24-NOV-2010
Suzuki DR-350SE
My 1996 Suzuki DR-350SE. A street legal dirt motorcycle. I made the following modifications:
- Replaced the stock 2-gallon tank with an Italian Acerbis 4.25-gallon tank.
- Replaced the stock flimsy skid plate with a Scotts Performance thick aluminum skid plate which also raised on both side to protect the engine case.
- Safety wired the brake and shift pedals to the skid plates
- Replaced the stock front 15-tooth sprocket with a 13-tooth to increase torque
- Installed a manual switch to turn off the headlight
- Installed a rear rack
- Installed a K&N air filter
- Rejet the carburetor with 140 main jet and a Dynojet fuel needle
- Installed Acerbis handguards
25-NOV-2010
The trail - Rincon Shortcut Off Highway Route
This is a mountain trail connecting highway 2, Angeles Crest Highway, on the West, and San Gabriel Canyon Road, highway 39, on the East. A permit from the US Forest Service is required to be on this road. It was closed for several years due to fire damage to let the area recover naturally.
The trail is 24 miles long (39 km) one way going through dense wooded area, rocky terrain, stream, bridge, cliff, with a view on the top seeing all the way to the ocean on a good day.
25-NOV-2010
Rincon shortcut detail map
24-NOV-2010
The sign was still there...
24-NOV-2010
The locked gate at the trail head on highway 39
This is the entrance from the East end of the Rincon shortcut.
The temperature at this altitude was about 40F (4.4C). It was pretty cold.
24-NOV-2010
The trail head at highway 39
24-NOV-2010
The fun began...
The fun began after the gate...
24-NOV-2010
BMW F800GS
My friend Vu's BMW F800GS. He tried to put a knobby tire on the rear but couldn't so he left it with a street tire. He was able to replace the front with a knobby.
24-NOV-2010
Natural habitat...
My DR350 is on its natural habitat: dirt.
24-NOV-2010
From the top
The road all the way down there was where the entrance was...
24-NOV-2010
Woa... water?
The recent rain left some areas with plenty of water.
24-NOV-2010
Crossing...
We didn't know how deep it was, so it was safe to pick a line closest to the side...
24-NOV-2010
The view to the city
It's hard to see in this picture, but the ocean was at the horizon.
24-NOV-2010
It was cold!!!
It was getting colder and colder as we went up to the high altitude. Then Vu told me that his BMW's onboard computer showed an outside temperature of 34.7 degree F (1.5 degree C)!!!! That was near freezing.
24-NOV-2010
Snow?
Then we started to see snow on the ground and on the side of the mountains. It was cold, exciting but it was also extremely wet and slippery.
24-NOV-2010
A dirt ride became a snow ride...
24-NOV-2010
The inevitable drop...
After I made a turn and waited for Vu to show up, he never did. The road was just too narrow and slippery for me to turn around, so I parked my bike and walked back. This was what I saw.
24-NOV-2010
Wooded area
Then we got to a wooded area to take a break, after tiptoeing through the snow without further incident.
24-NOV-2010
The road was locked...
For some reasons, the road was locked in the last 2 miles so we couldn't go out on the Angeles Crest Highway. We went back the way we came from...
24-NOV-2010
Then I dropped my bike...
Ironically, I did not drop my bike in the snow, but at this spot, after I put down the side stand and was getting off, the bike flipped over and I rolled out of its way.
24-NOV-2010
Vu's BMW F800GS after finished the ride...
24-NOV-2010
My DR350 after the ride...
24-NOV-2010
Now this is a 'DIRT' bike...
24-NOV-2010
...and my boots and pants...
