western route

[CANDY]

i would like to know if anyone has ridden the Apache Trail ?i'm taking 2 weeks in april and wondered if this was a feasible ride on a 250? any other sites out that way worth seeing?

[Badbob]

If it is a paved highway you can ride it on a GZ250.

I even ride mine on dirt trails sometimes. Its not the most comfortable ride.

[CANDY]

i think about 20 miles of it is all dirt and mountainous. i haven't ridden on any dirt yet and wondered how easy the 250 handles. should i be aware of anything i need to do with the bike before i ride the trail? thanks,for any info.

[Badbob]

The GZ250 doesn't have much of a suspension or ground clearance so if it gets very rough its going be tough. Smooth hard packed dirt is easy. Sand and gravel/rocks will be quite interesting. You don't have the right tires so its going feel a bit squirrelly. I think twenty miles is doable provided the road isn't to rough or the sand to deep.

My dirt riding experience is very limited. Mostly to well used dirt roads and a few National Forest Service Roads. A few places I go from time to time have sand deep enough that you have to go pretty fast to keep for sinking.

[CANDY]

ok, thanks for the tips.i'll post some pics when i get back.not going till april

[Badbob]

A rule of thumb that seems to work well on dirt is: When in doubt gas it. Going really slow makes the bike harder to control.

Braking, can get you in trouble real fast in rocks, sand, or loose dirt.

In sand or other loose surface ride one gear higher than you think you need. This will help keep the rear wheel from spinning. Try hard not to stall the engine. At low speed in sand if the bike stalls it falls. Spinning wheels are what keeps the bike up. See rule number one.

Stay out of pot holes. A GZ250 doesn't have the suspension or ground clearance for these.

You might want to search for some dirt riding tips for beginners.

Ride safe and tell us all about it when you get back.

[Orpheus]

I live right by the Apache Trail (well, about 20 miles from it) and I haven't taken it yet; there are much better roads that give you pretty much the same view of the countryside. I've been talking with a few people from the Rebel website (www.rebel250.com) and they're planning a trip out this way on the Coronado Trail, which used to be State Route 666. Here's a really good website with a lot of reviews of trips in this area: www.cyclerides.com

Here's a couple more links to a few of the rides:

http://www.cyclerides.com/rides/dayride ... doride.htm This is the Coronado Trail ride; it's at least an overnight ride (from the Phx area), and to do it comfortably, you'll probably want to do it in 3 days.

http://www.cyclerides.com/rides/dayride ... eltday.htm Roosevelt Lake; if you get up early, you can check out the Tonto Ruins and grab some lunch before you come back down the mountains (it would make an awesome overnight camping trip; one of my plans for the summer). This one is a little rough on a 250 due to the severe elevation changes, but as long as you're not riding in a whole lot of traffic, it's no big deal; I did it riding 2 up with my girlfriend on the back and it's only a little spooky in a couple of places (and when maniacs come flying down the mountain and pass you at over 100mph).

http://www.cyclerides.com/rides/dayride ... ayride.htm Tortilla Flat; this is the Apache Trail ride. I'm not too crazy about riding on gravel roads, so I haven't done this one yet. If you wanted to, you could take this ride to Roosevelt Dam and then make a little loop to come back into the valley via SR188 to SR60.

Anywho, that's my $.02

By the way, I'm not a native of the area but I know a little bit about my way around here if you'd like to know anything else (restaurants, hotels, attractions, trafic advice, etc.).

[CANDY]

thanks for the tips and websites. i'll check them out.

[CANDY]

hey badbob, thanks for all the tips on riding offroad. last sunday my husband took me on an "adventure" where your tips helped alot. we found ourselves on a forestry service road in the Talledega mountains that i'm sure hadn't been used in ten years.it took us 2 hours to go 20 miles across the top of the mountain. the view was fantastic,the ride was a challenge. there were boulders,rocks,washed out areas,loose gravel and dirt. the tips you mentioned helped me not kill myself. i did drop it while stuck in a deep rut and twisted my bad knee,but i made it down.i know i'm not ready to try again soon,but i am grateful for the little experiance i got on that road.so again thanks.

[Badbob]

Glad to here the tips helped.

This experience might save you later when you suddenly hit some sand or have to leave the road for some reason.