First Off Road Photo Whore of the Season!

[Duken4evr]

I went up to Red Cone today with my friend Bob and his new CRF230. Bob is a good sport - he is having surgery on his right elbow for tendon issues tomorrow and he was in quite a bit of pain, but wanted to go riding anyway, as he will not be able to for awhile after the surgery.

I figured the 4X4 trails at Red Cone would be be not too difficult. Pretty much the case, except we went up one trail that was pretty technical - later looking at the 4X4 book he brought along showed that the trail was given a "7" difficulty rating, the highest of any trail in the book. Difficult for 4X4's perhaps, but just another technical but not overly challenging trail on a good dirt bike. Passed a couple of barely moving rock crawling jeeps at, oh, 30 mph, front end aloft

Truth be told, while the trail got solid rock to rock gnarly at times, we could not get to the best part due to snow. above the tree line, the trail runs up the bald rocky hill (in the background of the 5th photo) to the top. From the photos, the climb at that last part looks challenging. I will have to return there this summer, when it is hot and the cool of the high elevation will be a nice reprieve, to take a run at that hill.

Ya, big man I was today. Smoking slow moving trucks and leaving a near crippled friend on a CRF 230 behind at will. After the spanking that BP handed me last season, I needed an ego boost. Aiming low is a sure solution

While the 4X4 trails were not the last word in hard core off roading, the scenery was simply awesome. We wound up at over 12,000 feet, with the trail ending at a closed and marked no trespassing / radioactive uranium mine. It was fun to just go for a ride. A couple times the throttle got twisted hard, but mostly it was just cruising and enjoying the amazing scenery.

Ya, I told Bob to remove the mirrors. He wanted them on for some reason Anyway, I took a spin on his CRF. It is a plush little bike with more go power than I thought it would have at the nosebleed elevation. As long as it is not too bumpy, the low down CRF steers like a slot car and generally rails pretty good, actually. It works well for my friend, he is only 5-4 or so, not very heavy and a competent but not an aggressive rider. To his credit, he rode that CRF with his painful elbow through some rock sections that would have made BP proud Enjoy the pics!

[Puppet]

BEAUTIFUL, not you, the scenery. Was the gray hair there before the mine visit?

Tim

[wreckah]

simply fantastic shots duken!!

what an awesome scenery indeed

[Bikebikerboy]

That is some amazing scenery. Amazing what mother nature can create.

[BikePilot]

Great pics, wish I were there

My best-man's wife has a CRF230F (she's something like a 5-time district 7 harescramble champ - defeated only one year (by my sister)) and really likes it. I've ridden it a bit, its a good trail cruiser but would be a lot better with less weight and better brakes and suspension. The motor did bark quite nicely and would find traction anywhere. She's also got a CRF150R for those times when the 230 just isn't going to cut it.

[gixxerjasen]

CRF and a DRZ...couldn't you guys get some real bikes?

Oh yea, and if you need an ego boost, you can go riding with me. Still need to get my brake fixed, but no time to ride right now anyway.

[Duken4evr]

I rode that CRF and was not expecting much to be honest. It was better than I expected. Put some real wheels and suspension under it and it would make a nice technical trails dirt bike. The motor is of the electric variety and quite effective. It is the perfect bike for my friend.

Funny thing about the DRZ. With the engine mods and power mods I have done to it, it is very effective, especially on the kind of rock trails shown in the pics. It is heavy of course, but it simply kicks ass in rocks. Perhaps it just smashes 'em flat with it's sheer weight The paid for and low maint aspect of it is highly appealing these days

[officer140]

Real great backgrounds - can't say much about the foreground

[pmmonster]

Very nice. Your friend looks like your shorter, older brother.

[Duken4evr]

Your friend looks like your shorter, older brother.

Much shorter I might add Long arm self portraits always crack me up.

I am almost 5 years older than Bob (he is 42, I just turned 47). What can I say. Good living, including non stop on and off road riding, keeps a man young