Jimmy Lewis Off-Road

School’s Out–Were On The Road

jlroffroad — Sat, 18 May 2013 00:20:05 +0000

We’ve had our last class of the season in Pahrump and now we’re out riding and on the road. Look for us all over the West at events and rides, our schedule is kept current on the web page and through announcements on our Facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jimmy-Lewis-Riding-School/103860759702815 )

Additionally you can see some of Jimmy’s work in the newly redesigned Cycle World Magazine where he has been contributing to bike testing and feature stories:(http://www.cycleworld.com/2013/03/27/adventure-riding-navigation-tips/)

Jimmy Lewis switching the 2013 BMW R1200GS to Kenda Big Blocks

So be on the lookout for our June Newsletter with a complete summer schedule and a new riding tip! We’ll hopefully see you out on the trail.

Student Feedback and Testimonials

jlroffroad — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:15:14 +0000

Here is some great feedback from one of our students:

The trail that gave Dawn fits…before taking the class.

Hi Jimmy and Heather,

Today was our first time riding today since back in NY. I was wondering if I would remember any of what we learned at class last month, and the answer is yes! The section of trail in the pic has foiled me a dozen times (can’t decide on a line, slow down, stall, tip, psych out). Today I rode up and down; smooth and un-freaked, and smiling even. Skills most helpful; two fingers on controls while still holding on (stability), proper uphill body position, controlled momentum.

Thanks again,
Dawn

Trail Ride in Pahrump, March 17th, 2013

jlroffroad — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 17:51:15 +0000

We are often told that the trail riding around Pahrump is first-class, and it is. And a lot of our students ask why we don’t offer tours? Well, because there are others that do that. Daryll Folks with Trac-On is having a “Marked Organized” ride just outside Pahrump in the foothills above town on Sunday March 17th. If you ever wanted to ride some of the best singletrack Southern Nevada has to offer, this would be your chance.

Here is a link to his page with the information sheet and the registration form:

http://www.trac-on.com/bighorn-70/

AltRider Taste Of Dakar Photos

jlroffroad — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 19:42:00 +0000

Here are some links to check out the photos from the 2013 Taste Of Dakar event held in Pahrump, Nevada.

AltRider Facebook Page

Riding Tip: The Front Brake

jlroffroad — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 23:46:23 +0000

100% of your bikes braking power is in the front brake. Yes, 100% and I mean it. The reason for this idealistic and profound statement is that even if conditions make it difficult to use the front brake fully, riders still need to approach braking with this technique in mind. After all, if you are good with your front brake, your rear wheel is either in the air or so unweighted that it does little, if any, to slow you down.

So how do you practice this or get comfortable using the front brake to such a high level? Practice. But it takes a number of different drills and teaching methods to get as proficient on the front brake as a rider needs to be. First is to learn the feel and strength of the front brake and the lever pressures necessary to get the stopping power you are looking for. We have a drill that allows you to lock the front wheel and teach you what it feels like when the front wheel starts to skid. And most importantly to let off the brake and regain traction when front wheel skidding occurs. Next comes the learning of what a deliberate application of the front brake is and how that differs from a stab of the front brake. Getting comfortable with the reaction of the suspension (compression and then keeping it compressed and not bouncing) and how proper riding position, extended back over the rear of the bike, is important in not only maximizing the stopping but also letting you control the bike in a hard-brake application. Being in the extended back position not only gives you more strength and power over the bike, you can also feel the rear of the bike trying to move out of line when it does. Repeated practice on different soil conditions builds a rider’s confidence and control over the front brake, which you will quickly learn is used well below its potential most of the time. And of course having a properly functioning front brake with good pads, a straight and true rotor, the caliper sliding freely on its pins and vitally important, a stiction-free lever movement keep your inputs from being filtered through bad equipment.

Braking is not only important for safety, it is the key to outright speed. Reduced braking distances mean more control when you need it and less body jarring mistakes or crashes. Then you are ready to get back on the gas harder and earlier. And the front brake is where all that braking power actually hides.

Photo Credit: Scott Hoffman, Breauxman Live

April and May Classes

jlroffroad — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 22:49:57 +0000

We’ve set our dates for April and May.

April 27 and 28th–Series 1 Off-Road Essentials Class, Open to all bikes and abilities.

May 10th and 11th–Series 1 Off-Road Essentials Class, Single-Cylinder and Competition Bikes (no Twin-Cylinder)

To keep up on all the news for JLR events, sign up for our newsletter. It also contains riding tips and news about great events and rides we are involved with. There is a sign up link at the bottom of each web page and we won’t send you spam!

January 19 & 20, 2013 is an Advanced Class focused on Sand Riding

jlroffroad — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 18:37:44 +0000

We had some last minute changes in the schedule and the January 19 & 20th class is now an advanced class focused on Sand Riding. You should be an intermediate level rider or above and it is limited to single-cylinder bikes. Contact us at jimmy@jimmylewisoffroad.com if you’d like to get in on this rare opportunity. The class will run out of our regular location in Pahrump, Nevada.

Riding Tip: Proper Bike Setup

jlroffroad — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 00:47:56 +0000

Jimmy Lewis gives some advice on how the proper handlebar and lever position can help a rider be more comfortable.

“Is My Bike Set Up Properly?”

That is a tough question. In reality you are the only one who knows the answer. Our expertise and experience at JLR Off-Road can help, but in reality it is us asking you a series of questions to help you understand what will work for you. Making you the most comfortable on your machine. Here are some things to think about.

The most important factor is that all of the controls are functioning properly and in excellent mechanical condition. Having a sticky throttle or a clutch lever that is difficult to pull–maybe bent and not in line–is like putting a filter between you and your bike. Effectively adding a delay to what you want the bike to do and what it actually does (or how quickly it does it). Then it is a matter of positioning the controls so that everything is where it should be. You do not want to be put in a awkward position to reach for any lever or pedal and you do not want to be bound-up, cramped or extended in getting at the clutch, brakes, shifting or even just reaching the handlebar or footpegs. You should also be comfortable getting at the controls in both a relaxed and in an attack position.

Simple adjustments of the standard equipment, things like the angles and lever positions of the bar controls or the heights and positions of the shift and brake pedals can go a long ways. Then there are lots of options for moving the position of the handlebars and footpegs to make everything just perfect. Every adjustment of each component is intertwined so if you adjust one, likely the others are affected. Adjustments like these are especially useful for riders who are larger or smaller than the average sized male that most motorcycles are built for.

Taller or shorter seats and shortened or stiffened suspension work wonders for those outside the average range and in some cases completely change the riding experience, but start with the simple stuff first. And before you go and make any changes, remember how you ride and what types of riding you intend to do. For instance, you don’t ride with your feet on the ground so that position should be very insignificant when you make comfort decisions.

ROUND TIRES AND WHY THEY ARE RISKY OFF ROAD

jlroffroad — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 23:08:07 +0000

When a round tire starts losing traction, there is little the tire can do to save you. It often washes out faster than you can react.

ROUND TIRES AND WHY THEY ARE RISKY OFF ROAD

One of the most common questions we are asked is “Why can’t I use my 50\50 tires at your class?”

Our answer is simple: It is for your safety.

We refer to a so-called 50/50 or dual-purpose tire as a “round tire” referring to the uninterrupted smooth or “round” profile. It differs from what is termed a DOT Knobby or a real off-road knobby tire by lacking aggressive blocks on the tread, especially on the sidewall of the tire. The simple way to feel how these blocks grip off-road is to slide your hand across the surface of the tire and compare between the different types.

For sure the biggest disadvantage with the knobby tire is the life-span or outright durability. On most knobbies, especially on twin-cylinder bikes the rear tire is pretty worn at 3000 miles. But the question you have to ask is, “How important is my safety when I go in the dirt?” And yes, it is as crazy to expect a knobby tire to perform at high levels on the street as it is for a smooth tire to work out in the dirt.

When the tire gets up on the edge in the dirt, not having knobs prevents it from getting traction when you’ll need it most.

Problems arise on a round tire when you really need the tire to be working for you. When you start to lose traction, in either the front or the rear, the smoother the tire the quicker and more suddenly that loss of traction happens. Additionally the less likely it is for you to regain traction, especially when on the sides of a smooth tire. You really need traction when the load starts to push on the edges of the tire–to grip rather than slip. Add in poor traction conditions like sand or mud it really becomes dangerous, even a lost cause. There is nothing aiding the tire’s ability to bite the ground.

When all is fine and dandy off-road, just the weight of the bike is enough to move you along. But that weight and lack of grip-finding blocks in the tire will come back and bite you if and when something starts to go wrong. Braking is severely compromised since round tires tend to slide atop the dirt (and slide out from under you). And then they tend to wander more, never grabbing or biting as the bike’s weight resists changing direction no matter the steering effort you put into it. As the bike begins to lose control, this is when the sidewall, or corner knobbies tend to bite in and come to the rescue, but on a smooth tire the traction never comes back. And if you need a burst of power to help regain control a round tire will just spin, no help at all. Stuck? Forget it. There is nothing but a smooth surface to polish the ground or slowly dig a deeper hole. When things are OK, there isn’t much difference. But when you need your tire to work for you it makes all the difference in the world.

With a round, smooth street tire there is nothing to grab or scoop the soft sand and the bike tends to dig in as fast, if not faster than it goes forward.

Even when a knobby tire is worn down to an almost smooth surface on the center of the tire, it will still get bite and grip in the dirt as the tire tends to sink in and use the edges of the side knobs in soft conditions. Plus in turning you put the tire on the more knobby laden edge where there is still dirt-digging blocks to do work.

How do we know this? Well not only from watching other riders and hearing stories, we actually went out and tested it ourselves in soft sand and in mud. Very carefully, we might add. Even with high-level riders on the bike, it was just plain scary as there is no recourse when things start to go wrong. The bike gets stuck much easier and is nearly impossible to get unstuck without assistance. Knobby tires are the single best thing you can do to improve the performance of your large-displacement bike off-road. And if you thing they are expensive, we say they are cheaper than a cast.

2013 Jimmy Lewis Off-Road Winter/Spring Dates

jlroffroad — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 20:59:08 +0000

Jimmy Lewis Off-Road Training

If you got our newsletter, this is old news. But if you haven’t heard, here are the dates.

The 2013 JLR Off-Road Training schedule:

January 19-20, 2013
February 9-10, 2013
March 9-10, 2013
March 23-24, 2013

All of the classes are wide open as of right now. As they start to fill, we will determine if they are limited by bike type or skill level. If you have any questions about fitting into one of the classes, the best way to find out about a particular class is by requesting a registration by following this link and filling out the form:

http://jimmylewisoffroad.com/contact/

It lets you answer a lot of the pre-screening questions we have and gives us a good idea about classes that will fit you.

Additionally we have some classes in conjunction with the Alt Rider Taste Of Dakar over the February 22-25 weekend that you can view here: http://www.altrider.com/taste-of-dakar-2013/pid/1115

Additionally, look for some fun events we’ll be attending and arranging during the spring and keep up to date with us by signing up for our newsletter in the box at the bottom of the page. Every couple of months (or when we have big news) we send out that information– including riding tips, cool events, product discounts you may be interested in as well as updated class schedules.