolly not). If you need more info or pics on the mount, e-mail me or just reply to this message. Also, with a 125, spend the $40 for a cheap paddle and put it on before you get there (once again, save yourself some money- they are $59 at DAR and $20 for install). A 250 can get around on low tire pressure with a knobby fairly well, but starts are always miserable, a 125 will be a nightmare. You'll enjoy yourself much more with a paddle. Also, bring an extra air filter and make sure to check that everything on the intake side of the motor is well sealed/ greased. The sand will trash an engine in no time if there is an air leak. "Test Hill"- the first one in the park and the last hill are the most dangerous in terms of coming to the top and off the other side- always very steep, so for the first few times, make sure you drop the throttle right at the top- seen many a person carted out in an ambulance after flying off the backsides of those two hills. Have fun up there, and keep your eyes open, it's directional traffic, but there are morons everywhere, so always watch your back. I'll be heading back up the second weekend of sept, so hopefully the weather will still be good, let all all know what you think when you get back. Take it easy-

 

[lithium]

cool. thanks guys :cool:

 

[rm_racer]

How close are the dunes to Ontario? I live right on the border of Michigan/Ontario, and would like to go one day.

Thanks.

 

[ellandoh]

How close are the dunes to Ontario? I live right on the border of Michigan/Ontario, and would like to go one day.

Thanks.

220 miles from detroit

 

[rm_racer]

Well thats not too bad. About 8-10 hours from here. Thats 220 miles south, right?

Thanks.

 

[tx246]

check for clearances around the front of the swingarm with a paddle tire. lots of times if your chain is not in the last half of adjustment, the paddle will hit the lower shock mount and/or the swingarm. lots of times you will trash your shock flap. i take mine off and tape up the holes. i then install a shock booty like you see on four wheelers. get a 6paddle not an 8 or 10. they dig too much. finally, i use an ugly stick fishing rod for a flag. i took the eyes off. they are all but indestructable. i cant tell you how many of the $10 variety i broke. the little white fiberglass ones are really fragile. if you are using these, take 2 or 3. the guy before is right on about how things change out on the dunes. slipfaced dunes will get you hurt.

 

[firecracker22]

Use lots of throttle and STAY AWAY from the front brake! I found that out at Oregon dunes last fall. It was SUPER fun though.