Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1534665
May 2025 11 Most re red early a er Friday's an cs, and I was no different. Saturday morning soon arrived with an 8:00 am riders mee ng outlining the day ahead and what to expect. We were told there would be a lot less of the sandwash business, but I think Scot was lying to us. Out of the gate, there were a few fun obstacles to overcome, such as a steep concrete wall to climb out of with li le run up. For day two, I chose a Beta 430 RR Race that was also shod with a fresh set of Bridge- stone Ba lecross X40s and I was glad as that re compound made me look like a hero right out of the gate scaling the concrete wall like I had suc on cups on each and every knob. Only a few miles in, another hurdle was a water crossing that proved to be much deeper than it looked. In fact, it could have been right up to the gas cap if one had bobbled. Thankfully, Beta's are quite water resistant with a well-designed airbox, and not even a hint of spu er was detected. We saw just a hint of mud before we were treated (or subjected) to a long stretch of deep sand along with some fun, evenly spaced whoops. As I twisted the 430 to get up on plane, I instantly gelled with the bike. Although only 40 more cc's in displacement, that 430 seemed to have so much more power in the deep sand and planed effortlessly while keeping a more reasonable rev limit. This par cular sec on took us across several long stretches of open desert with scrub pines, then up and over several cool, picturesque ridge trails before dumping us out to a fuel stop deep down an access road. It was at the gas stop that I had a chance to chat with one of my favorite riders of the 70s, Gary Jones. As one who can talk a dog off a meat wagon when the conversa on is exci ng and worthwhile, some mes we lose track of me and place. It was deep in the desert at a rather serious event that this happened. Yes, as above, I had an opportunity to chat with one of my heroes of my youth, fac- tory Yamaha, Can Am, Honda, and several other brands, Gary Jones. I'd just topped my tank and was ge ng ready to saddle up once again when I spo ed Jones taking a break at the gas truck. I'd introduced myself, and we embarked on a conver- sa on that I'll never forget. We talked about his early years, and the gleam is s ll in his eyes. Jones speaks with enthusiasm and is quite the conver- sa onalist. We also shared our love for vintage bikes, and yes, I went there and asked Jones about his prized bikes that went "missing" without his knowledge or approval. I suspect a number of our readers are aware of the underhanded dealings