AHRMA wouldn't be the place for run what you brung type of bikes. They are very strict on what they will allow which makes AHRMA less attractive. My dad runs AHRMA but has been sticking to cross country lately. The advantage to AHRMA is that you have many disciplines in one spot so you can get to participate in events other than trials.
ITSA is strictly trials and if that is all you are interested in then it would be the place to go get your fix.
My awesome minder Mont got us some great live action vids of the pro shoot out in Ohio this past weekend. It was a warm and dusty weekend. Fun was had by just about all. I rode poorly but still had a blast.
Ha! funny story about that place. it was originally called Jeep School i think and my dad had an Ahrma event back several years ago there. It is basically an old quarry but very large quarry. Gravel i believe. The original owners apparently bought the place to shoot 50 cal and go do redneck things. There was a ton of trash left behind too because it was abandoned and perfect target for high school parties. Any who there was this trials and they needed checkers. In true Ahrma style there wasnt a lot of riders and even less checkers. Being known as a rider they asked if i could manage checking two sections at a time. Looking at the hand full of riders it wasnt that big of a deal so i said sure. There was a point in the trials where i hadnt had a break for quite a while and i really had to take a dump. I pop over a hill and do my business but of course i had no TP or napkins so i take a hand full of leaves from close by and getter done. Well about three days later i figured something isnt right down there. Eventually i start to come to the realization that i must have used poison oak or ivy in my haste. So yea thats part of the property... Poison something....
Terrain isnt to bad either. Big rocks and sandy gravel turns should be expected.
Few more tips. You should pull over and stop for an emergency vehicle on non interstate driving. Not just get out of their way and slow down. If you see or hear an emergency vehicle at an intersection just stop or try and pull over further.
Our major highways are called interstates. Our side roads are considered routes. For example it might say to take i## to route## with gps.
Next you will notice an immense amount of bill boards on the interstates. It dawns from a time before the internet where every business wants you to stop on by. Billboard lets you know where they are.
Thanks pete! I will add some more later on. You are correct on all fronts. Sales tax added is around 6-15% and low tip is 10% where high is around 20%.
For those who are planning to visit the US for the Arizona world round or anywhere else for that matter I thought I would toss together a post about what a traveler should expect. Most of my interactions and travels have been between US and Europe but this should apply globally. I don't know all or any of the visa laws from your country so that part you will need to research independently.
First impressions when getting to the US:
When I travel to Europe i am surprised usually that I am hardly ever asked a question at a pass port inspection. Here in the US even as a US citizen traveling from Canada, Mexico, Europe ect... I am asked at least 20 questions about who are you, where were you, why were you there, what do you have with you, can i trust you, ect... Americans brag about their freedom but when it comes to border crossings you don't feel like you have any. Little tip is don't use sarcasm or joke with the boarder officials. That is a big red flag for them. Also try not to take it personally because that frustration you show also can be considered a red flag for hiding something.
Ok so you have passed the boarder and are now in the states. Almost everything is in english (or secondly spanish) when looking at signs. I hate to say it but Americans usually only know english. If you are reading this i figure that isnt a big deal for most of you but my travels to europe are always met with "oh your american lets speek english" even when trying to talk in german or french. The more south you go in America the more Spanish is spoken as a second language but regardless you would be lost if you didn't understand the language.
If you are flying into Las Vegas for the WTC you will find the airport to be full of lights and sounds and busyness. It is Vegas after all and the city is aimed at trying to dazel the senses.
Ok out side of the Major cities this is what to expect:
If you expect public transportation in America well... Don't. We have some in the cities like New York, Chicago or Boston that is really good. Other cities try but don't bank on trying to get around with out a car. We do have taxi's and Uber or Lyft but those are for getting from one side of town to the next. If you want to travel which you would for a world round Taxi or any ride service isn't an option.
Our vehicles are much larger as are our people, Food portions, stores, roads and country in General. The Ford Mondeo (Called Fusion here in the US) is a mid size car. We have much larger vehicles here. The roads are bigger. Most of the streets i drive on here are 4 lanes and that isn't an autobahn or interstate. Our roads are also designed that if an emergency exists most of the time you can pull to the side out of the driving lanes with out impeding traffic. You will also find that our drivers don't follow the rules that europeans do. Here to get a drivers licence you take a test, maybe a class depending on state laws, and a short driving test when you are 16-18 and you are good. So passing on the wrong side, changing lanes not signaling, going faster than the posted speed limit or driving slowly in the fast lane isn't unusual here. Yes those driving habits frustrate the majority of Americans because we know its not right but we try not to go out of our way to scold each other. Gasoline here for me locally is currently around $2.60 a gallon. A gallon is 3.8L so thats about 68 cents a liter US dollars which is somewhere around 60 cent euro i believe. Yea fuel here is cheap so we drive big distances. You will notice that with large roads and most of the people driving the same speed that cruise control and relaxed driving is easier. You don't have to constantly check your mirrors because you are worried about people trying to overtake you at twice the speed.
Ok what if i need to buy something when i get there?:
Well that is one thing you are going to notice right away about america is our consumerism. Most stores are open till 10PM or 22:00 here. (most of America runs on an AM/PM time schedule and not 24 hour clock). If i need a fuel can, two new button up shirts, a light switch, Sofa, a whole roasted chicken and a 12 pack of beer at 3am it is incredibly easy to get here. Actually we have many stores that have all of those things in one place open 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Just about the only time we can't go and buy something is for a few hours during our national holidays and even then you still have other options. If you need something ask a complete stranger. They will go out of their way to help you (which we will cover here in a bit).
One exception that you might find to that rule that affects you personally are the motorcycle stores. Our Motorcycle stores here are also know as power sports outlets. These places are usually geared toward one brand of bike or another and are open usually Tuesday through Saturday. They might or might not carry that oil you are looking for. They generally have most of the consumables you would want except for trials. As you might know trials isn't as popular here but if you need chain lube or two stroke oil its not hard to find. I would suggest calling the store you are seeing ahead to see what they have before driving there. Unless you want to kick tires then by all means go poke around.
Culture and American people when you meet them:
I know that our posts here in TC don't always show this next bit but Americans are extremely approachable. We will ask you how you are doing. You will not know how to answer but it is a way for us to say I am a friend and want to help you with what ever you need. I know some coworkers and even my wife find this completely unusual. It is even perceived as an inquisitive child who walks up to a stranger to want to get to know them. Don't be scared we mean you no harm. I would however be very open to accepting the help of others. Just ask and you will get what you need or want. The common answer to how are you are good thanks and move on to having a conversation. If you say i am feeling down to day or depressed you will then find that the american you are speeking to will usually try to remedy the situation. If you say you are lost or confused again thats our sign to jump into action to make it right.
Don't be offended when you come to a restaurant or a store to buy alchohol or beer and are asked for your ID. You might have gray hair but please realize that our drinking laws here are extreemly strict. Some states or cities ask for the ID of every individual by law. Some of the customers enforcing these laws are undercover so they will ask everyone. Pass port as a age verification is fine.
In the early years of this country people were really spread out. Any chance to get a visitor was considered a special thing. In the old west most people used to get their news from passers by so the culture evolved around that mentality. For some of the aged areas of the country such as the east coast you will find that people might convey that they are frustrated or too busy to make time for you. In the more rural areas you don't usually find that as much. Some call it "Southern Hospitality".
American food and what to expect:
Well if you have never experienced American portions let me just say don't go large at first. Yes the country, roads and vehicles are big. As you know the people here are also larger than most Europeans and it has to do with size and portions. Not everything is fried and we do have healthy options. They might not be the most advertized options but if you are used to eating like a European it is not too hard. You will find that the options we have are more (well because americans like more) and that you will find it hard to choose. Again if you explain what you like normally to a waitress and that you are confused as to what to order the American will jump out of that person and call to action to remedy will take hold.
Free refills and free water. As long as its not alchohol it is expected to have and receive free refills. You might not be done with that soda but they will drop off a second just to be sure you are hydrated. Water here is 90% of the time from the tap. We have so much water here in this country that its very very accessible and for the most part clean. Sparking water is extremely rare. We call that soda water or tonic but you can ask for it if that is what you prefer. The american will usually go out of their way to agian try and remedy the issue if they dont have it. If you are not used to ice in your drink well be prepared... Americans put ice in almost all drinks except beer and wine. Just ask for no ice and you will get it. Be aware that our large is larger than what you would expect. Most of our fast food restaurant large drinks are at least 1 Liter.
With all of these drinks finding a bathroom is also easy and plentiful. Public bathrooms are everywhere. Again if you ask someone will help. I do want to warn you however is that there is no standard for public bathrooms here. Your options vary from wow this is really nice to OMG this isnt happening. With so many options you can usually walk away from the horrible ones but when you are in the country side you sometimes have to take what you can get.
American food standards are usually different here. Breakfast usually includes Eggs, Bacon potato and toast. That is the standard american breakfast (mmm just made myself hungry now). Sausage, Biscuits with gravy, Cereal, fruit and yogurt are also usually seen for breakfast. Bread here isn't as diverse as in europe. For breakfast you usually have white or wheat toast and a bagel as your options. My wife calls american white bread Mattress material. Orange Juice and Apple juice are the most common. Cranberry juice is also common as well but other fruit juices are generally different based on the place you are eating. If you like strong coffee then well... Americans don't take the prize in the coffee catagory. Most of our coffee is considered weak. Espresso, latte, capachino are around but you really need to go to a coffee house to get a good one.
For lunch you have too many options. Between fast food restaurants and bistro's the options are endless. The standard of course is the american burger. I dont know how to describe it but our beef here is different. To me it feels fresh and not as uncommon as it does for me in europe. Salad for lunch here isnt uncommon either. If it looks interesting i say try it.
Dinner here is also not an easy decision. If you want that american experience try someplace that looks as if it has a horse tied out front or a saloon type motif. If you are close to an ocean you will find fish or other sea food as common. If you are in the central part of the country you will find beef or chicken as the most common. Most places have a ton of options. One of the most american things you will notice is the amount of american bar-b-que. There is a complete genre of bbq based on where you are in this country and some places try and focus on all genre's. Research BBQ before coming and you might run into many many forums with aggressive opinions. With FanticMatze being a vegetarian there is seldom a place that she cant find something. Her personal favorite is Old Country Buffet even though its a chain.
Well that is a good first installment. We are both planning on being in Arizona so if you are reading this and are planning a visit let me know and if you have any questions please just ask. I have to go prep some bikes for a trial tomorrow. I will post more later.
I challenge zippy to a video post off this Wednesday. Rules... keep it family friendly! No one wants to see your booty shake! All others welcome to post as well.
Its still a dealer network based off a central distributor in california. We can get everything needed just from a dealer. The major dealers are on their site but i can point you to my prefered.
worth asking round your local auto electricians / engine management diagnostics specialist to see if there are any who feel they can handle bike work.
Yeah.... that would be me. Currently involved with one of the most complex electrical automotive devices/acessories on the planet and its predecessor. Schooled from that same companies technical hotline for 10 years before i came to product development.
if its blue and oval globally i have found the solution.
lets do some parts swapping locally. I have a ton as you know. Brad Howard also has a stock pile. Lets figure a day to get down to saline to figure this out.
--Biff
PS hows the new house property comming? Can we throw a wgasa party???
My wife did the opposite in 2006. She brought a bike from the US to Europe. It was about $800 through UPS at the time. Multiple packages less than 150 lbs. Your obsticals are the california sticker. A european registration for road use is your best chance to get a green sticker in cali. She has her 2012 gasgas 250 for sale now in Germany which is road legal registered and inspected. PM me for specifics if ya want.... any bike shop there has crates and box material usually available for cheap or free. Best way to get a bike over here is to find space on a shipping container.
Heffergm,
tools and items to transport a bike in europe are much more available there than here. Their version of lowes or home depot is not quite as generic as ours. The big box tool stores are much closer to our mom and pop ace or true value stores. Their difficulty are rules and regulations around bike transport on the outside of the vehicle. Racks, trailers ect.... renting a van and stripping it down inside isnt a big deal in a hotel parking lot. €20 of tools and your golden.
I have a Chinese oko carb on my ty. The only issue I have had is floats sticking every once in a while. I bought a trick bit for it that you may also want to get. I will take a pic of that here in a bit.
Regarding piston ring end gap. Perhaps instead of saying gap "should" be 0.35 to 0.6 I would have been better writing "you can expect" the gap to be 0.35 to 0.6. These are slackish gaps, the 0.6 being the point at which the bore and rings should be properly measured with a view to replacement.
Others may have a different view with regard to controlling blowby but I prefer an adequate to large ring gap and plenty of oil as opposed to a tight ring gap and minimal (say 80:1 fuel oil ratio) amount of oil.
The shorter the stroke the more one depends on compression... the smaller the piston the more you depend on stroke speed... put in you're back pocket. Not wrong but basic.
for this example speed and simplicity doesnt mean we have to dictate perfection. A trials bike is a tractor. Lets try a base gasket and clean up before we analyse molecular structure.
It may be the gap for a Sunbeam motorcycle from just post WW ll.
Well thats a bit harsh... i know that i have been critical of dadoftwo in the past but no need to get nasty. Lets keep focus here. Personal montra here for me is "offer someone an olive branch dont hit them with it." Discrediting isnt a positive way of proving ones point. Dadoftwo is smart at pointing out a possibility but doesnt need to be scolded for being wrong. We should be in this together.
Wow that end gap quote is huge for a GasGas. I have always known them to be .3mm to about .375 on the 280 and 300's. I would clean up the piston skirt, Pop a base gasket on and run it. As you can see its not a horrible job to get to and Pistons come with rings but it will be advised to do the whole cylinder piston and rings as a kit. I would run it first with a new base gasket after you clean up the piston. All you have to lose is a base gasket at this point.
USA AHRMA Rules
in Classic Trials
Posted
AHRMA wouldn't be the place for run what you brung type of bikes. They are very strict on what they will allow which makes AHRMA less attractive. My dad runs AHRMA but has been sticking to cross country lately. The advantage to AHRMA is that you have many disciplines in one spot so you can get to participate in events other than trials.
ITSA is strictly trials and if that is all you are interested in then it would be the place to go get your fix.
--Biff