I used to think the trails in CA were rugged, but these AZ trails can be quite challenging... heaps of ruts & rocks, but the setting here in the White Mountains is very scenic, and there's no crowd to botch the experience. Every now and then I'll see another offroader on the Rim Road or on a spur road, going about his own business... if I meet someone in the field, that person is invariably cool, just out having a good time in the wilderness the same way I am. I even saw a Forest Service truck on the Rim Road yesterday, all I did was wave as I rode past in the opposite direction, and the driver did the same... might have been a maintenance man and not a ranger, I didn't see "Park Ranger" on the truck. No worries, I have a decal and a spark arrestor, and I carry my paperwork with me as required by AZ law... it's in a Zip-Loc bag tucked away in my backpack, and it stays there so I never forget it, LOL.
The FrankenBike is fully functional, as I intended it to be... it needs the beefed-up components to handle these AZ trails, that's for sure. I ride pretty fast and put the bike through its paces on these trails, it takes a hammering and I keep an eye on things in the field, I don't wanna take another spill like the one I took on the pit bike. I clean the bike after every ride and check everything for wear and tear, plus I tighten all the nuts and bolts that need to be tightened, often going through them all just for my own peace of mind. Better safe than sorry, that's my motto with these little bikes, and even that doesn't always cover every situation: the pit bike was brand-new when I dumped it, everything on it up to speed, I just hit that weird "beveled edge" on the trail, and it happened to be the ONE TIME when I didn't have my leg out like a Vegas hooker to take the turn.
If I remember correctly, I bought the +1.5 aluminum swingarm, I didn't want too much chain slappin' around back there, and the +1.5 will still let me run a 10" rear wheel, while the extended fork legs will let me run a 12" front wheel when I get around to it. There's still a certain cachet riding on 8" rims, LOL, it takes more skill in my estimation... this from the hand who dumped the bike with larger wheels, aye? Meh, happens to the best of us sooner or later, especially when ya ride all out, throttle wide open whenever possible. I like going fast on my bikes, if I wanted to go slow I'd buy a mobility scooter... and even then I'd probably wind up dropping a hemi in it, LOL. Burning rubber down the block... er, I mean sidewalk, and let all pedestrians beware!!! BTW, those ARE 330mm shocks on the FrankenBike... good eye, mate. I weigh around 200 lbs., and those shocks handle everything I throw their way, whether I'm sitting on the seat or standing on the pegs.
I'm looking forward to some desert & dune riding in the not-too-distant future, using not only those knobbies but also the dune-riding wheels I put together with those Carlisle X-Trac snow-blower tires. Those X-Tracs work pretty well in the dunes, I rode on 'em at Glamis but only had the 72cc Lifan motor at the time... this Piranha 140cc motor should make a nice improvement while riding in the sand. I had to go with the X-Trac tires because I couldn't find a tire company that makes sand paddles for 8" rims: they all start at 9" for quads, 10-4? Can't use the X-Tracs for trail or street riding, they're too soft and they wouldn't hold up, but they DO work well in sand, a fact ya might pass on to other riders Down Under. I really oughta visit the MiniRiders site again, I got caught up in the whole relocation process after me mum passed away, and I had to get my priorities straight.
Moving to the White Mountains was a conscious choice made after months of web research... ya may recall that the beach house was on the market for several months, and I used every spare moment checking listings and other info in half a dozen states. I looked at OR, UT, CO, NM, AZ, and West TX, but one by one the other states fell by the wayside. Kept coming back to this part of AZ, since properties were cheap, taxes low, demographics good, local economy robust, all the right reasons for me to relocate here. This area was also recommended by Joel Skousen in his book STRATEGIC RELOCATION, so I figured why NOT align my decision with the material in his book. A regular genius, Joel Skousen, his book was worth every penny I paid for it... ironically, not a single library in San Diego County carries his book, which has clearly been blacklisted by globalist trash and their minions. I called every branch too, since I had the time... unbelievable.
Well, gotta get goin' here, I'm finishing the interior home rehab before I go back to work for real... tryin' to find a decent lodger as well, someone retired or with a legitimate disability to rent that fourth room in my home. The idea is to have someone around to watch the property while I'm working or out having fun, aye? Someone to hold the fort and keep an eye on the toys I bought... I'm free & clear in an excellent neighborhood, but there are still tweakers & crackerheads out there in the wide world, I reckon it's wise to cover all the bases and have someone reliable and trustworthy to pull additional security, LOL. WTF, why NOT have an extra pair of eyes and ears on duty? I bought some pretty cool toys after I paid cash for my home, and I'd like to keep those toys for my own use, not "donate" them to some thievin' tweaker or crackerhead. Meh, no worries, I have time yet to find the right person, there's still money in the bank, go figure... had I stayed in Cali, I would've gone broke six months ago, LOL.
HASTA LUEGO, MOTODEVO & ALL!!! I'LL POST MORE PICS & VIDEOS AS I GO HERE, 10-4??? CHEERS!!!