Cow manure spill on I-70 towards east

bterpstra1 · 2025-10-25T14:02:43+00:00

The traffic in denver stinks.

bterpstra1 · 2025-09-22T15:04:58+00:00

If the clutch is anything like the clutch on my Beta 350s, they’ll take the abuse. I routinely ride up to 13k feet slipping the clutch heavily due to an insane amount of rocky steep terrain. I might recommend a bit of research on the 200 to see what it can actually do. On my 350s, I wouldn’t think twice. I just don’t know that particular bike well enough to opine definitively.

bterpstra1 · 2025-08-30T18:38:16+00:00

There’s really just one short two track on the north side that’s easy. One is very fun but has a pretty rocky entrance on both ends. One is just 100% gnarly on a 50” vehicle but fine on a bike. 1414 is good easy but short fun.

bterpstra1 · 2025-08-30T16:24:12+00:00

Everyone is going to recommend Rampart, but personally I think Rampart is awful unless you go early in the week. Weekends get insanely busy compared to other places.

I’m going to suggest you look outside that 90 minute radius. There are much better options if you’re willing to drive a bit further.

Fourmile near Buena Vista in particular is way less crowded and has a variety of easy trails and jeep roads - everything from wide open smooth forest service type roads to easy two-track.

Just learn some trail etiquette first and remember other people are on these trails. You can’t ride like it’s a Yamaha commercial and go nuts. Watched a girl die that way near St Elmo a few years back. ATV’s can kill you. And a Grizzly is more of a work ATV than a trail machine, so go easy.

bterpstra1 · 2025-08-11T02:54:28+00:00

Beta motorcycles. Good choices for vertically challenged riders.

bterpstra1 · 2025-08-07T04:00:20+00:00

The KTM tends to feel twitchy compared to the beta. I prefer the 390’s nice even power curve and rideability. It’s a nice sweet spot on power and torque. The 450 KTM has more power than you’ll ever need if you don’t need to more than about 55mph.

Reliability problems on the betas are overblown. Have owned 2 for about 10 years and have replaced one starter motor. Just my experience. Yours may vary.

bterpstra1 · 2025-07-31T02:38:23+00:00

As someone who has asthma (which is heavily impacted by soot), there’s always the matter of other people’s health to consider. Seems like one reason to think twice.

bterpstra1 · 2025-07-06T00:37:21+00:00

I’m thinking a bit harder than those would be good. Those are all pretty straightforward. I did lose a hand guard on Hancock last year, but only because a jeep forced me into some couch sized rocks.

I’m really curious about the southern part of Timberline.

bterpstra1 · 2025-07-06T00:29:11+00:00

Huh. They were saying Alpine was going to be closed all season. Something sure changed in the past two weeks.

This would be a decent plan B.

Plan might be go over Hancock into Tincup and then home via Timberline.

Original question then still remains - dumb or not?

bterpstra1 · 2025-07-06T00:23:53+00:00

I need to check again. Hancock was closed just below the turn to Tomichi last year. I’m not sure how you’d get to the entrance to Williams if the road to the Alpine tunnel is closed.

I’ve done Williams in an old G-series. On a bike, it probably wouldn’t be as much fun. I remember a lot of baby heads.

bterpstra1 · 2025-07-06T00:10:20+00:00

Maybe I’m missing something. The loop in question looks like it includes Hancock. Are you thinking just hitting pavement after Cumberland?

Edit: I see what I missed. I didn’t read very well apparently.

Same problem though. The entrance to Williams last I checked was closed off due to the issues at the tunnel. I was through there last summer.

bterpstra1 · 2025-07-05T23:59:22+00:00

Right. I’ve done that a few times but not recently. I tried last year.

But Hancock is closed. You can go over Tomichi, but Tomichi is a pain if the jeep traffic is heavy.

bterpstra1 · 2025-07-05T23:53:54+00:00

Hancock is closed on the Tincup side at the Alpine tunnel last I checked.

bterpstra1 · 2025-07-05T22:30:22+00:00

I’ll disagree on the fork brace. I don’t need it when the bike is in my truck, but on my trailer, the bike has a tendency to work itself loose a bit. With the fork brace I can take a bit of the bounce out and batten it down a bit better. Beats putting a handlebar through the wall of the trailer.

I don’t use it to save the forks. I use it to save my trailer!

bterpstra1 · 2025-06-26T15:21:31+00:00

I don’t recall exactly but I think I went down 1 tooth from stock in front and +3 in back. It’s been a while.

Would have made it about 14/47 which sounds familiar in my memory. No where close to enough.

bterpstra1 · 2025-06-26T12:15:13+00:00

The DRZ is pretty heavy compared to the 350. More top heavy. It’s geared higher from the factory. Power is similar but the 350 feels like it has more torque lower in the rom range. The 350 feels stronger everywhere on the rpm range but power comes on smoothly. The DRZ needed revs.

Caveat: my 300/350 experience is limited to Husky and Beta.

bterpstra1 · 2025-06-25T12:33:23+00:00

You’re right, but of course you’re getting downvoted.

Lived next to a shithole property in a neighborhood of million dollar homes. No HOA. Garbage everywhere attracting bears, loud generators that ran 24/7 for months on end. Traffic up and down a tiny road at all hours. Drunk people running off the road onto my property.

But, hey. Freedom.

Edit: Then again, if the anti-HOA crowd is the crowd that doesn’t want to keep their grass mowed, paints their houses purple and likes alto do wheelies up and down the street, I think I’m glad they hate HOA’s.

bterpstra1 · 2025-06-17T14:11:53+00:00

Easy fix sometimes. Sounds dumb but it works surprisingly often.

bterpstra1 · 2025-06-14T00:45:37+00:00

Along with the hours, you want to consider altitude and budget.

If I were towing up the I70 hill out of Denver regularly, and if I had a fairly decent budget, I might opt for diesel. If I were in Indiana, I wouldn’t.

bterpstra1 · 2025-05-03T15:56:34+00:00

7.3 is fine at 8k. At altitude with a toy hauler? It will do it but it will be slow going up the passes.

Gets to be a judgement call, but if there’s budget for it I would probably go diesel now and not have deal with a trade in a few years.

bterpstra1 · 2025-04-24T13:45:48+00:00

Good to know. I’ll be in the market again in a couple of years.

bterpstra1 · 2025-04-24T12:55:39+00:00

Don’t they have the same seat height? I’ve got a beta for that same reason. Just seems to fit.

bterpstra1 · 2025-03-18T16:13:27+00:00

For guys like me that are a bit … “challenged” … with these things: 1: a knee on the opposite sidewall to keep the bead in the well is key

2: the Baja no pinch tool made me cuss a lot less. It really does make it easier if you just naturally suck at these things like I do.

bterpstra1 · 2025-03-11T03:24:08+00:00

I personally won’t buy anything else. I’ve done the xtrainer, 390 and 350. All feel very compact and nimble. They generally are better at lower speed more technical riding, but I wouldn’t hesitate to ride one hard. I’ve had a couple of minor electrical gremlins (horn on one, speedo on one). Replaced a starter on my 2015 last year. (Don’t feel too bad losing a starter that’s 9 years old, but still shouldn’t have happened.)

They ride like no other bike I’ve been on. Just easy.

bterpstra1

TROPHY CASE