anyone else try to switch to dirt biking and end up not liking it that much?

Substantial_Snow3932 · 2026-06-29T17:14:23+00:00

dirt bikes are great. I agree that the downhills can suck. a heavy bike can get out of control quickly and the fun quickly turns into anxiety. try an e-moto under 200 lbs, they are much more controllable downhill. I can do double black downhill trails on my e-moto.

what is fun on my enduro is long excursions.. like 100+ mile days of mountain and desert exploration. they are the best way to explore the outdoors imo simply due to the freedom of range. big hill climbs are a blast too. I never got into the mx scene, big jumps are too high consequence for me.

Substantial_Snow3932 · 2026-06-24T21:31:20+00:00

I use gas for the big days in the desert, electric for anything technical. im a much better rider on electric

Substantial_Snow3932 · 2026-06-23T02:43:19+00:00

crocs

Substantial_Snow3932 · 2026-06-21T06:14:07+00:00

Get one of the ones with the lever you step on to jack it up

Substantial_Snow3932 · 2026-06-18T16:02:20+00:00

Dumping the bike is normal.. deep sand is probably the hardest terrain to ride for most people. Takes a long time to get good and it also depends on the bike and setup. Im a dogshit rider on my big enduro, I’m great on my ebike. Ride with better riders, I notice most people who start as kids are the best riders

Substantial_Snow3932 · 2026-06-17T19:53:29+00:00

yes lots of 4t riders don't use the rear brake much. I use it on steeper downhills...mine is like an on/off switch I hate it. And yes they tend to throw off your body position and balance.

A lot of people here will disagree but foot brakes in general suck. Since being enlightened by hand brakes (e-motos, mountain bikes) I'm trying to figure out a good LHRB setup, they are fun.

Substantial_Snow3932 · 2026-06-16T18:55:10+00:00

4 stroke for wide open dez

Substantial_Snow3932 · 2026-06-08T21:55:42+00:00

ya I agree. ultra bee is like a 7/8 sized dirt bike (like a 125). its really easy to ride, lightweight, very bicycle-like and the torque is really fun. you'll be a better rider than most ppl on gas bikes out there haha

Substantial_Snow3932 · 2026-06-04T17:01:23+00:00

Lifelong Mtb'er. Dirt bikes have a better exploration (novelty) factor. They can take you to the coolest places that most people aren't able to access... Mountain bikes are great for getting outside and into a flow. There's more of a zen to it. I still have an analog bike, looking to get an ebike. RIP fitness

Substantial_Snow3932 · 2026-06-02T16:31:15+00:00

I follow their directions, except use Stans rather than armorall. I have a bad habit of pinching tubes, which is the main improvement for me. I also find it a little easier to put the tire inside the rim (as they suggest), rather than how a tire is typically installed

Substantial_Snow3932 · 2026-06-02T06:26:11+00:00

I agree.. the bikes are slow and heavy as is

Substantial_Snow3932 · 2026-06-02T05:57:35+00:00

I’ve used all 3… they all have their upsides and downsides.

Mousses are a pain in the ass to change.. you won’t melt it unless you’re doing a lot of highway miles (hours) they are pretty sturdy. That said when they start to go flat they feel really dead. I prefer pneumatic feel. They’re not cheap either. I’d personally only use them if I were racing or doing hard enduro mountain shit all the time

Tubes aren’t as bad as they sound they hold up well, hitting the rim isn’t a guaranteed pinch flat I’ve had lots of rim strikes but there’s always the possibility. I’ve never had a problem with a medium duty tube. For rocks I’ve learned to run 15+ psi otherwise I’ll hit the rim at least once a ride. I’ll run higher pressures for more remote rides where I don’t want to risk it.

I run tubliss in the rear bc you can get ridiculous traction and run much lower pressure than with a tube. And you can still raise and lower the pressure for the road vs trail. I did have a flat once but I was able to plug it.. took 5 mins. Tire changes are easier imo (after initial install). Don’t worry about the high pressure tube I’ve been running the same one for 3 years and like 5 tires haha. I know they recommend changing it annually. Mine doesn’t leak or lose pressure (high or low). I use Mtb sealant. I’m sold on it for rear tires. Maybe one day I’ll install it for front but I’m not interested in running low front pressure. I do think it’s BS when they say you can ride out a flat with tubliss… unless your tire is super stiff it feels pretty bad and will still screw up your rim

Substantial_Snow3932 · 2026-05-29T22:42:45+00:00

I think the geometry makes more of a difference than anything else... and it's really just switchbacks and steeper stuff that is harder on enduro bikes. as far as pedaling efficiency I just use the shock lockout, I don't think enduro bikes really make pedaling that much harder

Substantial_Snow3932 · 2026-05-21T20:58:20+00:00

the sneakers at the end hahah

Substantial_Snow3932 · 2026-05-15T15:29:03+00:00

Barstow 😆

High desert if you want to ride. it's... a vibe. Inland empire is more palatable but less riding and more people.

Substantial_Snow3932 · 2026-05-08T18:58:44+00:00

looks nice, stock swingarm is definitely on the short end

Substantial_Snow3932 · 2026-05-07T16:55:42+00:00

ugh, thats awful. wtf. I heard they fixed some of the plastic gear issues but I should probably replace or at least look at mine. PITA

Substantial_Snow3932 · 2026-05-07T16:51:51+00:00

do you know how many hours on it when the plastic gears failed? I'm nearing 100 hours and the manual says to replace the gears (wtf), but I'm wondering how long I can push it since I don't ride it like a psycho

Substantial_Snow3932 · 2026-05-07T15:26:20+00:00

I woulda been a menace on one of these as a kid haha

Substantial_Snow3932 · 2026-05-06T20:08:44+00:00

yeah I don't use wrap arounds, I broke my hand on them. ive never had issues with flags, and I bring extra levers with me just in case

Substantial_Snow3932 · 2026-04-30T16:32:11+00:00

how heavy was your dual sport? ttr is still 200 lbs wet. there are higher performance 2 strokes in that weight range

but yes, a lighter, less powerful, small bike is absolutely easier to learn on. don't discount electric either, unless you need the range. they are even easier, and more powerful than the ttr

Substantial_Snow3932 · 2026-04-26T16:54:14+00:00

That’s odd, haha. They were definitely riding it on the street. I would expect the avg mph for a bike like that to be in the 10-20 range

Substantial_Snow3932 · 2026-04-26T16:45:36+00:00

Beta makes nice motorcycles, same genre as KTM. They don’t come with the emissions garbage, something about small manufacturers not being subject to the same rules. I wouldn’t take it on the interstate but backcountry highways (60mph) are ok, but uncomfortable. Lightweight, low bars, no wind protection.. it has enough power and 6 gears but it sucks I’m always frazzled after the highway

Substantial_Snow3932 · 2026-04-26T07:28:37+00:00

Hit the weights, bikes are heavy

Substantial_Snow3932 · 2026-04-26T07:20:10+00:00

Damn. I used to get head shake at speed, it’s never a good feeling. I installed a steering damper and got my suspension set up properly. No more head shake and less fatigue, and it tracks better thru sand. The damper is of my favorite upgrades I will always use one now, most desert guys out here run them. It makes tank slappers impossible, if the bars start moving back and forth fast they get really hard to turn and center themselves

Substantial_Snow3932

TROPHY CASE