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DesertMX is poised for it's fourth ride of the 2002-2003 winter season to occur on December 21-22. We expect to have the KTM380 running again and with a fresh motor it should be interesting to see what that bike is really like. By removing the thermostat on the KTM300 we expect the have the coolant problems prevalent during our November ride resolved. We are certainly hoping that the mechanical problems we have been plagued with thus far during the season have come to a conclusion.

This ride Keith finds himself back on the DR while we wait for the cylinder from the 380 to be repaired, Doug experiences coolant problems with the 300, we have our first flat repair on the trail, we cover almost 200 miles over the weekend, and each night leads to one rider going to get the truck while the other is forced to wait for a rescue.

We started off at the foothills of the Mount Potosi the first day, headed toward Laughlin with stops in Goodsprings and Jean. The short 15 minute ride to Goodsprings from our starting point it becomes evident that the 300 is having coolant issues. Unsure of where the coolant was coming from Doug investigates at the Goodsprings Saloon where we partake of the $1 drafts while the bikes cool down. Then we progress the 15 miles to Jean where we get fuel and it is obvious the coolant leak is cause for concern. Hoping it is nothing more that a loose hose clamp Doug strips the bike down and replaces the hose clamp coming off the cylinder head. We continue and after covering about 5 miles the coolant leak is becoming worse. Here we are forced to call it a day as Keith heads to get the truck and Doug takes a slow ride back to Jean. That night we figure it must be the thermostat on the 300 causing the problems, but to ensure a successful day on Sunday we swap the radiators and coolant hoses from the 380.

Sunday we start from Pahrump and take a known path to Sandy Valley, Goodsprings, then Jean for fuel. Finally we are covering some miles and the bikes are running well. In Jean we come across two other riders, one who had just hit newly strung barbed wire fence in 5th gear. Thankfully he was not injured badly, but from the look of his bike he must have taken a good fall. They point us to a trail that should take us through "beer bottle pass" which we were looking to find. We followed some single track for several miles but ended up at what we determined a dead end. A couple miles into the single track Keith gets a rear flat on the DR and we are forced to make our first trailside flat repair. 

With time against us we decide to head back from the dead end. Again stopping in Jean then traveling at a very aggressive pace to Goodsprings and Sandy Valley. With no wind and the cloud of hanging dust Keith kicked up in the lead, Doug was forced to hang back nearly a mile behind Keith. Then it happened again, Keith gets a second flat. With about 25 miles to go Doug heads off to get the truck while Keith nurses a sick DR to the closest nearby road. 
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