What's New

We Are Fully Committed

Welcome to MotoVentures quarterly customer newsletter where we highlight what's new from the past several months and what's coming up in the next several months. If you have been following us over the past 11 years you've seen steady upgrades and refinements to our business in an ongoing effort to provide our customers with best services we can. I guess we approach our business like we approach racing. We're always looking to improve our performance and immediately turn our full attention to the next event the minute the last event is over. MotoVentures is run by a small group of fun loving fully committed motorcycle enthusiasts offering an extremely fun activity to equally fun-loving adventure seekers. There is no question we owe our continuing prosperity to your repeat business and referrals. So thanks to you we're still here despite a really tough economy. Isn't it about time you scratched that itch to learn to ride, take your riding to the next level, or take that epic adventure ride somewhere? We have everything you'll need so all you have to do is pick a date and give us a call. From all of us here at MotoVentures: Gary, Cynthia, Andre, Rob, and Brandon... thanks again for your support.

2010 Summertime Day Camps for Kids

This summer MotoVentures will offer its second annual 3-day summertime day camp for kids who are beginners or novices with or without their own bikes. Held on Monday thru Wednesday, daily activities are based around our famously fun Level 1 & 2 training curriculums with trail rides on our novice level single track trails and laps around our fun kids track. Kids may be ready to ride a mini-bike once they are able to ride a bicycle comfortable without training wheels, which happens as young as four years old. We utilize the following five different super friendly Yamaha's for our kids to ride: Yamaha PW50, TTR50, TTR90, TTR125E and TTR125L. Parents are welcome to stay and watch or they can drop the kids off. 2010 dates are June 28 – July 30, July 12 – 14, July 26 – 28, August 9 – 11, August 23 – 25. Of course, if you can't come for these dates or can't come for three straight days, MotoVentures offers one and two day classes almost every week. Special summer kids camp price is only $450 using our bike (normally $525) and $300 when using your bike (normally $450).

Motocross Training Now Available Every Month:

Are you looking for quality motocross training, but don't need to learn triple jumps taught by an impatient ex-pro racer who is struggling to communicate to a large and diverse skill level group of students? Do you want to learn and practice motocross on a popular and fun track that's watered, graded and prepared for the course that day? While you're there for motocross training, would you like to briefly test ride Yamaha's latest bikes like their revolutionary new YZ450? Afterward, would you like to receive a coupon good for up to $200 factory cash back on the purchase of a new Yamaha? If all this sounds good you should join MotoVentures for one of our new monthly MX101 classes. MotoVentures new Rider Training Center is located right across state highway 371 from the popular Cahuilla Creek Motocross track so we finally have an appropriate place to offer our motocross curriculum. Over the years we have taught many customers how to ride from the beginning. Many we have coached through Level 2 have eventually purchased their own bikes, often a motocross bike. When you train for motocross with us you can expect the same professional approach we take to all of our training. Our track will be fully prepared for each of our classes, not too dry, dusty, rutted, slippery, or hard-packed. Our Yamaha's will also be fully prepped so you can get the best impression. MotoVentures MX101 curriculum will cover essential motocross skills like bike set-up, what is the correct body positioning, how to get a great start (using a starting gate), how to out brake someone, how to negotiate flat turns and bermed turns, how to ride ruts and whoops, how to tackle various jumps, how to brake and power slide, and how to practice, train, and race. Our young, expert-level instructors include young guns Andre LaPlante (Gary's son) and Brandon Hamlett, and Vet Experts Rob Hock and Gary LaPlante. MotoVentures MX101 classes will be available at least once a month, usually on Fridays when the track is closed to the public. Each class is limited to 15 students with only five students per instructor. The six hour course is only $195 and includes drinks and lunch. So if you want to try motocross or want to take your novice to intermediate motocross skills to the next level... MotoVentures has a great course for you with many value perks you won't get with any other school.

MotoVentures Group Events:

MotoVentures has everything needed to host a day of dirt bike riding for small groups of up to 25 people of a wide variety of physical sizes and skill levels. We have all the bikes, riding gear, personnel, know-how, and our new private 300-acre Rider Training Center is conveniently located and perfectly suited to host groups. Over the years we have hosted many annual events for many different groups. Check out the list below of the wide variety of groups who have hosted events with us over the years (also see the list of companies posted on our web site). Chances are there is at least one group you know of or belong to who would love to spend a day in the dirt with MotoVentures.

Business Groups: Our services can be utilized by large and small businesses from any industry, and are especially appropriate for the power-sports industry. Businesses can host an off-site meeting with us while team building, having fun and improving everyone's riding skills. MotoVentures can customize an event to meet your company needs.

Professional Groups: Our services are ideal for all professionals who use motorcycles to perform their jobs including; military, law enforcement, security guards, land managers and street instructors. Many of these personnel have never had professional rider training and risk accidents and serious injury while both on and off duty. Our training will improve their overall riding skills and reduce their downtime due to injury.

Kids Groups: Our services are perfect for kids whose parents are interested in getting the proper beginner or novice rider training. We offer three-day summer day camps and single day private parties for special occasions of all kinds from birthdays to graduations. Kids will learn how to ride safely while having a blast in a fully supervised setting.

Motorcycle Riding Clubs: Our services will benefit groups of motorcycle enthusiasts who already love to ride including; dual sport riders, street bike riders, brand/model owners clubs and women riders. The tracks and trails at our private 300-acre riding site offer great riding for everyone. We can even plan a great dual sport day ride starting and ending at our conveniently-located training site.

Social Groups: Our services are a great way to introduce dirt bike riding to new riders and a unique way to celebrate any special occasion. We can host parties to your specifications, anything from birthday and holiday parties to bachelor parties and anniversaries. We can accommodate entire families and mixed groups of adults and kids.

Sports Groups: Our services are popular with a wide variety of sports groups, including: airplane pilots, car and truck enthusiasts, mountain bike riders, motorsports groups like ATV riders, boaters and personal watercraft users, and even snowmobilers.

Travel Groups: Our services are a favorite among adventure travel groups, travel agencies, activities coordinators, tour groups, racing fans in town for a big race, area resort hotels and the Concierge who work there.

Boy Scout Troop 271 Rides with MotoVentures:

We get many kids who are scouts, but until now they haven't come to us as a Troop for a couple of reasons: One reason is the Boy Scouts of America will only issue a permit for this "high adventure activity" for scouts 16 and older and the other reason is they simply didn't know this fact. I sure wish they offered dirt bike riding when I was in the scouts. We just went fishing and camping. Fred Chambers, Troop Leader for Boy Scout Troop 271 from San Diego did realize this, obtained a permit from the Boy Scouts and brought fathers and sons from his Troop to us on February 27, 2010 for a day they won't soon forget. It was four kids and three dads and it rained, but nobody cared. In fact, like true enthusiasts, they actually enjoyed the adversity. Of course MotoVentures supplied everything; an appropriate bike, a full set of riding gear, lunch and drinks, even a small fire to warm up around when not riding. By the end of the day everyone was tired and happy and declared this to be the best activity they have ever done as a scout. The parents agreed and discussed including camping overnight when they come back again next year. So if you're in the scouts now or know someone who is, please let them know dirt bike riding is an activity that is available to them with MotoVentures and just might be one of the coolest things they can do together as scouts.

BMW Dealership Hosts Annual GS Event with MotoVentures:

The TV weather forecaster said March 7, 2010 would be wet, cold, and windy, with the snow level down to 4,000' (our elevation), but that didn't deter 14 hearty BMW GS riders from joining us for a day of building their off-road riding skills at our Rider Training Center near Anza, CA. They didn't trailer their bikes to the event they rode them and were greeted with hot coffee and a warm fire. Obviously there were no snivelers in this group. The event was organized by Rick Johns, Parts Manager for BMW of North County (located in the town of Escondido, near San Diego). "We do this event for our customers to improve their riding skills and learn what their bikes can do." For us we understand that motorcycles are motorcycles and the same riding skills are required regardless of the kind of bike you ride, but weren't sure how the bigger GSs would perform in our exercises. Afterward we were impressed by the capabilities of these bikes and skill levels of several riders who obviously had previous schooling and take their riding very seriously. It was the first time in our rider's meeting we had to tell our participants to turn off their Anti-Lock-Braking systems! In the afternoon we attacked our dreaded sand wash, which is normally very loose and dry, but instead was a flowing river due to the rain. It wasn't pretty, but everyone made it through more than once. That sand wash was an eye opener for everyone and emphasized the importance of understanding that your riding skills may exceed your bikes capabilities and the key to success is using good judgment for each challenge you may encounter. In the end everyone learned a lot and we created great new experiences and memories. For the future this dealership plans to make this a bi-annual event with a fun dual sport ride of the area following the instruction.

MotoVentures Three Tour Types:

Are you looking for the ultimate local dirt bike training and riding adventure? Are you looking for a convenient local weekend dual sport tour? How about a multi-day adventure tour in an exotic location like Colorado or Baja? If you answered yes to any of these questions please read about our three tour options below, visit our updated annual calendar posted on our web site, and call us immediately to book your next epic motorcycle adventure with MotoVentures:

1. Two-day dirt bike training tours held on weekends at Ocotillo Wells SVRA (with camping optional) designed for everyone from kids to adults. Eight weekends are planned between Oct and May each year.
2. Two-day weekend dual sport tours in Southern California. Overnight destinations include Idyllwild or Big Bear (Mar – July) and Anza Borrego (Nov – April). These super convenient tours could start and end at our Rider Training Center and could include training just before and immediately after a tour.
3. Three to five day dirt and dual sport tours in the best places in the American Southwest and Baja, Mexico at the best time of year. Our current annual tours include Baja in Dec and May, Colorado in August, and Utah in October with tours in Arizona and California held in the spring and fall.

 

MotoVentures 2009 WR250R Dual Sport Bike:

MotoVentures fleet of tour bikes now includes Yamaha's new WR250R, a factory dual sport bike that works equally well off-road and on... and looks good too. Of course it is heavier than the off-road only WR250s we use now and also features a completely different engine that is smoother, quieter, more fuel efficient and produces less emissions due to use of the latest computer controlled fuel injection system. With this modern bike there is no gas petcock to turn on or choke lever to pull. Just hit the starter button in any weather at any elevation and rev away. Eventually we plan to have a tour fleet that will include a larger factory dual sport bike... but for now we'll just enjoy our new WR250R and trusty modified WR250s and WR450s for our dual sport tours. In stock form the WR250R is tuned to meet strict noise and emissions limits which naturally hurt its performance and limits it from reaching its true potential. So realizing this we modified our first WR250R to make it a little more suitable for our off-road and dual sport tours. Our stage-one changes include improving the bikes' power and handling and losing some weight. When we're finished we'll equip all our WR250Rs the same way. To lose weight we replaced the rear fender with a much smaller and lighter one and tossed the stock turn signals for a set of much smaller ones. For now we have installed some Renthal handlebars and wider foot pegs from a WR250. For performance we opened up the air box, installed Yamaha's GYT muffler (also saves weight), and installed a Dyno Jet Power Commander V fuel injection module. To get the right "map" for this new set system we had to download the data from our lap top computer to our bike. That makes it the first time we used a computer in our shop... and with more fuel injected bikes coming in the future, we better get used to it. For improved handling, we installed some aggressive Dunlop D606 dual sport tires. Our WR250R is a work in progress, but we are pleased with the increased performance we feel from these changes and we're already planning another stage of changes soon. If you want to try our WR250R project bike, please let us know and we'll be sure be bring it out. We'll keep you posted on future modifications and are looking forwarded to realizing this fun little dual sport bike's true potential.

Trials Competition at MotoVentures:

The first observed trials competition took place at MotoVentures Rider Training Center on April 25, 2010. Over 70 riders from the Southern California Trials Association participated in the annual youth national fundraiser that included presentation of the year-end class trophies. Seven challenging sections were set up including two in our wet sand wash which was still flowing from last weeks' rain run-off. Our property features many great areas for trials sections with our famous single track trails linking them together in a three mile loop back to the pits. The day was warm and calm and everyone loved the new site, they're already making plans to host a two-day event there on December 4 & 5, 2010, so mark your calendars now. Each event clears more brush around the rocks giving us access to many great new sections. Keep in mind, MotoVentures has four good Gas Gas trials bikes for our customers to rent and ride together in our own private trials paradise. Also, if you're looking for a new trials bike or maybe want to trade in your used trials bike for a new one... give us a call, MotoVentures is an authorized Gas Gas dealer. All we'll need is a deposit and within a week you can ride your new bike on a complimentary day of riding/training with us.

Riding Tip: Rocks, Firm and Loose

Unfortunately many people fear rocks and go around them because they haven't had any experience with them and don't know how to ride them. Rocks come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and slickness. With the right bike and techniques, many are ride-able, many are not. When you encounter rocks you should use the same old check list: terrain reading, line selection, and execution. For terrain reading, some rocks have better traction than others... some are slick because of what they're made of, they're water-worn, or may be simply vertical. Other rocks have plenty of traction because they're weather-worn, made of course materials, or simply laying flat. Sometimes rocks are solid or firmly planted and will not move providing good traction and footing you can count on. Other times they are rollers, or smaller (baseball to basketball sized), loosely packed rocks that move easily (rock gardens). Rollers are the most unpredictable and the most difficult kind of rocks for a motorcycle rider to navigate through. With rollers you sometimes just have to try to carry some speed, use momentum, and use a soft throttle to avoid spinning the rear tire too much and deflecting when it hits a roller. In general read the rocks and apply power carefully and try to get traction only where you can.

Once you have read the rock(s) and have picked the traction zones and no traction zones, you must pick a line over or through the rocks that has the smoothest, most hi-traction line and of course once you've selected a line you must stick to that line by applying the right techniques which includes moving side to side to stay on line, shifting your weight forward or rearward to help the front or rear, leaning forward to prevent a wheelie, accelerating before the rock so you don't have to accelerate on it, etc.

When approaching a rock in the dirt, be careful about spinning your tires in the soft dirt just before the rock and then suddenly hooking up when your rear tire gets to the rock. Look for a dry rock which will always have much more traction than a rock that is wet or has mud splashed on it by a previous rider (note to self: be the first rider). In general it is usually best to assume the traction's not so good and carry some speed.

When riding faster around lose rocks, be careful not to clip a rock, or miss it with the front tire and just clip it with the rear tire. This will cause the rear end to deflect sideways out of control. Also, you can adjust your tire air pressures up or down slightly for the speed and shape of rocks you're riding on. At speed, square edged rocks can cause flats, so run higher tire pressures or bib-mouse tires. At slower speeds you can run lower air pressures. Serious off-road riders have recently discovered that trials tires work well in rocks because they have many super soft "knobbies" that are contacting the rock at any given time and they're a radial design and intended to run lower air pressures and conform to the surface.

Finally, you can protect your bike for riding in rocks by installing a good skid plate and various guards to protect vulnerable parts like the engine cases, radiator, and fork tubes.