I just got back from attending Dirt Rider Magazine's annual 24-Hour torture test down at Glen Helen Park in San Bernardino, California. Most attendees come from the "who's who in the motorcycle industry" list, but I got in through the Blue Ribbon Coalition's land-use advocate program, which allows normal guys who spend many hours fighting the enviros to show up and ride the course (on our own bikes) with DR's testers.
We arrived at Glen Helen on Tuesday morning, and parked right in back of the Dunlop semi. Ken Faught and Karel Kramer from DR led the rider's meeting. I was kind of zoning out when I noticed that I had Dick Burleson and Malcolm Smith on either side of me. These guys are like gods to me, so I tried to be cool and not stare. After the riders meeting, I toured the pits to see if I could hob-nob with more celebs. The off-road teams from KTM, Suzuki, and Honda were out in force. I had met Rodney Smith before at a local MX track, so I re-introduced myself and got to schmooze with Mike Kiedrowski and Jerry Bernardo.
In the KTM pits, Larry Roeseler was setting up the KTM's for the official testers. It looked like they were testing the whole KTM line, along with the Kawasaki/Suzuki 400, a Honda 450, a Yamaha WR450, and two Gas Gas models.
It was then time to turn a few laps on the course with my KTM 400. The course was typical SoCal terrain, with lots of sand and rocky uphills/downhills. The main course was about 7 miles long, with optional 'Hard' sections that could add 5 more miles to the loop's length. I did a lap without taking any of the Hard sections to get my bearings and warm up. Apparently Burleson had set up the course, and he did a good job with what he had to work with. There was a neat section that had been freshly cut through some trees, with big sandy berms on the corners. It was here that I got caught by the 'lead pack': Mike Lafferty, Rodney Smith, Shane Watts, etc. in full shred mode. I got the hell out of the way! I didn't want to be THAT GUY who holds everyone up. It was incredible to see these guys go by in tight formation. I had seen this on the GNCC TV coverage, but it's even more impressive in person.
The next loop I started to take the Hard loops. The first hard section incorporated the downhill from Mount St. Helens, which is part of the National track. It was really long, really steep, and whooped out, but some hard braking got me to the bottom. I can't believe the pro motocrossers actually gas it down that hill! The second hard section had a tight, nasty, rocky, sandy uphill. I struggled, but luckily first gear on the KTM is like a tractor and I made it up. I passed a couple of guys who didn't, but they were unsure whether it was safe to ride back down - the thought of a head-on with an off-road star made everyone very cautious. At the top of the hill, I took a break and met the President of the Northwest Motorcycle Association, who was riding a two-stroke YZ250. He was also a BRC invitee. The third hard section was tougher than the others. There was one particularly nasty steep, rutted downhill. I was dabbing heavily when the guy in front of me got too much front brake and went over the bars. He was all right, but his bike was a little bent. I was relieved to get to the bottom, and decided not to take this route again. Other riders told me that the rut got to be three feet deep by the end of the session. The fourth hard section was relatively easy, and incorporated other parts of the Glen Helen track. I managed to clear a very easy (for most) step-up double, but rolled everything else.
I did three more laps, mixing up different hard sections to keep it interesting. The corners were getting very deeply rutted, and I couldn't imagine how tough it would be to ride this course at night. Around 6 p.m. DR provided a lasagna dinner, and I sat with NorCal guys like Dave Wood, Rick Guidice, Don Amador, and Brian Garrahan. Heinz Kinigardner, a former MX World Champion, sat quietly at our table listening to our stories. He's got a thick accent, but told us he liked the loop and the lasagna.
When it got dark, Baja Designs provided high-tech lighting for all of the test bikes. As the night testers gathered to start their first loop, I noticed a stir in the KTM pits. I then noticed Jeremy McGrath emerging and throwing his leg over a KTM 250 4-stroke. He rode over to the MX track and did several whips - in the dark, with a blind landing - over a big tabletop, for the DR photographers. Awesome! After watching the riders' headlights bobbing up and down along the ridges for a couple of hours, I called it a day and went back to the hotel.
I came back to Glen Helen in the morning, just as the bikes were coming in for the last time. Everything seemed to still be running, except for the Gas Gas bikes. Their bikes, box van, and support people were all gone, I don't know why. Everyone who had spent the night at the track looked pretty spent. It was eerily quiet as the test came to an end. I needed to get back to the Bay Area, and took off.
All in all, it was a great experience. Getting the chance to ride and hang out with these guys made all of the land use letter writing, meeting attendance, and grant applications worthwhile. I salute Dirt Rider Magazine for recognizing the importance of this work, and creating an opportunity to reward those few who participate for the benefit of so many.
We arrived at Glen Helen on Tuesday morning, and parked right in back of the Dunlop semi. Ken Faught and Karel Kramer from DR led the rider's meeting. I was kind of zoning out when I noticed that I had Dick Burleson and Malcolm Smith on either side of me. These guys are like gods to me, so I tried to be cool and not stare. After the riders meeting, I toured the pits to see if I could hob-nob with more celebs. The off-road teams from KTM, Suzuki, and Honda were out in force. I had met Rodney Smith before at a local MX track, so I re-introduced myself and got to schmooze with Mike Kiedrowski and Jerry Bernardo.
In the KTM pits, Larry Roeseler was setting up the KTM's for the official testers. It looked like they were testing the whole KTM line, along with the Kawasaki/Suzuki 400, a Honda 450, a Yamaha WR450, and two Gas Gas models.
It was then time to turn a few laps on the course with my KTM 400. The course was typical SoCal terrain, with lots of sand and rocky uphills/downhills. The main course was about 7 miles long, with optional 'Hard' sections that could add 5 more miles to the loop's length. I did a lap without taking any of the Hard sections to get my bearings and warm up. Apparently Burleson had set up the course, and he did a good job with what he had to work with. There was a neat section that had been freshly cut through some trees, with big sandy berms on the corners. It was here that I got caught by the 'lead pack': Mike Lafferty, Rodney Smith, Shane Watts, etc. in full shred mode. I got the hell out of the way! I didn't want to be THAT GUY who holds everyone up. It was incredible to see these guys go by in tight formation. I had seen this on the GNCC TV coverage, but it's even more impressive in person.
The next loop I started to take the Hard loops. The first hard section incorporated the downhill from Mount St. Helens, which is part of the National track. It was really long, really steep, and whooped out, but some hard braking got me to the bottom. I can't believe the pro motocrossers actually gas it down that hill! The second hard section had a tight, nasty, rocky, sandy uphill. I struggled, but luckily first gear on the KTM is like a tractor and I made it up. I passed a couple of guys who didn't, but they were unsure whether it was safe to ride back down - the thought of a head-on with an off-road star made everyone very cautious. At the top of the hill, I took a break and met the President of the Northwest Motorcycle Association, who was riding a two-stroke YZ250. He was also a BRC invitee. The third hard section was tougher than the others. There was one particularly nasty steep, rutted downhill. I was dabbing heavily when the guy in front of me got too much front brake and went over the bars. He was all right, but his bike was a little bent. I was relieved to get to the bottom, and decided not to take this route again. Other riders told me that the rut got to be three feet deep by the end of the session. The fourth hard section was relatively easy, and incorporated other parts of the Glen Helen track. I managed to clear a very easy (for most) step-up double, but rolled everything else.
I did three more laps, mixing up different hard sections to keep it interesting. The corners were getting very deeply rutted, and I couldn't imagine how tough it would be to ride this course at night. Around 6 p.m. DR provided a lasagna dinner, and I sat with NorCal guys like Dave Wood, Rick Guidice, Don Amador, and Brian Garrahan. Heinz Kinigardner, a former MX World Champion, sat quietly at our table listening to our stories. He's got a thick accent, but told us he liked the loop and the lasagna.
When it got dark, Baja Designs provided high-tech lighting for all of the test bikes. As the night testers gathered to start their first loop, I noticed a stir in the KTM pits. I then noticed Jeremy McGrath emerging and throwing his leg over a KTM 250 4-stroke. He rode over to the MX track and did several whips - in the dark, with a blind landing - over a big tabletop, for the DR photographers. Awesome! After watching the riders' headlights bobbing up and down along the ridges for a couple of hours, I called it a day and went back to the hotel.
I came back to Glen Helen in the morning, just as the bikes were coming in for the last time. Everything seemed to still be running, except for the Gas Gas bikes. Their bikes, box van, and support people were all gone, I don't know why. Everyone who had spent the night at the track looked pretty spent. It was eerily quiet as the test came to an end. I needed to get back to the Bay Area, and took off.
All in all, it was a great experience. Getting the chance to ride and hang out with these guys made all of the land use letter writing, meeting attendance, and grant applications worthwhile. I salute Dirt Rider Magazine for recognizing the importance of this work, and creating an opportunity to reward those few who participate for the benefit of so many.
