I brief adventure in Ouray, Colorado.
#1
09-08-2010, 03:55 PM
I brief adventure in Ouray, Colorado.
I have recently spent four days riding the mountains in Ouray, CO on my 250 KLX. The setup I ran with is as follows:
Down one tooth in front
Drilled out baffle in exhaust
Dropped jet from 128 to 120 (still way too rich for the highest climb of 13,110')
Removed airbox lid after the fist day to aid in leaning it out some more.
D606
It was awesome awesome riding. I am currently at the bottom Texas working and everytime I wake up I am hoping that I am back in my tent in Ouray!
Ouray Colorado
We had a group of ~15 people on the first day, which grew and shrank through out the rest of the days. The riding was great and so was the great outdoors. No pictures or film can truly capture the beauty of Colorado, or the steepness of some of the climbs for that matter.
I am placing links to youtube within my ride report of some footage I shot with my helmet cam. This is my first attempt at making a movie, so some of the cuts my not be the cleanest.
We started the first day with some easy passes. First on the list was Corkscrew Pass.
It was a smooth ride to the top, starting in the trees, and proceeding to the barren top. It was a good place to learn how my KLX runs at altitude. I lost gears pretty quickly leaving me with only first for most of the time, though it took me a bit to learn how to adjust to the changes.
A shot I really like from the top of the pass.
Another
Following Corkscrew was another similar climb in California Pass.
A shot of the group on top California Pass
Follow the link to view the ride of Corkscrew and California.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBnnHWjZQ98
From California we took a loop around to Animus Forks. Which was a neat abondoned settlement.
The insides of the houses were a little worse for the wear. In the big one bellow, someone has recently tried to light a fire in the fireplace.
Before we were able to eat, we had to get up and over Cinnamon Pass before we reached Lake City, and the Tic Toc diner.
After lunch we headed up to Engineers pass. This was the more difficult of the passes today, and by far the funnest. We went down a long dirt road with some sites. A busted old dam, which made me wonder how difficult it would have been to build back in the day. Also was a cool waterfall, I had to walk down some steep stairs and a path to get the shot, I didn't think about how breathless I would be when I had to climb back up.
After the sites, the fun began. It was a rocky climb, that ended in a widing road to the top. I tried to get some video of the group coming up the road to the top, but my camera was full of dust from the dirt road before. This problem prompted some modifications at the campsite to reduce dust build up.
The road to the top.
The decent down engineer was some rocky/steppy switchbacks to keep you on your toes till you reach the bottom. It was a fun hill, I am just so upset my camera was full of dust.
Follow the link to see the Cinnamon and Engineer Pass footage.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSKbvcomkqs
Full album and access to full resolution pictures, pictures are in reverse chronological order.
http://bouncingradical.imgur.com/ouray_co_august_2010
Down one tooth in front
Drilled out baffle in exhaust
Dropped jet from 128 to 120 (still way too rich for the highest climb of 13,110')
Removed airbox lid after the fist day to aid in leaning it out some more.
D606
It was awesome awesome riding. I am currently at the bottom Texas working and everytime I wake up I am hoping that I am back in my tent in Ouray!
Ouray Colorado
We had a group of ~15 people on the first day, which grew and shrank through out the rest of the days. The riding was great and so was the great outdoors. No pictures or film can truly capture the beauty of Colorado, or the steepness of some of the climbs for that matter.
I am placing links to youtube within my ride report of some footage I shot with my helmet cam. This is my first attempt at making a movie, so some of the cuts my not be the cleanest.
We started the first day with some easy passes. First on the list was Corkscrew Pass.
It was a smooth ride to the top, starting in the trees, and proceeding to the barren top. It was a good place to learn how my KLX runs at altitude. I lost gears pretty quickly leaving me with only first for most of the time, though it took me a bit to learn how to adjust to the changes.
A shot I really like from the top of the pass.
Another
Following Corkscrew was another similar climb in California Pass.
A shot of the group on top California Pass
Follow the link to view the ride of Corkscrew and California.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBnnHWjZQ98
From California we took a loop around to Animus Forks. Which was a neat abondoned settlement.
The insides of the houses were a little worse for the wear. In the big one bellow, someone has recently tried to light a fire in the fireplace.
Before we were able to eat, we had to get up and over Cinnamon Pass before we reached Lake City, and the Tic Toc diner.
After lunch we headed up to Engineers pass. This was the more difficult of the passes today, and by far the funnest. We went down a long dirt road with some sites. A busted old dam, which made me wonder how difficult it would have been to build back in the day. Also was a cool waterfall, I had to walk down some steep stairs and a path to get the shot, I didn't think about how breathless I would be when I had to climb back up.
After the sites, the fun began. It was a rocky climb, that ended in a widing road to the top. I tried to get some video of the group coming up the road to the top, but my camera was full of dust from the dirt road before. This problem prompted some modifications at the campsite to reduce dust build up.
The road to the top.
The decent down engineer was some rocky/steppy switchbacks to keep you on your toes till you reach the bottom. It was a fun hill, I am just so upset my camera was full of dust.
Follow the link to see the Cinnamon and Engineer Pass footage.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSKbvcomkqs
Full album and access to full resolution pictures, pictures are in reverse chronological order.
http://bouncingradical.imgur.com/ouray_co_august_2010
#5
09-08-2010, 05:37 PM
Day Two: Imogene Pass
To lean out my bike some more, I removed the airbox lid to increase the airflow through the engine, after yesterday's stalling experiences on hill climbs.
The day started off with nasty weather that broke around 10:00 am. We kicked off on a nice run through the woods, mostly puddles and flat rock. We stumbled upon an old open mine and a flat on one of the KLR's gave ample time to explorer and "vandalize" the nearby cabin and mine.
Back on the road during the switchbacks to the top RG took a bad spill. Luckily the KLR bounced left and he fell right. After getting him on his way up to the top, we resumed our climb. We stopped at a rocky ledge and a storm began to blow over Imogene, bringing with it icy wind and sleet (in Louisiana I would call it hail). The icy air would prove to be the downfall of my bike and myself.
On towards the final climb, I went to stop on a hill to the side of the trail when the wind gusted and blew my bike over. George came to help me and the wind was blowing so hard that it took both of us just to hold the bike up against the wind. On the third to last climb to the top, my bike drowned on gas and killed midway up.
On the next climb, which had a real steep section, my bike had some real trouble. On my first attempt, I didn't realize it's steepness and made it about halfway when the bike killed. After some struggle, I returned to the bottom for a second attempt. I gave it all I had and right before the top, the KLX gave up the ghost and send me rolling a little ways down the hill. Terry gave my bike a quick ride and gave the verdict that it did not have it today.
Imogene had defeated me today, but only hardened my reslove for later.
So with my parts that fell off in hand, I trudged to the bottom of the climb to my bike. George and I returned to town and had a late lunch at 3:00pm. As we were being served George recieved a call from Chris, who was reporting another flat at the peak of Imogene. **** the gyro was delicious!
Follow the link for video of the Imogene Pass ride.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSOENp0vtSE
Full album and access to full resolution pictures, pictures are in reverse chronological order.
http://bouncingradical.imgur.com/ouray_day_2
To lean out my bike some more, I removed the airbox lid to increase the airflow through the engine, after yesterday's stalling experiences on hill climbs.
The day started off with nasty weather that broke around 10:00 am. We kicked off on a nice run through the woods, mostly puddles and flat rock. We stumbled upon an old open mine and a flat on one of the KLR's gave ample time to explorer and "vandalize" the nearby cabin and mine.
Back on the road during the switchbacks to the top RG took a bad spill. Luckily the KLR bounced left and he fell right. After getting him on his way up to the top, we resumed our climb. We stopped at a rocky ledge and a storm began to blow over Imogene, bringing with it icy wind and sleet (in Louisiana I would call it hail). The icy air would prove to be the downfall of my bike and myself.
On towards the final climb, I went to stop on a hill to the side of the trail when the wind gusted and blew my bike over. George came to help me and the wind was blowing so hard that it took both of us just to hold the bike up against the wind. On the third to last climb to the top, my bike drowned on gas and killed midway up.
On the next climb, which had a real steep section, my bike had some real trouble. On my first attempt, I didn't realize it's steepness and made it about halfway when the bike killed. After some struggle, I returned to the bottom for a second attempt. I gave it all I had and right before the top, the KLX gave up the ghost and send me rolling a little ways down the hill. Terry gave my bike a quick ride and gave the verdict that it did not have it today.
Imogene had defeated me today, but only hardened my reslove for later.
So with my parts that fell off in hand, I trudged to the bottom of the climb to my bike. George and I returned to town and had a late lunch at 3:00pm. As we were being served George recieved a call from Chris, who was reporting another flat at the peak of Imogene. **** the gyro was delicious!
Follow the link for video of the Imogene Pass ride.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSOENp0vtSE
Full album and access to full resolution pictures, pictures are in reverse chronological order.
http://bouncingradical.imgur.com/ouray_day_2
#6
09-08-2010, 09:19 PM
Bouncing, I'm surprised your jetting down to the 120 didn't do the trick. Honestly, I think you pretty much have to go to a Dynojet kit or at least get the 300 needle. Then you need to drill the slide. These bikes suck without the full jetting, airbox, and pipe mods IMO. I was surprised that my '06 didn't even need any rejet from my home elevation of about 1500 feet. I ran a DJ needle, 128 main, all airbox mods, and a Muzzy exhaust. The last couple of hundred yards up Imogene, mine "burbled" a tiny bit, but it would even idle sitting right there by the pass sign. I think if you put a slip-on muffler on that bike and do a complete rejet with needle and all, you wouldn't have a problem.
Maybe it's just the audio in the vid, but it didn't seem like you had the engine revved up enough for that climb. These little bikes love rpm. One thing I've been impressed with my KLX is how it will climb just about anything regardless of altitude. Imogene is usually the best test of altitude plus steepness. And look...I'm not dissin' your riding, but I think a proper rejet and a little more rpm, and you'd have no issue. These bikes are horribly choked up without most or all the mods.
Maybe it's just the audio in the vid, but it didn't seem like you had the engine revved up enough for that climb. These little bikes love rpm. One thing I've been impressed with my KLX is how it will climb just about anything regardless of altitude. Imogene is usually the best test of altitude plus steepness. And look...I'm not dissin' your riding, but I think a proper rejet and a little more rpm, and you'd have no issue. These bikes are horribly choked up without most or all the mods.
#7
09-09-2010, 02:09 AM
I couldn't get mine to idle very well at altitude. I have done the DJ kit mod with the needle and drilling out the slide.
As for keeping the bike reved, you are right. Keep it's rev's high and it will pull good. I learned that later on the trip. I made it up Imogene on a much warmer day from the other side and i think that helped my inexperience. I learned a ton this trip about riding.
No worries about insulting my riding, I have not ridden for very long, and never anything close to this!
As for keeping the bike reved, you are right. Keep it's rev's high and it will pull good. I learned that later on the trip. I made it up Imogene on a much warmer day from the other side and i think that helped my inexperience. I learned a ton this trip about riding.
No worries about insulting my riding, I have not ridden for very long, and never anything close to this!
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