2010 racing season update from TCR

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First - I need to let everyone down gently.  I haven't done a lot of racing/riding this summer.  VMD was my first activity and I've only hit a couple of races since then. Why no reports?  Try "no results". [xx(]

But NOW I'm ready to hit Hancock, NY tomorrow with both of my steeds:



Just what have I been doing since VMD?  Here's my  tale:

A local MX track (Thornwood, near Williamstown NY) held an exhibition "vintage" MX class (OMG...pre-1990 was the basic rule) along with the moderns in mid-August.  I showed up with the '76 MC5  and had a fairly decent first moto, finishing 9th.  There were easily 25 bikes ranging from a 1990 YZ490 to some nice 79-80 Honda CR250s and 480s. But the motor died in the second moto.  It died like it ran out of gas, a symptom I experienced momentarily during 2nd moto at VMD.  

The following week, I tore the Bing apart, re-adjusted the float level, stared at the float needle (valve), and really scratched my head.  I had to adjust the floats to shut off fuel early (ie. with carb upside down, they were angled slightly up from the plane of the carb bowl face) to get the carb to NOT overflow.  WTF?

I only had time for a short test ride before hitting Broome Tioga  last Sunday for the AHRMA National PV race (commitments prevented me from attending the grass track Vint race on Saturday).  During practice on the national track - which I really DON'T like - the MC5 behaved like it ran out of gas again. In a full acceleration situation.  But the confusing pseudo-symptom I also observed (back in the pits) was the bowl overflow was weeping a bit. Is it starving or flooding for chrissakes?  I only signed up for 250 Historic, which was the 10th race that day.  So..pulled the bowl again,backed off float adjustment eensy-wensy bit.   Test runs on the grass track revealed same symptom - after the second or third full throttle acceleration, she would starve...by backing off to 1/4 I could save her.  But I realized I could not RACE this bad boy.  

Enter Dennis Foley, fellow POG member, who showed up at Broome later that morning.  One more time into the carb, and Dennis gives my floats a going over...and thinks they feel a little heavy.  We also stare at the float needle/valve, which is the rubber-tipped style. Maybe...it's sticking and starving the float bowl. Dennis's advice?  Replace your floats and float needle.  Says that it is the first thing he does whenever he gets a "new" Penton with a Bing.  Of course that's not gonna happen at Broome that day.  I end up watching the races with Dennis and drinking my beer stash waaayyy too early on a Race Day.  

That was last weekend....

TODAY - I replaced the Bing floats (with the black "alcohol-resistant" version) and the float needle/valve with parts that arrived from the Bing Agency.  I will mention that I also ATTEMPTED to replace the float needle "seat", which is an interference-fit part that is pressed into the bowl (on Mikunis these are just held in with a screw/plate). I failed miserably - at least on my first attempt with my brother-in-law.  Screwed in a thread tap/chase - thought it had a nice bite - but we could not "pull" this seat out.  Even put some heat on the surrounding aluminum with a torch and no luck. So..I stared at my the now "lightly threaded" float needle seat side walls, shrugged, made sure the bottom of float seat was not affected by our efforts, and proceeded to put the carb back together with new floats and new float needle/valve (this one is all metal, no rubber tip).  

BTW - I can remove and install an MC5 exhaust in about 30 seconds now.  Eyes closed, one hand tied behind my back.....but anyway...

Gas valved in, gas flows down the tube, carb is tight!  No overflow, no weepage.  Hmmm...okay...let's start her up.  Tickle.  Kick.  Kick once more - she starts.  Good - now time for an extended test ride out behind my neighborhood.  And she is CURED, ladies and gentlemen.  Successive full throttle runs up and down the gears indicate no hiccups, no starvation,  and...one more look...no weepage.  

THANK YOU Dennis Foley for your advice. But...because I replaced two components -  the floats and the float needle/valve - I'm left wondering what the problem was.  If another POG member has had a similar experience - please share your theory (or theories).

So...off to Hancock, NY tomorrow for some racing.  I'm guessing this event will be pretty lightly attended as have many of the NE/NA AHRMA races this year, but we'll still have fun.  No CC race this year which is a bummer.  But I shouldn't complain.  What I REALLY feel bad about is that my NE AHRMA region has put on 4 of their own CC races this year -and I was not able to attend any of them.[B)]

[joe novak]

WOW!  Glad you finally diagnosed the problem.  Remember when carbs had metal floats in the bowl?   Well, sometimes they would malfunction, too.  If you slipped the old float back in the Bing, you might know if it was the float or the needle valve.  One can test the needle valve by simply dropping or removing the bowl, and gently using your finger to raise the float to close the valve.  If it continues to dribble fuel, it is not working properly.  If it does shut the gas flow off, then the valve is working properly, (and the float might be a problem).   Joe

[brian kirby]

Even if they are new, dont use the old white floats, drop the cash and get the new black plastic ones. Its cheap insurance in the long run.

Brian

[tooclose racing]

Okay POG members - I now know Why I Am Racing in 2010.  To borrow a slightly Christian analogy, I breakdown on the track so that you don't have to.  I'll expand on that sentiment in a couple of paragraphs....

First - the Hancock track, also known as the Bear Creek Sportsmen Club (http://www.bearcreeksportsmen.com).  Some of you may already know about this "gem", located in some serious Catskill hills.  A 1000 acre riding club, with tons of trails and a super-friendly,  fast, but kinda technical motocross track. A Lot of small rocks on a couple of straights - a chest protector was definitely in order if you exited a corner behind a Maico or CZ open bike.

Not a bad turnout from the local V/PV crowd(I'm guessing 40-ish bikes), along with a gaggle of modern bikes.  Both Pentons felt great during practice BUT I found myself having to be a little more deliberate with my new shift lever on the 125.  Huh?  Well..a friend had welded a new Elsinore (spring-return end) shifter on to the stock shifter base and it must be just a little longer or maybe a little more flexible -but I initially was catching more neutrals than normal.  This may also been because I hadn't ridden/shifted the Sachs since early July, with my recent saddle time being on the MC5.

Lined up the Sixxer with most of the other Vint iron for the age-group  based Race 1 (and yes, that would include large Maicos and CZs - including Foley on his 380) and lucked out when someone went down in Turn One and held up at least half of the guys.  I bagged a few more guys with some very late trail braking into Turn 2,  a fun off-camber entry that turns into a "railed" berm exit, and I found myself running 4th out of 15 bikes for next three laps.  I was the only 125 in this race, but not the smallest bike. Paul Stoddard was also present and dangerous on his Rat.  No traffic until Loren Westcott came by on his Husky 450 and I just couldn't hang with him.  But amazingly, none of the "big" guys caught me before the checkered.  Fifth out of 15 bikes ain't bad with this crowd!

Race 8 was Historics and some other PVs and - again - had about 15 bikes or so.  Lined up on one side of my MC5 is Billy Burns on some kinda hybrid Hodaka 175 enduro.  If you don't know Mr. Burns - and I introduced myself to him at Bear Creek - he told me he runs the National Enduro circuit and will running the 2010 Six Day event in Mexico this year on Jeff Fredette's club team.  Bill might be 40 (30's?) and is Not Of This Planet fast.  I watched him CRUSH the 250/Open Historic experts at Broome - on the National course no less - on this very strange, Zundappish-painted 175.  Photo to follow...On the other side me is John FRACKELTON, my arch nemesis, on his 76 125 Can-Am (just kidding - not a nicer guy in the paddock).  He is fast, his bike is fast.  He was at VMD, and this is only his 2nd time out this year.  The rubber band snaps and off we go into Turn One.  I started in 2nd gear and bogged just a wee bit before slipping the clutch again and getting some bite.  So...5th or 6th as we head into Lap 1.  I look ahead and can see that Burns is leading, with Frackelton and my very fast friend Loren Westcott in third on his RM370.  I pass one guy and I'm on the tale of a nice EVO Kawi 250 or 400 going into Lap 2.  I just can't make up ground on him and..in fact, I start losing ground.  Oh well..a look over the shoulder and I see Ivan the Terrible on his sweet 76 (maybe 77)Ossa Phantom in the distance.  Bring it home in 5th and it feels pretty good.

After lunch break, the clouds move in - figurately speaking.  Which is say - unbeknownst to me, my first moto(s) successes were going to end up being the high point, an eerily similar scenario to my motos at VMD! I choose the Race 1 start to grab one of those "whopper" neutrals on the Six Day/Sachs - you know the one - ya have to let motor revs die just to get it engaged.  And I am last, maybe next to last, into Turn One.  I actually smile a bit in my helmet because - in a way - the first two motos were boring was there was no one really to race with.  Now I had a good dozen or so bikes, and what a great challenge to see if I can move thru them! And move thru a few I do after the first lap.  On Lap 2 I get to experience Maico spray on the front straight when I fail to get by Merritt Brown's Maico in Turn 2.  It's brutal, a hail of rocks and dirt.  I feel a rock hit my helmet in the face brace area and I think "please, please...not this pretty face Lord".  I'm spared, but I struggle to get by Merritt, who I know is basically a mid-pack guy. I knew the track was fast in several sections, but thought I could sneak by the Big Boys in some of the technical stuff.  And then it is over - my chain jumps off on Lap 3 on a fast downhill, free-spins, and then breaks and wraps itself around rear sprocket/swing-arm. Right case is cracked at the sprocket area, but no other apparent damage.  I sigh and watch the show for Lap 4 and guess I had maybe made it up to 8th or so before the "end".  My immediate post-mortem was confusion - had I left too much play in the chain for Moto 2? There may have been 3/4 of an inch or so...did I eat a rock and derail? No broken teeth on sprocket.  Oh well...maybe I'll use this opportunity to modify the right hand case and open up the countersahft area.

On to Race 8 and the second moto.  Bang - a great start on the MC5 and I'm 3rd into Turn 1 and alongside Westcott's RM for 2nd into Turn 2. He gets a better drive up the front straight and I follow him and  - yes, Bill Burns on the Hodaka ONE SEVENTY FIVE - around the track on Lap 1.  I can hear some noise behind me and can only guess it's Frackelton on the Can-Am sizing me up.  I knew from practice how fast he was thru the technical stuff, but knew I was pulling him on the straights. Lap 2 is underway, and this is FUN!  Burns and Loren have pulled away a little bit and I'm thinking I gotta be holding up Frackelton.  Up the front straight, over the jump, and...MY THROTTLE STICKS OPEN IN FOURTH GEAR. My front wheel is in the air, I have 50 yards left till a line of trees on  the outside of Turn 3, a fast right hander.  I'm freakin', but doing what I guess one does - grab the clutch, grab the brakes, and I must have hit the kill button, but I don't remember.  I end up stopped on the outside of Turn 3 with the yellow race tape stretched  across my neck.  I actually Thanked God (which I know will not necessarily get me into heaven - I recently read a couple of books from the Left Behind series - I'm screwed).  I look back down the staight and there must be 20-30 spectators glued to the tape looking back at me with their mouths wide open. I wave back at them like I just landed a 10.0 dive in the Olympics.  They ALL wave back at me.  A funny, but touching moment.  

I twist my throttle grip and there is no spring return.  I look down at the Bing and realize MY error.  The top of the Bing has come off/unscrewed and the slide must have stuck in the up position after the lid moved off-center.  The cable has come free from bottom of slide, explaining twist trip action.  Thinking back to my Saturday afternoon "work", I realize I must not have re-tightened/cinched these screws. I pulled the top/internals twice, once to remove the carb for float work, and a second time after it was installed when I became concerned about the throttle motion having not feeling exactly right.  I must not have cinched 'em down the second time.  DUMB. STUPID.

Again..remember my opening remark.  I do all of this so the rest of you POG members don't have to.  

I still had a lot of fun yesterday, even if I didn't bring home the Historic 250 trophy.   With respect to the 250, a tough lesson to learn in the scheme of things, but one I suspect I will not soon forget when working on my machines.  

Stay tuned for the next episode of "Bob's Garage..." []

[tooclose racing]

Some photos from Bear Creek by John Rocklin photography - these came from his Facebook page.  

Six Day Gets Air!


Uh-oh...Why is my bike revving and not moving?


MC Hammer, I mean 5


The rest of his shoot can be viewed here - look for Bear Creek, or just look at all of 'em. He's a fantastic photographer.

http://www.facebook.com/photos.php?id=100970208791

[socalmx]

If you are running the stock screw top Bing, Tighten down the round nut/top then take a hose clamp and put it around the round "nut" with the clamp screwing portion sitting against the choke casting part of the carb. This will prevent the nut from backing off at the wrong time.

[Ernie Phillips]

Bob, I love reading your race reports.  Anyone who has raced has experienced many of your woes.  When I got into this vintage stuff, I just put on some new rubber and went racing.  And we had our fair share of problems.  In 2008 everything started to click and we had a great season with good bikes and good finishes.  In 2009, I slacked off a bit but still tried to maintain our "program" and stayed on top of bike maintenance and mods.  We had good results.

This year I have been a complete slacker!   We raced at New Blaine ISDT Warm-up and that is it.  Our bikes did fine and Christopher carried the mail in 250 expert.  When we got home we just  washed the bikes and stuck them in the corner.  Yesterday afternoon, I ask Christopher to be sure and get the grass mowed since we were going racing this weekend.  When he finished the yard, I ask him to roll out the bikes and see if they would run.  He reported that my '73 Hare Scrambler started on the 2nd kick, his '74 HS fired up on the 3rd.

Christopher's rig has a rattlly top-end and needs a bore job.   The forks leak because the bushings are shot.  But what can we do 2 days before an event -- pray?  We've had since April to get this stuff fixed, but instead of working, we played.  We enjoyed riding our modern trail bikes and turned our backs on vintage maintenance.  We'll probably pay for our sins this weekend with DNF's.   Wish us luck ... 'cuz we'll need it.


Ernie P.
Chattanooga, TN

[tooclose racing]

Well, well, well...Ernie P!  Always a pleasure, and yup - know you've been there, done that.  It was just ironic that after all my futzin and putzin with the MC5's Bing, I had to give myself 10 lashes on the back with a wet noodle because I didn't do one more "check" after putting it back together for the 74th time.  [:I]

Wasn't sure about the math, but I knew you and Chris hadn't done much this year after a several fairly active years.  Great to hear you're dusting yourself (and bikes) off and getting back out there for Westpointe.  Heck, that's like racing in your backyard isn't it?  Bring back the Gold, EP.

Good luck on the 250s - I still need to "learn" how to ride my Big Boy in the woods.  After that nightmare/mudfest afternoon at the VMD, all I could dream of was "do they make a Rekluse application for the 250?" []

I'm having a blast racing MX with the MC5 with one notable exception -if there really are jumps and bumps on the track, the 35mm forks basically go spaghetti on me.  Heck -I can watch them flex just riding down my street.  I just might have to put a set of 38mm Zokes on my Christmas list.  With your shorter travel Hare Scramblers, it's probably not as big of a deal.

[garrettccovington]

Was glued to the story,, Hey your insight to your carb issues is really narrowing down my problems with mine.

G

72 six-day
79 KTM MC80 250

[Mark P]

I want to hear more about the MX wars and Frackleton!  Bob, I love reading your race reports.