Test your buddy's bike! - Dirt Rider Magazine

Hey guys, thanks for making a great mag! I'm a little behind in my reading but I just finished the article "Buddy Bike" and I would love to see more of this kind of stuff because I'm new to riding and thoroughly addicted. I work as a bicycle mechanic, have grown up on mtn. bikes and spent years downhilling. In 2008 a friend of mine put me on an old XR600 (having never been on a motorcycle ever) and took me riding over mountain passes in Ouray, Colorado. I fell in love with dirt bikes that weekend, went home and before the end of the summer I purchased a '06 CRF450R. I made adjustments to this and that through talking to more experienced riders, I've replaced what seems like nearly half the bike because it's worn out or I broke it. And I have added many things like radiator braces and a skid plates. Because I've only been riding for a couple years I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing. But the bike keeps running and the trail keeps going. It would be awesome to get that kind of critique on my own ride. Thanks for the good info and a great article!**Rigel Blessley

Glenwood Springs, Colorado**

_Rigel Blessley, if that is your real name, one thing you can to do get an objective view of your set up is to do just what we did in the story - ride a friend's bike then insult each other and see if any useful information comes out. Not only do you get a second opinion on your bike, but also if you ride his bike you can get an idea of what other bikes might be doing better than yours. Try it a few times with different friends (you might be cycling through several if you get really good at insulting them) and you'll likely find some tweaks to make your bike better... just make sure you're making it better for you, not just for your friends!** -Pete Peterson**_