Upshift Issue 62 - October 2021 by UPSHIFT

Issue 62

October 2021

Ténéré 700. The Next Horizon is yours. www.YamahaMotorsports.com Professional rider depicted on a closed course. Dress properly for your ride with a helmet, eye protection, long sleeves, long pants, gloves and boots. European spec model shown. Yamaha and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation encourage you to ride safely and respect the environment. For further information regarding the MSF course, please call 1-800-446-9227. Do not drink and ride. It is illegal and dangerous. ©2021 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved.

ISSUE 62 October 2021

Issue 62

INSTA-ADV

October 2021

y information: These drawings contain information y to Upshift. Any reproduction, orCover transmittal of this on without expressed written consent is prohibited by Chad de Alva se partial or complete of the sord marks is prohibited hable to the full extent of the law.

Design Chris Glaspell

Instagram Travelers

LOGO SHEET

THE INSIDER Intro Hype

Photography Editor Simon Cudby Contributing Writers Jason Abbott Chad de Alva Nick McCabe Tim Notier

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CMYK: C40 M30 Y30 K100

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GEAR

The Latest

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Contributing Photographers Chad de Alva Olivier de Vaulx Tim Notier

Views Through The Lens

Story Editor Chad de Alva Stefanie Glaspell

horizontal on white COLORADO 600 Trails Awareness Symposium

Business Development Brandon Glanville

THE LOST COAST

Northern California

Want to advertise with us? Contact: Brandon Glanville brandon@upshiftonline.com

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TESTED

Midwest Mountain Engineering Levers MSC Moto Steering Damper

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AFRICA PART 3

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The Kingdom In The Sky

YAMAHA WR250F Upshift Magazine is published monthly by Upshift Online Inc. 2021. Reproduction of any material requires written consent from the publishers. All photos, editorial contributions and advertisements are accepted upon representation that they are original materials by the author and or advertiser. Opinions expressed in the articles are those of the author and may not reflect the views and opinions of the editor, staff or advertisers of Upshift Online Inc. Advertisers assume full responsibility for the entire content and subject matter of their advertisements.

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Single Track Ready

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The mission is simple, if you want to share your adventures on “insta-adv” you’d better start following us! @upshift_online and use the hash tag #upshift_online on your photos

EXPERIENCE THE V-STROM AT

SUZUKICYCLES.COM/ADVENTURE

Along with concerned conservationists everywhere, Suzuki urges you to Tread Lightly!® on public and private land. Suzuki, the “S” logo, and Suzuki model and product names are Suzuki Trademarks or ®. © 2021 Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.

STAY FULLY CONNECTED

Behind a big, bright LED headlight is a large, multifunction instrument panel that displays the information you want on a bright, LCD screen. The adjoining USB power port and mounting bar is ready for your favorite navigation or entertainment accessories.

GO ANYWHERE ADVENTURE PACKAGE

Choose the V-STROM 1050XT Adventure to take the gear you need and ride in comfort with Suzuki’s quick-release, aluminum pannier set, heated handgrips, and a set of LED fog lamps.

RIDE WITH COMFORT & EASE

Ride-by-Wire dual electronic throttle assemblies provide light, precise response for tight roads and trails while the Cruise Control system helps you make short work of long miles. Takeoffs from inclines are a breeze with the Hill Hold Control system.

SUZUKI’S INTELLIGENT RIDE SYSTEM

Tame any road or trail as you tailor the power delivery through the multi-mode Drive Mode Selector and Traction Control* systems, while tuning braking response with the two-level adjustable Motion Track Anti-lock Brake** system.

BIG V-TWIN POWER

The 90-degree, V-Twin engine has more peak power than ever before while maintaining its strong pull off the bottom and superb fuel economy allowing you to go the distance.

The Traction Control System is not a substitute for the rider’s throttle control. It cannot prevent loss of traction due to excessive speed when the rider enters a turn and/or applies the brakes. Neither can it prevent the front wheel from losing grip. **Depending on road surface conditions, such as wet, loose, or uneven roads, braking distance for an ABS-equipped vehicle may be longer than for a vehicle not equipped with ABS. ABS cannot prevent wheel skidding caused by braking while cornering. Please ride carefully and do not overly rely on ABS. Model shown with optional accessories. *

INTRO HYPE Upshift Staff

What’s a motorcycle introduction all about? For many, it is a moment when anticipation becomes reality and we get a chance to appreciate all the new shiny bits before being proven over a long haul. Back when printed magazines dominated the media and motorcycle manufacturers were spending lots of money, they would send journalists to far-off lands where they would wine, dine, and hype up the new model with lengthy video presentations. After a few beverages and a little excitement, the journos would get some rest for the next big day ahead. The ride-day consisted of a specific route chosen to demonstrate how great the new model was on pavement or trail. These rides would usually try to find the balance between tame and extreme, taking into consideration the reporters’ varying skill levels. Months later, we would all see the latest releases in print; expected to read about the bike’s features at length, maybe examine some pros and cons, and then hope it shows up in dealerships months later. Boy, how times have changed! Cut to 2021, where manufacturer marketing budgets are getting clipped year after year, and where more of the budget is going to their respective advertising agencies to make those all-important “how-do-we-sell-these-things” decisions; now it’s all about the numbers! Between clicks, reads, views, impressions, and the oh-so-coveted “like,” these numbers are pulling agencies in all directions. Gone are the days of simply pampering magazine journalists and expecting the thoroughly spilled ink to drive a wave of consumers to the dealership. In today’s world, if you have an online following, actual or artificial, you are invited to spend your own dime on an all-access look at the next new bike. Just know you will be expected to post about it in minutes. Forget about sitting down and writing a detailed piece about the recent innovations or the cost trade-offs of the product; just post some positive content on the hottest social media account and guess what... you’re invited to the next one. I’m not saying the California desert isn’t a nice place to ride, but each year everyone ends up in the same Southern California hills on the same dry dirt or the same beat up highway road. The message remains the same as well, saying how great the new bike is, how the manufacturer has built something unique, and how awesome it will be to do a long-term review... hint, hint. While these media days may kindle a little FOMO within the consumer, this new launch formula fails to inform the enthusiasts and the buyers about how the new motorcycle may meet their needs or help them reach their goals. The only way to truly know how good a machine is at being a motorcycle is to put it in its element and push it to the limits. The moto industry is clearly changing in the direction of the general consumer market; toward bite-sized media, and mindless scrolling through wannabe pundits. While these developing communication methods are wonderful supplements to fill your life with more content (who doesn’t want to spend more time thinking about riding?), there is a growing need for genuine research about the latest goods in our industry. In this emerging world of abbreviated media, the responsibility of informing riders has shifted from content-creators to the riders themselves. Only the enthusiast can determine the quality and the source of their information before making purchases for his or her next adventure.

Wolfman Is Proud To Announce The Arrival Of The Revised Wolf Tail V2.0! It’s Back!! The ever-popular Wolf Tail WP Version 2.0 is here. We went back to our easy and adjustable Bunji and Hook mounting. We added storm flaps over the tops of the side pocket zippers, and an internal gutter to the main zipper for optimum water resistance. To keep the contents in check we did two things: added internal compression straps to keep the load stabile, and for organization we added a 4” loop to the inside stiffener. Now you can keep your chain lube upright and set just by adding adhesive hook (not included). We also shortened the bag by an inch for optimum size. For extra inside durability we added our TPU to the inside bottom. We kept the footprint the same, the 4 outside pockets and inside pockets are the same, and we kept the outside Bunji, my favorite place to put my gloves when fueling up. Retail Price: $259.99 For more information on the Wolf Tail WP V2.0 and all our outstanding products from Wolfman please visit www.wolfmanluggage.com

Ruby Moto R8 Lighting System 8,000 crystal clear optically focused lumens will get you from A to Zimbabwe. With eight top-tier American made CREE LED’s, a pair of R8’s generates more than 8,000 lumens. Like their big brother the R15, the extra distance and spread of the crystal clear 5000K daylight produced enables you to better see and be seen. Roadside animals, pedestrians, and other road hazards are more quickly perceived and reacted to. Don’t just survive a ride at dusk, enjoy the scenery along the way. The key difference between the R8 and R15 are output and size. Both utilize machined optics to provide both a flood and spot beam pattern. If riding a larger adventure bike (GSA, SAR, Multistrada), the ideal setup is to install a set of R8 and R15 lights. With the R8’s used as a DRL (daytime running light), and the R15 wired into your stock high beam switch, you will enjoy being seen by other motorists during the day and have all the firepower in the world for night missions across the desert. Sold in Pairs. MSRP: $399.99. www.rubymoto.com

Alpinestars Altamira Gore-Tex Jacket A high performance technical touring jacket designed for travelers and commuters, the Altamira GORE-TEX Jacket utilizes a GORE-TEX laminated membrane shell for lightness and thinness, breathability and optimum wet weather protection. Engineered for all-weather, long-distance performance, this jacket’s comprehensive array of technical details is designed for enhanced comfort and practicality, such as the magnetic main zip, the chest glove pocket and the elasticated waist, while the ventilation and the PrimaLoft ®Black Insulation Eco detachable thermal jacket allow it to be quickly and easily adapted to suit the weather conditions. This jacket is Tech-Air ® ready and can accommodate the Tech-Air ® 5 Airbag System, for complete upper body protection. $839.95. www.alpinestars.com • Ventilation and PrimaLoftBlack Insulation Eco inner thermal jacket deliver effective climate control. • Large Size 8 magnetic front zip for ease of use, strength and durability. • Fully laminated GORE-TEX chassis delivers guaranteed levels of waterproofing and breathability without excessive material bulk. • Ventilation zippered upper chest, forearm and inner sleeve air intakes and back exhaust ports for internal climate control and enhanced riding comfort. • Designed to offer effective all-weather protection, the Altamira GORE-TEX Jacket offers true versatility with 100% waterproofing and great levels of breathability, even in difficult riding conditions. • Featuring an engineered fit, this jacket is Tech-Air ® ready and can accommodate the Tech-Air ® 5 Airbag System for complete upper body protection. • Nucleon Flex Pro armor delivers optimal protection against impacts. • According to European statutory law the CE mark is a conformity requirement for the marketing of this product. The following standards apply: Fully CE-certified motorcycling garment – AA class.

Kate’s Real Food Introduces Most Irresistible Flavor Yet, Oatmeal Cranberry & Almond Kate’s Real Food, is excited to announce the newest flavor to its organic line of energy bars: Oatmeal Cranberry & Almond. Just in time for fall, this bar is an organic and healthy version of a favorite and irresistible autumn-inspired treat: a cranberry oatmeal cookie. So fuel up with the Oatmeal Cranberry & Almond Bar! “The idea behind Oatmeal Cranberry & Almond was a no-brainer to me,” said Kate Schade, Founder of Kate’s Real Food. “Who doesn’t want to sink their teeth into an Oatmeal Cranberry Cookie? That was my full intention behind this flavor, except it’s always made with wholesome organic ingredients.” The unforgettable taste and texture of the Oatmeal Cranberry & Almond Bar experience is anchored with the rich flavors of cranberry and oatmeal, tied together with smooth almond butter. After spending countless hours in the kitchen perfecting the ideal recipe, Kate has maintained her vision for creating premium, on-the-go organic snacks that fuel extraordinary experiences. Kate’s makes seven delicious energy bars with real, premium, whole ingredients, and no artificial sweeteners. Each one is USDA-certified organic, gluten free, non-GMO, and sweetened with organic honey. Other Kate’s flavors include Dark Chocolate Mint, Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate Cherry & Almond, Peanut Butter Hemp & Flax, Mango Coconut, Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate, and Lemon Coconut. For more information on Kate’s Real Food, and to place an order for the Oatmeal Cranberry & Almond Bar visit KatesRealFood.com

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THE ULTIMATE OFF-ROAD PACK

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PEAC MAXIMA’S EXCLUSIVE ADDITIVE SYSTEM

PEAC additive system was developed by Maxima and tested with factory teams like Monster Energy Kawasaki, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki and Geico Factory Connection Honda. PEAC was designed to significantly improve performance in several critical areas: engine cleanliness, clutch performance, power & acceleration. This unique additive system is exclusive to the Maxima 4-stroke engine oil line-up.

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Maxima 4-stroke engine oils meet or exceed the requirements set forth in your motorcycle owners manual. For use in all motorcycle brands: Husqvarna, KTM, BMW, Triumph, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, GasGas and more. Guaranteed by Maxima Racing Oils / Made in the USA / MaximaUSA.com

Words and Photos: Chad de Alva

Public land is public land. It’s land that should be open to all user groups to recreate on. It doesn’t belong to me any more than it belongs to you – and that is exactly what makes it public. Yet somewhere along the way, the definition of public land seems to have been twisted, and there are legions of folks out there now who don’t want anyone else besides their user group on our public land that we as Americans all own equally. As motorized users of public land, we’re more often than not the first user group to fall under the crosshairs of those who seem to believe that public land is their land and other users are not allowed. Make no mistake about it – there is no shortage of folks out there who would be thrilled to never see a motorcycle on public land again. So the question you need to ask yourself is: do you want to help save our sport?

The Colorado Trails Preservation Alliance (TPA) was created specifically to help save motorcycle riding in Colorado and the surrounding states. This isn’t another localized motorcycle club, but rather a unique non-profit that works to help support local clubs and provide strategic level of support to motorized recreation advocacy efforts across the Western United States. Think of a local motorcycle club as the boots on the ground working at the tactical level and engaging with their specific land managers and local issues. The TPA acts on a more state-wide strategic level, helping new clubs get off the ground or supporting established clubs in their local efforts. The TPA has all of one paid employee, and the rest of the board is all volunteer, which makes this a very efficient non-profit with a long track record of getting advocacy work done. Just take a look at the news section of their website www.coloradotpa.org, where you can see everything they’ve done for us. With the support of a number of industry partners and like-minded riders, the TPA is an asset to our sport.

One of the ways that the TPA raises awareness on what they are working on is the Colorado 600 Trails Awareness Symposium. This is a five-day riding event and advocacy symposium that was held in Crested Butte, Colorado, for 2021. Here in the middle of the Rocky Mountains, riders at this year’s event got to learn about and experience firsthand exactly what it’s going to take to ensure that motorcycles will get to play in these mountains for years to come.

Crested Butte is known for its non-motorized recreation, which is ironic given that many of the trails that are now non-motorized were originally built by miners and maintained for decades by motorcycles. The mountains and valleys that surround Crested Butte are in large part the purview of the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forest, which has built almost no new motorized trails since 2010, despite receiving nearly a million dollars of OHV fund money annually. Yet the same can’t be said for non-motorized trails. The scary part is that the Forest Service is projecting that the recent “COVID Boom” of users will become the new normal user load within the next ten years. The Forest Service is also making no secret of the fact that they do not have enough money to perform all the maintenance the current inventory of trails requires. So expect the current state of blown out and over used trails to become the new normal unless we step up and do something.

Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scene. Always wear protective safety gear and ride in a responsible manner. The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and may feature optional equipment available at additional cost.

New gray and electric yellow graphics

New BRAKTEC brake system

New BRAKTEC hydraulic clutch system

T E

Built for the challenge.

enduro trails are unpredictable by nature, and where they are the toughest, the te 300í reigns supreme.

300i

Photo: R. Schedl, KISKA GmbH

husqvarna-motorcycles.com

The GMUG National Forest is currently going through its first forest planning process in decades. The draft plan is over 1,800 pages long and will impact both summer and winter recreational activities on the forests. Other user groups are currently proposing increasing the amount of nonmotorized area (Wilderness / Roadless Areas) from 49% to 75% with Alternative D of the draft plan. The TPA alone will expend thousands of hours and tens of thousands of dollars advocating for motorized recreation on this forest planning process alone. Yet to stack the deck even further against motorized users, some ranger districts of certain Colorado National Forests will not sign volunteer agreements with local motorcycle clubs. Without an agreement in place, any volunteer work that a club does to make our public land and public trails better for anyone who uses them, doesn’t count in the eyes of the district ranger. Remember that any user group can use a motorized trail, but motorized users have to be on specifically designated motorized trails. Are you motivated to do something to help save our sport yet?

The TPA supporting local clubs is a great example of an effective organizational structure, but we need to step it up to really expand the impact of current motorized advocacy efforts. To take a page from the mountain bikers’ playbook, look at the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA). This organization has the main IMBA playing quarterback on an international scale, and then all of these local chapters dealing with the specific objectives present in their back yards. It’s an organizational structure that has proven to be very effective.

Motorized advocacy groups are much more splintered. We’ve got NOHVCC, BRC, AMA, and other organizations all of which are vying for funding from the same user base and chasing their own issues and fighting their own battles. Would our advocacy efforts not be much more effective if we all came together under one flag, or at least figured out how to coordinate our efforts?

So what can you as an individual rider do to help save our sport? If you live in a Western state, find a local club and get involved. If you’re one of the many out of staters who travel to ride each year, find out who cares for the trails where you travel to ride and reach out to find out how you can support their efforts. To be clear – just buying an OHV sticker (which you better be doing) is not enough. Whether it’s a donation of time, money, or both, local clubs and advocacy organizations like the TPA need all the help they can get. I can’t think of a better example of the few working tirelessly to benefit the many than Ride With Respect (RWR), which advocates for motorized riding in this little place called Moab, Utah. Ride With Respect is run almost entirely by one guy, yet his backyard is a mecca for OHV use visited by tens of thousands of users each year. So the least you can do is buy RWR a beer next time you’re in town.

Motorized trail advocacy needs our help – because right now is how we as a user group figure out where we are headed in the coming years. In the era of travel management, the strategy has been no net loss of trails, but now is the time to go on offense and work to adopt a strategy of net gain of motorized trails. That means redesignation of non-motorized trails, reopening closed motorized trails, and the construction of new motorized trails, in addition to much needed maintenance on existing trails, like those around Crested Butte. A motorized trail can be used by all user groups, which makes it an efficient tool for resource-strapped land managers struggling to meet an increase in trail demand. How effective we are at doing this ultimately depends on us. So now is the time to get involved in shaping the future of our sport. The 2021 Colorado 600 Trails Awareness Symposium was a five day event that provided a perfect window into the current state of motorized trail use in an area that’s slowly being claimed by non-motorized users. Yet all across Colorado this season, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the motorized trails that so many users enjoy are just becoming more and more neglected as time goes on. Our existing trails need maintenance, and as our user group increases in size along with every other user group out there, we need an expanded inventory of motorized trails and more trail maintenance to handle the increase in user demand. Take a good look at the photos that accompany this article. These are the exact riding opportunities and trails that we stand to lose if we as riders just sit back and do nothing. Yet, it we step up and get involved, there is no reason we can’t strive to make more trails like this all across the Western United States. Get involved with a local club, and chip in to support any trails that you travel to use. Motorized users need to care for what we currently have, and we need to get involved with our local clubs and organizations like the TPA to effectively advocate for new riding opportunities all across the Western United States. The Colorado 600 Trails Awareness Symposium is a great way to gain exposure to the advocacy landscape in Colorado, and to meet likeminded folks who care about the future of this awesome sport we all enjoy. If more motorcycle riders attended events like the Colorado 600, and got involved in advocacy efforts, the impact that would have on our sport would be profound. For more information on the Colorado Trails Preservation Alliance go to: www.colorado600.org The TPA wouldn’t be possible without support from the following companies: Rocky Mountain ATV/MC, Motion Pro, Klim, MotoMinded, Texas Sidewinders Motorcycle Club, Billet Racing Products, Elite Motorsports, Centura/St. Anthony Prehospital Services, Doubletake Mirrors, AMA, KTM, Dunlop, Kate’s Real Food, Tomichi Creek Trading Post, Upshift Online, Dave Mungenast Motorsports.

Photo: Chad de Alva The Colorado 600 is an annual fundraising event for the Trails Preservation Alliance (TPA). The TPA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Colorado based off-highway motorcycle advocacy organization that works with various land agencies to ensure equitable access for the sport of motorcycle riding. Learn more at www.colorado600.org and www.coloradotpa.org.

T H E C AL IF O R NI A

LOST COAST :::::: Photos: Simon Cudby :::::: Words: Nick McCabe ::::::

At 656 miles long, California’s Pacific Coast Highway is arguably one of the most revered and photographed roads in the world. The route, with all the twists and turns, as well as history, is not only highly regarded by motorists and tourists alike, but it also delivers on its own hype with the spectacular conditions and views.

motorcyclist, and it never gets old, unless urban sections in San Francisco or Los

The road can be ridden in its entirety in

Angeles. But riding the length of the PCH is a bucket list item for every motorcyclist.

about 2-3 days if you are going at a good clip and do not take too many stops. From San Francisco, it is about a seven-hour ride north to the top, and where Highway 1 dead-ends at the 101 Freeway in a remote town called Leggett, home to a gas station

THE

and a drive-through tree. And this is actually where our story begins, and it is not about

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maybe you are stuck in some of the more

LOST

Riding the PCH is a right of passage for any

Actually, it begins about 15 miles just before

the PCH…

the end, with a single unmarked left-hand turn onto what is named “Usal Road.” This is where California’s Lost Coast begins. Ask most people about this region, and you will get a blank stare. The Lost Coast is just that – completely lost. It might be lost in time, or lost on the map, or even lost from civilization – but it is most certainly lost from the minds of the general population, aside from the occasional adventure rider and grower.

While seemingly every gear head (and tourist) knows about the PCH, virtually no one knows about the Lost Coast, despite its significant unspoiled and natural beauty. So, just where is the Lost Coast? It begins about 8 hours north of San Francisco, and runs roughly 160 miles along the coast of California, bordered in the south by Fort Bragg (well, Rockport, but you probably have never heard of that town) and

culture that is only recently becoming legal, but that has long existed here, largely due to the remoteness and seclusion. If you look at the area on the map, it’s basically just a wideopen, undeveloped square area with one small mountain road running through it and the occasional marked dirt road. When the state of California was building the PCH back in the 1930s, the story goes that the region north of Fort Bragg was so mountainous and rugged (otherwise known as the King Range of mountains) that the cost to build the road when compared to the population that they would be servicing made no sense. Some of the coastal mountains were as high as 4000’, which was in stark contrast to the rest of the coast, which might see elevations of 500’. So in order to save some money, and instead of following the coastal bluffs along the water, engineers cut the road inland, essentially leaving out a massive ~160-mile long chunk of the California coastline.

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is agricultural. However, it is the kind of agri-

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business (where business and civilization exist)

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of Honeydew and Petrolia. The predominant

THE

a few paved goat paths linking the small towns

roads in this region, only some dirt roads and

on the North by Eureka. There are no formal

On this trip, there were three of us, old friends who have spent more time at Motocross races than riding ADV bikes. We had two Ducati Multistrada V4’s and a KTM 890 Adventure R, all fitted with knobby tires and bags. The plan was loose, leave the Bay Area on Monday morning, head north on the PCH, and hit the Lost Coast mid-week. The goal was a maximum 5-day ride and to try and make it home by Friday. Our ride through and north of San Francisco via the PCH was epic, but it also

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had its fair share of campers, fog, and traffic. The Lost Coast: Usal Road roughly follows the path that Highway 1 would have gone if it were built along the coast. It runs approximately 20 miles due north along the coast and has some serious elevation changes. The road ends just south of Shelter Cove and is a single-lane dirt road with almost zero traffic. While 20 miles doesn’t sound like much, it is slow going and takes several hours to traverse, even with capable off-road skills and bikes. Just finding the Usal Road cutoff can be tough. The turnoff is barely marked, aside from a sign that notes it as a seasonal road, and closed in the wintertime. It is also heavily overgrown. Once we found the turnoff, our first destination was Usal Beach, roughly 6 miles from Highway 1. Usal Beach consists of a campground, a black sand beach, and herd of local Elk that populate the area. Hidden on the side of Seal Beach is a grove of absolutely amazing Candelabra Redwood trees. These are Redwoods that have basically grown sideways due to the wind and harsh environment of this region. They are basically the only known grove in North America. There is little information on these trees to be found, but they are well worth taking a few minutes to check out, and especially knowing they are completely unique to this one spot on the California coast.

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After a brief stop for lunch and photos on the nearly black sand beach, we continued onto Shelter Cove, our next stop to the North and the overnight destination. The road conditions, despite being dirt, were actually smooth and easy but slow going. Average speeds were around 20-25 miles per hour, at best. The elevation changes on Usal Road can be dramatic, and be prepared for some serious exposure in certain spots (with no guard rails!). About 15 miles

eral store, and when we visited, only one restaurant that was open for business, a brewery. But sadly, the brewery was temporarily closed due to a Covid outbreak amongst its staff. We grabbed a room at the Inn of Lost Coast, which is perched on a bluff just above the Pacific, and found some pizza from the onsite “take out only” kitchen. Luckily for us, the sun was still out, and the views were stunning, as was the constant noise from the ocean below. Day two of our Lost Coast Tour (day 3 of the trip) would start with a flat tire, most likely the result of a rock from the day before, but was nothing a simple patch kit, and the air pump at the General Store couldn’t fix (editors note: The roads in this region are somewhat rocky, so come prepared with patch kits and air). Our plan was to then follow a roughly 35mile dirt road along the Kings Peak ridgeline and end up on a paved road near the town of Honeydew. With a few sideline excursions for photos, the ride was smooth and easy. A brief lunch stop in Honeydew was in order, with sandwiches coming from the general store (the only retail establishment in town).

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around 600 people. There are two hotels, one gen-

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region but still a small town, with a population of

THE

Shelter Cove is the largest town in the Lost Coast

that led us into town.

outside of Shelter Cove, we picked up a paved road,

Continuing through Honeydew and northbound, our next stop was in Petrolia, the site of California’s first documented oil well. The roads at this point were paved and mostly well maintained but still bumpy and sparsely traveled. Petrolia was a quick stop – not much to see aside from a general store, but the smells coming from the nearby Marijuana farms came and went, depending on the crop size. Perhaps the most scenic and prettiest part of the trip was after Petrolia – and perhaps the most remote part of the Lost Coast. At one point Mattole Road, for roughly 3-4 miles, closely follows the coastline at sea level. It was amazingly scenic and when you think of a Lost Coast landscape, this is the place. There is one lonely ranch with a few herds of cows, zero traffic, and stunning views of the rugged coastline.

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:: THE

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COAST

After stopping to take in the solitude (and beauty) of this remote region, we continued onto Ferndale, which was the northernmost point of our trip. Ferndale is a very cool town that seems more like something out of a movie set than an actual town. With a history dating back to 1850, the town consists of many very well persevered Victorian buildings, and for which seemingly little has changed since it was built. It is well worth an overnight stay at the Victorian Inn, which is architecturally stunning and can be traced back to 1890. Heading out of Ferndale, the journey turned to the south, and we picked up the Avenue of the Giants. This is basically the “old road” that follows highway 101 closely but meanders along the Eel River and winds in and out of Ancient Redwood trees, some of which are over 1500 years old. The Lost Coast is an amazing region and completely off the beaten path of travel in California. It can be easily covered in two days and incorporated into other routes and trips. But despite its relative obscurity, it is well worth a visit. While we followed the main roads, there are many other smaller side roads and dirt trails that can be explored, as well as remote beaches and campgrounds throughout the region.

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TESTED

BY CHAD DE ALVA

Mid w e s t Moun t ain E ng ine e r ing L E V E R S Midwest Mountain Engineering (MME) is a textbook example of a moto-industry company founded to solve a problem and improve riding experience. Company founder, Steve, has a riding buddy who has arthritis, which has a negative impact on how well he can work his clutch lever while riding. After studying the stock clutch lever on his buddy’s bike, Steve realized that he could design a clutch lever that would take less effort to pull, and the MME Clever Lever was born. Fast forward to today, and MME makes clutch and brake levers for a ton of applications, and these machined shorty levers offer several different features than the stock levers. To understand what it’s like to run these levers on two-stroke and four-stroke dirt bikes, I enlisted the help of some friends to build a larger sample set of data on how MME levers work on a variety of bikes. The MME Clever Lever clutch lever works by increasing the mechanical advantage the clutch lever has on the piston rod for your clutch’s master cylinder. By moving the pivot for the piston rod closer to the pivot that the clutch lever moves on, mechanical advantage is increased. This allows MME to make a shorter lever than stock, and the benefit of a shorter lever is that the rider can one-finger the lever without worrying about smashing the lever into the other knuckles on their hand. All MME levers have an AMA-legal ball end, and their wide-blade design has a distinctly different feel than the stock Brembo levers. However, there is a tradeoff for this decrease in lever pulling effort: an increase in the clutch engagement zone. In other words, you need to move the Clever Lever further to move the piston rod the same distance as the stock lever. On the brake side of things, the leverage ratio is the same as the stock lever, so the throw between the two levers is identical. The MME brake lever has the same wide blade shorty design as the clever clutch lever, so the value proposition here is in the feel and length of the MME lever over the stock lever. Installing MME levers on a bike takes just a few minutes, yet completing the setup of the clutch lever is a little more involved. For the brake, you simply swap the levers out and adjust the throw – this is a great time to clean and lube your pivot. The clutch lever install is just as easy, but you need to run through the adjustment process to complete the install. To properly adjust the Clever Lever you need to get your clutch all the way up to temperature, so no, you can’t just let your bike idle in the garage for a few minutes. You need to go ride, and use your clutch to get it nice and warm. Then and only then, can you adjust the screw that adjusts the Clever Lever’s piston rod, as well as the lever’s free play to prevent slipping. MME provides comprehensive directions on this process – you just need to have the follow through to go through the adjustment process completely. As an example, on my 2019 KTM 300 XCW TPI, I used a digital scale to measure the Finger Effort Required (FER, I’m making up a unit, so you can’t hate on my shade tree science) to pull in a properly adjusted Clever Lever, and then a stock lever at the same distance from the lever pivot point. The Clever Lever required 2.5330 kilograms of FER to pull, while the stock lever took 3.440 kilograms of FER. The Clever Lever created a 26.45% reduction in FER. Observant readers will no doubt notice that I’m not measuring from the end of the stock lever where it would require the least amount of FER to pull. That is done intentionally in order to make a fair comparison of FER required between the stock lever and the Clever Lever. If you currently run your stock clutch lever so that you are pulling on the end of it, switching to a Clever Lever will not create as much of a reduction in FER.

TESTED: Midwest Mountain Engineering LEVERS Riding impressions among testers were a bit of a mixed bag. Some riders preferred the wide blade feel of the MME levers over stock, while others did not. The change in the size of the clutch engagement zone, as well as where that happens in the Clever Lever’s throw was also a like it or dislike it variable within our testing group. These two features are obviously personal preference, and the only way to know for sure if you like something is to spend some time trying it out. All of the test riders did point out that the MME levers allow you to one-finger both the clutch and brake without worrying about smashing your knuckles. I can’t ever think of a time when I’ve heard of someone not liking a lighter clutch pull. Ultimately, whether or not Midwest Mountain Engineering Clever Levers make sense for you as a rider comes down to personal preference, and you can’t make a determination of what you like better without a fair test run. Some riders will find that the wide blade design is much more comfortable than the stock lever, and likewise some riders will find that they prefer the clutch engagement zone created by the MME lever over stock. Clever Levers are designed to be shorty levers, and as such, they work much better and keep things race legal as opposed to cutting down stock levers – so if you’ve been considering cutting your stock levers, give the MME levers a try first. Given the cost of a set of Clever Levers for your bike, it’s not hard to justify trying them. You can always try out a clutch lever first, and then pick up a brake lever if you like the feel of MME levers. If MME Clever Levers help you ride better, then that is awesome and you get to enjoy a better riding experience. If you decide that MME levers aren’t for you, give them to a riding buddy and let them see what they think. Just because something isn’t your cup of tea doesn’t mean that it isn’t exactly what your riding buddy needs to have a better time on their bike. Afterall, helping a riding buddy out is what led to the creation of MME levers in the first place. MSRP: $83.00. www.midwestme.com

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TESTED

BY CHAD DE ALVA

MSC MOTO STEERING DAMPER A steering damper (aka stabilizer) can be a great upgrade for your motorcycle. By damping the steering motion of a bike, a steering damper can help prevent tank slappers, help make your bike more stable (less twitchy), and they can help with deflection caused by trail obstacles. Many of the benefits from a steering damper help prevent the rider from crashing, which may explain why so many riders who run steering dampers swear by them. MSC Moto is an Australian manufacturer with 25 years of experience building top shelf dampers for dirt bikes, ADV bikes, and road bikes. For KTM’s 790 / 890 platform, MSC Moto offers complete kits (there are slight differences between the 790 and 890 kits) that comes with everything you need to install a quality steering damper on one of these bikes. The MSC Moto KTM 790 ADV Downunder Mount kit is a sub mount kit, meaning that the damper is mounted under the bike’s handlebars, resulting in a 25mm rise to the OEM handlebar clamps. Thanks to the factory bracket on the frame, installing this steering damper is one of the easiest damper installs out there, and the whole process can be completed in minutes. There is no need to weld anything, or having to fit a collar over your frame, which means no pulling your triple clamps apart. Honestly, the hardest part is getting your bars back to the exact place you had them before installation. All of the parts included in the kit are well machined, and quality hardware is supplied with the kit. At first glance, the RM3 steering damper may look like it is lacking in features compared to other damper options on the market, but you can’t judge this book by its cover. I would be willing to bet that this damper has all the adjustments that the vast majority of all riders out there actually need, so what is the point in paying for features and the ability to adjust things you’re never going to test and dial in anyway? Be honest – if you currently own a damper, which adjustments have you actually adjusted? With other popular stabilizers on the market, I would expect that most riders only ever adjust the base or slow speed damping circuit, and that they never touch the high speed or the sweep, or any other model-specific adjustments. The RM3 may only have one adjustable circuit, but this damper is far from a one trick pony. The RM3 damper features MSC Moto’s Active Return to Center (RTC) valves, which is a steering damper technology that you have to ride to fully appreciate – because it’s pretty damn cool. Active RTC allows the damper to provide a variable amount of damping as the handlebars return to center depending on what the damper is doing. Say you’re bombing down a trail, or trying to hold a heading in some sand so you’re making little steering corrections. The RM3’s base valve will provide damping when you are steering away from center, and Active RTC will provide damping as you move back to center, giving the bike a well-supported and damped feel. Now all of a sudden, say you need to make a huge steering input. When you steer back toward center with force or in a hurry, Active RTC bleeds off return to center damping, so you can steer back to center without having to fight the damper, and steer more quickly.

TESTED: MSC MOTO STEERING DAMPER

TESTED: MSC MOTO STEERING DAMPER Another way to explain how Active RTC works is with a static example. Say you have your bike on a stand and you turn the damping all the way up on the RM3. As you steer away from center, you’re going to feel all of the damping in play. If you slowly steer back to center, you’ll feel that damping as well. However, if you try and quickly steer back to center, you’ll feel Active RTC step in and you can snap the bars back to center without having to fight the damping you’ve clicked in. Obviously, once you cross over the center point of your steering, you will be steering away from center again, and back into the damping setting you’ve made with the base valve. Other steering dampers on the market only provide damping as the bars move away from center. While having no RTC damping is great when you’re riding a tight track or trail or doing any kind of riding where you’re making a bunch of big steering inputs, it’s not the best setup for high speed work or riding on soft surfaces. Conversely, other dampers that do offer user adjustable RTC damping have to be adjusted manually meaning that the rider needs to stop to adjust the RTC manually depending on their riding conditions. Active RTC provides the best of both worlds: no RTC damping and full RTC damping, in that it’s there when you want it, and gone when you don’t need it. Steering dampers are a great addition to a bike that can make a real difference in the way that a bike rides. They can add a significant measure of safety for the rider, even when said rider is doing dumb things that can cause a tank slapper or other instabilities that can lead to a crash. So it’s really important to make sure that your bike is well setup before you add a damper of any kind, as a damper could be masking another setup problem that is causing chassis instability. The April 2020 Issue of Upshift Online has a great article on chassis setup in Issue 44, so check that out as a starting point if you need to get your chassis dialed in. The MSC Moto KTM 790 ADV Downunder Mount kit with the RM3 steering damper has proven to be a great piece of equipment. The beauty of the RM3 is that it’s the most approachable, easy to use steering damper I’ve ever used, and I’ve got years of experience running both the gold and silver colored dampers from other manufactures. More does not always mean better, and while I have made changes to the other settings besides the base valve on my other dampers, I don’t find myself missing those adjustments on the RM3. I just ride my 790, and make the occasional damping adjustment depending on what type of surface I’m riding on. The RM3 damper does its job providing stability and support when I need it, without getting in my way when things get tight. Active RTC is pretty impressive too – so much so that I really want to try it on a dirt bike, so hopefully I’ll get to conduct that test some day. For anyone looking for a steering damper kit for their KTM 7/890, the MSC Moto RM3 is a great way to go. MSC Moto steering dampers are sold and supported in the USA through Lindeco. MSRP: $695.00. For more information visit, www.mscmotoamericas.com

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Marisa and I rode towards a wall of jagged mountains on our KTM 1190 as the peaks of the mountains that encircle Lesotho loomed closer with every mile nearer we traversed. We were entering Lesotho from South Africa via Qachas Nek Pass on our way towards Semonkong. Lesotho is a country enclaved within South Africa’s borders, a place I had previously never heard of with a name that I wouldn’t have been able to pronounce correctly if given a hundred chances (luh-SOO-too). We were excited for this mysterious land of mountains that seemed untouched by the outside world, where the people went about their daily tasks unaffected by the commotion that took place beyond its borders. A ring of protective mountains wrapped around the perimeter of the country, and rested atop it like a crown, making it a true Kingdom in the Sky. The surrounding foothills were shaped in the form of gigantic Hershey Kisses, resembling the same silhouettes of the thatched roofs of the huts that the locals lived in, and the straw hats they wore. As we rode to the small highland town of Semonkong, the road passed by small, circular stone huts that spread across the rolling hills. Children on the side of the road waved and greeted us with smiles as they walked their donkeys to grazing fields along the rivers.

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South Africa’s Baviaanskloof and Wild Coast had been a fantastic introduction to what we knew would be an amazing continent. But here in Lesotho, the villages and communities of shepherds and pastoralists felt as if we had stepped two-hundred years into the past. Authentic traditions were alive all around us, and they were not manufactured for tourism, it was just them living their natural way of life. Goats, sheep, and cattle were herded by the Lesotho equivalent of Western cowboys. But instead of ten-gallon cowboy hats, they wore their prominent straw hats that was also the symbol of their national flag. Men stood on the side of the road outfitted in colorful blankets that blew majestically behind them like capes, while holding canes that looked like the staffs of ancient wizards. All of this natural wonder slowly passed us by as we pulled into our first destination of Semonkong, where we planned on visiting Maletsunyane Falls. It was a good thing that we had absorbed as much of the Lesotho culture as we had that first day, because the following morning was almost the death of me. But we happily went to sleep dreaming about riding through more raw and enchanting landscapes. Marisa and I headed out early the next morning and found ourselves bouncing down a shale and dirt path. The track was leading us towards the very edge of the cliff that overlooked the Maletsunyane Falls on the opposing side of a wide canyon. Marisa intelligently requested to dismount as I made the final lunge down a steep set of natural steps that were cut into the eroding stone. “Turn on the GoPro,” I told her, knowing that she was about to film something either amazing, or horribly tragic. “I hate it when you make really bad decisions like this all for a photo,” she replied. “Pics, or it didn’t happen!” I shouted back as the bike’s suspension completely compressed while riding down the shale steps.

Surprisingly, I made it onto the last ledge just before the cliff’s drop-off to certain doom. With Maletsunyane Falls cascading behind me, I posed with a wide smile for Marisa to snap a few pictures. “I got the picture,” Marisa shouted down to me. “Now get back up here!” It was only then that I realized that going down was the easy part. It was getting back up that would prove to be the real challenge. I had to somehow get the bike turned around and climb back up to the safety of where Marisa stood as she shook her head in disapproval. I managed to get the bike facing in the right direction, but as soon as my rear tire attempted to bite into the lip of the first step, the rocks crumbled away beneath it. The motorcycle slid backwards as I immediately locked both the front and rear brakes. But me and the mighty KTM continued to slide as gravity pulled us down dangerously close to the cliff’s edge. I heard Marisa yelp as our eyes locked in a wide, fearful stare of complete terror. In one last effort to save myself, I dumped the bike onto its left side and fell over as gracefully as someone could while panicking. The bike ground to a halt around ten feet before my newlywed wife would have become a widow. “That was the least intelligent thing that you’ve ever done!” she screamed as she ran down to me. “Are you okay?” I was fine, but shook up. Thankfully, not only was Marisa there to help me pick the bike back up, but from then on, she was the equivalent of a pre-recorded message that sounded every time I suggested another one of my brilliant photo opportunities in precarious places. “This is why women live longer than men,” she mumbled as we both grunted to lift the bike back up.

Once the bike was successfully back onto higher ground, we rode to our hotel in nearly complete silence as both of us were still a little shell-shocked about what had just happened. Thankfully, the rest of our journey through the heart of Lesotho wasn’t nearly as reckless. There was plenty to appreciate from a distance without the need of riding to the very edge of safety. We wild camped alongside the rivers that cut through the landscapes where cows and their herders were our newest neighbors, and we all temporarily lived beside each other peacefully. Gravel roads wound through the hills and mountains of central Lesotho as we passed diamond mines that may have unearthed precious gemstones, but Marisa and I were starting to realize that the true jewels of the country were its people. Even with a strong language barrier between us and the locals, all it took were simple hand gestures, smiles, and laughter to get the necessary items we needed, like gas out of fifty-five-gallon drums, or the small, fried cakes that we ate as snacks while traversing through the country’s remote locations. On the third night, we stayed in a hotel because I was seemingly coming down with a fever. My body felt like it had gone through three rounds of a boxing match with Floyd Mayweather, leaving me weak with heavy arms and feeling light-headed. Marisa’s conclusion was that I had picked up some kind of infection from a mosquito, or that I was just fatigued by the difficult riding, change of altitude, or my recent near-death experience. Then, she noticed the two large, red tick bites that I had acquired five days prior while camping back in the Wild Coast of South Africa. Originally, Marisa had plucked the two ticks out with her tweezers before I threw Band-Aids over the wounds and promptly forgot about them. But now, the tick bites looked like bullseye targets with blackened, obviously infected centers, and surrounded by large rings of red, followed by another ring of yellow. “That’s your problem,” Marisa said in disgust. “Drugs. Give me drugs,” I moaned. “Let me look up ‘fevers caused by tick bites in Africa’,” she said before agreeing to hand over the assortment of antibiotics that we had.

She typed the keywords into Google, and the search result that popped up may have well been a picture of me pointing at the round, infected area of my leg. The fever was one hundred percent from the bites, and it was aptly named: African Tick Bite Fever. It was a flesh-eating disease that was already dissolving the area of infection just like the pictures showed on Google. Marisa gave me two doxycycline pills, and I drowned them back with a glass of water before passing out into a deep sleep. The following morning, I was feeling a little better, but still drowsy. I needed to be as clear-headed as I could be because that day we would be descending down Sani Pass, the grand finale to an amazing country. Even with my head aching, we decided to do the infamous Sani Pass that would take us from Lesotho’s highlands back down into South Africa. “Are you sure you can handle this?” Marisa asked as we looked down into the narrow slit of a road that descended more than 4,000 feet in just over five miles. “I’m not sure that I could’ve handled it before I had a fever caused by a flesh-eating disease,” I replied. The loose gravel didn’t look very inviting, and traction around the corners seemed to be nonexistent altogether from being torn up by large 4x4 vehicles. Hesitantly, we got back on the KTM and headed down with caution. The first section of the pass was full of tight, steep switchbacks that seemed to stich the two countries together like fine needlework. When I struggled through sections of loose gravel, Marisa would hop off and walk portions of the zigzagging road. It was a good opportunity for her to take pictures as I slowly progressed down the pass. Even with no pillion, I dropped the bike more times than I would like to admit. After every fall, Marisa would eventually catch up to where the bike lay like a wounded soldier, and helped lift it back upright.

We took frequent breaks to catch our breath and to absorb our surroundings while eating hard-boiled eggs and bread. Marisa and I had only spent four days in Lesotho in total, but as we reflected back on everything we had seen, it seemed like we had spent a month within its borders. Now, as we descended down its equivalent to a triple-black diamond ski hill, we knew that the memories that the country had provided would last a lifetime. The end of the pass slowly leveled back out to a manageable grade without the fear of dropping the motorcycle. And after adhering our sticker to the window of the Lesotho Immigration Office as a badge of honor, we found ourselves back in South Africa, and in Drakensberg park, where black and white zebras greeted us as they silently grazed in an open field. I felt that we had been knighted by the Kingdom in the Sky, having successfully passed its trials and tribulations. We gallantly rode into the horizon on our trusty steed, excited for what heroic adventures lay ahead.

LIVE DRAWING

Dec. 3, 2021

SPECIAL THANKS TO: TOURATECH CYCLOPS BUTLER MAPS TRIPLECLAMP MOTO REVZILLA WOLFMAN LUGGAGE CAMEL ADV PRODUCTS MOTOZ TIRES MOSKO MOTO KLIM

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2021 YAMAHA WR250F - SINGLE TRACK READY

PHOTOs: SIMON CUDBY

WORDS: JASOn ABBOTT

2021 YAMAHA WR250F - SINGLE TRACK READY

Yamaha’s WR250F has moto and supercross championship blood running through its veins, making it an exceptional off-road option for riders. While its mellow power delivery won’t encourage you to ride it stock, you will quickly start to see all the standout features this bike has to offer. Like most, we enjoyed our first ride with the WR250F but were left wanting more power and a few more off-road focused upgrades from the Blu Cru. So, we did some research, made some calls, and tried to put together a solid package that could be enjoyed by riders of all skill levels in a variety of off-road terrain. Cutting to the chase, the Rekluse auto clutch was hands down one of our favorite parts installed on this WR build. It allowed us to have increased control in technical rocky terrain and, more importantly, enjoy the trail even more. It does mellow out the bottom end delivery a bit, but luckily that’s exactly what we were looking for in conjunction with additional performance engine parts.

The performance engine parts came in the form of a GYTR ECU and Yoshimura RS-12 full system, including stainless steel header pipe and muffler with a trick carbon cap. We also swapped out the restrictive stock WR intake boot for a YZ250f unit, removed the stock throttle stop for obvious reasons, and updated 13/50 gearing, transforming the tame WR into a more playful bike on the trail with similar power to Yamaha’s cross country YZ250FX. To be honest, after performing these mods, the only time you’ll be reminded that you’re on a WR is when you see the headlight up front! There are a few situations where the bottom end was still a little jumpy, but we plan on tuning the GYTR race ECU even further.

2021 YAMAHA WR250F - SINGLE TRACK READY

2021 YAMAHA WR250F - SINGLE TRACK READY While we are a huge fan of the SSS fork and Yamaha suspension, we felt in stock form it was more set up for high speed off-road than the local slow speed trails. With that said, we had Race Tech work their magic with the goal to soften up and make it more compliant on a single trail with the use of their gold valve system. The updated suspension worked as advertised with a more plush ride, while we did end up opening the valving even more to help dial it in for trails and rocky sections we rode during the test. From base settings, we took 2 clicks out of fork compression and rebound and 2 clicks out on shock compression, and 1/4 turn out on high speed for personal balance preference. We’ll continue to tune the suspension for a variety of terrain and have a follow-up report at a later time. It’s also worth mentioning that we rolled the stock bars back from “0” to -1,” which helped balance the riding position, and put us in a better position on the seat. Speaking of seats, as most of the off-road community knows, Seat Concepts is a must when you spend long hours in the saddle, and it’s definitely welcomed once you see the WR’s stock motocross-style seat.

2021 YAMAHA WR250F - SINGLE TRACK READY

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2021 YAMAHA WR250F - SINGLE TRACK READY

Off-road and IMS go together like peanut butter and jelly, so we threw an IMS 2.8 gal tank (stock 2.2) on the WR to move it closer to the 100-mile mark and installed a set of IMS Core footpegs for better feel and increased comfort. To be honest, we were a little concerned about the placement of the gas cap, but after riding, we are happy to report that we didn’t encounter any “damage.” For the test, we spooned on a set of Shinko’s with the 505 cheater rear and Shinko 216 front with tubes. Having the cheater rear while navigating boulders and slippery rocks is, well, like cheating as it provides a ton of traction to the rear. The 216 fatty front tire did a fine job of navigating through the rocks and trees, and the combination of both provided solid traction throughout the trail. When you ride a variety of off-road terrain, the bike will, at some point, hit the ground. There’s nothing worse than smashing a radiator in the middle of nowhere, so to try and prevent that, we installed a set of Bulletproof radiator guards, which are both slim and offer plenty of protection. The radiator fan did a good job at keeping the temps down in slow terrain, but the fan itself was quite noisy and ran a bit longer once we shut off the bike. There were a few instances where we had to get off the bike and walk toward the person we were talking to in order to hear them.

2021 YAMAHA WR250F - SINGLE TRACK READY

2021 YAMAHA WR250F - SINGLE TRACK READY In stock form, the WR doesn’t come with handguards, so to combat that, we installed a set of Acerbis wrap-around handguards to protect us from all the trees. In some situations, you would run open handguards, but for this build, wrap-around is the way to go. As with all the Upshift Online builds, we run the Acerbis full plastic kit, including a skid plate for increased protection. You can’t forget about the clean-looking Upshift Online graphics, which are available on the site at www.upshiftonline.com. Overall we are super happy with how the project build turned out. In stock form, you might think the WR model could be limited to skill level because of a lack of power or open desert terrain because of chassis setup, but with the help of a few of the industry’s best companies and a little elbow grease, we’ve unlocked a whole new WR250F that’s fun for any rider level and can handle the toughest terrain.

2021 YAMAHA WR250F - SINGLE TRACK READY Motorcycle: 2021 Yamaha WR250F www.yamahamotorsports.com ECU: GYTR Competition Kit WR250F www.shopyamaha.com Air Boot: GYTR YZ250F www.shopyamaha.com

PARTS LIST

Plastic: Acerbis Hand Guards, Skidplate and Frame Guards www.acerbis.com Fuel Tank: IMS 2.8 gallon www.imsproducts.com Battery: FirePower Featherweight www.firepowerparts.com Foot Pegs: IMS Core Enduro www.imsproducts.com Custom Graphics: Upshift WR250F Kit www.upshiftonline.com Seat: Seat Concepts www.seatconcepts.com Tires: Shinko 505 Cheater Rear, 216 Cheater Front www.shinkotireusa.com Clutch: Rekluse Radius CX Auto Clutch www.rekluse.com Suspension: Race Tech www.racetech.com Exhaust: Yoshimura RS-12 Stainless Full Exhaust with Aluminum Muffler www.yoshimura-rd.com Radiator Guards: Bullet Proof Designs www.bulletproofdesigns.com Sprockets: DDC Delaney Drive Components (Gearing 13-50) www.ddcracing.net

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