Sorry, no real pix, was busy racing. Buddies Blake and Travis joined me for what turned out to be a good race. Mostly prep for the Idaho City ISDE in a month. Learning some things, sorted gear etc. Blake has raced a few times Travis was his first. I entered the expert class and then were entering AM as they have little race experience. I talked them into expert class. I think they are glad they did as we got an early minute and there were still people coming through the pits at 50 miles and half way when we were done, loaded and driving off!!! Blake and I managed to stay on our expert minute without issues. We never saw Travis again after the start but he did finish and had a good time. things I learned the hard way: Bike needed geared way higher for this high desert riding. I was in 6th pinned for about 25% of the race. I'm sure the last two special tests would have been a good bit faster with the right gearing. Never install stiffer fork springs the night before and setup everything for 50 mph whoop field when a good part of the day is lava rock fields and 15 mph. My fault here, set things up WAY to stiff and payed for it. Went down 2 times before the first check and 2x in the first test. sorted it out as the race went along at the stops and at the end was doing good. the first 20 miles was pretty brutal and I was all over the place. I think Blake has some vid of me in a mess. Don't BS with your buddy Blake while rolling up to a check and then realize you rolled over the line a minute early as the checkers start writing on your time card. CRAP. There went 60 points. Oh well we are racing for fun. things I did right: Gear setup was spot on. Most were wearing goggle (99%) but I chose tinted safety glasses and my loose fitting helmet. This kept my head nice and cool all day. Blakes face was RED by the afternoon. ventilation was a good thing. Vented full coverage suit with Tee Shirt worked good. Physically I felt GREAT. I have lost like 25 pounds int he last year and it is showing. Was feeling full of energy and really good after 100 miles almost non stop. good stuff. Idaho is much harder though, we will see. Staying in Bend hotel instead of camping. Glad I had a hot tub and my wife instead of a dust filled RV and tons of crap to deal with. Brilliant. Told friends about this race. That was a good call as Blake and Travis jumped on it and we had a real good time. Luckily we got out of the sports bar after SX but before my wife started belting out karaoke Took my wife. Usually leave her behind when doing these races / ride trips. She had a blast. We had a fun day and then the next day i went racing and she when shopping. good times were had by all. So... Fun race with good friends and good times. Relaxing in Bend (beautiful place), watching SX, then racing. Awesome. All three of us completed the race without issues. Blake through down and might have beat me (hope not as i will never hear the end of it). Just a great time. Oh, the 165 / Lectron: that freaking 165 Walt builds just rules. Was out gunned out there as a lot of this is 45 mph silt whoops and power is good. But the 165 with the Lectron never stops amazing me. Who the heck was I wheeling over big woops pinned in 6th in a foot of HP robbing silt? the motor rules, the carb worked amazing, big power and perfect running all day. What a great and amazingly reliable package. Blake said his 165 / Lectron ran great all day as well. good stuff. the only real picture i have...
Sounds like you had a great time well done!! - nice to hear you kept your wife happy . Im surprised you ran a 12 tooth front sprocket though and youre still loving those yellow grips. What pipe are you running? Hows the bikes pace compared to 250fs?
ran 13/50, was way to low. I have ridden this race before and they usually do not run the faster flat stuff but more the slower MT stuff. Oh well. Pipe is a sweet Doma from a KTM200. Great bottom and huge mid, OK top. Was nice for pulling out of those 3rd gear deep silt corners. the 165 amazes me every time. The little engine that could.
Pretty much same report as Kelly here... I had a really good race.. I'm sore as a Mo-Fo today, but it was a blast. We both put a front wheel past check 1 a minute early, but like he said, oh well. I'm not in it to win it. Some fast mo-fo's out there. The first 50 mile loop I felt great. Rode harder than I should have, but had fun keeping Kelly in sight (usually doesn't happen). The next 30 miles were brutal for me. Dust so thick you literally can't see the ground at your front wheel when following someone. I have no idea how some of those dudes were passing me in the silt. They had to be riding by feel. I tried that at one point, and tucked the front end at a decent speed (25ish?). Got a good strawberry on my left thigh from that one. I'm happy entered the expert class, as people were passing me, and I was not passing anyone (except the first mile I passed our buddy Travis). There is no way I would pull up on that much dust at those speeds. I had to work today, and didn't want to spend the night in a hospital somewhere... The last 20 miles were my favorite of the day. No one passed me, course was clear, no whoops, and big sweeping FUN corners!!! My air filter is dustier than it has ever been, and I feel like my bike was down on power about 15%, but the 165 kit, and lectron ran freaking great! The first 20 miles it had a lean bog at WFO, but i richened the power jet 1/4 turn, and not a single hiccup after that. I feel like I raped that bike all day long, and it is ready for more. My brother was on his BMW RT, doing his typical Eastern Oregon weekend ride, and stopped by to catch a few pics of us at the finish line, and to hear some race stories.. Finish line Peeling time card while sitting on bike because I don't have a kickstand Kelly and I right after the finish My bro and I
First race in 14 years. I was sweep/EMT on saturday then 50ex on sunday and had a blast. I rode a '12 TE310 and was able to stay on the inside of the beat up berms. Like above, the lava beds beat up my upper body and fore-arms in the chop. I have an empty Horse of Horsepower shipping container that is gonna get filled this week.
Congratulations on finishing and a great racing experience it sounds like ... -- There are so many things than happen before and during a race, it is really a test to just get to the finish line and much much more to finish as a top finisher ..
As promised, a few pictures from China Hat. Unfortunately Team Johnson Bros BMP/Watson Suspension/Husqvarna suffer a flat rear with 25 miles to go, so no Gold Medal this year.... but we had a great time. Pitted right next to entry road, Kelly and Blake are two spots down. The 511 resting after its 40 mile Poker Run cruise on Saturday. Our 310R snuggled amongst some orangeness ...a lot of orangeness actually. Mark rolling to the queue, FMF full system and the worlds brightest skid plate on display. #1 to the line, Rick Bozarth on his dad's CCM, one last ride for the old beast in memory of his departed Dad. First rider out at 9:01:59, Rick Bozarth, NW legend on that CCM....left kick, it didnt want to start and he barely made it out of the chute on time. Minute 9:05 and the TXC310R fires right up and Mark gives us a wheelie. No style points at ISDEs though :-)
In any fashionable crowd, some stand out....be seen in BMP "the latest in little black sweatshirts" Some guys try to hide their bold BMP fashion statements, but if you look closely you can spot them.
Dude, you railed that first 50 and rode great all day. Nice job. Was cool being easily on time all day too. I thought the expert times might be tighter like we had to race hard all day to stay on minute. Fun railing with you. Oh, next time lets not chat and walk past the line! We both looked down when they were writing on our cards like WTF? No shit! I cant do that (ride fast in that amount of dust). One really fast section had a hard right at the end with a barbed wire fence that you then rode parallel to then. Freaked me out thinking of "feeling" your way into that fence at 60. No thanks. So one of my buddies another Travis was on a minute behind us. I told him sorry at the starting line as I knew he would be coming through all day long. Yep, that dude would catch and pass us and be gone and he was riding vacation race with wife mode not take home a first mode. Scary how fast some people are. I have known Trav a long time, super nice guy, quiet and fast. The guys that don't talk are the fast ones. Great pic Blake, thanks. K
' Those high speed fenceline sections can mess with your head "focus! dont look at the fence! focus!"
I like the ISDE format, long, fun, fast trail ride with a race mixed in... cool. you're right the prep and rules and inspection and impound all add to the experience.
I was fine flying parallel along side it was that one 90 degree T-bone one that freaked me out. I also enjoyed the invisible random loose lava rock in the silt. Surprise. I am so out of my element out there
I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to ride this event since I had a hard crash at Starvation 2 weeks earlier but as it turned out my ribs and knee felt good enough to give it a shot. As it turned out I DNF'd with a flat front tire in the first 20 miles. This place is a tire eater, my buddy that started on the same minute as me also ended up with at flat front 10 miles after me. There were some fast fun sections that reminded me of riding a roller coaster with banked turns and elevation changes, then there were the slow rocky tight areas that made you work and hope you don't hit something wrong and end up with a flat.....
Well, shoot. Didnt see you Sunday and was hoping you held up OK. Maybe the flat was a blessing and saved your body from riding the full race. Sounds like you will be ready for that next GP in early June.
