diamo's first single track test...

[monkeyboy]

I took a half day tour yesterday with two buddies on dirtbikes through knarly, cliff-hanging high country just over Chinook pass at Mt. Rainier. Took the mirrors off the 200 DS and away we went up some rocky, steep switchbacks and along cliff edges with THOUSANDS of feet of drop. At times, if you needed to put a foot down on the downhill side there was nothing but air! O.K., prolly not the best place to test the Diamo 200 for the first time in dirt but it all worked out!

The good:

Nothing rattled off and parts of the trail were rocks like jagged bowling balls! The 200 had plenty of torque to run up the steepest ascents, I was considering regearing it for the city/hwy but I don't know now:) Seat was bigtime comfy compared to those dirt bikes with half the width...they griped. Electric start on the trail, just doesn't seem fair, ha ha. Generally the bike was nimble enough, torquey enough and reliable enough to handle that trail; it was a blast!

The bad:

On one steep uphill line in the beginning I had to stand it up on it's rear tire and just stop and the whole license plate and outer taillamp just broke off on the ground cause it protrudes out past the rear rack...for visibility in the city presumably. Luckily there's a taillight in the brake light which is well tucked in under the rack so that outer one won't be going back on for sure. Just gotta remount my plate. Bobbed by the trail, I was almost glad.

The adjusting stopper bolt and retention nut for the rear brake lever arm at the foot vibrated loose on the down hill and as it loosened it stopped brake release earlier and earlier until eventually it was almost full on and I couldn't figure out why I was getting so slow...which by that point in the day wasn't such a bad thing. I figured it out and fixed it with my fingers, we were near the end.

I lightly jumped it a couple of times but you can hear the kickstand boing each time which isn't a good feeling...if it locks out it could be life or death!

One barkbuster shattered on a tree branch cause they have no aluminum reinforcement in them...just plastic. I'll wear the missing part as a badge of honor for now.

Taking the good with the bad I think the bike did awesome. Most of it's work will be on smooth streets but it will definitetly be seeing more dirt soon!!

[Trebek]

Sounds like a hell of a ride. Take your camera on your next trip and upload some pics for us. I ride in the mountains on my Hi-Bird but avoid technical switchbacks with the cliffs (too freaky for me). How many miles does your bike have on it at this stage of the breakin period? You were pleased with your bikes climbing ability, what do you weigh? I managed to get up all steep inclines on my last ride but a couple of them seemed to be pushing the bike's limits. I weigh 250.

[katoranger]

We need some pictures. Also time for some real barkbusters.

Allen

[monkeyboy]

katoranger I didn't really know what I was in for on that ride. I will definitely bring a camera on my next run but I'm not 100% sure I'll do that trail again. I was afraid to bring my digital up for fear I might break it. I think they make disposable digital cameras now which seems like the way to go in those situations. Real barkbusters I priced today for $49.95...and they're sturdy!

trebek, the Diamo has 750 kilometers on it now. Hopefully that ride wasn't premature. I don't think I ever got out of 1st or 2nd but the rpms were definitely up and down. Should probably change the oil. As for the climbing, it really did exceptionally well for a DS but I'm 180lbs and the bike is geared way low. Not sure how your chinabikes are coming stock but this thing seems to be 70% trail 30% street. Even the knobbies are all trail. Is your Hi-Bird a 200cc? In your mountain travels have you had any reliability issues?

How do I post images in here? When I try it just leave "[img]"

[Trebek]

Mine is geared quite low also but I had it maxxed out a couple times. Just found out last night that the road I was on was so rough that few motorcycles use it anymore. I made it about 2/3s up before I turned around. It was a canyon road and not too switch-backy but much of the road is washed away and steep as hell.

My bike is a 200cc as well and did fine under the rough treatment, it only has 65 miles on it so I am taking her on tamer roads once my "handi-Hauler" comes in. Then I can tow her by car to the green and blue roads. The only trails near my house are black or not even rated on the map. They trail you rode sounded much hairyer than that, but I don't trust my skills on the cliffs.

I put my pics on a website like "Photobucket" then copy the url of the photo. after hitting the Img button I paste the copied url. Try to shrink your image size to small as possible (200k or below) it makes it easier for everyone.

[katoranger]

The tusk barkbusters $30? are cheaper from www.rockymountainatv.com

I have the moose ones, but the tusk ones look just as good.

You need to sign up for a gallery account or use one of the free webhosting sites and cut and paste the url into your post.

Also pic up a cheap digital camera for your bike. I have an old olympus that has taken most of the pictures I posted here. It is a 2.1mp, but still works great.

Allen

[IronFist]

I have a good camara, but my old one is fine for the bike. When ever I mount the camara to the bike and make a movie the vibrations shut the camara down :cry: . I've tried to isolate the camara mount with neoprene, but no go. :cry: It's a shame cause it makes OK mpegs, and the size of the movie is only 2 meg a minute. It has worked once when I pulled it out of my pocket while riding on a road with no traffic. But holding a camara while riding can be bad for a camara. I was willing to drop the camara or I wouldn't have pulled it out while riding. :D

At least it's good for when I see something cool and go park my bike infront of it. I got a shot of my old cb350 and a 72 vet with plates that said 72VET. Very cool to have a crappy camara in those situations. :wink:

[monkeyboy]

I am going to get a cheap camera. Not that I expect to go down but if I do, with my luck, I'll be out hundreds of dollars with my nice olympus. I decided I will get back up that trail and this time I will for sure take photos.

Was mainly needing to share my ride report with you guys, it was a thrill. These bikes are definitely capable on the offroad and I'm no expert rider. A 400cc would have been way too heavy I think.

Ride safe!!

[Trebek]

I carry my decent SLR camera on my luggage rack. I wrap it in a t-shirt than put it in a semi-hard walmart 6 pack cooler. The hard plastic on the inside should protect the camera in all but the worst catastrophies. If the camera breaks I'll probably not be in the condition to care about what happened to it.

A 400 is indeed way too bulky for this mountain riding. I couldn't imagine trying to manuvuer my ex 650 through some of these dense mountain trails. Plus I can lift this bike, if it is necessary, which is a good thing in washed out trails.

And the biggest plus of them all: If my bike falls off a cliff 30 miles into the back country, I'll just leave it, and buy another one if I have to. Can you imagine wrecking a $5000 motorcycle, 30 miles from the nearest decent road, and trying to figure out how to get it outta there? Especally if it got dropped from a good distance?

[ImEazy]

Sounds like quite the awesome adventure for sure. I have seen pictures of
that area over on Adv. Rider. Glad to hear the bike did well.


The bad:

On one steep uphill line in the beginning I had to stand it up on it's rear tire and just stop and the whole license plate and outer taillamp just broke off on the ground cause it protrudes out past the rear rack...for visibility in the city presumably. Luckily there's a taillight in the brake light which is well tucked in under the rack so that outer one won't be going back on for sure. Just gotta remount my plate. Bobbed by the trail, I was almost glad.


I'm pretty sure the light that broke off was your plate light. If you intend on
riding the street I would advise putting it back on or replacing it. Cops will
definitely stop you for your plate not being illuminated at night. I removed
mine and replaced it with a pair of bolt lights that work pretty good. Do a
search on ebay or google for "License Plate Bolt Lights" and you will see
what I am talking about. Hope this helps...

[monkeyboy]

Thanks for the heads up, just tonight I realized my plate wasn't illuminated. Cops love that one for sure. I clipped the bulb off and bought a little weather proof utility bulb from the parts store that I'll mount tomorrow. THEN I read your post about the bolt lights. I like the idea of those even more and will look for them.

Today on the tame city streets my one remaining barkbuster vibrated almost off, I caught it just in time. Blue loctite will be on the shopping list for tomorrow.

:?

[IronFist]

monkeyboy:
Lately I thought about having the good camara on the bike. On distance trips I'm packing so many tools anyway I might as well properly pack the Cannon(camara) Not for web shots, for 8X10 prints. I don't know if I'd take it up a mountain, I'm riding street. But once you get up there, and you see that view? A hard shell case might be what you need. I keep a crappy camara in my pocket at all times, I leave it in my riding jacket.

Trebek: "If my bike falls off a cliff 30 miles into the back country, I'll just leave it, and buy another one if I have to."
That's the attitude that got my bike to Quebec and back. I'd take my plate, and tools and walk away I said. NO FEAR! I miss that. A smaller bike might be cool for trails, but I know for sure that a small bike with a lot of pickup makes downtown riding a lot easier.

[monkeyboy]

On that trail I was more than willing to let that bike go if it meant keeping me up hill! When we got to the trailhead my dirt bike companions just lifted their bikes right out of the back of their pickup (yz 125s). My 200 is just heavy enough (almost 300lbs) that I can't do that and have to ramp it in and out and I'm a pretty strong guy. I use two 2x12x8 planks where I walk up one plank and creep the bike up the other along side of me in first gear with a front brake...it's effortless for one person in and out.