The Survivalist Pledge:

To help all that can be helped,
To defend all that can be defended,
To save all that can be saved,
To free all that seek freedom,
To stay alive as long as I can and stay free as long as I live.

While there are many motorcycles on today's market place that are labeled "dirt bikes", many are not really that suitable for a person who wants reliable wheels in the back country. Let's look at some of the options and problems in this situation.

First, we want something that is going to hold up. It's one thing running around a dirt track and spending hours tuning up a bike later... and quite another having a bike that holds up month after month with very little care. Two-cycle bikes, for example, are often popular as dirt bikes because of their lightweight power. Such bikes simply don't hold up over the long haul, however. The 2-cycle motors rev away at very fast RPMs and wear themselves away quickly.

I once had a Bultaco that seldom went more than a few hundred miles before a tune up or other work was needed. Most tow-cycle bikes are lucky to get 10 or 15 thousand miles on them before a major overhaul is needed.

As the mid-80s rolled around, there began to be some longer-lasting 4-cycle bikes on the market, and these should be the choice of anyone concerned with reliability. Such trail bikes had splendid, beefy frames and a ride that was perfect for long periods in the saddle over rough back country. Because durability changed constantly in brands and years, it was usually best to ask mechanics about which bikes held up the best. (Riders usually tried to sell others on the bike that either had and such bikes could be "junkers" to any knowing mechanic.)

Probably the greatest classic ever put out for back country trails was the Honda 90 with low ratio gearing. These could go just about anywhere and were light enough to lift over logs and major obstructions. (I only got in one situation that was too much for a Honda 90. Going down a shale slide in one, I found the trail was blocked below with a landslide. That little Trail 90 is still resting on that remote mountain trail!)

The tiny little Honda 50s and 70s were also great little trail bikes when they had big sprockets put on them. Their only fault was they could burn up from excess heat in prolonged hill climbing in the summer. Today, you can often make a great trail bike up from similar small bikes through the use of large rear chain sprockets. In going up extremely steep hills, you simply walk to the side of the bike and let the bike pull you up as you keep its spinning wheels pointed skyward. You would be surprised at what you can go up once you work out this technique. Dirt bikes with more power can usually blast up such inclines, but the first really bad obstruction will stop them if they aren't light enough to lift over. It's probably a toss up as to your choices. Dirt bikes have soft ride springing that will glide over miles of back country with ease, but their larger engines require you to haul around more gas and their weight is a little too much for one person to haul up small cliffs and serious obstacles.

On the other hand, they will pack a heavier load and head down a highway at a decent clip in a pinch. The little 4-cycle lightweights don't have the springing but ride all day on a sip of gas and can be carried to an area on your car if a rear frame is made up. Just last week, I had to carry home my little Trail 90 on the back of my car when a battery gave out in the local back country. Larger bikes present larger hauling problems. Larger bikes are also very limited in their versatility.

I ride a large BMW 750CC over a lot of back country, but I don't dare get on narrow, steep trails with it. It frequently goes down and it is all I can do to get it right side up on mild trails. Large bikes simply have too much weight. The lighter your bike the better as far as I'm concerned. One good log on your trail will stop you on the usual bike. If you can put together a tiny little trail bike from current street bike, great. Many times the only thing really necessary is a large rear sprocket.

The one thing becoming a hindrance these days to trail riding is the crack down by the worlds "elite" and their governments. To discourage self sufficient types, the primitive country across our nation is being closed off fast. Permits are increasingly needed to enter wilder areas and it appears that the trend will get worse. I see to it that my bikes have spark arrestors on them and I don't abuse the land I go into legally--or illegally. (I figure my actions are between me and my maker--who made the land—not some state that only holds the land through holding some pieces of paper.)

Anyway, to see that your bike holds up, be sure to use a good oil like Valvoline. Pennsylvania and certain other oils can shorten your bike's life. Ask a local bike mechanic about what oils to use. The situations changes. I always carry a few tools and tire changing kit. On longer trips, I carry the usual extra fuel, water, and sleeping gear. Biking the back country is a joy for those who will make the effort. 

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