99 XT350

[twoone60]

Well I finally was able to ride the new to me 1999 XT350.



  Road it down to Jemison and went to MInooka Park.  I met up with the rest of the Bama Rides group and road the red trail.   Now I haven't road an off road bike since 1982.  It did not take long before I had worked up a sweat.   When we finished the red trail we took a break an ate some fried pork skins provided by Yamamhamer.   Then there was some hill climbing demonstrations by the "better/crazier riders.  This  made them want  to try the "EXPERT HILL".  On the way to that hill I had my first dirt bike crash since 1982.  If no one else saw it does it count.  It was just a little hill but it took me three tries  to make it.   After riding on down the trail I couldn't find the rest of them so I started home.

   I took the put the sun over my left shoulder and work my way northwest back to Tuscaloosa route.  I ended up in Wilton and headed south on 25 so that I could ride down beside the Cahaba River.   










All told it was 176 miles with less than 10 being off road.

[luckylindy]

Looks good.  How does it handle in the dirt?

[ariwhiteboy]

That looks like a fun little bike!

[Laminar]

I'm jealous, I wish we had anything besides cornfields around here.

[Floridamtbiker99]

I am jealous.  I want one.  Awesome Bike.  I used to have a Yamaha 175 endoro.

[twoone60]

Luckylindy, Every thing I know about this bike I learned from this thread on ADVRider.http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=270341    The carb is  hard to get different size jets for tuning and some think the suspension is to soft.  There is also not a lot of after market accessories available. 

[hockeyhawk]

Nice looking XT350. I dont know if there is anything more fun than riding a dual sport.

[JB1290]

Looks like a fun bike. I am dying to get something for the dirt.

[twoone60]

I grew up riding off road before I could get a license.  Then I had duel sport Hondas.  When I was in high school we would just ride and if when seen a trail we would take it.   We discovered all kinds of swimming holes, water falls, cow pastures, old log cabins and things.  The Nighthawk is my first street only bike.  I would see a trail while riding the Nighthawk and want to take off down it.  Since that would not work I bough the XT.

[twoone60]

Since I am still remembering how to ride I did some trails close to home.  

Since most of the land by my house has been strip mined at one time or another there are all these little ponds


There is an old road that used to go down to lock 14.   But when they built Holt lock it put lock 14  and the lock keepers house under water.



Most of you know that there was a tornado that went through Tuscaloosa this spring.   This is less than half a mile from my house.


I was having so much fun I stayed out after dark.

[geaux]

I have a 90 DR350S I am working on. I got tired of the hard starting and fickled carb so I am fuel injecting it. Which has turned out to being a whole new level of frustration. Maybe it will start tonight.

My plan is to use google earth to spot some places off road that look fun to explore. It is amazing how many ponds and quarries there are in North Georgia. I mapped out a route that looked fun on mapquest but got a bad surprise when the road turned gravel. Not something nice on the nighthawk but would be welcome on the DR.

I also have an old 82 XL185 I am restoring. 

[twoone60]

I have found swimming holes by using google earth.  Just zoom in on a likely creek and follow it till you see a trail or power line cross it.