desert_max
Well-Known Member
Well, it was bound to happen. The bad caught up with me. But I’ll get to that in a minute. Seems more fitting to start out on a positive note.
The good thing is that it is possible to enjoy, and I mean enjoy, a spirited ride in the low Sonoran desert in the summertime. The trick is you just have to get out early. Really early. And be back before 10 AM.
A buddy and I headed out to Tortilla Flat this morning, he on his ‘01 ZRX, me on the ‘86 Vmax. I’ll cut right to the chase and just say that the road out to TF consists of somewhere between 90 and 95 sharp turns in less than 10 miles. (Smaller curves not included). The Dragon got nothing on this thing. Scenery is phenomenal, just not particularly green. By going early, you beat the heat and most of the traffic. Especially on the return trip.
The bad? I knew this would be coming,and the bad is not really horrible, but my clutch is going away on me. The REALLY bad is that I had it apart right after I bought the bike because the plates were frozen together. A close inspection at the time to me seemed to indicate that everything was fine it should be serviceable for quite a while. Apparently not. Slipped pretty good in fourth and fifth gear a couple of times on the freeway to meet my buddy. Those are the only two times I noticed it. The rest of the morning nary a complaint. But that was my warning. So, I am clutch shopping. Will not be doing the D&D mod. Did that on my 94, and to me it has no place on a street bike. Strip duty maybe, just not for regular use.
The good thing is that it is possible to enjoy, and I mean enjoy, a spirited ride in the low Sonoran desert in the summertime. The trick is you just have to get out early. Really early. And be back before 10 AM.
A buddy and I headed out to Tortilla Flat this morning, he on his ‘01 ZRX, me on the ‘86 Vmax. I’ll cut right to the chase and just say that the road out to TF consists of somewhere between 90 and 95 sharp turns in less than 10 miles. (Smaller curves not included). The Dragon got nothing on this thing. Scenery is phenomenal, just not particularly green. By going early, you beat the heat and most of the traffic. Especially on the return trip.
The bad? I knew this would be coming,and the bad is not really horrible, but my clutch is going away on me. The REALLY bad is that I had it apart right after I bought the bike because the plates were frozen together. A close inspection at the time to me seemed to indicate that everything was fine it should be serviceable for quite a while. Apparently not. Slipped pretty good in fourth and fifth gear a couple of times on the freeway to meet my buddy. Those are the only two times I noticed it. The rest of the morning nary a complaint. But that was my warning. So, I am clutch shopping. Will not be doing the D&D mod. Did that on my 94, and to me it has no place on a street bike. Strip duty maybe, just not for regular use.
