Some newbie advice needed!

Hello ODSC,

Long time street rider here. Last summer, took the dirt course at Horseshoe and loved it..traded my Vstrom for a KLX250 and here I am! I have purchased an OFTR membership and listed ODSC as the primary club. A lot of the threads, the Bethany ride, seem catered to more experienced off road riders. I am looking for advice from you!

Where to ride: Where are some easy trails (or even dirt roads) to get started on? After reading online for a while, it seems like routes are not super public. After joining OFTR and ODSC, will I have access to some maps, routes, etc.? I live in east Toronto. I don't have a truck yet to haul the KLX so I will be just riding out from here. Do you guys recommend starting on easy dirt roads just to get a feel for it?

Thanks in advance.

Welcome Ghostrider

Yes you will have access to some maps. The OFTR is launching mapping "soon"

My apologies I can't provide more details right now.

Join some of our organized rides, but you can also get comfortable riding on dirt by going out on back roads by yourself to get used to the feeling of riding dirt.........

Welcome to the community, it’s a lot of fun!

North pickering and Uxbridge still have some dirt roads that wouldn't be super far. They should be in rough shape after the winter but even a freshly graded dirt road will give you a good idea of how the bike will feel in the dirt. Great choice of bike by the way! Just get out and explore, join some club rides, and you'll have plenty of places to ride in no time.

Look in the Track and Routes section of the forum. You will find many GPX files. Also you shild be able to find the bethany gpx for last few years.

Thank you to all for your input thus far. Yes, I will definitely join one of the rides, although do you guys cater to super beginners? Watching some of the vids you all definitely look pro on the soft stuff.

The Track and Routes section is restricted. I paid for the membership (and selected the primary club) through OFTR. Do they do some kind of reconciling with the admin here to ensure that I get access?

Cheers!

PM me (start a "conversation") and provide your real name so I can check the OFTR/ODSC database.

EDIT: all correct now

Here's a google maps pin. Great place to start with a blue plate. I've been riding this area on my KLX 250 for a couple of years now, and the Bethany run uses tracks in this area as well. Not too challenging but lots of area to explore and 100% legal for riding if you stay on the road allowances. (trust me they don't look or feel like roads!)

Dropped pin
https://maps.app.goo.gl/3sTg915EZivSUsjNA

I believe the last Bethany ride I attended (a while ago) was when the young guy showed up on a CBR125 and attempted the route, the guys all pitched in and helped him along so I would say, YES beginners are welcomed. There's usually people of all skill levels any time I've done OFTR or ODSC rides in the past.

Dean;

Wasn't that an amazing effort by that guy? Especially the sand after the first sideroads in the first 20 minutes or so. Incroyable!

B

If I'm not mistaken there is some video evidence of the highlights. It should be posted in a thread circa 2014~ish. I also remember approaching a huge water hole with guys filming on the other end thinking to myself..... this can't be good.

Wow thanks so much for this. I just checked out the satellite imagery. What the heck is this place? It's not private property?

The "roads" (I use that term loosely here) are 100% legal for riding with blue plate motorcycles the big sandy area you see is technically off limits (it is however very popular anyway with locals) it's known as the Raglan Pits. Stay out of there and the rest is fair game. You can follow Boundary Rd almost all the way to highway 35 and trust me, it's a road in name only!

there are lots of thing left and right of 'boundary rd' some legal, some not, some we don't know...

Thanks so much! I can't wait to go and check that area out. I definitely want to sort out this weird vibration I have on my KLX250 first. The front end vibrates when it hits 50km/h or so...feels like a very badly balanced tire or a tire out of round or something like that. I asked on another forum and there was an explanation about having rim locks and riding on the street. Anybody else have any ideas?

I've had a tire that was out of balance eventually wear a flat area in the tread and it bounced like crazy, it was on my KLX250. It shouldn't have rim locks from the factory but the dealer put them on mine when I had tires changed one time and I ended up removing them for this reason.

Put your KLX on a stand and spin the front wheel. Look at the rim carefully to make sure it runs true. You can balance the wheel by adding weights opposite the rim lock. Look for some weights that go over the spoke or wrap solder around the spoke. There are also weights that stick on the rim that might work if the rim surface is flat enough.

You have rim locks on a 250? And on the front wheel? You must have a turbo on that thing too. Seriously? Remove the rim lock. You're never going to benefit from it.

Bruce

I think there are rim locks? There is a hex nut on a thread on part of the rim. That's what I'm assuming that is from the research I've done?

I have the bike on a stand and the wheel is true... I bought a set of slightly used TKC80's to throw on there. I hope that fixes the issue. I will not reinstall the rim locks if those are really there.

The best solution I have found is this product. It will continue to work as the tire wears out and the balance changes. Super easy to install, even big dogs should be capable of using this product. !)