ACR at Broome Tioga MX - My First Race!

[tooclose racing]

Greetings, POG! Well, I'm still in one piece after having an interesting, challenging, maybe-not-exactly wonderful time at an ACR-sponsored MX event at Broome Tioga. On the National Track.  Let me repeat that...on the National Track.  [B)]

Background  - a week ago Friday I picked up my beautiful 72 Six Day MX, whom I had purchased from Mr. Tony Friedel in early Winter.  I was freaking misty-eyed as I looked at the wonderful job that Tony had done on this bike..  Took her out for a 30 minute ride on Sunday with my daughter (who's just learning how to two-wheel on a TTR).  Wonderful, if a bit peakier than I expected...I must have bogged this thing a half-dozen times as I climbed a steep learning curve - I haven't raced dirt since 1986 on an 83 Husky WR.  But overall, was just giggling inside my helmet.

I knew that some of the POG "family" was going to Tomahawk, but that was just a bit much (travel wise) to justify for a first weekend with Broome only and hour and a half down the highway from my home in Oswego, NY.  I had also reached out locally to some vintage MX vets and they had agreed to hold my hand at Broome.

Now...not going to provide a lot of specifics (okay FINE, I think I took last in their Pre-75 125 class),  but the race organizers were super friendly and accommodating.  I should also mention that I brought my 16 yr. old along with her TTR and she just found the national track a bit intimidating-okay hugely intimidating - and elected to just finish her practice laps.  They had one entry in a 50cc class that was running a shortened course and the organizer (I think I'm talking about Tom France here..) immediately said that Tegan could run with the 50, which I thought was just great.  Anyway, nice guy...

My story..well..something happened to my bike on the way to the races (specifically my Bing, or its set-up, or..really I still don't know!) because as I soon I fired up the bike something was wrong.  Observation...loaded up, then died, then observed gas running out of carb overflow.  Stuck floats?  All I can tell you is that over the next 4 hours of fiddling and diddling (with the help of fellow racers and a good buddy that stopped by to "watch"...), I'm not sure I ever really figured it out. All jets pullled, cleaned.  Verified seating with needle jet.  I was just KICKING myself for not bringing along Tony's cell phone number, who was at Tomahawk.  With the brain trust present there, they probably would have made short work of my problem.  We did make it stop, but only by adjusting float level, but we still overshot on that hunch..because then she would starve.  We played with the throttle cable, we...I dunno.  FINALLY, it appeared to be normal...I missed my first moto, but what the heck -  I'm here with my family, the 16 yr. old is having fun, my wife is being pretty cool, the sun is out....oh WAIT..time for a 15 minute DOWNPOUR that turns this incredible track (incredibly tough track I might add)into one slick quagmire!

Well, I still had carburation problems during the 2nd moto as the bike now appeared to run out of gas on the HUGE hillclimbs that make up their national track. But I put in the laps, made some mental notes (more ATF in my super-cool 35mm forks that Tony had rebuilt-restored, remember to drop air pressure in tires when its muddy, that kind of stuff), and smiled as I finished the moto. And yes..with the starvin-marvin motor, I had to re-climb one hill, and just run alongside on another hill! Cripes - you would have thought I was in a hare scramble or something..

So it's Sunday, bike is basically cleaned up and time to get ready for Allen's Farm next weekend -it still looks brand new, Tony!  Gotta tell ya..I'm staring long and hard at the 28mm Mikuni that came (in a box) with the bike.  My fresh rubber (Pirelli MT16 for front, Cheng Shin 183A for rear) will arrive  Monday.  This site is such a great resource - tires, oil, and even setting up 28mm mikuni's  - its all here!!

Stay tuned..maybe I'll meet some of you at Allen's Farm.

[Lew Mayer]

Personally,I prefer a well set-up Bing. With the right jets, they work great.

Lew Mayer

[tooclose racing]

Hey Lew - I want to agree with you.  I just couldn't figure out what happened to my "Bing" between my Sunday ride and my Saturday race.  And with it being my first time back in to dirt bikes, it was just kinda frustrating.  I'm talking with TF and reading my manual.  Hopefully I can return it to good health!

[Ernie Phillips]

tooclose,  Thanks for the race report.  It takes a while to get things sorted.  We've been back at if for a year now, still making mistakes but getting closer.  Keep us posted on you adventures.  And, like Lew, a good Bing can't be beat. We have Mikuni's that run good too, and in case of a spill, don't seem to load up as bad.

Ernie P.
Chattanooga, TN