BIKES: Cheap Fun On Two Wheels

Motorcycling Lifestyles

BIKES: Cheap Fun On Two Wheels

Riding at Cornerspin is an exciting way to spend a weekend!

Neale Bayly | Posted April 16, 2012 Charlotte, NC

Rider training at Cornerspin. (Photo: Neale Bayly)

A couple of years ago I discovered one of the best-kept secrets on two wheels when I found myself at www.cornerspin.com. Sure I had heard of it and seen posters at my local bike hang outs, but somehow the idea of riding Honda XR100s didn’t seem like the most exciting way to spend a weekend. After all, I ride real motorcycles. Fast forward to the end of weekend training at Cornerspin, and the stark realization that I had been missing out on a whole pile of fun. Fun that could be had at very low cost and with low penalty for error outside of a few bruises and sore ribs from laughing so much.

As I got more addicted to spinning and sliding in the dirt, the next step was getting my boys, Luke and Patrick, more involved, and before long we had an old TTR125 and a Honda XR80 in the garage. The Yamaha is on loan from a good friend, but you could purchase a bike in similar condition for between $600 and $900, depending on the time of year and your luck. At first we rode on an old abandoned building site near my house, but more recently we took up residence at my friend Corey’s back yard. He is a confirmed bachelor with a little property attached to his house, and as an avid motorcyclist and mechanic is the perfect accomplice. With a small, fun track laid out, we have been happily spinning, sliding, and crashing every weekend our schedules have aligned, and in the process taught a truck-load of people to ride, or refresh existing skills. It’s a riot. Turn up with a cooler full of drinks and snacks, pull out the dirt-bike gear and a lawn chair, and then either sit back and enjoy the show or go twist the throttle and have fun.

The Yamaha TTR125 has proved to be absolutely bullet proof, and apart from oil changes, air filter cleaning, chain lubing and adjusting, the only time it needs any wrenches turned is when something is too bent to ride. My son Luke has a unique ability to provide not only the most spectacular laps, but also more bent parts than the rest of us put together. And the TTR has been on the ground in a pile of dust and limbs more times than any of us can remember while always surviving to ride another day.

As the winter set in late last year, we rolled the TTR into the garage, and found the chain was stretched beyond repair and the old beast was looking more than a little weary. So Corey and I decided that before the new riding season was upon us we should get to work and freshen up the Yamaha. A new chain and sprocket set was ordered, oil and filter purchased, and a new air filter and spark plug went into the bag. All the rest of the jobs required some elbow grease, a few tools, and some lubricants, so off to the shed we went. While I had the back wheel off I cleaned and serviced the brake pads, which were extremely glazed. Lightly sanding the inside of the drum, I cleaned all the moving parts with brake cleaner, before lightly greasing them. Then I re-installed the pads, which now looked as good as new. While I was doing this, Corey pulled off the swing arm and shock and lubed all the important places. Things had been getting a little squeaky, and to be honest I don’t think the suspension had been doing a whole lot of anything with the amount of dust and mud that was packed in there. While the swing arm was off, I washed it and repainted it just for looks, before Corey bolted it all back together and installed the chain and sprockets. With everything cleaned and lubed, it all went back together easily and now works like a charm.

We also took all the bodywork off for cleaning and gave the bike a thorough washing and detailing. This allowed us to check everything over and install a new air filter and spark plug. Patrick gave the TTR an oil change, and Corey put all the bodywork back on. There were a few things to straighten out, and once the brake pedal spring was repaired, the rear brake rod attended to, and the levers set in place, we were close to being back in business. We lubed the cables, filled her with gas and headed out to the track on a warm, sunny day.

The transformation was amazing. The new gearing has added a few teeth to the rear sprocket so the bike accelerates much better, and the rear shock is now quiet and works properly when you go over a bump, so the ride quality feels almost plush. We have also done a lot of work to our track to smooth it out as we try to emulate the Cornerspin facility, and after a day of fast laps we couldn’t be happier with our old TTR 125.

Our friend Hayley, who does some modeling for us, stopped by to learn to ride and graced us with some pictures. Then Luke jumped on and set about putting it back in the state it was when we parked it last winter. He was most impressed with the extra power and was his usual flamboyant self as he turned the fastest lap times we have ever recorded on our little track. Patrick took some laps, as did Corey and I, and we rode until it got too dark to see. In the next weeks we are going to bleed the brakes and overhaul the front brake caliper. Then we will install some Bridgestone Trail Wing tires, as the current knobbies have a little too much grip. And that’s it for the season, other than occasional oil changes and chain maintenance, and of course a couple of dollars worth of gas for the day. Who says you can’t have cheap fun on motorcycles?

View photos HERE!