At the AHRMA mx race today at Jefferson, TX, Tom Benoiken (sp?) was so fast it made me dizzy! What a thrill to watch him fly!
Larry Seale
I choose to ride
Larry,
I have to agree. He was so far ahead in the 4th race... His seat fell off so he stopped on the next lap to pick it up, and then finished the last lap holding the seat between his legs. There was still no-one in sight of him. It was my first meeting with him, but I can tell he's really a super guy, too.
Larry #2,
I checked the sprocket plate when I got home and I think it is in worse shape than the one you have. Sorry
Randy,
Thanks for checking! I have a couple of rear wheels at the shop - I may have one in really good shape there - will check tomorrow.
I was amazed at how Tom just ran off and left everyone else ...scary fast. And I also thought he was a really good guy.
Larry Seale
I choose to ride
It was neat to see him win the 250 class on a 125 Penton.
Ron Carbaugh
what....?
Sorry I missed everyone at Jefferson. I made it down about 6:30 on Friday evening but only had about an hour tp dtasy.
Got to visit with Teddy and Rosemary and had a nice meal but had to head back to Dallas around 7:45.
Life and work continue to get in the way or the important things.......
Tony
rob w,
What is what?
Ron Carbaugh
Hey you guys it sure was fun to finally meet a bunch of the Poggers. Thanks for all your compliments but the ultimate one goes to that Penton bunch. The 6 Days is the best handling 125 on the track. Man its fun to ride. I will get some pics up on the site (as soon as TJ shows me how)
Randy K. I cant wait to see your pics. For those thinking about Diamond Dons for next year DO IT! I dont think Dons cares if he makes a nickel. Moto like it was in the 70s.
Tom Benolkin
Tom,
email me your address & I'll send you some pics.
That was some awesome riding.
Randy,
It was a fun weekend. I told my wife I had more fun meeting people at this race than any other I can remember. Thanks for any pics you collected. As I get closer to 48 I realize more than ever that the moto days could be numbered. Thanks Randy.
Tom Benolkin
[email protected]
Yeah, Tom. It really sounds like your Moto-ing days are numbered. Whuppin' up on 250's with a Six-Day?! Wish I could've been there to see that.
Ron, I think that's what Baub meant by "WHAT!"
Lew Mayer
Lew,
I was thinking "what" when I saw Tom lined up with the 250's. He told me after we worked on the 125 that he was going to enter two more classes...I forgot to ask which two other classes. It was a feat I have never seen done in my 35+ years of racing. Win three different class and all Motos on the same bike.............I have never seen that done.
Ron Carbaugh
I saw Tom come out of the pits a half-lap down, and still pass everyone and win at Gatorback last year. I heard he bent his forks flying so high. What a show! Whipping on 250s now, I'll bet lots of jaws dropped. I love it! Wildman
1975 250 Cross Country, 1974 175 Jackpiner, 1975 125
They weren't "just" 250s, this was in the 40+ Expert class. They could ride any bike they wanted. I am sure there were some 400s out there with him. In that race he was about 7th into the first corner because of the fact he was racing against 400s, but when the first lap was over, there was Tom all alone with no one in site behind him. Awesome riding, a real inspiration. I watched him whoop up on everybody in all three of the classes he entered.
Teddy
We need to also thank Ron Carbaugh for coming to the rescue and getting Tom's bike working the morning of the race. He made a special trip to help Tom out. Thank you Ron for your service to the POGGER community.
Teddy
In retrospect, I wish Tom had stayed and blown away all the PV bikes the next day on his Classic 125 Penton!!!! I'm sure we could have figured out at least 3 different classes for him to dominate!!!!
Teddy
Teddy,
Thanks for having YOUR SPECIAL TOOLS and for loaning them to Tom and I. Fun day and Great Birthday gift for me. I just visited with an ole Friend from Team Honda and he still can't believe that there is or was a bike built that would stay under Benolkin for six races[:p]. Nothing like Vintage.[8D]
Ron Carbaugh
Teddy,
Did you outfit the Six-Day that Tom rode with one of your Lectron's? Sure wish I could have been there to see any ONE of those six races.
Phil
No Lectrons on vintage bikes, illegal for AHRMA. But on Post Vintage bikes they are legal, that is why I have/am converting all four of my PV Pentons/KTMs to Lectrons. On my 1984 MXC 120 KTM the conversion took less than an hour. Bolt on the Lectron and go fast - no adjustments at all to the standard settings. At Texas, Larry Shope was riding the same bike in the cross country and he asked me afterwards if I had to feather the clutch on the steep uphill as he did. I said no, the Lectron just pulled the hill.
The second conversion is on my 1980 MC80 400 which was ported to the moon by J.P. Morgen and has a 6 pedal Yamaha reed on it. I converted it before from Bing to Mikuni. It took me 2 or 3 Saturdays worth of jetting work to get it right. With no quidelines to start from with a modified engine/pipe combination, it takes a long time to jet a Mikuni or Bing. First the idle jet, then the main, then the needle jet, then the needle itself, then the height of the needle, then blah, blah, blah. I bolted the Lectron on last Sunday afternoon with what I thought would be the best metering rod set at standard length and the bike wouldn't idle, it sped up really high rpm as if you had an air leak and was way too lean. I rotated the carb, pulled out the slide, screwed the metering rod in one full turn to make the idle richer and put it back together again. This time it would idle, but when you let the gas off, it took a long time to reduce the revs to the idle. I pulled the slide again and turned the metering rod in another full turn. Normally you don't make such drastic changes, just 1/4 turn at a time. This time it idles, reduces rpm quickly, has great power and I had a ball roaring around the farm for a while. Let's see, it took about 1.5 hours to dial it in instead of 3 days. Such a carb already!!!!
The third conversion was on my 1981 495 bad boy. I couldn't get it started with the Bing, had worked on the ignition, hadn't checked compression yet, but believed a Lectron would make it go. At 9:00PM Sunday I bolted it on, but couldn't start it. Need to look elsewhere to find out why it won't start and don't have the time for it right now since I am not racing it.
The fourth conversion is on my 1978 MC5 250. I haven't gotten to it yet. This bike was incredible fast before, I won an AHRMA national championship on it. I can't wait to see what the Lectron will do for it.
We shouldn't even be thinking about putting a Lectron on a Benolkin bike, we should be considering a rag in the existing carburetor instead to make it fair for the other riders!!!
Teddy