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Newb wants to race, has no idea where to start...

BaronVonDarrin

BaronVonDarrin

Husqvarna
A Class
I am interested in entering something competitive. However there are some major problems.

A - I am pretty new to dirt riding. I only learned to drive a motorcycle, on my own at night without my parents blessing for certain, about 3 years ago. I have since progressed from an old cb550 cafe bike to a gradually lighter and more off road oriented pursuit. Today I am on a te630 and thinking of going even smaller... But I am not well versed and have only thus far taken a dirt riding course http://www.dirtbikeschool.org/ with my gf. I went to the AMA dual sport event in Mill Hall PA last year on my ktm 950 (since sold), had a lot of fun doing that. And I try to run through construction sites and soccer fields here in this horrible city when no one is looking. Do I need more experience under my belt? Am I just going to look like a 28 year old idiot most likely? Is there a "haha, I suck" class?

B - I need an appropriate bike, I know. A TE630 is not something I can enter into any competitions that I have ever heard of and probably not its intended purpose anyway. I was thinking of trying to find a used TE of some smaller displacement next spring or something. (is this a good deal on a new 310? never bought anything new before... http://www.ridersvillecycle.com/201...tory.htm?ID=18034039&Brand=501&Type=1787&fm=1 )

C - I have few friends and even fewer who do this. Only a street riding friend. it is unfortunate I did not get to grow up riding bikes as I don't know where to go (even just with my te630), how to find events really (AMA site?), or have anyone to 'show me the ropes'. I would be as always in this by myself, trucking it there in my ranger by myself, etc. Is that even advisable? I am Afraid I will be standing around once I'm there like... 'uh... what do I do, where do I go now... derp'. Or get hurt or something and have no one to drive my busted butt home.

D - I am sort of adverse to really harsh competition. I would prefer something more friendly. I am very introverted to begin with and can not really handle that sort of attitude that was prevalent in little league as a child... If dirt competitions are filled with any of that bull I will just stop this while I am ahead and save myself the stress/anger, man. I have been told by a few guys that hare scrambles are really laid back, not sure why that would be but there it is. Would a hare scramble be something good for me to do?
 
Step 1:Go get an appropriate bike, ie, TXC310R or a WR250/300.
Step 2: persuade your friends to go with you or just take a chance and go out to a riding spot such as St Clair, which is about 2 hours from the city and meet up with some people.
Step 2, option B: find a local enduro/hare scramble club and go to one of their meetings. It is very likely that someone will take you under their wing and help you out with the sport. Thats how most motorcyclists are anyway.
Step 2, option C: PM me and ask me any questions you might have and I'll do my best to answer.
BTW, I live near Hershey but Im often in the Ridley Park area. My girlfriend lives there.
And finally...yes, hare scrambles are pretty laid back. But you can brutalize yourself for 2 straight hours. You'll really get to know your true self after an event like that.
 
Poker runs are a good way to break in to riding in traffic. Just a good ride with lots fun people. The best advice though is written above, find a club and join. you won't regret it.
 
Yep good advice above and you'll need experience of some sort riding a dirt bike in the dirt at least ... I say that speaking as 'old guy' who just started racing a few yrs back ... Every race I do is full of rookie 'racing' mistakes of all sorts ... From out the gate till the finish .. There are just so many things you gotta do correctly, on the fly, or you'll be eating alot of dust ...

You don't sound like an MX racer to me, at least not now (but who knows?) .. And too bad you are not here because even though most of the racing here is smaller MX style tracks, most of it is on a level low enough for a beginner (I was a beginner 3 yrs ago at age 51) to get the fundamentals down on how to ride the bike on a track and do some racing also if you desire to race the other riders and not just following the guy in front of you, and be somewhat safe ... Safety 1st with me ~always.

NOTE: If you wanna learn how to jump a bike, you gonna get on a real track with the groomed jumps ... Jumping is essential to MX racing today ... And even if you don't race these tracks, learning and practicing how to jump on a track carries over directly to jumping a bike in the woods when ever you find a log or some small obstacle to jump over out there ... (4t machines jump easy .. Have the throttle 'on' as you go up the jump face and do not let off the throttle till the front tire clears the lip. Its that simple. Chop the throttle on the face and it will nose dive :)... )

As I mentioned above, most of the racing here is smaller MX outdoor tracks here in the Philippines ... Free ticket for travel including room and board to larger MX \ SX series races ... Others races provide gas for the race .. ~$5 entry fee for the day ...

--

I have 3 Husqvarna bikes you could ride also :) ... Mostly fun racing here but if ya finish in the top 3 (sometimes top 5), of your class, be prepared to turn PRO because you are gonna get a pay check .. Not a check but cash on the barrel head ...After being handed a white envelope or two with cash inside ... Suddenly, I liked racing :0) ...but I'm really still a trail rider who can do jumps now ...

--

With all that said, racing, racing is not friendly towards the front of the pack ...It can be friendly competition but it is a race! ... That does does not mean not to race or it is not fun ... Just drop to the back of the pack and have fun back there but always obey the rules of the race and do no block the others path that are racing harder than you are..

--
Never raced in the USA due to several reasons but here are a couple helmet-cam videos of my recent MX/SX racing here ... If you can't handle the races with the starting gates, I'd go with the hare scrambles or other type races mentioned by the riders here ... Just let the real racers guys have lead and ride your race at the back ...That's what happened here with my bad starts and crash ... I had the whole track to myself at the end :) ...

This is about as friendly as it gets, I'd guess ... That gate action is about as scary and intense as anything I've ever done on a bike ... I'm gonna get better because I really hate making my Huskies look like crap because I'm such a wuss coming out the hole ...

These guys in front of me have lots more experience racing and are after a win and the prizes ... I'll see them again in about 2 weeks ... :)
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmworYrw_GU



View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=schJ9XGPs8Q



Good luck and have fun ... Thats what its all about when riding a dirt bike ...

EDIT: Overall, you'll have a great time most likely, make new friends, and have some very interesting stories to tell later ... Take plenty of pics and the good times racing will last a lifetime ..


BaronVonDarrin said:
I am interested in entering something competitive. However there are some major problems.

A - I am pretty new to dirt riding. I only learned to drive a motorcycle, on my own at night without my parents blessing for certain, about 3 years ago. I have since progressed from an old cb550 cafe bike to a gradually lighter and more off road oriented pursuit. Today I am on a te630 and thinking of going even smaller... But I am not well versed and have only thus far taken a dirt riding course http://www.dirtbikeschool.org/ with my gf. I went to the AMA dual sport event in Mill Hall PA last year on my ktm 950 (since sold), had a lot of fun doing that. And I try to run through construction sites and soccer fields here in this horrible city when no one is looking. Do I need more experience under my belt? Am I just going to look like a 28 year old idiot most likely? Is there a "haha, I suck" class?

B - I need an appropriate bike, I know. A TE630 is not something I can enter into any competitions that I have ever heard of and probably not its intended purpose anyway. I was thinking of trying to find a used TE of some smaller displacement next spring or something. (is this a good deal on a new 310? never bought anything new before... http://www.ridersvillecycle.com/201...tory.htm?ID=18034039&Brand=501&Type=1787&fm=1 )

C - I have few friends and even fewer who do this. Only a street riding friend. it is unfortunate I did not get to grow up riding bikes as I don't know where to go (even just with my te630), how to find events really (AMA site?), or have anyone to 'show me the ropes'. I would be as always in this by myself, trucking it there in my ranger by myself, etc. Is that even advisable? I am Afraid I will be standing around once I'm there like... 'uh... what do I do, where do I go now... derp'. Or get hurt or something and have no one to drive my busted butt home.

D - I am sort of adverse to really harsh competition. I would prefer something more friendly. I am very introverted to begin with and can not really handle that sort of attitude that was prevalent in little league as a child... If dirt competitions are filled with any of that bull I will just stop this while I am ahead and save myself the stress/anger, man. I have been told by a few guys that hare scrambles are really laid back, not sure why that would be but there it is. Would a hare scramble be something good for me to do?
Click to expand...
 
True Ray Ray...racing isnt always friendly haha. Nothin like seeing a couple guys punchin each other in the helmets cuz of a screw up or one guy in the other guys way, and then seeing them drinka beer or two together afterwards
 
K5PL5 said:
True Ray Ray...racing isnt always friendly haha. Nothin like seeing a couple guys punchin each other in the helmets cuz of a screw up or one guy in the other guys way, and then seeing them drinka beer or two together afterwards
Click to expand...

These short races are intense, then over ... Much of anything wrong happens and its over for a podium .... Those hr long enduro races sound good to me ...
 
I started with enduros in south Jersey in 2007, and I just started hare scrambles last year. Hare scrambles are not as laid back as enduros, if you ask me. First, you have your whole class leaving the line simultaneously, which can make for craziness at the first corner. Plus, the first half of the first lap is kind of crazy, because everyone is jockeying for position on what may well be single track, with minimal opportunity for passing. Plus, a lot of the onus for passing in HS is on the passer. There are lots of guys in HS who will just not pull over to allow a faster rider to pass. This is particularly frustrating for me, as I'm not an aggressive passer.

The beauty of enduro is that you are leaving the line with only three or four other riders. The pecking order is often figured out before you even leave the line, so you're not immediately getting passed or held up. Granted, you will get passed by faster riders on minutes behind you, but 95% of enduro riders are very courteous as long as you make room for them to pass. A good rule of thumb is to get ready to pull over if you hear them coming, and by the time they are shouting to get past, you hopefully have a spot to pull over. You also get lots of rest breaks in enduros. Sections where you are riding as fast as you can are usually between 5 and 10 miles in length with rests in between. Hare scrambles has you going full out for two hours or more, which will just eat you up!

Enduro does have its baggage, however. Most require some kind of time keeping if you want to score well. You certainly don't have to keep time to have fun, but if you want to do well, you have to understand the rules and be properly equipped. Time keeping equipment can be done with an adjustable odometer (resettable up and down), a digital watch, and a roll chart holder, but a lot of the mental work can be replaced with an enduro computer. Another downside to enduro is the time commitment. It's an all-day affair. You're usually leaving the line soon after 8 AM, and arriving back at the truck around 3 PM. If you want to stay for awards, count on staying past 6 PM (traditional enduros take forever to score due to their lack of electronic transponders. Checkpoint arrival times are written on a card taped to your fender. The cards are turned in after the last check and then the club starts crunching the numbers. This often takes up to three hours.)

Hare scrambles are sweet in that your total time commitment can be as little as three hours. Pull in an hour before your race starts, race, know your finishing place as soon as you cross the line, and decide if you want to stay for awards. So streamlined. Plus, as a B rider in the main event, I'm racing approximately the same number of miles in a hare scramble as I am in an enduro, so I don't really feel like I'm getting less racing enjoyment in a HS than I am in an enduro.

I might recommend you just find a local HS or enduro and show up before the start to get the lay of the land. And definitely try to hook up with a club. This is the easiest way to find riding buddies.
 
returning to this thread.

Dunno if I am going to be able to get a more appropriate bike... long story of woe short: my job effing sucks/finances in the shitter now. So I guess that alone makes all of this impossible...

I never understood enduros. I never got the point of not going faster or slower than allotted... whats the fucking point of that? Maybe I just dont understand something here with enduros.

I also dont know of any clubs within any sort of reasonable distance to me.
 
You can race a 630. I've raced my 610 in hare scrambles, and Trav72 on here raced his in an enduro last year. You don't want to do it somewhere super tight or super gnarly, but in a more open race, no problem. I wouldn't do an enduro on your off the bat, though.

In an enduro, the only sections where you'd need to worry about going too fast are the road connector sections; they do that to keep guys from going 90 mph on public roads trying to make up time. In the woods/trails sections, there's zero chance you'd be able to keep up with their averages.

I'd recommend that you start with dual sport events. Not on a KTM 950, and not Mill Hall. MCI is having one in a few weeks, March 9th, out in NJ, it would be a PERFECT "get your feet wet" event: http://www.motorcyclecompetitioninc.com/dualsport

After that, take your pick of these events:
MCI Dual Sport (March)
Seven Mountains Dual Sport (June): http://sevenmountainsconservationcorp.com/index.html
Hancock Dual Sport (Aug)
Michaux Dual Sport (http://www.angelfire.com/michauxoffroadenthusiasts/index.html)
RORR Dual Sport (Oct)
Meteor MC Dual Sport (Oct) http://meteormc.com/dual-sport.html
Hammer Run Dual Sport (Nov)
Pine Barrens 300 (Nov) http://pinebarrens500.org/

Your local race organization is the ECEA. Everything you need is here: http://ecea.org/
 
Yea I went to Michaux last year on my 630 (flat tire took me out though) and Durty Dabbers and a few others? I am def going to try to be at more of these events this year if I can afford it.

I am not sure if I can make March 9th. I have a lot of problems with my bike I need to sort out and its been too damn cold for me to want to go out in the garage and try. Biggest of which has been the impossibility of using the foot controls while standing - rear brake is very difficult to use and shift lever seems awkwardly positioned too, pretty sure I mounted rear tire incorrectly, and I had to take old chain off but do not have a tool or know how to put on the new one I got...
 
Chains are easy. http://rideapart.com/2013/05/how-to-change-a-motorcycle-chain/

That's with a special/fancy tool, but every chain tool works basically the same way.

If you have a master link chain (with the clip), you can do it with a c-clamp, or possibly even a pair of pliers. Make sure to orient the clip the correct way.

How far into the Michaux ride did you make it? Did you ride any of the options? Dual sports are a good way to gauge if you are "ready" for a race. Fir right now, I'd say you should do the dual sports, and work towards doing more/all of the options. There are so many dual sports in this area that you can keep yourself pretty busy for a "learning year" without needing to deal with the insanity of a race.

PS: Added a few other dual sports to my post above.
 
I see you have/had some vintage bikes. If you're at all interested in vintage racing(cheap to get started in, very addictive though), you could check out AHRMA. They are having a big race at New Jersey Motorsports Park July 11-13 for road racing, but they do all disciplines. Lots of people race the CL/CB160 and 175s. They will also have a Cross Country/Trials event in Terra Alta, WV in July as well, but it's about 5hrs from Philly. I'm planning on coming up to Terra Alta with my Elsinore and I race a Triumph 750 on the road race side. Been a great club to race with, I've been racing with them since 2008.
 
I can tell you this, just show up and grin. Most guys who race all the time will pick out the new guy right away and if he is not a dick you will make a friend just like that.
Most of the time racers will point you I the right direction, right up until you show some speed and beat them LOL. I have been the new guy and have and still do help the new guy.
Vintage guys are the best ! They pit together, race together and help each other out as needed. Most time you do not have to ask they just help.
The old guy class is more of a friendly race, someone is always fast and the rest just are out to have fun. Short track racers are my fav guy's over all, none better.

As far as you bike, some times you run what you brung. Do not look for reasons not to race, you will find them. I have raced pit bikes, 100cc air cooled over modded short track bikes, vintage bikes , ice bikes , a stock KDX and I now have a 13 WR144.
Just go and try as life is only going to pass you buy. Everyone started someplace and nobody wants to hear a story about why you did not race.

Caution : once bitten by a race bug we know of no cure, it will need to be scratched !!
 
BaronVonDarrin said:
I am interested in entering something competitive. However there are some major problems.

A - I am pretty new to dirt riding. I only learned to drive a motorcycle, on my own at night without my parents blessing for certain, about 3 years ago. I have since progressed from an old cb550 cafe bike to a gradually lighter and more off road oriented pursuit. Today I am on a te630 and thinking of going even smaller... But I am not well versed and have only thus far taken a dirt riding course http://www.dirtbikeschool.org/ with my gf. I went to the AMA dual sport event in Mill Hall PA last year on my ktm 950 (since sold), had a lot of fun doing that. And I try to run through construction sites and soccer fields here in this horrible city when no one is looking. Do I need more experience under my belt? Am I just going to look like a 28 year old idiot most likely? Is there a "haha, I suck" class?

B - I need an appropriate bike, I know. A TE630 is not something I can enter into any competitions that I have ever heard of and probably not its intended purpose anyway. I was thinking of trying to find a used TE of some smaller displacement next spring or something. (is this a good deal on a new 310? never bought anything new before... http://www.ridersvillecycle.com/201...tory.htm?ID=18034039&Brand=501&Type=1787&fm=1 )

C - I have few friends and even fewer who do this. Only a street riding friend. it is unfortunate I did not get to grow up riding bikes as I don't know where to go (even just with my te630), how to find events really (AMA site?), or have anyone to 'show me the ropes'. I would be as always in this by myself, trucking it there in my ranger by myself, etc. Is that even advisable? I am Afraid I will be standing around once I'm there like... 'uh... what do I do, where do I go now... derp'. Or get hurt or something and have no one to drive my busted butt home.

D - I am sort of adverse to really harsh competition. I would prefer something more friendly. I am very introverted to begin with and can not really handle that sort of attitude that was prevalent in little league as a child... If dirt competitions are filled with any of that bull I will just stop this while I am ahead and save myself the stress/anger, man. I have been told by a few guys that hare scrambles are really laid back, not sure why that would be but there it is. Would a hare scramble be something good for me to do?
Click to expand...
 
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