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It was fun, next time I need to ride further up. Worth another trip for sure. 👍

Awesome! Glad you are enjoying it, they are great bikes! I'm 54, and a long time rider, but still basically a near beginner. 😬

We showed up at 9, so I'm betting you were already up at the top before we started. Lol

It was fun, and we only did the first section. Some of the exposure made me nervous for sure. Lol

Thanks! I mostly feel like the bike throws me around. 😂

@@rockymountainlife 😆

The 430 engine is the race engine, snappy and likes to rev. The 390 is more of a lugger engine, doesn't like high revs. They both have good low end grunt, but I think the 390 is smoother down low.

Yeah, we really did have great weather, and the scenery was great with the aspens in peak color.

Not much different, the 390 doesn't pass quite as quickly as the 500, but the power between the two isn't massively different. I found the 390 easier to manage on the trails, which I like. If you were to do much highway riding the 500 will do a little better, and not work as hard, but neither one is very comfortable on the highway as they're so dirt oriented. 👍

@@rockymountainlife thank you.

It is just off highway 67 ten miles north of Woodland Park, Colorado. A GPS app should be able to find it as Rainbow Falls Riding Area. There's a sign on the right hand side of the road that says Rainbow Falls. Pull in there, go in just a little ways and you'll find a big parking area with outhouses and a loading ramp. 😊👍

@@rockymountainlife Thank You Very Much. I live in Pueblo so it’s not too far. Happy Trails my friend

Well, the valve check intervals are always a hot topic: the manual says to do it every 90 hours, but the certified Beta shop techs I asked all said that only matters if you're racing or riding it really hard and revving it out a lot. I don't do that. Mine has about 110 hours on it with no valve checks and it's been running fine, zero issues. The engine and transmission oils are separate on these Beta 4 strokes, so it holds less engine oil than what most of us are used to. So I change my oil more often than I would on something else, I change mine about every 20 hours. As for wrenching, I change the oil and filter myself, and that's about it. I'm no mechanic. The stock bikes come with plastic oil gears that need to be replaced at about 100 hours or so. I had a buddy help me with that. Otherwise my bike just runs great. I don't know if it's any harder to work on than anything else really. But they are high compression, high performance motors, so they do need more attention than the old Hondas etc.

@@rockymountainlife Thanks for the information. Appreciate it very much!

Heh, you're right, now that you mention it, the cloud does look like an eagle. 👍

I had the exact opposite experience, I got mine from a dealer that sold orange, Beta, Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Sherco and all the shop guys were riding Betas and about 3 of the shop guys all told me to get the Beta. Nearly four years later and I haven't regretted it for one second.

It's not too far from Colorado Springs, so a fair distance from GJ. 😊👍

@@rockymountainlife ok, bummer

Thanks, will do!

Yeah, I think I'll end up back with the Shinko 505 on the back. It gripped well, felt more stable to me, and held up pretty well. I had heard good things about the Tusk but so far I haven't been too impressed.

It's one of my favorite places to ride. The scenery never gets old for me. 👍

Agreed. And thanks again for lunch and letting me hang out in camp with everyone. 👍

It sure is, I love that area. 👍

Heh, yeah, Cali is it's own monster, I don't think I could ever be paid enough to be willing to live there. 😂

facebook.com/rockymountainlife?mibextid=LQQJ4d That's my Facebook profile link, you can DM me there. That area is great, fun place to ride. Your xtrainer will also be really good on some atv trails like I usually ride. Couple of things: I don't know if you've ever visited here before, but if you haven't, the elevation in our mountains is no joke. I'm in emergency medicine and I see people regularly who are suffering from altitude sickness, so make sure you're ready for that. Your xtrainer might need some adjustment on the jetting as well, also because of the altitude. But yeah, let me know when you get out this way and we'll make something happen. 😊👍

I believe that video was on Gold Camp Road in Colorado Springs.

@@rockymountainlife Yea i was just trying to figure out where off it. Ive explored it a bunch and never come across that. But its all good if you dont remember. Thanks though!

@@Masterbork82 My memory isn't great with those types of details, it's either Gold Camp Road or Old Stage Road. That was long enough now that I forget. Lol Sorry about that. I haven't been up there since then so my memory is fuzzy.

​@rockymountainlife it looks like gold camp road. I've hiked up upper gold camp(where you said you'd get looks for being there on your bikes) a few times and the dog poop in bags in a big issue there

@@jhankins1126 yeah, the side eye from the walkers is always fun. Thanks for clarifying, I don't trust my memory. 😬

Based on your criteria, I'd have to go for the 500. The 390 is easier to manage on trails, but for pretty much everything else, especially light adventure etc, the 500 is going to be better. It will handle higher speed street riding better than the 390.

Yeah, I keep going back and forth on it, between wanting to experience it, vs making a fool out of myself in front of everyone. lol

Most of it was 717, but we also hit some offshoots, like 717A etc out there. It's probably my favorite place to ride. 👍

@@rockymountainlife awesome thanks for the info. Will be checking it out soon.

We started out going down 357 C to 717. It was a good time.

Thanks! It's a fun hobby and should make good memories when I'm old and can't ride anymore. 😊

I'm leaning toward the Arctic Leopard EXE 880 for an ebike. I'm not sure the Ultra Bee is sturdy enough for me. I'm too heavy for it. But the Arctic Leopard is a properly sized bike, full size frame and suspension etc. But I may also get a 2smoke, still deciding. Lol

Probably, as long as we're not dodging hikers and mountain bikers all the time. Lol Seems that place is always crowded.

Whoops, correction: Bunce School rd

Yep, northern area of Rampart near Sedalia. 👍

I have a pair of Alpinestars Tech 3 boots, and some cheap Amazon knee protectors and a cheap Amazon armored mesh jacket thing. Lol I'm in health care, so I'm not swimming in money. I make sure I have a good helmet and good boots. The rest is less crucial I think since I don't ride very fast. 😂

Near Divide Colorado. A whole bunch of trails out that way. 👍

And currently in the USA I don't think any of the ebikes are street legal, so if you need to ride from home (and you live in the states) having a ebike wouldn't work well. I want light feeling trail bike, and for me 60 miles is a ton of riding on trails in one day. I usually don't go over 40 in one day, so this would work fine for my needs. It all goes back to how a person plans on using it. Sounds like it would not fit your needs well.

@@rockymountainlife zero dual sport is only one does. Wonder why no one else can?

@@markjeepingful the way I understand it, it's government regulations, they're not allowing most ebikes to be titled as a "motorcycle". I hope it changes in the near future.

Well, if you can talk Honda into actually making a CRF500 then sure!

I've loved mine, still do. I wish I had a two stroke for the singletrack that I ride occassionally, but for most things the 500 is pretty great. And yeah, that is a pretty great riding area, especially in winter as it's usually warmer down there. 👍

It was fun, just different terrain from what I'm used to, so it was fun from that perspective. And it is a great place for my bike, I think I even talked about that near the end when I was wishing for a 2 stroke. 😂

No, mine has never coughed or surged. I can stall it, but that's it. Otherwise it runs fine. Is yours acting weird at low rpm?

Nice! I had a 1982 XT250 back in the day. It was great. If you've put a license plate on it, you'lll be good to get started on the dirt roads near where you live. An OHV permit is needed for trails. What part of Colorado do you live in?

It sure was, but it's also a pretty cool place to ride, I wouldn't mind going back some time, it would help my hill climbing get better.

@@rockymountainlife we can sure do that

Well, if it were me I'd get the RR, but that's because I don't need to lower the suspension. Plus I'm heavier so having the stiffer springs is important to me. But for singletrack I think it's really hard to beat the xtrainer. It's lighter than the RR, and has such great smooth power that is perfect for tighter trails. And even at my size I don't start noticing the suspension until the bike is going faster, or I'm jumping it. Then I notice. Also the xtrainer comes with a 15% smaller frame, so it's more than just a lower seat height, it's a shorter wheelbase as well. It's also less expensive. So I think if I were wanting to lower the suspension on a RR, I'd most likely get a xtrainer. You can always put the RR pipe on it and get RR type power out of it. And unless you weigh over 200 pounds, or plan on zooming at high speed in the desert I'd bet the xtrainer suspension would work fine. I personally felt more capable and confident on the xtrainer. But they are both good bikes, hard to go wrong with either one.

Colorado Springs actually, so a bit south of the Front Range. 👍

I live out in falcon, your riding style is very similar to what I like to do, push a little but mainly ride for leisure. If u wanna ride sometime let me know. I like meeting like minded people on the trail

@@gregorykemp2511 sounds good to me! You can connect and dm me via my FB: facebook.com/rockymountainlife?mibextid=LQQJ4d

The 390 will cruise at 65 just fine, but not a lot more as the final gearing is shorter than the 500. They are both similar, it comes down to how you plan on using it. If you plan on singletrack and tighter woods trails, I'd go with the 390. It's such a great engine, tractors real well. The 500 comes with taller gearing, which you can switch but it is a little harder to wrestle around the trails. But if you plan on using it as a dual sport and will be sticking to two track and fire roads the 500 will be fine there, and with the stock gearing will cruise at 75 all day without much trouble. Either one will be really good, it's hard to go wrong, but I prefer the 390 for trail riding, and the 500 is great at everything else. I ride my 500 on singletrack and it can do it, it just feels a bit heavier. 😊👍

@@rockymountainlife Thanks for the response. My usage for this bike would be riding the canonshot route through michigan and wisconsin so lot's of two track and seasonal roads with the occasional singletrack section and paved section. I felt the 390 was easier to ride in the harder stuff for me but unfortunately we didn't have the opportunity to ride it at faster speeds. I'm leaning towards the 500 since my riding buddy has a ktm 500. But if a nice used 390 pops up I would consider it.

@@WadeMade good luck on your search, I hope it works out and I hope you really like whichever one you end up with. They are great bikes.

@@rockymountainlife Thanks, and thanks for the video comparing them. It's fun to hear other peoples perspective.

The Ouray Silverton area is very popular, a number of alpine passes to ride, hard to wrong there. And it's incredibly beautiful there too. I don't know how much singletrack there is, that area is known for the Jeep trail passes. The Rampart Range OHV area near Castle Rock and Colorado Springs is huge, has all kinds of trails ranging from dirt roads, atv trails and singletrack. Both are fun, but most people from out of state will usually go to Ouray. Just know that those passes are rocky. Quite rocky. They are single lane roads but have a lot of rocks. Alpine Loop near Lake City is also popular. It's near the Silverton/Ouray area as well. I tend to ride closer to Coloado Springs as that's where I live, so my trails in my videos are all accessed from Colorado Springs, but usually involve an hour or two drive to get to.

@@rockymountainlife Do the trails near Colorado Springs tend to be less technical and rocky. I have family who live in Colorado Springs so I'm not opposed to going to that area to ride. I'm just looking for nice and easy enjoyable trails or gravel roads with good views. Not interested in Triple Black Diamond trails and killing myself. Lol .... Thanks again for the info.

@@bigspy100 Mt. Herman road, which starts just a bit north of Colorado Springs is a nice dirt road that leads up into the mountains with some great views. It's pretty long and easy, and if you want to go far enough it eventually will connect to Rampart Range. Rampart has a number of green trails. Also, north of Woodland Park is an area called Rainbow Falls that has tons of nice dirt roads and some easy trails. All of which is pretty easy to get to from the Springs. So if you're looking for easier trails, I'd say Rampart or Rainbow Falls. Mt. Herman road for views and miles of dirt roads. All our trails have rocks, but I think the high alpine passes around Silverton and Ouray are rockier. There's some beautiful riding around Gunnison and Crested Butte as well. They're pretty far from the Springs, but is an area where you could stay in a hotel and find a lot of cool dirt roads to ride.

I wish I could have had time on a less rocky trail to get a better feel for it. It has a great motor.

The Ranger is one I haven't ridden but seems to be a comparable bike to the xtrainer-a slightly smaller frame etc. Seems to me it's a great trail bike. If I were to get a Rieju it would likely be either the Ranger or their middle bike the Racing. The Pro is more race oriented than what I need. 😊

I think the Rieju is a great bike, those original GasGas bikes were awesome. And yeah, the rocks stress me out, I won't lie. Lol

Yeah, I expect them to get better with the shipping process. At least I hope so. I think the 800 will be the sweet spot for a lot of people.

Got an 800 in yet ?

@@jimji2774 not yet, they're still testing out the 880. I'll try and get a video out when they get an 800 in. 👍