St.Joes 2010

[hoodlum]

Had a GREAT time!!!! Just made it home........I will say more when I have more time....Gotta unload and clean up.......
Hoodlum

[Adnoh]

I'll second that. Even with a few hiccups and a slight learning curve of a new ridding area, Tobey and I had a blast. I would like to thank Hoodlum and the rest for an enjoyable ride, camp discussions and hospitality. We really felt welcome, Thank you.

The ridding area has a lot of flat out ridding terrain with a few surprises which can catch one off guard. The flats/river bottoms are very dusty when following others at speed with limited visibility back in the pack. This will keep one on there toes when suddenly coming upon obstacles and test the limits of ones suspension which get a big WOW factor and get the adrenaline pumping and leads to more speed or pushing harder. The area reminds me of our river area just with out the dust. For those whom have not rode there it's like the cartoon Tasmanian devil, all you see is a dust cloud until he stop and a crazed manic appears . If you choose to go ride with  Tennessee outlaw gang( my new name for Hood and his ridding buddy's) You will need a good filter set up or spare filters.

The wooded area looks tight from the entrance however there is a few trials that can be ridden by a pilot. After exploring at a slow pace I did find a good path to run which included a speed run to the top of the hill which could be run in the mid twenties, my max speed up the hill was 32 mph according to the vapor computer on my LT and felt like 50. This trial head was at Apollo lake and marked 400. The 400 is wide enough with off camber mini jumps that is a blast as you wind up the trial. Once at the trail intersection you can choose to go right or left on trial 100 which winds around and through the trail sections, 100 is a perimeter trail. I found that going up 400 and around 100 to the left is around a 4 mile trek which I ran three times two of which at speed. The 100 is a slower more technical section which is fun and test your driving skill a little as I found just plain fun. I then tried to run in reverses and the off camber of 400 caused a slow down as it tried to throw one off track into the trees. SO up 400 from the Apollo lake trail head is the favored route. I ran this in My LT pilot as well a stock width one, surprising enough the LT pilot did better. This may be one time the bump kit helped as wheel twitch in the rocky section was very noticeable and not as noticeable in the LT with the bump kit. The rocky section of the trails will require yo to be on your toes because of sharp obstacles sticking out into the trail. If you take 100 to the right and use 300 it will take all teh way around the lake anf through the woods for a fun techinal ride and you come out right back at the 400 trail entrance. This wa a great run for an afternoon heat breaker. Youcan ever stop on the back side of teh lake far a packed lunch. I intend on take the wife for a pic nic on that trail when I return.

Well, as far as the heat ya it was hot as hell. The camp grounds do provide shade and plenty of room for vehicles,campers and bikes. The lay out is good with great access to the trails. There is plenty of wildlife around and was enjoyable to see. Out on the flats FL670 spotted a deer wondering around looking for a good place to hide. I had spotted a turkey and Her young one on the trail to the flats from camp to which I just stop to watch them cross. Kinda cute to see them follow there mother and hop upon the rocks then over, the young ones were rally small like a baby chick. It took them about 30 second to make there way across. I do believe FL670 had a bandit show up and carry something off as Tobey and I were loading up to go home. Sure hope He was not collecting a souvenir of the camp site visitors of his home. FL670 missing any keyes or food by chance.

The drive from Wichita to St. Joe was an 8 hour drive and WE stays in a local motel for Ice cold A/C and a hot shower since were not much into camping. The down side to this was you must park in the day use area of the park which provided no shade from the heat and does not allow you to park you vehicle or bikes with your fellow riders in the campgrounds. I found this to be a pain but no big deal rules are the rules. The day use closes at 8:00 pm and you must leave the park. IF you camping the gates lock at 10:00 pm which you can leave and enter a code upon return. If one chooses to meet there friend YOU must rent your own site and stay there,  NO sharing NO exception. One can lie and get around it However I find honesty is the best policy. I guarantee on thing next time I go I will buy a tent and rent a site and visit the wife in the evenings at Her hotel as not to be a violation of the rule and not Lie to park officials. This way when they ask if I'm camping I will say yes. The rules are the rules.

Tobey and I planed on staying for a three day ride which I only stayed two days because of the parking issues and the heat. Another reason for leaving early was I had a motor issue in my pilot. YA, I blew it up and rode the wives while She shopped and was sternly warned not to break her pilot.  This is the first engine failure in my pilot since I owned it so I was due. I had another issue which was whoop related, as I curt across to a side trail I hit a hole a big hole and almost threw me over. Upon returning to camp I noticed the rear arms ball joint was in a wierd angle. I unloaded the suspension and seen the ball joint stud was loose and had woollered the arm pivot point. I drove back the truck which was in day use and in the 100 degree heat disassembled the rear upright and replaced the ball joint and was good to go. The taper I put on the pivot ( which I do not remember doing)must not have been correct or the stripped stud and nut allowed it to wooler to which I did not catch until I check over the suspension after the hit. All that held the nut in place was the cotter pin. Thank goodness for the cotter pin. The damage could have been severe.
As far as my engine goes look for follow up report after tare done. I can guarantee is not gonna be good or it is gonna be good depending how you look at it. Either way it's all good I get new parts to play with and get a chance to break out my white gloves.

I had the chance to mole over the other pilots and have good conversation with the owners and the mods they preformed. Al great information and great jobs by all. I plan on adopting some of there mods to better enhance my pilot. Thank you for that all. Fl670 ever remember where you got those chromoly tie rods. Tobey sure could use a set. The tire choice one of the pilots had is a thought I had  a while back and after talking with the owner he made my choice easier to make and took some of the guess work out of it. When I install a new seat I have few options know for a better fit for me and ease of installation. When I build me a hood for a gauge package I see there is a few more choices as well. You know that's just one more cool part of ridding with others is there take and approach on ideas. It just goes to show there is more than one way of doing things and better ways to do it. I can know take several approaches to the proposed mods I intend to make. I like input, I like it a lot. I will have to say I learned a lot from all and thank you for that.

Again, Thanks to all for the great time.

[hoodlum]

We really enjoyed haveing you guys come and ride with us...It's always good to be able to put a face with names....I am looking forward to seeing you guys again real soon,wether in Georgia or here in TN....I think we are going to Georgia the first of Sept.,but haven't come up with a solid date yet...If you're interested in checking it out,let us know of a good time for you...We are pretty flexible for the most part,and can even meet you in Nashville if you want and carpool the rest of the way...I got plenty of trailer room....
Don't feel alone on the engine issues....I lost something in mine Thursday afternoon,but not sure what yet...It still runs,but makeing a strange noise,so I parked it until I can investigate further....
We ended up riding the bikes a few times...The trails,or should I say rocky hills are tretcherous for a novice biker like myself...Gary did manage to make me go down once on a rocky decent.....Thanks Gary....That's strike 2!!!!!
The kids put well over 200 miles on the rzr,and probably close to the same on the trailer queen pilot...By the way,it got cleaned up first last night,and is already back to it's original state of beauty,and neatly put away....I need to change all the fluids soon,but it can wait till the temps drop a little for that to happen....
It was a great trip as usual,and one that I look the most forward too each year...Not only because it's a great place to ride,but because we always have a week to share with good friends,and most of the time get to meet new ones too....We ride several times a year,but on this one,we get to include the families,and let the kids enjoy some of the same things that make us travel for hours to do.......The only thing that I could think of that would make it better,other than haveing more people show up,would be to stay for 2 weeks instead of 1....Then,I would want to stay for 3,so it's best to leave well enough alone....
Hoodlum

[Adnoh]

Well Hoodlum I hope yours does not look like mine. Ugly.

[hoodlum]

Wow!!!! I hope mine is not that bad either. Did the rod completely seperate from the piston crown?

[FL670R]

Holy Crap....

Man I knew you should not be running rocket fuel in that beast...
That is very ugly...

You were flying and I was running hard to catch up, I've been running the Chrome Molly tie rods for better than 10 years and I've never been able to damage one
(even with the severe flip at Hatfield-Mccoy that destroyed 2 stock rims and the cage) but I did thanks to an oh shit moment chasing ya.

I got some picts to post and I promise to look for the supplier of the rods
more to follow soon.....

PS
Special Thanks to all that made the ride - we had a blast and look forward to it as an annual event...

Dennis & Co...

[Adnoh]

Fl 670 sorry about that hole it was a big one at speed. It was fun though. Hoodlum the piston broke and seperated rite above the rod It now looks like a slipper piston ( short skirt) in my cse a non skirted slipper. I do not wish this on any one. The good news not a lot of internal damage. That 80mm piston had 117 documented hours on it so it was time.

Is that just cool or what. Ill call it back yard hacker art and display it proudly as a riminder why we change piston sooner than latter.I just had to know how long that stock bore would last. How's that for an excuss.

Hers a pic of the vapor pre rde and after chitty,chitty ,bang, bang.

[FL670R]

Found it - I should have remembered...

Dave Slifka (FL500Nut)  @   http://pre-machining.com
Sellls the chrome-molly Tie Rods...

I haven't talked with Dave for a while but his old ridding buddy
Steve Hubbard (odyknuck) says that Dave is still selling parts just not advertising much anymore....

Check out his site....
(Great Guys)

Dennis

[FL670R]

Here are some picts from the St. Joe Mo. Family Ride 2010

[FL670R]

More....

[FL670R]

All and All another great trip....

We actually had quite a number of states represented....

Mark & Rebecca     - North Carolina
Gary & Rhonda      -  Illinois
Randy & Terry       -  Tennessee
Rich & Tobey           -  Kansas
Tom & Jake           -  Missouri
Doug & Elli             -  Indiana
Dennis & Elizabeth  -  Nebraska

And other family members.... (including K9's)

PS
Please forgive any typos...

Till next year...
The Rowes

[Adnoh]

Great pics. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for thanking the time to find source of tie rods.

[odypilots]

Two hot years in a row. Wow! It ought to be cooler next year. Right? Please?! If it was that hot again, I'd  have to get a camper, or at least air condition my tent!

[Vrroom]

Looks like you guys had a great time! I hope I can make it to the ride at Durhamtown that's tentatively planned for the beginning of September.

Vrroom