[DeTomaso] Going NORDO....

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 3/17/11 8 52 9, julian_kift at hotmail.com writes:


> 
> Sounds cool; they let you ride dirt bikes in a National Park?
> 
>>>Then Bill Taylor wrote:

> My thoughts exactly.
  
 You're going dirt biking WHERE?

>>>Death Valley National Park is absolutely criss-crossed with jeep trails, 
and is a favorite destination for dedicated off-roaders and dirt bikers.   
The only stipulation is that since they are technically roads (although in 
many cases that's a very generous appellation), the jeeps/dirt bikes must be 
registered for the road.

There is a growing trend for 'adventure bikers' which are 
large-displacement (i.e. 1100 cc and up) dirt bikes designed to cover great distances both on 
pavement and dirt.   I was with a more old-school crowd; we were all riding 
single-cylinder dual-purpose bikes, except me--I was on a Honda 250 pure 
dirt bike that I converted to dual purpose by hanging lights and a license 
plate on it.

We had a blast!


> Remember one thing:  Somebody named the valley and everyone accepted it.

>>>That point was driven home when there was a wreck a mile from our 
campground.   A group of 8-10 RUBBIES (Rich Urban Bikers, i.e. 50-somethings who 
have never ridden a motorcycle a day in their lives but then go through a 
midlife crisis and buy a $25K Harley and some leather clothes and then go out 
and play Tough Guy) was passing through.   They were being super-ultra-cool 
by riding side-by-side instead of in proper staggered formation.   There were 
heavy winds, and when descending onto the wide-open desert, a gust caught 
them, two guys clanked together, one cartwheeled into the desert, and he was 
killed. :<(

Anyway, I'm back online and wading through about 500 e-mails now....

Mike (cool is fine, but I prefer to be (relatively) safe!)