Just for old times and the story of those photos.
I suppose every race has a different story and that depends on who is telling it but we are on memorabilia trail here, so I hope I don’t bore anyone with this old war tail to much.
So here we go;Before we left ParaburdooMick’s bike was geared higher than mine and the local cop accused him of doing near 200km/h on the Nanutarra road during testing. The copper said a green blur went past him and he couldn’t believe how fast this thing was. He couldn’t prove which green bike in town it was, so Mick was free man, lucky the cop know nothing about gearing.
I had lower gearing running a 15 front 40 rear I was about 5 – 10 km/h slower than Mick and about 10-15 km/h slower than Rubys bike. I found this out off the start line on day 2, I will explain later. Hay don’t get me wrong we didn’t truly know the speed of our bikes but a cops word was worth quoting.
Mick had an extra fuel range with a tank on the forks, I had a standard 9.5lts tank.
Before the race;I remember turning up in Newman at that burger joint behind the shops, near the pool. A local bike guy stopped for a chat and tells us all about Ian Ruby’s set up and advises us of his massive long-range tank, machined down his hub to fit the rear sprocket and how he cut into his swing arm for clearance for the front sprocket. I must admit Mick and I felt out gunned.
We jetted the bike the afternoon before we raced and we never pre-rode the track. With a set of number drills and a pair of vice grips, we did speed runs and plug tests. Mick left his jetting as from Para testing but I believed that the temperature would be hotter by midday plus the engine temperature would increase during the race. I jetted black, we all know fuel keeps them cool and not oil.
From the first photo, the start and my version of events.Day 1It was a dead engine start and CR500’s don’t like starting at the best of times let alone a jetted up one. My class left and I was still kicking the bike, 500 above thumpers, 250 two strokes all went and I was still trying to start the bike. Just before the 250 four strokes class it fired up.
With dust and riders in my way, I rode through, and over anything and everything to pass as many riders as I could. I remember the washed out sections because I just had to hit them best I could, dust blind, I think I rounded up most of them in the first section to the fuel stop.
The second section had these natural mini tabletops with a barbed wire fence running along side. I was hit them as fast as I could to see if I could clear them. There was a dried up lake type thing that had these funny little bushes with dirt in side them. Most of the riders followed a single track while I just went over the top these little 300mm high shrubs as fast as I could.
Heading into the last fuel stop it was tight and the clutch was getting a workout due to the gearing. Then the old dirt hi-way and open speed to the finish. I think each section was about 60-70km long as well.
As I was heading to the finish line the Hi-way came along side the bike track, my pit crew were arriving at the same time so I slowed down to wave to them when I looked round to see the gigantic washouts, 6 feet deep one after another. More ass then class I just hit them and I was in total survival mode. I hit about three of four of them and I ended up in the creek bed still on the bike.
My crew couldn’t believe I pulled this survival stunt off, apparently Chuck was saying hes off, no hes not, yes he is, no hes not, my god!
I asked Chuck how fast was he going along the road, his reply was 130km/h, lucky I slowed down.
Apparently, I came in at 6th place, day 1.
That night we hit he pub and bonus double shot bourbons for $5. We hammered a few.
Day 2 continued later and if you think this story is shit, well too :'(
bad.
