OzVMX Forum
Clubroom => Trail & Track => Topic started by: Nathan S on October 25, 2010, 10:37:18 pm
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Not in 2011, but 2012 or 2013, I reckon - once my daughter becomes less high maintenance (she's a month old ATM...).
Now... The thing is that I'm a useless wobbler with minimal enduro experience - I've done three club level Pony Express events ever and I sure didn't threaten for the win at any stage! I'm competent, but nothing amazing as a rider - maybe a bit slower than most guys, maybe a bit better than some in the technical stuff, I guess.
The rough plan is to do as much riding between now and then as possible, including some 'proper' enduros, and to be less unfit (no dreams of becoming an iron man or anything).
Several people have suggested that you need a new bike or you're wasting your time. I was figuring on giving my '04 TM125 a big birthday before the event - or is this not good enough?
Any advice on what to ride if not the TM? I'm a big fan of smaller 2-strokes, and am leaning toward a new TM125/144 or YZ144 if I have to spend real money. Other options are YZ125, KX125 (possibly with a 144 kit?), KX250 or YZ250. Obviously the Kawis can't be bought new, but there's tons of low kilometre bikes for sale ATM.
I'm NOT going to spend otherwise useful money on a new 4-stroke, unless there's compelling reasons to do so.
How many people do I need to drag along to help me out?
My goals are (in order):
1. To avoid going to my grave while still wondering.
2. To finish.
3. Drink lots of beer afterwards.
4. To not totally embarass myself (when I'm on the bike - on the beer is another matter).
Anything else I should know? Horror stories? Tips/wisdom?
Am I mad?
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As one wobbler to another :D
Go for it.
I rode four 4days one silver & 3 Mech DNFs and helped out at many more, loved em. Some of the toughest days i spent on a bike was at 4days.
Couse there not as hard nowadays ;)
Of your list the YZ125 would be my pick.
The compelling reason to buy a 250 4st is there like cheating and for a wobbler are far better than any on your list. WR250 for me.
Get bike fit, Get a job as a postie.
Do it, by the 4th day you get used to the pain and you'll be able to ride over anything.
And the beer tastes so good.
Cheers
Noel
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I don’t think it would be absolutely necessary to have a latest model bike to finish, but im not saying you should go out and do it on a 78 IT175 either. I think any late 80’s bike onwards would be more than capable if prepared correctly. You gotta remember that the older stuff is fairly basic mechanically and easy to work on. With some of the new stuff, there can be more gadgety sort of things and a failure of one tiny thing could mean a DNF. Im not exactly sure what im thinking of but one thing that springs to mind extra electrical sensors connected to the carb, I dunno, I just think generally there is a lot more little things that fail on a newer bike, especially 4 strokes and stuff with fuel injection. I think if you spent the right amount of time fully preparing and going over an older model bike there should not be any reason why the bike won’t finish. In the end I think it will come down to bike preparation and preventative maintenance, that would be my number one tip for any long distance or multi day event as i have heard so many stories of DNF's from all sorts of stupid things that could have been prevented in the shed. An old 90’s model XR would be rock solid reliable I reckon (not one with a stack of Km’s on the clock though and never had a rebuild), but I would still personally choose a lighter 2 stroke. Fitness and body preparation are another good point.
Good Luck on your ambition
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Oyster Bay MCC will run a vintage class in one of there enduros at Portland we have 5 riders we need another 7 to make the class up should be around Feb next year
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Tip No1
Daughter's go from high to higher and higher again maintenance ;)
Go for it on a 144.
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I'm thinking along similar lines, I can dig your four goals. The roadbike's gone and I'm riding a pushbike to work in an effort to get fitter.
Don't discount your ability - I'd have a go, and you're definitely a better rider than me!
As for the bike, why not use your '04 TM? I think Leith's right - the key for a privateer would be preparation & reliability. If you know the TM and trust it, just give it that 'big birthday' and you'll have money left over for other costs.
Speaking of costs, do you have any idea of how much it will set you back?
Good on you I say!
Tex
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Go for it. I rode in the first three 4 Days and DNF them all (once on a Yamaha IT250D, and twice on my 1978 Husky 390 AMX), and still regret not having had another go and maybe even finishing.
Three years ago I descided to have a go at the 24Hr trial that is run here in SA, as back in the early 80's a lot of the people that I rode observed trials with also rode in road trials and I watched them at several 24's and always wanted to have a go. In 2008 I started riding reliability trials to see if I could maybe handle the night riding involved in the 24. I entered the 24 and I made it to the end of the second lap (13hrs of riding for me) in 2008 and in 2009 I pulled out at the end of the first lap (6hrs riding). Both time I pulled out because I was total knackered and swore that I would not have another go (but the memory of the pain and suffering rapidly fades). I would have had another go this year except I knew I had to work on the weekend that it was being held. I am now building a different bike (the 1976 XT500C I normally ride is not the best bike to try it on), to have another go in 2011.
I can now at least say that I tried, and I am going to keep trying as long as I can keep riding, eventually I might make it to the end of the event.
So give it a go, if you don't try you will always have that "I could have, should have tried" in the back of your mind. If you do ride and don't finish, well, welcome to the club. It is nothing to be ashamed of, as there a an awful lot of people in this world who never get of there fat arses and try, and you will be one up on all of them for having a go.
CJ
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It's extreme to say the least, the only good advise I could give you is , Train, Train and Train like a bastard and then,... it will still destroy you.
If I was going to do it, it would be on a KTM EXC200, I reakon it would give you the greatest chance of finnishing.
you will need at least 3 support crew and a good camper van or similar to get decent rest/sleep between days.
also do as many enduro's as you can get to before hand to become as ofey as you can with maps , time cards, special test procedures etc. and talk to as many experience enduro riders as you can to get as much good advise as you can.
by the end of day two reality will set right in.
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Just do it Nathan
Your not going to get any younger or fitter.
Pick one of your bikes you feel comfortable on and go for it.
I would suggest something light and easy to ride.
Reliabilty? hey sh!t you can drop a link foul a plug or get crap fuel from Gundagie.
But I would try a few enduroes first. Nothing like a taste of whats to come.
Good Luck
DOK
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Go for it Nathan you've got nothing to lose & you can gain the satisfaction of saying at least you gave it a go!, I rode in the 90 Cessnock & 91 Bright four days, well truth be known they were 2 days to me as i DNFed both of em due to drowning my yz125 the first year & houring out the second year coz i was too slow :),but i'm glad i tried! I still have my Bright riders park ferme pass which i kept as a momento. My advice is to go along to a 4 day as a spectator & get a feel for the whole show to see how everything works,then when you front the starter you know what to expect,In the meantime try to ride as many proper timed enduros with special tests & timed sections as you can,especially multi day events,and multi day hard trail rides,nothing beats seat time. As for the bike i agree with the others,theres no reason why a well prepped old bike could'nt go the distance but if you are thinking new, what about a Husky or KTM enduro 125,far better than a modded mxer for my money in that kind of event,not sure if you can still buy em though!
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Get a bike of the same vintage as yourself and really "relive" the experience. :D :D
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Hi Nathan
I'll second two things; Daughters get more high maintenance as they get older (think 250 four strokes) and,
a KTM 200EXC would be a great choice, an older one would be fine. They can drag your butt up any hill and have miles more bottom end than a 125 MX'er. As a wobbler, I've ridden much better on my old WR200 and a KTM 200, than I have on late model four strokes. I think you learn what bikes suit you rather than which fare the best in magazine tests..
Oh, and join a good bike club and they will usually provide support to you during the event provided you cover costs etc.
Good luck and go for it
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having done some 4 days enduros
its all bike preperation
learn to change tyres quickly
get reasonably fit :o
train alot leading up to event preferably on another bike
the 4 days now are a lot easier than back in the day
i finished on gold at the bright 4 day 91
did the last day on a completely bald back tyre
did change it on day 2 but those long rocky uphills rooted it
hey smed do you remember that long uphill not far into bush from start
i reckon there was 60 riders stuck there cant remember which day
i was fortunate to ride on the same minute as geoff eldridge
we swapped bikes through one section he wanted to ride my
rmx it had a pro circuit 300cc kit he was on a ktm300
was a great ride
so do it for the experiance you will need some help
try and get a team of 3 or 4 riders together and it would be a lot easier ;)
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As per Rusty's post , Get to know your bike and make it easy to change parts quickly. Practice changing/ reparing a flat tyre with mud everywhere is a starter ;D.
Being fit in both mind and body is a must, as I have witnessed many a rider come to grief thru shear fatigue ;) been there.
Do it mate and it will be a tick in the "Bucket list"
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Having done my share of four days here is my advice take it or leave it.
If it starts raining go to pub don't think about it just go to the nearest one and get very pissed then let some one beat you up and rob you. This will be the same as riding in the rain except it wont fork your bike.
If you really wish to finish your bike must be new or as new otherwise you just pissing into the wind.
Find out what class is close to front and ride that class being rider 483 (as I was once) is a pain no one should know.
You need a whole lot of money for shit you didn't even know about just to finish I'd budget 15k these days.
You cant be fit enough. You need to be able to bench press your bike whilst under the garden hose with a mouth full of mud for at least an hour before you start.
Remember to have fun ;D
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If you really wish to finish your bike must be new or as new otherwise you just pissing into the wind.
Doesnt mean it has to be a 2011 model though, it could be a 1987 model fully restored mechanically and cosmetically (where cosmetics play a part in things mechanically eg im talking about having things plated and painted so they do nut rust up etc)
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Holeshot ,I dont remember the long uphill but i do remember a long downhill that was steep as shit & took forever to get down,I started out on the pegs but ended up sitting down before the bottom as i was too knackered to stand up any longer, you must have been a few minutes behind me as i remember GE passing me, so you would have also,hope i didn't get in your way :)
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yeah i remember that downhill
it was a pretty tough 4 day
people these days get it easy
we used to do 280klm in a day
start at 8.00 finish at about 4.30
all the victorian enduros, riding in snow at stockmans
and freezing huge river crossings at the alpine,
so cold sometimes when we came into control to wait for our time to come up
you would put your gloves on the engine and stand around the time keepers fire brrrrrrrrrrr
your feet were soaked and you could not feel your toes
but it was good fun and good training for the 4 and 6 day ;)
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It's nearly here now Nathan. Hope your all fit and ready
Good luck.
I should see you on day 4 if you make it through.
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Good luck Nathan. What bike are riding?
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2011 Husky XC150, bike #204. The bike is spread out all over the garage floor right now, of course...
I'm fitter than I've been in years - which is not to say that I am particularly fit, just better than I have been. Riding the pushy at lunch time, eating better, drinking a lot less, etc.
A few weeks back I was diagnosed with Gilbert's Syndrome - a supposedly inconsequential genetic disorder that 5~10% of the population have. The official story is that it means nothing, however there's a ton of commonly associated side-effects - some of which I suffer from.
In an ironic twist, discovering that I've got this thing has actually allowed me to understand WTF has been happening, and I've already worked out ways to minimise it. This has been a big help. :)
Raced the Nowra 8-hour Pony Express last weekend. It was a tough, unrelenting bastard of an event. I rode conservatively to avoid damaging myself*, but I think I was the only person disappointed to miss out on doing another lap, and was functioning perfectly at the end of the day and on Monday, so I'm taking it as a positive.
My biggest worry now, is my usual problem of riding too slowly on trail sections and using up too much late time. For a number of reasons, I'm always very reluctant to push on trail sections, and simply lack the talent to just cruise along... ::)
We'll see what happens from here.
*One of the local fast guys smashed crap out of a finger a couple of weeks ago. Missed the 8-hour and the 4-day because of it.
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Good luck Nathan , you can do it 8)
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Best of luck Nathan im sure you will finish it :) however a real bloke would do it on a vintage bike ;D
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A few weeks back I was diagnosed with Gilbert's Syndrome - a supposedly inconsequential genetic disorder that 5~10% of the population have. The official story is that it means nothing, however there's a ton of commonly associated side-effects - some of which I suffer from.
That could explain a few things :P :P :P :P
Good luck mate. Take care.
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Interesting to note that it took getting back into racing-or getting a bit fitter- actually found another problem that you had.
I too had some trouble getting fit when I came back to passengering-actually before that I went for a bike ride with my son who was training for his x country.
Cut to the chase I rode about a mile and was storked so went off to the doc for a quick check. Turned out I had contracted a lung dis-order that needed attention and I was 'lucky' to have caught it early.
So, in a way, I can attribute VMX to a longer and healthier life-thus far at least :D :D :D
I might add that from going back to the outfits I now am able to do more things more flexibly like squatting down to open the roller door in the morning at work etc... and I feel lots better over all.
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A few weeks back I was diagnosed with Gilbert's Syndrome - a supposedly inconsequential genetic disorder that 5~10% of the population have. The official story is that it means nothing, however there's a ton of commonly associated side-effects - some of which I suffer from.
In an ironic twist, discovering that I've got this thing has actually allowed me to understand WTF has been happening, and I've already worked out ways to minimise it. This has been a big help. :)
I was diagnosed with that thirty years ago and had totally forgotten that I had it until now. What were your side affects and how did you minimise it?
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Good luck Nate. ;D
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Thanks for all of the well-wishes.
Off at stupid-o'clock tomorrow morning. I think everything is under control, but tomorrow night will be spent teaching myself how to change tyres with mousse tubes... ::) ... :D
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f128/annaandnathan/Bikestuff/Husky%20XC150/2012-10-21-705.jpg)
The TTR is gunna be the run-around bike, the TE410 in making its way to it's new owner's place (in a round-about fashion).
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f128/annaandnathan/Bikestuff/Husky%20XC150/2012-10-21-706.jpg)
crash n bern, there's a ton of things "commonly associated" with GS. For me, jaundice, occasional lethargy/muddle-headness, (mild) IBS, and abdominal pains are the main ones. If I include my siblings, we can nail virtually the entire list. It's also been very easy to figure out the genetic path in my family through the symptoms (including to my son...), even though I'm the only one to be formally diagnosed...
I'll post up more when I've got more time.
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Nathan ... too late to change your mind now ;D Go out and enjoy the experience and fill us in when you get back . Good luck
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Best of luck Nathan. Good on you for having a go!
Tex
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Two days in, so far so good. No late time used (yet?), no crashes, but I was slow yesterday (finished the day 155th out of 170-odd finishers), and was even slower today.
Tomorrow, we're re-using some of yesterday's trail, which included a couple of kilometres of peg deep rut on newly cut single track in thick bush. That's gonna be fun after another 170-odd bikes have passed over it... And did I mention that it's raining now?
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Hang in there matey.
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Go Nathan
Just to finish the four day is a great achievement
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Onyer Nath :) hang in there mate the feeling of satisfaction when you finish the event will be worth it all .
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Go Nathan
Good job , you can finish
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Don't forget to oil your chain
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And drink plenty of water.
Keep punchin Nathan.
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Good on you, Nathan - there are few things (two wheeled) that compare with doing a Four Day.
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Just keep telling youself ....I can do it.
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Great going so far. You are doing it and we are all wishing we could too....???? Are you doing it on a 150?
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Half way done - keep on keeping on! ;)
Tex
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Great going so far. You are doing it and we are all wishing we could too....???? Are you doing it on a 150?
Yep - Husky 150XC. Bike's been great, apart from stopping in a creek - carby vent hoses, I think. Sucks on transports, though - 70kph is fine, 80 is OK, 90 is annoying, and 100 sounds/feels like a chainsaw with a stuck throttle...
And thanks again, gents. :)
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Finished.
:)
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Top job Nathan
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Finished.
:)
Well done! Oiling the chain payed off.
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Champion 8)
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Great effort mate.
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Great work!
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Congrat's Nathan - the problem with doing ONE Four Day is, afterwards when the fatigue has long gone, the WANT to have another crack grows stronger...
See you next year in Harvey, WA??
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Congrats Nathan that is a cool achievement well done
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Thanks all. Currently enjoying a state of numb contentedness. And my first beer in weeks.
Dunno about next year. I finished the 24 hour and straight away knew I'd be back. This one feels like it will take a while for the idea to grow.
It's also the week after next year's 24, so it would literally be a matter of jumping on a plane and flying to Perth... The logistics would be a nightmare.
But who am I kidding? After all of the stuff that's been sacrificed to make it here, The Wife owns my balls for the foreseeable future... :D ... :o I'll be lucky to do anything more than ride the TTR to the shops for the next six months.
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Fine job Nathan, I'm in awe of anyone who can complete something like that. Well done!
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Good work Nathan, bring on the ISDE ;D
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(http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a393/gmcloa/Misc%20bike%20stuff/Nathan-116.jpg)
(http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a393/gmcloa/Misc%20bike%20stuff/Nathan-156.jpg)
(http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a393/gmcloa/Misc%20bike%20stuff/Nathan-179.jpg)
(http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a393/gmcloa/Misc%20bike%20stuff/Ballard-009.jpg)
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Is it your Husky Nathan? What happened to the TM?
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Yeah, my Husky. The TM and I didn't get along... Too peaky, too twitchy in the handling.
And the brand new, current model Husky with warranty was $100 more than I sold the TM for, it made it a pretty easy decision...
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Well done Nath :) must be a great feeling to have completed the event .
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Yea, good on ya Nathan......more stamina than I've got these days.
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Well done Nathan. A mammoth effort.
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Well done Nathan. You have done what many dream of, a few try and even fewer finish.
CJ
4 x 4 Day DNF's ('78- '81)