Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Next Baja trip in the works: Motos, paddlesurf and dory... !!!

Went out and picked up a toy for riding trails down in Baja. Check it out:

My first moto! It's a Yamaha TW200 it only weighs about 250lbs, electric start with kickstart back up- big ol' fat tires and 100% badass! Now I've just got to learn how to ride it- ooops, got that covered too- going to Honda Dirt Bike School in two weeks and now I'm getting crazy about my next Baja trip: Boats (my hand made wooden dory), Bikes (my TW200), boards (8'4 Stamps Stando, 9'0 Stamps noserider) and bros (my brother Mike who I'm convincing to get a bike too). Yes!!! Preliminary plan is to charge it down to Cabo- paddling when there's waves, riding trails when it's blown out and generally just using as many toys as we can. Yeehaw- I love plans!!!!

4 comments:

Capt Ron said...

Dang John check you out. My wife had a TW200 fun little bike. I have rode motocross and enduro my whole life still have several bikes. I got my first 4 wheeler a warrior 350 2 or 3 years ago did not take long before I found a raptor 660. Really fun in the sugar sand and not as hard on me as the dirt bike. I still take the dirt bike around the patch out back once a week but have to be careful I no longer bounce I hit the ground like a sack of potatoes and just stay there.
Be careful and get a good set of Motocross boots and some good long knee guard/pads and forearm pads. A chest protector and kidney belt is not a bad idea. But your head eyes, forearms (tree limbs and bushes whack the SHIET out of your arms going through the tight trails and from the knee down takes a lot of abuse. Wait till a rock slung up from the guy in front of you hits the very end of your big toe. Once the pain subsides and the swelling goes down you will be like humm maybe I should get a pair of boots...
Peace,
Ron

John Ashley said...

Yeah Ron! Killer advice- I'm going to be covered in plastic armor- I may look like the dorkiest guy out there but I'm gonna be intact to surf another day. Let me know if you think of anything else- all that stuff about the bushes and rocks is killer- I'm already shopping around for gear!

Capt Ron said...

Yeah John,
OK Get a good helmet, decent goggles as they wear out pretty quick to quick to worry about getting new lenses or some crazy although nice turbo fan goggles but tear off throw away lenses are pretty sweet. If you are riding in hot weather a jersey is nice one that says cool skin or something is unreal feels like air conditioning.
Gloves get good ones that fit perfectly with a decent amount of padding on the knuckles not much in the palm or finger area and if they are a bit long up the cuff thats even better you will see a difference between enduro gloves and moto cross gloves.
Riding Pants are not a bad idea I have some with pads built in but pretty hot I like a plain pair that fits my knee pads in and good hip pads.
Like I said forearm guards are unreal.
Chest protector is a good addition I wear one everytime I ride once a limb or rocks thrown up by the guy in front of you whacks you in the chest or you bounce off the ground really hard you will give the thing a kiss.
Boots I always said do not spare expense on the boots you get what you pay for but at the same time cheapish boots are better than tennis shoes or sandals. I use these italian made Sidi boots I have taken a hit in the shin at 50mph by a 2'x4' stump once and did not even get a bruise. Don't ask it was like a tree it just jumped out in front of me...
Knee shin guards are a nice addition good strong composite plastic ones work good. It always amazes me how many parts of the body can get hit by debris when your riding dirt bikes.
Kidney belt this will keep your organs from bouncing around and protect your low back and abdomin wear it snug and not loose. Get a good one that feels good.
Now here is a kicker helmet strap it or not. I had a bad wreck when I was young at about 70mph or so and my helmet came off it was not strapped on. Now had it not come off by the way I hit the ground it would have broken my neck. Got ran off the road once on a rural dirt road along a white 3 rail fence went over the handle bars did a head first superman leap into the fence and my head got stuck in the rails and the fit was so tight I was being choked. Helmet was strapped on and I could not undo it. Luckily a farmer saw it happen saw me struggling and kicked the fence rail off.
Just to let you know John I have broken quite a few bones riding dirtbikes and had the wind knocked form me to many times to count. But we all need a spanking every now and then.

Capt Ron said...

Here is a funny story:
My buddy Sean would come over and ride the property behind the house with me quite a bit.
Well in the wood trails I would end up leading and the guys behind me would complain about me going to slow. So I said fine Go AHEAD...
Well Sean takes off and I am staying behind him at a distance knowing what was going to happen cause I lead alot. Well around the next corner I stop Seans bike is in the trail on its side and Sean is running around stripping all his gear and cloths off and screaming like a little girl. Yep he ran straight into a huge spider web with a 5" diameter spider on it and it got in his helmet. He did not like spiders. The guys never complained about me leading ever again.
HA!