WomanRider

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Mi. Trail Riders
Jul 19, 2006
422
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My maiden voyage on the 300XCW.

Backgound info you will need later:
If you ever knew how my husband started me trail riding you would wonder why I continued. When I first started riding in 2003 I was on a Chinese 125 4 stoke POS. It did not even have enough power to pull my fat azz up any hill. Bruno decided he wanted to take me trail riding and took me to Evart. For those of you who do not know, it’s rated as one of the toughest trails in lower Michigan. Well as I rode Evart, I wasn’t even a mile in and my heart was beating outside of my chest. Bruno patiently waited and helped me along. I fell multiple times, had many bruses to prove it too. I wondered if I would ever make it out. That day I only finished about 8 miles of trail. Since then I up graded to an XR200, then XR250, and last year CR250. Now I bought a KTM 300 XCW.

Today, was like any any other trail riding day trying to get bikes and gear loaded. I would be riding the 300 for the first time in the trails. TJ tore Bruno’s CR500 apart trying trying to figure out what was wrong with his 500 AF conversion and never put it back together. SO, Bruno decided to ride the girly bike XR250, since nicknamed Snow Machine.

Bruno wanted to head to Lincoln Hills. I was thinking it was too far north, and the uphill tree rooted section would be covered in deep snow, so I suggested Tin Cup. I have always like the single line there and even rode there in snow a couple years back on the XR250, so how much worse could it be. We first stopped at Peacocks to buy ORV stickers. Leaving Peacocks we headed south and turned at 16th street trying to find a short cut to Tin Cup. At first the gravel roads were plowed, no problem. We continued until the only roads left were not maintained in the winter. We were driving the S10 two wheel drive with bald tires, wish we had the 4x4. We drove what seemed like 5-8 miles in this stuff. Luckly we did not get stuck. Every time we passed the Little Manistee ORV route or Trail all I saw was ICE. Somehow we ended up in Carryville, and headed south to the trail head.

Tin Cup trail head look great no snow on the trails, I though this should be fun and began to mess with the 300 odo. I am not sure how I will use this contraption in an FES since you have to flip between trip meter and clock. Right now, I am thinking I want a TrailTech.

Instructions from Bruno before I left trailhead, Keep it in first until you feel the power band hit, and ride it there. YEAH RIGHT.

Headed out on the trail to the east and was having fun for about 300 feet and hit snow. This section was not too bad, uphill sections were dirt. There was one uphill section I never could make in the past until I rode the CR250, on the the 300 I did it in second gear all the way. So far I am thinking I love this power. The only problem I was having was with the gripper seat, every time I moved, my pants would slide down. These are new MSR pants. (I am almost sure I will get banned from the FES because my high waisted granny panties will be showing all the time. Can’t have this in a family ride.) After that hill the deep snow takes over for about 2 miles to the power lines. This section my heart was beating through my Chest protector, had trouble breathing, arms tired, legs tired. Wow, was I out of shape. I was just release from my doc to ride again after ACL replacement. I did three months of PT and nothing prepared me for this ride. I came to a few tight corners with ice and began to get real frustrated. Those are the corners with a tree on the inside, and a hump caused from breaking before the corner and gassing after the corner. As I was riding through this deep snow I keep thinking about the first time Bruno took me trail riding, and I was getting mad at him. Well in the corner I shut my bike off and began yelling at him. He walked over to me, and I threw my helmet at him and I trudged down the trail in the deep snow. I told him he would have to get both bike out of the woods as I was done riding, I hated the bike. Well he took the XR250 down the trail and walked back, by that time I was back at the bike trying to get it around this corner hump/tree/ice and I was in deep snow. I got back on the 300 and continued riding. Finally got out to the power lines and there was less snow so we continued riding. Once we hit the quad trail and saw deep snow up ahead we decided to ride the ICY quad trail.

Down the quad trail there is LOTS of packed ICE. I have trouble keeping the front wheel going straight. I was fighting the bike. At one section I highsided and landed in the only dirt around. Bruno came back to find me and he asked if I wanted to ride the SNOWMOBILE (XR250). He told me to put it in second gear and put one foot on the ice and ski. So I did, and what a difference, I booked right along with that snowbike. At one section, I lost control going up a hill and ended on the edge of the trail. The front wheel was buried above the brake disk. I pulled it out and headed up the hill.

Back at the trail head, Bruno was singing. I was disgusted at him because he had lots of energy left and I did not.

Saturday I will try the 300 again where I hope to find ZERO snow.
 
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YZMAN400

Member
Dec 2, 2003
2,491
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Sounds like you had a great inagural ride on the new Pumpkin...Riding snow without studded tires is never fun though. Riding snow without studds coming off knee rehab and no phytness is even less fun.

But glad ya got out none the less. Those are the rides you look back on and chuckle.

My daughter and I are riding Cedar Creek Saturday. I think someone said it was more dirt than snow. I WANT DIRT

Youll be in good shape out there this weekend. It was 50% open last weekend. It should be pretty nice by tomorrow. Just keep an eye out for the shadows. There is bound to be a patch of ice waiting with your name on it out there.
 

WomanRider

~SPONSOR~
Mi. Trail Riders
Jul 19, 2006
422
0
Don thanks for the words of advice.

This morning I figured out why Bruno wanted to take me north. He wanted me to get so frustrated with the bike and tell him I will never ride it again. That way, he can ride it all year. I see how he was thinking, very manipulative. But it backfired on him.
 

YZMAN400

Member
Dec 2, 2003
2,491
0
By the way.... You know that I am going to have to go for a ride on your shiny new bike next time I see ya dont ya? Ive been dreaming of that exact same bike since I spotted one at Peacock a few weeks back. It is Saaawwweeet!

Then again a test ride may be a bad thing. My Honda and truck are like 4 months from being paid off then I will have a few $ to spare every month...Never a good thing for a die hard motorcycle junky.....
 

WomanRider

~SPONSOR~
Mi. Trail Riders
Jul 19, 2006
422
0
Meet us tomorrow at Cedar Creek. You could take a spin. I do not have the suspension dialed in yet, so its a hard ride.
 

YZMAN400

Member
Dec 2, 2003
2,491
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Stop twisting my arm!

Id love to but the boy starts racing MX this weekend. So my weekend is booked.
 

duckboy

Member
Jan 9, 2005
200
0
About the Trail Tech. You don't need it. The KTM computer needs to have the TR2 CLK (trip#2 &clock) option selected in the programing menu. Then in normal mode you'll be able to scroll to it so it'll show the clock and the adjustable trip odometer at the same time. It took me awhile to figure it out, the directions aren't very clear in the manual. SEAN
 

WomanRider

~SPONSOR~
Mi. Trail Riders
Jul 19, 2006
422
0
Thanks for the info, I will try to get it tomorrow.
 

WomanRider

~SPONSOR~
Mi. Trail Riders
Jul 19, 2006
422
0
We I went out yesterday and things were much better. We headed to Cedar Creek. It was great only about 30 feet of ice on the entire 24 mile trail. Generally this trail gets so whooped out that the only other time I rode it was 4 years ago. All four members of my family rode. Megan rode the CR250, Bruno on the CR500, TJ on my old XR250 (only because his bike will not run at the moment), and I on my new bike.

Headed out on the trail and I was leading being pushed by TJ and Bruno, it did not take me long to get tired, so I let everyone pass. Everyone was waiting for me about 3 miles in, TJ said he could break my suspension in for be by riding it harder through the whoops. I made a deal with him. He has been trashing my new bike ever since we bought it, so I told him if I heard one negative thing out of him about my bike I would never let him ride it again nor feed him at the races. I figure since he is 24 he could fend for himself at the races. So if anyone that know us ever hears TJ taking negative about my KTM let me know. I jumped on the XR250 and rode for about 3 more mile and traded back since the XR was a beast to handle compared the KTM.

Back on the KTM, I am thinking Yes this bike is definitely better that the XR, but better than my CR250, not sure. I need more time. About 10 miles into the trail, I am always the last one, and I began thinking about Megan. Damn she is now faster than me; I cannot even keep her in sight on the trail. Then low and behold I begin seeing her up ahead, so I decide to try to catch her. The only thing I can think of she must be getting tired. It did not take me long to catch up to her. I follow her for about 5 miles. I could catch her in the corners, but she pulled away from me in the Whoops. This was fun. We stopped and took a break and at downed tree. I told Megan how much fun that was to keep up with her. I guess that was wrong because she put the charge on for the remainder of the trail and I could not even keep her in sight. Up until I hurt my knee I was always faster that her, but then again she was always on my old bikes. Now Megan is faster, and the tables are turned for us, she will kick my but all year.

Initial thought on the KTM

Great in the corners
Great in the sand
Hard seat
Love the magic button, it even starts in gear
Love the clutch, my hand does not even get tired
I like the front break better than the Honda’s too
Great power, not sure if I will like it in tight woods though
My average speed is faster on this than any other bike I rode in the past
I am getting used to the ODO computer; I think it works easier than the trailtech.
Throttle cable is routed weird, cannot see the odo easily

We are such KTM noobs it's pitiful. We have only owned Honda's for the last 20 years. KTM crowd any help you could give us would be beneficial.
 
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