3rd time lucky

[NordieBoy]

Right...
After being snowed out and rained out this Sunday should finally be my first go at a Cross Country.
The 1st round of the Nelson Cross Country Champs is a 3hr over in Tadmor near Tapawera.

I've marshalled and taken photos but never raced.

Got the final bit of prep done today with the purchase of a pair of Scott goggles with roll-offs 'cause it's gonna be muddy.

Hope my bike can handle it. :scooter:
Hell, I hope I can handle it! :doctor:

See you all there :rockon:

[$CENSLS1$]

Good on ya for getting out there and giving it a thrash mate, best of luck to ya :scooter:

[NordieBoy]

Thanks :D

I could have a chance at top XR250 :woohoo:

Just need to stop Warewolf getting past too many times on the little KTM smoker.

[NordieBoy]

Well that was an experience :D

The track was probably a little too bumpy for my bike.
The mud/bogs weren't a problem but having a modern 450 fly past near the end of a wide open section was interesting :D

My rear brakes were non-existant at the start of the day and I was having to slow down for hazards far earlier than virtually everyone else as the lack of suspension (and brakes) made them even more hazardous.
I'd be approching a hazard and someone would come past me and by the time I'd looked up again they'd be 50-100m ahead already.

Did a nice piroutte lowside on one of the two remaining icy bits (Warewolf did the same on the previous lap).

I finished in 22nd place but I finished :woohoo:

I prefer natural terrain MX at the moment but upgrading the front brakes and rear shocks may change that.

[vr4king]

Wholy shyte is there a bike under that pile off dirt/mud?

Looks like a fun time was had

[merv]

Bloody good try on such an old bike - twin shocker and all - that's what legends are made of.

[cheese]

Bloody good try on such an old bike - twin shocker and all - that's what legends are made of.

and what back problems are made of!! LOL

Well done!!

Man that looks like some awesome mud!!

[NordieBoy]

Thanks :D

28 year old shocks don't help matters much.
Looking for some "new" ones now.
Some of those new fangled twin leading shoe brakes wouldn't go amiss either.

[merv]

How many finished? Tell us it was 100 or so that makes your 22nd look even better. How many didn't finish?

Showing my age, I haven't raced since end of 1984 season but hell even I had a pro-link Honda then.

[NordieBoy]

Well let's just say that after I arrived in, the track was closed for the day :o

I have the rolling chassis of an XR350 down in the shed to put a CB250RS donk in one day - Already have the motor too.

[merv]

You reckon that's going forward using an XR350 frame?

[NordieBoy]

Hey it's an '84, got a monoshock and double the suspension travel :woohoo:

[xwhatsit]

Hey it's an '84, got a monoshock and double the suspension travel :woohoo:

<hints id="hah_hints"></hints>And once you install it, an engine for gentlemen :yes:

That's a wonderful photo. I had no idea bikes still worked with that amount of crap covering them!

EDIT: That was odd, I gave you green for your post with the photo -- but I had a `Thanks for giving reputation' message box pop up three times. I wonder if you'll get three lots of green?

[merv]

Dirt bikes have a sweet smell about them too as they fry the mud and cow shit on them on the hot engine and exhaust system.

[NordieBoy]

Just one greenie :)

Great little engine (you can take them out to 302cc).

I was lucky.
I fell off on an deceptive icy corner and not in a bog like quite a few others :D

[xwhatsit]

Just one greenie :)

Great little engine (you can take them out to 302cc).

I was lucky.
I fell off on an deceptive icy corner and not in a bog like quite a few others :D

I bet you don't like icy corners very much after the past few weeks :)

In a long-running thread about building a CB500RS a member mentioned that apparently you can take the CB250RS/XL250S/XR250 lump out to 337cc or something like that; a 350cc Yamaha thumper piston and a new cylinder liner does the trick.

If you're going to bore it out, do it right :innocent:


I want a thumper dirt bike something chronic, your photos have inspired me. Taking the CB over gravel roads is a ball, I want a taste of the real thing.

Anyway, you still haven't mentioned how many total competitors! Tell me it was more than 22!?

[NordieBoy]

Even 302cc means boring out the cases to fit the much larger liner.

Mine is only 2mm oversize.

I've got 2 6-speed gearboxes, 2 brand new complete crank assemblies and a complete CB250RS (6-speed) engine as spare parts :D

Still using the 5-speed at the moment.

I think it was 28-30 riders but havn't got the results yet.

Still, I'm going better than Charley Boorman, I finished my 1st X-Country :D

Next - Dakar...

[xwhatsit]

*Clears throat*

Offtopic, yes -- but:

You have a 6-speed geabox to suit an RS? Two of them?

If you're ever interested in parting with one of them, well, you know how to PM me :yes: 5 cogs aren't quite enough IMHO.

Anyway, enough crap about ancient Honda thumper mills. Back to your normal programme.

[NordieBoy]

Same overall gearing but smaller gaps in between.
The XR500's have the same 5-speed but a hell of a lot more torks.
When I'm changing gears I'd like it so that it wasn't bogging slightly in the new gear.

The box drops straight in as long as you've got the gear driven counterbalancer.

[NordieBoy]

22nd out of 35 starters :woohoo:

Warewolf got 17th somehow.

Hmmm, wonder if he was going faster than me?