Post by Bob T on May 4, 2016 19:59:49 GMT -5
Last Friday and Saturday I rode with the WVSxS and Hot Rod Rhino forums on their spring ride. We had about 75 machines and 110 people. Before I discuss the ride I just want to mention that Thur and Fri night they were at Ashland changing clutches, modifying clutches, re-mapping ECU's, changing cams, etc. I was impressed with what they were doing in the dark with lights. This work was all being done on Yamaha Rhino and Viking machines.
Fri we left Ashland and went up to Crumpler via a side trail and then around the stair steps, to the trail up beside the Wagon Wheel. Along this trail a Viking and a Rhino both broke tie rod ends. They were tie wrapped and Gorilla taped to get moving. We went over Beartown Flats and right on the creek trail. Hot Rod had a guy staged on the trail cooking BBQ. We had BBQ, burgers, dogs, sides, etc. We then continued over to Noseman Br, John Henry cemetery, Old Basin Store, back through Barkers Creek, gas station for beer, up to the coal flats, down the rocky trail, creek trail to beer can alley to Riders Paradise for dinner.
Sat we started out the same then went to Soggy Bottom from the lower end. We did not go up the trail to the NG pump but made a hard left and found that trail was intentionally blocked by felled trees. So we went up the rocky trail and followed it to Clarks Gap Rd. They were logging and mining the area but we got through.Then went to the "Playground". After leaving the playground the tricked out Viking that broke a tie rod end and put in a new cam blew his engine big time. Another Rhino bent a tie rod 90 degrees but got it straightend out. I mention these breakdowns since this is the drawback to riding with a large group. We probably stopped over all for 3 hours over the two days. We then went to the View and back on the Haul Road for while and got off onto White Oak trail which we took a new to me trail off of it that was very nice and wooded.
Through out the day we had a lot of machines over heated due to dirty radiators. I will say that the radiator on a YXZ is difficult to get to to clean.
We get off the haul road on the trail that takes down to Pinnacle Creek Campground. Well it was now my turn to over heat. Going down the trail mine went into limp mode due to high temp. I stopped and my fan would not turn, found a stick stuck into it. Removed the stick and could barely turn the fan by hand, it was full of stuff. Let it cool and got down in the creek and drove back and forth at high speed. It was now cool so I took off toward Riders and it did fine on the road. Left Riders and when I headed up the road to the stairs it over heated. Fan was still not spinning. I was stopped on the side of the road when Roger and Jason (long beard) came by. They towed my back.
When I got home I took the fan off and cleaned it and it is running fine.
All in all it was a nice weekend and met a lot of nice people.
Fri we left Ashland and went up to Crumpler via a side trail and then around the stair steps, to the trail up beside the Wagon Wheel. Along this trail a Viking and a Rhino both broke tie rod ends. They were tie wrapped and Gorilla taped to get moving. We went over Beartown Flats and right on the creek trail. Hot Rod had a guy staged on the trail cooking BBQ. We had BBQ, burgers, dogs, sides, etc. We then continued over to Noseman Br, John Henry cemetery, Old Basin Store, back through Barkers Creek, gas station for beer, up to the coal flats, down the rocky trail, creek trail to beer can alley to Riders Paradise for dinner.
Sat we started out the same then went to Soggy Bottom from the lower end. We did not go up the trail to the NG pump but made a hard left and found that trail was intentionally blocked by felled trees. So we went up the rocky trail and followed it to Clarks Gap Rd. They were logging and mining the area but we got through.Then went to the "Playground". After leaving the playground the tricked out Viking that broke a tie rod end and put in a new cam blew his engine big time. Another Rhino bent a tie rod 90 degrees but got it straightend out. I mention these breakdowns since this is the drawback to riding with a large group. We probably stopped over all for 3 hours over the two days. We then went to the View and back on the Haul Road for while and got off onto White Oak trail which we took a new to me trail off of it that was very nice and wooded.
Through out the day we had a lot of machines over heated due to dirty radiators. I will say that the radiator on a YXZ is difficult to get to to clean.
We get off the haul road on the trail that takes down to Pinnacle Creek Campground. Well it was now my turn to over heat. Going down the trail mine went into limp mode due to high temp. I stopped and my fan would not turn, found a stick stuck into it. Removed the stick and could barely turn the fan by hand, it was full of stuff. Let it cool and got down in the creek and drove back and forth at high speed. It was now cool so I took off toward Riders and it did fine on the road. Left Riders and when I headed up the road to the stairs it over heated. Fan was still not spinning. I was stopped on the side of the road when Roger and Jason (long beard) came by. They towed my back.
When I got home I took the fan off and cleaned it and it is running fine.
All in all it was a nice weekend and met a lot of nice people.