Re: Tour of the Davy Crockett NF 12/05/15 - RIDE FULL!!
That short stretch was probably the worst part all day, that and the short water filled mud section just after that. Otherwise, I was amazed at how good the roads were. The sand was all nicely packed. Even the other places with mud were nicely packed from the hunter's trucks going through so there were typically good ruts we were able to run without any problems. I think the only thing that really made me pay extra close attention were the places where they put down that gravel with chunks the size of golf balls and bigger!
My suspension is toast. The left fork probably has no oil left in it. The rear was banging pretty hard as well. Looks like it is time to do a rebuild/refresh. My arms are sore from the pounding. The bike has 8500 hard miles on it, so it is definitely due for the TLC.
My jetting is still off
I guess the dense cold air threw it off. I think it is set for summertime. The bottom 1/4-1/2 of the throttle would bog on me, but once past that point the bike ran great! This just meant I had to keep the revs up, usually by dropping one gear lower than I might normally use in the corners.
Right before we got back to Huntsville, the bike died before I could reach the reserve lever on the tank. I still had probably 1-1/2 gallons or more in the tank because I was only pulling from the left side. After a quick stop to switch to reserve and also to open the petcock on the right side of the tank and we were back in business. I had 240 miles showing on the GPS when it was all said and done, all on one tank of gas.
Amazingly, there were no problems like flats or other mechanical issues. As a result, we were able to keep a nice pace, usually running around 40-45mph on the dirt, slowing for a few messy spots. We didn't do an official lunch stop. I missed a turn and by the time I got tuned back around and to the intersection, everyone had their helmets off and power bars out
Maybe 10 minutes later we were in Ratliff for a gas stop and I spotted the BBQ trailer across the street. I got a free sampler and water. It was good and all I really needed. I think some of the other guys actually ate.
The 36F in the morning was a bit rough, but by the time we reached Crockett people were already shedding layers. It was sunny and beautiful all day. Parts of the NF had a good number of people in it, mostly hunters. So I did have to keep things sane in the corners to avoid any untimely meetings with trucks. Most of them were very courteous and pulled over to wait for the group to pass.
All in all, it really was a great day of riding.
We were back well before dark