Thanks all you Forum Kids!

Alvin Toffler authored a book called “THE THIRD WAVE” which I read as part of my graduate studies way back when. The gist of this book was that The Information Age was going to be the next big leap in the evolution of man as a social being. At the time, I had trouble accepting this thought as it did not match the reality I was accustomed to. If I needed information on a particular topic, I usually either sought out a friend who I knew had the knowledge or I went to the library or encyclopedia. Now this was pre-internet and pre-PC.



Since then, things have changed a little. I started riding dirt bikes in 1959. I did most of my own mechanic work on them as this is how I could afford this fun pass time.



I have owned my TW200 for 4 weeks now. I and a friend who also has a new-to-him TW have been able to go on 3 rides here in Southern Idaho as this has been a mild Winter. My friend Larry and I are off-road riders and we can really wring a bike out to see what its capabilities are.



We observed that the power band would be greatly enhanced by being geared lower. Also noticed that the Skid Plate could only have been thinner if it had been sprayed on with a can of aluminum paint. The handle bars were a bit low and could be improved if they were raised. The front tire was prone to washing out when we relied on it for side grip.



Well, then we discovered the TW200 forum. I posted a few questions and received great information and even some spare parts for my projects. I was also able to do several searches on this site and found great pieces-parts available to solve my need to make my bike more dirt worthy. This is what we did:



Tony, on the forum, answered my questions regarding the sprocket and chain change and even sent me an extra chain. I installed a 55 tooth sprocket and now have the off-road power band that matches my riding style.

I have a nice shop here at home so I built some riser blocks that raised my bars 1½” It is much more comfortable that way. I went over to Pacific Recycling and Steel and bought $3.50 worth of material that turned into a really utilitarian Back Rack.

I found those neat seat covers at Walmart locally and now my ride is a little more comfotable.

I am fortunate that Happy Trails Motor Sports is located in my town and they got a much more sturdy skid pan for me.

I did a bunch of searching on the forum for advice regarding front tires and found what has turned out to be the perfect front tire for my needs. It is a Kenda K760 in 110/100-18. It is almost the exact profile of the original tire plus it has an aggressive set of knobs that hook up on off camber surfaces.



So, this is the Information Age and many of you folks on this forum are vastly more experienced with this machine than I am, and are willing to share your expertise. I very much appreciate all the help and useful advice.



Ron in Boise.