One of the most difficult, if not THE most difficult engineering challenges that motorcycle research and develpment people have faced over the years has been the design of reliable steering mechanisms. Various manufacturers have tried such things as caged ball bearings, uncaged ball bearings, and tapered roller bearings. I have owned bikes that used the […]
My friend and excellent dirt bike rider, Alan Dietor, and I began riding in Baja in 1974 when the roads were almost all dirt. There were far fewer people in those days and very little traffic except in the larger cities like Tijuana, Ensenada, and La Paz, which we avoided. We made an exception for […]
I began riding and working on motorcycles in 1955 after completing my Korean war service, and now more than a million miles and 63 years later I’m still at it. I’ve noticed that even with the proliferation of websites dedicated to motorcycling, there seems to be a
I got word from Vey’s Powersports here in El Cajon, California the other day that 2018 is the final year that Kawasaki is manufacturing and selling the KLR650. Thirty-one years is a long time, especially when you consider how poorly the engine was designed and built for the first seven years. The worst problem was […]
In late July of this year (2018) I was riding in the eastern San Diego County mountains when I encountered an unexpected problem on a sharp left hand blind curve. As I approached the curve I observed what appeared to be loose decomposed granite on the road surface. I attempted to
When I coined the phrase Multi-Surface Motorcycles years ago, I didn’t expect it to catch on like
From the editor: Here is another article I found in Elden’s archives. It’s from Scott Wexman, a mechanical engineer and inventor who is also an accomplished motorcycle mechanic specializing in European motorcycles, principally BMW’s. Like Elden, Scott is a long time multisurface motorcyclist with lots of additional hours competing in trials events. Scott’s story was […]
In the spring of 1990 I purchased my first KL650A, a 1989 model with less than 500 miles on the speedometer. The first thing I did was execute a complete set-up and service which exposed so many defects that I almost sold the bike. What I did about the problems I encountered have been documented […]
Editor’s note: Pauline Read has just written her first article for Top Gun. She reminisces about a motorcycle trip she and Elden made in 2010. As a long time member of Vida Nueva Baja Ministries, I have offered my help by transporting much needed funds to various churches and orphanages that help the poor of […]
I wandered in and out of motorcycle shops in San Diego county, studying all the new models of every available brand for several months as the new two-wheelers were released last fall (2017) and this spring (2018). My hope was to find a bike good enough that I could easily develop it further until it […]
From the editor: During my searches of Elden’s archives I have found a number of letters and testimonials from a couple of long time expert motorcyclists who have ridden with Elden and his wifePauline. The testimonial reproduced below is from Garry Wright, a former 1980’s pro-motocrosser and outstanding pavement rider. He lets the reader see […]
Rod Morris, proprietor of MMP (Multisurface Motorcycle Products) on this website is a very knowledgeable guy with a long and successful career of riding and working on motorcycles. And nobody takes better care of his customers than Rod. From time to time he will refer a potential customer to me, usually someone that has a […]
(Webmaster’s note – we are in the final stages of shifting Elden’s shooting articles to a new website completely devoted to the subject – stay tuned!) When you are 83 years old like me, lots of little things pop up that bring back old memories. For instance, one day while looking through our local newspaper, […]
We are fortunate to have Rod Morris and Multisurface Motorcycle Products on this website. Not only has Rod been an excellent multisurface motorcyclist for about half a century but he is very knowledgeable about KLR’s and DR650’s. The shock service that Rod offers at MMP is reasonably priced and expertly conducted
A few weeks ago while riding on a remote Cleveland National Forest road, I came upon a guy standing next to a beat up and scratched KLR 650-E Kawasaki. During the conversation that ensued, the owner of the KLR told me that he had been crashing often on loose sandy surfaces. He decided to go […]
Todd’s note: Elden wrote this as one article, but I’ve separated it into two for easier reading on some mobile devices. I will have Part 2 posted the beginning of August. Hope you enjoy it! Part 1 In the spring of 1955 my Korean War Service was winding down, and I was soon to be […]
I have no idea how many motorcycle engines I have broken in since I bought my first, a Triumph in 1955. I do know, however, that I always followed factory recommendations with good results, I assumed. In 2011 I purchased two Suzuki DR650SE’s, one for the dirt and one for the street. Prior to beginning […]
The other day I was motorcycling on a gnarly forestry road in the Laguna Mountains east of San Diego when I encountered a guy standing near a parked 2013 KLR650. The bike was one of the most poorly set-up KLR’s I have seen, and it showed a lot of crash damage. The owner/rider of the […]
As I wrote in a previous article Thell Reed and I dominated the Leatherslap from the one-handed point position for six straight years until we both retired. Five out of six of those matches were held at 21 feet. Only one was held at 15 feet which is a much more practical distance according to […]
Rod Morris, proprietor of MMP on this website, is sometimes asked about tire and rim fitment guidelines. The subject is complex so I
Rod Morris, proprietor of Multisurface Motorcycle Products on this website,
In 1965 I was working for the San Diego County Sheriff
I ride my motorcycle down to Mexico almost once a week. Besides being an enjoyable ride, it gives me an opportunity to eat some tasty seafood at my favorite restaurant, Mariscos Bahia de Ensenada, and spend the night at Hostel Sauzal, a small, homey alternative to a motel. Located in quiet little El Sauzal, just […]
In November 2015 Mike Henshaw and I took a ride to Baja with an overnight stay at Maria Navarro’s Hostel Sauzal, six miles north of Ensenada. Mike was riding his 475 pound Triumph Tiger 800XC and I was on my 350 pound Top Gun DR644. In our opinion here at Top Gun any motorcycle that […]
There were two towns in southern California that played quite an important role in my early adult life: Corona and the small community at the northern edge of town called Norco. Immediately after graduating from the U.S. Navy Hospital Corps School with Honor Company 20 of 1953, I was transported by train 100 miles north […]
(Editor’s Note – I haven’t ridden a motorcycle for over a year now due to personal reasons, but my last ride with Elden and Pauline was less than two years ago (probably when they were younger… like 79 and 87…) on Highway 94 east of San Diego. Riding one-up, as fast as I could […]
Back in the last decade of the 20th century I took Bob Kornafel on what was to be a Baja pavement ride to San Felipe by way of Tecate and Ensenada. Bob was riding his very clean, vintage 1970
I get kidded a lot because of my obsession with rake and trail settings on modern
The other day Pauline and I had a nice surprise when Jay and Emily Wilgus and Jay
