[Sycoholic]

Went riding Thursday after work.... I know better than to go by myself, but I'm only gonna putt around and check out this trail. It goes down the side of a mountain. Took me about 20 minutes to get to the bottom. Very rocky. Like, insane rocks... Some sections were smooth rock face. I'm on my way back up and catch a section I can't negotiate to get up without sliding off the rock and falling into the washout. I have to turn the quad sideways, lock the front wheels and put it in gear to lock the rear wheels. Then grab the front bumper, lift it up, grab the rear and lift it up. After about 5 minutes I was on my way again. I'm miserable and very tired at this point. So I'm blasting along in 2nd gear when my right front wheel gets caught between a rock and a hard place. REALLY!!! The rock moved and jammed my front tire in this little washout I should've been able to just ride over. Snapped my tie rod and almost sent me over the bars. The back of the quad came up off the ground pretty high. Then she rolled sideways back down the mountain bending the brake lever a little. I walk 45 minutes back up to my truck without the quad. There's no way I can make it down there in a full size pickup truck. It's too off camber and washed out. But I'm gonna have to try!

So there's some people shooting skeet at the top. They asked me where my quad was. I told them about 5 minutes up from the bottom of the mountain. They asked if I could make it in my truck. Told them no, but I had to try anyway. He asked if he could make it in his CJ-5. Told him yes. It's stock with 32's. So he offered to go down there with it. I hopped in the back. There was 4 of us. A couple sections were really hairy and we needed a spotter. I mean, this was awesome fourwheeling!! The tires were fully stuffed in the fenderwells and rubbing. We were hanging off the side so it wouldn't tip over :crossbones:

We get to the quad... put the front bumper up over his hitch ball, strap it down and continue to the bottom of the mountain. We hit a 2 mile stretch of gravel road. We tow it down that. We hit a asphalt. We tow it a couple more miles doing about 40!!!! It even jumped into gear once and fired up! Kinda freaked me out. We flat towed this thing all the way to the nearest gas station, where he had his girlfriend bring his Toyota pickup to meet us. We loaded the quad in the back and dropped it off at my house. Then he took me back and dropped me off at my truck.

He wants no money.... won't take any.... not even to cover gas! I finally got home at 11pm. I'm never going there again. It was by far the worst time ever on my quad. The fourwheeling in the Jeep though was one of the best!!

Now my baby is sitting in the driveway, broken and bruised. Yamaha wants $45 for a new tie rod end. I'm saving. I can get a set of Ricky Stator tie rods and ends for both sides for $199. And I won't be so paranoid riding it that they're gonna snap again. :smiliethumbup:

:devil: