Hookay...it's Thursday before the Sunday race and no parts are here - just about par the course with me. ;) Actually, just looking for some hi-rise CR aluminum bars (by MSR) to show, new float valve assembly for the 28mm VM, and I broke a rubber exhaust mount (front rubber mount) that Mr. Beuhner is sending along. I'm telling ya, that last Berwick race was HARD on me and my Six Day! And NO..I have not pulled the trigger on the Works shocks yet - but they'll be on by end of June. Still trying to come up with the right "angle" when I bring the subject up with the Minister of Finance (Mrs. Close). She did get a shiny new Garmin GPS for Mother's Day.....
The steel bars I picked at Berwick will go into the "spares" box - I'm hoping the aluminum bars will provide a little more give, but what is much more important that they simply look cool. [8D]
I hope there is great turn-out from the NE for Allen's. Alex Moroz has promised to tap a keg on Saturday night for the campers, so that should certainly be a tractor-beam for some. [:p]
Mostly a grass track lay-out. Neat location - it's like a freaking mini-Switzerland or NE Tennessee just driving into this northern PA border area/hollow. It's also a "Dead Zone" when it comes to your cell phone. Heck - kinda adds to the ambiance of the place - like going back in time. If it's hot, maybe I'll put on a pair of those "short" 70's gym shorts and some athletic knee socks just to complete the effect.
Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it will be hot (last year it was in the 90's)- at best, the forecast is, uh..., variable. Cold front is coming thru and temps are suppoda be upper 50s' with a 40% chance of showers.
Last year we were graced by the presence of the Artist Known As Siege - and he brought a bunch of his tee's to boot. Whattup Siege - you coming back east again for this one?
Yo Bob, How 'bout a race report... [:p] -EP
Ernie P.
Chattanooga, TN
This is a no s___ response Ernie....I am still recovering....[B)]
$10.00 of quarters at the car wash , a half a can of WD 40 to put the bike in cold lay-up till I can crawl back out to the garage and take the Six Day all apart for some TLC...
But let me just give you a hint..."It was a dark and stormy night..." before the races kicked off at Allen's Farm.
More..later. ;)
Okay Bob. You made it home with your bike. This is good. The fact that it took $10 worth of quarters to clean the bike tells me that you were able to make a few laps. Pentons go good in bad conditions ... how good did it go? -EP
Here goes...gray skies, a SOAKED "grass track", about 50 degrees and an even colder feeling breeze greeted us at Allen's Farm. Nice turn-out...including some of the super-friendly AHRMA gang that have obviously been doing this for awhile (Alex Moroz and company...). And speaking of Alex and company - he mentioned that the regional classes for this race had been modified somewhat - I signed up for Classic 125, even though it was defined as a Pre-72 class, with Vintage 125 being pre-75. Yes, my CMF is a '72, but they told me to go ahead and sign up. Uhhh..okay. Hmmmm...
Decided to do practice and on first lap got to experience track in its best condition that day...but little did I know it was going to be all downhill from there. Great layout, with some neat hillside racing and switch-backs but - even with the sun coming out later in the morning - the grass very quickly became...like racing thru a peat bog, and eventually several sections were just good old-fashioned mud bogs. The Back Mountain Enduro Riders Club - our way too ironically named hosts - did as good a of a job as they could, re-routing some of track sections to find fresh "grass" several times.
Strategy? Well, ride around the outside of turns (trying to find "good" grass), and pick your best lines thru the muck sections. These conditions affected about 1/3 to 1/2 of the track - but they just took so much out of you....OKAY FINE...ME...on my 6B Sachs - lots of RPM, clutch slipping,etc. Oh..and was there anything particularly original about my strategy? Nope - EVERYONE tried to find that last grass line right up to the tape. Course officials re-tied a lot of tape on Sunday the 17th....
Race 7 was all the Classic bikes (yep, big Triumphs, early CZs, a couple square barrel Maicos, etc.) as well as PV Historic bikes -strange combo. About 15-16 bikes on the line, and supposedly two other classic 125s, but I later figured out that only one other lined up. Rubber band snaps (I love those things!) and I leave even with the field for exactly three gears and suddenly find a Neutral - and not just any neutral - the watch everybody go by while I rev the 6B to the moon neutral- AGGRAVATING the condition! Everybody goes by, I find my gear, and catch back up with the backmarkers thru the next few turns and get back into the mid-field. Breathe Bob, breathe....but I'm bummed because I look ahead and see several PVs are checking out right away while I fight thru the first mud section on the Sixxer. Sorry - but I just wanna race everybody! To my horror, I find the track much, much worse than practice on the upper sections and I'm just losing too much time trying to get thru a couple of turns and one particular upward slope that is developing AXLE DEEP lines that call your name like the Sirens. And all too quickly I find myself alone - guessing (and later confirming) that at least one of the big 4 strokes was pulling away from me in these conditions along with the PVs. Humiliation arrives on Lap 3 when I try to pull the uphill in third gear and downshift just a bit too late and..well...stop. I get her going right away, but later in the lap an RM370 passes me heading towards the finish line and suddenly the white flag goes away and the checkered is pulled out and waved and...I'm done - no Lap 4. Now the really amazing thing is that - under these awful conditions - the second bike in is a 76 YZ125 ridden by a youngster (relative to me) that showed me the way around Thunder Ridge last summer for both motos. I'm just in awe that he moved thru the mud that well on his small bore. I am not worthy...and I'm bummed!
Time to clean the bike. And no..I didn't bring the pressure washer that I vowed to bring. But there was a fast running stream and a 5 gallon bucket and we got it done. Consumed wife's sandwichs and snacks...stared longingly at Yuenglings in bottom of cooler. Realized the sun was out and it did not feel one degree warmer. Course officials re-routed some of the upper sections during the intermission...oh boy.
Race 7 moto 2 - we are clearly down a few bikes from Moto 1 (smart guys), and the race has been reduced to three laps. I am focused, I am Zen, I launch....I shift soooo carefully, and I am second into the switchback turns and laughing in my helmet and...my bike bogs..fires..bogs...a FOULED PLUG? IGNITION?...No my friends, I merely needed to turn on my gas. 20 lashes with a wet tank hold-down strap! The bike starts after a few kicks and I'm off - deciding to just focus on my lines and riding and enjoy myself. I catch back up and pass a few guys over the next few laps and actually start to feel some mud skills come back, the line choices seem a little smarter, etc. I find the checkered flag BEFORE the RM370 catches me this time and take some consolation in that fact, but it has still been a humbling day.
So...certainly not a racing day to tell the grandchildren about. The Yuengling tasted great, though. The Six Day will be in full tear-down by this weekend as I try to exorcise every last piece of dirt from it. I will mention that as part of my bike preps I had raised the fork oil (ATF)level in the 35mm's to 7" below the top (springs out, collapsed) and that seems to have worked out well. Thanks for the advisory, Tony.
I think my next race will be the National CC at Binghampton in June. And guess what....I can't wait! Now let's see..I wonder who has the best price on those Cycra composite handguards that I'll need....? [:p]
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3045/3562032295_30722c4c0b.jpg?v=0)
Great report Bob! Even though you had a few problems, your bike got you to the checkers. Anytime you finish a race, it's a good thing. Anyone racing a Sachs engined rig has missed their share of shifts, critical shifts, shifts at the start, shifts going up hills ... so, welcome to the club. Sachs shifting secret -- slow and deliberate. Keep hitting the track. Develop a checklist, both written and mental ... you'll soon develop a routine and become the rider to beat. I'm reminded of comments by Mark Hyde .... 6Ps – Proper Preparation Prevents Piss-Poor Performance. Don't forget to pull the ignition cover and dry out the spark maker.
Great story.
Lew Mayer
Good going Bob and a great race report. I totaly agree with Ernie's advise on the 6 P's. Love it, Live it, Learn it.
Congrats,
Tony
Geez..I finally earned my "post Flickr image" merit badge. See above for post-Allen's photo. Try not to get teary-eyed...she cleaned up nicely.
Bob, Great race report! Sounds like the kind of race where I had to take off the goggles to see at all. Then I'd have my girl friend (now wife) use a match to dig the mud out from my eyelids !! What fun!
Jeff
Thanks for the thoughts, Jeff. A nice lady/track-side photographer named Sarah Lane was kind enough to send along a few "action" photos from Mudfest 2009 in northern PA. Check 'em out. Oh - and check out my old school racing clothes (early eighties) - AXO's and a Malcolm Smith all-weather enduro jacket that zips up on the side!
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3661/3565558009_5e5ae50775.jpg?v=0)
And this was the easy stuff at Allen's Farm....
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3319/3565558097_237334ba98.jpg?v=0)
MOve over, Pastrana - air time!
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3651/3566373192_7e4fe323dd.jpg?v=0)
Shift weight to rear...gas it and go!