After searching around Shanghai for off-road venues to test out the JH600 on a bit of rugged terrain, I finally found a challenge for the bike.
During "(No-)Bike Night in Shanghai" at Boxing Cat Brewery, Felix suggested the West Suzhou Tank Grounds as a nearby (2hr ride from Shanghai) location. I was all-in! (I just didn't know howdeep in I'd get.)
Upon entering West Suzhou, you see the first small mountains start to appear from the flat landscape that stretches from East China Sea in Shanghai thru to Suzhou.
I made my way into a farming area where there was a typical 2m-wide concrete "农村” slab that serves as the road linking farmers' homes and connecting them to the main road. Off of this concrete slab I found some fun little dirt and mud runs, that wound and connected back around. Then there were the kick-ass dirt mountain runs for the tanks to practice. I didn't see any tanks that day, but Felix has been involved in a chase (he never told me who was being chased. My guess is that it must have looked like a scene from a "Tom & Jerry" cartoon).
As June is China's "Plum Rain Season"*, it's been raining almost everyday for the last 2 weeks. This would add to the wet/muddy conditions and truly test out the bike with the stock tires which are most suited for mountain twisties on dry tarmac! Check out the JH600 Tire Comments from Yunnan Ride 2010
* Wikipedia: The East Asian rainy season (Chinese: 梅雨 méiyǔ; Japanese: 梅雨, tsuyu, baiu; literally plum rain; Korean: 장마, jangma) is caused by precipitation along a persistent stationary front known as the Meiyu front for nearly two months during the late spring and early summer between eastern China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. The wet season ends during the summer when the subtropical ridge becomes strong enough to push this front north of the region.
Tread is caked with mud & grass. Zero traction, which is why she just kicks out all the time on the backend.
I wouldn't do much worse with racing slicks on her. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3267/...a745a99e_z.jpg
This is how it should look like when it was fun :riding:
06-23-2011, 05:40 AM
Barry
Re: JH600 Off-Road: West Suzhou Tank Grounds Run
They work better in wet mud at night when it's raining, since you can't see where you're going to in the first place!
I drove them in hard rain on the road faster then I should have, not a single moment where I felt like I lost traction.
06-23-2011, 06:30 AM
MotoKai
Re: JH600 Off-Road: West Suzhou Tank Grounds Run
Quote:
Originally Posted by chinabiker
This is how it should look like when it was fun :riding:
Agree! And the fun was only starting to begin.....
I decided the test was over. Better to come back here after we get the new Kenda Enduro Tires on her and check the difference. Then I saw this:
...and of course she needed to see what is over the hill (the ever so curious Jialing).
This hill just shoots straight down - about 60+degrees on the left side. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2776/...952f8ba7_z.jpg
The Lake.
What was on the other side of the hill was something like a small lake. I pulled up to it thinking "No way!" I got off the bike and grabbed a stick to test the depths. It was a water-filled gully, not any ordinary puddle. The depth was about one-half meter deep in the middle, adding some sinkage do to the bike weight, and I'm completely underwater (over the engine). Fun is over, time to turn back. I tried to push the bike back, but due to the the incline on the soft mud, she wouldn't budge. I sat there for a few minutes thinking of audibles. There were none, I had to go thru. I powered forward, kept her steady and we went in deep. I was submerged almost up to my knees, with the entire engine underwater. I was wondering if she'd cut out, but she keep plowing thru - hard and steady. You know you're all-in when your engine takes on just a murmuring sound and it's the feel of vibration under your seat that let's you know she's still breathing.
I got to the other side and stopped. Steam was rising up in all directions and she was still running like nothing had happened. My first submerged crossing! Around the next corner things just got worse, so had to turn back and run thru the water once again. Another successful crossing with the JH600! http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5199/...4535820c_z.jpg
Did I really say "All-in"?
When attempting to turn around and head back out to the mainroads I landed in this. What I call "Sleeper Mud". Top surface is hardened over with debris - looked like solid dirt from a distance. Get over it, and down you go fast and hard. Like quicksand.
Notice no need for the kickstand? http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3032/...41ab473b_z.jpg
What's in China-V's Toolkit?
I can tell you what's not (and surely wasn't in mine!). A big shovel.
I hiked to the nearest home where I borrowed a shovel (铲, chan). Always a chance to learn new vocabulary. Then it was digging time.
As the bike was stuck so deep that she was standing on her own, I needed to first dig out an area for the kickstand. http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5193/...bd4d5528_z.jpg
It was so hot and sweaty I took my gloves off for the first 20mins of digging. Lesson learned.
I'm enjoying your thread, but this has more to do with hands that haven't been used for hard labor than warm sweaty weather. Else you would have had a layer of hard skin and this wouldn't happen in just 20 minutes. :clap:
Some advice for using a shovel (I speak from experience):
- try to make sure the inside of your hands is as dry as possible before picking up the shovel
- don't try to go pro, wet sand/mud is obviously much heavier than dry sand/mud, a half full shovel will finally get you there as well
06-23-2011, 09:50 AM
MotoKai
Re: JH600 Off-Road: West Suzhou Tank Grounds Run
Quote:
Originally Posted by Barry
I'm enjoying your thread, but this has more to do with hands that haven't been used for hard labor than warm sweaty weather.
Haha - Thanks Barry! Maybe you're right. Last bit of hard labor I had was on my visit to New York this past January (time served was one month) when it snowed every other day. This was my first time shoveling in years - but I wore gloves! Anyway, parents were happy I was around during one of New York's heaviest snowfalls on record. But nothing compares to MUD!
06-24-2011, 06:08 AM
MotoKai
Re: JH600 Off-Road: West Suzhou Tank Grounds Run
The other eventful moment occurred on the ride back to Shanghai.
After getting back out on the S230 and picking up up some speed the bike started to shake. As soon as I hit 80kph the shaking became considerable. The alignment I thought - but I couldn't imagine the JH600 suffered any damage from this off-road experience. I was hoping that the caked-on mud was throwing my tires off balance and therefore kept the speed down until I reached the first car wash. After a thorough rinse, I was back on the S230 and she was riding true once again!
Great report! Would had been so much fun with some MX bike or real Enduro!
06-26-2011, 01:44 PM
felix
Re: JH600 Off-Road: West Suzhou Tank Grounds Run
Nice one motokai, good to see some dirt on the JH!
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5226/...e76f29b7_z.jpg
Did you go up this hill? There's a nice view of the lake below from up there. I once saw a CJ750 make it up there. The incline isn't a problem but there's a big diagonal trench near the top that is tough to get through. He almost flipped it over, i wish i had a picture of it.
The Jialing at nearly 200kg in its street shoes is definitely a different kettle of fish than your featherweight Galaxy with its knobbies, which, as Mikko notes, would probably be a lot more fun, especially in the mud that Motokai experienced.
But, to paraphrase a forgotten defense secretary, you ride the motorcycle that you have, which for us Jialing riders is the JH600, so I'm very keen to see what we can do in the dirt with better rubber. I don't think any of us is running knobbies, but we are trying our best to get a more dirt- (and mud-) friendly set of tires. Given the very small numbers of these bikes in China, that's easier said than done. No one carries anything but Chinese tires in our size.
Nice one motokai, good to see some dirt on the JH!
Thanks Felix. Love the tank photo! I little proof never hurts...I was starting to think it was :bs: (that's not mud!).
Because as you know after I got the tracks from you, Google Maps had this photo showing on these "Tank Grounds" http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/p...l/28694384.jpg
As you know that hill is much steeper than the photo is able to capture, so I decided to hold off until 1) New tires (euphonius mentioned the group order for new rubber) 2) Go back with a riding buddy, and not solo riding.
As for the mud on the JH, this was the first Suzhou mud on her. Here some mud pics from other provinces:
As you know that hill is much steeper than the photo is able to capture, so I decided to hold off until 1) New tires (euphonius mentioned the group order for new rubber) 2) Go back with a riding buddy, and not solo riding.
So after new rubber and conquering the Tank Grounds Hill, it's on to this one with the JH600 :naughty:
08-27-2012, 03:39 AM
MXF
Re: JH600 Off-Road: West Suzhou Tank Grounds Run
Just joined the forum and would like to have more details on how to find this trail. Thank you!
08-27-2012, 03:41 AM
TB-Racing
Re: JH600 Off-Road: West Suzhou Tank Grounds Run
Quote:
Originally Posted by MXF
Just joined the forum and would like to have more details on how to find this trail. Thank you!
Seems to be a great bike, beutiful to, some more "specialized" rubber in it and she will make wonders...cumps
01-22-2013, 06:12 AM
wishhealth
Re: JH600 Off-Road: West Suzhou Tank Grounds Run
What's in China-V's Toolkit?
I can tell you what's not (and surely wasn't in mine!). A big shovel.
I hiked to the nearest home where I borrowed a shovel (铲, chan). Always a chance to learn new vocabulary. Then it was digging time.
As the bike was stuck so deep that she was standing on her own, I needed to first dig out an area for the kickstand. http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5193/...bd4d5528_z.jpg
if you can't say "铲子", how can you get the shovel? hahah.
03-04-2013, 06:23 AM
MotoKai
Re: JH600 Off-Road: West Suzhou Tank Grounds Run
Anyone in Shanghai interested to ride to the West Suzhou Tank Grounds in the not so distant future? Send me a PM. I will arrange the ride (date/time).
Butch -Time to get your new JH muddy!!
03-04-2013, 12:46 PM
TB-Racing
Re: JH600 Off-Road: West Suzhou Tank Grounds Run
Quote:
Originally Posted by MotoKai
Anyone in Shanghai interested to ride to the West Suzhou Tank Grounds in the not so distant future? Send me a PM. I will arrange the ride (date/time).
Butch -Time to get your new JH muddy!!
Mate, both JL rego'ed now, just rolled back into Shangers from Zhejiang province and the 2-wheel JL-A has a legal plate as of today....
I am leaving later this month on a longer China road trip and basically only have this weekend some free time but can not make a decision just yet as i want to install the Tourfella parts / gear and some other parts onto the solo JL JH600 sometime this week. The Pudong off-road track (Saturday / Sunday 9-10 March) would suit me better to be honest and straight forward but....
-anyhow, get in touch as you have my details and you will see an email as well about some other event I have planned this month-
06-19-2013, 03:30 PM
randysway223
Re: JH600 Off-Road: West Suzhou Tank Grounds Run
Nice. Looks like a pretty decent ride... The 600s are actually pretty durable and resilient lol.
06-20-2013, 05:20 AM
MotoKai
Re: JH600 Off-Road: West Suzhou Tank Grounds Run
Quote:
Originally Posted by randysway223
Nice. Looks like a pretty decent ride... The 600s are actually pretty durable and resilient lol.
Indeed. They're military machines, so they're quite at home on the tank grounds - really great build from frame through to suspension. Really the only thing missing are TKC 80s! See below
The JH600s also perform well on the Supercross Tracks (woop de doos, jumps and all)!. I took the bike out a few months ago to play around on the Anting MX Track which ended being a test to see if I could get it in the AIR - which I did :thumbsup:. End result she's a heavy beast more at home on the trails and in the twisties. haha (But it's fun to stretch one's limits every now and then).
BTW: If anyone is interested in riding out to the Tank Grounds one day soon, give me a shout (PM).
Note: If there's been rain, one may want to bring a shovel with them! :diggin:
