Using a dirt bike.

[Taudisio]

How much trouble is it to pack meat without a rack? It seems there are only a few models that have options for a robust rack that doesn't just mount to a plastic fender.

I’ll be sure to post if I get a spring bear down. They do have pannier panels for the bike if you were so inclined. I went with the tusk rackless setup. Maybe I’ll put 30 pounds of weight in each side, 30 on the back of the seat, and 10+ my rifle in the backpack and do a 10 minute run up the mountain and back. I don’t foresee any issue when it has foot pegs for another second rider. Just going to have to take it slower than normal.

 

[ID_Matt]

How much trouble is it to pack meat without a rack? It seems there are only a few models that have options for a robust rack that doesn't just mount to a plastic fender.

In my opinion racks aren't going to do you much. The most weight I would want to put on fenders is something like 10 lbs anyway. Weight does much better on your back because you can move it to balance. Much weight on your bike is just going to add instability and make the bike tip over that much harder/faster in my opinion.

 

[TheGDog]

I’m going to preface this with the fact this is my first experience on a “dirt bike” that is larger than a Honda 100, 20+ years ago. Coming from the street side, it’s a whole new world. I am 6’ 210-215 depending on the day. What sold me on the klx over the Honda was EVERY review I watched said the suspension between the two are night and day. I haven’t had any sore back or coccyx on the stock suspension and seat. I’ve had street bikes in the past that I couldn’t ride more than two hours and be sore for 2 days after. I rode from 9am-330p yesterday and did 130 dirt miles and 40 road miles back home (gas bill was $11). Zero pain today. I have not adjusted the sag or rebound yet.
Everyone says the Honda is sprung for a 100 pound person and non-adjustable, but engine/vibrations are a little more refined.

My only gripe with the klx is the little gas tank. The low gas indicator has come on twice which always sends my mind into a panic, hence the newly acquired rotopax that holds 1.75gal. I used it once yesterday and from the light being on up to the brim, there was still gas in the rotopax. I wish a 4+ gallon tank comes out for the klx sooner than later.
Handle bars, barkbusters, foot pegs, and luggage are next and waiting in the garage for install.
Being my size, I was impressed she got up to 76mph on the flat highway on my way home. Wasn’t very comfortable, but it also felt like she was also capable of a smidge more if I had some more flat tarmac. I had my pack, rifle, and full rotopax on the back. So maybe 240lbs total extra weight on the bike.

Brother? Thank you SO MUCH! For that quick break-down!

I'm right around your size/weight (only shorter now at 5' 9"-ish, from all the prior damage.) And since I have some significant lower-back issues I deal with now as leftovers from a MASSIVE slam to coccyx/iliac-crest before on Hard-Pack long time ago.

So you also forwarding that info about not being sore afterward is highly valuable information, so thank you!

 

[Taudisio]

Brother? Thank you SO MUCH! For that quick break-down!

I'm right around your size/weight (only shorter now at 5' 9"-ish, from all the prior damage.) And since I have some significant lower-back issues I deal with now as leftovers from a MASSIVE slam to coccyx/iliac-crest before on Hard-Pack long time ago.

So you also forwarding that info about not being sore afterward is highly valuable information, so thank you!

I don’t know if I was just sensitive to it in the past or what, but I seriously had some major coccyx pain on my first road bike. I enjoyed riding it so much, besides the pain, that I bought a coccyx pillow and rode on top of that
I traded it for a versys 650 and that comfortable, old man bike, still hurt my back.

I thought for sure I was going to have to buy the seat concepts for the klx, but I seriously have no pain from all day riding, and I sit down a lot. Probably more than I should. Old habits I guess. I would say in that 6.5 hour trip, I was off the bike for a total of 30 minutes. Photo ops, and gas refills only. The sub 4k rpm break in was killing me so I wanted to knock out those first 150 miles. I started the morning with 64 on the odometer. I would not put what I did yesterday anywhere near hardcore riding but some of the spots were a good test for the bike. A few spots I wouldn’t take my truck, and that’s saying something. I would never be able to drive my truck at the same speeds on some of the roads I was on.
The worst part of the trip is I haven’t replaced my riding gloves, and my Kuiu attack gloves don’t fend off the wind as well as I hoped. Two new pairs of gloves have been shipped today

 

[TheGDog]

I am soo there with you on knocking out the break-in miles where ya gotta constantly vary the throttle all the time to get proper break-in. That part is soo annoying, ugh!

Biggest thing is just don't let the engine get too hot. They have more friction at first from all the metal shavings that need to get scraped off of mating surfaces. So if ya push it, you're likely to seize, or partially seize a cylinder and it'll score across the piston and rings... and some metal off the piston, from the scoring, will then disallow the rings to expand properly, so no longer sealing properly, etc.

How is vibration thru the bars? I'm assuming that engine is counter-balanced right? So vibes probably not that bad?

Have you swapped out for WIDE foot pegs yet? Sounded like the stock ones are stupid small.

Yeah definitely getchu some shields or barkbusters. Also if you plan to go offroad, don't forget to safety-wires your grips to the handlebar and throttle assembly.

Do a "Brake-Snake" cable from tip of rear-brake and gear-shift levers, on over to connection front up front on frame, to help deflect weeds/vegetations from being able to get jammed up in between those levers and your engine cases!

Get a rock skid plate, ASAP. Either is fine. Alum or CarbonFiber. You do NOT wanna have your oil drain plug get bashed-in and crack thru the bottom of the cases by some rock when you're out in BFE.

Make sure to keep watch on your chain tensioning right now during break-in, in the beginning lotta chain stretch will happen, more so when ya finally get to ride harder, of course.

I seriously wouldn't even bother trying to ride it offroad in places you might hunt, UNTIL, you change out the tires for more dirt-worthy tires that re more like 95/5 dirt/street-legal, rather than the typical 50/50 or 60/40 type of tire they throw on them ususally. Also... out on the trail.. you WILL NEED rimlocks! OR... possibly you change out to mousse inner tubes if you don't want to put on rimlocks. Cause with tubed tires and NO rimlocks.. second you hit some decent whoops or rocks, your valve stem will get sheered-off. Rimlocks prevent that from happening at the low air pressures we need to run in dirtbike tires sometimes. But.. a mousse-type inner tube alternative could be a solution there, since ya figure no valve to shred off.

Don't think you're gonna pack anything mounted onto the bike itself, except for maybe that fuel container. Think debone, head and hide in the field, onto the pack, onto your back, you onto the moto. Outie. Paniers not realistic for this application, IMO.

 

[idahomuleys]

How much trouble is it to pack meat without a rack? It seems there are only a few models that have options for a robust rack that doesn't just mount to a plastic fender.

I have a cyclerack on my ttr230. I've packed out some elk and a few deer on this bike. I also pack camp in on my bike every season. After trying multiple ways of packing, I prefer to keep all of the weight on my back and not use the rack for anything except strapping a small toolbag to. It is much more difficult to maneuver the bike on technical terrain with weight on the rack. I didn't use the rack at all this season and packed a couple deer out.

Sent from my SM-S928U using Tapatalk

 

[Taudisio]

I am soo there with you on knocking out the break-in miles where ya gotta constantly vary the throttle all the time to get proper break-in. That part is soo annoying, ugh!

You’re telling me! It was slow going, max speed was 43mph keeping under the rpm limit. It was harder than you think with the road at the end of the driveway being rural 55mph speed limit.

Biggest thing is just don't let the engine get too hot. They have more friction at first from all the metal shavings that need to get scraped off of mating surfaces. So if ya push it, you're likely to seize, or partially seize a cylinder and it'll score across the piston and rings... and some metal off the piston, from the scoring, will then disallow the rings to expand properly, so no longer sealing properly, etc.

How is vibration thru the bars? I'm assuming that engine is counter-balanced right? So vibes probably not that bad?

The bike has more vibration than others I have ridden. Not a deal breaker for me. Yes it is counterbalanced.

Have you swapped out for WIDE foot pegs yet? Sounded like the stock ones are stupid small.

I have the IMS super sport pegs sitting next to the bike ready to be swapped out. I haven’t been standing much, but I can see it being an issue.

Yeah definitely getchu some shields or barkbusters. Also if you plan to go offroad, don't forget to safety-wires your grips to the handlebar and throttle assembly.

Safety wires are part of the plan. Forgot grip glue in my order, so that shipped today.

Do a "Brake-Snake" cable from tip of rear-brake and gear-shift levers, on over to connection front up front on frame, to help deflect weeds/vegetations from being able to get jammed up in between those levers and your engine cases!

I’m going to have to look into this. I haven’t heard of it before. I had a stick under my rear brake lever yesterday. It wasn’t a big deal as I was heading up a slight grade at slow speed, but I could see that being an issue.

Get a rock skid plate, ASAP. Either is fine. Alum or CarbonFiber. You do NOT wanna have your oil drain plug get bashed-in and crack thru the bottom of the cases by some rock when you're out in BFE.

I put an aluminum “ricochet” plate on the bike as soon as I got it home from the dealer. Bike still didn’t have 1 mile on the odometer.

Make sure to keep watch on your chain tensioning right now during break-in, in the beginning lotta chain stretch will happen, more so when ya finally get to ride harder, of course.

I noticed it looked loose after I washed it yesterday. It’s on my to do list this weekend.

I seriously wouldn't even bother trying to ride it offroad in places you might hunt, UNTIL, you change out the tires for more dirt-worthy tires that re more like 95/5 dirt/street-legal, rather than the typical 50/50 or 60/40 type of tire they throw on them ususally. Also... out on the trail.. you WILL NEED rimlocks! OR... possibly you change out to mousse inner tubes if you don't want to put on rimlocks. Cause with tubed tires and NO rimlocks.. second you hit some decent whoops or rocks, your valve stem will get sheered-off. Rimlocks prevent that from happening at the low air pressures we need to run in dirtbike tires sometimes. But.. a mousse-type inner tube alternative could be a solution there, since ya figure no valve to shred off.

I have a brand new set of the tusk d-sport tires sitting next to the bike now.
The stock tires really aren’t bad. They are the Dunlop 605’s. They are more aggressive than I was expecting. I have been debating on getting rim locks or not. Sounds like they won’t be the worst idea to have for the small headache they give while changing tires.

Don't think you're gonna pack anything mounted onto the bike itself, except for maybe that fuel container. Think debone, head and hide in the field, onto the pack, onto your back, you onto the moto. Outie. Paniers not realistic for this application, IMO.

I was already planning to de-bone. I’ll have my kifaru, but I’m going to try meat in the rackless setup first before I decide they have to be on my back. I’m picturing my hunting as shooting a bear in a clearcut, getting the bike as close as possible, but still on the road. Then packing to the bike just like a truck. Then a short road jaunt home. I hunt a lot of private timber that allow public access. I’m not going to be “that guy” that ruins it for everyone by tearing up their property.

I’m waiting to swap everything out this weekend when my buddy that has raced MX his whole life can keep an eye over my shoulder and lend a helping, experienced, hand. The only thing I probably won’t touch are the tires for now.

 

[mtnbound]

How much trouble is it to pack meat without a rack? It seems there are only a few models that have options for a robust rack that doesn't just mount to a plastic fender.

I find that I have better balance and control when I carry the meat on my back than when I have it loaded on a rack.

 

[mtnbound]

I’ll be sure to post if I get a spring bear down. They do have pannier panels for the bike if you were so inclined. I went with the tusk rackless setup. Maybe I’ll put 30 pounds of weight in each side, 30 on the back of the seat, and 10+ my rifle in the backpack and do a 10 minute run up the mountain and back. I don’t foresee any issue when it has foot pegs for another second rider. Just going to have to take it slower than normal.

I use the Giant Loop saddlebags, which help keep the weight lower on the bike, which makes a noticeable difference.