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- Joined
- Feb 28, 2003
- Messages
- 51,663
- Reaction score
- 9,272
- Location
- Huntsville
- First Name
- Scott
- Last Name
- Friday
So I had big plans to get a lot of stuff done this weekend. BIG PLANS! It was just so darned NICE though! 
As soon was I walked out the door Saturday, I knew I was going riding. The plans would have to wait until Sunday. I managed to get in a couple hundred miles of great DS riding and sliding on the 1200 GS: gravel, sand, clay, and pavement. It was just enough to finish off the rear TKC 80. Time to order another. By Saturday evening after dinner, I was already getting stiff and sore because I just don't get to ride as often as I like and my body is kind of obnoxious about letting me know its displeasure with this sad state of affairs. I popped some ibuprofen and hit the hay, thinking I'd be good to go Sunday. After church and lunch, I got home and thought to myself, "Right, let's get this done!" The forks and rear shock need to come off the KTM 530 EXC so I can rebuild them. But the bike is still filthy from the last ride, mud all over the place! A puddle of oil lay on the floor beneath my oil streaked forks... I glanced over at the GS parked next to it, a beautiful heavy layer of dust and pollen coated every nook and cranny of it. I like working on clean bikes. So I rolled them out into the yard, fired up the pressure washer, and got after them! "Hey Dad! Can I ride the dirt bikes?!" Hmmm... it seems the wonderful weather is affecting more than just me. Daniel has the itch to get in some riding as well. It has been a while and there is nasty weather on the way. So I got out the XR 80 and made sure it would fire up for him. He likes riding this one over the CRF-110 because it has a clutch and a loud race pipe! Thirty minutes later, he's zooming around the yard. Hmmm... I have a new camera and lens. This is the perfect opportunity to get some action shots of Daniel. I head inside to grab my gear then back outside to get to work. Tracking this boy while panning is work! He's either stopped or wide open. After 30-40 hots, I figure I'm good and I really ought to get back the bikes. We are expecting company around 5:00pm and my time is running short. So I fire up the pressure washer again. "Can I ride too...!?" I look behind me and Rachel has all her gear in her hands and a pathetic look on her face 
I shut down the pressure washer, get out her CRF-50, make sure the tires have air and the engine oil. I turn on the gas, kick a couple of times... remember to turn on the key... kick it once and VROOM! so of course I HAVE to get pictures of her as well 
I did eventually manage to get both bikes cleaned, just in time to roll them in the garage as company begins arriving. One lady finds her way to the swing on the back porch and starts watching Daniel ride. After a few minutes of freaking out, she heads back inside. We've learned to just relax and not make sudden gasping noises when Daniel rides. So far it has worked 
He LOVES hanging the back end out and shredding our lawn!
I never managed to get a good shot of him doing it, but quite a few times he would ZOOM past me, slam on the back brake, slide sideways ALMOST to the point of high siding, then pinning the throttle and zipping off across the yard. I am sure that with my lightning fast reflexes, if I tried that, I'd be FLIPPING off across the yard 
Rip it! Rip it good!
He just LOVES leaning and hammering the throttle at the same time. One of these days though... BAM! Right when he least expects it, hehe. I guess that is how we find the limits!
He REALLY wants to flat track. I might have to find a way to scrounge up the money to get him a weekend at Colin Edward's facility in Conroe.
He can reach the ground pretty well, but he doesn't weigh enough and is not strong enough to kick start it real well on his own. He has done it though.
Apparently I was taking too long to help Rachel get going...
Daniel is usually really good about being careful around her and watching for where she is while he is ripping across the yard at warp speed.
She desperately WANTS to ride like Daniel... Right now I don't let her get out of first gear because sometimes she stops paying attention to what she's doing
Stretching her comfort zone!
I'm sure in her mind she's thinking, "I am STANDING!!"
She is getting better at eye control and looking where she wants to go.
Gotta remind him to get that foot out front and off the ground before it catches on something and yanks him right off the bike!
A little better
Annnndddd... gravity wins!
Most of the time he is totally focused... unless he has an audience to impress
Sometimes I have to remind him that they are NOT racing... and he does pretty good...
But that URGE to pass is just so hard to resist sometimes!
She does NOT like being passed!
In the zone
Getting on it the best she can with training wheels. I need to get her off of those soon.
With company arriving and other kids, it was time for them to park the bikes. Too many kids in the yards ups the chance of someone getting run over in the confusion. They parked the bikes and headed inside. I grabbed a few shots of the flowers that survived Daniel's plowing exercises...The yard is just covered in these right now
So... I'll have to get those forks and the shock removed sometime this week, assuming the coming rains do not flood my garage 
