Jeff Fredette

[Pantera]

I saw on the cover of this weeks Cycle News a pic of Jeff Fredette motoring on his KDX in the Six Days.The guy has been racing competitvley since Husky ruled off road and always on a KDX 200.He is hardcore.You would think he would have picked a bike that kicks butt if he was going to loyal to it for 25 years.

 

[justql]

With Fredette on KDX it does kick butt. He proves it's 90% rider and 10% bike.

 

[fatty_k]

Hey! KDX's arnt THAT bad. :confused: I am actually surprised that more people dont race highley modified KDX's as Fredette does.

 

[jsned]

I live close to Fredette and get to ride with him every now and then. He has done me good with some killer deals on parts and service, even after I started riding something else. Last year Fredette, me and my buddy spent 3 days camping and setting up a HS for a regular district HS. Let me tell you he worked harder than any of us. My buddy has his 2000 ISDE bike he raced that year, and another close friend has his 2001 ISDE bike (he sells them after the event)also rode his bike quite a bit that weekend. When he got that Revlock last year he would almost make you ride it to show it off. Anyway what I am getting at is I have ridden HIS bike many times. His bikes are not that modified, no carbon fiber, no titanium, no custom parts anyone cant buy, heck they are most likely heavier than stock. He just knows what is important and what aint. He knows how to set suspension and tune the engine to perfection, not only performence but for the reliability aspect also. Comes down to the fact that he can just flat ride a motorcycle (not much for computers Ryan says). Another good friend of mine traveled and rode alot of events with Fredette in the early days and the stories are wild.

BTW Fredette rode Suzukis for awhile at first.

 

[IrishEKU]

Originally posted by jsned


BTW Fredette rode Suzukis for awhile at first.

That is one thing I just can't picture :)

 

[jsned]

I beleive it was those PE175's. They ruled in the day. One time I went to his shop to get some stuff and there was a loading ramp that said suzuki on it I asked him where did he get that and he told me he used to ride suzuki.

I just read where another legend you would think had green blood is riding something else. Larry Roesellar (sp) ownes a Cr450.

 

[scottyr]

L.R. just opened a KTM dealership out west also.

 

[Offroadr]

Jeff raced KTMs as well

 

[IrishEKU]

Originally posted by Offroadr
Jeff raced KTMs as well

:think: :eek:
News that I never had a clue about :)


Phillip

 

[WoodsRider]

I've seen Jeff wax people while riding his clapped out Honda Reflex without a helmet... I saved myself the embarassment and didn't try to pass him. :scream:

 

[Layton]

Actually, I believe Jeff was riding Penton's, not KTM's which really dates him. And me as well. :)

 

[Offroadr]

Originally posted by Layton
Actually, I believe Jeff was riding Penton's, not KTM's which really dates him. And me as well. :)

He actually rode KTMs in the 'white' era

 

[WoodsRider]

That's the white, steel tank, era.

 

[dirt bike dave]

Originally posted by jsned
I just read where another legend you would think had green blood is riding something else. Larry Roesellar (sp) ownes a Cr450.

LR won many, many races for Husky before he joined the green team.

 

[23jayhawk]

If you wanna go WAY back, the first time I ever heard of Larry Roeseler was when he had just won (I think) the District 37 trailbike (0 - 100cc) class. And he rode a Harley Davidson enduro something or other - remember those?

 

[lawman]

the harley was a baja 100, made by aermacchi. those were the days!

 

[70 marlin]

I read somewhere that fredettes isdet bike did'nt make to the races one year in time for inspection/impound, so he rode a team member spare ktm?

 

[Offroadr]

Originally posted by 70 marlin
I read somewhere that fredettes isdet bike did'nt make to the races one year in time for inspection/impound, so he rode a team member spare ktm?

That was last year. He had a 250EXC lined up to race but his KDX ended up making it in time.

 

[bigboarsrule]

I first saw Jeff racing on the Ice in early 80's out near FoxLake. His PE (250?) still had the lights on it, he was pulling wheelies on the front straight while pulling a large lead on the rest of the Flat Track club playing catch up (they never caught him). He has passed me so many, many times in Enduros, you just can't keep him in sight. Try watching one of his self made Enduro tapes, you get dizzy with how fast he goes past things on the tape. I can't belive that the magazines sometimes don't include him in their top rider lists. Very sad, he is the iron man of the sport. Right up there with any of the other legends.

 

[MrLuckey]

Originally posted by jsned
I beleive it was those PE175's.

As a matter of fact I believe it was one of those PE175's that Jeff set his record tire changing time on. They had a cool quick change axle setup.

Can't rember his time but it was something like 2:14, 2:41, dang - cant' remember.

 

[geremacheks]

Very entertaining thread. I'm an old timer, but I don't remember all of this info.

Don't stop now. How old is J. Freddett? Does he race in Wisconsin at all?

And is it true that Larry Rossler has changed completely to KTM?

 

[Layton]

I saw Jeff at an enduro yesterday and asked him about the Penton/KTM thing.

He said he rode Penton's until they went out of business and then switched to KTM's. 1977 I think was the date he said he changed brands.

All of this was before the Suzuki deal someone mentioned which, of course was before he became famous riding KDX's.

He also mentioned how long ago that was and that anyone that could actually remember it was getting old. :eek: