View: https://youtu.be/4fO0HyGWZPk This is a part of loop 2 The race was 2 loops first loops was a fast 60 mile loop then we got 35 miles on loop2 which was a lot more fun with some really tight parts I rode the Zip Ty 125 I knew that I was in for a tuff day racing in all the sand but I really want to do all 10 Rd of the Nationals on a 125 We race in So Calif ,Nevda,Texas,Utha,Montana and Wyoming So we get a lot of different types of terrain
that combo of ultra lite bike and lean weight John is impressive. On loop 1 when I stayed with John I was thinking yes fact I can go faster but I stuck with the master knowing his strategy to not burn out in that first long mostly low dez trail and be ready for the tough one loop so I hung and keyed off him. and heck he still pulled me near the end of the loop. I saw him in the pits as I passed to go to mine. Loop B....video great to get the viddy to show the technicality of what we are riding. John went through that waterfall canyon very well as did I except I was caught behind a big conga line. I did make passes in some of the same spots a John as guys were held up or layed over. I should not have relaxed so much at the pits I wanted to be ready for B loop and went slow drank ate a banana some go juice etc. My 3 hundo probably needed 2 mains bigger after the dune sections she wanted to rev and run on (lean!!). But I kept it under control. all the up hills and steep downs went well with only a few offline excursions, but with 300 grunt I made off piste lines. I lost about 5 minutes on the north side of the mountain in the rocks when me and 5 other riders lost the ribbon and in so much rocks there was no tire tracks line, I circled a rock outcrop looking for the race line..finally my friend Brian (40B who caught me up) found it and I followed him down into the canyon. I shadowed him for a while then pulled away, but at the end I really thought he beat on aggregate time..but looks I still got him. The race was for sure not my cup of tea. But if you want a real challenge the NHHA is a ball breaker. My muscles are ripped....and I'm on heavy doses of RynoPower Protein, Carb fuel and aminos.....it was a worthy event. John you old (er) son of a gun!! Great ride John, I guess I will once again join you for the 100s MC final....why not, even after I usually swear off National Hare and hounds.....
Oh also I simply unscrewed my preload 1.5 turns off the spring to drop the rear (and never even checked sag) which saved me numerous times is the sand and soft stuff, but was unfamiliar on the steep uphills and caught me in wheelies and unplanted front a number of times where I normally don't feel that when I have my bike in tight trail stink bug short sag, but for the dez its proper, I'm just not used to it and I had my front ricochet off rocks and deflect off line on lot of up hill stuff until I got way over the frontwhich caused some rear traction loss....balance was off from what I normally set up. PS the AER48s are the best thing Ive ever experienced for the crazy steep down hill grooves because they ramp up so much they ride high even when you are riding the front wheel down a chute under braking. another note Rekluse......still my fave attribute is the deceleration feature of semi lock up....as a slipper clutch. Ive always been fine using my left hand to feed clutch both ways to get traction ,,but when coming down arse pucker steep rocky stuff having not to worry about feeding clutch and controlling with only brakes is great.
Nice work ringing the neck of that 125. That thing was wrapped all the way around on those sand hills!
It really is amazing how much power the 125 has I see no reason to go 150 There is only 1 National with sand like this the rest are on dirt or rocks where it will not be a problem. I will admit that my 300 would have been a better choice overall at this event. But I want to do all the Nationals this year on the Zip Ty TC 125.
