So Cal - TWMC's Black Hills Well Enduro

the Eel

~SPONSOR~
Sep 23, 2000
1,747
0
This was the first club race of the 2002 season and I was stoked ! My weekend almost turned into a nightmare though ... but luck came through for me.

I met up with Thumbs on Saturday - the place was 20 miles past Mojave on HWY 14 (Tokiwas ?) - site of the 27th annual Black Hills Well Enduro. We saddled up and went for a jaunt to check on jetting and terrain for Sunday's race. Our first "experience" was a large, steep hill of loose soil and broken white rocks. We each tried this sucker four times and couldn't make it up. Thumbs found a better line and made it almost to the top but we decided to call it quits after too many humbling get-offs. Exhausted after only 6 miles ! We took off again and wound up riding along this gigantic black pipe which came down several stories on one side, ran along the ground for a 100 yards or so and then ran several stories back up the opposing wall. Shortly after this we got separated and didn't see each other again until about an hour later. I went right and after awhile I realized I was alone. It was starting to get dark and I was getting worried. I rode around looking for Thumbs when I realize I'm about to lose a footpeg (victim of the hill) so I race back to the truck to fix it. I get it fixed as it gets darker and I start to get REALLY worried ... Thumbs is not at the truck. I took off again in 5th down a fire road toward the pipe when MY BIKE DIES !!!!!! :o AGAIN !!!!!! So I push it the 1/4 mile back to camp ... completely disgusted. The good news is that Thumbs shows up and he's fine. We were both looking for each other ...just not in the same spot. :)

Brett and Thumbs say the symptoms sound like a seized piston so I figure I'm done for the weekend ... I won't even get to race, but Brett mentioned that if it only seized temporarily I might be able to put some oil in the head and free it up. I decide to get up early and see what I can do. The evening was very cool and windy - the moon was full and there was this eerie sound that we kept hearing ... like a baby crying. It was really creepy and we finally realized it was some kind of animal. But it freaked us out so much we almost moved to a different spot !

I got up at 7 am, took off the tank, pipe, upper motor mounts, drained the radiators, and took off the head. Sure enough ... the piston was scored pretty good on one side as was the cylinder. So I cleaned it all up, smeared some pre-mix all around the inside of the cylinder, and buttoned it back up. At this point it was 8:30 AM and the race was starting at 9 AM. I kicked her over a few times and nothing .. but finally she sparked up !!! Brett's trick worked.

Now I just had to sign in, get dressed and program my computer before the race started. Thumbs gets big props for signing me up and getting me a route sheet while I put my gear on. I got it all done and got to the line 1:23sec before my minute took off. What a morning !

The novice race was 53 miles long and just shy of 3 hours. Alot of deep whoops which were absolutely killing me and two big hills - one of which took me 3 tries to climb on the 1st loop ... 2 tries on the 2nd loop. What a bear that one was ! I think Thumbs made it up on the 1st shot on both loops. Pretty awesome. I got completely burned on a pie-plate reset on the beginning of the 2nd loop - wound up 10 minutes early (I think) at the next check. Severe bummer. Between that burn and the time I lost on my numerous hillclimb attempts, I'm pretty sure I racked up an NCAA sized score. :eek: The course was challenging. The tight ravines and tight sand gullies were really cool - lots of clutch work and on the 2nd loop I was barely staying on the bike - my arms were dead - I was flopping all over ! Some pretty whooped out sand washes and not many rocks at all. I thought it was pretty tough. As usual it's a great buzz to finish the race. I was all smiles riding back to LA ... listened to Abbey Road all the way home. :)
 
Last edited:

holeshot

Crazy Russian
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Jan 25, 2000
1,823
0
I'll bet the scored cylinder didn't help on those hillclimb attempts. What's a pie-plate reset?:confused:
 

the Eel

~SPONSOR~
Sep 23, 2000
1,747
0
That's the reset that they don't put on your route sheet - instead they put it on the face of a pie-plate at the side of the trail !!!! :( So if you ride by the pie-plate and don't see it, then you don't know that when you're at exactly 30 miles in you are actually at 34 miles in ... as indicated by their pie-plate reset. You would've had a fit Holeshot.
 

brett r

Member
Nov 6, 2000
132
0
I thought that was you we passed in the sandwash on the 2nd loop you had a black jacket on right ?
When we went by you I figured you missed the reset or you had bike trouble and you were still on the first loop. The test at the end had one of the steepest downhills that I had ever ridden down, it was so steep and rocky I heard almost everyone had to bulldog it.
I got lucky when I got to it there was only two guys stuck at the bottom and I was able to ride it and get around them, when I went for it I did not realize how steep that thing was no way I would have been able to stop if they were any higher.
 

thumbs

Tony 'da Rat
Oct 16, 2000
2,484
1
I was in a deep slumber when I awoken to the Eel saying "Hey Thumbs it's 8:20". Ooops, I over slept. I rush to get ready and when I pull up to the starting line I ask what row just left. The reply is "Row 11". Damn, I'm on row 7. So off I go 4 minutes late. I rode as fast as I could passing guys left and right trying to catch up. I finally catch the other riders on my minute and ride their fender because in my haste I forgot to set my key-time. I think we zeroed the first check. After that I just tried to stay at the average speed for each section since my timekeeping was off. I had no problems with any of the hill climbs but there were a few guys that were scattered along the hillsides that I just worked my way through. I was a minute late a 3 checks and I think I zeroed the rest. I did have 2 getoffs. The first was just coming out of the wash we made a sharp left turn up a small sandy hill (maybe 5 feet high) when all of a sudden my scooter finds lots of traction and up comes the front wheel along with the rest of the bike. My scooter shoot so high into the air I though it was going to be the next Mars explorer. I second crash was on the second loop. I was in 3rd gear getting ready to launch off the top of the wash (I did it on the first loop) when just as I hit the point of no return I notice the checkpoint and about 10 to 15 spectators on the other side:scream: . I try to slow down but the momentum God said no. I launch past the checkpoint and save the landing but grab too much front brake and over the bars I go. While I was laying in the dirt on my back I made a nice Dirt Angel for the crowd. I got back on the scooter and finished the race without any further incidents.

After the race and loading up I asked the guy next to me If he had the results yet. He said his kid had them. The kid ask what my name and I tell him. He say "you got first place", I said "There must be a mistake". I took a quick look and there was my name at the top of the list. :)

Thumbs - 3.0193 1st in class
Bretr - 1.0068 1st in class
The Eel - 86.1705 6th in class
 

the Eel

~SPONSOR~
Sep 23, 2000
1,747
0
Now that's the way to start a new race season ! Thumbs up !
 

Ol'89r

LIFETIME SPONSOR
Jan 27, 2000
6,961
45
Re: Congrads Tony!

Originally posted by placelast
I say two thumbs up...U beat most of the three higher-class entrants!

Way to go guys. You do us all proud.;)

Ol'89r
 

holeshot

Crazy Russian
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Jan 25, 2000
1,823
0
Originally posted by the Eel
The results are up ! Thumbs ripped it !

Now we'll never convince him to go four stroke.....:silly:
 

thumbs

Tony 'da Rat
Oct 16, 2000
2,484
1
Thanks guys.:)

My scooter ran great after I found out why it was loosing so much power. My sparky was so clogged that air could not pass through it.:o

Phelan sand hill here I come.:)

Holeshot - Don't worry, I still have plenty of room in my garage for a wr250f, yz250f or crf250. I'm going to keep the CR and pick up a 4-stroker hopefully in the next 4 or 5 months. That way I can work both side of the force. ;)
 

scar tissue

LIFETIME SPONSOR
Dec 27, 2000
1,429
0
Nice work Thumbsy boy! Taking off all those days from work really paid off:p
Wish I could've gone, catch you next time.
 

Boodac

~SPONSOR~
Oct 31, 2001
978
0
*

Im thinking Thumbs should sleep in more often before the start of a race. Not to mention his superman hattrick at the checkpoint, Id say you had a pretty good day coming in first. CONGRADS.
 
Top Bottom