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Winter Dirt Biking

G

gsheets

New member
Joined
Dec 8, 2007
Location
Menlo Park
Moto(s)
ural
I am planning gradually move & complement my sport bike riding with dirt biking. To figure out if this thing is really 4me & as everyone I met recommended, I took MSF dirt bike school last wkend. It was a BLAST!:thumbup

I will be spending my Friday-to-Sundays this winter around Lake Tahoe, of course, skiing, snowboarding, ...
BUT, I want to try dirt biking on the snow - the same or similar trails that snowmobile tour companies operate on. Generally those are well groomed & rarely have a deep snow. If I can't on those trails, where can I? If I have (put deposit for) a 2002 Honda XR250 with green sticker, can I legally ride anywhere in the Lake Tahoe area forests? Or, am I stuck in OHV areas?
Does having a CA DMV license plate help at all to ride in the forest?
Any additional ideas are helpful

Thank you in advance:ride
nick


ps. thank u 4recommendations, '2stroke4sale'
 
Unless your running spiked tires you can forget riding in the snow. If your bike has a Ca. plate you can ride on all ca roads + any OHV area. & there are many places in the Tahoe Nat. forset that have restrictions you will need to go talk to the Rangers if your not sure.
 
gsheets said:
If I can't on those trails, where can I? If I have (put deposit for) a 2002 Honda XR250 with green sticker, can I legally ride anywhere in the Lake Tahoe area forests? Or, am I stuck in OHV areas?
Does having a CA DMV license plate help at all to ride in the forest?
Click to expand...

With a green sticker, you are limited to OHV areas. Anyplace else in the national forest is designated a National forest road, and only street licensed vehicles (plated) are legal. In fact, all the NF roads right around the OHV parks are marked "sreet licensed vehicles only". From what I can find, snowmobiles pretty much have access to any part of the National forest that is not specifically restriced, and only need the OSV registration (like a green sticker for snowmobiles. Here a link to a forest service snowmobiling map for the Tahoe basin:

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/ltbmu/documents/snowmobile/2006-snowmobile-guide-map.pdf

, from reading the attached rules, some of the areas prohibit operation of "rubber tired vehicles" during the winter months, because, tecnically, the forest roads are closed then, so it might not make any difference if the bikes plated or not. If you think you are going to need a plate, maybe back out of the XR, and find something already plated. They made it pretty much impossible to plate a dirt bike in CA after 2004. There are plated bikes out there. I know where you can get a plated KTM 400 SXC. PM me.
 
good info. All i can add is I took my dirtbike out on the snow (heavily snowmachine area) and it sucked. Huge roostertail and minimal forward motion. Just didn't hook up.

Dude.

Buy one of the 150 hp snowmachines!
 
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I grew up on the east coast and did ALOT of snow riding... anymore than 6 inches get's tough. If it powdery it ok but 6 inches with a crust of ice is hard going too... Spike your tires it will help a bit... short screws in your knobs...
 
I basically ride dirt bikes in the winter only. I didn't ride today because of snow. An inch or two is nice, the first bike through leaves a dirt path for the following bikes. More than that and traction becomes a problem. Six inches or so and it becomes impassable.

Trails in Foresthill, Elkins/Grizzly/PiPi, and I assume Georgetown, are unrideable and/or closed in the winter. You need to stick to the foothills and below.

1117220155_c157cefebd.jpg

1117220553_c093591393.jpg

1117226659_26af6e9f92.jpg

1118061734_daedefc8cd.jpg
 
great info!

Great responses, thank you!
after snowboarding in Squaw today, I dropped in at snowmobile touring company near Kings Beach (Mt Watson trails). Apparently they are operating in an OHV Park! I have been told by a couple (cutting their Christmas tree - it was night & no one else was in sight) that if i have my own snowmobile with proper registration, I can simply use the same trails - those that are groomed by the tour company. and, have been told that it is not uncommon for people to do so.
anyways, I dont believe snow depth will be an issue as long as I stay within trails.

Now, let me see if I have an understanding that green sticker & street legal plate permit use of all public roads & OHV Parks (unless otherwise noted) only. In other words, I can not be just passing by a beautiful lakeshore & decide to get onto my dual sporty – it has to be an OHV Park (permitted for dirt bikes) or I have to steak to pub roads. Right?

Since there is so much info on snowmobiles & so little on dirtbikes (winter rides), as recommended i will contact the local ranger.

I had no idea that street legal plating a dirt bike is so difficult. I have spent 2 weeks researching online about the least maintenance & bulletproof bike - XR250. As you all know, it isn't going to be easy to find a street legal XR250. Any other used bikes I need to look for? I'm 5'9" (height of course) & 151 lbs. I am definitely looking for a (honda & non-honda) bike that I can take to my bike dealer every 2-3 month, pay a couple of hindred bucks & forget about its maintenance (except chains & usual stuff) - simply have no time for getting dirty. How about honda's new XR650L? Is it as reliable & little-to-none maintenance? But i think 650cc torque & bike's height & weight are going to be too much for me to dirty around?

Again, great info
Thank you!:thumbup
 
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gsheets said:
Great responses, thank you!

Now, let me see if I have an understanding that green sticker & street legal plate permit use of all public roads & OHV Parks (unless otherwise noted) only. In other words, I can not be just passing by a beautiful lakeshore & decide to get onto my dual sporty – it has to be an OHV Park (permitted for dirt bikes) or I have to steak to pub roads. Right?
Click to expand...

No, I think you got that wrong:

Red Sticker: (STAY AWAY) = some OHV Parks, and some ONLY during certains times of the year. (basically, the DMV tries to make your life HELL)

Green Sticker: All the OHV Parks all the time, BUT NO FORREST ROADS.
That means, green sticker is only for "offroad"


Plate: Anywhere, Any time.


gsheets said:
How about honda's new XR650L? Is it as reliable & little-to-none maintenance? But i think 650cc torque & bike's height & weight are going to be too much for me to dirty around?
Click to expand...


Weight is almost the same.

I just bought a 1993 XR650L, and it runns and pulls like crazy.
It has more power than the traction can get on the ground most of the time.

But the added torque comes in handy for road riding and dirt roads.
Nice to not pin the throttle for 50MPH.



Reg. Traction: I have NO idea if this would work, but have you looked at "Sand Tires", with huge paddles.
I'd imagine you get enough traction in soft/wet snow, but it will SUCK on ice and hard packed snow.
 
GhostRider said:
Reg. Traction: I have NO idea if this would work, but have you looked at "Sand Tires", with huge paddles.
I'd imagine you get enough traction in soft/wet snow, but it will SUCK on ice and hard packed snow.
Click to expand...

This is what you need for riding in the snow...

10-27001_1.jpg
[/IMG]


WoodsChick
 
GhostRider said:
The weight is almost the same as the anchor on the queen mary, but I just bought a 1993 XR650L, and it runns and pulls like crazy.
Click to expand...

Fixed.
 
I ride up in Tahoe all summer long and then bring the dirt bikes back to the Bay Area for the prime riding season down here all winter and spring.

It sounds like you have a place up in Tahoe. If you do, get a street legal bike so you can ride right from your house. I know of a lot of places to ride all around the lake - but you really need a license plate to get there and to maximize the experience. Most bikes you see on the trails up there and at other riding areas have license plates now.

I have an XR250 that I let friends ride. I also have a DRZ400. Strongly consider a DRZ-400. It is smoother, seems lighter, and easier to ride (even for beginning riders) than the XR and it is just as bulletproof. You can even get a good deal on a used one for $3,500 or so. Any DRZ that looks decent after 2000 is fine. They are all the same basic bike.

PM me if you want to talk further and welcome to the perfect complement to street riding!

BTY if you are just starting out, you will want to avoid the snow, and as others have mentioned, if it's deep at all, you won't get far. The Sierra's are usually unridable from Nov-May or June, but there are a lot of other areas to ride that are in their prime. IE Stoneyford, Foresthill, Rock Creek (Georgetown), Moon Rocks (Reno) and Hollister, Clear Creek, and even Metcalf for a quick ride.
 
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