Photos from my dirty weekend

[zx12argh]

Its been a few months but I've finally had the chance to take the dirt bike out for a thrashing. This is my girl - proof that I own a Suzuki - a DRZ400E aka The Tractor aka The Disease - named so because you just can't kill it. I have given this bike an absolute pounding and the most damage I have ever done to it is breaking the kick stand and putting a small kink in the radiator. So anyway onto the back of my ute and away to an undisclosed location a few mates and I went.
http://www.streetfighters.com.au/forum/upload/629431381206904.JPG


My mates ride KTM's a mix of 530's and 450's. My tractor has half the power but they've never lost me in thir rear view mirror nor have they climbed a hill I haven't been able to skull drag the disease up. And to top it off I paid 6k for mine and service it every 3000km... (or less as I have mechanical sympathy). They paid at least twice as much and service their bikes every 12-15 hours plus are up for an engine rebuild between 90 and 120 hours depending if its the 450 or the 530.
http://www.streetfighters.com.au/forum/upload/629431550229448.JPG


So anyway the point of all this is to find some stupid hills and interesting terrain joined together by fast flowing tracks with a few jumps thrown in for a laugh. Its funny how you laugh only if you manage to miss a massive stack - I wasn't laughing when I gave myself whiplash 4 months ago after cartwheeling the bike... The disease lived up to its name and after I picked it up it started first time and kept going like nothing had happened.
http://www.streetfighters.com.au/forum/upload/629431550218802.JPG


You probably can't tell from the angle but this hill is at least 45 degrees and covered in loose rocky crap - no traction so once you stop moving its back down to the bottom and start again. Took me 4 attempts and multiple injuries to my shin from my stupid bloody foot peg to finally get up there.
http://www.streetfighters.com.au/forum/upload/629431550230899.JPG


Like I said I was outnumbered by KTMs - they really are mad bikes tho. If I had the money I'd definitely get one... But I'd still be thinking of my Tractor.
http://www.streetfighters.com.au/forum/upload/629431550251219.JPG


Another action shot of me - taken moments before wiping out half way up this hill.
http://www.streetfighters.com.au/forum/upload/629431550150953.JPG


And heres the aftermath of the wipe out. Yeah - it is steep...
http://www.streetfighters.com.au/forum/upload/629431550166721.JPG


So the day progressed and we did a few more hills and then went in search of a water fall. Unfortunately its been a bit dry so it was mostly a trickle. We'd packed the bordies but decided against it. The boys were mubling something about not wanting to see me in the buff and public nudity or something - I couldn't quite make it out.

At the end of the say we found ourselves here at this hill, didn't look to bad - I was pretty stuffed from the last section tho so I called a break - I am completely out of shape... or more the fact that I had to pick my bike up about 50 times by this point. My mate rob went down and came back and reported it wasn't too bad but there was a really gnarly section right at the bottom. So he and Andros went off to have some fun.
http://www.streetfighters.com.au/forum/upload/629431550208855.JPG


That was the last we saw of them for about 30 minutes. I decided to go and investigate as the wait had let me get back some of my strength and the world had stopped spinning. I cruised down till I got to Robs gnarly section - a rutted drop off that I wouldn't walk down let alone ride. I managed to see them off in the distance about 30 metres below me. This is the biggest badest hill I have ever seen... The two lads were basically pushing the bikes up with the throttle pinned for half of the climb till they could get some traction. Another 20 minutes went by and they finalled climbed to my position. I gave Andros some oxygen and a push after he got his two smoke cr250 stuck then climbed back out of the hole and rode back up.

Rob was first up...
http://www.streetfighters.com.au/forum/upload/629431550160664.JPG


Looks a little tired doesn't he?
http://www.streetfighters.com.au/forum/upload/629431550188462.JPG


I was shortly after - can't stop the tractor ;)
http://www.streetfighters.com.au/forum/upload/629431550227161.JPG


Now I wish this story had a happy ending but as I was loading the disease onto the back of the ute I had a little bingle... I was that rooted that I stupidly rested the bike on the kick stand while it was on the ute, stepped away for a second to get keys out of the car and my poor girl fell over and off the ute. Remember how I said the only damage I had ever done to the bike was a dented radiator and broken kickstand? That damage was done in a similar accident to this when I was trying to load the bike after a couple of Jim Beam cans... This time however I finished the job - I killed the radiator - it doesn't hold water no more... So it goes to show the only thing you can kill a DRZ with is a Ford. But still it was a great ride I just have to be a bit more careful where I park and fix that bloody radiator now.
http://www.streetfighters.com.au/forum/upload/629431550209959.JPG

[hyofighter]

awesome pics pete , reminds me of the julimar forest that me and crimsey ride and 4wd in , those drz's are a great bike and like you say bit underpowered but last for ever , looked at buying one instead of the hyo but they werent that great on the road at highway speed , still perfect for a reliable bush hack

[Lucas]

Great litle story. A few years back I was with a few mates playing on dirt squirters near Gosford. On the way back to sydney a mate lost his wr200 off the side of his ute too. Only he was doing 120k down the Pacific highway :)

[zx12argh]

Youch - lucas that would have hurt... I've got tying down the disease to a fine art now... its just getting to stay in one place before I get the straps on that I need to work on.

Jeez I'm sore today - I've forgotten how much deadlifting a 130kg bike the wrong way up a slope hurts... when you do it 50 times in one day ;)

[Azrael]

Looks like you guys had a blast, im starting training for next years enduro season soon, gotta get my bike fitness back errgh but will make for some more good footage with all them coppers and rangers about haha..

Oh and dont feel bad about dropping the bike off the trailer, i was working in a hospital today and rolled my ankle, not sure if its sprained or what, i dont think its broke because ive done that before and it hurts way more, but seriously..who hurts themselves in a hospital?

[BANDITROD]

looking good pete and its ok to throw a suzuki around they are as tuff as a still chainsaw mate

[zx12argh]

I started running and cycling about 6 weeks ago to try get back in shape... I think shape I managed was bean bag. I was rooted - but not as my mates who went down to the bottom of that mad hill... Mind you next time we go I'm probably going to have a crack at it.

Hey Rod - i dont think a suzuki ever copped so much abuse - I dont hold back. Luckily everytime i've ballsed it up its missed hitting anything too hard - tho I have cased it once. Nothing a bit of marine grade two pack sealant some 3mm alloy plate and roof and gutter can't fix tho.

[evad]

Pete, you need to speak to uncle Bob from zrxoa.org. this is his drz would make the ktms a bit sic maybe?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZKOieHCDD0

[KATO ZX7]

Nice 1 Pete, loved the write up, and that last pic, GOLD mate, GOLD :D !!

[zx12argh]

I've seen that beastie before - its choice :D

And kato - yeah i had a blast but i just priced the rad today... $350 for a newie... I'll scout the wreckers but I'm in a hurry to get back out on the dirt.

No regrets tho - something had to break sooner or later :D

[damo1]

Nice story there mate where exactly did you go?????????

How oftern do you go and are you looking for more riding buddies????

Are you in NSW?????

[zx12argh]

Hey Damo, I'm SE qld - we sometimes cross the border around tenterfield/south of stanthorpe sort of area.
There's about 4 of us who are pretty keen and always up for a road trip if the trails are good. Always looking for more riding buddies.

Our ride took us through some back sections of the glass house mountains/yandina - dunno what its like for you guys but we are pretty protective of our tracks - bloody state government keeps shutting more and more areas but wouldn't ever have a problem showing you around or pm-ing GPS co-ords. Not really supposed to be where we were and not a lot of it - but what is there is pretty sweet mate. Our best tracks are around Mt Mee about 30 minutes out of Brissy - you can get seriously lost out there if you know what you are doing.

I did a dalby moto ride 2 weekends ago - absolutely sensational. A couple are just over the border (including that one) you don't need a registered bike for them (bar 1 or 2 out of 15) and you get about 500 - 1200 riders of all skills turning up for at least 2 days of good ridding - 3 if you count the Gin Gin ride - theres a 120km stretch on day 2. Super organised - never had a bad ride. Never serious accidents (worst i've seen is a broken wrist) just great riding. There aren't any left this year, the first one will be around the end of feb again just south of Stanthorpe so if you are keen give me a shout and join our campsite mate. That goes for anyone here if you are into the dirty stuff.