TRAIL BOSS BLOG:

CLUBBY SAYS: "COVER ME!"

In the fast-paced world of magazine publishing, being featured on the front cover of an international publication is a landmark moment.

So check this out: TRAIL ZONE Publisher/Editor Andrew Clubb is all set to grace the front cover of the next issue of VMX Magazine!

That's right, we Aussie independent publishers have to stick together.

The VMX cover photo comes from the recent Suzuki Classic Dirt 7 event at Green Park, Conondale, on the Queensland Sunshine Coast, where Clubby enjoyed his first-ever Classic Dirt outing -- which included cutting laps of the Vinduro circuit aboard the painstakingly restored Yamaha IT400C of Brisbane-based Vinduro tragic, Tony Marshall.

It's only the third time in the history of the magazine that VMX has featured an action shot on the front cover -- the two previous featured Andy Caldecott and Bad Brad Lackey ... exalted company indeed!

"My schedule with TRAIL ZONE has long kept me from drinking from the fountain of youth of the Suzuki Classic Dirt weekend," Clubby explained, "but this year the planets aligned and I could get to Conondale to take it all in.

"The entire Classic Dirt weekend was just awesome, and the good times only kept flowing the following week when VMX Magazine Editor, Ken Smith, called and asked me to pen a yarn on my Classic Dirt baptism.

"It was a surprising but stimulating request, and truth be told, I was rapt to be able to help out the VMX boys with a couple of thousand words, which are contained in the new issue of VMX.

"If you've ever had an inkling for reliving your dirt bike days from a bygone era, then make sure you get trackside and breathe deeply on the aroma that is Suzuki Classic Dirt -- just don't take as long to do it as I did!"

• For the full story on the 2010 Suzuki Classic Dirt 7 event, check out VMX Magazine issue #43 that goes on-sale this month -- go to www.vmxmag.com.au for more details -- or check out the current issue of TRAIL ZONE (issue #31) on-sale now.

• For the full story on Tony Marshall's Yamaha IT400C restoration, check out TRAIL ZONE issue #32 that goes on-sale in mid-October -- go to www.trailzone.com.au for more details.

TRAIL MAIL:

PREPPING KAWASAKI'S KLR650 FOR THE ADVENTURE HIGHWAY

Hi guys: After a recent back injury at work and with time on my hands I decided to build an adventure bike. Inspired by your many TRAIL ZONE Project Bikes (I have every issue ) I picked a Kawasaki KLR650 2010 model. After upgrading the suspension I moved on to the motor with a head job, Snitz 685 piston, billett counter-balance adjuster weight and torsion spring, Unifilter, Barrett pipe, carb mods, second carb vent and a good dyno tune -- all done by Andrew Hallam. After removing as much weight as possible I then fitted SW Motech rack plate, centre stand, crash bars, bashplate, tool box then hot grips, Renthal bars, Barkbusters (after this pic), Rox risers, power plug, oversize front disc, stainless-steel brake lines, billet master cylinder mount and cover, sidestand foot, longer gear lever, magnetic drain plug, Pivot Pegz, Far mirrors, Continental TKC 80s (after this pic) and more, more, more. As you can see, my back took a while to heal! I got back on the bike in March and have covered 10,000km on several adventure rides with mates and have to say the bike turned out great and seems to run better with every ride. Thanks for a great mag, I look foward to every issue!

-- Jim Steele, via www.trailzone.com.au

Nice job, Jim. Kawasaki's KLR650 certainly offers awesome value for money when it comes to big-bore single-cylinder adventure bikes, and as you have shown, there's plenty of scope to turn it into exactly the kind of adventure bike you want with a feast of well-placed mods and accessories. Good one!

-- Clubby, www.trailzone.com.au

TRAIL MAIL:

STARTING OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT

Hi Clubby: Here's a couple of pics you might like. Before my eight-year-old daughter, Tara, stepped up to her next bike the TT-R110, it was important she knew what kids used to ride around on in the 1970s by riding a classic old bike -- the XR75! It's a bit of a roughy, but the motor was done up a few years back and the pipe is original and in excellent condition. Ride safe,

-- Boris Everson, Coffs Harbour Detour

Go hard, Tara! That XR is an absolute classic: but now that you have outgrown it, do you want to sell it?

-- Clubby, www.trailzone.com.au

TRAIL BOSS BLOG:

KENILWORTH'S TRAIL RIDIG MAGIC!

YES! After years of being told how awesome the trail riding is around Kenilworth, Conondale and the Glasshouse Mountains on the Sunshine coast in Queensland, the TZ team has finally managed to spray a little roost in this trail riding mecca.

Thanks to an invite from Club Y head mistress Cheryl Muldoon, Russ and myself headed north for a two-day ride with a pack of Club Y members lead by the crew from the brand new Maleny Trail Bike Tours operation.

Pre-ride rains made conditions perfect and we sliced endless lines of single-track through lush green pine forests just days before a whopping 300 riders were set to descend on the region for the annual Kenilworth Chook Chase.

Look out for the full story on the ride in TRAIL ZONE issue #32 and some ripper footage -- with plenty of greasy red clay Pork Chop Hill carnage! -- in our next IN THE ZONE DVD with our Christmas issue!

-- Clubby, www.trailzone.com.au

TRAIL MAIL:

WHAT'S THIS? WAZZA SHOUTING THE BAR!

Hi Clubby, Tania, PG & Lance: The postman recently delivered the latest issue of TRAIL ZONE and first thing I discover when glancing through it is that TZ is now five years old. Well done to all of you. You have a bloody good magazine there and the market really needs an independent publication like TZ to maintain some sort of balance against the more "formulaic" mags churned out by the big publishers which whilst informative, seem to lack "personality" for want of a beter word. I suppose it must have been a bit daunting when you first started out but nothing ventured nothing gained, you took the chance and it's paid off. TRAIL ZONE is something you can be justifiably proud of, but then considering who you trained under, it should be. You wouldn't want ol' GE to come back and haunt you, would you? Once again a big well done, I look forward to enjoying TRAIL ZONE for many more years to come. My shout next time we meet. The second thing I discovered is a lack of PE250Bs in the Classic Dirt coverage, you know how to fix that shortcoming ...

-- Wazza, via www.trailzone.com.au

Thanks for the birthday wishes, Wazza. We're more than a little chuffed to have powered through the five-year milestone, but truth be told we can't wait for the next five years to start roosting by. We have as much fun making the magazine (and our annual IN THE ZONE DVD) as all our readers have when roosting through the boonies on their dirt bikes, and after all, that's what it's all about. As for having GE come back and haunt us, he was haunting enough when he was around and one of the toughest task-masters ever, which was only ever driven by his unwavering desire to produce a magazine that stood out from the crowd. Finally, my offer for your PE250B still stands: a lifetime subscription to TZ, a couple of TZ T-shirts for you and your boy Lachie, and a Liquourland gift voucher for the missus! When you really want to talk turkey, you've got our number! Ride on,

-- Clubby, www.trailzone.com.au

TRAIL MAIL:

A HAPPY DRIRIDER RALLYCROSS PHOTO STOP WINNER!

Every issue we get a mountain of entries for our now long-running Dririder Rallycross Photo Stop contest where we invite readers to send us their best photo that captures what's great about riding dirt bikes and that might just inspire more riders to get out there and do it.

And every issue we pick one photo to win a brand spanking new Dririder Rallycross Pro 2 jacket courtesy of the crew at McLeod Accessories.

In TRAIL ZONE issue #31 that has just gone on-sale, long-time WA subscriber Lex Porebski was selected as the winner for his wicked photo high atop a sand dune somewhere on the WA coast, so we duly contacted him to advise him of his big score and the fact a spiffy new Rallycross Pro 2 jacket would soon be on the way to him.

Faster than you could say, 'Hit reply and send', Lex fired back this message:

"Thanks guys! Gotta say I am very pleased indeed. Here is the photo I was going to consider sending in at the same time as my winning one. I'm glad I didn't in case you guys didn't see the funny side ... it's a pic from our Holland Track ride. Thanks again -- Lex P"

Congratulations Lex -- and may all Jimmy's Thunder Boxes along the side of the Holland Track have a complimentary copy of TRAIL ZONE at the ready for those urgent trail-side pit stops when nature calls!

And keep those Dririder Rallycross Photo Stop entries rolling in.

-- Clubby, www.trailzone.com.au

ASK DR PHIL:

A TWO-STROKE FOR THE STREET?

Hi Dr Phil: I can't choose which 250cc two-stroke to buy. It is between the Yamaha YZ250 and the KTM 250 EXC. I have riden Yamies all my life and I am upgrading from a YZ125. I would much prefer to get a YZ but what would it take to get it street-legal? Is it worth the effort or should I just get a KTM?

-- Mossy, via www.trailzone.com.au

G'day Mossy, thanks for your email. The red-tape and much associated drama you’d be treated to trying to rego the YZ simply isn’t worth it, and there’s a good chance Yamaha Australia have not directed the current YZ250 VIN number to the RTA anyway, which could mean you can’t have it regoed no matter how hard you are prepared to try! If you must have a Yamaha YZ two-banger on the road, look around for a 2003 model YZ250WR -- that was the last year Yamaha Australia offered the ADR-compliant two-stroke enduro bike. They were a neat unit and fully road-legal. Failing this the EXC Kato is indeed a gem and you’d love everything about it -- except perhaps the colour! Although if you just have to have a blue two-stroke, check out the all-new Husaberg 250 and 300 pre-mixers. Best of luck with it!
-- Dr Phil, www.trailzone.com.au