Fly Evo 2.0 Gear In Review

I am not normally a big "gear" guy.  I usually just buy whatever is on close out or looks cool but I decided that since I have this new website that I would try to pick out some stuff that I could review and be critical of. 

Our Fly rep came into the shop and showed me some of the new Fly gear and I decided that I would give it a try even though I haven't worn Fly gear in a long time. 

I decided on the Evo 2.0 because it seemed to be a durable yet high tech option.  It boasted of having the BOA system to fine tune the fit and they had a totally ridiculous HI VIZ color scheme.  So I ordered a set for the annual death march. I knew that if I stayed comfortable for 170 gnarly miles then I could recommend it to my customers.

At 6:30 am on Sunday morning I pulled on the new gear and cinched down the adjustments around my "robust" figure.  We headed out on one of the hardest rides I could dream up and the gear did an amazing job.  I was cursing the venting at 7:00 am in Gunnison Colorado because I was freezing but it worked really well (too well that early in the morning).  I stayed comfortable all day long and into the night as we finished the ride. 

My gear "fresh" from the Death March

I think that the venting that they put into the (for lack of a better word) crotch and butt area did a great job of keeping me from having any monkey butt at all.  I really liked the BOA cinch system that allowed me to tighten the pants down and keep them from wanting to fall down.  I absolutely LOVE the grippy stuff they have on the lower back of the jersey.  It kept it in my pants all day!  The feel on the bike from the leather inner knee patches was great too.  All in all, I really liked the gear and would recommend it to any customer.  It isn't super inexpensive ($50 jersey/$170 pants) and I cannot say much about durability yet but I like it and will follow up with a long haul test later this year. 

If you have any questions please post here or call us at the shop 970-240-2197.  We would be happy to answer any questions or order up a set for you!

Mobius Knee Braces In Review

So, I have worn lots of knee braces over the years and I have never been super amped on any pair.  They have always been a necessity that I tolerated.  I don't have bad knees and have never blown anything out so they have always been preventative and therefore somewhat of a burden.  I have never sprung for custom CTi's so they have always been off the shelf and bulky.  My last pair was a set of EVS Web Pro's.  You know the ones, carbon and all that.  $700 so they should be great right?? Nope.  They were bulky feeling, always falling down on long rides and just not comfy.  

So recently I decided to switch it up and try the completely different Mobius braces.  I was lucky enough to meet and talk to Taylor Robert at our Moto Mayhem race in July. He is wearing them now and I asked him his honest opinion about them.  He said that he really liked them so I figured that is all I needed. 

Here is why you should at least consider our reviews on here.  I had to purchase a set.  Yes I pay less than retail but no one gives us stuff to say nice things.  I have to buy them with my own money so if I say I like it, it is because I really like it. 

So I received my braces just a few days before the Death March and I was worried that I would take them on this giant ride and end up having blisters, or at the least have to adjust them all the time.  Well I was wrong, they were great right away

I put the braces on for a couple shake down rides in the adobes. They took me a couple tries to figure out how to fit them correctly but after that I was in love with them.  They fit great based on measurements that I took using their online guide.  The strap and cable system of attaching them to your legs is super easy to do and is really secure.  During the death march I only adjusted them once after the first 50 miles and they stayed in place for the following 120 miles of seriously gnarly terrain.  They feel really slim on the bike.  Unlike most braces the hinges aren't big bulky things, they are very trim and you barely notice any extra width.  I used the MSR sock/legging combo things as sleeves and everything stayed put, allowing me to focus on finishing one of the hardest rides I have ever come up with. 

My braces after the death march

These braces aren't super cheap but I have found that nothing good is so get over it and be prepared to spend some money.  That said, at $600 they are less than a lot of braces and well worth every penny if you value your knees.  If you have any questions about these please feel free to comment below or call our shop and ask for Morgan.  970-240-2197.  If you want to try a pair on, we will order them and if they don't fit, we will send them back and get the right size or find the braces you need. 

8th Annual Highland Cycles Bataan Death March

Well the 8th annual death march is in the books and it was bigger and better than ever.  This year I turned 40 the day after the march so I decided to make it one for the books.  

We camped out at Hartman Rocks again but instead of trailering up to the start we left from camp and snuck through town at 7 am.  We started with Mick, Ian, Jeff, Brian, Kain and myself.  The Prossers were supposed to meet us at the trailhead but were running late so we took off up Fossil Ridge.  After getting to first stopping point it was clear that Mick, Ian, Kain and I were holding a brisk pace and Jeff and Brian decided to hang back together and enjoy their day at a slower speed.  

We finished Fossil and Gold Creek in really good time and hit Taylor Park ahead of schedule.  At the trading post Ian decided that he would head home to be with his daughter so Kain, Mick and I headed for Timberline to knock out the hardest trail of the day.  

With just the 3 of us we made pretty short work of Timberline and all came out the other side ready for more.  We rode up to the start of Star Trail where I had stashed gas and met the Prossers there.  They had skipped Timberline to catch us so now we were up to a crew of 6.  We took off up Star towards Italian Creek Rd.  No real problems on Star but I did have my one crash of the day on a switch back but came out unscathed.  

After we hit Italian Creek rd we headed to the italian connector down to spring creek reservoir.  We headed up Flag trail to Bear Creek trail and down to Spring Creek rd for a gas and food stop. While were were filling up Kain and all of the Prossers decided that they were done and didn't want to follow Mick and I up Deadman's.  

We said our goodby's and Mick and I launched into uncharted terrain for the death march.  We rode up Deadman's to Reno Ridge.  We raged the ridge to Reno Divide and headed down to Cement Creek and up to the Mount Tilton trail.  After reaching the saddle we rode down Secret trail to the Taylor divide road and up to Star Pass.  Mick and I stood on top of Star Pass and decided to try and do all of Double Top to Walrod Gulch before putting lights on.  We charged hard and made to Cement Creek Rd with enough daylight to ride up and over deadmans and back to our gas just as it was getting dark.  

We installed our lights and headed down the Spring Creek Rd to the Taylor River Rd and up to One Mile Campground.  From there we took Rd 586 back to Lost Canyon Rd and back to town then Hartman's where Jeff and Brian were waiting with food and beer and pie for my birthday.  

All told we put in over 170 miles in 14.5 hours of riding.  It was exactly what I wanted to do for my 40th birthday!

The Kenda Equilibrium in review

PhotoCredit : Jimmy Lewis' Dirt Bike Test

Well, it took a while to get one of these bad boys on my bike but I did and here is what I think.

The Kenda Equilibrium is a hybrid between a trials tire and a traditional knobby tire.  It is intended to compete with the Golden Tyre Gummi and other super sticky Euro tires. 

The first thing I noticed when I mounted this tire is how stinking soft the carcass and knobs are.  It is much softer than any other tire I have ever personally used.  That makes for an easy mounting job even on my Mousse Bib on my 19" rim.  I paired the Eq up with my favorite front tire of all time, the Bridgestone M59 and headed up to Rico and the Calico trail. 

That area is filled with everything from dark black soil with roots to scree fields for miles so it wasgood test for the tire.  After a full day up there I was very impressed with the traction that the Eq provided.  It hooked up everywhere really.  The only place it lacked was in some deeper mud but I don't know what would have done well there. 

So after that I took it to our local Uncompahgre Plateau for some higher speed ripping and some night riding to see how it would do when pushing it harder in the turns and trying to keep up with my pro level employee Mick Holloway. 

I was super impressed with the tire for the whole ride.  I could charge hard into and out of turns without it wanting to step out and it held back well when hard on the rear brake.  Over all I really like this tire but here is the rub.

This is what it looks like after two rides.  It probably has about 100 miles on it and it is wearing really fast.  I can say that it is still hooking up pretty well considering its shape but I don't see this being a great everyday average tire. 

The cost is good, at $83 per tire it is way less than the $150 Golden Tyre and holds up about the same.  In my opinion this is a very good race tire for Endurocross, or hard enduro style events where traction is key and you don't care too much about how long it lasts.  Click on the pics above for the videos of the two rides this tire went on.  Or click below for the videos and watch what I put the tire through.  We stock the 18" version at the shop so if you need a great race tire with boat loads of traction, come on by or give us a call at 970-240-2197

The crew headed to the plateau for some day and night raging!!!

Uploaded by highlandcycles on 2015-09-01.

The Sedona MX907 in review!

Well here it is.  Arguably one of the weirdest looking tires made but one of the most popular! 

I finally had the chance to try out the Sedona on my own bike.  I would have done it much earlier but they were back ordered for what seemed like forever! 

I put the Sedona on to my 18" wheel with a well worn Mousse Bib because it has a very stiff side wall and I had heard that it is bouncy if you have too much pressure or a new bib. 

The first ride for the Sedona was up in the Taylor Park/Crested Butte area and I have to say I am very impressed.  We rode 60 miles of tough and worn out single track with lots of roots and rocks and the Sedona performed very well.  We rode in dry/slick areas and wet roots and the back of Elsa never did anything unpredictable.  I am also really happy with how it looked after that ride.  I am a wheel spinner for sure and I feel like the Sedona is going to last a long time.  The tire doesn't hook up like a softer/higher priced tire but the long life will make up for that easily and I am not very picky about rear tires since they always seem to be spinning.

I recommend the Sedona for sure.  At $70 you can't beat the price and we are trying to keep them in stock!

Helmet light review

As a lot of people know, I LOVE riding at night.  I found my love of night riding during training for the 2006 Baja 1000.  I soloed that race from Ensenada to La Paz and got to spend a lot of time on the bike in the dark. 

I have used lots of different helmet lights in lots of different situations and all of them have left something to be desired.  So I kept looking and trying different ones.  My biggest complaint was always about the mounting system for helmets and the lack of adjustability.  Recently I decided to buy a Baja Designs helmet light because I knew that they had a good mount set up.  But when I called them I found out that they had quit making helmet lights.  I asked the rep where I should look and they pointed me towards nite rider. 

I checked out what they had and called them to find out what I needed to mount it to my Arai.  They were super helpful and I ended up with the Enduro 2800 Pro light

After I got it all set up and charged the battery I took it out on a ride up Lower Spring Creek trail here in our valley.  I can say without a doubt that it is the BEST helmet light I have ever used. 

The light output is more than enough to see without any other light on the bike.  I was riding Elsa (TC250) and felt comfortable going pretty fast.

The mounting system is far and away better than anything I have used or seen.  The Jawbone system is fool proof and infinitely adjustable so you can get the light in the exact location you need. 

The battery life is really good on these lights.  At full blast they only last about an hour and a half but you don't need full light to have a ton of fun.  I ran my light at about 800 lumens and felt great.  At that brightness they will last over 3 hours which is usually more than enough ride time to have fun.  You can always purchase another battery and ride until the sun comes back up. 

After having so much fun I asked the Nite Rider folks if I could be a dealer and they said yes.  I will be stocking the Pro 1400 and Jawbone mount at Highland Cycles from now on.  I think that is will be the ultimate set up for economy and brightness.  Click the pic below for the video of my ride.  If you haven't ever tried it, I highly recommend riding at night.  With the proper light set up it is so much fun and it makes all the trails you have ridden a million time feel brand new again!!!

Elsa the 2015 Husqvarna TC250 update!!

So most of you know how very much I love this bike.  I have poured my heart into her to make it the best bike I can build and then let quite a few of you ride her in all sorts of conditions!

Well I recently made a decision to make her my bike alone and so I have begun personalizing her. 

Our Highland Cycles suspension specialist Factory Suspension Works suggested that I pony up and have a Huck Valve installed in the shock.  I have resisted that for quite a while because I just didn't believe that some part could make a bike that much better.  Well after a long discussion I decided to let Greg do it.  Let me tell you, that stinking valve is AMAZING!!!!!! 

It is hard to truly describe how good the MX-Tech Huck Valve is.  I LOVED my bike before but it has taken it to a completely new level.  The best way I can explain it is that the rear of the bike is so completely settled in any terrain that it inspires a level of confidence that produces speed everywhere. 

I got Elsa back from Greg at Factory Suspension Works and took it to the Uncompahgre plateau for a Thursday night ride.  We headed out on Buck Trail first.  I was timid at first, not knowing what to expect but as I rode the trail I slowly picked up the pace.  After about 2 miles of riding I really picked it up and started trying to find things to hit and test the valve.  Elsa was a new animal.  She has always been spirited and fun but now she was planted and driven!  I found that I could hit anything (and I mean anything) in the trail and the bike would track straight and soak it all up.  It is so smooth through rough terrain that it makes you look back to see if you are on pavement.  As the night wore on I began to ride faster and faster, eventually exceeding the speed I have ever traveled on those trails.  No matter what I threw at Elsa, she ate it up and begged for more. 

I am a 100% believer in the Huck Valve now.  Do you have to have one??? No!  They are very expensive and the rider is the most important part of the equation no matter what.  Do you need one to win races?? NO!  I have watched super talented people win on very "limited" equipment.  BUT, if you are planning on keeping your bike for a long time and you can afford some really nice equipment and you want the very best there is to offer in suspension, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!!!!

We at Highland Cycles can help you out if you want to take this step towards the best bike you can build.  We use Factory Suspension Works for all of our custom suspension work.  You can drop the bike off at our shop and pick it up as a completely different animal.  Feel free to contact the shop at 970-240-2197 or highlandcycles@hotmail.com to talk about this or any performance upgrades you are considering.

Highland Cycles and the next step

Highland Cycles is getting ready to enter another stage of its growth.  I have hired another great mechanic to take my place in the back of the shop.  Jon Turner will be coming aboard very soon and I am so excited.  Jon is a great mechanic and is excited to be a part of the HC crew! 

We are making this step for 2 reasons.  The first is that we have too much work to do and we can't keep up.  As owner and resident chatty kathy, I cannot get enough work done to help Chad out.  The second and biggest reason is that I need to free myself up to start working on getting our Grand Junction location established

YES, we are coming to Grand Junction soon.  I have a manager lined up who will do a bang up job.  I need a mechanic, a parts guy and a location now. 

My overall goal for Highland Cycles is to cultivate small shops that offer a local feel and great service and have the buying power to offer internet pricing in the store.  I want every Highland Cycles to be a place where riders hang out and get parts and service.  I will not EVER hire someone who doesn't ride and LOVE riding.  We ARE Motorcycling.  We eat it, sleep it and breathe it. 

I am so excited about the future and what it holds for us.  Look out world, Highland Cycles is coming!!!!!

2 stroke vs 4 stroke!

Well you must know that I am partial to 2 stroke dirt bikes.  My personal offroad only bike is a KTM 300 and I chose a TC250 for our flagship.  But I also own and LOVE an XR650R and have raced 4 strokes from Mexico to Colorado.  We also work on and do lots of performance work to both types of bikes.  And we LOVE all dirt bikes and ALL motorcycles for that matter.  Here is my short and curt reason I love 2 strokes the most!

So lets start with maintenance.  Since that is part of what we do all day every day, it is a big part of how I choose a bike to ride day in and day out.   Lots of people say that 2 strokes need more maintenance but that is just wrong no matter how you look at it. 

First of all lets talk about oil changes.  A modern, high performance 4 stroke requires an oil change every 15 hrs of operation at the very minimum.  If you go past this interval you are taking a chance at serious engine damage since a modern bike only holds about 1 quart of oil and it lubricates the transmission, clutch and motor (except Hondas but then you only have about 650 cc's of oil in its motor).  To do this service correctly you are buying high end synthetic oil and a filter every time. 

Now lets look at 2 strokes.  The motor oil in a 2 stroke is mixed with the gas and is effectively changed every time the motor makes a revolution.  The transmission oil is the only oil you have to change and since it just runs in the tranny it isn't all that critical.  As long as there is good oil in there it is pretty much OK.  A modern full size bike holds about 850cc's of tranny oil and there is no filter so its way cheaper to do a normal service on the bike.

Now lets talk about bigger motor maintenance.  If you read your owner's manual you will see that if you follow their suggestions you will see that both 4 and 2 strokes require top end replacements more often than you would like.  I won't go into details but I can say without a doubt that the parts cost for top end maintenance for a 2 stroke is about 1/3 the price of a 4 stroke.  Now people argue that 4 strokes don't require maintenance as often as 2 strokes but that isn't true.  That may have been true when the only 4 strokes were the likes of XR's but nowadays 4 stroke bikes need pistons at the same interval or earlier than most 2 strokes. 

Now lets talk about the complexity of the job.  Even though I make my living working on bikes I honestly believe that most owners could do a top end on a two stoke with a few tools and a manual.  I DO NOT believe that is the case with 4 strokes.  There is so much more going on with a 4 stroke and so much more could be ruined if you don't know what you are doing.  It also costs a lot less to have a shop rebuild a 2 stroke than it does a 4 stroke. 

So we have talked about the costs but I think that what really matters in every true motorcyclist's heart is excitement and fun.  I have ridden and raced just about every type of bike you can imagine.  And while I have never and will never be a professional racer or rider I can say without a doubt that there is NOTHING more exciting or FUN than trying to keep a 2 stroke in the powerband. 

I know that there are lots of people being brought up who have never ridden a 2 stroke and I understand that if you want to compete on the national level in motocross or supercross, you have to ride a 4 stroke.  But I recommend that everyone at least give an old smoker a try at some point.  I honestly believe that they represent the true heart of motorcycling!  Either way, GET OUT AND RIDE!!!!!!

300 Super Build

This winter my 2012 KTM 300XC turned over 400 hrs on its little motor so I decided it was time for a complete overhaul.  Instead of selling it and getting a fresh one (which is usually what I do) I figured I would try to make my old girl into a brand spankin new ride!

So here is what we did:  First thing was to remove the motor from the frame and completely disassemble it all the way to the crank shaft

After we had it torn completely down we sent the cylinder to US Chrome in Wisconsin to re-plate and match it up to the brand new Vertex Piston we bought for it.  They also applied their new APC coating to the piston to help match it up even more perfectly and add durability. 

We sent the crank out to Crankworks in Arizona and had them install a new Hot Rods rod and bearing and balance and true it to better than new specs. 

After we got all that back, we replaced all of the bearings and seals in the entire motor and assembled it. 

After assembling the motor we serviced or replaced every bearing in the chassis and serviced all of the suspension. 

After we got the important parts done, we hung all new plastic on the frame and prettied her up!

Then we took her out and broke her in.  Now comes the really cool part of the story.  This bike is BETTER than it ever was before.  I have been able to put over 20 hrs on it since the rebuild and it just keeps getting better.  With the perfectly matched piston and cylinder and balanced crank it is smoother than when it was new.  Not only is it less buzzy but the power is electric.  It never surprises and never leaves you wanting more.  It is hard to describe how good this bike is now.  I invite anyone and everyone to come and ride it.  I guarantee that you will like it.

Let us know if we can build you the ultimate offroad bike.  I feel like Highland Cycles and build you the best bike around that is durable and performs better than new!!!  www.highland-cycles.com  970-240-2197

Monticello, UT Webe Harescramble

Well, the weekend in Monticello was eventful for sure.  It started with a late arrival by the Spradling clan into a rain storm that made the pits a muddy mess.  As we got there we tried to park next to some friends and made it a total of 3 feet off the main road before we were completely stuck, van and trailer!!! 

After much consternation and begging for help we decided to un hook from the trailer and move the van.  That went pretty well for a bit then I managed to stick the van in a different location very close to a fellow racers truck.  Our friend Casey Melton was able to hook onto the pop up camper and haul it to a solid place for us to camp for the night.  We crawled in and slept, dreaming of drier conditions.

The next morning we woke to better conditions and moved the van and prepared to support our Highland Cycles Race Team members who were racing the team race.  Practice went really well with good conditions and as the Pro/A line took off in the race it looked like we might dodge a precipitation bullet.  Then 30 seconds before the B line started, the heavens opened up and approximately 2 inches of small hail fell and turned the course into soup!  The remainder of the team race was out of hand.  More hail, snow and rain fell making the riding really difficult.  Our teams did great and ended up with a 2nd in the Pro race and 3rd in the B class!

That night I crawled into the camper dreading what the morning would bring.  I haven't been racing in quite a while and I was slated to race Elsa in the Vet A class.  As I woke up early Sunday Morning I could tell it was sunny and my spirits began to lift.  We got up, made breakfast and headed down to the riders meeting.  Brett announced that they were going to postpone the race for an extra hour to let the course dry.  This made me so happy.  The dirt was already drying and I knew that we were headed for traction city! 

The C race started on time and Ashley Stambaugh (one of our team members) jumped out to an early lead with the holeshot!!  She managed to hang on to that position the entire race and came home with a win.

Next up was the Pro A and B race.  We had people on the Pro line (Mick), Vet A (me), 250 B (Shane Ayer), and Open B (Will Stambaugh).  As the flagged waived in front of me I kicked Elsa and dumped the clutch.  That bike rocketed to the front and kept me there for the entire moto track section.  When we hit the offroad portion my skills held us back and we got passed by two riders.  Not too long later Dustin Yehling ( a good friend) passed us up but we were able to keep him in sight for the entire first lap.  Unfortunately I fell apart physically and had to fall back further as the race went on.  The conditions were the best I have ever experienced at a Webe Race.  There was NO dust and PERFECT traction all day!  Elsa (our shop Husqvarna) was amazing.  Everything on that bike worked perfectly.  The suspension (by Factory Suspension Works) was flawless and all of our accessories made it a dream to ride.  I just didn't have what it took to pilot it at that pace.  I ended the day with a 5th place and lots of sore muscles.  I am excited to get myself back in shape and try to compete with those guys.  I am also excited to see what someone else can do with Elsa in a race. 

If you are interested in racing our beautiful 2015 TC250 please call us at 970-240-2197! 

Race weekend coming up!

Highland Cycles is excited to head to Monticello, UT for round 2 of the Webe Racing series this weekend.  Monticello is a beautiful part of Utah located at the base of the La Sal Mountains on the East side of the state.  The race course is made up of groomed motocross track and single track trails that wind around the property.  Monticello has provided some rough races for Morgan Spradling (Owner of Highland Cycles) but he is ready to give it another shot.  He is planning on racing the Elsa the shop rocket.  The whole Highland Cycles Race Team will be there giving it their all.  If you are at the race, stop by and say "hi"  Morgan's boys Ewan and Thomas will be racing too.

Dirt bike riding in Montrose Colorado

I think it is time for someone to come out and just say it.  The offroad motorcycle riding in the Montrose Colorado area is hands down the best on the planet!!!  I have raced and ridden in a lot of really great places but I haven't been anywhere with as much or as varied terrain as here in my adopted home town.

I grew up in Oklahoma City and didn't ride dirt bikes as a kid.  I bought my first one while I was living in Gunnison Colorado and that valley will always hold a special place in my heart.  In the summer, the riding there is phenomenal for sure. 

In 2007 I started Highland Cycles in Montrose and can honestly say that we have the best of all worlds.  To start, our weather is amazing.  It rarely gets too cold or snowy to ride and summers only briefly go over 100 degrees.  Next is the amount of open public land.  I have never, ever been somewhere with this much public land that is open to motorized travel.  Finally the varied terrain here is off the charts.  We have riding that is good for the brand new beginner all the way up to national level professionals. 

We should all count our blessings that we live here.  If you don't live here, I highly recommend coming out and experiencing all we have to offer.  Give us a call and I might even be able to take you on a ride.

Morgan Spradling

Highland Cycles 970-240-2197

Mesquite off-road weekend!!!

Off-Road Moto Parts and Highland Cycles are teaming up to go racing in February.  This year marks the 3rd anniversary of the Mesquite off-road weekend and we are excited to get down there. 

We will be bringing the Husqvarna and putting our own Mick Holloway on it for the race.  We will be supplying support for anyone who wants to race with us.  If you are interested, go to www.facebook.com/events/886967638001470 and join the event.  We will contact you and find out what you are riding and how we can help. 

Tech Tip Tuesday 1/6/15

Today's tech tip is a simple one, but one that lots of people either don't know about or forget to do. 

When you grab your bike and head to your local riding area and unload it, make sure you bleed the air out of or into your forks. 

Out OR In you say????  Yes!  As temperatures, elevation, or use changes, your forks can build or lose pressure and for them to work the way the manufacturer intended they need to be equal to the air pressure outside.  This is obviously changing with the advent of the air fork but there are still plenty of spring forks out there. 

To make this easier, we recommend installing fork bleeders so all you have to do is un-weight the front end and push the button. 

This little tip will keep your forks working well and help prevent seal failure when you build up too much pressure. 

Merry Christmas

Hey all you Moto folks out there.  We at Offroad Moto Parts just want to drop a line and say Merry Christmas!!! 

We know that this time of year means that dirt biking slows down (at least here in the Rocky Mountains) and that is a good thing.  It gives us time to pull the bike into the shop, tear it down and see what it needs to be the best for next season. 

We want to help you with that project and will be posting a series of tutorials on how to do some bigger maintenance on your steed during the winter.  We hope you enjoy them and we hope that you choose offroadmotoparts.com for all your parts needs. 

We will see you next year!!!!

Review of Husqvarna TC250 by Chris Thomas

***Please read this***

I promised a review of my day long, Highland Cycles sponsored, factory ride on the 2015 Husqvarna 250 (two stroke, of course), and here it is.

For those of you who are typical internet users, (reading this on the crapper are ya?) here is the shortest possible version of this review. I like this motorcycle a lot, and believe it is a great platform for building an awesome bike for the local riding and racing scene. I own three late model off road racing motorcycles and this one would be my go-to bike for racing off road. There ya go. Carry on and don't forget to wash your hands.

Now for the full version...
The bike, is a concept that is being executed by T. Morgan Spradling at Highland Cycles. Take a leading edge motocross two stroke racing 250, and turn it into an ultimate, leading edge off road racer utilizing accessories and services that Highland provides. Then, turn it over to riders that can put the bike and the upgrades to the test.

To be sure, I am not one of those guys. This test was to be in the perspective of the ordinary rider. My qualifications you ask? Right place at the right time, maybe? I have been riding off road since I was five. Unfortunately, that was 44 years and 200 lbs ago. I am a "use to was", with crippling carple tunnel. Plus, my boss gave me the day off..
My personal fleet of reference is a mostly stock, fuel injected 450 R Honda, and a very nicely set up KTM 250 XCW two stroke.

The Husky, since she is to be handed around the crowd and sampled by many, was named in the same way. Facebook of course, and she has been dubbed Elsa. I suggested something far more inappropriate, but this is a family friendly bike.

The ride was in Montrose starting at Peach Valley and sampling everything we could from fast Adobe hillsides and whoop sections to the rocky singletrack trails on the slopes above the Adobes. Jason Lesure and TR Larson joined me for an awesome ride, and the kinda fun you would come to expect from a sunny Colorado day of playing hooky and riding dirtbikes in paradise.

Lets look at this girl in an unbiased manner that is meaningful to those of you who have come this far...

The motor is amazing. Morgan gave me a tool to tune the power valve settings and mounted a mapping switch on the bars. The red (more agressive) power valve spring was installed and as such, I was sure it would be a bitch to control wheel spin. Nope. With the map in the "soft" setting it was a complete tractor off the bottom end, yet It still had the snap to lift over obsticles without using the clutch, and it could still rip the revs on the longer straights with ease. I left it in this mode for most of the harder trails. When we rode the open Adobe fast sections and hill climbs, the map switch went to the fast mode. This mode put the upper middle power back in place and it allowed the bike to rev with ease and stay on the pipe in the faster deeper sections. Felt like pulling a cork out. Best of both worlds. Bottom line? It rips. I did not need the power valve tool.

The transmission, in true motocross form, is a close ratio set. For gnarly single track, I am used to the wide ratio XCW, and as such, was sure there was another gear to be had when at the big end of the dial. However, it sure is nice having a nice tight ratio from first to second.

She is very nimble and light, and the suspension is set up for motocross. I am a big lad, so that actually works for me. the spring rates and settings were great in the whoops and big flat landing stuff. It was lacking that plushness of that first 10 to 15% of movement that you need in the choppy, square edge rock beds that are dominant in our area. The balance with stock settings? It tended to push the front when you were not way up on the front of the seat, and it wanted to push the front wheel into the face of the whoops. I slowed the rebound in the rear and that cured the liveliness from the ass end, leveling the ride. Overall, still very good. Morgan has plans to get the suspension reworked with these items in mind since I was not the only one to observe this. A test after the mods will be reviewed at that time.

The bars are Flexx bars. I am a recent convert to Flexx bars. My carple tunnel is at an all time peak, and the Flexx bars are an attempt to avoid the knife of the Ortho. They are helping me prolong my rides before my hands feel like I dipped them in a vat of novacane. I am a yellow bumper guy, Elsa had the stiffer reds. I woulda liked the yellows on this gnarly ride.

The factory clutch has been replaced with the latest greatest Rekluse Core EXP. Because of my hands, I was an early adopter of Rekluse clutches. I call them talent in a box, and they are. All my bikes have them. They are the older Z start pros. The one Elsa sports kicks their asses in clutch lever feel. Hands down.

The factory Husky seat looks all rough and textured, but it is surprisingly traction free, and with all that horsepower, you end up pulling yourself back into the pocket a lot.

Morgan equipped Elsa with all the armor that he has been selling and using on his own bikes. Parts he believes in. The one piece that revealed itself early in the ride, was the Fastway Linkage guard. Coming from a linkless 250 XCW, to a linked bike was a lesson in ground clearance. I am not Jarvis. So I hit two boulders that would have damaged the link, or shock mount... without a doubt... The Fastway guard saved the day and came away with nothing but road rash to show for it. I know that they are pricey, it is worth it. It is one of the first things I would buy along with a skid plate. Color me convinced.

The race bike heritage, and race bike focus of the concept, leaves one thing I would have to change. The fuel tank. It is too small to not be a pain in the ass for riding cross country. Making loops in a race is no biggie, but out in the wild of Colorado, I want more range.

If all my bikes had to go, and I could only have one weapon for riding in the Rockies, it would be Elsa as she sits, with some valving, a big tank, a Pro Moto Billet side stand, and a gripper seat. Done. No shit.

Tech Tip Tuesday 12/16/14

This weeks tech tip is about storing your bike for the winter.  Of course we all hope that we don't have to store our bikes and in our little valley we don't have to for long but if you do have to park your bike for any length of time, here is what you need to do:

First: Service your bike.  You want to make sure before you store it that everything is ready to go when you can get back out there and ride.

Next: Drain your float bowl if you still have a carburetor.  No matter what stabilizer you have, it won't save the gas in a float bowl.  Stabilizer works best in large quantities of fuel. If you have a Fuel Injected bike then just add StarTron to tank and run the bike long enough to get the treated fuel into the pump and injector(s).

Next: Fill your tank all the way to the top and add some good stabilizer (we recommend StarTron).  Filling it all the way up helps prevent condensation from building up and causing problems with water in your gas.

Next: Get some good fogging oil (comes in aerosol can from NAPA or other parts stores) and spray some in the spark plug hole of your motor while turning the engine over.  This helps prevent any rust from forming in the cylinder. Then replace and torque your spark plug.

Next: If you have a battery on your bike, hook it up to a trickle charger (we recommend "Battery Tender" brand) so that it will stay charged and fresh for when you need to hit the button.

Finally: If you have the room, put your  bike on a stand to get the weight off of the suspension and tires and put a light cover on it to keep the dust off. 

When the next nice day comes, you will be ready to just turn your gas on and go ride!!!

Of course we at Highland Cycles and Off-road Moto Parts recommend not storing your bike and just riding ALL YEAR!!!!

The 2015 Husqvarna TC250 Ultimate Build!!!

So, we are finally done with our TC250 (for now).  It is one SWEET bike.  Here is a list of what we have added and done to the bike to make it the best off-road race bike we can make.  This bike is available for demo rides, rental, and race rental this year. Please contact us if you are interested in checking it out.  Highland Cycles 970-240-2197

We added:

Bullet Proof Designs Radiator Guards and Chain Guide Guard

Fasstco Flexx Handlebars with Enduro Engineering Bark Busters and Pillow top Grips

Fastway adjustable Linkage Guard and Evo Air Footpegs

Warp 9 Front and Rear Wheels (to get an 18" on the rear) With an AT81 Rear Tire

Rekluse Core EXP 3.0 Auto Clutch

DID VT2 Chain

SRT Pipe and Guard

Topar Rear Disk Guard with Plastic Fin

TM Designs Chain Guide

TM Designs Skid Plate

TTO Hour Meter

System Tech Racing Fork Bleeders

System Tech Racing Compression and Rebound Adjuster Knobs

System Tech Racing Oil Filler Cap

System Tech Racing Rear Brake Pedal Tip

System Tech Racing Rear Master Cylinder Resevoir

System Tech Racing Rear Caliper Cooler

System Tech Racing Front Disk Guard

Factory Suspension Works Full Custom Re-valve to Forks and Shock

Jetting and Power Valve Tuning by Highland Cycles

If you have any questions about what we did or why please call us at 970-240-2197 and if you are interested in having us help you build your ultimate race bike let us know!!!!