Weekend shakedown trip DFW/Tyler area

[yater]

OK, it's not really a shakedown I guess but I'd like to get up into arkansas and Oklahoma for a long weekend loop...sooner is better than later! I'm in Tyler and was thinking about running some fire roads up to the hot springs (AR) area and camping, then heading west through the Mena area and into Oklahoma the following day. This would be a friday-sunday trip....friday afternoon/night would be fine with me but I can leave earlier. Nothing is set in stone obviously but I'd like to stay in the dirt/gravel and on the county roads as much as possible. I'll be on a well equipped dr650. Any interest?

Oh yeah, I have some big trips planned as well...in march, may, and august.

[Mudshark]

Yater, I'll love to join you on one of the later ones.
I'll get the XR "Broken in" first, that'll not take me long :rider:
Then I'll be ready.
I'll get a trailer soon as well so we can do something further afield.
I'll have range issues with the XR due to frequent oil changes (every
600 to 800 miles) Plus I'll be running 606's that get destroyed on a long
trip. I might just swap tires, it's easy enough to do on the trail.
Run a DS tire to get me there then swap it out once there. Pain in the
neck to carry though.
;-) might convince the wife to follow us down in the van,(to Big Bend) that could
be cool - long trip, no luggage :clap:

[XR650Rocketman]

Mudshark.....You've been reading your owner's manual too much.....My 2000 XR650R gets oil changes when it's convenient to me....Sometimes it at 1000 miles sometimes it's at 3000 miles....Only recently after tens of thousands of miles do I ever think about topping it up on long rides, like after 500 or 600 miles.....It doesn't really need it then but I guess I baby it...

Glad you got the bike finally....plan on coming riding with us sometime soon.

Almost forgot.....Run some Maxxis Maxxcross IT tires, full knobbies, they'll take you anywhere, including on wet pavement.

[Mudshark]

Mudshark.....You've been reading your owner's manual too much.

Too true hehe! well you can't blame me... I've not had a bike to look at;-)


Almost forgot.....Run some Maxxis Maxxcross IT tires, full knobbies, they'll take you anywhere, including on wet pavement.

What kind of mileage do you get out of a rear tire (Maxxcross)?

[XR650Rocketman]

D/S riding, 80% dirt I usually get around 1500 miles.
West Texas riding with some "Spirited" riders I'm lucky to get 500 miles.
I once forgot to check the pressure after using 60 psi to seat the bead on a new rear and it was totally worn out after 60 miles......I blamed the poor handling on my missing stabilizer....Lesson learned!!!!

[Mudshark]

D/S riding, 80% dirt I usually get around 1500 miles.
West Texas riding with some "Spirited" riders I'm lucky to get 500 miles.
I once forgot to check the pressure after using 60 psi to seat the bead on a new rear and it was totally worn out after 60 miles......I blamed the poor handling on my missing stabilizer....Lesson learned!!!!

1500's pretty good! I like the look of the tire as well, the way the nobs
go way round the sides, makes for good traction.

Well The bike arrived today, go see: http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?p=92170#post92170
i'm going to be having a good time this summer :rider:

[greengoose]

Yater, if you get up in the area S. of Mena look for Polk county rd 602 its about 15 miles of rough rocky trail more of a atv track than a road with 8-10 small stream crossings. I did a little exploring in this area last year on my way to hot springs and this was one of the best roads I found it starts here N34 25.158 W94 02.300 mapsource shows it as a dead end but it cuts thru to nf road 512 somewhere around here N34 24.892 W93 56.158. post when you leave mabey I can meet you up there somewhere I go up to beavers bend SP and Clayton OK. several times a year.

[budzrex]

There are a few hundred miles of gravel road and dirt trails between
highway 7 and 9 in the Winona wildlife area that are good riding
I spent an hour of so back there today in the truck as 7 was blocked
with an overturned log truck and it was a nice diversion on the way home