I'm goint to ache tomorrow....

After over a year I've finally taken the YZ out for a blat. It was as
if I'd never ridden an MX bike before. The start straight at Washbrook
Farm was... interesting for the first couple of sessions: it was a
sort of thick sandy porridge criss-crossed with ruts. It took a while
for me to remember to FUCKING STAND UP and grip the bike with my
knees, at which point it got a hell of a lot easier. Later a clean
line developed, which was great, apart from the fact that the
inevitable choppy braking & acceleration bumps also appeared. I still
haven't figured out the best set-up to deal with these.

I was one of the slowest, even in the beginner/intermediate group, but
given that I passed several fallers, I reckon that Slow 'n' Steady
was an acceptable tactic. To be fair, there were a few bloody fast
people who really shouldn't have gone into that group: someone else
commented on that.

 

If in doubt flat out.

As you were then.

That's what I like about J4M54 where the lad used to go. Very insistent
on people being in the correct groups. Colour coded wrist bands
sometimes checked in the assembly area.


--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Aprilia Shiver Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

I've learned that one for riding in muddy conditions; you have to gas
it or the front end ploughs in with hilarious consequences. Ditto
choppy acceleration bumps. There were times though when I was
off-balance, the bike was fish-tailing and veering towards the posts
at the edge of the track and I bottled it and backed off.

Oh, they issue wrist bands when you sign in, but some simply signed
into a slower group than their abilities. There were also some
demonstrator TMs[1] there today, so maybe some riders didn't have a
choice of which group they went out in.

[1] Never heard of them before. When I saw these mentioned on the
Washbrook web site, I thought it was a typo of KTM until I saw a line
of blue and white bikes, not the bright orange I was expecting. After
Googling, it seems that TM Racing's been around for quite a while now.

 

Discretion is the better part of valour.

Sounds like a much more high profile place than J4M54. Though the lad
did get a bit of a bringing down to earth when he went there on a
Saturday rather than a Sunday. All the lads that race regular were
practising.


--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Aprilia Shiver Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

I don't know: it's purely a practice track, though I've seen the odd
smaller motorhome-wivva-garage there more recently (as in the last
couple of years).

They do have an on-site shop & workshop, which apparently brings in a
lot of the income. They've had noise complaints unfortunately, so they
have to close on certain Saturdays in the summer months and they have
a huge straw bale wall alongside the start straight and part of the
paddock. Starting engines in the paddock is also strictly verboten;
you're supposed to wheel the bike to the collecting area to do any
engine testing.

Ah. Well, it's character-building being block-passed going into a
hairpin that only has one clean line and as a result, being driven
wide onto the loose stuff.

I have certainly gained lots of character today.

 

I'd never heard of TM either, until a mate told me he had done a deal with
TM Racing to race their bikes in enduro. He wasn't too successful but did
score a few points for them at Championship level. Competition was too hot
for him so he dropped back down to Clubman level and managed to get
sponsorship from a KTM dealer.

From what the mate says, they are better known in the world of kart racing
as their engines win world championships.

 

Yeah, the potted history on their website mentions kart racing. They
appeared to be pretty much state of the art bikes: alloy-framed 2T or
4T; Ohlins shocks on most and nicely machined yokes, etc.

 

Oh, one of my better moments (which isn't saying much) captured here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30173020@N05/5193229808/

 

I told the blokes on our day in Wales the same thing. "If in doubt, gas
it." They queried it a few times, what with it being bone dry and my
repeatedly lobbing it, but history will vindicate me, I'm sure.

 

Best thing about riding offroad is if you fall off, it only hurts quite
a lot.

Try explaining that one to a woman.

(Down, sweller)

 

CCM had a stand at Weston. I thought they were basically fucked, just
importing Chinese shit and slapping a label on it.

Either I'm wrong, or the company funds were spunked on a marquee at a
high-profile event. Anyone got any ideas?

Still fancy one of the 450s on the KTM stand. Only problem is I'd have
to keep it at Packer's, which has more downsides than an upside-down
nine-dimensional pyramid.

 

it's all on their website
http://ccm-motorcycles.com/ccm-atv/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10&Itemid=3

rescued in 2004, seem to be doing okay in MotoX and selling bikes to
the military.

Diversified into ATVs and seem to be successfully racing those & selling
them to the military too.

 

Nah, they're well known in the off-roading world, especially for making
particularly bonkers smokers that go pop regularly.

 

If it weren't the first time I'd been on a MX track in over a year,
I'd have booked a ride on one of the four strokes - I'd like to see
how well a modern bike, especially a four stroke, goes. As it was I
too busy just trying to remember how to ride offroad.

 

Blimey. I thought they were long gone.

 

Well, my knowledge is a bit dated - mate switched to KTM several years ago.
He did seem to be tinkering with the TM a lot inbetween enduros.

Poking around their website I see they have a track record of poaching
people who win championships on other marques e.g. Chas Statt won the
Junior on a Kawasaki and will be riding a TM next year. Funny how TM
haven't won the following year...

 

Last-ditch attempt to kill the jetlag.

 

The welding and general finish on the display bikes at weston was really
shit.

I wouldn't even waste my money on one.