Should I trust my shee?

[BansheeJerry]

My buddy is trying to get me to go to the Hatfield Mc Coy trails in Oct. with him. 5 trails 100 miles each (so he says). I was just wondering if I should trust my shee going that much distance. What I mean is shee is a 2000 and never had a top end done. Knowing my luck I will blow a top end on the first trail and be miserable the rest of the trip. I still have 120 lbs in each jug.I know this is a stupid question but what are your thoughts? Should I trust the shee? I doubt I could come up with the cash to do a top end before I leave. I am not even sure I am going yet or not. Just wanted to get your thoughts.

[ledofthezep]

If shee's running strong, you won't know until you try it. Just MHO... I'm kinda in the same boat,...my '97 is still running stock topend & pistons, whole 9yrds...just have the head milled .030 & some minor port work. Still got 150lbs compression & holding on both cyl's too. If you've taken care of it, obviously you have, you should be fine.

 

 

 

I'm gunna go knock on wood now...

[sandoz43]

You should be fine.. H/M is a tough place but you will not be doing 100 miles a day. I've never taken my shee there before, it's best suited for 4wd in my opinion.

[bigboybanshee]

I'd say go for it! Before you go, do invest in a temp gauge and maybe an inline cooler beforehand...that way if you're running hot you'll know it before you have a chance to mess anything up. When I go riding we usually run em for about 6 or 7 hours pounding the shit out of our quads through mud, trails, water, hills, you name it. Having a temp gauge on mine has saved the day NUMEROUS times! Just make a stop for a few minutes and let the shee cool off; I noticed if you stick some ice cubes on the plastic in front of the grill they'll stay there until they melt and have cooled my shee off by like 15-20 degrees in a matter of minutes. I guess the air rushing over the cubes along with the cold water really helped get the temp down. I know I have well over a hundred hours on this top end and still running strong like we just built it. As another precaution you could slap some engine ice in there. I wouldn't worry, go have some fun and take some pics...sounds like some cool trails!!!

 

Oh yeah, and as a precaution...clean your filter the best you can beforehand and take a spare set of plugs. I've managed to foul mine out after a real long day of riding. Dirtier the air filter is the less air you get which of course makes it fatter on the gas = fouled plugs quicker...just a thought

 

Never mind buying the temp guage...I just read in your sig you already have one! Just keep an eye on your temp and you'll be good

Edited August 12, 2004 by bigboybanshee

[.]

I go down there every year and have to say it is some of the best riding you'll ever endure in your life. Definitely go to Rockhouse, all the rest arent really as cool or close together for gas mileage wise. You'll get the most bang for your buck there. Check out www.trailsheaven.com , actually just check out this: http://www.trailsheaven.com/trailstatus.cfm for the maps. What kind of tires are you running? Your gonna need a good climbing lug. A 20" set of blackwaters would be key. Holeshots when they are brand new are decent, but if they are worn at all they just like to spin. The rain is weird down there. The mountains are high enough that the clouds shoot down the valleys. You'll be riding on one side of the mountain and it'll be pouring, and come around the other side and it'll be nice and sunny. Skidplate protection is also a pretty important thing, its pretty rough on some of the climbs. The rest of the riding is pretty good on the flats, but some of the climbs are brutal. I run PRM.

 

If your comp is sitting at 120 and your confident on your jetting/air leaks anything of that degree that wont go wrong you'll be good for the length of time you go down there. My compression was dropping last year when we went down there and was at the equivilent of 105-110 and it made it 7 of the 8 days we were down there. I caught a ring in the exhaust port on the second to last day on the way back to camp just leaving the trailhead to head down the road. What kind of airfilter are you running? Having a spare is definitely a good idea, and always carry backup sparkplugs. I'd get some solid top ones so you dont have to worry about the sparkplug tip rattling off or stripping. Just go over your bike real well and make sure everything is cherry. CHANGE THE OIL NOW, and not before your first ride down there. I've seen quite a few times someone change the oil and the new oil creates more play and bang, something breaks. Happened to 3rd gear in my buddies 250R last year.

 

Hit up Rockhouse trails, and get a backpack to hold a 2 gallon gas can on your back. Every time you stop lighten your load. Start up at the Northern end of the map and work your way down to the south end. Theres a nice treat as you come into the town after riding through the woods the whole time. Watch out for the black trail 94 I believe it is. If your gonna hit it, your gonna want to be going from the North end to the South end. I dont even know if I'd hit it with a 4x4 and a winch going the other way. Extreme steepness with a big washout on the one side thats like 3 feet deep that wraps down the side of the mountain. We went down it and the only way I felt safe, and not very was to have one front and rear tire in the washout, sliding down on my skidplates, with one foot on the wall on the other side of the washout, and on the brakes the whole time. And I'm crazy and will pretty much try anything.

 

Bring a camera, tire plugs, a way to pump your tires up, a spare set of goggles is always nice, and lots of paper towels to clean them off every chance you get. Do drive thru's before you go and get crazy, edges of the trails wash out into an abyss that you'll never get your quad back from if you misjudge a corner. Hillclimbs are extreme and keep going on and on, are rocky that will bounce you around to the point that your not heading upward anymore. An aftermarket suspension helped me a lot with that. The views are spectacular. Trail 21 or 31 I believe it is, has these 2/3 boulders that are just sitting on sandstone pedastools up on top of this mountain. We got up on them 2 years ago and they actually rock a little bit. I wonder if they are still there.

 

If you've got any more questions, ask away, I dont think I'll be able to go back this year, which really sucks, but maybe if i'm lucky or next spring or something.

[BansheeJerry]

Thanks for the replys. I am running stock rubber up front and Kenda Rampages out back.(very similar to black waters) As much as I want to go I dont think I will be able to make this trip( 4 kids,time off from work,money) .I used up all my time from work when I had my knee surgery in the spring. Maybe next year. Sounds like a great place to ride.

[Holyman]

The first thing you have to keep an eye out for is if she starts dressing up too much to go out with the other shees. Getting some of them tight fitting outerwears is what happens first. Next thing you know she wants new plastic, chrome add ons and a new bumper. If that happens she can't be trusted. Before to long you'll be seeing really strange stuff Honda grips, Kawasaki tires and worst of all... Polaris tracks in the yard outside your house. And Suzi aint her old girlfriend from college

I feel sorry for you man... it's a hard thing to see.

[bigboybanshee]

LMAO @ Holyman