Wilsons Sandbox

Here goes. I like many on the list am involved in a number of outdoor activities. I have worked for the two "big" Department of the Interior land management agencies in both Off-Highway Vehicle programs and wilderness programs. I know both sides of the debate/story. Last summer while I was in the market for a motorcycle, I was hiking in Elfin Forest (more like Elfin Chapparal) outside of San Diego. I was up on trail, overlooking a two way paved road. Real quick; I watched a DR350 rider approach a locked gate, stop, the preceed to go off road around the gate. He went up the road then turned around when it dead ended. The actions of one effect many. I have no regrets on the purchase of my KLR, but I fought with "Do I really want to be associated with that reputation?" Here is my charge to all of you. Change the way people look at us (not just you). -Kill your engine if you are passing hikers on a trail (yeah I know, you need to do the clutch-in gear bypass to get it started again). I do it and have actually had people wave and give me the thumbs up (along with some one legged peace signs). -Stop and ask the mountain biker or other rider with the flat if he needs help. -Stop, kill the engine and say hello to the equestrian users. Horses think of you as a big monster on wheels (I am sure some if us are). -And finally don't forget to "hug a tree and cuddle a bunny." I prefer Jeffery Pines and the soft fuzy bunnies. I wish I could share some other stories with you in Moab (like the kid who drove his SUV into Toulumne Meadows in Yosemite. Talk about pissed off Rangers!), but I will be working. -Adam ron criswell wrote:

> Guys (and Gals), > > I think it is time as a group us offroad people start really banding > together or the only place we will be able to ride is the super slab. I > saw on NBC News (of coarse) how out in Southern Utah we as a group are > raping and pillaging the land. One teary eyed lady with a butt as big as > Dallas and her token REI hat was describing how we are ruining the sand > dunes in southern Utah. Next Katie Curic and Rosie O'Donnal will have a > million bunny march in Washington and demand that we keep the sand in > Utah clean as........ ah ....... er ........dirt. Maybe Gino is right > about keeping our mufflers quite as a "tweety bird". I have ridden > irresponsibly in the past as has probably all of us. But we really need > to consider if tearing up that neat little hill in front of a bunch of > hikers and mountain bikers with our Big Guns blazing serve our interest > well. One reason I bought the KLR is I can take it to Big Bend National > Park and ride the dirt roads without getting hassled by the rangers. I'd > rather be on my IT Yamaha but you can't ride a bike like that there > anymore. I see the days coming where the only place we might ride dirt > bikes is private land (if that). Comments? > > Ron Criswell > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Savings + service + convenience = beMANY! > http://click.egroups.com/1/4116/5/_/911801/_/959428685/ > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > Visit the KLR650 archives at > http://www.listquest.com/lq/search.html?ln=klr650 > Support Dual Sport News... dsneditor@... > Let's keep this list SPAM free! > > Visit our site at http://www.egroups.com/group/DSN_klr650 > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > DSN_klr650-unsubscribe@egroups.com

I sort of agree with both of you. I agree with all Adam said, except I'd advise using great caution if you try to kill the engine and coast by those hikers. Mountain biking taught me that part of the reason that hikers hate mountain bikers is that they scare them due to their sudden and quiet appearance. Myself, if I see hikers coming towards me, I stop and kill the engine, then I say howdy and try to strike up a friendly conversation. I've met some interesting people that way, and have successfully argued my existence on that trail to some of the more militant greenies. If I approach hikers from behind, then I come to a near stop, determine if I have room to safely pass, make sure they all know I'm behind them (DON'T use the horn! I say something like "Hey guys, how are you doing? I think that I have enough room to get by you here on the left.) Again, sometimes I strike up a conversation. I sometimes ride on private land (farmers mostly), with permission. I always close gates behind me, and I don't tear up the ground and stick to roads and tracks. That goes for all of my riding. I WHOLEHEARTEDLY subscribe to the principles of Tread Lightly! If I want to tear it up and get radical, I go to a designated off road area or the ORV track. When I'm riding out in the sticks, I'm there to go from point A to B, enjoy the sights, and maybe do some good fly-fishing and camping. The real purpose of my KLR, and my SUV for that matter is to just go from A to B. Any riding other than conservatively not only jeopardizes our right to do so, but also increases the risk of breaking the machine, injuring ourselves, prematurely wearing out costly chains, sprockets, tires, brakes and what not, and wastes gas. The bottom line of all that is that you have limited your future excursions. I agree with Ron in that we need to consider our actions and take responsibility for them, and we need to organize our efforts to preserve our rights. This Clinton Land Grab deal remind anyone of what Carter did to Alaska, and giving the Panama Canal away? Jeff

> Here goes. I like many on the list am involved in a number of outdoor > activities. I have worked for the two "big" Department of the Interior

land

> management agencies in both Off-Highway Vehicle programs and wilderness > programs. I know both sides of the debate/story. > > Last summer while I was in the market for a motorcycle, I was hiking in > Elfin Forest (more like Elfin Chapparal) outside of San Diego. I was up

on

> trail, overlooking a two way paved road. Real quick; I watched a DR350 > rider approach a locked gate, stop, the preceed to go off road around the > gate. He went up the road then turned around when it dead ended. > > The actions of one effect many. I have no regrets on the purchase of my > KLR, but I fought with "Do I really want to be associated with that > reputation?" > > Here is my charge to all of you. Change the way people look at us (not

just

> you). > -Kill your engine if you are passing hikers on a trail (yeah I know, you > need to do the clutch-in gear bypass to get it started again). I do it

and

> have actually had people wave and give me the thumbs up (along with some

one

> legged peace signs). > -Stop and ask the mountain biker or other rider with the flat if he needs > help. > -Stop, kill the engine and say hello to the equestrian users. Horses

think

> of you as a big monster on wheels (I am sure some if us are). > -And finally don't forget to "hug a tree and cuddle a bunny." I prefer > Jeffery Pines and the soft fuzy bunnies. > > I wish I could share some other stories with you in Moab (like the kid who > drove his SUV into Toulumne Meadows in Yosemite. Talk about pissed off > Rangers!), but I will be working. > > -Adam > > ron criswell wrote: > > > Guys (and Gals), > > > > I think it is time as a group us offroad people start really banding > > together or the only place we will be able to ride is the super slab. I > > saw on NBC News (of coarse) how out in Southern Utah we as a group are > > raping and pillaging the land. One teary eyed lady with a butt as big as > > Dallas and her token REI hat was describing how we are ruining the sand > > dunes in southern Utah. Next Katie Curic and Rosie O'Donnal will have a > > million bunny march in Washington and demand that we keep the sand in > > Utah clean as........ ah ....... er ........dirt. Maybe Gino is right > > about keeping our mufflers quite as a "tweety bird". I have ridden > > irresponsibly in the past as has probably all of us. But we really need > > to consider if tearing up that neat little hill in front of a bunch of > > hikers and mountain bikers with our Big Guns blazing serve our interest > > well. One reason I bought the KLR is I can take it to Big Bend National > > Park and ride the dirt roads without getting hassled by the rangers. I'd > > rather be on my IT Yamaha but you can't ride a bike like that there > > anymore. I see the days coming where the only place we might ride dirt > > bikes is private land (if that). Comments? > >

> Is a kickstart add-on still available from Kawa? I know they had the > option a few years ago, and it looks like the plugged hole is still > there on the trans. > > KB

KB the kit only works on A9's and older...last I heard the kit was unavailable unless you can find one in the queue somewhere... Kurt