Trail Rider Magazine

Flashback! May 2024 5 No ques on we're living in some trying mes. There's a lot going on in today's world and not all is posi ve. As for myself, I do my best to tune out the nega vity as it's so draining on the mind. In reality, there's not much this 62-year-old dirt freak can do about it. My take on it is I'm just another grain of sand, a blade of grass so to speak. I'm certainly no poli cal scien st so don't even go there with me. I'm not educated on that subject, and I care not to embarrass myself. I also believe maintaining good mental health is especially important in today's world. I consider myself lucky to be able to earn a living from my passion, a trait handed down by my father. Dad was a wood- worker who excelled in restoring and refinishing an que furniture. His shop was only a few steps from the house and he'd get lost in there for hours on end. His days were long, star ng early in the morning, and other than a break for dinner, the majority of his days lasted well into the night. As a kid, I spent a lot of me in that shop with him. Dad taught me pa ence and he was great at juggling projects, churning out pieces on a daily basis. Dad existed well in this world he created and generally was a happy man. It was much later in life that I realized how much I'd learned from my father and if they say we eventually become our parents, I'm good with that. Although woodworking was never my thing, mechanical projects have always been a draw. As with my dad, I enjoy projects and how they occupy your mind. I also enjoy how me in the shop stands s ll. Hours seem like minutes and at the end of the day, if all goes as planned, a great sense of personal sa sfac on envelops the body. This my friends is good for the soul. In my case, the projects at hand are motorcycles. Once all the mechanicals are sorted out, it's me to breathe life into the monster. This presents another completely different set of challenges. Whether it be a vintage resurrec on or performance upgrades on a modern bike, the real test is to see if it even runs and more importantly, runs well. Once the project is fired, the real fun begins, the reward so to speak, and that's the test ride. Now, I don't mean just roll the bike out back, flip the choke, fire it up, and rip a lap or two around the house, I mean a proper test ride, 10/20 miles or so. A real-world test ride in condi ons the machine is designed for. I always find it interes ng how much a tune changes once a machine is fully warmed up and put to the task. This exercise, the "test and tune" process can be tedious to some. We're fortunate to have a few hundred acres of some of New England's finest right outside the shop door and that makes it easy to go out and rip a few loops, assess the situa on, and head back to the shop for adjustments or changes. In par cular, the Beta Xtrainer performance mods we've featured deeper in this issue. We'd installed a pipe and unrestrict- ed air filter cage. These two seemingly simple mods transformed the Xtrainer immensely, but it was clear je ng was way off. Throughout that a ernoon, I'd rip a handful of miles, head back to the shop, make a je ng change, head out, and test the results. This exercise that a ernoon consumed about 5 hours. Once on the right track, the results shone brightly with each adjustment delivering an improvement in perfor- mance. That a ernoon we tested needles, many clip posi ons, pilot, and main jets. It was during this test session that me stood s ll, the only thing on my mind was the bike and how well it was running. A search for perfec on you might say. Well, we found it, and man alive what a feeling. This trial-and-error session was just what the doctor ordered. Yes, the bike now runs amazing. Even be er is the sense of personal accom- plishment that resulted from these efforts. Some mes tuning out the world is just what we need. Embrase your hobbies, dirt or whatever. They are so important in maintaining good mental health in the challenging world we live in today.

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