Dirt bikes

I use the Leatt 4.5. I find it to be a great compromise between airflow, bulk, and protection. It also integrates with my leatt neckbrace perfectly.

 

Just started rocking a Leatt 5.5 this year for upper body and their X-Frame knee braces, GPX 5.5 boots. So far liking the combo. I need to get a dirt neck brace too at some point, my STX RR 'works' but isn't ideal in that role.

 

has anyone else, besides Melka, used Kreft Moto for their KTM, Husky, Gas Gas, Husaberg, suspension rebuild/revalves? Ski

 

I’ve no complaints about ventilation, but I do wear a set of Lycra-like material on the legs so they’re more comfortable. That, and I have in the state shaped like a hand. If I lived in a state shaped like a penis, then maybe ventilation would be a genuine gripe.

 

No but I had mine done by MVR and it’s awesome.

 

Gear-wise, up top, I use an Alpinestars Bionic Tech V2 jacket with a water pack. I like this setup in particular since there’s no need for a backpack as the bladder fits in a mesh compartment on top of the back protector, under the jersey. You just have to be careful routing the hose so it doesn’t kink since I’ve a WSE system in the helmet.

Riding in the woods without a backpack’s straps to snag against branches is nice, let alone voiding the additional weight of the same. All that gear: tube, phone, spares and med kit go in a fender back. It makes a big difference after a two-three hour slog through the forest, right up until you hit a tree.

 

Broke my middle phalanax bone in my pinky clean in half yesterday. Kind of an odd one where a larger sapply managed to get under my bark buster and was a good enough smack to break it in half. Don’t ask me how but while adrenaline was still going was able to yank in it hard enough to what seems to be reset. Went in my backpack, grabbed some tape and rode the rest of the time. Made 2 different splints out of carbon last night, one for daily and one for riding. We are riding tomorrow abs I don’t break promises to my son. I don’t do pain pills besides Tylenol / Aleve but it’s nothing that needs Anything more. My buddy said “well if you weren’t riding like a pussy you’d have been on the gas more and you hand would have rotated out of the way”. He had a point with the exception of me being about 3 min ahead of him

 

I always wear something underneath. Usually either a pair of Lycra under armor (I have a few pairs depending on if insulation needed or not) and on hot days I wear an rs Taichi mesh under suit I’ve had forever. Key is a barrier between your skin and knee braces. It’s is not recommended to wear anything underneath (by some companies while others actually sell liners - calf guards so who knows ) but I’m sensitive and don’t like wearing through spots of my skin. I have a pair or C1 custom ones which 75% of the cost was actually covered by my insurance. Had them add the impact protection kit (which was not covered by insurance ) Had them about 6 months and love them, you don’t even know they are on. I also have a set of Mobius which I like as well but the CTI ones are a true custom fit and you have the option to have them made for riding (not just model selection but when they custom fit you, they even have a mock dirt bike when they do your fitting ) and not other sports like doing something stupid like running.

 

My leatt braces come with lycra knee socks that are part of the brace setup, both for your leg, and to wrap over the brace to keep the frame from snagging your pants.

 

So your buddy was saying that had you had the front end in the air, you coulda been all crossed-up and avoided the sapling slap altogether?
Sounds legit...it's how the fast guys go between trees that are closer together than the bars are wide.

CTI Customs...

Yes. You can break other parts of your body before those fail in any way. I'm okay with that cuz soft tissue injuries, like hyper-extending a knee, are way more painful than any broken bone.
Bought my Customs back in 2000 as insurance against blowing through the top of my knee if I cased a big triple. Still have 'em, still wear 'em, still fit, but now their purpose is to prevent hyper-extensions, side blows and protection for patella impacts.

...there's nothing better.

 

He was obviously kidding as neither of us are “,fast”. I’m the same way broken bones I can deal with, but soft tissue stuff takes a long time to heal, never seams to be the same, and hurts way worse. I actually blow through trees a good bit and have decent size bark busters, this was just a very odd one. Knew it was bad as soon as it happed, could feel the impact all the way up my arm bad enough to pull over. I may piss off the neighbors a bit and go for a spin today. Swapped out the slide and jets to suit the weather a bit better so need to test it out. I’ll just tell my wife it’s for safety for when I’m riding slower with my son tomorrow

 

Yup, never the same again...ankle, knee, wrist, shoulders. Where was all this protective gear when I was growing up?

 

Unlikely, they are usually 2 to 3 weeks backlogged, and only service WP suspension, but.. they are TOTALLY worth it. When you are so busy, all you do is wp suspension, nothing else, and have guys working for you doing this.. you are doing it right

 

@MELK-MAN, I sent mine into kreft last week. Shawn told me 2 week turn around, once they have them. i wont need them until spring but, i am hoping to have them back by christmas, so i can have a "complete bike", and can send the bike for motor, head refresh, and dyno tuning.

really hoping it gels with me, it's A LOT of money for it. my 17 xcf wont finish a turn, the way i like it to. climbs out of ruts, washes out of loose sand berms. it is a really vague front end feeling, once you get up to speed, then you dont know when it is going to spit you on the ground.

it was fine when i was "slow" but, once my speed picked up, the problems seemed to magnify themselves. i have been on the ground more in the last year, than ever, i think. my fragile ego, is having a tough time with it. Ski

 

Surprised you are having that much trouble. My 20 XC works really well after a rear spring Change and basic set up stuff.
Well and some SKF stuff in the front forks to get rid of the stiction.

 

@turner38 , 17 was the first year of the aer fork, there were issues which were updated in 18, then updated and refined more in 19-21 models. your 20 would be the 3rd iteration of the fork.

i have tried the sag set anywhere between 100-108mm, i played with the clickers, fork height in clamps, the faster i became, the worse my turning problem became. a riding coach (Corey Parlin) here, before he knew me well, were discussing my issues... i explained what i was feeling, doing, he asked me about the bike, we went to the bike, and he explained to me the 17's issues, including no free bleed in the fork, and a very POORLY DESIGNED MID VALVE, was probably a big reason for giving me my issues. the rest we are working on, including body position/riding style. Ski

 

Went to Holly Oaks ORV park in Michigan, for the first time yesterday. Kind of neat, for Michigan at least. For two wheels, if you need practice on hill climbs or mud bogging, it’s a good place to be. For trails and MX, not so much. Plenty of Jeeps on street tires, lots of UTVs, five dirt bikes, three ATVs and maybe ten Trump flags attached to various vehicles around the park.

They limit tickets to 500 vehicles, though we didn’t have any real issues with crowding.

Maybe not so great on two wheels, but if you have four, it’s probably a lot more fun.

 

Time to check those folks for their "NO REGERTS" tatoos.

 

There’s a tattoo parlor not far away that will probably service those NO RAGRETS needs.

 

TIRES!
I didn't want to start a thread about dirt bike tires on a road race forum and this thread seems to have the most traction for dirt stuff so...

Open-class 4-stroke MX, suspension set up for trails/woods, terrain is central PA's soil, full of shale aggregate (to include loose and imbedded block-sized rocks) and deep loam that hides roots/block-sized rocks. Aside from location specific areas of crushed coal/gravel, the riding areas consist of these two conditions - shaded forest with the loam and well worn (hard pack) open terrain with the gravel/rocks.

Looking for tires that work well in the loam/roots (low speed cuz all the damn trees) while having the resilience to survive the open shale/gravel/rocks (high speed cuz finally broke out of the woods). Hillclimbing is a given in both conditions.

I'm guessin' this is a unicorn, but what might come closest to fulfilling the need?