the grin factor

2010-02-17T14:42:00.003-05:00

The Big Jump

The The Big Jump/ The Tao of Travis Pastrana written by Travis Pastrana with Alyssa Roenigk.

The Big Jump is a full throttle ride into the heart and mind of Travis Pastrana and offers a glimpse into all the hard work, dedication, brilliance, and talent that make up the myth. More than just a biography, The Big Jump chronicles not only Travis’ career on dirt bikes, motorcycles and rally cars, but adds anecdotes and fun family stories, which tries to convey what makes Travis tick.

I’ve always been a TP fan, not only for his abilities and never-say-die attitude, but because he’s a genuine nice guy—a little nutty perhaps, but a good clean-cut All-American kid. The Big Jump chronicles his infamous San Francisco Bay jump, and his incredible double backflip, and it’s also filled with Travis’ personal philosophy and individual tao. Sprinkled throughout the book are inspirational tidbits such as:

--"Damn the consequences—you may only get one chance to have the greatest ride of your life."
--"Everything is impossible until someone does it."
--"Sometimes the biggest risk is not taking one."

Amen, Travis!! Great read written by a great rider.

Winter is for reading and writing

2010-01-17T11:49:00.003-05:00

The past two months of snow and freezing rain here in upstate New York have left my yard a mess of icy lasagna. Add a few freeze/thaw cycles and trying to traverse the property is like walking on a nok-hockey table in a pair of socks. Riding the bike just isn’t an option!

That’s okay though—winter gives me a chance to catch up on my reading and writing. I’m in the final stages of getting the first of several Grin Factor Guides out onto bookshelves. Learning the ins and outs of the publishing business has been a daunting experience, but I’ve persevered and fruition is within reach.

Book Review: Motocross Riding Tips

2010-01-09T12:07:00.004-05:00

There aren’t many books that offer motocross and off-road riders informative tips and tricks to better their riding skills. In Dirt Rider’s Motocross Riding Tips the editors of Dirt Rider have compiled a great selection of previously published articles from their magazine. The book offers a wealth of information that every rider, from beginner to advanced can benefit from.

Separated into six chapters, each chapter follows a logical sequence, meaning Chapter One begins with Starts, Chapter Two focuses on Turns, Chapter Three on Jumps, and so on. Each article is accompanied by excellent step by step black and white photography, and the photos are numbered so you can easily follow the sequence. The rider’s actions in the photos are explained with a caption so you know exactly why the rider did what he did. The tips and techniques are from the industry’s best, with Jeremy McGrath, John Dowd, and Kevin Windham voicing in on the motocross side.

Chapter Four focuses on bike setup tips and there are many other mechanical tips interspersed throughout the rest of the book. The chapter includes such tips as:
• Protecting your bike on muddy days
• Setting the sag
• Adjusting the spring rate
Of all the chapters, the bike setup chapter suffers the most from age due to the ever-changing nature of technology, but if you have an older bike you may find the bike setup tips invaluable.

Although the title says Motocross Riding Tips, chapter Five is dedicated to trail riding tips.
• Bounding through boulder fields
• Single track off-cambers
• Speed secrets for woods racers
• Crossing big logs
These tips and more are covered by a who’s who of off-road legends. Dick Burleson, Steve Lamson, and Randy Hawkins all offer their expertise.

The final chapter focuses on climbing hills, and shows the correct (and incorrect), way to climb slick, steep hills. Of course, what goes up must come down, and Destry Abbott imparts his tried and true words of wisdom to get you safely back down.

Motocross Riding Tips is a resource you’ll return to time and time again.

My 2008 KTM XC-W dirt bike

2009-12-31T11:11:00.003-05:00

To get the most out of any review, you need to know something about the reviewer. If you’re a beginner looking for feedback on a bike, it will do you no good if the review is written by a AA rider, and vice versa. It also helps if you know the type of terrain the bike is ridden on. A trail bike that works for the snarly single track of the northeast will not work as well in the wide open deserts of the west.

I'm a 53 year old female, not competitive, but an assertive and capable rider. The bike is ridden in the northeast, primarily on a small five acre homemade woods track, with occasional trips to larger acreage with considerably rougher terrain. Always off-road, never motocross. Being a mechanically challenged individual, I won’t be able to comment on the Keihlin carb, PDS geometry, or Brembo pistons. All I can tell you is that the bikes accelerates smoothly and powerfully, stops as soon as I tell it to, and handles obstacles with gentlemanly aplomb. It scoffs at every hill it has climbed and has never left me stranded in the woods. It is the most reliable and confidence-inspiring dirt bike I have ever owned.

The KTM XC-W 250 is a potent weapon in the hands of an accomplished professional, but its controllable power makes it a joy for those who, like me, prefer a less aggressive pace (not every rider has the need to rearrange every dirt molecule on the trail). The XC-W may not be the best choice for an absolute beginner, but I can’t think on many dirt bikes that will please such a wide spectrum of riders. Two stroke potency combined with four stroke controllability. What more could a rider ask for?

A Random Musing

2009-12-28T09:34:00.002-05:00

So I was at the doctor's office the other day, and in the waiting room is a huge fish tank. Like six feet long, by three feet high, by two feet wide huge. As I waited, (and waited, and waited, and waited) for the nurse to call me inside, I watched the fish in the tank. At first it looked like the silver ones swam with the silver ones and the long skinny ones swam with other long skinny ones, but then they'd switch direction and seem to swim at random. It was much more interesting than watching the television.

I wondered if they conversed in some aqua language. Were they happy? Do the guppies fight with the other little fish? Did they know they were swimming in circles or did they think they were in the coral reef? Did they care? Was a clean home and free food sufficient? My guess is, yes, they're happy. They weren't given the blessing/curse of higher intelligence, and since they know nothing else, they have nothing to compare their existence to, nor would their tiny fish brain register those thoughts.

Humans on the other hand, have many other experiences to compare their lives to, and that can be an endless life-journey to "discover" happiness. It's our nature to want more, to better our lives and the lives of our family, but that endless searching can wear a person down. When is enough enough? I have no answer for that. I just know I'd rather be a free and frustrated human rather than a clean and well-fed fish.