- Aug 2, 2000
- 13,510
- 19
Got a call Saturday from my mom asking if my crew would like to do the poker run up in Elk River the next day. After some discussion with momma about it, we decided to go. I managed to get all the rolling stock (my XR, the kid's TTR90 and the big ol Polaris 500) on the trailer. Momma and my Li'l Buttercup were going to buddy up on the quad whilst Pred2 and myself were gonna dirt bike it with Grampa on his YZ400. Also along for the ride were Gramma on the 660 Grizzly, Great Gramma and Grampa on their 500 Sportsman, and another couple on a Bayou 300. Just a few random thoughts:
Now some real complaints:
Even with all the complaints, and probably 2/3 of the mileage dust-choked trails and roads, a good time was had by all. Even Momma enjoyed herself, but I'm pretty sure I'm not gonna get her off of 4 wheels onto 2. That's okay, when Buttercup moves onto her own bike, Momma can haul the gas :)
- quad do dirt bike ratio was approx 30:1. There were about 300 entries, you do the math
- some warning as to when the checkpoints were going to show up would have been nice: some dude came in hot on a Warrior and went off the road, then pole-vaulted when a downed tree caught him in the front!
- 14" front and 12" rear tires don't handle rocks all that well. Pred2 went down 3 times, one of 'em pretty hard. But he toughed it out and finished the last half with a pretty sore arm
- overheating and losing your back break on a long downhill is a tad unsettling. First gear and the kill button saved me though
- Keeping track of an 8-year old during a nice little poker run is far more difficult than racing
- 42 miles may be a tad long trail ride for an 8 year old as well
- Poker Runs ain't conducive to an XR400 and a YZ400. It was pretty much 1st and 2nd gear all the way around. Shoulda switched to the smaller front sprocket for the day
Now some real complaints:
- it was very dusty, and following a quad is a bad omen -- some goobers think you gotta ride side by side!
- the idiot fringe doesn't know how to wait to pass a kid who's a tad hesitant going down the steep hills. There were some close calls, and it wouldn't have hurt my feelings to pummel a few
- Card Draw #3 -- The "Hospitality Room"! Free hooch (not just beer, but whiskey and vodka!) Talk about opening yourself up to a lawsuit!
- quadbilly gear -- saw many riders in shorts and sandals
- Beer on the trail. Y'know, I like my barley pop as much as the next guy, but why can't you hold off 'til you get back to the rig?
- Why do these doofs gotta do donuts in the parking lot is beyond me
Even with all the complaints, and probably 2/3 of the mileage dust-choked trails and roads, a good time was had by all. Even Momma enjoyed herself, but I'm pretty sure I'm not gonna get her off of 4 wheels onto 2. That's okay, when Buttercup moves onto her own bike, Momma can haul the gas :)
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